CAMINO DE SANTIAGO WALK - FRANCE & SPAIN
Self-guided or small group walking holidays
Camino de Santiago * Chemin St Jacques * Way of St James * Camino Frances
This pilgrimage route to the shrine of St James the Apostle in north-west Spain - has attracted pilgrims from all over Europe since the 12th century when an estimated two million people each year walked, rode or were carried along the route to the city of Santiago de Compostela.
One of the major pilgrimage routes in France was from Le Puy crossing the Pyrenees at the Roncesvalles Pass, joining other trails at Puente la Reina in Navarra (near Pamplona) to form a single path across northern Spain to the shrine at Santiago de Compostela. The Spanish part of El Camino de Santiago runs some 800km (500 miles) from the Roncesvalles pass through Puente la Reina, La Rioja, Burgos, Leon and finally crossing Galicia to Santiago.
Today, it is possible to experience the same route as the medieval travellers, walking the most unspoilt sections of the route either on a small group guided walk - either with or without a support vehicle with a variety of standards of accommodation - or on a self-guided ‘inn to inn’ walk staying in 1 or 2-star hotels with your baggage transferred each day.
Share in the sheer scale, the mystery and the history of this great medieval pilgrimage phenomenon. Take a journey where you can imagine the hardships, the pleasures and interests of those early pilgrims. Follow an infinitely varied succession of paths and trails that link cities and villages, great cathedrals, fine churches and ancient monuments. Travel through the wooded valleys of central France, cross the Pyrenees and the great Navarre plains, see the Montes de Leon, the vineyards of Rioja and the Bierzo, before reaching the fertile valleys of Galicia and - like millions of others have done through history - the sacred shrine of St James.
Self-guided walking holidays from 7-days to 11-weeks with daily departures
For our self-guided walks we offer one or two week easy to moderate walking sections from Le Puy in central France, south to the Pyrenees and along the northern coast of Spain to Santiago, on the road to Compostela.
Self-guided tour cost includes:
- Self-guided Inn-to-Inn walking
- 1, 2 or 3-star accommodation with private bathrooms
- Local shuttle-bus transfers
- Detailed route maps & information
- Daily baggage transfers
- Mostly breakfast & dinner each day
LE PUY – NASBINALS – 7-days / 6-nights (5-days walking in France)
DAY 1 Arrive at Le Puy in time for dinner.
DAY 2 Le Puy – St Privat d’Allier, 24km
DAY 3 St Priva d’Allier – Saugues, 20km
DAY 4 Saugues – Les Faux, 25km
DAY 5 Les Faux – Aumont, 19km
DAY 6 Aumont – Nasbinals, 26km
DAY 7 Trip ends after breakfast.
Arrival point: Le Puy en Velay.
Nearest train station: Le Puy en Velay
Departure point: Nasbinals
Difficulty: 4 to 7-hours easy to moderate walking each day (150 - 500metres of elevation)
Accommodation: 6-nights: 1 or 2-star hotels
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NASBINALS – CONQUES – 7-days / 6-nights (5-days walking in France)
DAY 1 Arrive at Nasbinals in time for dinner.
DAY 2 Nasbinals – St Chély d’Aubrac, 17km
DAY 3 St Chély d’Aubrac – Espalion, 24km
DAY 4 Espalion – Estaing, 13km
DAY 5 Estaing – Espeyrac, 24km
DAY 6 Espeyrac – Conques, 13km
DAY 7 Trip ends after breakfast
Arrival point: Nasbinals
Nearest train station: Aumont-Aubrac or St Christophe
Departure point: Conques
Difficulty: 3 to 6-hours of easy to moderate walking each day (150 - 450metres of elevation)
Accommodation: 6-nights: 1 or 2-star hotels
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CONQUES – CAHORS – 8-days / 7-nights (6-days of walking in France)
DAY 1 Arrival at Conques in time for dinner
DAY 2 Conques – Decazeville, 17km
DAY 3 Decazeville – Figeac, 32km
DAY 4 Figeac – Cajarc, 32km
DAY 5 Cajarc – Limogne, 17km
DAY 6 Limogne – Lalbenque, 22km
DAY 7 Lalbenque – Cahors, 19km
DAY 8 Trip ends after breakfast.
Arrival point: Conques
Nearest train station: Rodez
Departure point: Cahors
Difficulty: 4 to 8-hours easy to moderate walking each day (50 - 350metres of elevation)
Accommodation: 7-nights: 1 or 2-star hotels
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CAHORS – LECTOURE – 7-days / 6-nights (5-days of walking in France)
DAY 1 Arrival at Cahors in time for dinner
DAY 2 Cahors - Montcuq, 32km
DAY 3 Montcuq - Durfort, 26km
DAY 4 Durfort - Moissac, 14km
DAY 5 Moissac - Auvillar, 19km
DAY 6 Auvillar - Lectoure, 34km
DAY 7 End of the trip after breakfast
Arrival Point: Cahors
Nearest train station: Cahors
Departure: Lectoure
Difficulty: 4 to 8-hours easy to moderate walking each day (50 to 150metres of elevation)
Accommodation: 6-nights: 1, 2 or 3-star hotels
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LECTOURE — AIRE-SUR-ADOUR – 8-days / 7-nights (6-days of walking in France)
DAY 1 Arrival at Lectoure in time for dinner
DAY 2 Lectoure - La Romieu, 19km.
DAY 3 La Romieu - Condom, 16km.
DAY 4 Condom - Montréal du Gers, 16km.
DAY 5 Montréal du Gers - Eauze, 17km
DAY 6 Eauze – Nogaro, 20km
DAY 7 Nogaro - Aire-sur-Adour, 30km
DAY 8 Trip ends after breakfast.
Arrival point: Lectoure
Nearest train station: Agen or Auch
Departure point: Aire-sur-Adour.
Difficulty: 4 to 8-hours easy to moderate walking each day (50 to 150metres of elevation)
Accommodation: 7-nights, 1 or 2-star hotels & a country cottage
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AIRE-SUR-ADOUR – ST JEAN PIED DE PORT – 8-days / 7-nights (6-days walking in France)
DAY 1 Arrival at Aire-sur-Adour in time for dinner
DAY 2 Aire - Adour - Arzacq, 32km
DAY 3 Arzacq - Maslacq : 40km
DAY 4 Maslacq - Navarrenx, 22km
DAY 5 Navarrenx - St Palais, 30km
DAY 6 St Palais - Larceveau, 15km
DAY 7 Larceveau - St Jean Pied de Port, 18km
DAY 8 Trip ends after breakfast.
Arrival point: Aire-sur-Adour
Nearest train station: Aire-sur-Adour
Departure point: St Jean Pied de Port
Difficulty: 4 to 10-hours of easy to moderate walking each day (50 to 150m)
Accommodation: 7-nights, 1 & 2-star hotels
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ST JEAN PIED DE PORT – LOGRONO 8-days / 7-nights (6-days walking France into Spain)
DAY 1 Arrival at St Jean Pied de Port in time for dinner
DAY 2 St Jean Pied de Port – Roncesvalles, 25km
DAY 3 Roncesvalles – Zubiri, 22km
DAY 4 Zubiri – Pamplona, 21km
DAY 5 Pamplona - Puente La Reina, 24km
DAY 6 Puente La Reina – Estella, 22km
DAY 7 Estella - Los Arcos, 22km
DAY 8 Los Arcos – Logrono, 28km.
Arrival point: St Jean Pied de Port
Nearest train station: St Jean Pied de Port
Departure point: Logrono
Difficulty: 6 to 8-hours of moderate walking daily
Accommodation: 7-nights, 1 & 2-star hotels
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LOGRONO – BURGOS – 7-days / 6-nights (5-days of walking in Spain)
DAY 1 Arrival at Logrono in time for dinner
DAY 2 Logrono – Najera, 29km
DAY 3 Najera-Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 21km
DAY 4 Santo Domingo de la Calzada-Belorado, 23km
DAY 5 Belarado - San Juan de Ortega, 24km
DAY 6 San Juan de Ortega - Burgos, 28km
DAY 7 Walk ends in Burgos after breakfast
Arrival point: Logrono
Nearest train station: Logrono
Departure point: Burgos
Difficulty: 4 to 7-hours of flat easy walking each day
Accommodation: 6-nights, 1 & 2-star hotels
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BURGOS – LEON – 8-days / 7-nights (7-days of walking in Spain)
DAY 1 Arrival at Burgos in time for dinner
DAY 2 Burgos - Castrojeriz, 39km
DAY 3 Castrojeriz – Fromista, 25km
DAY 4 Fromista : Carrion de los Condes, 19km
DAY 5 Carrion – Moratinos, 30km
DAY 6 Moratinos - El Burgo Ranero, 28km
DAY 7 El Burgo Ranero - Mansillas de las Mulas, 22km
DAY 8 Mansillas – Leon, 19km
Arrival point: Burgos
Nearest train station: Burgos
Departure point: Leon
Difficulty: 6 to 8-hours of moderate walking each day
Accommodation: 6-nights, 1 & 2-star hotels
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LEON – SANTIAGO de COMPOSTELA – 15-days / 14-nights (13-days walking in Spain)
DAY 1 Arrival at Leon in time for dinner
DAY 2 Léon - Hospital de Orbigo, 44km
DAY 3 Hospital de Orbigo – Astorga, 14km
DAY 4 Astorga - Rabanal del Camino, 20km
DAY 5 Rabanal - Ponferrada: 33km
DAY 6 Ponferrada - Vilafranca del Bierzo, 25km
DAY 7 Vilafranca del Bierzo - O Cebreiro, 30km
DAY 8 O Cebreiro – Triascastela, 21km.
DAY 9 Triascatela – Sarria, 21km
DAY 10 Sarria – Portomarin, 22km
DAY 11 Portomarin – Palas de Rei, 25km
DAY 12 Palas de Rei – Arzua, 29km
DAY 13 Arzua – Lavacolla, 29km
DAY 14 Lavacolla – Santiago de Compostela, 10km
DAY 15 Trip ends after breakfast
Arrival point: Leon
Nearest train station: Leon
Departure point: Santiago - St Jacques de Compostelle
Difficulty: 4 to 8-hours of easy to moderate walking each day
Accommodation: 14-nights, 1 & 2-star hotels or upgrade to 5-star Paradors where available
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Outdoor Travel also offer several small group guided walks on sections of the Camino route – mostly in Spain – on set departure dates throughout the year. Some offer challenging walking, some using a support vehicle with the best accommodation and meals, some ‘value’ tours, some offer specialist guides with expert knowledge and some offer cycling instead of walking.
For details of our many group guided tours see WHAT'S NEW
Call OUTDOOR TRAVEL on 1800 331 582 for details or reservations
