Planning For Camino Ingles Sept 2017

My wife Sarah and I are looking to do the Camino Ingles towards the end of September 2017 and I wondered if anyone could help with the following questions.
We will be flying in to Santiago from the UK. We will have a suitcase with us as we intend to have a few days in Madrid after the Camino. Does anyone know of a hotel where we can stay one night leave our suitcase there and stay again for 1 night after the Camino collect our suitcase and move on to Madrid.
The other alternative is if there is a left luggage facility somewhere.
We are average walkers so what would be the best option 6 days, 5 nights accommodation or 5 days, 4 nights accommodation. We do not intend to rush but at the same time do not want to be snails.
Can I also say thanks for all the advice on here about planning, equipment etc it really is good that people take the time to be helpful.

Trevor

 

Hey Trevor - Let me see if I can offer you some assistance.

With regard to luggage storage, check out the Casa Ivar site. He holds bags for pilgrims for up to 60 days, he's right in Santiago, and he is highly reliable and well-known among pilgrims. All the specifics you need to know can be found right on the link I've included.

As far as a place to stay in Santiago, let me recommend the Hospedéria San Martin Pinario. The old monestary, right in the heart of the old city offers double rooms for 55€. You can make a reservation right on their website or at booking.com (the price is the same).

Buen Camino!

 

Wily
Many thanks for your excellent information, exactly what I was looking for.
Regards
Trevor

 

Good Info already posted and only a couple of snippets to add

It’s quite a while since I walked The Camino Ingles, so I am sure that there are now several more accommodation options, so you will be able to split your route up better than we did, as on our 3rd day we walked over 40km and in the heat, it was really just too far !!

I have written my own trek notes up at http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/50192/bf/ which you might find interesting.



For somewhere to stay in Santiago de Compostela, My own recommendation is The Pension Girasol

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/23ce2b/ but I don’t know whether they have a left luggage room – However the lady that runs The Pension Girasol is a very nice lady and it would certainly be worthwhile dropping her an email to ask.


Good Luck and Buen Camino

Rob

 

I did the Ingles last September, it was very well signposted and a fantastic walk. I did it over 6 days, but 5 days is easily doable depending on the temperature. It was certainly too hot on the first day (33°) so I did a shorter day. You'll enjoy it however long you take. Buen Camino!

 

I stayed at a wonderful hotel in Santiago called the Monumento San Francisco, just one block from the cathedral. I mailed them a ton of stuff including my suitcase and they were more than happy to hold it for me. Try Trivago to get a good rate. Also sometimes you can get even better rates calling the hotel directly. Then I went to Finisterre and left my suitcase there with no problem. I believe most hotels and even some albergues will hold your stuff for you. Buen Camino

 

My Camino Ingles 2013 . I took the Bus from Muxia Sunday morning 19th May 9.30 to Ferol call into church got a stamp and walked to Albergue De Nada about 9km .Monday Betantos.Tuesday Albergue the Bruma ( Nice place ) Wednesday Siguerio Hostel and Bar which was great. it is now HNOS Miras, restaurant/cafe bar Hostel so do not know whats its like .Thursday morning easy 12km into Santiago
At that time there wasn't a lot of shops, cafes or bars open between stages . I hear it is much better now.
Some long days but I had been walking since 15th of April about 1000km.If doing it again i would try to put a stop between De Nada and De bruma
Buen Camino

 

Well some decisions have been made. Fly into Santiago on 13th Sept, drop suitcase and then bus to Ferrol for overnight stay. Take 6 days to get back to Santiago. Following the Johnnie Walker 2016 guide, 14th Sept Ferrol to Pontedeume, 15th Pontedeume to Betanzos, 16th Betanzos to Bar Julia. Here I have hit a problem regarding pickup and accommodation at Hostal O Meson Novo. Booking.com have no rooms available for Sept. I have emailed the Hostal but have had no reply. Is it possible they are closed at the moment and it is too early for reservations on Booking.com. Any advice please. Really enjoying planning it all and still have the pack and unpack of the rucksack to come. Pam can I ask what your stages were for the 6 days.
Buen Camino

 

Hi Trev

My stages (with approximate distances) were...

Day 1 - Ferrol to Neda 16Km (it was 30+ degrees and too hot to walk!)
Day 2 - Neda to Pontedeume 16km where I stopped for lunch, then a further 11km to Mino
Day 3 - Mino to Betanzos 12km then on to Presedo 14km
Day 4 - Presedo to Meson do Venta 19km
Day 5 - M d V to Siguero 25km
Day 6 - Siguero to S d C 17km

I used the Pilgrim Guide No 7 from the CSJ which was very helpful and also googled where to stay as I didn't follow the 5 days the guide suggests.

I absolutely loved the Ingles and would do it again tomorrow (just preparing for second third of the Frances, though!)

Have great fun. Buen Camino

Pam

 

Hey Trev - There may be a problem at the moment with the booking.com website. I have been trying this morning to book a room in Guatemala for late August with no luck. Based on the website, there are plenty of rooms, but when I go to book, it give me the message that the last room was just booked. It is doing this for every hotel I try. There should be no problem booking a room in September as you are trying to do. I'd keep trying booking.com since it may just be a glitch that will quickly be remedied. Buen Camino!

 

Hey Trev - Just as an update, I decided to call Booking.com for assistance. There must have been a glitch in the online reservations page because the customer service person was able to help me book the room I wanted. If you go to the booking.com website and locate contact us, you'll find phone numbers to call depending on the country you are calling from. If you happen to be in the US, their number is 1-888- 850-3958. I wish you as much luck as I just had. Buen Camino!

 

Hi Wily, thanks for that information. I telephoned the UK number and got them to check for the 16th Sept. They confirmed that all rooms on their site were sold out for my date and dates around it. I even tried August and it was all sold out. I am still waiting for the Hostal to reply to my email I sent direct to them. Will try again next week as they may be closed. Buen Camino.

 

Hi Trevor, I walked Camino Ingles in September 2016 and used the Confraternity of Saint James UK guide and View Ranger App on my IPhone with downloaded maps as back up. I had the same problem trying to book a bed at Meson de Nova at Bruma for day 3 from Booking.com . I telephoned them direct at Meson de Nova the owner his wife and son all speak very good English they spent some time working in the UK in the past. They hold some rooms back from the site. Got a comfortable room for 40 euros for the night. They didn't have a set menu but we managed to get a good dinner. We didn't need a lift as we walked all day from Betanzos about 20 miles ! The climb up from Bar Julia is quite demanding so late into the days walk. This is the only difficult stage but another reassurance is that thee are many telephone numbers for local taxi that will assist you on this stretch. I walked this stage with an English gentleman who had cardiac problems the previous year on Camino Portuguese. He now has two cardiac stents in place and got up the hill quicker than me ! He turned 70 years just before setting out. We walked in 5 days (4 nights accommodation ) I then walked onto Finnisterre took 4days (3 nights)
You will enjoy it Buen Camino

 

Flights now booked so it's all systems go. Arrive in Santiago on 13th September. Still not received a reply back from Hostal O Meson Novo. I will try and ring them direct next week.
Again thanks for all the info.
Buen Camino.

 

An update on Hostal Meson Novo. I telephoned Antonio the owner, numbers are on Page 57 of the CSJ Camino Ingles Guide however he does not speak enough English to make a booking so with the help of Google translation I sent him an email. Apparently he has changed his system of picking up at Bar Julia. If you want picking up you have to book 2 nights at his Hostal. He now picks you up at Bar Julia and takes you to his Hostal for the night. Next day he drops you back at the Bar and you continue your walk for the day, we are looking to finish at A Rua about 19Kms for the day. Ring him and he comes and picks you up and takes you back to his Hostal and then next day drops you where he picked you up. That way he gets a booking for two nights.
Now looking for a hostal in Pontedeume. Really enjoying this planning stage.

 

Useful little thread this, thank you to the contributers. Just bought the CSJ's Camino Ingles booklet after realising that I can't get away long enough to walk any of the longer Caminos and am now looking for info.

 

Hey Fluffkitten - My wife is in the same situation. She, too, can't get away long enough for one of the longer Caminos. But, because she liked the Portugués so much, next April for her birthday again, we're heading back over to walk the Camino Inglés together. Then, after a rest day in Santiago, we're going to add on the walk to Finisterre and Muxía. That will give us a nice 10-day outing similar to what we just finished.

Check out gronze.com for information on the Camino Inglés. It's not real detailed, but you will get a stage map including elevations and a good list of albergues along that Way.

There is also a book I found on Amazon.com The Camino Inglés: 6 Days to Santiago by Susan Jagannath. Reviews are excellent and the Kindle edition is only $2.99.

Buen Camino!

 

Thank you Wily. I bought and downloaded that book yesterday so I'll give it a go.

 

Hi Fluffkitten

I also used the Confraternity of Saint James’s little guidebook on my own Camino Ingles and found it incredibly useful.



I backed this up with info that I downloaded from Mundicamino http://www.mundicamino.com/los-caminos/55/camino-ingles/ which is probably the most comprehensive website on the net to get your info from – It takes a little getting used to navigating, but once you have sussed it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Hit the link above, the select the first stage, “Ferrol – Neda” from the menu on the left – This then opens up a sub-menu where you can read and print off all the info including very useful little strip maps and route profile http://www.mundicamino.com/los-caminos/55/camino-ingles/etapa/1/ferrol/neda/tipo/trazado/

Then simply repeat the process for the rest of the stages



My own trek notes are now getting dated, https://web.archive.org/web/20151031073518/http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/50192/bf/ but possibly still worth a quick look



Good Luck and Buen Camino

Rob

 

Hey Fluffkitten - Due to Rob's informative post yesterday, I checked out the Confraternity of Saint James website. While seeing what was available on the Camino Inglés, I found that the book Rob recommended, Guide to the Camino Inglés by Johnnie Walker, is not only available in printed form (7£, not sure about shipping costs), but also in a Kindle format for just $5US. Looks like another great resource for your Camino planning! I also played around with the Mundicamino website. As Rob said, very comprehensive information on all the Caminos and I found it to generally be very user friendly. Another great resource for anyone in the planning stage of their Camino. Thanks Rob.

 

Thanks Wily.

A heads up: the Kindle version (£4 via Amazon UK) doesn't work with the Paperwhite, its fine on any Kindle Fire, Kindle for Android, Kindle for PC. It does work all right, just a little small but I'm used to that, on my phone.

I've picked up Kindle versions of "Camino Ingles-The Road Less Travelled" by Max Cordell and "The Camino Ingles 6 days (or less) to Santiago" by Susan Jagannath.

Depending on when I can get away (as a full time carer that isn't easy) I'm looking at September this year or late April 2018. Love planning things, almost as enjoyable and rewarding as then doing them.

 

Thank you Rob, that is very useful.