Le Puy Route for the second-time camino

[Jamie Y. Mo]

Hello everyone,
I haven't visited this website since July, I think.
Today is a NYE.
Wish all of you a healthy and productive year to come.

OK. I had my first Camino (FC) in May and June. What can I say.. it was unspeakably great..
I'm thinking of going to my second Camino, perhaps next May.
I was thinking of trying different season but I think I would still like to go in May once again before trying different things in my next Camino.

I think May is a good time for me as May is spring after a long and harsh winter in Canada and I would like to just go and shake off my frozen body and mind while walking.

I have met a few people while walking France Camino who were walking from Le Puy. I was not quite familiar with all these different Camino routes then so Le Puy was one of the unfamiliar, far-sounding wonderland to me then.
But now after having come back and have done an extensive research, in my own term, about Camino, I now have some sort of ideas about where is where.

I am still debating between Le Puy and Portuguese route though.
One of my friends who did both recommended Le Puy than Portuguese because Le Puy is quieter and more peaceful and beautiful.
According to her, Portuguese route is kinda crowded.

Well, I have also some other things to consider; time and money.
I found FC is cheaper than I thought. Crowd was, well, endurable. I had no reference to compare then as it was my first Camino but to think back now then, yes it got crowded at some points but I got along alright.
But since this is my second Camino I would like to have rather quieter route.
In that regard, Le Puy should be better. But what I'm concerning is that it is in France, which I suppose things can be quite expensive than Spain and I have no idea how much it can be expensive.

Time-wise, I think I might be able to manage 2 months (Le Puy to SJPP) to spare to walk if I feel like but it adds up the expense and I cannot ignore that..

Could anybody give me some hints/advice of my concerns?

Also, if you walk Le Puy route, where do you fly to and how do you get to Le Puy?

Thank you so much.

 

[jsalt]

Could anybody give me some hints/advice of my concerns?

Hi Jamie K, welcome back!

It looks as though you have set your heart on Le Puy route, but France IS expensive, and it will probably cost you twice as much as the Camino Francés.

The cheapest gites (albergues) that I stayed in on Le Puy route were 11 euros. That was in only three different places, and none included breakfast.

Compare that to Spain, where many albergues are 6 euros.

Expect to pay on average between 12 and 20 euros a night in France.

On the other hand, cost-wise, Portugal is similar to Spain.

It is nowhere near as busy as the Camino Francés, in fact, for me, there are just the right number of people.

Lisbon to Porto is very quiet, you’ll meet just a handful of people. After Porto the Central Route may be quite busy in May/June, but if you take the Coastal Route, it will be much quieter.

My recommendation for you is Portugal, but whichever you choose, Bom Caminho or Bon Chemin!
Jill

 

[Deleted member 3000]

France is 5 to 8 Euro more each day if you stay in gites and eat in restaurants. There are many holidays in May in France, and the French love to walk. They expand a holiday into a long weekend, so accommodations will be in short supply. The French call ahead, and you should too. There is no surplus of beds, but there are enough. A tourist office will help you find accommodations and call ahead for you. They may be closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (half-day on Saturday sometimes). The crowds are much smaller than in Spain, and some pilgrims will speak English. Don't expect the French hosts and restaurants to speak English. The terrain is more varied day-to-day than the Camino Frances, where the hilly areas are often separated by several days of flat walking. I prefer France, but Spain has the best support infrastructure. Bon chemin.

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

Hi Jamie K, welcome back!

It looks as though you have set your heart on Le Puy route, but France IS expensive, and it will probably cost you twice as much as the Camino Francés.

The cheapest gites (albergues) that I stayed in on Le Puy route were 11 euros. That was in only three different places, and none included breakfast.

Compare that to Spain, where many albergues are 6 euros.

Expect to pay on average between 12 and 20 euros a night in France.

On the other hand, cost-wise, Portugal is similar to Spain.

It is nowhere near as busy as the Camino Francés, in fact, for me, there are just the right number of people.

Lisbon to Porto is very quiet, you’ll meet just a handful of people. After Porto the Central Route may be quite busy in May/June, but if you take the Coastal Route, it will be much quieter.

My recommendation for you is Portugal, but whichever you choose, Bom Caminho or Bon Chemin!
Jill

Thank you for your hearty response.
I'm going to take time to take all the considerations that I must do before buying flight tickets.
Portuguese route has been occupying my minds since I returned from my first Camino but I have also had Le Puy route in the corner of my mind because of all these beautiful encounters I had on FC.

I'll take your advice and compare all other possible responses into my final decision.

Thanks again and wish you a very happy new year.

Buen Camino!

 

[SpaceCadetBrown]

Hi Jamie K, I have walked the Frances and Portugues and am going to be walking the Le Puy this year (2018). I would not necessarily recommend the portuguese route for scenery compared to the frances. Plus the portuguese route is way flatter (almost completely flat) and is on a lot of pavement. I also had a lot of trouble on the last 150 km of the Portuguese to find space in the albergues as EVERYONE booked in advance (which really disgusts me as it kills that camino vibe I knew from the Frances). I never EVER had any trouble finding a place to sleep on the Frances. I've read many articles saying you can also camp (with a tent) on the Le Puy which is going to help me train for the PCT. The scenery and peace are what are attracting me most for the Le Puy. Buen camino

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

Hi Jamie K, I have walked the Frances and Portugues and am going to be walking the Le Puy this year (2018). I would not necessarily recommend the portuguese route for scenery compared to the frances. Plus the portuguese route is way flatter (almost completely flat) and is on a lot of pavement. I also had a lot of trouble on the last 150 km of the Portuguese to find space in the albergues as EVERYONE booked in advance (which really disgusts me as it kills that camino vibe I knew from the Frances). I never EVER had any trouble finding a place to sleep on the Frances. I've read many articles saying you can also camp (with a tent) on the Le Puy which is going to help me train for the PCT. The scenery and peace are what are attracting me most for the Le Puy. Buen camino

Thank you so much for your response SpaceCadetBrown.
I've got to say I'm impressed by your saying about PCT because I'm planning on AT for 2020 as well, one of the oldest and longest trail in N.America. I've been slowly but consistently researching all the information that I need to be aware of. I'm not an expert-level hiker but have done some hikes in some places and AT has been calling me for many years. I'm just getting ready for that as well like you. Wish you a safe and beautiful hike.

Anyway, back to the original discussion, I thought about camping but I'm not quite sure as I'm going on my own and I just don't feel confident enough to find a camping spot every night and make sure to have a proper shower once in a while and stuff. Also, I mostly buy groceries (and carry some food in a bag) and cook for myself. I want to go lighter this time..
My first Camino was partially hard because of my unnecessarily heavy backpack. I kept blaming myself for that..
Yes, I'm tempted to camp for saving money so that I can have good fresh veg and fruit... I'll do some more research..

That's bad that people book in advance. I've personally had no problem finding a space in the albergues on FC but I've seen some people have.. that made me really upset and sad..because that's not the true spirit of pilgrimage.

Buen Camino!

 

[SpaceCadetBrown]

Well there are many official camping grounds on the way apparently. And the other times some gites or churches are ok with you setting up a tent from dusk till dawn. I feel equally insecure about stealth camping yet if I look at it as a prep for the PCT I think I'll be ok after the first few tries ) Yeah, the portueguese route (I walked the coastal route in 8 days) felt much different than the frances. The last three days I walked like 45k, 55k and then about 67k straight to Santiago only to arrive at 9pm cause it was hard to find a place to sleep. It pretty much bummed me out cause I was so tired and my legs were killing me. Plus I hadn't gone ultralight yet and was carrying 11kg.

I hear you on the heavy pack. I am in the same process and going all out ultralight from here on. I have gotten my base weight down to under 5kg now (without food and water) and it makes such a big difference. Walking is so way more fun without carrying unnecessary things. It has also ignited a minimalist way of living in me. The one thing I seem to have gotten "right" from the get go was not wearing heavy hiking boots. I walk everywhere with lightweight trail runners like the saucony peregrine 7 or la sportiva helios 2.0. The North American brand Altra has some great long distance shoes as well like the Lone Peak 3.5 or 3.0's.

From a fellow Canadian living in Switzerland: buen camino and safe paths to you Jamie K!

 

[kayagee66]

Demi Pension (half board) costs around €30 to €40 in a gite, as a rough estimate. For that you will get a bed (bunk beds are rare) a 3 to 5 course meal almost always amazingly excellent, loads of wine, breakfast. The only other money you need to spend is on lunch (I don't eat a lot for lunch) and coffee etc. Unless you have your bag transported.
The few places I stayed that did not do Demi pension were around €14 to €20. A couple were donation type.
Demi pension was a communal type affair and very enjoyable, and I speak next to no French.
Stay on farms for home produce (cheeses, yoghurt etc)
Regional food and produce from the area/owners garden is everywhere.
I took about a month to walk it, but 2 months means more great food and a more relaxed pace.

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

Demi Pension (half board) costs around €30 to €40 in a gite, as a rough estimate. For that you will get a bed (bunk beds are rare) a 3 to 5 course meal almost always amazingly excellent, loads of wine, breakfast. The only other money you need to spend is on lunch (I don't eat a lot for lunch) and coffee etc. Unless you have your bag transported.
The few places I stayed that did not do Demi pension were around €14 to €20. A couple were donation type.
Demi pension was a communal type affair and very enjoyable, and I speak next to no French.
Stay on farms for home produce (cheeses, yoghurt etc)
Regional food and produce from the area/owners garden is everywhere.
I took about a month to walk it, but 2 months means more great food and a more relaxed pace.

Thanks for the reply.
Well, that's beyond my daily budget... I am going as cheap as possible. I spent about 800 euros in total on FC and I walked 7 weeks. I didn't starve nor slept on the street. I ate well enough to gather my strength and walk the next day as much as I wanted..
Maybe I should rethink the whole plan and do some more research if Le Puy route can be any cheaper than the description you mentioned... because things sound really expensive to me and I'm not in a position where I can spend that much money in one trip.

 

[Momonne]

Le Puy is beautiful, the Central Portuguese is ... not. But Le Puy is not quiet: just about every French walker will be on it. It is a very popular route. Price wise, for France, you are looking at 40-50€ a day instead of 25-30€ in Spain.

The set up is different: demie-pension (bed, dinner and breakfast) is the norm, not eating out in town, beds fully made, unlike Spanish albergues who only offer a contour sheet and pillowcase, plus a random blanket, at least most of the time. The demie-pensionis why booking ahead is needed: gîtes owners need to know how many people to cook for. If the Frances is all about dorms, cafe con leche and socialising, Le Puy is about natural beauty and gorgeous food.

 

[Rossco]

Hello everyone,
I haven't visited this website since July, I think.
Today is a NYE.
Wish all of you a healthy and productive year to come.

OK. I had my first Camino (FC) in May and June. What can I say.. it was unspeakably great..
I'm thinking of going to my second Camino, perhaps next May.
I was thinking of trying different season but I think I would still like to go in May once again before trying different things in my next Camino.

I think May is a good time for me as May is spring after a long and harsh winter in Canada and I would like to just go and shake off my frozen body and mind while walking.

I have met a few people while walking France Camino who were walking from Le Puy. I was not quite familiar with all these different Camino routes then so Le Puy was one of the unfamiliar, far-sounding wonderland to me then.
But now after having come back and have done an extensive research, in my own term, about Camino, I now have some sort of ideas about where is where.

I am still debating between Le Puy and Portuguese route though.
One of my friends who did both recommended Le Puy than Portuguese because Le Puy is quieter and more peaceful and beautiful.
According to her, Portuguese route is kinda crowded.

Well, I have also some other things to consider; time and money.
I found FC is cheaper than I thought. Crowd was, well, endurable. I had no reference to compare then as it was my first Camino but to think back now then, yes it got crowded at some points but I got along alright.
But since this is my second Camino I would like to have rather quieter route.
In that regard, Le Puy should be better. But what I'm concerning is that it is in France, which I suppose things can be quite expensive than Spain and I have no idea how much it can be expensive.

Time-wise, I think I might be able to manage 2 months (Le Puy to SJPP) to spare to walk if I feel like but it adds up the expense and I cannot ignore that..

Could anybody give me some hints/advice of my concerns?

Also, if you walk Le Puy route, where do you fly to and how do you get to Le Puy?

Thank you so much.

Hello everyone,
I haven't visited this website since July, I think.
Today is a NYE.
Wish all of you a healthy and productive year to come.

OK. I had my first Camino (FC) in May and June. What can I say.. it was unspeakably great..
I'm thinking of going to my second Camino, perhaps next May.
I was thinking of trying different season but I think I would still like to go in May once again before trying different things in my next Camino.

I think May is a good time for me as May is spring after a long and harsh winter in Canada and I would like to just go and shake off my frozen body and mind while walking.

I have met a few people while walking France Camino who were walking from Le Puy. I was not quite familiar with all these different Camino routes then so Le Puy was one of the unfamiliar, far-sounding wonderland to me then.
But now after having come back and have done an extensive research, in my own term, about Camino, I now have some sort of ideas about where is where.

I am still debating between Le Puy and Portuguese route though.
One of my friends who did both recommended Le Puy than Portuguese because Le Puy is quieter and more peaceful and beautiful.
According to her, Portuguese route is kinda crowded.

Well, I have also some other things to consider; time and money.
I found FC is cheaper than I thought. Crowd was, well, endurable. I had no reference to compare then as it was my first Camino but to think back now then, yes it got crowded at some points but I got along alright.
But since this is my second Camino I would like to have rather quieter route.
In that regard, Le Puy should be better. But what I'm concerning is that it is in France, which I suppose things can be quite expensive than Spain and I have no idea how much it can be expensive.

Time-wise, I think I might be able to manage 2 months (Le Puy to SJPP) to spare to walk if I feel like but it adds up the expense and I cannot ignore that..

Could anybody give me some hints/advice of my concerns?

Also, if you walk Le Puy route, where do you fly to and how do you get to Le Puy?

Thank you so much.

I finished the Camino Portugues starting from Lisbon in November. I didn’t really enjoy it, yet a lot of people speak highly of it. I’m planning walking the Le Puy Route in September. I’m looking forward to some spectacular scenery.

 

[rdinap]

Jamie
I did the same thing. In 2013 I walked from O'Cebriero to Santiago and caught the Camino Bug. In 2014 I began from Le Puy and over these last few years have made it to Condom, a week at a time (with the full Camino Primitivo in 2017). I plan on finishing up the Le Puy this year. The Le Puy route is my favorite. It is gorgeous, but more expensive than Camino Frances. The prior estimates are accurate. It is also very hilly until Cahors. There are fewer gites along the way than on the Frances and greater distances between them. Reservations are recommended, even if a day or two in advance. It will be busy, but not terribly crowded, up to Conques and less so after that. I've walked it in May/June and in September. Both are fine, but go later in May, if you can, as there are a lot of Holidays that first week in May. If you leave from Le Puy the third weekend in September you can also attend the most outrageous Medieval Festival I'm sure you will ever see. It's in Le Puy around Sept. 20 or so, and is Mardi Gras meets Burning Man at the Renaissance Faire. You'll need a day to recover before starting out.
You will not be disappointed choosing this route.
I found the Domaine Savauge most memorable and La Rose de l'Aubrac in Finieyrols delightful.
We flew to Paris, took the train to Lyon and another train to St. Etienne and then took a bus from the St. Etienne station to Le Puy.

 

[Rossco]

Jamie
I did the same thing. In 2013 I walked from O'Cebriero to Santiago and caught the Camino Bug. In 2014 I began from Le Puy and over these last few years have made it to Condom, a week at a time (with the full Camino Primitivo in 2017). I plan on finishing up the Le Puy this year. The Le Puy route is my favorite. It is gorgeous, but more expensive than Camino Frances. The prior estimates are accurate. It is also very hilly until Cahors. There are fewer gites along the way than on the Frances and greater distances between them. Reservations are recommended, even if a day or two in advance. It will be busy, but not terribly crowded, up to Conques and less so after that. I've walked it in May/June and in September. Both are fine, but go later in May, if you can, as there are a lot of Holidays that first week in May. If you leave from Le Puy the third weekend in September you can also attend the most outrageous Medieval Festival I'm sure you will ever see. It's in Le Puy around Sept. 20 or so, and is Mardi Gras meets Burning Man at the Renaissance Faire. You'll need a day to recover before starting out.
You will not be disappointed choosing this route.
I found the Domaine Savauge most memorable and La Rose de l'Aubrac in Finieyrols delightful.
We flew to Paris, took the train to Lyon and another train to St. Etienne and then took a bus from the St. Etienne station to Le Puy.

Thanks for the helpful info.

 

[LakeMcD]

[QUOTE="
beds fully made, unlike Spanish albergues who only offer a contour sheet and pillowcase, plus a random blanket, at least most of the time. .[/QUOTE]

On my previous spanish/portugues caminos in the summer months my silk liner was a necessity, will this also be the case on the LePuy

 

[kayagee66]

[QUOTE="
beds fully made, unlike Spanish albergues who only offer a contour sheet and pillowcase, plus a random blanket, at least most of the time. .

On my previous spanish/portugues caminos in the summer months my silk liner was a necessity, will this also be the case on the LePuy[/QUOTE]
I used mine even if it didn't seem necessary, just in case of bugs. One of my favourite pieces of kit. And very light.

 

[Ray J]

We did both the Portuguese (2016) and Le Puy (2017) routes. I see that most people prefer the scenery of Le Puy, but we enjoyed the Portuguese more. (To be fair, we did have excellent weather in Portugal and very not excellent weather on Le Puy, so that might have colored my opinion somewhat.) But, we also went along the coast as much as possible instead of the interior, so we experienced beautiful seascapes and beaches.

With as much time as you're allocating, if you decide to do the Portuguese, I'd recommend starting in southern Portugal (Sagres) on the Rota Vicentina - it's absolutely gorgeous and was the highlight of our Portuguese trip! It's very uncrowded - there were days when we saw, at most, four or five other hikers. Good luck!

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

We did both the Portuguese (2016) and Le Puy (2017) routes. I see that most people prefer the scenery of Le Puy, but we enjoyed the Portuguese more. (To be fair, we did have excellent weather in Portugal and very not excellent weather on Le Puy, so that might have colored my opinion somewhat.) But, we also went along the coast as much as possible instead of the interior, so we experienced beautiful seascapes and beaches.

With as much time as you're allocating, if you decide to do the Portuguese, I'd recommend starting in southern Portugal (Sagres) on the Rota Vicentina - it's absolutely gorgeous and was the highlight of our Portuguese trip! It's very uncrowded - there were days when we saw, at most, four or five other hikers. Good luck!

Thanks for your reply!
Wow. I just looked up Sagres because I didn't know where it was. It is the very bottom of Portugal. I would love to walk as long as possible but I have some questions though.
1. How long did it take for you to walk from Sargres to Santiago?
2. Are there albergues as well from Sagres to Lisbon? (since not many people walk that way..), if not, how much on average did you spend on lodging? (I would rather want to pay similar to what I used to pay on FC or less)
3. I'm planning to go in May. Do you think it will be nice weather-wise from there, in general?

Thank you! and Buen Camino!

 

[jsalt]

Have a browse through this thread:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...ta-de-vicentina-facilities.36220/#post-391128

Jill

 

[Ray J]

Thanks for your reply!
Wow. I just looked up Sagres because I didn't know where it was. It is the very bottom of Portugal. I would love to walk as long as possible but I have some questions though.
1. How long did it take for you to walk from Sargres to Santiago?
2. Are there albergues as well from Sagres to Lisbon? (since not many people walk that way..), if not, how much on average did you spend on lodging? (I would rather want to pay similar to what I used to pay on FC or less)
3. I'm planning to go in May. Do you think it will be nice weather-wise from there, in general?

Thank you! and Buen Camino!

1. Here’s a day-by-day of our itinerary. Notice that there were some days where we took buses or trains – this was due to reading our guidebooks and determining that some sections were better left unhiked. Also, there are officially two more stops on the Rota Vicentina, but we needed to be in Lisbon on the 3rd, so we had to forego them. I recommend the Fisherman's Trail on the RV - it's spectacular!

2. We stayed in B&B’s, AirBNB’s, locally owned hotels, etc from Sagres to Lisbon (I’m old enough and have enough money so I don’t need to share a room with 20 other people ). Some recommendations I can make are for the Arrifana Retreat in Arrifana, and the youth hostel in Almograve (if you want that hostel experience). So, long way of saying you might pay more than on the CF, but you can probably find some very reasonable places if you look.

3. As you can see we started at the end of May. We had great weather the entire trip, with rain only on one afternoon. No guarantees, of course, but I think May would be fairly nice.

 

[Jamie Y. Mo]

1. Here’s a day-by-day of our itinerary. Notice that there were some days where we took buses or trains – this was due to reading our guidebooks and determining that some sections were better left unhiked. Also, there are officially two more stops on the Rota Vicentina, but we needed to be in Lisbon on the 3rd, so we had to forego them. I recommend the Fisherman's Trail on the RV - it's spectacular!
View attachment 38772
2. We stayed in B&B’s, AirBNB’s, locally owned hotels, etc from Sagres to Lisbon (I’m old enough and have enough money so I don’t need to share a room with 20 other people ). Some recommendations I can make are for the Arrifana Retreat in Arrifana, and the youth hostel in Almograve (if you want that hostel experience). So, long way of saying you might pay more than on the CF, but you can probably find some very reasonable places if you look.

3. As you can see we started at the end of May. We had great weather the entire trip, with rain only on one afternoon. No guarantees, of course, but I think May would be fairly nice.

Wow, Thank you Ray for your detailed answer.!
I may have to change my itinerary a little bit. Thankfully, I can have two months (May and June) to walk if I wanted and I'd like to as long as my tight budget and my physical condition allow me somehow. Will see what happens..

Gotcha. Fisherman's Trail on the Rota Vicentina (RV)

Well, I am OK with wherever I sleep. I have slept all kinds of places so I would rather go for the possibly cheaper place as I'm not looking for a resort... but this is the thing- if the trail is not being walked officially, there might not be many cheap albergues or that kind of accommodation along the way and I have no idea how much it would cost me..

Great, I will be prepared for the various weather conditions but that's good to know.

Thank you so much for your time to read and write!

Buen Camino!

 

[Ray J]

I meant to include a couple of links but forgot. Here's the official RV link: http://en.rotavicentina.com/. Lots of good information, pictures, route descriptions, information on where to stay, etc.

In particular, you can get the official guidebook on that site at this address: http://en.rotavicentina.com/kiosk.html. It's really good except for one thing: We went from south to north and the book's directions are from north to south. It doesn't sound like much, but was just something we had to keep in mind as we planned things.

Hope this helps, and best of luck!

 

[dandagenais]

Jamie
I did the same thing. In 2013 I walked from O'Cebriero to Santiago and caught the Camino Bug. In 2014 I began from Le Puy and over these last few years have made it to Condom, a week at a time (with the full Camino Primitivo in 2017). I plan on finishing up the Le Puy this year. The Le Puy route is my favorite. It is gorgeous, but more expensive than Camino Frances. The prior estimates are accurate. It is also very hilly until Cahors. There are fewer gites along the way than on the Frances and greater distances between them. Reservations are recommended, even if a day or two in advance. It will be busy, but not terribly crowded, up to Conques and less so after that. I've walked it in May/June and in September. Both are fine, but go later in May, if you can, as there are a lot of Holidays that first week in May. If you leave from Le Puy the third weekend in September you can also attend the most outrageous Medieval Festival I'm sure you will ever see. It's in Le Puy around Sept. 20 or so, and is Mardi Gras meets Burning Man at the Renaissance Faire. You'll need a day to recover before starting out.
You will not be disappointed choosing this route.
I found the Domaine Savauge most memorable and La Rose de l'Aubrac in Finieyrols delightful.
We flew to Paris, took the train to Lyon and another train to St. Etienne and then took a bus from the St. Etienne station to Le Puy.

Just wondering why not fly directly to Lyon?