We leave for Spain in less than 8 weeks and I feel like we are pretty much ready to go. It has been nearly a year since we made the commitment to undertake this adventure and we have done a great deal of planning and preparing. We have had help and advice along the way and I will use this forum to share some of what we have learned.
When we first began planning I thought I wanted to carry all our gear in a big backpack from place to place and to stay in albergues (hostels). Anthony and a friend convinced me that I might not really enjoy that. Sleeping in a dorm and especially sharing a bathroom with 30 people did not sound very appealing the more I thought about it. Enter Camino Ways (www.caminoways.com). A good friend used this company which is based in Dublin, Ireland and spoke very highly of it. Through them we were able to get reservations at small family inns, get our bags transported from town to town and rent our bikes. They have been very helpful and great at communication.
For the week before and after our Camino I acted as our own travel agent and made arrangements at Airbnb’s and hotels, made flight reservations and rented a car for the few days to get from Santiago to Fatima and Seville. There is an app called Rome2Rio that is super helpful for transportation information including train schedules and fares. I did a lot of research into the cities we will be visiting to find the best areas to stay. We don’t really like to be in the middle of touristy areas so I searched for Airbnbs that are located where there are good restaurants and lots of local culture.
Throughout the past year, barely a day goes by that I am not researching and reading about Spain and the Camino de Santiago. I joined multiple Camino related Facebook groups, including Camino Primitivo English Speakers, El Camino del Norte- the North Way to Santiago, Cycling- American Pilgrims on the Camino and Camino Amigos ABQ – Albuquerque Chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino. This is just a small sampling of the groups that are available on Facebook. My experience with most of them is that the people who are part of these groups are very happy to answer questions and give advice. American Pilgrims on the Camino has a website – americanpilgrims.org that is very helpful. They also have a YouTube channel that offers many helpful tips and question and answer sessions.
Our local chapter of American Pilgrims on the Camino – Camino Amigos ABQ, has been a tremendous help. They host social gatherings and organized training walks as well as Spanish language for the Camino classes. It is great to be able to get together and share information with pilgrims who have walked or cycled or are planning to walk or cycle. We have gotten advice on backpacks (Osprey is the favorite!), foot-care and clothing suggestions, and tips on what to bring (e.g., safety pins for hanging clothes and a small hair dryer to dry wet clothing) and what not to bring (e.g., laptop, metal water bottles, too many clothes).
Additionally, a couple of apps I have found helpful in planning are Buen Camino, Bikemap and Ride with GPS. Buen Camino has been especially helpful in knowing what the route is like. The Camino is very well marked and it is not easy to get lost but I like to know what to expect as far as terrain and elevation.
stingynomads.com/camino-de-santiago-training/ and followthecamino.com/en/blog/your-camino-training-plan/are a couple of websites that I used to loosely plan our training. It has been a little more challenging for us since we are cycling and walking the 500 miles. We have to manage our time and train for both, whereas most people do one or the other. Since February we have either walked or cycled almost every day. I also ride the Peloton bike 3-4 days/week and try to do some strength training a couple of times/week. On each walk, hike, or bike ride we carry our backpacks with water and the gear we will carry on the Camino and wear the clothing and shoes we will wear. It is a lot of training but it will be worth it once we are in Spain. However, recently, I have tried to listen to my body more and have taken a rest day at least once a week. Overtraining can lead to injuries so I am trying to be careful. The beauty of the Camino is that cycling or walking from town to town is the only thing on the agenda each day once you are there. Though some days will be longer/farther than others, stopping to rest often and enjoying the scenery, people and food will be a top priority.
I’m glad we started our planning and preparation a year ago. As the time gets closer I feel confident that we will be ready to undertake this challenge and really enjoy the fruits of our labor which we pray will be an uplifting spiritual and cultural pilgrimage.
This is very helpful! Might be good to share more permanently with chapter members. I could put it in a Google docs link. Maybe when you return, you may want to add to this and share more of your experiences — and what worked from the advice and what didn’t! I’m sorry I’m catching up with you so late!