THE CAMINO FRANCES: KEY INFORMATION TO HELP YOU HIT THE TRAILS.
If you’re interested to walk the Camino Frances, this blog post is for you. 11 key facts to help you seperate fact from fiction. Spoiler alert – you don’t have to walk set daily stages, nor do you need to book a tour to walk the Camino Frances!
Find 11 key pieces of information about the Camino Frances below.
1/ The Camino Frances is also called the French Way
The Camino Frances, or “The French Way” is one of the most famous of the Camino de Santiago routes. It is the most popular Camino route walked by pilgrims each year.
But, it’s not the only route! For information on the other Camino routes, you can find our guide here.
2/ The Camino Frances is 780km long
The Camino Frances runs from Saint Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The total distance is around 780km (484 miles). There are a few variants along the route that add a few kms to the total here and there.
Read on to find out more about the Camino Frances stages and sections. You can also find our daily stages guide here to see how we walked the Camino Frances.
3/ You can walk the Camino Frances in 27 days, or 40 days…
You can walk the 780km (484 miles) of the Camino Frances in daily stages of differing lengths depending on your time constraints and your fitness levels.
We walked in 27 days, the average may be around 32. Many people choose to walk in 35 to 40 days however. The path is your own and you get to choose how quickly you navigate it! So don’t let anyone tell you that you need to walk it faster or slower than you’d like to.
4/ The Camino Frances is the most popular route for good reason
The Camino Frances is not the only Camino route. There are many routes to choose from. But, here are four reasons to choose the Camino Frances.
1/ The Camino Frances is the most popular route, more people walk it than any other route into Santiago de Compostela. Anyone looking to socialize lots on the Camino, will enjoy the Camino Frances.
2/ It can feel like the safest route, given the number of people walking. May solo travellers opt for the Camino Frances for this reason.
3/ The infrastructure is excellent. Comparative to other routes, such as the Camino del Norte, which has some challenges with finding accommodation. The Camino Frances has regular accommodation, plenty of albergues and fantastic amenities.
4/ The Camino Frances is one of the longer routes, along with the Camino del Norte. Both routes take around one month to walk, compared to the Camino Portuguese and Primitivo which are shorter.
5/ Aside from a few days of hill climbing, the Camino Frances route is fairly manageable making it a accessible to most people. There are many flat sections on the route and the ample accommodation makes the daily stages adaptable
✍️Still need help deciding? You can access our quiz to find the best Camino route for you here.
5/ The Camino Frances starts in France not in Spain
The Camino Frances route start is Saint Jean Pied de Port (often abbreviated to SJPP). SJPP is a town in France, close to Biarritz. However, some choose to start in Ronscevalles in Spain, which is the second daily stage of the Camino.
We opted to start in SJPP as we wanted to ensure we experienced a day of walking in France before moving on to Spain.
Additionally, the way from SJPP through the Pyrenees is one of the most rewarding days of walking on the whole Camino Frances.
It is an extremely challenging hike, climbing 1480m. Therefore, there are options to split the first day into two by staying in Orison overnight. Or indeed, skipping it entirely and starting in Ronscavalles.
If you choose to start in SJPP, it is relatively easy to get there from Biarritz airport.
You can book a transfer, or take a bus (changing in Bayonne) to the train. However, do note that the train does not run late (the last one is around 17:00). You are better off staying in Bayonne and getting the first train to SJPP in the morning.
6/ There are three challenging sections of the Camino Frances
There are three parts of the Camino Frances that I would describe as the hardest.
The first day, from SJPP over the Pyrenees mountains is one of the hardest sections. Secondly, the section towards the end which involves a long climb to O Cebreiro and Fonfria.
Finally, The Meseta (between Burgos and Leon). This section is flat, but can be quite monotonous and many find it challenging for this reason. It can also be extremely hot.
That said, walking the entire Camino Frances is hard! Any time you walk day after day for weeks, it’s going to be challenging. But that doesn’t meana it’s impossible, even for people who haven’t walked much before. It’s not a technical hike and with the right training, it is totally achievable.
7/ The Camino Frances has five sections
The Camino Frances can roughly be described in five sections as well as the Camino Frances stages. This can be a helpful way to consider the route when you plan your Camino Frances stages. Many people may not walk the entire route in one go, choosing to walk each section at a different time in their life.
Section One: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Logroño 161km
The first section with palpable excitement. First you experience The Pyrenees and later the fabulous city of Pamplona before entering the small Rioja region.
Section Two: Logroño to Burgos 122km
Highlights include the city of Logrono itself and some varied scenery. Not our favourite section of walking, but made better with some charming towns and places to stay.
Section Three: Burgos to Leon 178km
The infamous Maseta section. Flat, hot and at times monotonous. But it offers a few amazing albergues and some fun to be had along the route. An easy section to move through quickly.
Section Four: Leon to Sarria 197km
Starting in the fabulous cathedral city of Leon, the section to Sarria was our favourite. A diverse section, offering hills and epic scenery as you leave Castile e Leon and enter Galicia.
Section Five: Sarria to Santiago de Compostela 114km
This is the last 100km of the Camino where many pilgrims join. An enjoyable but busy section. The entire Camino Frances stage is through Galicia.
8/ There are popular Camino Frances Daily Stages
The John Brierley Camino books are widely considered to be the authority on daily stages. Many Camino apps, such as Buen Camino (the app that we use regularly) will come “pre-loaded” with set daily stages, often based on the Brierley books.
For the Camino Frances, we set out the typical daily stages below:
Day 1:Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles 24.7km
Day 2: Roncesvalles to Zubiri 22.3km
Day 3: Zubiri to Pamplona 21.1km
Day 4: Pamplona to Puente la Reina 23.7km
Day 5: Puente la Reina to Estella 21.9km
Day 6: Estella to Los Arcos 21.4km
Day 7: Los Arcos to Logroño 27.7km
Day 8:Logroño to Nájera 28.3km
Day 9: Nájera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada 20.9km
Day 10: Santo Domingo to Belorado 22.7km
Day 11: Belorado to San Juan de Ortega 23.9km
Day 12: San Juan de Ortega to Burgos 26km
Day 13: Burgos to Hornillos del Camino 20.9km
Day 14: Hornillos del Camino Castrojeriz 19.9km
Day 15: Castrojeriz to Frómista 25.2km
Day 16: Frómista to Carrión de los Condes 18.9km
Day 17: Carrión de los Condes to Ledigos 23.2km
Day 18: Ledigos to Sahagún 15.2km
Day 19: Sahagún to Bercianos del Real Camino 25.9km
Day 20: Bercianos del Real Camino to Mansilla de las Mulas 26.2km
Day 21: Mansilla de las Mulas to León 24.6km
Day 22: León to San Martín del Camino 23.7km
Day 23: San Martín del Camino to Astorga 23.7km
Day 24: Astroga to Foncebadón 25.8km
Day 25: Foncebadón to Ponferrada 26.8km
Day 26: Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo 24.2km
Day 27: Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro 28.8km
Day 28: O Cebreiro to Triacastela 20.9km
Day 29: Triacastela to Sarria 24.2km
Day 30: Sarria to Portomarín 22km
Day 31: Portomarín to Palas de Rei 25.4km
Day 32: Padas de Rei to Arzúa 28.5km
Day 33: Arzúa to Pedrouzo 19.5km
Day 34: Pedrouo to Santiago de Compostela 19.9km
9/ But you don’t have to stick to them
Although there are common daily stages that many pilgrims follow, you absolutely do not have to stick to these. In fact, there are many reasons that you may choose not to.
Firstly, you may need to alter the daily stages to your own fitness levels. For example, you may not feel that you are able to walk such distances as set out by Brierley. The great thing about the Camino Frances, is that you don’t have to! There are towns with albergues frequently along the route, making it one of the most flexible of the Camino routes.
🏋🏽If you’re wondering about how fit you need to be to walk the Camino – you can find our guide here.
The converse may also be true, you may feel that the daily stages set out above aren’t long enough. We frequently walk longer days than the “typical daily stages” and we meet many others who do the same. For example, we chose to walk the Camino Frances in 27 days – find our daily stages here.
Whether you’re looking for more of a physical challenge or you simply don’t have the time and need to walk the Camino quicker.
Secondly, you may have heard about the Camino “race for beds“. Whilst, this is not always an issue, there are times of year (May and September) when the Camino Frances can get extremely busy. One of our top tips for avoiding the race for beds, even in the last 100km of the Camino Frances, is to walk out of sync with the typical daily stages.
Doing so means that you are likely to find quieter albergues and to start your morning walking away from the crowds.
Finally, if you’ve previously walked the Camino Frances or you just want a different experience to the typical pilgrim, we really recommend moving away from the daily stages to craft your own path. This way, you may find smaller villages, bijou albergues and unique experiences.
🏠Find out more about our favourite albergues on the Camino Frances here.
10/ You can stay in albergues but you don’t have to
Along the Camino Frances are albergues – these are hostels for walkers. Inside, you’ll find dormitory style rooms with bunk beds and basic facilities, like showers and a kitchen. That said, increasingly albergues are getting more jazzy – some even have swimming pools.
Want a bit more info about the basics of albergues?
If you do want to stay in albergues on the Camino Frances, it’s really easy to do so. You may need to book ahead at key times (find out here), but many will not require reservations. Hostels are a social option and a budget choice too. Win win if you ask me.
Find our guide to the best albergues on the route here.
That said, you don’t have to stay in albergues. Don’t fancy a bunk bed? Don’t worry. There are hotels and B&Bs along the Camino Frances route. We often stay in small B&Bs in private rooms – spending an average of 30 to 50 Euros per night. And, if you fancy a luxurious experience you can do that too – find our guide to the best luxury hotels here.
11/ You don’t need to book a tour
I was recently talking to a family member about the Camino, and they mentioned that they thought you had to take a tour to walk it. This is absolutely not the case. In fact, the vast majority of those walking are NOT on a tour. It’s quite rare to meet people walking a tour.
You can walk the Camino on a budget too. Walking the Camino is totally free – it’s the accommodation and food that makes it cost something. So please don’t feel that you have to pay an expensive tour company to walk it.
If you do want help to plan your trip, we can help you – our prices are far lower than a tour! But, you also don’t even really need a plan – just set out and go!
12/ You don’t have to be religious to walk it
The Camino de Santiago has it’s roots in religion. Historically, and to many who walk it today, it is considered to be a religious pilgrimage. But, that doesn’t mean you have to be religious to walk the route. The key thing is being able to respect the motivation of others walking the Camino Frances.
Find out more about religion and the Camino de Santiago here.
13/ There’s no right or wrong way – just your way
When we walked the Camino Frances a few years ago, we met a wonderful pilgrim who made a decision to walk the final 114km of the route in one day!
For this pilgrim, this was a personal choice and something they felt they had to do. I remember being so inspired by this epic challenge – it must have ben so hard and she did it! When she posted something about it online, she received lots of negative comments – along the lines of “The Camino isn’t a race”, just because their ideal of the Camino didn’t match with what they saw.
The point I want to make with this story, is thaat there is no right or wrong way to walk the Camino. Sure, others may have opinions. But the choice is yours. Whether you decide to carry your own luggage, stay in albergues or fancy hotels, or walk fast or slow. The route is your own.
Would you like us to plan your walk for you?
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Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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[…] if you choose to join the Camino Frances, you’ll join close to Leon and miss most of the Meseta – arguably the worst part of the […]