![]() Most books are tailored toward walkers, but the accommodations, food and drink sections, and route descriptions are all relevant to cyclists as well.įor guidebooks, carry a few (or carry at least one good one, having read others before the trip). Carry a good map or even one of the many popular guidebooks, and remember to ride with your back to the sun in the morning and into it by the afternoon. Don’t despair when you hit a rough patch of trail. If you were to bike 10 miles per hour on a road in your hometown, you’d cover the entire daily distance in three hours. This sounds like a lot - and it is - but broken up over the morning and afternoon, it’s a manageable distance. On a two-week route, you’ll average over 30 miles per day. Remember the walkers have been doing this route for centuries, so don’t take it personally if you encounter a section that’s particularly challenging for cyclists, or a group of walkers who are bit displeased by your presence. ![]() The route itselfįor most of the distance you’ll be on the same route as the walkers, so don’t forget the importance of sharing the trail and being especially courteous when passing. If you do arrive sans bike, Bike Iberia has rental and touring options. ![]() Bringing your own bike may seem more complicated, cumbersome, and inconvenient, but you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing your own bike and trusting it, as well as not having the added burden of finding a reputable rental agency or trying to purchase a new or used bike on site. You can also procure a bike when you get to your starting point, either by renting or buying. You can pack your bike at home and ship it in a cardboard box or hard-sided case in advance, or bring it as baggage with you as you travel. For this, you have essentially two choices, with variations available for each. You’ll also need to think about getting your bike to and from the trail. A tent, sleeping bag, and stove will make you more independent, but it will also slow you down. If you choose to carry your camping gear, consider the value of using it only occasionally versus the added weight of carrying it with you the entire way. Also, basic camping necessities like a bivvy and climbing rope, high-energy foods, and both a rain and warm jacket should be in your panniers. Backpacks are going to limit your mobility and aren’t likely to be big enough to allow you to eschew your panniers altogether anyway.īeyond the bike, you’ll need repair supplies and emergency gear in case something happens en route. Your gear options are as variable as you are, but a good plan is to carry your gear on a rear rack with panniers bags and possibly a handlebar bag. The most efficient cycling setup is a mountain bike equipped for touring, possibly with a front suspension and hefty tires. At times you’ll be forced off these tracks and trails by their rocky disposition or otherwise generally non-bike-friendly nature, and you’ll have to find your way, for a time, on nearby roads, which may not be waymarked in the same way that the Camino is. While a good portion of the camino follows roads or paved multi-use paths, a lot of the route will take you on dirt tracks, sendas, or old-fashioned trails. Think touring more than road biking for this trip. The journey is a personal one and is said to start wherever you do, but Saint-Jean is as good a place as any to begin. The details herein can be applied to any route with a little consideration. This is the most popular route and begins in the small Pyrenees town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France. Here’s a quick roundup of some of the nuances and challenges you’ll likely face if you choose to pedal the route.įor the sake of practicality when it comes to planning, let’s call the French Way, the Camino Francés, the route for the purpose of this guide. If you’re interested in traveling across the northern end of the Iberian Peninsula to Santiago de Compostela from origins unknown, how you do it is perhaps just as immediate of a concern as why. The trek takes those who undertake it along a mountain range, through forests, and along farmlands, across landscapes that are ever changing. In 2018, over 320,000 pilgrims arrived in Santiago from their various beginnings, and most of them - over 93 percent - arrived on foot as pilgrims traditionally have done. The modern multitudes also list tourism and fitness, as well as cultural and social motivations, for making the pilgrimage. Since the ninth century, the route - with variations originating across Europe - has beckoned believers for its religious significance, and hundreds of thousands of pilgrims per year now converge upon the cathedral in the elegant, stone-hued city of Santiago, which is said to hold the remains of the apostle Saint James.
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