Camino de Santiago

[fraefreuchie]

Hi
I am planning to cycle fully laden from Narbonne to Santiago de Compostella then on to Porto for a flight back to Carcassonne in April or May 2014.
Any advice would of course be very welcome.
In particular I would like to know about open camp sites on the route. Suggestions for a route from Toulouse to St Jean pied de Port. What are the roads like from Santiago to Porto. Is the Camino-Portugese cycleable on a touring bike? Thanks in advance for your helpful suggestions.

 

[vernon]

Hi
I am planning to cycle fully laden from Narbonne to Santiago de Compostella then on to Porto for a flight back to Carcassonne in April or May 2014.
Any advice would of course be very welcome.
In particular I would like to know about open camp sites on the route. Suggestions for a route from Toulouse to St Jean pied de Port. What are the roads like from Santiago to Porto. Is the Camino-Portugese cycleable on a touring bike? Thanks in advance for your helpful suggestions.

There's plenty of information to be had from Google. I researched it for a while and it appeared to be a goer until my domestic obergruppenfuhrer extended my leave of absence to a month and so I'm off to Budapest instead to pedal to the Black Sea.

A lot of the routes have been upgraded and I'd not worry about taking any bike never mind a touring bike. Camp sites can be few and far between and the hostels are cheap though the topic of bed bugs keep cropping up.

As for route planning look try using www.viamichelin.co.uk and select the bicycle option. It does quite a good job at selecting low traffic routes.

 

[fraefreuchie]

Thanks Vernon. Were you planning on staying in the pilgrim hostels? I don't really fancy sleeping in a room with eight other people - however social it might be. What time of year were you considering?

 

[MarkF]

How much, in general, are albergues on the camino? The thought of sharing room with people I don't know fills me with dread, I've had good rooms for as little as 12 euros in Asturias/Galicia, surely they can't be much cheaper?

 

[fraefreuchie]

They can Mark. They seem to vary between €3 and €7. They are staffed by volunteers who want to give something back to the Camino. What sort of rooms were you able to get for€12. Above a bar? In someone's house?

 

[MarkF]

They can Mark. They seem to vary between €3 and €7. They are staffed by volunteers who want to give something back to the Camino. What sort of rooms were you able to get for€12. Above a bar? In someone's house?

Wow! I didn't know that, still..................I'd rather camp or take rooms with a TV, desk, shower, NOT having a strangers sweaty socks or smelly bottom anywhere near me. Yes, mainly above bars, arrive late afternoon (time to move on elsewhere) and prices were very easily haggled and I've used warm showers too. I've stopped in 100eu rooms in Spain for 15eu.

I know some like to do the dorm thing to get their pilgrim passport stamped and have a whole start-to-finish record of their journey, part of the trip/enjoyment, not for me, but each to their own.

 

[vernon]

Thanks Vernon. Were you planning on staying in the pilgrim hostels? I don't really fancy sleeping in a room with eight other people - however social it might be. What time of year were you considering?

Hostels are fine. I shared an eight bunk room with my mate and six Aussie babes in Berlin this summer. They didn't bat an eyelid when we walked in. They left us a bottle of vodka as a parting gift.

I was looking at late July/early August.

 

[jay clock]

i did Porto to Santiago a few years back, all on road, on touring bikes. See here http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=1756&v=2j Also did some of the French bit by chance last year see here http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=11271&v=NG

Campsites in Spain are few and far between, and from what I saw generally grotty. If alone, then the pilgrim hostels are a good bet and cheap too

 

[fraefreuchie]

Thanks Vernon and jay clock for your, as ever, helpful comments. Julian I had read both of your crazyguyonabike blogs - very interesting. Has anyone any experience of the weather in that part of the world in April. I am trying to avoid too much heat but I don't want to freeze.

 

[HorTs]

How much, in general, are albergues on the camino?

I was sure that said aubergines. I was thinking 'what an odd question'.

 

[jay clock]

Thanks Vernon and jay clock for your, as ever, helpful comments. Julian I had read both of your crazyguyonabike blogs - very interesting. Has anyone any experience of the weather in that part of the world in April. I am trying to avoid too much heat but I don't want to freeze.

The Porto to Santiago coast should be fine. Coming from the France drectiond you could be unlucky at altitude and get cold, but I think you will be fine.

 

[vernon]

Campsites in Spain are few and far between, and from what I saw generally grotty. If alone, then the pilgrim hostels are a good bet and cheap too

The hostels are undeniably cheap but I came across many references to bed bugs which are passengers that I didn't want to bring back with me.

 

[fraefreuchie]

[The Porto to Santiago coast should be fine. Coming from the France drectiond you could be unlucky at altitude and get cold, but I think you will be fine./QUOTE] Thanks for that. That was my take on the situation,

The hostels are undeniably cheap but I came across many references to bed bugs which are passengers that I didn't want to bring back with me.

My feelings exactly Vernon. I am drawn to the evening comradeship of the hostels and in April it is potentially a long evening, but I am more drawn to the single room of a hostale or a room above a bar. I will still take my tent however.

 

[andym]

Don't forget that you need a credencial to stay at the pilgrims' hostels. You don't have to be religious. For information on getting one see this page:

http://www.csj.org.uk/how-to-get-a-credencial.htm

I have read about restrictions on cyclists (to stop cyclists bagging all the places) and pressure to get to the next stop early to be sure of getting a place. I suspect that these are bigger issues than bed bugs.

As far as the weather is concerned, I was in southern Spain in April 5 years ago when the north was hit by very bad weather and flooding etc. Anywhere on the atlantic coast is going to be vulnerable to storms coming in from the Atlantic, so there's always going to be an element of risk.

 

[jay clock]

I wangled a credential by saying I had lost mine when on the one night I stayed at an albergue. And in April the rejection of cyclists should not be an issue