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For many individuals strolling the Camino de Santiago is a lifetime expertise. On the subject of planning an essential journey that you’ve got been dreaming about for years it may be tense. You would possibly really feel overwhelmed with out figuring out the place to start out. And it’s completely regular. You aren’t alone in that. 1000’s of individuals stroll the Camino yearly and you may be certainly one of them. If they’ll do it you are able to do it too by yourself or with some assist.
I’ve deliberate many Camino journeys (not just for myself however for different individuals). On this publish I give the primary steps for planning the Camino de Santiago so you are able to do it your self.
Step 1. Resolve how a lot time you’ve gotten and whenever you wish to go
Some individuals have solely two weeks of vacation a 12 months, some might need limitless time frames. Resolve how a lot time you’ve gotten for the Camino and when you’ve gotten it.
I like to recommend having at the very least 1 week to stroll the Camino to have sufficient time to expertise it. You’ll in all probability want at the very least 1 day to get to the Camino and 1 day to get again house. So when you’ve got 1 week it leaves you with 5 days to stroll.
Don’t fear for those who don’t have sufficient time to finish your complete route. You are able to do it in elements or begin someplace nearer to Santiago.
Step 2. Resolve how far you wish to stroll every single day
Define your fascinating every day distance. Base the choice in your stage of health, don’t chase different individuals’s itinerary. If you’re snug strolling 10 miles/16 km a day then it’s your distance. Don’t fear if it’s shorter than the usual itinerary. You need to be snug with the stroll.
As soon as you know the way a lot time you’ve gotten and the way far you wish to stroll, multiply the 2 numbers to get the overall distance of your stroll. E.g. you’ve gotten 10 days to stroll and wish to stroll 10 miles/16 km per day. We get a complete of 100 mi/160 km.
Step 3. Select the Camino route
Now when you’ve gotten your whole distance you possibly can resolve on the route. Selecting the best Camino is essential. There are 7 essential routes in Spain and Portugal. Their sceneries, distances, and amenities range significantly. For first-time pilgrims who’ve by no means accomplished a long-distance stroll I counsel selecting the Camino Frances or the Portuguese Camino from Porto. These are the 2 hottest routes which have good infrastructure for pilgrims. They’re simpler to plan and break down into shorter strolling phases.
Keep in mind, you don’t have to start the stroll from the official start line. You can begin just about wherever alongside the route. Let’s say you select the Portuguese Camino and wish to stroll 100 mi/160 km so you can begin from Ponte de Lima which is round 100 mi/160 km from Santiago de Compostela.
Step 4. Begin coaching for the Camino
Strolling the Camino de Santiago requires preparation. You can begin making ready for the Camino as early as a 12 months prematurely however normally, 4-6 months is sufficient. It’s potential to do the Camino as a last-minute stroll however on this case, you ought to be able to face some difficulties if you’re not used to lengthy strolling days.
We now have a detailed publish with simple coaching steps that you would be able to comply with to arrange on your stroll.
When you’re an out of doors particular person, and used to mountain climbing and strolling lengthy distances you don’t want any particular coaching.
If you wish to have extra insights of your coaching course of I like to recommend shopping for a health watch. We use our Garmin Fenix watches for coaching, mountain climbing, and strolling. They provide a whole lot of info akin to distances, whole elevation achieve/loss, energy used, coronary heart price, route maps, restoration time, and so forth.
Step 5. Get the best sneakers
Having the best sneakers for strolling is essential. You shouldn’t stroll in a brand new pair of sneakers. Even the most effective sneakers will doubtless give blisters if they’re new and also you stroll over 10 mi a day in them. If you have already got a pair – nice, you can begin coaching in them.
When you want an recommendation on the best sneakers for the Camino please, verify our publish on the greatest strolling sneakers.
Blisters are a standard drawback on the Camino. I like to recommend sporting Merino wool socks to reduce your probabilities of getting blisters.
Step 6. Resolve on the bags
Resolve if you wish to stroll with an enormous backpack and carry all of your stuff or quite use a baggage switch service. Strolling with an enormous pack is much more troublesome than with a small day pack. It’s okay to make use of a baggage switch service on the Camino, it doesn’t make you much less of a pilgrim. There are a number of corporations that provide the service on totally different Camino routes.
You probably have some further baggage that you simply gained’t want on the Camino you possibly can ship it straight to Santiago de Compostela. It is going to be saved on the publish workplace close to the Cathedral until your arrival. Test the Correos web site for extra info.
When you resolve to stroll with an enormous pack then ensure that to decide on an excellent one that’s snug to stroll with for hours every single day.
Step 7. E book your journey
Now you recognize whenever you wish to go and what path to stroll. Learn the way to get to the place to begin (the place from the place you wish to begin) of your chosen Camino route. What’s the nearest airport? Test what airways fly there out of your hometown?
Relying on the place you’re coming out of your worldwide flight is perhaps your largest expense. When you come from abroad e.g. the US, Australia, Canada, or South Africa I counsel beginning searching for tickets a number of months earlier than the journey. Use Skyscanner to search for flights and discover which airways serve the route.
When you’re going to fly with one of many European funds airways verify their baggage allowance. Often, they’re totally different for worldwide and native flights. Low-cost native flights embody solely hand baggage when you’ve got check-in baggage it’s a must to pay further.
Step 8. Define your itinerary
Plan your strolling phases in keeping with your desired distance. You may use our PDFs and plan it your self or use our Camino planning service if you’d like a custom-made itinerary. If you’re planning to stroll the usual phases (as prompt within the PDFs or guidebooks) then it is extremely simple – simply obtain the prevailing itinerary and comply with it.
If you wish to keep in non-public rooms it’s a good suggestion to pre e-book them, perhaps not for your complete route without delay however a while forward. After you have your itinerary begin reserving lodging.
Step 9. Obtain every little thing you want in your cellphone
Obtain helpful recordsdata and apps that you’ll want for the stroll
- PDFs with strolling phases and locations to remain
- GPX recordsdata of the route (if wanted)
- Camino app (if wanted)
- Forex change app (for those who come from exterior the Euro zone)
- Bolt/Uber apps (cheaper than taxis and handy to make use of in case you want a experience)
- Language app (might be helpful for those who don’t converse any Spanish)
- Obtain offline Google.map of the nation/area that your route goes via
Step 10. Pack for the journey
And eventually the final step. Pack your backpack/suitcase. Make a packing check-list and tick the gadgets off as you pack them. When you’re going to make use of the bags switch service than there may be nothing to fret about you possibly can pack the identical approach you normally pack for a vacation. The restrict is 20 km per baggage merchandise. When you’re planning to hold your backpack then attempt to pack as mild as potential.
Camino de Santiago planning assets
There are various on-line assets and apps that you should use for planning your Camino de Santiago stroll. Most of them are free which makes it simple to rearrange the stroll.
Native Camino Associations
Discover your native Camino affiliation. Many international locations have Camino associations that may help you when you’ve got any questions, searching for an organization, wish to get a Credential, and so forth. Many associations have particular occasions and conferences devoted to the Camino the place you possibly can talk about totally different subjects, meet individuals, inform tales, and so forth. It is perhaps useful to attach with different pilgrims out of your nation.
Don’t overlook
To purchase journey insurance coverage. Learn extra about journey insurance coverage for the Camino or get an instantaneous customized quote in a minute or two proper right here. World Nomads affords easy and versatile journey insurance coverage. Purchase at house or whereas touring and declare on-line from wherever on the earth.
To get an adaptor. When you come from the US, Australia, Canada, the UK, Eire, and another international locations you would possibly want an influence adapter. In Spain and Portugal, they’ve Kind F plugs like in most European international locations.
To get a Credential (pilgrim’s passport). It’s a small e-book with locations for stamps. You accumulate stamps from albergues, lodges, cafes, eating places, and church buildings alongside the Camino route. As soon as in Santiago de Compostela you possibly can go to the Pilgrim’s Reception Workplace, present your Credential with stamps and get the Compostela certificates for finishing the Camino. You may get the Credential at your native Camino affiliation, albergues, info workplaces, church buildings, and so forth.
The gorgeous half of Stingy Nomads, chargeable for all our land adventures (mountain climbing, climbing, strolling the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves strolling since she was a toddler, she prefers to stroll 1000 km with a backpack quite than to do a ten 000 km street journey (really any street journey). Alya is an enormous fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Each time we go away she desperately misses our canine Chile.
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