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a couple days before sarria puts in you O Cebreiro, maybe Herrerías... Triacastela is only a day away.Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
You may consider Triacastela and go to Samos and then to Sarria. As far as I’m concerned, the walk into and out of Samos is some of the nicest walking on the Francés. The walk to Samos is short, makes for an easy Day 1 and you could tour the monastery too.Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
And the walk from Samos to Sarria is really nice.You may consider Triacastela and go to Samos and then to Sarria. As far as I’m concerned, the walk into and out of Samos is some of the nicest walking on the Francés. The walk to Samos is short, makes for an easy Day 1 and you could tour the monastery too.
Hmmm as per OP - a "couple" of days which usually means 2 but I'll stretch it to 3.Ponferrada is easy to reach by train, if that’s an option and it has a templar castle to see.
That‘d be 90-100 km to Sarria, depending on which route you take after Triacastela.
That’s why I wrote „if that’s an option“ and didn’t suggest how many days that would add. No one was suggesting 30 km days.Hmmm as per OP - a "couple" of days which usually means 2 but I'll stretch it to 3.
Not sure if I would advice a newbie to hit 30km\day straight from the gate.
I know it took me 5 days from Ponferrada to Sarria not going to Samos
My personal opinion would be either O Cebreiro or Triacastela - just as I see no reason to do above-mentioned 30km/day I also see no reason to start your Camino climbing up some steep mountain.....
... WAIT!.......
Seriously O Cebreiro to Sarria is about 41km; add couple of more if variating to Samos, but that is perfectly doable in 2-3 days. Triacastela will be closer (I think shave about 19km from the previous distance)
Villafranca del Bierzo and especially Herrerias are two of my favorite towns along the Camino Frances. Tricastella is nice too. Yuck to O Ceibrero.Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
Take the mountain route from Villafranca to O Cebreiro, which is very beautiful. Then O Cebreiro to Sarria via the hill route. Again, very beautiful and tranquil. That is what I did last May, and it covers all of your villages. You can go to Sarria via Samos, but it makes for quite a long day.Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
It really depends on how much time you have. Villafranca del Bierzo is a very nice little town. It is where I started most recently. But it is, for most people, more than a couple of days from Sarria. I could see starting from Herrerias if you are planning on taking the horses up to O Cebreiro and continuing walking from there. Otherwise, if you only have a couple of days to add, I would start in O Cebreiro, or Triacastela if you plan to walk via Samos. O Cebreiro is a very special place, although the past few times I've been there it is much more touristy than my first pass through the village, which may turn some people off. I don't think I've been struck that way so much by the changes in any other place on the Frances.Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
In my dialect of English, "a couple of" is always two, like a couple. (Three is a "thruple", more recently.Edited to add: I just looked up the definition of “a couple” because I was curious. It seems we use the equivalent in German much more loosely (for anything between 3 and about 6 days) while “a couple” really is only 2 or max 3 days. Funny, since it’s actually the same word (also used as “a couple of” and “they are a couple”). So yeah, that’s why it was a bit more to me.
That's where my daughter and I stayed at and ate this year (although the albergue and restaurant are in separate buildings). I'm pretty sure I stayed there with my son eight years ago.I'd say Triacastela, which seems to be increasing in popularity year by year.
DO eat at the amazing Complexo Xacobeo !!
That’s why languages are fun.In my dialect of English, "a couple of" is always two, like a couple. (Three is a "thruple", more recently.)
3 - 6 is "a few". That informed my response above to the original question.
Let's call the whole thing off.I say tomAYto you say tomAHto
I think it was about €50 when we took the horses up to O Cebreiro earlier this year.The owners name is Victor
Phone : +56 63 804 1823.
Email : v.vigaray@gmail.com
Victor’s on Facebook - his Facebook page is called Al Paso.
IIRC he used to charge €35.00 but I’m not sure of the current cost - Victor will let you know when you book.
Good luck and Buen Camino
Is it so touristy now that you would not recommend it so much?It really depends on how much time you have. Villafranca del Bierzo is a very nice little town. It is where I started most recently. But it is, for most people, more than a couple of days from Sarria. I could see starting from Herrerias if you are planning on taking the horses up to O Cebreiro and continuing walking from there. Otherwise, if you only have a couple of days to add, I would start in O Cebreiro, or Triacastela if you plan to walk via Samos. O Cebreiro is a very special place, although the past few times I've been there it is much more touristy than my first pass through the village, which may turn some people off. I don't think I've been struck that way so much by the changes in any other place on the Frances.
That would depend on how much the "touristy" bothers you. A lot of the charm is still there. You just have to look past all of the souvenir shops to see it.Is it so touristy now that you would not recommend it so much?
This is something worth repeating. It caught my daughter and I by surprise when we were waiting for the horses to arrive in Las Herrerias and we had to scramble to find transportation for them.Re: horses. In addition no backpacks allowed. You need to make baggage transfer plans to take your belongings to your next destination
You have read all the options.Thank you everyone for your input!
O Cebriero, the bus goes there, great views. Depending on how you feel, you could stay in a village before Triacastela, and walk through to Sarria the next day, or walk through Samos. Herrarias would give you the climb up and the border into Galicia, though more planning to start there. I think there is a Pilgrims Mass in O Cebriero if you stay the night there.Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
True. The horses were their own transportation.For yor bags, not the horses![]()
Wondering how you arrived to Villafranca del Bierzo, and which route you took, the mountainous one or the road/river one? Is the latter interesting, or only the mountainous one? Thank you!It really depends on how much time you have. Villafranca del Bierzo is a very nice little town. It is where I started most recently. But it is, for most people, more than a couple of days from Sarria. I could see starting from Herrerias if you are planning on taking the horses up to O Cebreiro and continuing walking from there. Otherwise, if you only have a couple of days to add, I would start in O Cebreiro, or Triacastela if you plan to walk via Samos. O Cebreiro is a very special place, although the past few times I've been there it is much more touristy than my first pass through the village, which may turn some people off. I don't think I've been struck that way so much by the changes in any other place on the Frances.
We took a bus from Madrid to Leon, where we spent the night. Then the next morning we took a train to Astorga and then another bus to Villafranca, where we stayed in an albergue before starting our Camino the next day. We took the mountainous route to Trabadelo (but not the even more mountainous Dragonte route from Villafranca). My previous Frances, in 2016, we took the road/river route. I would say that the high road is worth it but the valley road is not bad.Wondering how you arrived to Villafranca del Bierzo, and which route you took, the mountainous one or the road/river one? Is the latter interesting, or only the mountainous one? Thank you!
Would you recommend one day —or two days? — to explore Villafranca del Bierzo before beginning our Camino? ThanksThank you!
Hi Zoe, Welcome!Have time to start a couple days before Sarria. Wondering which of the following you would recommend most to start by and not miss — Villafranca del Bierzo or O Cebrero or Herrerias or Triacastela? Thank you.
One day, two nights ought to do it. That gives time to enjoy " Mi Tienda", Calle Jesus Adran 6 and Restaurante El Padrino. Visit the spectacular San Nicolas el Real, perhaps even book a room there. Have a splosh in the Playa fluvial on the river bank just to the North of the town. The Chiringuito Playa Villafranca is worth a visit just to observe how the Spanish have fun. Casa Mendez is worth a visit if you can get a table by the window to watch the Swifts hawking like nothing else does.Would you recommend one day —or two days? — to explore Villafranca del Bierzo before beginning our Camino? Thanks
Thank you! We’re coming from the U.S into Madrid, taking bus or train to Ponferrada arriving around 2 pm, and buying some trekking poles there, resting and looking at the old town, and sleeping in, and then taking a morning bus to Villafranca del Brierzo, and staying there that night, and possibly a second night, for recovery time (or alternatively just the one night and a short first day)Hi Zoe, Welcome!
Where are you initially coming in? Are you flying from USA to SdC via Madrid, or? Can you be more specific? How much time are you allowing yourself to recover before walking? I see you are from the USA?The more info you can provide, the more helpful we can be.
One night and a short dayThank you! We’re coming from the U.S into Madrid, taking bus or train to Ponferrada arriving around 2 pm, and buying some trekking poles there, resting and looking at the old town, and sleeping in, and then taking a morning bus to Villafranca del Brierzo, and staying there that night, and possibly a second night, for recovery time (or alternatively just the one night and a short first day)