Have backpack, NEED INTERNET, *might* travel!

[damiancorrigan]

Hi,

I'm considering doing the Camino de Santiago, but with my work I need at least four hours internet access per day. How easy is it to achieve that on the route? I don't mind spending a whole day on the road one day and then a whole day on the internet the next day. How long would the whole camino take if I was traveling this way?

I want to do the Camino del Norte because I want to see Bilbao, Santander and Oviedo, but if someone thinks I ought to take the Frances, I'll consider it.

 

[damiancorrigan]

One more question - are you allowed to stay at a refuge for two nights in a row?

 

[ivar]

Hi there,

It sounds like you need a wireless solution... wifi coverage is not that wide spread I think.... so it would be dataplan over the cellphone network.

Have a look at this (I hope you understand some Spanish because all these options are difficult to explain here):

You could get this PCMCI card that you plug into your laptop:
http://www.vodafone.es/Vodafone/Empresa ... 35,00.html

... and gives you internet access anywhere where you have cell phone coverage in Spain (="everywhere"). This card will give automatically switch between two data networks, 3G and gprs. 3G gives you broadband speeds (1,8mps down, 386kbs up), gprs more like modem speed. 3G coverage is not that widespread yet, but your will have gprs coverage all over. So for text is would be ok, but it has its limitations.

Also these data plans have some other limitations. See here for some pre-pay data plans:
http://www.vodafone.es/Vodafone/Empresa ... 69,00.html

... as you see 60 euro for 1GB of data transfer. This is for the data service, you also need to get a voice plan. I think you can get a pre paid voice plan but not sure.. this is where it gets complicated.

Alternatives to Vodafone would be:
http://www.movistar.es/
http://www.amena.com/

I hope this helpd at least a bit

Greetings from Santiago,
Ivar

 

[ivar]

Me again...

I don't mind spending a whole day on the road one day and then a whole day on the internet the next day. How long would the whole camino take if I was traveling this way?

You could just walk the last 100km? That is about 4-5 days of walking, so for your 1 day of walking then 1 day of working would be the double. If you want to walk from France that is normally about 28-29 days of walking...

To get the Compostela you need to have walked the last 100km, to get an idea of the different routes have a look at this map:
http://www.csj.org.uk/map.htm

Un saludo,
Ivar

 

[wulf]

I think you would miss out on a lot of the typical pilgrim experience if you were trying to travel the route and keep up with your day job. Rather than being able to relax and recover at the end of the day, enjoying the company of fellow travellers or spending time on your own to reflect on the lessons of the day, you'll be pulled rudely back to the "real world" too quickly.

Obviously, situations and temperaments vary and it is not for me to call your decision about how to walk but, for myself (a "net junkie" - working as a webmaster and also making lots of use of the Internet at home, I routinely spend 8-10 hours or more a day in front of net connected computers) a valuable part of the experience was getting away from all that for a week.

Wulf

 

[damiancorrigan]

Thanks for all your advice. The wireless solution sounds like a good option, I'll look into it. I have to work out how long 1Gb would last. Normal internet cafes would do as long as it was a good enough connection to be able to plug a USB device in.

Yes, I know leaving the net behind would be better, but I don't really have a choice. It's either that or don't do the camino at all.

Maybe I'll do the camino del norte this year and then do the camino Frances 'properly' next year!

I have my heart set on doing the whole Camino del Norte because I want to see the coastal cities. The last 100km looks like a cop out!

Is there a map that shows where all the refugios are? I'd like to see what the minimum I could walk each day is.

 

[Bernd]

Map of Refugios

Hello,
as I understand you are sitting in spain. So the best seems to buy a guide of the camino del norte were the refugios are in and additional a map to see were these places are.
I have finished the Camino Frances 10 days ago and bought in Santiago a map of the "Caminos de Santiago", which is a panorama map and shows the northern part of Spain from Somport Pass to Finisterre. You may find it under http://www.sua-edizioak.com/artikulua.c ... =138.01123 . For a guide you must take a look into a store to get one which fits for you.
Good luck and enjoy the days without Internet.
Bernd

 

[sejeleme]

Whatchathinking?

I don't understand what you are trying to do? You are a writer, you can write. You are an employee of a newspaper, are you reporting? Why do the Camino, I'm curious.

 

[sejeleme]

Went to your website

I think I understand now that I went to your website. Hopefully, you will learn the Camino is not commercial. If the Camino is to remain true to itself you will report it as such. Somethings need to be different to exist. They should not be exploited.

If you read about the Camino you might find that the first travel guide was written about the Camino. So you won't be the first and you wont be the last.

Buen Camino

 

[damiancorrigan]

First and foremost, I love Spain. The north of the country is an area I don't know very well. I don't get enough exercise. I read Spanish Steps by Tim Moore last year (way before I had this job) and I really liked the idea of doing the walk. And I'd like to be able to tell people on my site what the Camino is like from a first hand experience. I think these reasons are enough, don't you? )

I know I am not doing it in the 'purest' sense, but nothing is perfect. This is one reason why I want to do the Camino del Norte now and perhaps do the Camino Frances in the future.

I am not doing it for 'commercial' reasons. If I can generate a little more interest in my site through regular readers following my escapades, great, but the amount of extra traffic that will bring me will be negligible. I'd earn far more money writing about nudist beaches and sex shops then spending six weeks giving myself blisters.

I hope that answers any questions you have about my desire to do the Camino. I bought a book on the Camino del Norte today and I'm looking forward to it even more!

 

[Wannes]

The camino del norte is one of the most primitive ones you can do. With primitive I mean practically no auberges (i think there is only 1 municipal on the whole route) and very little in the way of traveller-friendly towns (read= internet).

Altough it is very beautifull I think for practical reasons you would be better off doing the Camino Portuges (from Porto or Valenca depend on the time you have) or part of the the Frances...

 

[frescotours]

Hola Damian,

The North of Spain is incredibly beautiful and walking along the coast is something the Camino Frances just doesn't offer. However, like Wannes said, the infrastructure for your needs is just not there (yet) - fewer internet cafes and less albergues.

How much time do you have and when do you plan on doing the Camino?

Good luck and buen camino!

p.s. I travel with my laptop and cell phone and connect all over Spain with Movistar.