Considering Breaking up a Camino Frances into Two Parts

[Stephan the Painter]

I'm thinking about breaking a Camino Frances into two parts, and I would find some feedback valuable.

This is because I'm supposed to meet some family in Tarifa in SW Spain from April 5 to April 9. I'll be in the south of Spain starting February 19.

Here are my choices:

1. Start the Camino from SJPP about April 10 (W) or 11(Th)

Advantages:
More things are open.
The weather is a little nicer.

Disadvantage:
May arrive in Pamplona on the weekend.
More possibility of having to deal with a bed race, especially towards the end.

2. Start the Camino from SJPP on March 20. But on April 4 bus and train down to Tarifa ( I will not fly) then come back and restart my Camino about April 10 or 11th (probably near Burgos).

Advantages:
Rest my body.
Less possibility of bed race.
More cool days for walking.
Easter while on the Camino!

Disadvantages:
Probably will lose any Camino family I have developed.
No option for the Napoleon route.
Possibility for worse weather.
Easter on the Camino may create lodging issues.

This will be my second Camino Frances, but the first one I ended up completing on a bicycle due to injury and I want to make another attempt to finish it on foot.

Once I wrote this all out, it seems that breaking up the Camino option is not worth the trouble. Except that, I really, really want to avoid a bed race.

But I'd still love to get some feedback, I was going to start making some bookings this weekend.

 

[Kitsambler]

(Just speculation on my part) You're planning to start 10 days after Easter, which means the Holy Week/Easter surge should be well ahead of you. And the May-long-holidays will not have arrived yet. So I suspect there will be less of a bed race than you fear, especially since you are starting mid-week.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Sometimes when trying to make a decision, I just have to ask someone else, or say it out loud, and the answer magically appears. I'm sure whatever you decide will be the right decision.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

(Just speculation on my part) You're planning to start 10 days after Easter, which means the Holy Week/Easter surge should be well ahead of you. And the May-long-holidays will not have arrived yet. So I suspect there will be less of a bed race than you fear, especially since you are starting mid-week.

Good point. As you said, no one ever knows but maybe I am worried too much.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

My opinion is to go with plan #1.
There is less planning, a seamless, uninterrupted Camino, and the bed race may not be much of a problem. Pamplona has lots of lodging options if you can decide ahead of time what night you will be arriving.

 

[trecile]

Option #1, and book up through Pamplona, because there will probably be more of a "bed race" (if any) in these early stages than later on.

 

[C clearly]

Sometimes when trying to make a decision, I just have to ask someone else, or say it out loud, and the answer magically appears. I'm sure whatever you decide will be the right decision.

I discovered a variation on this, when I was a child. If I said "eeny meeny miny mo" etc., when I landed on the answer, I could tell by my emotional reaction if I was disappointed or glad, even though I didn't know beforehand!

 

[jungleboy]

I will join the chorus for #1, the continuous walk. ¡Buen camino, mi amigo!

 

[Marbe2]

If starting fromSSPdP in March be aware that the higher, Napoleon route does not open until April!

 

[bellamira]

I discovered a variation on this, when I was a child. If I said "eeny meeny miny mo" etc., when I landed on the answer, I could tell by my emotional reaction if I was disappointed or glad, even though I didn't know beforehand!

Reminds me of this quote: "When faced with two choices, simply toss a coin. It works not because it settles the question for you, but because in that brief moment when the coin is in the air, you suddenly know what you are hoping for." - Unknown

 

[JBerg]

I'm thinking about breaking a Camino Frances into two parts, and I would find some feedback valuable.

This is because I'm supposed to meet some family in Tarifa in SW Spain from April 5 to April 9. I'll be in the south of Spain starting February 19.

Here are my choices:

1. Start the Camino from SJPP about April 10 (W) or 11(Th)

Advantages:
More things are open.
The weather is a little nicer.

Disadvantage:
May arrive in Pamplona on the weekend.
More possibility of having to deal with a bed race, especially towards the end.

2. Start the Camino from SJPP on March 20. But on April 4 bus and train down to Tarifa ( I will not fly) then come back and restart my Camino about April 10 or 11th (probably near Burgos).

Advantages:
Rest my body.
Less possibility of bed race.
More cool days for walking.
Easter while on the Camino!

Disadvantages:
Probably will lose any Camino family I have developed.
No option for the Napoleon route.
Possibility for worse weather.
Easter on the Camino may create lodging issues.

This will be my second Camino Frances, but the first one I ended up completing on a bicycle due to injury and I want to make another attempt to finish it on foot.

Once I wrote this all out, it seems that breaking up the Camino option is not worth the trouble. Except that, I really, really want to avoid a bed race.

But I'd still love to get some feedback, I was going to start making some bookings this weekend.

i broke mine up. sjpdp to burgos. i will head back hopefully in september. i just couldn't take that much time at once because i'd start worrying about responsibilities at home. and i don't want to be thinking about anything while i'm out there.
i think it's a good point to end. but yes i am hoping to make friends and they will be most likely continuing. i love the coin flip reply. that's great!! and really is true. it's on this thread some where. enjoy!