How would the camino take from Le Puy to Santiago ?

[Breugel]

Bonjour à tous.
I'm Dutch and live near Rouen in normandie. I plan to walk the camino next year in April / May but would really like to include a part of France. A read and hear that the Paris camino is not so exciting and well frequented (please proof me wrong) - is the Le Puy route busier with pilgrims ?

Buen camino à tous.

 

[WanderingChristian]

Bonjour, monsieur,
I think there's a whole series of discussions related to the Le Put route through France. It's under the "routes to Santiago" section if you're accessing the forum on a computer. If memory serves me right, Miam Miam DoDo makes a route guide for the Chemin de Le Puy. An email to the Friends of Saint Jacques in Paris would be a good idea, they should have the resources to help you. In any case, Bon Chemin and welcome to our little company of pilgrims.

Bonne chance, mon ami,
WanderingChristian

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Le Puy is much busier than both the Tours and Vezelay routes.

 

[Breugel]

Thanks already to all who replied. This is such a busy and friendly forum- I am trying to find my way around -)

 

[Kitsambler]

During the busy months (May and September), you can expect 30-40 pilgrims a day, where in Spain you would see 300-400. This is roughly the lodging capacity of the smaller towns along the route. Of course the bigger places, that you encounter weekly or so (Conques, Figeac, Cahors, Moissac, Aire Sur L'Ador, SJPP) have a much larger lodging capacity since there are many other sorts of travelers.

PS. Is it just me, or is there anyone else for whom "Aire Sur L'Ador" seems to come out "Ursala Door"?

 

[Magnara]

We are walking now. It is very cold and wet but then it clears up suddenly and there are blue skies for an hour in two. There are plenty of pilgrims, we see about a dozen a day. This us our third camino ( Spain in winter, Via Francigena in Oct Nov) but the first time we have found we need to book gites ahead. Despite this it doesn't seem crowded, it's just that there is pressure on what accommodation there us, and French walkers are out on the trails too. It is very pretty and very enjoyable. To get to Santiago would take about 3 months, allowing for a few days rest here and there.
Maggie Ramsay
(The Italian Camino - Amazon)
(Desert and Dust Down Under - Amazon)

 

[Kanga]

PS. Is it just me, or is there anyone else for whom "Aire Sur L'Ador" seems to come out "Ursala Door"?

I get some very weird predictive text when trying to write French place names...

 

[Sraaen]

I did both the Le Puy route and Paris route last year. The Le Puy route was magical. The Paris route goes through much more developed areas - then you hit Les Landes; 7 days of "big timber" where the roads are flat as a pancake and straight as an arrow.

That said, once you get to Dax the Paris route is fantastic as it takes you through the Pyranee-Atlantique region. But so does the Le Puy route. I vote Le Puy over Paris. Also there's a new TGV line being built from Paris to Bordeaux which wreaks havoc on an already badly marked trail - especially around Poitiers to Saintes.

 

[Kanga]

We've done all of the Le Puy and large sections of the Paris route and the Arles route. My vote is definitely for the Le Puy.

 

[Metropolly]

Le Puy is brilliant - though wouldn't there be something marvellous about walking from your home near Rouen? I walked from home last year, and while it wasn't the prettiest route it was certainly the most liberating experience. Rouen to Santiago would take about three months, about the same as from Le Puy. You could even do it in two months, if you walked long days

 

[Kanga]

Le Puy is brilliant - though wouldn't there be something marvellous about walking from your home near Rouen?

Sounds wonderful to me. It's what I'd aim for, if I could walk on water....

 

[Breugel]

Le Puy is brilliant - though wouldn't there be something marvellous about walking from your home near Rouen? I walked from home last year, and while it wasn't the prettiest route it was certainly the most liberating experience. Rouen to Santiago would take about three months, about the same as from Le Puy. You could even do it in two months, if you walked long days

That is absolutely an option - but will have to fight with the home stayers to get leave to go on the camino for two months.

 

[Breugel]

Le Puy is brilliant - though wouldn't there be something marvellous about walking from your home near Rouen? I walked from home last year, and while it wasn't the prettiest route it was certainly the most liberating experience. Rouen to Santiago would take about three months, about the same as from Le Puy. You could even do it in two months, if you walked long days

Where did you start from ?

 

[Farmer John]

I walked down the steps of the Le Puy Cathedral on 16 May, 2013 and up the steps of the Santiago Cathedral on 23 July, 2013. The days in between were some of the most satisfying and glorious days of my life. I experienced two weeks of rain and several days of snow early in the journey but that by no means detracted from the overall personal joy of my Camino. My intent was to absorb as much as I could from the people, places and things I encountered and not to follow any preset schedule. I had the general goal of being in Santiago for the feast day of St. James, July 25th and walked a pace that hopefully would get me there. I was a couple of days early and never felt as though I was 'rushing" thru my Camino. My principal "misconception" was that this would be a "once in a lifetime experience" for me. I'm as certain as anything in my life that I will be going back, hopefully with some of my grandchildren. I hope your journey is a good one.

 

[Metropolly]

Where did you start from ?

I started from London (Dover-Calais ferry, obviously, though). It was a real thrill to just point my feet away from home and walk for three months until I reached Santiago. But I was lucky enough to have the time and money to do it comfortably. If time is an issue for you, then you might like to do it in stages. For a first taste of Camino life, I'd say the Le Puy route is hard to beat

 

[Metropolly]

Having said that, if you were to walk the Vezelay route you could do some valuable Good Samaritan work translating for all the Dutch pilgrims who walk that way, many of them older and with little knowledge of French

 

[evan llewellyn]

Bonjour à tous.
I'm Dutch and live near Rouen in normandie. I plan to walk the camino next year in April / May but would really like to include a part of France. A read and hear that the Paris camino is not so exciting and well frequented (please proof me wrong) - is the Le Puy route busier with pilgrims ?

View attachment 9397Buen camino à tous.

I walked the Le Puy route twice, the last time in May and then through to Santiago. I loved it. The scenery is exceptional and the trail is well marked. I have hear it is busier thtn the other French routes but at this time of the year it really is not bad at all. Enough people for it to be interesting but not crowded at all and not at all crowded like Spain. My wife an daughter are strating it again in a week. It might not give you too much specific detail but if you could look at Bedbugs and Bliss-ters, True Tales From the Camino. It tells of the journey from le Puy to Santiago. Enjoy your trio.

 

[Farmer John]

I walked down the steps of the Le Puy Cathedral on 16 May, 2013 and up the steps of the Santiago Cathedral on 23 July, 2013. The days in between were some of the most satisfying and glorious days of my life. I experienced two weeks of rain and several days of snow early in the journey but that by no means detracted from the overall personal joy of my Camino. My intent was to absorb as much as I could from the people, places and things I encountered and not to follow any preset schedule. I had the general goal of being in Santiago for the feast day of St. James, July 25th and walked a pace that hopefully would get me there. I was a couple of days early and never felt as though I was 'rushing" thru my Camino. My principal "misconception" was that this would be a "once in a lifetime experience" for me. I'm as certain as anything in my life that I will be going back, hopefully with some of my grandchildren. I hope your journey is a good one.

 

[Farmer John]

It's akin to getting a "gold star" on my home work assignment to collect "likes" from the two of you Having read so many of your posts for as along as I've been a member of this Forum, I consider both of you "authority figures". For Kanga, one of the things that made my Camino so enjoyable last year was spending a good deal of it in the company of one of your fellow Sydneyites. Good folks, those Aussies!

 

[Breugel]

Starting at le Puy sounds very tempting. Just what I need to break my life in half.

 

[Metropolly]

You wouldn't regret it

 

[Kanga]

For Kanga, one of the things that made my Camino so enjoyable last year was spending a good deal of it in the company of one of your fellow Sydneyites. Good folks, those Aussies!

Flattery will take you far young man, keep it up!

 

[Magnara]

I walked down the steps of the Le Puy Cathedral on 16 May, 2013 and up the steps of the Santiago Cathedral on 23 July, 2013. The days in between were some of the most satisfying and glorious days of my life. I experienced two weeks of rain and several days of snow early in the journey but that by no means detracted from the overall personal joy of my Camino. My intent was to absorb as much as I could from the people, places and things I encountered and not to follow any preset schedule. I had the general goal of being in Santiago for the feast day of St. James, July 25th and walked a pace that hopefully would get me there. I was a couple of days early and never felt as though I was 'rushing" thru my Camino. My principal "misconception" was that this would be a "once in a lifetime experience" for me. I'm as certain as anything in my life that I will be going back, hopefully with some of my grandchildren. I hope your journey is a good one.

We met a family from Reunion several times between Aubrac plateau and Conques. The grandfather had walked the Le Puy route in 1958 (yes!) and was now back walking with his wife, children and those of his grandchildren old enough to manage it. They had a friend doing support with a vehicle, cooking etc. It was a very happy group and seemed like a magical thing to be around.
Maggie Ramsay
(The Italian Camino ; Desert and Dust Down Under - Amazon)

 

[barry john tindall]

I walked from Le Puy with 2 friends to Figeac in September 13, we didn't book anywhere and found accommodation easily every night apart from Conques when we had to walk a further 5km to Noailhac up the steepest hill climb ever!
What I'm saying is generally Le Camino is not too busy at this time, but busy enough to engage in some camaraderie with fellow pelerin during the evening gite accommodation.


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