Hiking the Santiago de Compostela

Unfortunately, the person that would be able to offer the best advice is currently taking a break from the forum (Ms. Jo from Frankfurt). I don't know if there's anyone you can contact to make hotel/sleeping reservations. I suppose you'll have to determine that once you know the route that you'll be following. Would you prefer hotels or more of a Hostel type accommodation with the other hikers?

' to start'- There are dedicated Camino de Santiago websites and forums, a simple google will find.

Find the book by John Brierly, it has much that you'll want to know.

I think we'd prefer to stay in simple hotels for the few nights we are on the trail. Thank you, Ann

Hi Ann,

If you are thinking of qualifying for the compostela – then it will take more than 3 days walking to get it. More like 5 days.

Sorry I don’t know of any companies that just do the last 100+ Kms. This company is worth considering for longer walks – La Pelerine

You also need to get your hands on the credencia to record your stops along the way as proof of your walk.

The following is an extract from Wikipedia: The compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. In practice, for walkers, the closest convenient point to start is Sarria, as it has good bus and rail connections to other places in Spain. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200 km to get there (as indicated on their credencial), and who state that their motivation was at least partially religious are eligible for the compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago. At the Pilgrim's Office the credencial is examined for stamps and dates, and the pilgrim is asked to state whether the motivation in traveling the Camino was "religious", "religious and other", or "other". In the case of "religious" or "religious and other" a compostela is available; in the case of "other" there is a simpler certificate in Spanish.

Here's Ms. Jo's report about her walking the Camino: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/walking-the-camino-to-santiago-de-compestela

And, while Ms Jo is taking a break from the forum, she may be willing to answer some questions sent by PM - at least you can give it a try.

Thank you Ken, Neil, Dave, Baz, Harold, & Nancy. Your information is very helpful. Ann

here is a link to a forum dedicated to the Camino.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/camino-frances.12/

Good luck! Linda

Hello alnielsen,
Last September I used the services of Gary Budin (www.spanishadventures.com) for a customized self-guided, Camino; I had read a few reviews of Garry's services on Trip Advisor and found him an excellent resource in handling the logistics of our trip (whatever you may need - airport transport, lodging, luggage handling, shuttles between cities, etc.). We selected two star hotels, gave Garry a budget and he took care of the rest. Send me a PM if you'd like additional info.
Chao,
Craig

Hi, I walked the Camino in the summer of 2010 starting in St Jean Pied du Port and arriving in Santiago 33 days later. Doing 3 days is a tough call for the simple reason how well and how far you plan to walk each day. The first few days can be difficult as your body gets used to walking long distances everyday, carrying your belongings, feet problems to name a few. As someone else mentioned Sarria is a standard starting point for people desiring to walk the last part of the Camino, it gives them a good idea of what the Camino is like and you will walk far enough to qualify for your Compostela. One important thing you need to keep in mind is to qualify for your Compostela when only walking 100 km is you will need two stamps per day, however they are easily attainable all alburgues, hotels, churches, some restaurant/bars have them. As far as places to stay there are a fair amount of hotels where you can stay, since the Camino has gotten quite popular over the past 5 years or so there are quite a few private alburgues available along the Camino. If you're not familiar with alburgues they are similar to hostels where Pilgrims mostly stay, there are basically three types, municipal, church run and private. The privates are very nice and sleep less people per room than the municipal and church maintained ones. They are slightly more expensive (I paid anywhere from 7 to 10 euro per night) than the others which might only cost a donation of a euro to maybe 5 euro, The private alburgues were also part of a network per se, that is they will call ahead and reserve you a bed depending on where you plan to end the day. This is beneficial for this part of the Camino because the alburgues to get filled to capacity because many people walk this part of the Camino to get their Compostela. Some people send their packs to their next destination via taxi, (something I never even considered) this is often a topic of debate because it is the belief that to have a true pilgrimage one must suffer a bit or one wants to have a true Camino experience, sending their bags via taxi is an easy way of doing it. If you have any specific questions feel free to contact me. If you're interested I'm posting a link to the blog I kept when I walked. Another good resource is the American Pilgrims on the Camino website, I'll add a link to that too. I also have a packing list I can pass along if you so desire, but keep in mind you basically only want to carry about 10% of you body weight, hopefully less, just about every alburgues especially between St Jean and Pamplona there were shelves piled high with free items people got rid of because of the weight.

http://bhcamino2010.blogspot.com/

http://www.americanpilgrims.org/

Buen Camino

You should buy the guide to the Camino by John Brierly. It has all the information you need to know including preparations, how to get there, albergues and hotels along the way. I have done 3 separate caminos for a total of 2000 km and have found that John Brierly has the best guide. You can find his books on Amazon. As information, you need to walk at least the last 100 km to get your certificate of having walked the Camino. This means about 5 days of walking. You will enjoy it.