Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT SHAPE DO I NEED TO BE IN TO DO THE CAMINO?
Many people of all degrees of conditioning walk the Camino every year. Preparing for the long walk is always an important part of enjoying the journey. People who may have a challenging time with the distances are those with chronic back pain and those with knee or ankle issues.
The stress comes from the long duration of the walks… typically 6 to 7 hours per day. Don’t let that scare you because there are plenty of rest stops along the way. The first 2 days are the hardest as your body acclimates to the new rhythm, but after that it gets better.
There are things you can do to alleviate the walk such as use walking sticks which help bear the weight, take a good backpack which straps tightly to your back or send it ahead of you, and bring along only the essentials to diminish weight in your pack.
You can start a training regimen 3 months or more before the pilgrimage to get in adequate shape. Here is a training regimen guide to help you prepare for the pilgrimage:
WHAT'S THE WEATHER LIKE IN GALICIA?
The weather in Galicia during the year varies. Winter has temperatures from 35º low - 45ª high; Spring brings with it temps of 50º low - 60º high; Summer's temps reach 65º low - 85º high, and Fall boasts temps of 50º low - 68º high. It can and usually does rain, but depending on the time of year, we will encounter light intermittent sprinkles to longer showers. The latter usually arrives in early Spring and late Fall. Usually, we have wonderful weather with cool and crisp mornings that range from the mid 50s F to the low 60s F. The days can warm up from high 60s to high 80s, and the evenings, especially in Winter, Spring and Fall, are spectacular bidding us to layer our clothing to feel comfortable. If it happens to rain, we just put on our rain ponchos covering us and the backpacks to stay dry and keep walking!
WHAT IS THE TERRAIN LIKE?
This portion of the Camino, starting from Sarria, is a lovely countryside filled with rolling hills and forests. It's not too steep, and when there are hills they are not very long. Most of this section meanders through beautiful fields, small picturesque Galician hamlets, and along the ancient pathway used by previous pilgrims from centuries before. The trail is mostly natural, but sometimes we will walk on a country road, and a few times we will walk along the highway shoulder for short distances. While this is not a difficult level hike, there are hills which feel steep due to the distances we walk and the weight we’re carrying. But as with anything else, if you just put one foot in front of the other in no time you’re at the top!
WHERE DO WE EAT ALONG THE CAMINO?
Eating along the Camino is glorious because Galicia has some very good gastronomy. There are cafés and restaurants along the Camino. You can pop in for a quick coffee and pastry, sit and order a Menú del Día meal to hit the spot, or you can pick up some fruit, bread, cold-cuts, and drinks at a local market and eat along the way. Not to worry, there is plenty of food on the Camino. If you have any food preferences, restrictions or allergies, it won’t be a problem for you to eat well on the pilgrimage.
HOW DO WE WASH OUR CLOTHES ALONG THE WAY?
Most of the lodgings have washers for use for a small fee. Additionally most towns we'll stay in have at least 1 or more laundromats. We usually clip any items that didn't dry to the backpack and let the air dry them as we walk the following day.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I JUST CAN'T MAKE IT WALKING ANY FURTHER ONE DAY?
If that should happen we will do everything we can to help you take the necessary steps to get you to your destination. There are also taxi services we can take advantage of. However, we want to encourage you not to throw in the towel too easily, but to see what the Camino is telling you or surfacing even amidst the struggle and tiredness. Obviously, if you have a physical issue which prevents you from walking, then you will need to heed that first and foremost.
WHAT TECHNOLOGY SHOULD I BRING WITH ME?
This is a Spiritual Formation experience, so we strongly encourage you to posture yourself to disconnect and enjoy silence and solitude as much as possible. Also, technology equals more weight, which on this trip is your nemesis. Having said that, mobile phones these days have all the necessary technology available on them… camera, email, journal, health, music, and message apps, etc. We would highly recommend that you only bring your mobile phone, a power bank and an activity tracker / watch if that’s what you regularly wear. These should be more than sufficient for the trip.
HOW MUCH LUGGAGE SHOULD I BRING?
If you are only doing the Camino pilgrimage, and not arriving early or staying later, the idea would be to come just with what you need in your backpack for your time on the route. But If you plan to extend your trip in Spain, you can bring additional luggage. In that case, there are places which offer luggage storage service. You can email us for suggestions about where to store your luggage in Santiago. You would need to store the luggage 6 days. Our recommendation, however, is to make every effort to come with just your backpack, so you can be as mobile as possible.
SHOULD I BRING DOLLARS TO EXCHANGE AND WHAT'S THE EXCHANGE RATE?
DO NOT bring dollars to Spain!! Dollars are difficult to exchange and you always lose in the transaction because in addition to the lower exchange rate you receive, you will also be charged a commission. The best method by far is to bring both a debit card and a credit card for purchases. With the debit card you can withdraw spending money as needed and the majority of establishments take cards. Contactless digital purchases are very commonplace as well, so Apple Pay and Google Pay work well. You will need some cash for snacks or backpack transportation. Don’t forget to put a travel notice in with your card company so you won’t be blocked at the time of use.
The current exchange rate as of Sep 2024 is 1 Euro = 1.105 USD OR 1 USD = 0.91 Euro. This can fluctuate between $1.08 - $1.18 per Euro. If you want to keep track of it as the trip dates draw near you can use one of many currency converter apps either from the Apple App Store for iPhone or from Google’s Play Store for Android.
DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF LIST OF THINGS TO PACK FOR THE CAMINO?
Yes, we do! If you click on the button “Items to Pack”, you’ll be taken to a downloadable PDF document which has more information regarding items to bring along for the trip.
WHERE DO WE NEED TO FLY INTO AND HOW TO WE GET TO OUR STARTING POINT?
You will need to fly into Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) from your point of origin. Fares will vary depending on the airline and your point of origin. IMPORTANT: Flights originating in the USA bound for Europe are overnight flights which depart on one day and arrive the following day. You will need to schedule your flight to arrive into Santiago as early as possible on the start date of the pilgrimage in order to catch the appropriate bus which takes us to Sarria, Spain, the starting point of the pilgrimage.
WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY?
The pilgrimage itself takes 5 days to accomplish. We will finish the journey in the beautiful city of Santiago de Compostela. There’s a lot to explore. Here we will also go to the Pilgrim’s Office the day we arrive so that you can pick up your Compostela (certificate) confirming you’ve walked at least the last 100km of the French Route of the Camino. You can also do some shopping in Santiago. If possible, we always try to attend the Pilgrim's Mass at the Cathedral in the evening. It’s open for whoever would like to attend. After the Pilgrim’s Mass we’ll enjoy our last dinner together and will have our final group debrief.
The trip officially ends with breakfast on departure day for those who don’t have a terribly early departure flight. Your guide will depart at this time and will only be available by phone / text from that point. If you've decided to stay longer, then you'll enjoy the city and wherever else you may plan to travel. We can offer some suggestions for the area around Santiago if you wish.
Everyone will be responsible to get their own transportation to the airport on their day of departure. There is a bus in town which goes to the airport and takes about 30 - 40 minutes and costs €1 or about $1.10 (2024 price). There are also taxis that cost around €25 or a little more if it is very early in the morning (2024 price) and take 15 minutes to get to the airport.
HOW DO I BOOK MY SPOT?
If you haven’t done so already, all you need to do is click on the BOOK MY SPOT! button below to choose your pilgrimage and add it to your cart. You will be guided through the simple checkout process. We really look forward to having you on a pilgrimage with us!