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How many days off did you take on the CF?

Mackcrabs

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Christmas 2024
I plan to do the CF from SJPDP on March 2025. It appears the number of days is usually 32-33 days. I know people usually take more than 33 days for various reasons.

My question for people that have done the entire CF, what is your experience in regard to number of days? Did you take a day off because you wanted to explore and enjoy a town? Were you just plain exhausted and needed to recharge? Was it an injury? Also, how hard is it to do walk everyday and complete it in 33 days?

Thanks
 
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My friend and I chose to walk 20km stages with 25km our max. We sometimes took 2 days of 10-12km rather than take a day off. We did have one extra day in Leon to explore the sights. We never felt the need for full rest days and we suffered no injuries or blisters. Both in our mid 60's we had plenty of time. Your circumstances might be entirely different but if you're able to take the time then do....savour every step.
 
Thanks Carolam! Yes, I am also 61 and doing it solo. I bike 20-40 mile 3 or 4 times a week. I feel as if I am in good shape to tackle the entire CF. Thanks for including your age. That was very helpful.
 
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Mackcrabs said:
Thanks Carolam! Yes, I am also 61 and doing it solo. I bike 20-40 mile 3 or 4 times a week. I feel as if I am in good shape to tackle the entire CF. Thanks for including your age. That was very helpful.
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We started in SJPdP and continued to Finisterre. We did take a day in Santiago too. We've both been to Santiago before but it's worth more than one day if you can.

Pace yourself at the beginning. Don't let enthusiasm speed you up...this is a marathon, not a sprint
 
For planning, my recommendation is to determine how many days you think that you will need to walk the Camino, then add a week. Now you've got a week "in the bank" to use if you get sick, injured, realize that you can't or don't want to walk the distances that you originally planned on, feel like spending an extra day in an interesting town, etc. If you don't use any of those days in your "bank" before you reach Santiago you can use them later to walk to Finisterre and/or Muxía, visit another town in the region, etc.

CarolamS said:
My friend and I chose to walk 20km stages with 25km our max. We sometimes took 2 days of 10-12km rather than take a day off
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This is what I prefer doing instead of taking a full day off. I can arrive in a place like Burgos or León early enough in the day to see plenty of the local sites, stay out a little later then sleep in before walking another short stage. I book a private room where I can drop off my backpack upon arrival to go sightseeing unencumbered and sleep in without being disturbed by early risers.
 
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I am of average fitness at best and walked it when 55 years old. Took 26 days walking, and I took 1 day off to stay to Leon as I had never been there before. I walk very slowly but like to walk into the late afternoon when the crowd seem to disappear.
 
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From SJPdP to SdC took us 58 days, 48 days walking. A touring day each in Burgos and León, an extra night in two albergues due to illness and later tendonitis. Three days in Sahagún recovering from the illness but including being tourists and three days in Astorga recovering from the tendonitis but also doing touristing (in a wheelchair borrowed from the Red Cross).
 
Mackcrabs said:
Also, how hard is it to do walk everyday and complete it in 33 days?
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I think that to walk the Camino Frances in precisely 33 days requires more effort than I am prepared to put into the venture. Those determined to follow St John’s stages and timetable will walk some over-long and some oddly short stages. Far better to just walk and see how long it takes.

I’ve walked it in 26 days and I’ve spent 40 days on the same route. I probably enjoyed more good lunches and considerably more beer on the longer trip. I don’t do rest-days. I do do lunch. And the odd diversion to see something worth seeing or, occasionally, just stopping. Stopping as in: this looks fun/interesting/different/rainy - I think I’ll just stop here.

@Mackcrabs, the hardest bit of venturing Camino for most people is the daily grind of walk, eat, sleep, repeat. So yours is a good question, just one without an answer. My Scout Master’s answer to the question “how long is a piece of string?” was always “6 inches too short but that doesn’t matter because you can always tie a different knot”.
 
I took no days off. I repeat what the poster above wrote: how long is a piece of string? From Roncesvalles to Santiago, 29 days, averaging 25km per day. You are you. Make your plans and be ready to change them.
 
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