There are a lot of things that you wonder about before you walk the Camino and I hope to answer a few of those things here - if I miss anything out or you want more information on anything then just ask in the comments and I will answer there or by updating this post!
Where do you sleep?
Most Pilgrims sleep in hostels - albergues that cost 5-15E depending on whether they are municipal, private or include breakfast.
In albergues you almost always sleep in bunk beds (sometimes your bed number will be assigned to you and sometimes you can choose your own bed) and there will be 4-50 people in a room (gone are the days of the old albergue in Roncenvalles with about 200 in a room).
The albergue in St Jean Pied du Port - it's fairly typical
Albergues are also where you can get sellos for your Credential (Pilgrim passport) but you can also get those in bars, hotels, shops, churches and many other places too!
Hotels are available on the Camino and the one time I stayed in one it cost about 40E for a double room.
Can you book albergues in advance?
You cannot book municipal albergues but most private albergues will let you book - just be certain how far you want to walk each day before you do this. When I have walked there has been no need to book in advance.
How many sellos (stamps) do I need a day?
The information on this seems to be a little bit confused but it seems to be that if you start walking from Sarria (which is just over the 100km away from Santiago needed to get the Compostella) then you should get two sellos a day. However the new credentials being made by Santiage de Compostella Cathedral in 2015 do state that two are needed so the rules do appear to have been changed.
Where can I get a Credential?
If you are a member of the Confraternity of Saint James in England they issue passport and the American Pilgrims on the Camino group issue them for a donation or you can try the Peterborough Pilgrims' Association. Or else your local confraternity will probably issue them.
http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req.html
You can also get a credential from many places on the camino of course - St Jean Pied du Port certainly has them and a fair few albergues along the way and a few Churches too.
The Pilgrim office has a list of places by country where a credential can be obtained
http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/preparation/associations-worldwide/
or check out this blog post on 'Camino Adventures' which lists non-english speaking groups that have credentails and places on the Camino that do:
http://www.caminoadventures.com/where-can-i-get-a-pilgrims-passport/
What do you eat on Camino?
If you're anything like me then a lot of cakes!
Meals tend to be Pilgrim menus which are three courses. Starter tends to be: soup, pasta or salad. Main course: pasta, meat or fish. Pudding is: yoghurt, fruit, flan, Santiago tart. These cost 9-12E.
We usually cooked for ourselves and usually had pasta with tuna and tomato sauce or cream cheese and sometimes added some veg like mushrooms or maybe some grated cheese on top. A few times we did some rice and had some tortilla and nearly always had a bag of salad. we had local cakes for pudding wherever we could or maybe a yoghurt or fruit.
During the day we'd go into a bar for a snack - in Spain these are more like cafes that serve alcohol rather than pubs or bars at home. Here we'd have hot chocolate, coffee or coke and share a slice of tortilla or cake all for 2-4E.
Dinner would usually be some bread and cheese or meat.
What about food shops?
Most villages seem to have something these days as more people open a small shop just for the use of Pilgrims - the selection isn't great but they always seem to have bread and pasta and will sometimes cut you small servings of meat or cheese. They are more expensive than supermarkets but not by much at all.
Just remember that most shops shut 2-5 or 7 for siesta time. Also bars won't serve meals until 7 or half 7 at night - you'll soon get used to the 'weird' opening times in Spain! Just always have a cake or something like that to cover you if you arrive during the times shops are shut (but even when they are bars are usually open).
Can I walk the Camino as a Coeliac/gluten-free?
I am not on a gluten-free diet but my Mum is so I do notice these things a bit - most of the bigger supermarkets (the supermecardos rather than the mecardos) had a gluten-free range and had pasta available (and I think bread as well). They also always had rice and a few of the smaller shops did as well. Food is marked 'sans gluten' for gluten free - I remember seeing this label a lot.
As for the pilgrim menus most had at least one dish with chips (I know that these are not always gluten-free but I think they usually are). Tortillas are fine for gluten free and a lot of places did do omelettes (I know, back to the days of only having potatoes or omelettes to choose from!).
Update: my Mum has now walked the last 130km with us and we had no problem with her eating out or cooking for her; more people in Spain seemed to know what we were talking about than do in Britain. We printed out and used the restuarant card from Celiac travel (http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/spanish/) and simply showed it to people - it is well worth doing as everyone understood it. I am trying to convince Mum to do a post on her experiences doing the Camino as a coeliac and when I do I will add the link to the post here.
The gluten-free range available in the supermarket in Santiago - most places don't have as much but most supermarkets seemed to have pasta, biscuits and rice or corn cakes.
How far do you usually walk a day?
We usually walk 20-25km a day which allows a nice steady pace for us with a stop at a bar for a snack. We did once walk 40km in a day which was not a lot of fun! Some people walk 10km a day, others 50km a day - it's your Camino, walk what you feel comfortable and happy with!
How far is it between albergues/bars?
On the Camino Frances you can usually find both of these at most every 10km apart from just outside Carrion de los Condes where there is 17km of absolutely nothing at all! The bar at the end of that section must do really well!
On the Camino portuguese there are fewer places to stay so the length of your days is more pre-determined by this but the days are still doable.
When should I walk?
The Camino is at its busiest during the summer as a lot of Spanish walk then also around St James' day can be busy as people want to arrive in Santiago for that day. I've always walked April-May or August-September and have never had a problem getting a bed. There have been times when it has been too cold or too hot so think about your endurance for heat when you decide when to walk
How much should I carry?
I've often read the 'no more than 10% of your body weight' rule. Think about this - I weigh less than 45kg so I should carry 4.5kg?! I have tried to pack a bag this light and it's impossible! Equally some larger people would struggle to carry that much weight so pack as light as you can. I carry 7-8kg (with food and water) and manage fine. See what you can comfortably manage and then cut the weight down again as much as you can - I have a packing 'list' with photos on this blog that you can check out and plenty of other people have their own lists that you can look at.
Also don't be tempted to buy a big bag - you'll only fill it!
Is it possible to have my bag transported?
Yes, it is - there are several companies that do this, just search the internet and you'll find some (we used Jakobstransport for Mum in May 2015 and they were reliable but there are many other companies - even the Correros is providing a service now which we have also used for Mum and found to be good). Cost seemed to be 3-5 euros.
What type of water bottle should I use?
My first Camino I just used drinks bottles and this was annoying as I had to stop every time that I wanted a drink, take my bag off, have a drink and then put my bag on. This situation is easier if you are walking with someone else but now I use a water bladder - a lot easier to use.
How much does it cost per day?
5-15E for the albergue, 8-12E for a Pilgrim menu (maybe 5E a day if you cook instead), 1-2E for a midday snack so 29E a day maximum but I budget for 20E a day and know that some days I will spend more and some days I will spend less and this seems to work fine. Take extra money for souvenirs once you reach Santiago though.
On the subject of money I tend to carry about 200E at a time and top this up when I get down to about 50E. There are a fair few cash points on the Camino - every city has one and most towns do but villages do not and albergues are not set up to take cards.
Do I need to be able to speak Spanish?
I am by no means a fluent Spanish speaker - I can order drinks and food and ask for directions and can say 'please' and 'thank you'. People in Spain appreciate you having a go so learn this basic amount and be willing to try and you will be fine.
Is it a hard hike?
No really no but nor is it really easy, train a bit if you are un-used to walking and be prepared to take things slowly - one of the best pieces of advice I received was after the long day from St Jean to Roncenvalles have a short second day. The first time I ignored this advice and regretted it - the second time I paid attention and was much better off! Just listen to what your body tells you about when you need to rest.
What guide book did you use?
I use the John Brierly guidebooks and these suit me - good map and profiles, information on what is in albergues (kitchens etc) and have used the English Confraternity of Saint James guidebooks as well - these have no maps but good directions and information on albergues (and some can be downloaded onto your Ereader for a donation). Cicerone also have a range and more and more are being published on the Camino Frances
Is the path well waymarked?
On the whole, yes, there are a very few spots where it can be difficult to find arrows but these are rare. The yellow arrows are painted by volunteers who do a brilliant job and in Galicia there are markers every 500m - the distance displayed on them in no longer accurate as the route has changed since they were put in place but they are very comforting to see.
How do you wash your clothes?
Usually I hand wash my clothes in the sinks and leave things out to dry but some albergues do have washing machines a almost all of those have tumble driers - washing and drying will cost you 4-8E in my experience (hence why I usually hand washed my clothes).
How much internet access is there?
In my experience internet access is not available everywhere by any means - more and more albergues do have wifi now compared to when I walked in 2009 and some do have computers. Finding access on the Camino Portuguese was more difficult than on the FRances
What about charging my 'phone/camera/E-reader?
All albergues have plugs it's just than some have very few so get to these early and only have your electronics plugged in for as long as they need. And remember to bring an adapter!
Do I have to walk the entire distance in one go?
Definently not - as long as you walk the last 100km in one go you can break up your Camino in any way that you want to.
What if I get injured?
I got an infected blister on my first Camino and stopped walking for a week whilst it healed. I then had a fellow Pilgrim who spoke Spanish offer to go to the Doctor with me to check that I was okay to continue. All pharmacists are used to dealing with blisters and must be world experts on this subject.
And what about bathroom breaks?
Use the bar toilets when you stop for your break. I am certain that I'm not the only person who's nipped behind a bush quickly but if you do this then carry a bag with you for toilet paper, the worst part of the Camino in my memory was a section strewn with used toilet paper - not a nice sight!
If there's anything else you think should be on here then let me know.
Where do you sleep?
Most Pilgrims sleep in hostels - albergues that cost 5-15E depending on whether they are municipal, private or include breakfast.
In albergues you almost always sleep in bunk beds (sometimes your bed number will be assigned to you and sometimes you can choose your own bed) and there will be 4-50 people in a room (gone are the days of the old albergue in Roncenvalles with about 200 in a room).
The albergue in St Jean Pied du Port - it's fairly typical
Albergues are also where you can get sellos for your Credential (Pilgrim passport) but you can also get those in bars, hotels, shops, churches and many other places too!
Hotels are available on the Camino and the one time I stayed in one it cost about 40E for a double room.
Can you book albergues in advance?
You cannot book municipal albergues but most private albergues will let you book - just be certain how far you want to walk each day before you do this. When I have walked there has been no need to book in advance.
How many sellos (stamps) do I need a day?
The information on this seems to be a little bit confused but it seems to be that if you start walking from Sarria (which is just over the 100km away from Santiago needed to get the Compostella) then you should get two sellos a day. However the new credentials being made by Santiage de Compostella Cathedral in 2015 do state that two are needed so the rules do appear to have been changed.
Where can I get a Credential?
If you are a member of the Confraternity of Saint James in England they issue passport and the American Pilgrims on the Camino group issue them for a donation or you can try the Peterborough Pilgrims' Association. Or else your local confraternity will probably issue them.
http://www.americanpilgrims.com/camino/credential_req.html
You can also get a credential from many places on the camino of course - St Jean Pied du Port certainly has them and a fair few albergues along the way and a few Churches too.
The Pilgrim office has a list of places by country where a credential can be obtained
http://peregrinossantiago.es/eng/preparation/associations-worldwide/
or check out this blog post on 'Camino Adventures' which lists non-english speaking groups that have credentails and places on the Camino that do:
http://www.caminoadventures.com/where-can-i-get-a-pilgrims-passport/
What do you eat on Camino?
If you're anything like me then a lot of cakes!
Meals tend to be Pilgrim menus which are three courses. Starter tends to be: soup, pasta or salad. Main course: pasta, meat or fish. Pudding is: yoghurt, fruit, flan, Santiago tart. These cost 9-12E.
We usually cooked for ourselves and usually had pasta with tuna and tomato sauce or cream cheese and sometimes added some veg like mushrooms or maybe some grated cheese on top. A few times we did some rice and had some tortilla and nearly always had a bag of salad. we had local cakes for pudding wherever we could or maybe a yoghurt or fruit.
During the day we'd go into a bar for a snack - in Spain these are more like cafes that serve alcohol rather than pubs or bars at home. Here we'd have hot chocolate, coffee or coke and share a slice of tortilla or cake all for 2-4E.
Dinner would usually be some bread and cheese or meat.
What about food shops?
Most villages seem to have something these days as more people open a small shop just for the use of Pilgrims - the selection isn't great but they always seem to have bread and pasta and will sometimes cut you small servings of meat or cheese. They are more expensive than supermarkets but not by much at all.
Just remember that most shops shut 2-5 or 7 for siesta time. Also bars won't serve meals until 7 or half 7 at night - you'll soon get used to the 'weird' opening times in Spain! Just always have a cake or something like that to cover you if you arrive during the times shops are shut (but even when they are bars are usually open).
Can I walk the Camino as a Coeliac/gluten-free?
I am not on a gluten-free diet but my Mum is so I do notice these things a bit - most of the bigger supermarkets (the supermecardos rather than the mecardos) had a gluten-free range and had pasta available (and I think bread as well). They also always had rice and a few of the smaller shops did as well. Food is marked 'sans gluten' for gluten free - I remember seeing this label a lot.
As for the pilgrim menus most had at least one dish with chips (I know that these are not always gluten-free but I think they usually are). Tortillas are fine for gluten free and a lot of places did do omelettes (I know, back to the days of only having potatoes or omelettes to choose from!).
Update: my Mum has now walked the last 130km with us and we had no problem with her eating out or cooking for her; more people in Spain seemed to know what we were talking about than do in Britain. We printed out and used the restuarant card from Celiac travel (http://www.celiactravel.com/cards/spanish/) and simply showed it to people - it is well worth doing as everyone understood it. I am trying to convince Mum to do a post on her experiences doing the Camino as a coeliac and when I do I will add the link to the post here.
How far do you usually walk a day?
We usually walk 20-25km a day which allows a nice steady pace for us with a stop at a bar for a snack. We did once walk 40km in a day which was not a lot of fun! Some people walk 10km a day, others 50km a day - it's your Camino, walk what you feel comfortable and happy with!
How far is it between albergues/bars?
On the Camino Frances you can usually find both of these at most every 10km apart from just outside Carrion de los Condes where there is 17km of absolutely nothing at all! The bar at the end of that section must do really well!
On the Camino portuguese there are fewer places to stay so the length of your days is more pre-determined by this but the days are still doable.
When should I walk?
The Camino is at its busiest during the summer as a lot of Spanish walk then also around St James' day can be busy as people want to arrive in Santiago for that day. I've always walked April-May or August-September and have never had a problem getting a bed. There have been times when it has been too cold or too hot so think about your endurance for heat when you decide when to walk
How much should I carry?
I've often read the 'no more than 10% of your body weight' rule. Think about this - I weigh less than 45kg so I should carry 4.5kg?! I have tried to pack a bag this light and it's impossible! Equally some larger people would struggle to carry that much weight so pack as light as you can. I carry 7-8kg (with food and water) and manage fine. See what you can comfortably manage and then cut the weight down again as much as you can - I have a packing 'list' with photos on this blog that you can check out and plenty of other people have their own lists that you can look at.
Also don't be tempted to buy a big bag - you'll only fill it!
Is it possible to have my bag transported?
Yes, it is - there are several companies that do this, just search the internet and you'll find some (we used Jakobstransport for Mum in May 2015 and they were reliable but there are many other companies - even the Correros is providing a service now which we have also used for Mum and found to be good). Cost seemed to be 3-5 euros.
What type of water bottle should I use?
My first Camino I just used drinks bottles and this was annoying as I had to stop every time that I wanted a drink, take my bag off, have a drink and then put my bag on. This situation is easier if you are walking with someone else but now I use a water bladder - a lot easier to use.
How much does it cost per day?
5-15E for the albergue, 8-12E for a Pilgrim menu (maybe 5E a day if you cook instead), 1-2E for a midday snack so 29E a day maximum but I budget for 20E a day and know that some days I will spend more and some days I will spend less and this seems to work fine. Take extra money for souvenirs once you reach Santiago though.
On the subject of money I tend to carry about 200E at a time and top this up when I get down to about 50E. There are a fair few cash points on the Camino - every city has one and most towns do but villages do not and albergues are not set up to take cards.
Do I need to be able to speak Spanish?
I am by no means a fluent Spanish speaker - I can order drinks and food and ask for directions and can say 'please' and 'thank you'. People in Spain appreciate you having a go so learn this basic amount and be willing to try and you will be fine.
Is it a hard hike?
No really no but nor is it really easy, train a bit if you are un-used to walking and be prepared to take things slowly - one of the best pieces of advice I received was after the long day from St Jean to Roncenvalles have a short second day. The first time I ignored this advice and regretted it - the second time I paid attention and was much better off! Just listen to what your body tells you about when you need to rest.
What guide book did you use?
I use the John Brierly guidebooks and these suit me - good map and profiles, information on what is in albergues (kitchens etc) and have used the English Confraternity of Saint James guidebooks as well - these have no maps but good directions and information on albergues (and some can be downloaded onto your Ereader for a donation). Cicerone also have a range and more and more are being published on the Camino Frances
Is the path well waymarked?
On the whole, yes, there are a very few spots where it can be difficult to find arrows but these are rare. The yellow arrows are painted by volunteers who do a brilliant job and in Galicia there are markers every 500m - the distance displayed on them in no longer accurate as the route has changed since they were put in place but they are very comforting to see.
How do you wash your clothes?
Usually I hand wash my clothes in the sinks and leave things out to dry but some albergues do have washing machines a almost all of those have tumble driers - washing and drying will cost you 4-8E in my experience (hence why I usually hand washed my clothes).
How much internet access is there?
In my experience internet access is not available everywhere by any means - more and more albergues do have wifi now compared to when I walked in 2009 and some do have computers. Finding access on the Camino Portuguese was more difficult than on the FRances
What about charging my 'phone/camera/E-reader?
All albergues have plugs it's just than some have very few so get to these early and only have your electronics plugged in for as long as they need. And remember to bring an adapter!
Do I have to walk the entire distance in one go?
Definently not - as long as you walk the last 100km in one go you can break up your Camino in any way that you want to.
What if I get injured?
I got an infected blister on my first Camino and stopped walking for a week whilst it healed. I then had a fellow Pilgrim who spoke Spanish offer to go to the Doctor with me to check that I was okay to continue. All pharmacists are used to dealing with blisters and must be world experts on this subject.
And what about bathroom breaks?
Use the bar toilets when you stop for your break. I am certain that I'm not the only person who's nipped behind a bush quickly but if you do this then carry a bag with you for toilet paper, the worst part of the Camino in my memory was a section strewn with used toilet paper - not a nice sight!
If there's anything else you think should be on here then let me know.
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