Camino de Santiago! Our bad Camino experience!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- #caminodesantiago #camino #caminofrances #spain #hiking #walking
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I'm sorry for your bad experience. The Camino de Santiago, especially the French Camino, is no longer what it's supposed to be. There are many people who take it as a kind of amusement park for tourism and there comes a time when everything gets saturated. . There are cases that a travel agency organizes the trip for 30 or 40 people, reserving all the accommodations in advance, they are large groups that take up everything, they do not even carry backpacks since they are transported to the next hostel. They do not respect other pilgrims or the culture, traditions, or the local people. Wherever they go they destroy everything, leaving their garbage and dirtying everything. The consequence is that the local people are fed up and all the pilgrims pay for it unfairly. I recommend two things, first, avoid the French route, try the northern path or the primitive path, they are wilder routes that are more difficult due to the unevenness of the terrain and therefore much less people. Second: In Spain there are specific times for lunches. and dinners, lunch is served from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and dinner is served from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. Small shops close from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (siesta) and close at 8:00 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. Don't try to have dinner at 6:00 p.m. or lunch at 12:00 p.m. in a restaurant. You have to adapt to those schedules since Spain is not going to adapt to yours. And learn a little bit of Spanish since we have no obligation to speak English even if we know how to do it. Four words in Spanish are appreciated and will open many doors for you. Good luck and greetings from Valencia (Spain).
Thank you 🙏 we had heard people talking about the organization of large groups and trips taking over the bookings. Thats very unfortunate:( we did see lots of people not carrying their bags. I can understand the locals being upset. We travel lots all over the world and we always use google translate for whatever language we need. The only time we had trouble was when the guy was yelling at us in Spanish because I didn’t have my phone out. But besides that we don’t normally have issues with different languages in any country. Thank you so much 🙏 we will try again 🥰
I agree with you 100%. The "cheatergrinos", those who carry a grade 5 back-to-school day pack and walk the absolute MINIMUM distance simply to get a piece of paper to show their friends, have especially clogged up the route from Sarria onward. It is very frustrating and demoralizing.
Honestly, your “bad” experience wasn’t as bad as ours! We came here to learn about The Camino and instead watched you snore, watched you eat and watched you do PEEK-A-BOO from your airline seat. VANITY VLOGS disguised as TRAVEL VLOGS. The minutia of your lives…a TH-cam staple!
@@-Luka-Brazi lol 😂 Very true!
Sad to see you had a bad experience & several accommodation issues. We walked the Camino Frances starting Oct 16 2022 - Nov 19th 2022 (autumn colours & a lot less folk) & enjoyed every minute. We did however pre-book all of our accommodation well in advance (£40 - £75) per night (private rooms) as I suffer with sciatica & have a restless sleep most nights, which would disturb others if we stayed in Albergues.
Weather wise, we had a lot of beautiful dry sunny days (20+C) a couple of cold frosty days (0C) on the Meseta & a few cool rainy days (6C) Galicia. Walking this time of year meant our packs weighted more than they would in peak season, as you carry some warmer items of clothing, mid layer, jacket, hat, gloves, waterproof coat & trousers, headtorch etc (10kg total). Our Camino experience was fantastic..... we enjoyed it so much, we returned Oct 2023 to walk the Frances again. Unfortunately our Camino was cut short at Logrono after we were both struck down with Covid.........
Fast forward 8 months, I've booked to return Oct 20 (2024) to walk the Frances again, this time with my youngest son.
I hope you find your way back to the Camino & give it another go. Consider Pre-booking private accommodation well in advance (6 months) it takes all the 'Bed Stress' out of the experience & you can still meet up with Camino friends to dine out or have drinks, we did. Also consider an autumn Camino, a lot less folk, spectacular foliage colours & walking watching beautiful sunrises (8.30am)
I’m so glad you have had some wonderful experiences! This gives us hope for next time! Thank you for the helpful info! We will definitely book ahead next time. October and November sounds like a great time to do it. Sorry to hear about your sciatica, that’s understandable wanting to sleep away from others. Thanks again for all the info! Hope you have a great Camino with your son 🙏🥰
This is not a holiday, tourist route. It's a pilgrimage and should be treated as such.
@@robertwilkes2105 100%! If you watched the video at the end I explain what happened. We didn’t want a tourist holiday experience, but that’s what it turned into with lack of beds in hostels and Albergues. We like to do challenging hikes :) we hiked to Mt Everest Base camp unguided and unsupported. It was so much fun! 🤩
We spent 9 weeks living in Pamplona this spring. Yes, figuring out when a restaurant has an open kitchen is a challenge. In Spain, meals are available midday, until about 3 pm then dinner starts up the earliest is 7 pm with many restaurants starting to serve at 9pm. It is frustrating that most restaurants do not show on their websites the times the kitchen is closed, nor on the restaurant hours as you enter the restaurant. My guess is that you were not being snubbed, that the locals knew when the kitchen closed and got their orders in before that time. There is no consistency as to when you can order a meal- each restaurant is different. Also, May is a busy month on the Camino. April, with the exception of Holy Week when many Europeans do a week long Camino walk, is a much better time to go. Try it again, it is an amazing experience.
Thank you 🙏 we will definitely try again! It was a very weird experience this time. I’m sure it’s not like this all the time. It was just bad luck and timing I think! The restaurant thing was frustrating, the one I spoke of in this video was a strange situation because it was the restaurant at the hotel we were staying at and we watched many people come in and sit down and order after we asked. It went on for a couple of hours. We sat outside watching people go in and eat for a couple of hours, all we had after walking all day was a bag of chips. It just made us feel bad. But we understand the locals need to eat as well and probably have a better idea of when to go and what to do, however it really seemed like they just didn’t want to serve us in this particular situation. Thank you for your input it makes us hopeful for the future trips there ❤️Pamplona was amazing! We had no issues there at all! People were awesome and we had the best food of the trip there as well :)
That is too bad the camino didn't work out , I hope you can do it again that day. I hear it can be really tough during high season.
Thank you so much 🙏 we hope we have better luck next time 😊
Restaurants don’t open for dinner until 7-8 pm. Your packs were way too heavy. Research cultural norms and expectations. If you were blocking his door, I can never stand why he may have been angry.
@@TheProfessorandHerPassport They told us they were closed for the entire night. It was 6pm and it was the restaurant at the hotel we were staying at. There was nothing else around that was open. They continued to serve new people showing up for at least 2 hours. We just went back up to our room after that. Our bags were perfect! 👍 we didn’t have any issues with doing the actual physical part of the hike or our packs :) We really enjoyed the walking part! It was beautiful 🤩 Yes you are probably right! I had no idea there was a door there, it was kind of hidden and same color as the building in fact it scared me when he came blasting out of it lol 😂 looking back it was a bit comical, I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone of course. But accidents happen. Thank you for your input and Buen Camino 🙏
Yikes,
I’m so sorry this was your experience.
Thank you 🙏 we will try again at a different time :)
Your first try.
Exactly 👍 we will try again 🥰
Do some inner work before you go next time.
lol I’m sure that will be helpful with the situation 😂
Too many people, too expensive = not much fun. Going to do a Camino 2026 but not that one. Thinking of the Portuguese coastal route. I heard those foot steps @30:51😬😳 and I always make the bed in hotels. Wishing you all love and luck on your next adventure.
@@marks3678 Thank you so much! Safe and happy travels to you 🙏
Had you considered back then changing to the Norte or other at that time, and alternatively just to stay around the basque area and enjoy day hikes?
Also wondering if in your research / hikes you had thoughts on the Portuguese. Maybe that would be much less crowded?
@@jww1022 We are definitely going to return at some point and do a different route. We did May 2nd start date! To be honest we were so deflated we just wanted to go home lol 😂. We ended up going back to London for a while and then returned home.
your right,to many people for the systeme to cope .
Thanks for being honest about your experience and sorry it wasn’t what you wanted.
@@gregfioravanti775 Thank you so much 🙏
I want to thank you for your honesty regarding your experience. Without knowing it, you have helped me prepare for some situations I haven’t anticipated. I have been to Spain twice in the past two years, but I’m traveling alone this fall to spend three weeks on the Camino. I have booked all my accommodations, but one never knows…I may show up and find my booking has been cancelled or whatever. I think you’ve prepared me to be open to frustration, fear, anger, and the range of possibilities of reality vs. fantasy of a perfect trip. Of course I’ve considered blisters, fatigue, bad weather, etc., but your honest video helps me pre-adjust my expectations and attitude. Thank you.
@@hessionr We hope you have a great experience! I think you will be going at the perfect time! Buen Camino 🙏🙂
What's also recommendable: Not to spend the night in the 'main-stages'' of the guidebook, but insted befoere or after. These accomodations are always less crowded.
Thank you 🙏
Locals were not nearly as friendly as they were in the past. I think they are just sick of all of the pilgrims. I remember talking to a woman who was walking for the first time and she commented that the locals were not as nice as she had heard. And it's true. I was there in 2018 and 2022 and they were much nicer.
I agree! We felt they were sick of us and everyone else. It was understandable though. I guess we just expected something different. We did not have the Camino we hoped for. Thanks for letting us know about your experiences with the Camino!
I have been to Spain twice and both times I felt unwanted and unwelcome, especially in Barcelona, where we were even told to go back to our country. And we are Europeans like them. I think being from the US, with the different accent, behaviour ans attitude make you stand out and be singled out so unless you're with others like you, the locals are bound to be hostile to you. Very sorry for your experience but now that you know about this challenge take it in your stride and next time prepare for it.
I’m so sorry that happened to you 😢 Thank you for sharing your experience 🙏
Would you change anything about getting to Europe? I.g. A destination you would’ve changed?
I flew from Denver to London Heathrow (absolutely horrible experience there). From Heathrow to Madrid. Plane to Pamplona and then a bus to Saint Jean Pied De Port. I WILL NOT take the bus!
We would do it again the same way, we love to spend some time in London :) it’s one of our favorite places! The non stop flights to Biarritz from London Stansted is great! We absolutely loved Biarritz! I think most people took a train and bus from Biarritz to Saint Jean, but we just used an Uber all the way and I think it was like 100 bucks, but super convenient! No changes from buses or trains and you get right there! It is more expensive to do that though. We did fly into London Heathrow from Chicago, but flew out from Stansted which is outside of London a bit, we did have to take an Uber to Stansted airport and is not as convenient as the Heathrow airport, but the non stop flight was why we did that. I have heard lots of people will also fly into Paris or fly right into Spain from the states. I guess it just depends on your preference:)
Looks like the first 5 days are busy, and the last 5 days are busy. I hiked the Appalachian Trail and many other long distance trails and I plan on taking my ultra lite tent. I won't worry about a thing! If you want a great adventure try Lalibela Ethiopia, Petra, Luxor Egypt, or Croatia with a rental car.
@@johnmys5am Thanks! It was super busy! We could not believe it! Did not plan on camping lol 😂 I can’t imagine having a rental car, but we love visiting Egypt 🇪🇬
I can only travel in July, so I’m hoping it will be less busy due to the fact that is also peak heat. (Also worried about the heat-but I don’t have another time to go). I’m hoping that as a solo traveler I might have better chances at accommodations-I can always take the “last spot” if I’m the lucky one. However, as I’ve heard some of the statistics about the increased visitors, I feel like we’ve all ruined it for ourselves 😕
@@foreignfilmfan I think you will be ok! 👍 I think there was just a huge influx of people right when we started. I have seen many others say it was super bad at the same time when we were there, but since then it sounds like it has been better! Fingers crossed 🤞 for you! What an experience to do it solo! You will have a fabulous time I am sure! Don’t worry too much about it 🥰 have a great time! Buen Camino!
I'm not sure why you had issues with accommodations?? I started April 17, never booked ahead, and never had an issue. Did the entire Camino. You either started too late in the mornings or maybe didn't want to stay in municipals when needed.
We started May 2nd. I’m not sure if you watched all the way till the end of the video but I explained what happened. Apparently there was a huge influx of people starting May 1st for some reason. Maybe something to do with the holiday. We wanted to stay in Hostels and Albergues with everyone else. We never had a chance to stay in a hostel or albergue at all because they were all full and booked. In Ronchavalles they had to taxi 47 of us to different towns and even when there they didn’t have any beds for us. There was a huge issue at that time. Everyone had problems. But I can’t tell you why it was so busy 🤷♀️ we left early every morning and we are not slow :) I’m glad you started early in the season and had no issues 🙏 Buen Camino!
Thanks for telling the real aspects of the Camino that others are reluctant to tell, adding to recent anti-tourists protests in Barcelona, I'd rather spend my hard earned money elsewhere.
@@Hoangsa74 Thank you 🙏
@@baldandbeautiful I know that it's not about the Camino, and I assume that financially you two can afford it, how about the Annapurna Circuit Trek in Nepal? breathtaking beauty, fresh air, simpler life, nearer to God at that high _ in my bucket list.
@@Hoangsa74 We have done the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal and we loved it 😊 we do plan to head back for the Annapurna Circuit at some point. The altitude makes a big difference for sure! But we loved it! It’s beautiful there. The people were so nice 👍
TRy the Portuguese Camino starting from Porto. we went end of April. We loved the coast. It wasnt as crowded. We booked all but two nights ahead. The locals were very friendly and helpful.
Thank you 🙏 We have heard the coast is amazing 🤩 We will definitely be booking ahead next time! We hope to have a better experience:)
Oh no, I’m getting cold feet. I booked zero places and didn’t even prep my gear like you. Do you think it will be as bad in October? What Facebook resources do you use? P.s. I thought public albergues were not “bookable” and by default had to be first come first served. Wondering how the others who had to line up every night did in the end if you saw. So sad to hear totally get your frustration BUT, your decisiveness is applaudable and your generosity for sharing news is admirable.
@@jww1022 I think you will be better off in October for sure! 👍 something weird was going on in early May, everyone said it was not normal at all! They are not bookable however they were full of tourist, I guess a bunch of people showed up that were just visiting and using the open rooms even though they were not walking it. It was a mess! We used the wise pilgrim app! Also used facebook.com/share/g/XgKGk7xCPoc5yt2j/?mibextid=K35XfP. There are a few more Facebook pages as well, I will link that info later. I hope you have a wonderful pilgrimage!! Safe travels!
You are correct, 4 weeks is not sufficient to prepare for the Camino. Please do give it another go in the future.
Thank you 🙏 we hope to give it another try!
Good attempt, and lessons learned :) Sorry the experience was soured for you, but also wise to know when to say when!
Oh no! I am so sorry that this was your experience. Did you go in May? that is when I am planning next year. I wonder what time you left walking each morning? I have heard that you need to leave early so that you arrive at the alburgue early afternoon to get a bed.
We started May 2nd. It was super packed! Lots of the Camino pages we follow had a lot of people commenting that they could not find beds and didn’t know what to do. I don’t think this is the normal experience for early May. Everyone was saying it definitely wasn’t normal this year. I am hopeful you will be ok next May!! We hope to go back and finish it at some point:) I hope you have a great experience 🥰🙏
We started early around 7am and we are not slow :) I agree! You need to leave early when there are lots of people.
I went in May and although I booked the first 3 days, I had no problem booking accomodation each day as I went. As did several of the people I met walking.
@@SuiGenerisGuy I’m so glad you didn’t have any issues! We definitely should have booked the first days, would have made it so much easier on us! I feel so bad for the people who are in Spain right now with all the anti tourist protests going on in Barcelona. So sad 😞
As a son of a hotel/motel maid strip the bed and put all the linens in a pile- gather your towels and put in sink-will save the maids time and they will appreciate it-thanks
I also had a "bad experience" on my first Camino in 2019. It was not what I expected/hoped and it was very expensive because I could not sleep in the dorms at all and I could not find anyone who wanted to split the cost of a room with me.
@@MakeBetterStuff So sorry you had a bad experience:( Thank you for sharing 🙏
First of all, thank you for sharing your experience on the Camino. I have some relatives that are about 1/2 way through, but 3 out of the 4 have fallen ill and they are in process of deciding whether to finish or not.
Second, I totally heard those footsteps loud and clear at the end of your video!! 😳 That was crazy, it sounded like someone walking right up to you!! 👻😮 eek!!
Oh no! So sorry that happened to them! I hope they are ok and make a fast recovery ❤️🩹…I am pretty sure it’s haunted down there lol 😂 Or maybe it was people walking on the floor above me. It was freaky 😆
Getting an app for the Camino will make the accommodations issue easier. Whichever you get will show the route; distance, towns, stages, and lodging. You will need to call to make a reserva/ reservation two or three days before you arrive to your destination each day. See what other pilgrims are using-don’t be afraid to ask. It’s better to have breakfast around 7:30 -8:00 am at a bar/cafe, buy fruit, snacks, and food when you see the stores/shelters/bars open. Dinner is served late due to the siesta tradition. A heavy backpack will make the walking more challenging. The Camino is a physical, mental, and emotional experience that comes with pain and joy; but it is an unforgettable and rewarding journey: I hope you try it again, buen Camino!
Thank you 🙏 yes! We had a couple different apps we were using including Wise Pilgrim. They were all booked out days in advance. We tried to book ahead once we were there but everything on the apps and booking sites were full. I think it was just very busy. There were many people there having the same issues we had. In Ronchelvalas they had to taxi out 47 people including us to the next towns and then when there they didn’t even have any beds, people were sleeping outside. I don’t know what happened to make it so busy during the time we were there, but it was crazy. I know it’s not normally like that, just bad luck for us! People said there were lots of Tourists there taking the beds, I am not sure what that means. But we will not let it deter us from returning to finish it! One day 🥰
I'm so sorry for this bad experience for you. Maybe try Portuguese Coastal or another route? If you can book a few rooms in advance it might alleviate some of the problems. Good luck and don't give up!
Thank you 🙏 we are going to give it another go at some point ❤️
Use of the Camino forums to get up to date current information is very helpful. Any start date after mid-April will be very busy. I'm sorry you had a negative experience.
Thank you 🙏 We hope we have a better experience next time 🙂
Yeah, this video is nonsense. I was on Camino in May and it was lovely.
@@SuiGenerisGuy I’m so glad you didn’t have any issues 🙏 We hope to go back when it’s not as busy, although now with all the anti tourist protests going on in Spain it may be a while.
Hi there. Did you take the Napoleon route? Where did you fly from in the states? I started my journey on May 12th and it ended a few hours later due to a foot injury. So, now I’m considering this a “do over..” plan things differently! I like the view in Biarritz. And was that a train you were on before the flight? 😁
Hello! I am so sorry to hear about your foot injury :( We did the Frances route. We flew out of Des Moines Iowa because that’s where we live right now. We flew to Chicago and then to London. We took a flight from London Stansted airport to Biarritz non stop flight. That was not a train that was United Business class which is now their “first class” cabin :) It was an 8 hour flight from Chicago. I hope your next trip goes better for you 🥰 Buen Camino!!
Thank you very much for the information. I hope that your next experience is so much better. 🙏🏻
We saw ourselves on your video at the AltoDel Perdon, I am taking a photo of my husband who is towing a trolley. We only booked to Pamplona as we were also told no need to book ahead Big Mistake we were so stressed every night after Pamplona looking for accommodation.
My husband had a heart attack walked for another 5 days ended up in Burgos what a nightmare that was. Yes it’s all about money €150 to see a Dr, €1000 have ECG, €25,000 to be admitted to UCI. Luckily we had travel insurance. It took the Australian Embassy to step in to stop the badgering of money by the Admin of the hospital while my husband was in UCI.
What we went through at the Recoleta Hospital I would not wish on anyone, we left as soon as possible with horrible memories of Burgos & food.
@@marionharland1364 OMG! I am so very sorry for your experience!! What a horrible situation! I can’t imagine! I hope your husband is ok! My husband has bad heart problems and has an implanted heart monitor, something like this happening is always on my mind! Prayers to you and your husband 🙏🙏🙏🥰 Thank you for sharing your experience.
We are grateful for your Video, it seems if you have a bad experience & speak out you are slammed, so thank you for telling like it is, we were shocked with the amount of people walking from Saint John Pied de Port, so many were left without a bed in Zubiri we felt so sorry for them it was raining the whole day from Roncesvalles.
We are not wealthy spent a year to save up for airfares from Australia to Toulouse & began walking from Lourdes, the French part was amazing highly recommend it.
Thank you my husband is now well & back at work, we are starting to walk again.
@@marionharland1364 You are so right! People are always afraid to share when the experience is not the “fairytale experience” but I honestly don’t care about the negative comments. I just do these videos for fun, it gives me something to do and I really enjoy editing videos even if I’m not the greatest at it lol 😆 I love it! I’m so glad to hear that your husband is doing better ❤️ What a scary situation. I hope you have a better experience soon 🙏 Beun Camino!
It’s ok to say people were rude when they are rude. I experienced far more rudeness from locals than positive vibes and I was thrilled to get to Portugal and feel welcomed again.
Thank you for sharing your experience 🙏
@makebetterstuff, which month did you go and which route? I’m considering switching from Frances to Portuguese but don’t want an overly solitary experience as I’m not confident about walking alone for huge long stretches and want some social support. Any thoughts or experiences to share much appreciated!
Ps “it’s ok to say ppl are rude when they are rude.” Amen.
Totally agree. It was just way too crowded this year. This was my third time and it was not the best.
I’m so glad you had other good experiences! It gives us hope! One day we will try again 🥰
I ended up leaving after Leon.
Making the hotel bed. Prior military?
Correct! He is a Navy Gulf War veteran 👍
Good luck adventure
@@anxomillaraveiga9404 Thanks!
@@baldandbeautiful it,s a shame when fewer tourist return