Crowds on the Le Puy?

[Luka]

I haven't made up my mind yet: Le Puy route or Vézelay route?
I have been on the Le Puy for a few days in September 2012 and was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of fellow pilgrims. I think about 50 to 60 a day. People where booking ahead and there were quite some bigger walking groups. The scenery is beautiful, but I don't like to book ahead and I prefer to walk alone during the day.

So, any more recent experiences? How crowded is it? I heard May and September are peak months. But I also heard July and August can be busy, because of summer holidays. Any advice? Does it help to start from Le Puy on a weekday? I hope to set off the beginning of May 2015.

 

[billmclaughlin]

I just did 3 weeks starting April 29. Walked alone most of the time and could easily have walked alone all the time.

I reserved a day ahead or a few hours ahead. Wasn't necessary, but I wouldn't want to walk consistently without a reservation if I was the sort of walker who gets to the gite toward 5 pm.

I'd say it only seemed "crowded" in a few of the larger towns where the French tend to begin or end their one-week hikes, like Figeac or Cahors. But never ever anything like busy on the trails.

Bill

 

[scruffy1]

Spring is a good time to walk and I agree with Bill, no reason to be concerned about pilgrims. However - the weather has been crazy these past two years with winter continuing well into what was once considered summer - not bad since its much easier to walk in cool temperatures however having crossed the Aubrac plateau in a raging blizzard - it has a few drawbacks. This year there was rain and more rain and more rain - not a monsoon but it was wet enough to demand rain gear almost every day. Serge in Cahors has the Le Relais des Jacobins albergue just over the bridge behind the cathedral at 12 Rue des Jacobins, a warm welcoming host, a gracious and wonderful cook, please give him my regards!

 

[Kanga]

We've walked the Le Puy twice, once in September/October, once in May/June. Neither was crowded, although we took care to book ahead during weekends.

 

[Kitsambler]

To avoid the surges during the popular months of May and September, I suggest departing from Le Puy mid-week (Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday), avoiding any major holidays, saint's days, or local fetes.

 

[gittiharre]

Yes I agree with Kits Ambler, start midweek and you will dodge the hoardes setting off.

 

[newfydog]

I met some dedicated hikers from Luxembourg last month, who travel with their donkeys. They used to do a trip every year or so on the LePuy route, but have decided it is too busy any touristy to do anymore.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I met some dedicated hikers from Luxembourg last month ... have decided it is too busy any touristy to do anymore.

Opinions are never wrong. They are just assertions of one's conclusions, so it is useful to hear the opinion of dedicated hikers. I conclude from comments in the Forum that the facts on crowding are that it is sporadic and tied to holidays and days of the week. That certainly is my factual experience. Whether that makes it "too busy" is a conclusion each of us gets to make.

As to touristy, villages are shutting down, not turning into antique malls. Towns that had four bakeries may have only one now (or none). If the donkey people are saying that French hikers are showing up more, that may be factually correct. France has tens of thousands of GR walking routes, and the French head for them every available minute. The Le Puy route is just one of thousands of routes to walk (and they are all marked the same, so the red and white balise require some interpretation). There is something vaguely condescending about labeling them tourists while someone with a donkey from Luxembourg claims the title of pilgrim.

Facilities are more limited on the Via Le Puy than the Camino Frances, so at busy times, accommodations are more difficult to find. The system in France is to call ahead to find a bed. When you do, it will be waiting for you. If you don't, you may have to wander around town or move on to find one. It is different, not worse!

 

[newfydog]

There is something vaguely condescending about labeling them tourists while someone with a donkey from Luxembourg claims the title of pilgrim.
!

They never claimed to be pilgrims. To them, the pilgrims are tourists, just like themselves. Just too darn many of them for their taste.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

They never claimed to be pilgrims. To them, the pilgrims are tourists, just like themselves.

Tourists with a donkey! Now you have seen everything!

 

[newfydog]

Apparently these donkey trips are a big thing. The Stevenson Trail was the first one, but now there are eight or ten trails with donkey rental, donkey shuttles, donkey albergues. My local market in provence sells donkey sausage. I'll have to keep some along.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Stevenson Trail was the first one, but now there are eight or ten trails with donkey rental, donkey shuttles, donkey albergues.

My brother is on the Stevenson right now. We did a two-week trek with burros in your youth, and learned our lesson! No more donkeys. I am not sure I am ready to eat them, but I will settle for amicable friendship.

 

[newfydog]

some of the friends I met on the Stevenson (Sorry for the thread drift)

 

[Luka]

Thanks all! Of course 'crowded' is subject to debate. I have mostly walked alone or almost alone, so that's why Le Puy was a bit of a shock to me. My only experience with other pilgrims was on the Via de la Plata. About 20 to 30 a day, wonderful amount. I looked it up in my blog and I started from Le Puy on a Monday, just after a big festival (Roi de l'Oiseau), so that might have been the reason.

I still have a lot of time to make up my mind, but I think it will be Le Puy. Starting on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and (at least) making reservations in the weekends.

 

[Luka]

@newfydog, thanks for the pics! I like donkeys but they walk too slowly ;-)

 

[Thornley]

We've walked the Le Puy twice, once in September/October, once in May/June. Neither was crowded, although we took care to book ahead during weekends.

Which months Kanga and how much difference in temp.
The reason is we have done May and June on different occasions.

 

[nalod]

Hello Luka , I have just came back from doing a few days in Mid July, nice flow of people but not busy. But here is a suggestion of a different sort. I have just walked most of Le chemin Saint-Guilhem-le -Désert, which in fact can connect the Le Puy route to the Arles route. I have some information in my blog about it but also on an another thread in the Le Puy Photo section. Just an alternative idea.

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/different-worlds.28125/

Thee reply I give to Bill towards the end of that post might be useful.

 

[Kanga]

Which months Kanga and how much difference in temp.
The reason is we have done May and June on different occasions.

We started in late September in Le Puy, I can't remember the exact date, but we reached Conques on 27th September. We had two days of rain at the start, then the weather was cold but fine on the Aubrac Plateau then beautiful and sunny until I reached Spain, when it started to get cold, but without rain. It stayed cold until Burgos. I think the only rain was at the start.

The second time we started at Figeac in late April and walked the Cele Valley, reaching Aire Sur L'Adour on 28 May, when my husband went home. I kept walking until reaching Burgos. It was cold and wet some of the time in the Cele, I remember freezing cold, wind and snowy sleet going into Cahors. We stayed for a couple of days in Cahors (buying warmer clothes), but from then on we had lovely warm, but not hot, weather.

 

[paulstmalo]

I did the bit from Aire sur l'Adour to St Jean Pied de Port in May this year and there were no crowds at all. Yes when you get to
your destination in the afternoon or evening you'll find some of the same faces from time to time, but crowds no, not at all. In France it is possible to book beforehand, so why not do it. As Falcon269 mentions above French walkers tend to get out and do it, not like many armchair sportsmen, so it advisable to book ahead, even the day before is usually sufficient. At least you won't be wandering around wondering where you're going to get your head down.

 

[FatmaG]

Hi Luka!

By a number of coincidences, I have been walking from Le Puy en Velay to Cahors this summer.
I started on the 1st of July, arriving in Cahors on the 13th (via the Celé Valley).
The French hosts told me that it is very calm at that period "end of June, beginning of July" (I guess it may change from one year to the other, but these last years it seemed to be a fact), and they were impatiently waiting for mid-July and more pilgrims to come.
So, I nearly never phoned to reserve: only in Cassagnolle (close to Figeac), because I would arrive quite late. And in Cahors, because I wanted to stay in a specific gîte.
I once slept in a gîte where I got the last bed: Saint Sulpice (Celé Valley); they had only 6 beds.
And I heard about "Domaine le Sauvage" to be full despite their 40 beds, but I guess there were as well travel groups in the region, because there were never that much pilgrims (or hikers) on the GR65.

About the crowds:
I know what you mean Luka; as you I was traveling before always mostly on isolated ways; and even on that "calm" 1st of July arriving from my trip through the Vulcanies of the French Auvergne, the number of pilgrim's leaving from Le Puy made me feel trapped in-between huge crowds … Well, as usual, people get dispersed by walking rhythm and/or duration of their trip, so quickly the situation calmed down.

 

[paulstmalo]

The main reason for "Le Sauvage" to fill up is the fact that there is nothing much before, a couple of places in Chanaleilles and practically nothing after for the next 15 kms. Makes it a long walk for the average walker if he (she) misses out at Le Sauvage.

 

[FatmaG]

@paulstmalo: yes, of course, you are right.
But as I already wrote, there were not that much people walking on the GR65 at that time - or they disappeared into the wild...

 

[paulstmalo]

Perhaps all eaten by the "Bete de Gevaudan".......

 

[FatmaG]

Probably

 

[rayvarey]

I haven't made up my mind yet: Le Puy route or Vézelay route?
I have been on the Le Puy for a few days in September 2012 and was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of fellow pilgrims. I think about 50 to 60 a day. People where booking ahead and there were quite some bigger walking groups. The scenery is beautiful, but I don't like to book ahead and I prefer to walk alone during the day.

So, any more recent experiences? How crowded is it? I heard May and September are peak months. But I also heard July and August can be busy, because of summer holidays. Any advice? Does it help to start from Le Puy on a weekday? I hope to set off the beginning of May 2015.

Headed out from Le Puy on May 10. Found there were no crowds and lots of accommodation available. Weather was good although we did encounter a couple of afternoon snow squalls up on the plateau. Nothing to worry about.

I'd say it was smooth sailing at that time of year. Mostly French hikers some going for shorter walks of several days at a stretch.

 

[ranthr]

I walked from Le Puy to Santiago in 2009, starting middle of August, Le Puy to Figeac in May 2013, Cahors to Condom May 2012( to see the sunflowers, which were dead in autumn, but in May only babyplants!)
I enjoyed most walking in August/ September. It was a bit hot but the paths were dry and no mud. The boring thing about September walking is the dead corn and sunflowerplants on the last part of the route.
Last spring the weather was cold with some days of heavy rain. Took the road some days because the path was bad.

About the crowd. I think that after Conques there are less people. On my first walk in the autumn I could walk for days seeing nobody else on the camino than some hunters in the woods. Last spring I gave up counting when 50 persons had passed me on my way out of Sauges.
As Falcon says, the system in France is to book ahead. In May last year I heard people say that it had been a problem to find a bed when they had not booked ahead a day or two.
By the way, I met a big group of children and grownups with some donkeys struggling to get the donkeys over some
small streams. Good entertainment!

 

[Lori Butler]

I walked from Le Puy to Cahors during the first two weeks of July this year and, while usually I could find people to walk with if I wanted to, it was absolutely not crowded, especially on the Cele route where I did not run into a fellow walker for four days (except in the evening). FatmaG, you must have just been a day ahead of me! Although I did book my whole route ahead of time, no place was full except the Domaine Sauvage and the Ferme Du Barry in Aumont Aubrac. Some places, including some gites, were almost empty. Overall the route was much quieter and more peaceful than I had expected, it seemed like very low season and a pleasant time to walk (except for all the rain this year!)

 

[FatmaG]

I walked from Le Puy to Cahors during the first two weeks of July this year and, while usually I could find people to walk with if I wanted to, it was absolutely not crowded, especially on the Cele route where I did not run into a fellow walker for four days (except in the evening). FatmaG, you must have just been a day ahead of me! ……. and a pleasant time to walk (except for all the rain this year!)

Indeed, we nearly met. What I pity, until now, I never met a board member walking the Camino…
And as you said: a pleasant time to walk except for all the rain. But, well, it didn't keep us away from walking.

 

[Luka]

Thanks for sharing your experiences! Looks like the Le Puy route is still very doable in May, as long as you book ahead 1 or 2 nights. And check the dates of Transhumance and the Marathon in Aubrac... I am not very fond of those bigger French hiking groups. Well, I mean, I would like to meet other solo walkers, preferably pilgrims who can speak more languages than just French. For now I think it will be the Le Puy route next year. But still plenty of time to consider the Vézelay route as well. First of all I have to convince my employer that they can do without me for a while then...

 

[Canucks]

Heading out in 10 days from Le Puy to SJPdP. Getting excited!!
Don't need crowds but it will be nice to encounter others doing the chemin.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

For now I think it will be the Le Puy route next year. But still plenty of time to consider the Vézelay route as well.

Expect to be alone on the Vezelay route. There are many very gracious hosts along the way, but it is rare that they speak anything but French. Almost all of your fellow pilgrims will be French, and will speak only French. It can be a lot of fun, but consider taking a travel companion.

In May the Le Puy route draws a lot of weekend walkers because of numerous holidays. When you get caught in one of these "humps," reservations will be necessary. Use the extensive network of tourist offices to help.

 

[Luka]

Thanks, falcon! I am fully aware of that. That's why I will probably choose the Le Puy route. I like solitude, but only for shorter periods.