Frequently asked questions

Doing the Camino de Santiago class and workshop:

«CAMINO SCENARIOS» For critical discussions & solutions during the class /workshop…

1. I want to get to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port from Paris? What are the connections?
2. What’s so special and magical about crossing the Pyrenees (from France to Spain) at the commencement of my Camino?
3. I’ve decided to commence walking the Camino at Roncesvalles (just inside Spain, in the Pyrenees) – how do I get there from Paris, London or Madrid?
4. I have decided to start at Le Puy en Velay in France and I’ve got two months to get to Santiago de Compostela? Do I have enough time?
5. What is the difference between the Camino Francés and the Camino Aragonés and where do they begin and end?
6. I want to commence my Camino at the beginning of March and before Easter in order to avoid a lot of other pilgrims. What clothes do I need to take? Do I actually avoid the crowds?
7. I want to walk in the middle of summer: what extra precautions or preparations do I need to do?
8. I want to walk in September and October: what clothes should I take?
9. Should I take a day off every now and then, in order to give my body a rest?
10. What is the European/Spanish emergency phone number/s equivalent to 000 in Australia & 111 in New Zealand? Do they understand English? What is la Guardia Civil?
11. What’s so special about the following cities along the Camino? Should I try and always get to a city? Why do some places have two names?
    1. Pamplona/Iruña;
    2. Estella/Lizarra;
    3. Logroño;
    4. Burgos;
    5. León;
    6. Astorga;
    7. Ponferrada;
    8. Santiago de Compostela
12. I want to walk on my own and I am a female: will I be lonely and regret that decision? Will my personal safety be compromised? Am I at risk?
13. I’ve been told you need to have a high level of fitness to successfully undertake this long-distance walk. Is this true? And can someone in their 80’s successfully undertake this pilgrimage?
14. I have a bad back eg. double scoliosis: I really can’t take a backpack with more than 3 or 4 kilos in weight? What are the solutions and can I still walk the Camino?
15. Whenever I do long treks, I get blisters: I’m terrified I will have nothing but blisters. Is it at all humanly possible to walk the whole Camino without any blisters?
16. My main aim or purpose in doing the Camino is to achieve a personal resolution and achieve spiritual insights and deep understanding about myself. Which is the best location to begin and which Camino should I undertake?
17. I really hate getting wet and cold and staying wet all day long: what can I do to avoid this situation
18. I am a very light sleeper and I’m somewhat anxious about sharing a large room with so many people – some of them might keep me awake all night long because they may snore very loudly. What can I do to have a good night’s sleep or am I condemned to constant sleepless nights?
19. I am a modest and shy person: how will I cope with communal sleeping quarters and mixed bathrooms? What sleepwear do most pilgrims use?
20. I sometimes need to go to the toilet once or twice per night – what’s the best strategy to do this with the least amount of fuss and avoiding disturbing others at night in the refuges and also avoiding obstacles in the process?
21. I am a vegetarian? How many restaurants and cafés serving vegetarian meals are there, along the Camino?
22. I am a vegan: is it at all possible to do the Camino?
23. My main aim in doing the Camino is to obtain the Compostela. Therefore, how many kilometers must I walk just to get that?
24. I don’t like ham that much: is that the most ubiquitous meat/protein I will be able to purchase/eat along the Camino?
25. I won’t be able to learn much Spanish between now and when I commence the Camino. Will I be dreadfully disadvantaged and not enjoy myself?
26. Will I be able to successfully «move between and amongst cultures» even when I am not fluent in languages other than English?
27. I’ve heard that most people when they reach the end of their journey in Santiago de Compostela get depressed? What can I do to keep my spirits up? Should I keep walking to the coast?
28. I’m neither Catholic nor religious: what can the Camino offer me?
29. I’m a slow walker and my partner is a fast walker. We don’t want to be separated the whole day long; so what is the solution - assuming there is one?
30. I’m a «foodie» and just love discovering new foods and local cuisine. What can I look forward to when I walk the Camino in Northern Spain? And what about the wine region of La Rioja that I will be walking through?
31. I have a choice of a number of English language Camino guides: which one should I take?
32. How do I maintain contact with family & friends back home (assuming I want to)?
33. Which books about the Camino do you recommend I read as preparation?
34. How can I visually identify Romanesque buildings (10th to 12th century) from the Gothic ones (late 12th to 16th century) along the Camino de Santiago (el Camino Francés)?
35. I really don’t understand the fuss about «regionalism» in Spain? The Camino Francés goes through 4 different regions or «autonomous communities». Why is Spanish identity intimately connected to peoples’ geographical region?
36. What are the differences between a «refugio»; «albergue»; «gîte d’étape»; «gîte communal» and a «relais d’étape»?
37. Once I have started my Camino and it dawns upon me that my backpack is far too heavy; what are the practical solutions?
38. In order for me to budget realistically: what are the total daily living costs (food, ablutions, accommodation, laundering etc.) which I will incur in 2008 & 2009 whilst undertaking the Camino?

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