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How would you rank the Caminos by difficulty?

Which one did you like most
If it ain't easy...I like it!!

Seriously...the solitude on that route is amazing. For 5 1/2 days I was the only one walking. One evening there were to French cyclists. For those reasons I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a first time camino.
 
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I hear ya on the difficulty thing. The ‘Road Less Travelled’ and all that. I don’t get to speak from any Camino experience so I’ll start with the Frances. I have been looking at other Caminos for future trips.
 

Which one did you like the most? And why?
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Can someone explain me why the VDLP is thought to be hard? Is it hard mentally bc of long stretches or is it hilly? I thought it was rather flat. Maybe it's because of the distances between stages? I would like to do it someday and I'm trying to understand what makes it a 'harder' camino than say, the Francés.
 
I walked the second half from Salamanca. I didn't find it particularly hard. Compared to the Frances the gaps between shops / coffee / alburgues is much longer on average. The number of other walkers is much less. You need to be more self reliant than on the Frances but that suited me.
 
There are fewer cafes, for instance. And sometimes, although your guidebook says there are 3, all 3 are closed... You need to carry more water... There are greater distances between albergues, too.
But nothing unmanageable!
I walked it in June and for me, the heat was the main difficulty to start with. An umbrella made it easier but I remember it was very difficult to sleep at night.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I walked from Seville to Astorga as a moderately fit 69-year-old who prefers to do 20-25 km/day but can do 30-35 when necessary. The route is not difficult, as long as you avoid the hot season (I walked Mar-Apr) and you do a sensible amount of planning to avoid getting into a difficult situation. I recommend that you:
  • Know where the lodgings are for a couple of days ahead, so you can plan suitable stages. This is no problem. Several guides are available for the route, and booking.com is also handy.
  • Know what the options are for the 3 stages where you might need help to manage distances over 30 km (Castilblanco to Almadén de la Plata; Embalse de Alcántara if the albergue is closed; Cáparra).
  • Take appropriate snacks and water.
  • Use a phone with WhatsApp so you can confirm the situation at some key albergues.
  • Have maps.me on your phone with the tracks marked.
  • Learn some Spanish.
If you are prepared in these ways, you will probably not find it any more difficult than the Francés. Come to think of it, the above advice would be appropriate for any Camino, but not necessary for the Francés.
 
It’s longer than the Frances, longer daily distances, less cafes and if you turn on to the Sanabres more hills. But so beautiful ! We started 8 sept and for 14 days it was realy hot but we didn’t have to walk in the water !
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The vdlp (including sanabres) may be my favorite walk of all. Absolutely not boring or monotonous. More meseta than the frances, but the meseta itself is wonderful.
 
The meseta is fantastic!
 
I liked the meseta, but I think I liked it as part of a larger whole that included the Pyrenees and Galicia.
I’ve been following friends on social media who are walking the VDLP this fall. It looks soooo flat. As much as I liked the meseta, I’m not sure I’d like it for weeks-on-end.
 
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
That's been my fear too, but I keep hearing otherwise...there must be something to what they are saying. I'm keeping it "tucked away for another day".
 
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That's been my fear too, but I keep hearing otherwise...there must be something to wgat they are saying. I'm keeping it "tucked away for another day".
A tip - don't overthink this!
 
The meseta is fantastic!
I hated the one after Leon and would never go on anoyhet Camino that had one. To each his own. I need dramatic beauty so it’s Norte, Primitivo, San Salvador for me
 
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2nd ed.
[On the meseta] I hated the one after Leon and would never go on [another] Camino that had one. To each his own. I need dramatic beauty so it’s Norte, Primitivo, San Salvador for me
There's hardly any meseta after Leon. Maybe a couple of days to Astorga. That's not a lot to base such a judgement on. When most people talk about "the meseta" on the Camino Frances, they are talking about before Leon. There is also dramatic beauty in endless fields of wheat and enormous skyscapes.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

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