Ireynold1,

I am a little concerned with the last 100k from Sarria being very crowded. The other alternatives you mentioned might be an option. My one concern as a newbie is the comparative difficulties of each. Obviously I would love to experience paths, to pavement, walking through beautiful fields, valleys and charming towns to walking alongside a busy road. Steep hills is a consideration also, although certainly not a deal breaker. Which of the three that you mentioned would most likely fit the bill? Also, how far apart are the albergues/pensions on the alternate routes.

BTW, in my previous post, I meant to say 10-15 miles a day, not km. Right now I think I can walk 6 miles, but I do have lots of time to improve on that. Thanks for all your great information and support.

Hi, Barb,
I didn´t mean to discourage you at all, just to let you know that the numbers increase dramatically at Sarria, because that´s the starting point for those who want to walk the minimum necessary to get the compostela (a certificate of accomplishment issued by the cathedral officials with some religious significance). If you are walking in late September, it certainly won´t be the rush of mid summer, but don´t expect it to be an idyllic walk in solitude.

The other starting points are the hundred kms points on some of the other Caminos, but having thought about it a bit, I think there´s no doubt that for most "first timers" the Camino Francés is the iconic Way and is the one you should walk. If you become addicted, there´s plenty of time for all these others.

So, you are probably in the 20-25 km a day range, which is 140 to 175 kms from Santiago. Villafranca del Bierzo is a nice small town with good infrastructure and it´s approximately 170 kms from Santiago. This would give you the very nice walk up to O´Cebreiro, which is a hike (2300 feet elevation gain but spread over 8 kms), but can easily be broken up into two pieces. I´d suggest you take a look at the Camino Francés section of mundicamino.com, because there is a ton of information there, on distances, elevation gain, accommodations in all the towns, etc. That will help you make up your mind. Villafranca is about a 2 1-2 hour bus ride from León, and there are 3 buses a day (check movelia.es for a lot of Spanish bus schedules), so that would be easier than getting to some of the smaller places along the way.

Buen camino! Laurie

Somehow walking up a mountain seems rather daunting! Maybe I could start at O'Cebreiro . Thanks for the link. You are such a wealth of information, I am sure I will be picking your brain again before next year. Loved reading about all your walks, you are such an inspiration.

Glad to see lreynold has chimed in, she has been a great help to me.
Barb, I read so many daunting stories about the climb to O'Cebreiro , that's why I decided to start the walk there rather than at Villafranca. There'll be plenty of other challenges I'm sure!

Regarding where to leave your lugagge for later, if you'll be at Santiago at the beginning I would leave it at the hotel. The Costa Vella staff is fantastic, as lreynold indicates (this time we'll be staying at a sister hotel, Hotel Altair). I know people that left several pieces of lugagge with them while they did the walk from Sarria.
Because we're traveling prior to starting the Camino as well as after, we're having our luggage transfered by a service called Jacotrans.

Cruiseluv,
I´m wondering how people get to O´Cebreiro to start the Camino there. I think there is a train, whose station is Piedrafita, but it´s a couple of kms away, I believe. Or maybe it´s a bus station, I don´t know. Have you got this figured out?

And november_moon, I think that most of the people I have met on many caminos share your view of its "purpose" for them. It´s a very personal and individual thing, of course, but I think that even those many people who start the Camino with the idea that it´s a cheap and exciting way to spend a vacation, come away with a lot more than that. It´s just inevitable, IMO. For me, having nothing to do but to get up and walk, then wash clothes, wash body, and eat and sleep, and then start all over again, has given me a gratitude about being alive that I can´t even explain.

you can take a bus from Villafranca del Bierzo.. a nice place to stay the night before.

http://www.alsa.es/en

Thanks, Lin. And I agree that Villafranca is a nice little town, has a really friendly ambiente, I think. I´ve been there when the one main old street was as crowded as Grand Central Station, filled with people on the prowl for tapas. Usually, though it´s pretty sedate.

Hi lreynold1,

There are two Alsa buses a day from León to Piedrafita (they also stop at Villafranca), takes about 2.5 hrs. We'll be coming from spending a couple of days in León. Unfortunately we dont have enough days to make a stopover at Villafranca but I did consider it. We'll probably take a cab from Piedrafita up to O'Cebreiro.

The stage from O Cebreiro to Triacastela is beautiful but if you can the climb to O Cebreiro from Villafranca is well worth.It is an all day climb,gradual at the beginning, with 600metre climb in the last 7kms.If you are reasonably fit and not carrying too much weight(no more than 9kg recommended) it is doable.By the time I got to this point I was 21 days into the walk so I was fit and although it was hard work the sensation on arrival was great.Amazing views!

lreynold - I am very curious to see what my husband will think and feel about the Camino when we are finished. I have my various reasons, but his reason is simple: because his wife wants to do it, so he is going too. He really doesn't have any other motivation, which means he is basically approaching it as a blank slate.

cruiseluv, thanks for the info re luggage. I am going to stay at Costa Vella. I will probably train/bus from there to wherever I plan on starting from. How many days are you planning from O Cebreiro to Santiago? Are you walking with a pack? I am really looking forward to your trip report.

Spent most of the day watching Mark Shea's "The Way" on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSNZVKxmKEA

You can purchase the 75 min video, or just watch it in bits on Youtube, which is what I did.

OMG Barb! I just realized you're the Barb from "This is why I will Always travel solo" fame! You have no idea how much I enjoyed your report and how much I identified, Sometime its not an easy thing to travel with "friends"!

Costa Vella is a great choice. I loved it there, very special. The only reason I'm opting for the Altair is that it has A/C and we're going in the summer this time. I know I sound spoiled but one summer I was in Santiago during a heat wave and was glad I was staying at a hotel with A/C. But if you're going in Sept/ Oct, the Costa Vella should be perfect. They have an enchanting garden , great to sit there for drinks. I'm planning to at least pay a visit.

We're walking for 8 days, starting 6/28, arriving Santiago 7/5 (God willing!). I'm going the pampered route. I booked lodging in small hotels/ manor houses(casas rurales/pazos)either right on the Camino or nearby. We'll carry a backpack with personal items , but the actual luggage will be moved by Jacotrans every time we move. We're spending a few days before the walk in Madrid and Leon, and at the end we stay 3 days in Santiago and one last night in Madrid.

Do you think you'll do this by yourself?

Yup, that's me, I'm so glad you enjoyed my trip report. It certainly grew into epic proportions.

I am really eager to hear about your Camino as I am trying to decide if I should do the pampered Way or tough it out. I'm leaning towards toughing it. I'm also not sure where I will begin my walk. Ideally, I would like to do it in a week (7-8) days. I think your plan of staying in Madrid/Leon first is a really good plan. Also having some time in Santiago will be great. Are you going to go to Finisterre?

I will probably do it by myself, which is what I prefer, although my 19 yo granddaugther really wants to go with me. She has some health issues which might prevent it unfortunately. Would be special though, Nana and granddaughter.

I don't think we'll have time to go to Finisterre. We went years ago (not walking) as a day trip and enjoyed it.

I hope somehow you could make it work with your granddaughter if she is so keen in doing it. It would be very special indeed. Maybe start from Sarria but take more days to do it.

I've wanted to go back to Leon for years. The Cathedral's stained glass windows are gorgeous.

lreynolds1: <i>This would give you the very nice walk up to O´Cebreiro, which is a hike (2300 feet elevation gain but spread over 8 kms), but can easily be broken up into two pieces.</i>

Question: can this be done in one piece? Is there some reason to break it up into two pieces - such as location of lodgings? Or is it just the length and the height?

I hiked a trail today that went from less than 700 feet to over 1700 feet in a 2 mile stretch, so it's pretty steep. The grade was 25% in some spots. Coming down was worse because of the loose rock that constituted about 1/2 of the downhill hike. It took us less than 3 hours to go up and then down (total over 5 miles), so a hike of 8 km/5miles to a height of 2300 doesn't sound all that bad, that steep. Which is why I am asking if it's necessary to break this portion into two days.

TIA for your response.

I just hope whoever starts before/with the climb up to O'Cebreiro doesn't think the rest of the trip will be more of the same and get discouraged. That is the most difficult ( steepest/tiring) part of that entire segment IMHO.

Last time we started in O'C. Very pleasant. Great views to start out and easy going along for our first day.

I will be in Santiago for 1 or 2 nights beginning of September and will travel to French Border making few stops overnight and doing some walking to enjoy experience of Camino. Will travel either on ALSA bus or train but not quite sure where to stop off; thought of going directly to Burgos then walking next day for several hours and maybe taking evening bus or train to Pomplana. Is this good choice to give me opportunity to do some of the trails and enjoy scenery? I will then get transport into France and hope to continue to Lourdes for overnight taking train next day to Toulouse for flight.

Will buy my rail/bus tickets on arrival in Spain as I do not see that thre is a pass that would include multi-rides over 4 or 5 days. Thanks for any suggestions, I am looking forward to my trip.

Cehegin: many thanks for your encouragement! Now it's back to more planning. There's a wonderful website that can do staging, so will definitely input and attempt that portion as a one-day hike and see what comes out.

Nice blog!

You know, the more I think about this the more I think this would be a cool thing to do for my next milestone birthday... wouldn't spring or fall be better for this walk than the heat of summer?

flygirl, as far as I know the answer is yes. You'll also find less people. There might be more chance for rain, but then again, rain is always a possibility in Galicia.