Walking the Camino

Q: I am interested in walking the Frances Camino Pilgrimage route in Spain next year. Could you supply me with any information on this subject or websites, including best time of the year, routes, airports before and after the walk, accommodation, etc. - Suzie Wilkie

A: There are a number of websites that deal with the Camino Frances, which is one of the main routes on the very famous pilgrim trail to the city of Santiago de Compostela. One of the best is the www.santiago-compostela.net website, which has a section on the Frances trail. It divides the 450 mile (725km) route into 30 stages, starting from St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port. All along the route, there are refugios - similar to youth hostels - that provide shelter for pilgrims for a minimal fee or contribution. You should budget for at least 25 Euros a day, as a bed in a refugio costs 4-10 Euros a night and substantial 'pilgrim menus' at restaurants on the route cost 7-10 Euros. Bottled water, sandwiches and fruit along the route is not expensive. If you decide to take a break along the route, you can usually find a cheap hotel for 25-35 Euros. For a list of refugios (also known as alberques), check out the www.caminodesantiago.me.uk website. Your most convenient airport from South Africa would probably be Paris, but the arrival/departure airport is not that important, as there are good train links to airports in France and Spain. People walk the trail all year, but the refugios are very crowded in summer. The best time to go is during spring (April/May) or autumn (September/October).