Which side of the road to walk on?

[Bedspring]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

 

[Tincatinker]

There is no consensus on the Camino because pilgrims do whatever they want. The convention is to always walk facing oncoming traffic and not to jump until you can see the whites of the driver's eyes

 

[Bedspring]

There is no consensus on the Camino because pilgrims do whatever they want. The convention is to always walk facing oncoming traffic and not to jump until you can see the whites of the driver's eyes

That's a strange reply, you say one thing, then immediately contradict it.

 

[Tincatinker]

Perhaps "the convention [in Spain]" would have made my meaning clearer?

 

[NualaOC]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

I agree with your logic, @Bedspring. When walking in Spain, it's mostly wise to walk on the left hand side, facing oncoming traffic.

There is no consensus on the Camino because pilgrims do whatever they want.

That's true too - perhaps because many pilgrims aren't regular walkers in their home countries.

It always takes me a while to adjust to the 'different side of the road' thing. The other important bit is to look 'left, right and left' when crossing the road. Simple stuff but easy to forget when you're tired.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

I assume you mean without pavement. In which case you’re correct, facing the traffic. Where safe to do so ! Sometimes on a blind curve there’s no room, so you have to swap over.
Let your common sense prevail!

 

[trecile]

You will see signs along the Camino in places where you are walking on the round to walk on the left (izquierda).

 

[Lindsay53]

Facing the oncoming traffic, although on some bends it may be better to move to the outside of the curve.

 

[Paul-CH]

Pedestrians walking on the road in urban areas must always walk on the left so that they can see oncoming vehicles, and other drivers can clearly see them. If people walk on the right-hand side, cars are approaching from behind, which makes it harder to spot any danger. The fine for non-compliance is 100 euros. Found at Murcia Today
If the left side let you no room to escape, it's clever to move to the other side.

 

[naplesdon]

If it happens to be a section along a NR and it is heavily trafficked with trucks, it is a good idea to stand still while the truck(s) pass so as to not get sweep off of your feet by their back draft.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

face the traffic if walking on the shoulder, for your safety. hopefully this will happen only occasionally as there is usually a path (on the left or right) for pilgrims, away from the cars.

 

[David Tallan]

Pedestrians walking on the road in urban areas must always walk on the left so that they can see oncoming vehicles, and other drivers can clearly see them. If people walk on the right-hand side, cars are approaching from behind, which makes it harder to spot any danger. The fine for non-compliance is 100 euros. Found at Murcia Today
If the left side let you no room to escape, it's clever to move to the other side.

In general, this is the rule. In practice, I tend to temper with a little common sense. A couple of examples:
If I am approaching a sharp, blind turn I will walk on whichever side makes me most visible to oncoming traffic. Sometimes this is the right side. I don't want to be a surprise to drivers as they barrel around the turn.

If I am joining a busy road from the right and will be leaving it from the right shortly, I may decide the risks of crossing the busy road twice without signals are greater than the risks of walking a short way on the right side.

(And we won't talk about any potential decisions on a rarely driven road on a hot sunny day when the available shade is on the right side.)

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I always follow the signs you sometimes see on river banks:

tramo libre sin muerte

Which I take to mean "whatever side doesn't get you killed"

 

[GraemeHall]

On the Via de la Plata my friend and I were walking on the right because it was the shady side. Guardia Civil came along and in no uncertain terms told us "Other side of the road" (in Spanish of course).
We complied, and once they were gone we crossed back to the shady side.

 

[OldWisePilgrim]

Probably the ONLY situation I would recommend this in any life situation or decision => Go Left (unless there is a sidewalk or other path off the vehicle road)

 

[bullingtonce]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

To cover all bases, I recommend walking on the underside of the road; this way you don't break any laws or offend any sensibilities. More preferable is to walk on air so as to not kill any insects, bugs, creepy crawlies, which is also life. I have done this on many occasions and have found it has worked out well. Chuck

 

[snale]

What gets omitted in this is that you walking on the road can be a hazard especially for trucks
In hazardous places:
Be mindful, walk facing the traffic, move off the road, signal drivers courteously that you are aware
Don't make vehicles swerve needlessly

 

[Korilu]

That's a strange reply, you say one thing, then immediately contradict it.

Nuance, not contradiction. Consensus refers to an agreement reached within a group, convention implies a more widely held agreement, or even a time tested custom/tradition, and in this case, common sense. I remember coming onto a very busy road at one point with cars and trucks flying by and pilgrims on both sides. I crossed the road so I could keep an eye on approaching vehicles.

 

[WalkingInGers]

On the Via de la Plata my friend and I were walking on the right because it was the shady side. Guardia Civil came along and in no uncertain terms told us "Other side of the road" (in Spanish of course).
We complied, and once they were gone we crossed back to the shady side.

Lol

 

[trecile]

Last year on the Norte in the section after the popular albergue n Güemes there were pilgrims walking on both sides of the road seemingly oblivious to the fact that locals had to slow down a lot to get past. Finally, one driver yelled at those walking on the right side to get over to the left.
It's not just a safety issue for us who are walking, but a respect issues for the locals that we share the road with.

 

[CWBuff]

That's a strange reply, you say one thing, then immediately contradict it.

I would respectfully suggest to get yourself familiarized with @Tincatinker s posts. Perhaps after you get through 20-25 or so...

Now that said I do not see anything contradictive in what he said. To slightly paraphrase- the prudent way would be to walk opposite the traffic (which for that matter is what I do when I walk regardless if onthe Camino or not). At the same Pilgrims will walk and do however and whatever they want (which is what most humans do Pilgrims or not on Camino or not)
I guess regardless of what we all say you are more than welcome to walk opposite the traffic or with it based on your own whim
In any case Good luck and Buen Camino

 

[Gosch89]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

Absolutely need to walk on the side facing the traffic. The Camino Frances route is mostly off road but there is a few areas where you share the road with cars and trucks. Very important to walk on the side where you are facing oncoming traffic as you can step to the side when need to. Also make sure you are not wearing headphones when walking on those roads. Stay safe and alert. As well and probably most important is on most routes there will be loads of cyclists (even on the walkers paths) and some tend to cycle very fast, so be alert. Just remember when one passes , another one isn't too far behind. Hope this helps. Buen Camino

 

[trecile]

I guess regardless of what we all say you are more than welcome to walk opposite the traffic or with it based on your own whim

Not if the Guardia Civil are around!

On the Via de la Plata my friend and I were walking on the right because it was the shady side. Guardia Civil came along and in no uncertain terms told us "Other side of the road"

Seriously, there is a correct side of the road to walk on, and that's facing traffic unless it's unsafe to do so.

Those walking according to their own whim can be a nuisance and danger to local motorists.

 

[Frankybaby66]

In general, this is the rule. In practice, I tend to temper with a little common sense. A couple of examples:
If I am approaching a sharp, blind turn I will walk on whichever side makes me most visible to oncoming traffic. Sometimes this is the right side. I don't want to be a surprise to drivers as they barrel around the turn.

If I am joining a busy road from the right and will be leaving it from the right shortly, I may decide the risks of crossing the busy road twice without signals are greater than the risks of walking a short way on the right side.

(And we won't talk about any potential decisions on a rarely driven road on a hot sunny day when the available shade is on the right side.)

Using common sense . . . That'll never catch on. Just waiting for someone to post a question on the Forum asking which sock to put on first . . . (might even have already been asked)

 

[CWBuff]

Question to @Frankybaby66 - does it matter which sock I put on first if I want to walk on the wrong side of the road?

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Using common sense . . . That'll never catch on. Just waiting for someone to post a question on the Forum asking which sock to put on first . . . (might even have already been asked)

Left foot, always the left foot first.

 

[lt56ny]

That's a strange reply, you say one thing, then immediately contradict it.

I do not know if you are new here but that reply was completely @Tincatinker esque answer. Also as he said pilgrims walk every which way and I often wonder what planet they are from with some of the decisions I have heard over the years. Walking with traffic is a formula for pain, broken bones and much worse.
It is common sense to walk facing traffic. It really is very simple.

 

[lt56ny]

On the Via de la Plata my friend and I were walking on the right because it was the shady side. Guardia Civil came along and in no uncertain terms told us "Other side of the road" (in Spanish of course).
We complied, and once they were gone we crossed back to the shady side.

Wish they would have made a round trip.

 

[lt56ny]

In general, this is the rule. In practice, I tend to temper with a little common sense. A couple of examples:
If I am approaching a sharp, blind turn I will walk on whichever side makes me most visible to oncoming traffic. Sometimes this is the right side. I don't want to be a surprise to drivers as they barrel around the turn.

If I am joining a busy road from the right and will be leaving it from the right shortly, I may decide the risks of crossing the busy road twice without signals are greater than the risks of walking a short way on the right side.

(And we won't talk about any potential decisions on a rarely driven road on a hot sunny day when the available shade is on the right side.)

Perfect advice

 

[jandeschepper]

That's a strange reply, you say one thing, then immediately contradict it.

Jump away from the car

 

[JLWV]

Nothing to add, but an anecdote not included before:
I was walking on the left side of a country earth road, with the wind blowing from the right, and with perfect visibility in any direction. A truck came from behind me, and the driver stopped to tell me "if you walk on the other side you will breath less dust"

 

[dbeatriceb]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

Any Guardia Civil will tell you it is best to walk on the left, facing traffic. Of course in some mountain roads with scary drop offs this might be less advisable.

 

[Cicada]

In the UK if walking on a road with pavement, the general advice would be to walk on the right, facing oncoming traffic, so I assumed in Spain, on the left, but there does not seem to be a consensus on the Camino.
Does spain have a highway code that gives advice?

We were told in no uncertain terms by a local in Portugal! Walk so you are facing the oncoming traffic!

 

[Bedspring]

In general, this is the rule. In practice, I tend to temper with a little common sense. A couple of examples:
If I am approaching a sharp, blind turn I will walk on whichever side makes me most visible to oncoming traffic. Sometimes this is the right side. I don't want to be a surprise to drivers as they barrel around the turn.

If I am joining a busy road from the right and will be leaving it from the right shortly, I may decide the risks of crossing the busy road twice without signals are greater than the risks of walking a short way on the right side.

(And we won't talk about any potential decisions on a rarely driven road on a hot sunny day when the available shade is on the right side.)

Common sense is a strange thing, one person's common sense is another person's stupidity.

Common sense, to me suggests, all other things being equal, walk facing traffic, and my observation would suggest more than 50% of pilgrims have no common sense.
And the quote from The Murcia seems to answer my OP question about if there is an actual directive.
Oddly in Vietnam the consensus is to walk away from the traffic, which seems mad to me, but it's what they do.

 

[David Tallan]

Common sense is a strange thing, one person's common sense is another person's stupidity.

Common sense, to me suggests, all other things being equal, walk facing traffic, and my observation would suggest more than 50% of pilgrims have no common sense.
And the quote from The Murcia seems to answer my OP question about if there is an actual directive.
Oddly in Vietnam the consensus is to walk away from the traffic, which seems mad to me, but it's what they do.

You can replace "common sense" with "good judgement". Which also may not be universally present. I added my contribution to the topic because, in my experience, all other things are not always equal. And people who just learn a rule and follow it without thinking further don't necessarily pay attention to that.

 

[Bedspring]

You can replace "common sense" with "good judgement". Which also may not be universally present. I added my contribution to the topic because, in my experience, all other things are not always equal. And people who just learn a rule and follow it without thinking further don't necessarily pay attention to that.

I suppose some people would say setting out on 800km walk, is poor judgement.

Anyway, I have reached Santiago safely, thanks for all the advice.

 

[trecile]

I suppose some people would say setting out on 800km walk, is poor judgement.

Anyway, I have reached Santiago safely, thanks for all the advice.

Congratulations!

 

[jungleboy]

Via Pilgrim Pouch on Instagram:

 

[WGroleau]

It always takes me a while to adjust to the 'different side of the road' thing. The other important bit is to look 'left, right and left' when crossing the road. Simple stuff but easy to forget when you're tired.

Allegedly, some British spies were captured in Germany because they looked to the right first instead of to the left. Could be an urban legend.

 

[WGroleau]

If I am approaching a sharp, blind turn I will walk on whichever side makes me most visible to oncoming traffic. Sometimes this is the right side. I don't want to be a surprise to drivers as they barrel around the turn.

Also, if they are going too fast, they may tend to drift (or skid) toward the outside of a curve or corner.

 

[WGroleau]

Left foot, always the left foot first.

The right, because after you put it on, the other is left.

 

[CWBuff]

Allegedly, some British spies were captured in Germany because they looked to the right first instead of to the left. Could be an urban legend.

Well... the SUBURBAN legend is that it was the other way around

 

[mattythedog]

To cover all bases, I recommend walking on the underside of the road; this way you don't break any laws or offend any sensibilities. More preferable is to walk on air so as to not kill any insects, bugs, creepy crawlies, which is also life. I have done this on many occasions and have found it has worked out well. Chuck

"I recommend walking on the underside of the road" But your health might be at risk because you would usually be under the weather.

 

[snuz55]

Walking the Portuguese route from Lisbon to Porto to Santiago last year, I as well as many others were told in not always the most polite way, to walk on the left facing the traffic "always". This was true even if no shoulder or "safe" area to walk existed. Walking around a few blind curves was quite dangerous as some local drivers liked to cut the corners tight. Most of the most dangerous areas seemed to be in the far southern part of Portugal coming out of Lisbon heading North. I did need to jump against a wall a number of times. As others have pointed out, the only exception with the Portuguese is where a sidewalk or path off the road existed on the other side.

 

[C clearly]

to walk on the left facing the traffic "always"

I suspect that this instruction was a simplistic way to emphasize the general rule. It is my understanding that the laws allow for exceptions for self-preservation. I cannot back that up, but I certainly always walk on the left, except when it is clearly safer to walk on the right.