I walk because I love it. For all the reasons you mentioned- nothing to add. Planning number 10 next year. And hopefully number 11 as well, with my wife in September.

Took me a bit to catch up with this video, but sure glad that I did. As a fellow planner, understanding and using the Gronze app is gonna be a cakewalk now. It might be interesting to hear about Mac’s gear/packing list for a March walk. Thanks.

On Camino everybody is vulnerable, everyone is outside their comfort zone. It’s a long journey with a common goal, irrespective of how you plan to achieve it. I think that is at the core of why Camino is special.

Thanks for the videos Rob. Fortunately my wife and I walk together a lot, and we are probably are considered fast walkers (5km/hr) when carrying a pack and walking 15-28km per day. However, my wife will suffer with a bad knee when carrying a pack for long distances whereas it doesn’t seem to bother me so we split the gear so that her bag is lighter (she is very slight). We walk together and have long breaks around 10km marks. I take the photos and videos, let her keep moving and I catch her up. The important thing is to plan so that the strongest adjusts their pace and distance to the weakest if you are walking as a couple. I plan in detail and adjust on a day to day basis depending on what I think my wife can cope with to ensure we get to Santiago in one piece.

Hi Rob Do you need small denominations of cash on Camino? Enjoying your videos. Walking the Portuguese Camino in May 2025. Jeannie in Melbourne.

Hi Rob, Bob, my hubby has a question for you, “Rob, I’ve looked at a number of your videos on footwear and socks, my wife & I are planning our Camino next year. We both bought our footwear a couple of weeks ago. We have taken your advice on wearing 2 socks and moving up a shoe size. I chose a pair of Salomon boots as I have previously owned a pair and found them to be very comfortable. On choosing the next size up (7 1/2) I found them a little tight while wearing 2 socks. I was told that these boots also came in a wider size, however, there wasn’t a wider size 7 1/2, so I tried on an 8 1/2 which felt fine in the shop, but since making a couple of walks my feet are moving around slightly inside the boot, otherwise they feel very comfortable. My question: Are blisters more likely to develop as a result of boots that are too tight or slightly too loose? I am going to try inserting an additional insole to see if this results in a more snug fit. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

Great tip! Thanks Rob😊

Thank you again. Watching your videos today for inspiration. 😊

Thanks Rob, I think I’ve binged all of your videos now! I’d like to walk the Frances for my first Camino next year 🤞 As you were saying, I agree that 7 days probably wouldn’t be enough, however, I don’t have time to walk the whole route from St Jean. I’d like to walk 200 kms of the trail, the Compostela isn’t a priority, I’m really keen on the passport. Which is the best/nicest section of the Frances, and would it be hard to start and end anywhere on the trail for arriving and getting back home to Australia? I would be taking it slowly and perhaps adding a couple of days off to look around some places.

Please note that the 'transit' days I mention will vary on your departure port, port of entry, timing of flights, how you travel to your Camino start point etc etc. It's just an example. The point of this video is more about planning the Camino stages rather than travel 'to' the Camino.

Hi Rob, thanks for all the planning tips. How many days should I allow to fly from Perth WA, to Paris then onto SJPD? From your spreadsheet, you have allowed 2 transit days before starting. Would jet lag, if any effect a start date? I'm planning to walk my 1st Camino Frances starting around the 4th May 2025.

On my first Camino I actually stayed in Burgette were Ernst Hemmingway and also at Akerreta only by chance. I realised were I was in Akerreta because I watched the movie so many times which set the motivation in motion. Thank you for your thoughts I personally believe in planning, I appreciate your Excel spreadsheet nice work.

Good work. I’m an under planner but am trying to improve. Knowing when it’s the weekend and Easter etc. seems a great place to start.

Tx Rob another fantastic video. Alot of tips for staying at certain places. I enjoy all your posts and replies from the viewers never to long. I like the excel formula. You mentioned in another post that you might do a in depth, whats involved in volunteering at alburgues I'd be interested in that though l wouldn't volunteer yet, purely as l have to many walks to do, but later yes, no issue with the donation of time. Tx again for the post and look forward to the new Camino adventures Cheers buddy 👍 10/10

I’d also check how your schedule aligns with national holidays and local festivals. Easter forgot might be crazy busy too

Just a quick point Rob...and I have NO IDEA if I'm correct in respect to the Cathedral...but...you said Easter Sunday is the 20th so two days before is the 18th. Bare in mind that is GOOD FRIDAY...and although there are church services...no MASS takes place in RC churches that day...is there a Pilgrim Mass that day?

Hi Rob, thanks for sharing your process, it is really helpful. All the best for the Madrid.

We stayed at the associated Rural Casa at the other end of the village. However, we had to walk down to the Albergue for dinner and back to the Casa for bed! Then back down for breakfast. 😂

We did the Francés in Sept/Oct this year 2024. There were many pilgrims from South Korea because because of South Korean TV series following celebrities walking the Camino. They reckon that in Autumn and Winter 30% of the folks on the Camino Francés are from South Korea and from Sarria I can confirm that from personal observation. There are many Christians in that country although not all the walkers are on a pilgrimage. Thanks for your videos, I’m now thinking of walking the VDLP!

This year it was 50 days. Next year, around 42-49 days. I have to walk from early May to fit around everybody else’s schedules at home, which is fair as I go for quite a while.

I walked the Frances this year starting the 3rd of May. I met lots of people who had issues all the way to Logrono. My friend Paul ended up in Los Arcos and had to bus back to Puente la Reina and then again to Estella as it was the only place he could get a bed. This happened quite a lot. I think we were unfortunate as two large groups started the same time, around 40 in each. There were over 500 pilgrims starting each day in St Jean for best part of a week. It then eased an awful lot by the 8/9th of May. Next year, I am starting on the 6th and will book to Logrono. I have walked lots of long distance hikes, so know my body etc. For new walkers, it is so difficult to gauge, so a difficult choice.

I started from St Jean on May 3rd this year. St Jean was full and lots of pilgrims told me (they were passing me as I was slow) that it was the same from around the start of the month for a week. In Roncesvalles, I saw so many taxis taking pilgrims to Pamplona as there was nothing in between. Lots of pilgrims were trying to help people. I was fortunate as I had booked a private room and then let two younger pilgrims share as they helped me when I was struggling. I think a lot of the issues come when so many choose the start of the month to start. There were so many groups who started the same time as me. This also made it harder to meet people as they often stayed within their groups. I saw a group of 40 or so from Korea and a similar sized group from Germany. Their nice tour bus fed me and gave a cold drink going into Maneru as I had given some water to some ladies who ran out. It eased so much after Logrono as I deliberately slowed down to let them all go ahead. The whole dynamic changed and it was a nicer vibe as it was solo pilgrims and couple/pairs. Next year I am leaving a week later.

Many parts of Spain, especially Catalunya say ‘Bon día’ as a greeting. We found this in northern Spain in Galicia too. Portuguese equivalent is ‘Bom día’ I think.

Have you ever tried Danner hiking shoes?

I can't help but think that the sheep are Merino the very same sheep that made Australia foundation in the early years which were imported from Spain originally.

Fantastic video! Thank you so much! I am planning to do it next year!

Hi Rob, I binged your videos last year before my camino Podiensis. I did take a Eurosherm. Fantastic because I had above 30 degree weather for the whole month. To affix the umbrella to my strap I used a water tube clip for the shaft and for the bottom handle I used rubber wire. Just a few twists and the umbrella was secure. The water clip allowed the shaft to move up and down . Thanks for all the good tips. Helpful for a geezer like me

Most helpful for sure. I am deffo looking for the spiritual element.

Great, but: Not everyone has the money for restaurants and auberge and Coffee each day. And sleeping in a tent and cook your own coffee can be more pigrim-spirit than this all-inclusive-tourist Thing, the camino gets into

Have you thought about walking the Kumano Kodo.

Very informative, and you answered my question! TU🙏🏾

Thank you very much, Rob. No idea how much you have helped those of us getting ready for our first Camino. Much, much appreciated!

Hi Rob, so glad I found your videos. I’m planning to walk my first Camino for my birthday 2025 & I’m in that weird space of trying to figure out my PTO. This video was very helpful and much appreciated. Thank you !

Great advice! Thank you!!

Hi Rob, i just want to share my experience of walking 15km daily after retirement in 2017. I am 67 years old and walk 20k steps daily (rain or shine, day or night) in order to manage my sugar level. Mostly I walk in an urban or suburban settings (roads, pavements, tarmac) and found that my right foot develops plantar fasciitis. Most probably due to extreme pronation as a result of high foot arch. I tried many types of insoles and arch supports and found that Futoro Foot Support seems to be effective but it's a bit expensive. Nowadays, I use silicone arch support which is equally effective and much cheaper (bought online from China). I also found using 2 hiking poles while walking the Camino do help taking off some pressure from your feet and improve stabilty too. Thick socks also improve cushioning and while ankle boots reduce chances of injuries. That's my experience from my first 100km Camino from Lugo to Santiago de Compostela where the terrain is not too difficult as compred to the other routes.

Adding a 500g backpacking chair to the list 😉 (63yo guy). Do you think that tent camping along the way is a possibility? Not every night but just on some of the logistically difficult stretches (and as a hedge against the bed race). Was thinking something stealth along the way or asking for permission.

I walked 40 days on the Frances and loved it. I walked 16 days on the Portuguese and it didn’t feel like enough. I was just hitting my stride around 13 days and then it was over. My next one will be the Ingles and that is much shorter so it will be interesting to see how I feel with that length of a Camino.

Thanks for your Camino videos. Looking forward to seeing your planning video.

Hi Rob, greetings from Malaysia and thanks for the useful information from all your videos. I did my first 100 km Camino from Lugo to Santiago de Compostela last May in 4 days. This December, we will be spending Christmas in Santiago de Compostela and I have allocated 3 days for Camino Fisterra and 1 day for Fisterra to Muxia. I believe it will be a very cold, wet and windy walk. Then next May while my wife is doing her 2 weeks volunteer work in Lourdes, France, I will be doing the Camino Portuguese starting from Porto. Actually, I never heard about the Camino until 2023 when we met someone in Lourdes who suggested that I should try it since I have been walking 15km daily after retirement in 2017. I am planning to do several more Caminos over the next few years, including 2027, which is a Holy Year, while my wife volunteers in Lourdes. Thanks again Rob for the great videos you shared.

Hi Rob I'm just back from walking the Frances with my son, we started in St Jean in October 2021 and we finished in Santiago last Thursday we have walked 4 increments of 8 days because that was the amount of time we could take off together, yes it's doesn't feel like enough time but when it's all you have it's better than nothing plus it's nice to spend time with him.

i did walk from my doorstep last spring/summer (i live in Belgium), well actually from my das's front door, walking in his memory was one of the big reasons why i walked the camino. I walked for 3 months, well over 2500kms, averaging about 25 kms a day...some days less, some days up to 50 kms when crossing France.

I agree, 14 days is the minimum for a first Camino. Now I have done a few I like to walk the Inglese as a “short” walk in the Autumn. It works because I can slip into Camino mode very quickly. That said I am “planning” the Frances next year and expect to be gone for 40 - 45 days.

Hi Rob, Ive watched many of your videos. You have a talent for communicating your passion for the Camino. I am planning to fo the Frances with my yongest daughter Emma [17] in April 2026. Beginning the planning early next year, thanks again 🙏

I'm not a friend of asphalt/concreat/hard surface. It really stops me from walking. O'boy does it hurt! 😥 I love all soft surfaces in combination with good shoes and walkingpoles. 😊

Last year spent 47 days walking from SJPDP and would have been happy with another week or two. Had walked from Pamplona for 40 and 2 times Portuguese. I really like the longer walks, with shorter days. You just relax into the rythem of it all. This past April on the Portuguese, even though I stretched it out to 16 days walking from Porto, it just felt too short.

I'm also love to plan in detail. Like you I don't want to miss things to see and places to experience. I like to know what's coming up day by day so I can adjust if needed. I am still walking with my backpack, but somedays I use a wheelchair (because of EDS). I really would need it between the stages. Or if I leave it at home, maybe I have to consider 60 days insted of 40. I'm thinking of doing the Madrid route and then to Muxia. What worries me the most is that I need a lower bunk and my food allergies. Please share your spreadsheet.

Did you just say you can get a compostella walking backwards from Muxia to Santiago?

I've met a few very strong walkers, repeat pilgrims, over the years on the Francès, who seemed stuck in a groove. My impression was that the so-called "whole Camino" wasn't enough for them, so they don't move along from it in their heads. So there are some people for whom 800K simply is not enough ; of course, I'm one of them, even though I am no longer a strong walker per se. You're right about the time factor, but I'd say that as to the transformational element, the stronger you are as a walker, the further you should walk, including on a first Camino. Conversely, three weeks or so might be quite enough for some others. Or indeed a much longer period but chopped up into 2 or 3 week stages over several years. Finally, IMO time and space are inter-related but different to each other -- there's an effect that distances provide that is different to the time spent, from a multiplication of the places that you pass through and interract with, and the people there of course. Perhaps the time factor is relative to oneself, and the distance factor might be relative to one's place in the world ? Time and Space is what I'd say -- the space factor, where you shall walk, is of course a vital consideration among the repeat offenders who might want to try a new and different Camino each time.

Thanks for another informative clip, Rob. I recently finished my second Camino. My first one was 17 days, this one was 35 days. I'm retired so have the time to take longer trips. On both my Caminos I used a company to book the lodging and handle luggage transfers each morning. The package also included dinner for around half the evenings. It was convenient having all those details arranged for me. But that also meant needing to follow a rigid schedule. There were a few days I should have taken a rest day to let my blisters heal but had to push on to my next booked lodging. I'm looking forward to your upcoming planning video as I'm thinking of booking my own lodging along the way on my next Camino.

Rob, First of all thank you for your videos. They were a big help in planning and preparing for what was to come. I just got back from my first Camino last week. I started in SJPP on Sept 25 and arrived in Santiago on Oct 19. I skipped the Meseta so I only walked 327.6 miles. I think I got spooked b/c at the time it seemed the weather was cooling off and I was concerned that it would be cold and raining as I got to the end of October. As it turned out it I walked the last week in a light rain anyway. Arriving to the plaza in Santiago ended up being more emotional than I anticipated. I did considered going on to Finisterre but again I would have had to walk in the rain for another 3 days so I decided I'd had enough. I took a train to Madrid thinking I'd spend a few days there but during the ride I decided I'm tired of being alone so the next day I was back home to my wife in Dallas TX. I must say there's a side of me that wishes I had not skipped the Meseta but there were several things along the way that I experienced that I would not have been available to me had I not skipped over to Leon. I think you are right about needing a certain amount of time to get the hustle and bustle of home out of your system and get into the groove of the Camino. I think my wife and I will walk the Portuguese Coastal Route this spring and maybe we will add in Finisterra. I know it was very emotional for you when you went there. Again, thank you for your very helpful videos.