For many individuals strolling the Camino de Santiago is a lifetime experience. When it comes to preparing an essential journey that you have actually been dreaming about for several years it can be stressful. You may feel overloaded without knowing where to begin. And it is definitely regular. You are not alone because. Thousands of people stroll the Camino every year and you can be among them. If they can do it you can do it too by yourself or with some aid.
< img width= "1200 "height =" 800 "src="https://stingynomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Pilgrim-camino-de-santiago.jpg" alt=" A stone sculpture of pilgrim on the coastal path of the Camino "/ > A sculpture of a pilgrim on the Coastal Path of the Camino de Santiago
I have prepared many Camino journeys (not just for myself however for other people). In this post I give the
main actions for preparing the Camino de Santiago so you can do it yourself. Step 1. Choose just how much time you have and when you wish to go
Some people have just 2 weeks of vacation a year, some may have limitless timespan. Choose how much time you have for the Camino and when you have it. I recommend having at least 1 week to stroll the Camino to have enough time to experience it. You will most likely require at least 1 day
to get to the Camino and 1 day to return home. So if you have 1 week it leaves you with 5 days to stroll. Don’t worry if you do not have enough time to complete the entire
route. You can do it in parts or start somewhere closer to Santiago. Step 2.
Decide how far you want to walk every day Describe your preferable daily range. Base the decision on your level of fitness, do not go after other people’s travel plan. If you are comfy strolling 10 miles/16 km a day then it’s your range. Don’t worry if it’s shorter than the standard itinerary. You must be comfy with the walk.
As soon as you understand just how much time you have and how far you wish to stroll, increase the two numbers to get the overall range of your walk. E.g. you have 10 days to walk and wish to stroll 10 miles/16 km daily. We get a total of 100 mi/160 km.
Step 3. Pick the Camino path
Now when you have your overall distance you can select the path. Picking the ideal Camino is important. There are 7 main paths in Spain and Portugal. Their landscapes, distances, and facilities vary considerably. For first-time pilgrims who have never done a long-distance walk I recommend choosing the Camino Frances or the Portuguese Camino from Porto. These are the 2 most popular paths that have good infrastructure for pilgrims. They are much easier to prepare and break down into much shorter walking stages.
Keep in mind, you do not need to start the walk from the official beginning point. You can begin pretty much anywhere along the path. Let’s state you pick the Portuguese Camino and wish to stroll 100 mi/160 km so you can start from Ponte de Lima which is around 100 mi/160 km from Santiago de Compostela.
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the end of all Camino paths Step 4. Start training for the Camino Walking the Camino de Santiago requires preparation. You can start preparing for the Camino as early as a year ahead of time but generally, 4-6 months is enough. It’s possible to do the Camino as a last-minute walk however
in this case, you must be ready to face some difficulties if you are not used to long walking days. We have an in-depth post with simple training actions that you can follow to prepare for your walk. If you’re an outdoor individual, and utilized to hiking and strolling fars away you do not need any
unique training. If you wish to have more insights of your training process I suggest purchasing a physical fitness watch. We use our Garmin Fenix expects training, hiking, and walking. They give a great deal of information such as ranges, overall elevation gain/loss, calories used, heart rate, path maps, healing time, etc.
Step 5. Get the right shoes
Having the right shoes for walking is very crucial. You shouldn’t stroll in a brand-new set of shoes. Even the very best shoes will likely give blisters if they are brand-new and you walk over 10 mi a day in them. If you currently have a pair– fantastic, you can begin training in them.
If you require a guidance on the right shoes for the Camino please, examine our post on the best walking shoes.
Blisters are a common problem on the Camino. I suggest using Merino wool socks to minimize your chances of getting blisters.
Shoes play a crucial function in the walk. There is even a wood shoe sculpture on the Camino de Santiago. Step 6. Choose the luggage Choose if you wish to stroll with a big backpack and bring all your stuff or rather use a luggage transfer service. Walking with a huge pack is a lot more difficult than with a small day pack. It is okay to utilize a luggage transfer service on the Camino, it doesn’t make you less of a pilgrim. There are numerous companies that offer the service on various Camino paths. If you have some extra baggage that you won’t require on the Camino you can send it straight to Santiago de Compostela. It will be stored at the post workplace near the Cathedral till your arrival.
Examine the Correos site for additional information. If you choose to walk with a big pack then ensure to pick a great one that is comfy to stroll with for hours every day.
Action 7. Book your journey
Now you know when you wish to go and what path to walk. Find out how to get to the starting point (the place from where you want to begin) of your picked Camino route. What is the closest airport? Check what airlines fly there from your hometown?
Depending upon where you’re coming from your global flight might be your greatest cost. If you come from overseas e.g. the United States, Australia, Canada, or South Africa I suggest beginning looking for tickets numerous months before the trip. Usage Skyscanner to search for flights and find which airlines serve the route.
If you’re going to fly with among the European spending plan airlines examine their travel luggage allowance. Generally, they’re different for global and local flights. Cheap regional flights consist of just hand luggage if you have check-in travel luggage you have to pay extra.
Distance poles are one of the path markers on the Camino de Santiago in Spain and Portugal Step 8. Outline your travel plan Strategy your walking stages according to your preferred range. You can utilize our PDFs and plan it yourself or utilize our Camino planning service if you want a tailored itinerary. If you are planning to walk the standard stages(as recommended in the PDFs or guidebooks )then it is
extremely simple– just download the existing itinerary and follow it. If you want to remain in private rooms it is a good concept to pre book them, maybe not for the whole route simultaneously however a long time ahead. When you have your itinerary start booking lodging.
Step 9. Download everything you require on your phone
Download useful files and apps that you will require for the walk
- PDFs with strolling stages and places to stay
- GPX files of the route (if needed)
- Camino app (if required)
- Currency exchange app (if you come from outside the Euro zone)
- Bolt/Uber apps (cheaper than taxis and practical to utilize in case you need a trip)
- Language app (can be beneficial if you don’t speak any Spanish)
- Download offline Google.map of the country/region that your path goes through
Action 10. Load for the journey
And lastly the last action. Load your backpack/suitcase. Make a packaging check-list and tick the products off as you load them. If you’re going to use the travel luggage transfer service than there is nothing to stress over you can load the very same method you usually load for a vacation. The limitation is 20 km per luggage item. If you’re planning to carry your backpack then try to pack as light as possible.
< img width="751"height =" 1000"src= "https://stingynomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Sculpture-pilgrims-camino-de-santiago.jpg" alt ="A wood pilgrim walking with a backpack on the Camino de Santiago"/ >
A wooden sculpture of a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago. Camino de Santiago planning resources There are
numerous online resources and apps that you can use for planning your Camino de Santiago walk. The majority of them are totally free that makes it simple to arrange the walk. Local Camino Associations Discover your local Camino association. Lots of countries have Camino associations that can help you if you have any concerns, trying to find a business, want to get a Credential, etc. Numerous associations have special occasions and conferences committed to the Camino where you can talk about various subjects, fulfill individuals, tell stories, etc. It might be valuable to connect with other pilgrims from your country.
My Credential(pilgrim’s passport )with stamps from the Portuguese Camino de Santiago Don’t forget To buy travel insurance. Learn more about travel insurance coverage for the Camino or get an instantaneous individualized quote in a minute or 2 right here.
World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance coverage. Purchase home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world. To get an adaptor. If you originate from the United States, Australia, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and some other nations you might need a power adapter. In Spain and Portugal, they have Type F plugs like in a lot of European nations.
To get a Credential (pilgrim’s passport). It is a little book with locations for stamps. You gather stamps from albergues, hotels, cafes, restaurants, and churches along the Camino route. Once in Santiago de Compostela you can go to the Pilgrim’s Reception Office, show your Credential with stamps and get the Compostela certificate for finishing the Camino. You can get the Credential at your regional Camino association, albergues, info offices, churches, and so on
The beautiful half of Stingy Nomads, accountable for all our land experiences (hiking, climbing up, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves strolling because she was a child, she chooses to stroll 1000 km with a knapsack instead of to do a 10 000 km journey (in fact any trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Whenever we go away she frantically misses our dog Chile.