From Home to Trailhead — Find Your Way with Confidence

Your Camino begins before the first step

Getting to your Camino trailhead is often the most logistically complex part of the journey. But it doesn’t need to be stressful. With a little planning and the right mindset, you’ll arrive calm, rested, and ready to walk.

🧭 Step One: Choose Your Starting City

The Camino de Santiago is not one trail. Each route has many possible starting points.

Popular beginnings include:

• St. Jean Pied de Port (for the full Camino Francés)

• Sarria (the final 100km of the Camino Francés)

• Tui or Porto (Camino Portugués)

• Ferrol (Camino Inglés)

• Oviedo (Camino Primitivo)

Your choice depends on your route, available time, and walking goals. Once you’ve chosen a starting point, you can begin planning your travel to match.

✈️ Step Two: Fly into Europe

There is no single “best” airport. The right one depends on your route and onward travel options.

• Madrid (MAD) is centrally located and well-connected to most routes

• Barcelona (BCN) and Paris (CDG or ORY) work well for northern starting points

• Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) are ideal for Portuguese routes

Compare flights not only for price, but for arrival time, ease of onward travel, and available transportation.

🚆 Step Three: Travel to Your Starting Point

Once in Europe, you’ll likely rely on:

• Trains (Renfe in Spain, SNCF in France, CP in Portugal)

• Long-distance or regional buses (Alsa, FlixBus, Rede Expressos)

• Taxi or shuttle services for short transfers

📊 Airport-to-Starting-Point Travel Table

Use the table below to get a general sense of travel time between major international airports and popular Camino starting towns.

Note: All times are approximate and do not include transfers such as airport-to-train-station travel, time spent clearing customs, or overnight stays required by late arrivals or limited regional schedules.

For route-specific travel planning, check Rome2Rio to compare options across trains, buses, and rideshares.

🕰️ Plan for a Recovery Day

If you're flying from overseas, consider arriving a full day before you start walking. A recovery day can:

• Help your body adjust to the time zone

• Let you get organized and collect your Pilgrim Credential

• Give you space to walk your first steps with calm, not chaos

🥾 How I’ve Started My Own Caminos

There’s no one right way to arrive at your starting point. Each of my Caminos has begun a little differently — sometimes with enthusiasm, other times with strategy. Here are a few examples to show just how flexible this can be:

1. Lisbon to Camino Portugués Landed at 7:00 AM and took the metro straight to the cathedral. I had planned to take it easy that day, but my energy was high, so I just started walking.

2. Madrid to Logroño Flew into Madrid early in the morning and took a direct bus from the airport to Logroño. Slept well that night and started walking the next day.

3. Santiago to Astorga Caught a car share from Santiago to Astorga. Visited the cathedral, found a place to stay, and hit the trail the following morning.

4. Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Took a train from Paris to Biarritz and spent two days acclimating. Then I caught a midday bus to SJPDP, checked into a pre-booked hostel, and began my walk the next day.

5. Zurich to Le Puy-en-Velay Flew into Zurich and took a train to Geneva, where I stayed overnight. The next day, I continued by train to Le Puy-en-Velay, arrived late afternoon, and spent the following day exploring before beginning my Camino.

6. Porto to Camino Portugués Flew into Porto and had planned a rest day. But with bad weather forecasted for my first walking day, I adapted. I walked two-thirds of the segment on my “acclimation day,” then took an Uber back to my hotel in Porto. The next morning, the same driver brought me back to where I left off. It cost around $50 roundtrip and let me start walking in better conditions.

Every start looked a little different, but in each case, I created space to adjust, reflect, and begin with clarity.

📝 Want to Share Your Own Arrival Story?

Every Camino begins in its own way. Whether you walked off the plane and hit the trail or took a few days to soak it all in, your experience matters.

Share how you got to your starting point — and what it felt like to take that first step.

We’re collecting arrival stories for future guides and editions of Moments from the Way.

Submit Your Story

💡 Final Advice

• Focus on arriving rested, not rushed

• Stay flexible and trust your plan will evolve

• Let this journey begin with intention, not urgency

More than paperwork. These are the marks of your journey.

Two key documents define the physical and symbolic framework of the Camino: the Pilgrim Credential and the Compostela. They are simple, but meaningful. They record your steps and recognize your journey.

🪪 What Is the Pilgrim Credential?

The Pilgrim Credential (also called the “pilgrim passport”) is a small booklet used to collect stamps (sellos) along your route. You’ll show it at albergues, cafes, churches, and other places where pilgrims pass through.

You need the credential to:

• Stay in pilgrim-only accommodations (like municipal albergues)

• Access certain discounts

• Receive your Compostela at the end of your walk

You can get your credential from:

• Many Camino support organizations

• Churches or pilgrim associations in your home country

• Pilgrim offices in major starting towns (like SJPDP, Porto, or Le Puy)

📌 How to Use It

• Keep your credential in an accessible place in your daypack

• Ask for a stamp each day, usually at your lodging and one other location

• Some pilgrims collect stamps at every cafe or town they pass

• The final 100 kilometers (or 200 km by bike) requires at least two stamps per day

💬 How to Ask for a Stamp in Spanish

Most places on the Camino are familiar with pilgrims and will understand what you need, even with hand gestures and a smile. But if you want to ask in Spanish, here are a few simple ways:

• ¿Tiene sello de peregrino? Do you have a pilgrim stamp?

• ¿Puedo tener un sello, por favor? Can I have a stamp, please?

• ¿Dónde está el sello? Where is the stamp?

Say it with kindness, and you’ll usually get a smile and a satisfying clunk in your passport.

🎓 What Is the Compostela?

The Compostela is a certificate of completion issued by the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago de Compostela.

To receive one:

• Walk at least 100 kilometers (or cycle 200 kilometers)

• Present your completed credential with the required stamps

• Indicate that you walked with spiritual, religious, or personal purpose

• Visit the Pilgrim’s Office in Santiago (QR code or online registration required)

You can request your Compostela in Latin, and your name will be translated to a Latinized form.

🧭 What It Really Means

For many, the Compostela is a meaningful keepsake. But it’s not the reason people walk.

You may value it as a symbol of completion, a ritual of closure, or simply as a record of effort. However you see it, let it reflect what the Camino meant to you, not just that you made it to Santiago.

💡 Final Tip

Do not chase the stamp. Let the stamp be part of the story.

Your credential will become a journal of moments — coffee stops, kind encounters, quiet chapels. Use it to honor where you’ve been, not just where you're going.

Set your rhythm. Let the Camino unfold.

No two Camino days are exactly alike, but over time, a rhythm begins to emerge. Understanding the general flow can ease nerves and help you settle into the experience more quickly. You do not need to plan every hour. Just trust that the trail provides structure of its own.

🕰️ Mornings Start Early

Most pilgrims are up by 6:00 or 6:30 AM. Some albergues encourage early departures, and you will often hear the quiet shuffle of backpacks and boots before sunrise.

• Walkers often leave before breakfast or with just a coffee

• Cooler morning temperatures make for more comfortable walking

• Trail signs are easy to follow by headlamp or early daylight

🥾 Walking Midday

Most people walk between 10 and 16 miles per day (16 to 25 kilometers), depending on the route and terrain. On a typical day:

• You will likely stop for second breakfast or a coffee mid-morning

• Expect water breaks, a snack, or lunch along the way

• By early afternoon (1:00 to 3:00 PM), most pilgrims have reached their destination

Arriving early gives you time to shower, rest, do laundry, or explore town before dinner.

🛏️ Afternoons and Evenings

• After your walk, you will check into your accommodation, unpack, and clean up

• Many pilgrims nap, stretch, or journal in the afternoon

• Pilgrim meals often begin around 7:00 or 8:00 PM and are shared in a communal setting

• Most people are in bed early, especially in shared dorms or albergues

🧘‍♀️ Set Your Own Rhythm

There is a common daily flow, but there is no official schedule. You are free to:

• Walk longer or shorter distances

• Take long lunches or multiple breaks

• Wake early or enjoy slow mornings

• Stop when you feel tired or continue when you feel inspired

This is your Camino. Let it match your body, your needs, and your intentions.

💬 A Few Things to Keep in Mind

• Expect sore muscles and emotional shifts in the first few days

• Let go of comparisons. Your pace is the right pace

• Make space for quiet, even if you are walking with others

• Rest is part of the experience. Slowness is not failure

📝 Reflection Prompt

Take five minutes before your first walking day and ask yourself:

What kind of pace do I want to keep, not just physically, but mentally?

Write it down. Revisit your answer after a few days.

🧠 Looking for More Reflection Prompts

The Camino will show you your true rhythm over time.

Choose what fits you, not what feels expected

When most people imagine the Camino, they picture bunk beds and shared spaces. Albergues are the traditional pilgrim lodging, but they are not the only option. Where you stay each night should reflect your energy, comfort level, and the kind of experience you want to have.

🛌 Lodging Options on the Camino

Pilgrims choose from a wide variety of accommodations:

• Municipal Albergues – Run by towns or churches. Basic, inexpensive, and open to credentialed pilgrims only.

• Private Albergues – Privately operated, often with smaller dorms and more amenities.

• Guesthouses and Casa Rurales – Small, locally run accommodations with private rooms and home-cooked meals.

• Hotels and Inns – Great for rest days or pilgrims who want more comfort or privacy.

• Paradors and Boutique Lodging – High-end accommodations often found in historic buildings. More expensive, but memorable.

• Camping (Tents or Hammocks) – Possible in rural areas, but limited. Some albergues allow it on their grounds. Wild camping is discouraged in many regions and sometimes illegal.

🧭 What’s Right for You?

There is no single “authentic” Camino experience. The right accommodation is the one that supports your journey.

Some pilgrims love the community feel of albergues. Others value privacy, quiet, and space to reflect. Many do a little of both, depending on how they feel that day.

⚖️ Pros and Cons of Albergues

For some, these trade-offs create connection and community. For others, they can be exhausting. Many pilgrims try a few nights, then adjust based on how they feel.

📖 A Note from Experience

Many first-time pilgrims feel pressure to "rough it" in dorms. While the albergue experience can be meaningful, it is not required for connection or transformation.

My partner KJ wrote a beautiful story in Moments from the Way about choosing private lodging to honor her energy and sleep needs. Her Camino was still rich, social, and reflective — and she arrived in Santiago well-rested.

🧺 Booking and Availability

• Albergues often operate on a first-come basis. Arrive early for the best chance at a bed.

• Hotels and guesthouses can be booked ahead using sites like Booking.com or apps like Wise Pilgrim.

• During peak season, booking private rooms in advance offers peace of mind. In quieter times, spontaneity works well.

💡 Final Tip

Where you stay should support your walk, not make it harder. There’s no prize for discomfort. Rest well so you can walk well.

Choose what supports your walk, not what proves your worth

Some pilgrims carry everything from start to finish. Others choose luggage transfer and walk with a light daypack. Both are valid. The Camino is not about suffering. It's about showing up, day after day, in a way that supports your journey.

🧭 Option 1: Carrying Your Pack

Many pilgrims carry all their gear. It offers flexibility and simplicity.

Benefits:

• No need to coordinate pickup or drop-off

• You can stop anywhere and adjust your route on the fly

• Fewer logistics to manage each day

• Deep sense of self-sufficiency

Considerations:

• A heavier pack increases physical strain

• Proper training is essential

• You’ll need to be mindful of pack weight, posture, and body care

Carrying your own pack can be deeply rewarding if your body is ready and your gear is well chosen.

📦 Option 2: Using Luggage Transfer

Transfer services carry your bag each day from one lodging to the next. You walk with a smaller daypack.

Benefits:

• Less weight reduces strain on knees, hips, and feet

• Ideal for injury prevention or recovery

• Frees up energy for reflection and presence

• Allows you to pack a few comfort items you wouldn’t carry

Considerations:

• You must plan ahead and know where you’ll sleep each night

• You’ll need to be ready by the pickup window (usually 8:00 AM)

• Some smaller villages or off-route accommodations may not offer service

🚶‍♂️ What to Carry in Your Daypack (If Using Transfer)

If you use a luggage service, your daypack should include:

• Water and snacks

• Layers for weather changes

• Rain jacket or poncho

• Personal documents and wallet

• Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat

• Basic blister or foot care

• Journal or phone

• Stowage straps for poles

Make sure it’s fitted well and includes a waist or chest strap to stay secure during longer walks.

🚚 How to Book a Transfer

Transfer companies operate along most popular Camino routes. Common services include:

• Correos (Spain’s postal service)

• Jacotrans, Pilbeo, and regional operators

• Your hotel or albergue can often help book same-day service

You’ll attach a label to your bag and leave it in a designated spot. It usually arrives at your next stop before you do.

💡 Final Thought

You are not less of a pilgrim if you use luggage transfer. There is no prize for pain. The path still counts, and the insights still come. Do what helps you walk with strength and peace.