Camino De Santiago

I walked this with my adult daughter in 2018, but we started in Porto. After 3 days walking along the coast, we took a train to Valenca, and walked across the bridge to Tui. I was 63 then.

There is luggage transport services at almost every hotel, pension, or Albergue on all of the Camino routes.

The walk is very pretty. Make sure you get 2 stamps per day if you want your Compestela when you get to Santiago.

When are you walking? We were there in April. The weather was pleasant but we did have our fair share of rain. A good poncho like the Altus-style is a must.

There are lots of Camino FB groups. I found the most information about everything related to the Camino here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/

Lots of Americans join the American Pilgrim groups, which can get you your Pilgrim Pass and Shell ahead of time.
Feel free to message me if you have any questions. There are several people on this forum who have walked the various routes. I have also been on the Camino Frances twice and planning on a 3rd time in the spring.

At 8-10 miles per day that should be fairly relaxing pace. You should also arrive at the next town early enough in the day to be able to enjoy it. When my wife and I walked part of the French Camino (Sarria to Santiago) in 2019 the company we went through also arranged lodging. If yours doesn’t, ensure you reserve rooms if you intend to stay at a hotel rather than a pilgrim’s alberque.

When arriving in Santiago keep in mind only 1000 Compostela’s are given out daily, so try to arrive at the pilgrim’s office early in the morning to get your number. Much past 11:30 you may need to return the next morning like we did, so plan for an extra day in Santiago if possible. Once you get your number there’s a link you click on the see the approximate time you need to return to the office to get your Compostela. By getting a number, you can leave and walk around town for a while, while waiting. Ensure you get back to the pilgrim’s office 20 minutes or so before your number comes up. If you miss your time, you will need to get a new number, no exceptions. I think the pilgrim’s office opened at 8am. We were in line by 7:30 and got numbers 174 and 175,

Thanks so very much… all comments are helpful. ❤️

The cathedral in Tui is worth a visit. There was an audio guide available in 2016. I also spent some time wandering around the historic center.

Thanks for all the comments. So helpful. Peggy