Help! Is this feasible? Crazy?

[LesBrass]

With the great risk of repeating myself on another thread... all my plans have unraveled... I have spent two days just trying to figure out what to do next. I'm so confused and sad and would really appreciate some suggestions or guidance please!

A year ago (A YEAR!) I booked cover from work so that I could take five weeks off in September and October. Our plan was to walk Madrid/San Salvador/Primitivo. The plan was to walk the Madrid and San Salvador with my husband and I would carry on alone on the Primitivo (he can only take three weeks off at one time). We felt that the Madrid would be good training and ensure we were fit enough to tackle the San Salvador and the Primitivo... I even walked the first stage to Tres Cantos when we visited Madrid in May.

Honestly 2019 has been such an awfully sad and difficult year that I have been so looking forward to a long long walk; it's been too long since I have done this. I know I should be glad I still have three weeks but I just feel really so sad that I don't have five!

I've spend the last couple of days trying to see how I can get the maximum walking for 18 days and I seem to always end up a day short or I'm having to add in travel days. I cannot leave Bordeaux until Tuesday 23 September and I have to be back in Bordeaux on Monday 14 October. That's fixed and can't be changed.

I think we've ruled out the San Salvador - Primitivo because my husband is worried that he won't have walked himself fit enough prior to tackling the San Salvador? And we have no wiggle room to add in a day?

My choices are :

Ingles + Portuguese
We can drive to Ferrol, walk the Ingles to Santiago, get the bus to Porto and walk a mix of central and coast and even perhaps the variant.

Ingles - Primitivo
We could drive to Ferrol and walk the Ingles and then bus/train back to Oviedo for the Primitivo.

Both these options would involve trains buses and automobiles but I think either could work... is that a mad idea? Has anyone tagged anything like this together? Did it work well for you? Too rushed? Are we right to rule out the San Salvador if he's not feeling 100% ready?

Any advice welcome

p.s. I do really want to end in Santiago this year... which I know is limiting my options but it's important for me.

 

[Bella2017]

Have you considered ingles then on to finisterre and murxia? you would have plenty of time for this. I would advise not rushing and taking time to enjoy it . We did this in june

 

[David]

Sorry to state the obvious but why not walk from Bordeaux?? Or take the train way north, to Tours or further, and walk back to Bordeaux???

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Perhaps a 5-day walk from Lisbon to Fatima and then a train to Porto for a 12-day walk to SdC. Two pilgrimage sites in one trip and very flat landscape conducive to someone not greatly prepared for walking.

 

[VNwalking]

Oh, I'm so sorry, @LesBrass !
Not having walked it, I wouldn't know, but I think your caution about the San Salvador is wise.
What about starting in Leon (or Astorga) walking to Ponferrada on the Frances, and then going to Santiago on the Invierno?
Or from Leon, getting to the Olvidado where it crosses the San Salvador and going to Ponferrada that way - then continuing on the Invierno. I don't know how many days that would take but @peregrina2000 would.
These would both give you a continuous walk into Santiago.

 

[Pingüigrino]

If you are our of shape or in need of a little of training, you can walk the Primitivo from Oviedo. Usually it takes 12/13 days, but doing shorter stages at the beginning you have time to rest if necessary and those days served as training.
Also, in case you can walk it quickly, can have a three or five more days walking from Santiago to Fisterrra or Fisterra/Muxia/Santiago, or walking the Inglés. O some last stages of Portugues.
But San Salvador and Primitivo is doable in that moment of the year, you´ll have lots of light hours, or skip two or three days.
I can suggest you avoid the first day of the Salvador, and in case you have previously walked the Frances and don´t feel the need of obtain the Compostela, the last days in the Frances, from Melide. (Three days)
Or skip the two first days of the Primitivo.
That way you have 18 days for walk sixteen or fifteen "official stages"

 

[David Tallan]

Perhaps you might consider the Portugues from Porto, perhaps with the Spiritual Variant, and then walking from Santiago to Finisterra and/or Muxia and even, if time permits, back to SdC to complete the circuit. If you like to walk a goodly distance each day, that might still be enough to fill 18 days if you do it all. But if you haven't had much training and want to take it a bit easier, there are plenty of options to adjust to allow for shorter days.

 

[LesBrass]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I've looked at so many choices but we've decided on the Ingles + Primitivo combo... primarily because all of the transport links just fit perfectly with our timescales and we don't have to rush or create any very long days. I've come to terms with my shorter camino... I know I should be glad to have the opportunity to walk these three weeks and they really will be wonderful... hopefully there will be a next year and I've already marked the time on the calendar! 2020 is going to be a longer route.

Many thanks again... you guys always manage to make me see sense!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I've looked at so many choices but we've decided on the Ingles + Primitivo combo... primarily because all of the transport links just fit perfectly with our timescales and we don't have to rush or create any very long days. I've come to terms with my shorter camino... I know I should be glad to have the opportunity to walk these three weeks and they really will be wonderful... hopefully there will be a next year and I've already marked the time on the calendar! 2020 is going to be a longer route.

Many thanks again... you guys always manage to make me see sense!

My husband's comment when we walked the Ingles as my first Camino was "If you can walk this you can walk the Primitivo" (his first Camino). On then walking the Primitivo I have to say I agree with him.
A slow start gives time to 'train on the way' and opportunity for rest days if needed. We took a day off in Grandas de Salime and also in Lugo.
If you arrive early you could then walk the Ingles as the second Camino.....
Buen Camino

 

[lt56ny]

I think that walking the coastal route from Porto may be a good option. It will not take 18 days but I don't know. It is about 12 or 13 days. Gives you time for rest days or going a little slower if need be. If you are in good shape and arrive early you could always walk on to Finisterre or Muxia.

 

[Annette london]

With the great risk of repeating myself on another thread... all my plans have unraveled... I have spent two days just trying to figure out what to do next. I'm so confused and sad and would really appreciate some suggestions or guidance please!

A year ago (A YEAR!) I booked cover from work so that I could take five weeks off in September and October. Our plan was to walk Madrid/San Salvador/Primitivo. The plan was to walk the Madrid and San Salvador with my husband and I would carry on alone on the Primitivo (he can only take three weeks off at one time). We felt that the Madrid would be good training and ensure we were fit enough to tackle the San Salvador and the Primitivo... I even walked the first stage to Tres Cantos when we visited Madrid in May.

Honestly 2019 has been such an awfully sad and difficult year that I have been so looking forward to a long long walk; it's been too long since I have done this. I know I should be glad I still have three weeks but I just feel really so sad that I don't have five!

I've spend the last couple of days trying to see how I can get the maximum walking for 18 days and I seem to always end up a day short or I'm having to add in travel days. I cannot leave Bordeaux until Tuesday 23 September and I have to be back in Bordeaux on Monday 14 October. That's fixed and can't be changed.

I think we've ruled out the San Salvador - Primitivo because my husband is worried that he won't have walked himself fit enough prior to tackling the San Salvador? And we have no wiggle room to add in a day?

My choices are :

Ingles + Portuguese
We can drive to Ferrol, walk the Ingles to Santiago, get the bus to Porto and walk a mix of central and coast and even perhaps the variant.

Ingles - Primitivo
We could drive to Ferrol and walk the Ingles and then bus/train back to Oviedo for the Primitivo.

Both these options would involve trains buses and automobiles but I think either could work... is that a mad idea? Has anyone tagged anything like this together? Did it work well for you? Too rushed? Are we right to rule out the San Salvador if he's not feeling 100% ready?

Any advice welcome

p.s. I do really want to end in Santiago this year... which I know is limiting my options but it's important for me.

Am so sorry Les Brass to read of your dilemma
It's a shame that you feel that the San Salvidor might be too strenuous for you......
We walked it last year in 7 days ...only time we took transport was on the first day for 12 km as we thought that we'd be walking on a main road.....
Before we went we would read that...

You need to be very fit
It's a hard Camino
A difficult Camino

Not true!!! ...and it's a shame that these stories were banded about

We walk quiet a bit but are not super fit by any means and people do not need to be super fit for the Salvidor
There are a few hills....not mountains!! ...and our stages were not unreasonably long either
And unless one is only used to walking to the shops and back ...very doable
The scenery is beautiful and there's very little Tarmac apart from the last 2 days ...also our walking stages were anything from 12-20 a day

VN walking gave a few good suggestions re this area
Of course it all depends on how many km a day you can walk vs the time you have , and whether you like solitude or crowds on a Camino
The Primitivo back then from Oviedo then took us 12 days walking....between 20-30 km a day ...average 24 km I think

So hope that with all the suggestions given here, you can work something out
All the best
Annette

 

[LesBrass]

more great ideas! thanks everyone!

@Annette london it was indeed the difficulty that put us off the San Salvador, and also I think the idea that we would have no options for flexibilty with dates. It does look amazing and I still want to walk this route... I'm currently shortlisting it with the Madrid next May.

I think we're kind of settled on the Ingles + Primitivo now. It does work and we have a day to play with. The transport links work so well you'd think we'd planned it! But... after researching Madrid/San Salvador and seeing how amazing it looks it's one that I must do soon!

It's good to know that it's not quite as hard as we had thought!

 

[Richmond Gardner]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I've looked at so many choices but we've decided on the Ingles + Primitivo combo... primarily because all of the transport links just fit perfectly with our timescales and we don't have to rush or create any very long days. I've come to terms with my shorter camino... I know I should be glad to have the opportunity to walk these three weeks and they really will be wonderful... hopefully there will be a next year and I've already marked the time on the calendar! 2020 is going to be a longer route.

Many thanks again... you guys always manage to make me see sense!

You could walk on the Del Norte for a week, before joining the Primitivo to Santiago. That’s a three week Camino with no disjointed breaks, that would allow your husband enough time to get comfortable on the trail! Might be a really nice ocean walk followed by the mountains.