Which route next...?

[Ric]

My wife and I started our first Camino from SJPP to Santiago one May 26th and finished on July 8, 2017. Let me begin by thanking Ivar Revke for creating this site and for his support of us peregrinos. We ended up shipping three packages to you to hold for us. Your caution about the pending bus driver strike also helped us avoid a problem on our trip to Finisterre. Thank you for all that you do for us.

Second let me thank all those of you who contribute to this site. Your insight assisted us greatly in our preparations for a successful Camino. Your comments and advise was invaluable; thank you!

Before our trip, I questioned the attraction expressed by others of their need to walk again. This is something that simply can't be explained but must be experienced. I now understand. After our walk we traveled to Madrid, Granada, Barcelona, San Sebastion, and Paris before flying home July 28th. We thought such a break would enable us to "acclimate" back to "normal." Right; think again. After returning home, all I can think about is how to repeat this experience somehow. Now can't wait to return to do this again. The experience was something I must repeat at least once.

But this brings me to my problem. My wife and I are in our mid 60s. We don't want to repeat what we've already experienced by walking the French Way again. We are looking for something similar but new. Walking the French Way was a challenge for us physically, but we persevered. We researched walking to Rome but found the route more rugged than the French Way with limited access to housing, food & water, and support in general. That is just beyond our abilities and expectations of a successful experience. But there must be something else out there.

I'm asking for recommendations for another route we might pursue in Spain, France, or other European venue where both the infrastructure (frequency of albergues, bars, route markings, etc.) and the terrain are somewhat similar to what we encountered on the French Way. What recommendations does the crowd have to offer us? Time limits are not an issue with us since we are both retired (lucky us). Help!

 

[Kanga]

Le Puy is my vote. I did not think it any harder physically than the CF, absolutely beautiful countryside, plenty of accommodation, route markings good, a nice balance of other walkers, interesting history - and some of the loveliest villages in the world. I kid you not. Not so many bars - it needs a bit more planning for fuel stops. For more information go to the Le Puy threads on the forum.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

If you struggled but persevered on the Frances, then as Kanga suggests the French routes, or, easier on the wallet, the Portuguese Central or Coastal. Other Caminos in Spain will be physically more demanding.

 

[Bradypus]

Having walked both the Camino Frances and the Via Francigena (Canterbury to Rome) in recent years I would agree that the Via Francigena is more challenging in terms of accommodation, food and other infrastructure. I would not say that it is all that much more rugged in terms of terrain though. A couple of difficult rocky mountain stages. Overall a very varied route. One of the downsides of walking the Camino Frances is that it tends to raise one's expectations of what a long-distance route should provide by way of accommodation and other home comforts. It really is not like any other route I have walked in that respect. Having walked the Camino Portugues from Porto to Santiago I would suggest that as a pretty fair choice though: not physically demanding, albergues at fairly short intervals, an interesting contrast between Portugal and Spain, and a growing infrastructure of cafes and restaurants to support the ever-increasing number of pilgrims.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

My vote would also be for the Camino Portugués - easy international access. Good infrastructure with a choice of accommodation - perhaps two weeks from Porto to Santiago with the option of a further week to Finisterre and Muxia.

 

[Deleted member 12253]

Norte and primativo. Easy start irun. I am older ie near 70 and retired. I do 2 or camino a year. Long trek in spring. This year 1000km seville to santiago 38 days. Sept october i will trek norte from bilbao to santiago buen camino

 

[TMcA]

Agree with Kanga...

We walked the Le Puy route after doing most of the Camino Frances first. Read the Le Puy section on this forum. All of your questions will be answered there and several posts compare the Le Puy and Camino Frances routes.

Tom

 

[Jim Michie]

The Norte is more physically challenging that the Frances. I refer to the first 3oo miles as 8-10 hours a day of Stairmaster.

Jim Michie

 

[Ric]

Awesome responses as usual. You are the best; thank you! You've given me suggestions that help me to focus my research. I can't wait to begin again.

 

[Ric]

My wife speaks Spanish, and I do a little. So language which walking the French Way across Spain was not an issue. However, neither of us speak any French. That shouldn't be a major problem starting in Le Puy, will it?

 

[gittiharre]

You can get by on Le Puy without French, but you will have more limited enjoyment as the majority of walkers are French and the co creations over dinner will be French. In spite of this it is a beautiful route. Have walked it twice and one segment a third time this year.

 

[Juspassinthru]

I finished the CF on June 22nd. Like you, I feel the need to walk again. I'm 60 but still working so another 6 weeks is out of the question. While I visited Fisterra, I did not walk there and because of the bus strike I did not get to Muxia. So, I'm planning to do The Camino Ingles to Santiago and on to Fisterra and Muxia. I'm told the Ingles is beautiful and not well travelled. That and 1.5 euros will get you a cafe con leche. Buen Camino!

 

[Bradypus]

I'm told the Ingles is beautiful and not well travelled.

The Ingles is a great route and does not yet have the huge numbers found on the Frances. But it also has far fewer options for accommodation and a number of people recently have mentioned finding albergues full quite early in the day. As more people choose alternatives to the increasingly overcrowded Frances the "less travelled" routes become ever more busy.

 

[hel&scott]

Welcome to the home of wayward walkers. As you can see from the tag lines on our signatures, we've all fallen under the spell of endless days on the road. I am sure the choice of your next Camino will be an intersting one, and one that reflects your interests and fitness.

We walked sections of the Appian Way and other Roman roads in Italy but found the lack of infrastructure frustrating, the Italians can't understand why you just don't drive. Sections of the Via Egnatia are being opened up, but the Greek parts are pretty rough. St Pauls down in Turkey is lovely, but isolated...and hilly. You can probably tell we are history buffs, Scott found the research as interesting as the route we took.

If you are looking for a well supported comfortable walking route then the earlier suggestions of Le Puy and Portugese routes are good ones, also the northern sections of Vpd, past Salamanca are worth a look at. Have fun with your research and your next walk.

 

[Catahoula19]

Le Puy

 

[Kitsambler]

Just putting in a plug for Germany: good walking, good services, decent value (includes clean sheets and a huge breakfast!), interesting history. Routes going every which way.

 

[alexwalker]

I would like once to walk from Le Puy, but my experiences after visiting France several times is that they do not/are reluctant to speak other languages than French. I know nothing French. Strange attitude, but a fact. I would therefore try Porto-SdC: A nice walk although much on hard cobblestones. The walk from Lisboa is hard: Asphalt for many days, long daily distances, and not too many albergues: I terminated after 4 days and travelled to Porto: Much better.

The real deal would be VdlP (El Camino duro: The hard Camino): A great Camino, but 1005 kms in total. But maybe start in Merida (or Salamanca, if you only want 500 kms), as some of the first stages from Sevilla are long, with no infrastructure: You are on your own. Also, the San Olav from Burgos to Covarrubias: 3 days of easy walking with no climbs: Bus back to Burgos and head for the Meseta. I wrote a walking guide about it.

 

[Juspassinthru]

The Ingles is a great route and does not yet have the huge numbers found on the Frances. But it also has far fewer options for accommodation and a number of people recently have mentioned finding albergues full quite early in the day. As more people choose alternatives to the increasingly overcrowded Frances the "less travelled" routes become ever more busy.

Thanks for the input...so many choices and so little time.

 

[Ric]

Just putting in a plug for Germany: good walking, good services, decent value (includes clean sheets and a huge breakfast!), interesting history. Routes going every which way.

Germany sounds real interesting. Is there a good guidebook in English for these?

 

[Kitsambler]

Germany sounds real interesting. Is there a good guidebook in English for these?

The largest selection of pilgrim-route guides in Germany is in German (https://www.conrad-stein-verlag.de/), but the graphics and addresses are multi-lingual. Both SYates and I have walked in Germany, and posted daily blogs about our journeys, in English. Cicerone Guides publishes hiking guides (available at Amazon UK) for the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps in English, but these are not pilgrim routes.

 

[KinkyOne]

I would like once to walk from Le Puy, but my experiences after visiting France several times is that they do not/are reluctant to speak other languages than French. ...

Ditto!!!
But I've kind found the way to disarm that attitude. I wasn't in France for Camino but just for business and when I needed something (tourist workers will speak English, no doubt) I started with wide smile and "Excusez-moi parlez-vous anglais". And that was it
All of a sudden most of them were speaking at least some English...

But do not expect them to speak German (except in Alsace region). Oh, no, no way... History!

 

[Ric]

The largest selection of pilgrim-route guides in Germany is in German (https://www.conrad-stein-verlag.de/), but the graphics and addresses are multi-lingual. Both SYates and I have walked in Germany, and posted daily blogs about our journeys, in English. Cicerone Guides publishes hiking guides (available at Amazon UK) for the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps in English, but these are not pilgrim routes.

If still available, I've would love to read your blog. Can you give me a link to one or both? I so do appreciate the help one and all are providing; thank you!

 

[KinkyOne]

If still available, I've would love to read your blog. Can you give me a link to one or both? I so do appreciate the help one and all are providing; thank you!

The link to the blog is in her signature below the last post.