We plan to start the Camino the first week of June. Is there anyone planning to start around the same time? Anyone that has hiked it before would it be better to fly into Madrid or Paris? Also, would you recommend taking train or bus to the start? Does anyone have a recommendation for the gear we sholud take? Any info would be very helpful.
_Honeymoon hikers_El Camino - Appalachian Trail
system
#1
system
#2
We are starting April 10th, 2013. There are differet ways you can get to St. Jean Pied de Port; however, none of them easy. We are taking the suggested route to Madrid, then a high speed train to Pamplona (3.5 hours) and then a bus to St. Jean (one hour).
As for gear, less is better. We are starting when it will be cold and rainy so our emphasis will be be on rain gear and keeping warm in the frequent rain and windy weather. A lot of folks use ponchos, but they don’t fair well in the wind.
A light weight sleeping bag to augment the blankets provided by the hostels. A bed bug undersheet treated with permethrin or a single fitted sheet(36" x 75") and pillow case treated with the same.
A microfiber towell, electrical adapter, cork screw (so says Swamp Fox, ear plugs, clothes line with safety pins to hang up clothes to dry. Your own soap and TP as people report that hostels frequently run out when large number of hikers stay in the same place.
Someone else suggested a light weight robe. Shower areas lack privacy and are always wet. Putting the robe on over your clothes, then walking to the shower area and taking clothes off under your robe and putting them back on under your robe after showering. Seemed logical to me.
_Ned_
system
#3
We like Ned travel plans. Flights to Europe generally arrive in the morning, so with the two transfers you should get to St. Jean early in the afternoon. That would give you time to explore St. Jean which is a beautiful town. You would get a chance to stop in the Camino office on the main street and meet Jeanine, a Camino legend. In 2008 we flew into Bordeaux from Ireland, then caught a train to Bayonne and a second train to St. Jean. We suggest to both of you to be careful of your gear in Madrid. It is a theif's haven, as is Barcelona.
Our next Camino will be in the fall, but in 2008 we started March 8th. We had snow, cold, and rain early. However, by early April the cold and snow were not an issue. Rain however, is another story. We had rain some or all of 26 days out of the 53 days of our Camino (we took our time). We had rain everyone of the last 8 days into Santiago. Bob Peoples did the Camino in June and he tells of the heat and crowded albergues.
We like Ned’s gear ideas. Rocky particularly liked the lightweight robe suggestion. We will both wear trail runners next Camino. Swamp Fox wore boots, but that was a mistake. They were fine in the early days in the snow, but unnecessary as things warmed up. We both took crocs for town and albergue wear.
You might also want to take a Spanish/English dictionary. It won’t help with conversation so much, but with interpreting signs, menus, albergue information, etc.
We will follow both of your TJ’s. You will find this to be a wonderful experience and you will probably want to do it again as we plan to do. Please allow plenty of time. You will come on places, sights, and albergues that you simply want to take additional time at. Several days we walked only a few miles and came to towns or albergues we simply had to stop at. We had several 3 mile days and one long day of 17.5 miles.
Buen Camino
_rocky & swamp fox_
system
#4
I will be arriving in Pamplona on May 12, 2014 and will either be taking a bus or a taxi to SJPP. I would like to take a taxi if anyone is wanting to share??
jan
_jan_