If you could only walk one, which would you choose?

[Lael]

My husband and I are planning to walk one of the French pilgrimage routes next fall. I have already walked Le Puy to St. Jean Pied de Port (in 2008) and loved it. We are trying to choose between the Arles route and the Vezelay route for our next adventure and finding it difficult to decide. Any thoughts on which route is more beautiful? more equipped with accommodation? less given to road walking? We will be beginning our walk in mid-September.
Any thoughts/advice would be much appreciated!
Lael

 

[newfydog]

If I could do only one, I'd sit down and cry.

So far the route from LePuy to SJPP is the nicest route out of the 4000 km I've done. The Arles route is scheduled for this spring. We spent the night in Vezelay once, and we looked out on the route and vowed to return to do it. We will do that route soon.

I do know that the Arles route is fairly strenuous, and we are not getting any younger, so it is the next on the list.

 

[sillydoll]

Just to confuse you more, here are a few French route suggestions!

La Voie Littorale – From the mouth of the Garonne to the Spanish border: (140km - Pointe de Grave) http://pagesperso-orange.fr/vtt.compost ... ttoral.htm
http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm

Via Gebennensis (350km - Geneva to Le Puy) http://www.csj.org.uk/route-geneva.htm

Via Turonensis (+970 Paris and Tours to Roncesvalles) http://www.amis-st-jacques-tours.org/
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/viaturonensis/

Via Podiensis (736 from Le Puy to St Jean) http://www.aurelle-verlac.com/composte/composte.htm

Via Tolosana (905 km; 745km France+160km in Spain - Arles)http://chemindarles.free.fr/liens_EN.php

Chemin du Piemont Pyreneen (525km - Narbonne via Lourdes to St Jean) http://vppyr.free.fr/

 

[giorgio]

Hallo Lael, it's always hard to make a choice. We've walked Arles in 2005 and Vezelay in 2009.
Definitely Arles way is more spectacular and gives a great variety of landscape and places to see. Some of the stages are a bit hard as you have ups and downs but manageable. Accomodation is pretty good ,a combination of 'gites' and a few b&b's. You meet few pilgrims and more daily walkers doing bits of the walk both ways (it is marked both ways for people going east, direction Rome)
Vezelay is more of a country walk , with little villages and only Limoges as a major town to cross. Not so much up and down and a lot of walking on minor roads. Very few pilgrims on the way.
So guess my recommandation would be to do Arles first.
Let me know if i can be of further help to make your decision and possibly to find out a few more details...
Giorgio

 

[nellpilgrim]

Just to confuse you more, here are a few French route suggestions!......

/

Oh dear so many Caminos so little leave and they're all so alluring. Sil you have a talent for temptation :twisted: ......so its a good job you're on the 'right side'1
Nell

 

[Paulus]

Vezelay to Le Puy could be an option (440 km) through the Morvan!

paul