Walking the Camino

plenty walk it in summer or autumn - much better than the heat of the summer, while in winter people die

I walked it beginning of Sept to beginning of Oct - perfect not a day of rain - enjoy your planning

I began my walk around 19 Sept. in Pamplona and ended 22 Oct. in Santiago. (I did take a couple of buses, and a train due to some medical issues, which cut my time getting there)
Great weather, only had rain on 3 days. At the beginning there were a few hot days, but nothing drastic. Most days were really pleasant. Sometimes wore a jacket in the morning for an hour and you often need a jacket in the evenings.
Autumn is actually a quite popular time to walk. Are you on any of the Camino forums yet? Message me if you want more information.

I walked the last 111km in mid- to late September. It was dry and warm to hot. It's a very pleasant time to make your pilgrimage.

I walked it in September of 2013 and am going back in May this year. The weather in 2013 was perfect - on the warm side, dry, cool but not cold nights.

There isn't as much traffic on the Camino in those months, but everything is still open. I think it's perfect.

I highly recommend this book to answer your questions and help your planning: https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Santiago-How-Novice-Pilgrim/dp/1542551854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486835723&sr=8-1&keywords=ryan+tandler

Did the Camino Sept.-Oct. 2015. I enjoyed it tremendously.

The weather was wonderful. I experienced heavy rain, sunny days, cold mornings, you name it. Just be prepared for all conditions.

I did the Frances route. Did the Napolean route out of Saint Jean. It was foggy. But it was lovely with sheep and their herders.

Orrisson is a must stop. It sets the stage for the rest of your Camino. Make reservations sooner than later.

I have learned over the years to hike your own hike. There will be people who are faster and those that are slower. That should have no bearing on your 'way' as long as you are enjoying it.

Buen Camino! Best of luck and health. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

TJ

TJ, were we walking the Camino at the same time? I started in Pamplona on 22 Sept. and ended in Santiago on 22 Oct. Had some gaps in between, but not until the end of my 2nd week.

Ms. Jo,

I flew into Biarritz September 9. Started walking September 11. Flew home October 12.

It took me 29 days to reach Santiago. It is one of my regrets. I felt physically good to walk at a faster than average pace. I lost my original "Camino Family" that I met in Orrisson. Oh sure, we still communicated via email and text. It just would have been a deeper experience to start and finish with the same people. On the positive side, I met many more pilgrims along the way. This made for many more fun topics to discussions.

Ms. Jo, I find that when ever I hear someone mention the Camino, it strikes up a conversation immediately. It must be the familiar affinity between pilgrims.

I am also excited for my next one! I can not wait!

TJ

Apologies if this is not directly related to the question of when it's best to walk the Camino (although when we were driving it in July 2016 it was beastly hot!), my question to all is:

Does anyone know the "symbolism" of leaving at potato on the "marker" found at Praza do Obradorio upon arrival to Santiago de Compostela? Someone told me while standing there but I forgot.

Never heard of it. No mention of this tradition on the Camino forums and even Google has never heard of it.