Here I will share with you general tips that I wish I had known before my first big walk. The tips and recommendations is how I have experienced it and trust that it would be helpful to you. I will also share books that I have read/used, what apps I have used and in the case of Nepal, who your contact person in the UK is.

  1. Start off early in the morning, because it is my opinion that it is the most beautiful time of the day. Not many people are on the road yet, making you feel more part of the nature. There will be no rush then to have a quick walk to get to your destination. This way you can absorb more.
  2. As soon as I get to an Albergue I shower and wash the day’s clothes – I put on new fresh clothes, sleep in the clean clothes and then simply get up and go the next morning without a fuss. Please, if you leave early in the morning, pack your backpack the night before. When you wake up (please don’t set your alarm to wake the whole world up), take your bag and sleeping bag outside of the sleeping area to finish packing. This way you don’t wake the others up and prevents grumpy walkers along the way because they got woken up 😊
  3. Talking about washing… Clothes pegs work well to hang your clothing, but I have found that safety pins are more versatile. You can use that to hang your washing outside and even inside on suitable places (such as curtains, door handles, bedding, etc 😊) It is also handy to pin it to your rucksack when it is not completely dry the next day.
  4. Remember to plan ahead, because in Spain you will struggle to get food in the smaller villages when it is siesta time, which is usually between 2pm and 5pm. On your more popular routs you would often find a small café or Supermercado, but don’t bargain on it.
  5. Many Albergues open at 2pm and some at 3pm, so plan your time in this regard well. There often are long queues for entry to secure a place.
  6. Big tip… if you feel a hotspot, stop and take care of your feet. Treat them well and tend to any blisters immediately. Start off walking slowly. It is not a competition. Enjoy the experience. Many people believe in various types of blister plasters – find out what works best for you during your training, because the most common one does not work for me. Fortunately I figured it out whilst training. I am a strong believer in wearing liners underneath your thick socks. The double layer socks means that the two socks rub against each other and not your foot against the sock.
  7. Keep your feet dry, because wet feet makes the skin soft, causing blisters. If you feel your feet are damp – change into a dry pair. Many people use Vaseline to rub their feet with which creates a barriers and keeps feet dry for longer. I have discovered Gehwohl foot cream which is an antiseptic lanolin-based cream. It is a bit sticky, but works like a charm. Another wonderful thing that I have discovered is Hikers Wool. How you use it: as soon as you feel a hotspot, stop and cover the spot with hikers’ wool. The hikers’ wool also has lanolin in it and it protects to hot spot, preventing a blister to form. My liner socks are always Injinji toe socks (I know that toe socks are not everybody’s cup of tea, but it really helps to keep the hikers’ wool and/or plasters to stay in place and prevents your toenails rubbing against the soft flesh of the neighbouring toe.
  8. The difference between Portuguese and Spanish Camino: As already mentioned, the siesta. This is the case for both countries. In Spain you will generally find a café open early in the morning where you can buy a drink and pastry, but in Portugal, places only open at 10am, so buy your breakfast the day before to have on the road. I also did not find any place in Portugal that offered Pilgrim’s meals as they do in Spain.
  9. If you do a Camino – this is how you get to the office where you can collect your Compostella: As you arrive in Santiago… have the Cathedral behind you. You need to go towards the right-hand side, past the hotel and then down the steps. At the bottom of the steps – turn right and you will find the office at the end of the road on the left-hand side. This is where you will be given a number and a time for collection. 
  10. I have shared some more tips when I discussed my packing list – please have a look at that as well.

Books to Read:

Pilgrim Tips & Packing List Camino de Santiago; What you need to know beforehand, what you need to take, and what you can leave at home by S. with Daphne Hnatiuk (this was a useful book that has helped me plan my packing list)

Camino de Santiago – Camino Frances; St. Jean Pied de Port – Santiago de Compostela by John Brierley (this was a great book and I based my planning and route on the content. However, most people use his recommended daily routes which means that it is not always easy to find accommodation – hence me walking early in the morning, which was then no problem at all. Towards the middle of my walk I have combined various apps as well in order to have more flexibility. If you are planning to do the whole walk, great, but be aware that some people choose to only walk the last 100km from Sarria. It is chaos for various reasons, so if you are one of the serious walkers, try to stay over in the less common places.)

Camino Finisterre; Santiago-Finisterre-Muxia by John Brierly (Due to an injury I sadly did not walk this bit, but rented a car and travelled it. Beautiful drive and the information was helpful)

Camino Portugues by John Brierly (another wonderful book by this author, but I have found the book a bit confusing as I walked the Coastal way. You have to page around a lot in the book. You will see in my route planning that I have used other resources as well.)

The Living Goddess by Isabella Tree (This is a really interesting book to read if you plan to travel to Nepal. It is a book that you can only read bits at a time).

If you ever decide to travel to Nepal to trek in the Himalayas, your contact person in the UK will be Jane Costelloe, who has a really good relationship with the wonderful family who organises tailer made trips for you. NEPAL NATURE TREKS AND TOURS PVT. LTD. It is run by a wonderful family who I have met and trekked with before. Rajendra Gurung is head of this family and he is a very well-known birder who would plan a tailormade birding expedition for you. Once again – Jane is your go-to person in the UK. Her email address is: jane@orchardlawn.co.uk

Cotswold Way by Tricia and Bob Hayne (this is a really helpful book with useful information. Mine is well used).

In Praise For Walking : the new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us by Shane O’Mara (It talks about various personal experiences that the author had and every now and then brings in the neuroscience and biological mechanics. An interesting read).

Breath: the new science of a lost art by James Nestor (this was a fascinating book to read and made me think twice about the way I breathe).

The Oxygen Advantage: the simple, scientifically proven breathing technique that will revolutionise your health and fitness by Patrick McKeown (this was a really easy read book with practical programs. I have followed some of the programs and benefitted from it. Can recommend).

VARIOUS APPS THAT I USE/D::

You really have to go through all of these apps to see which ones would work for you. They are all free to download.

One app I can really recommend is Polarsteps. It works on the same principle as Instagram where you have to invite people to join your journey. It is an amazing way for people to follow your journey. You can do a write-up of your day (such as a diary) and post pictures of that specific day. At the start it shows you your progress on a world map. At the end of your journey, you can opt in or out to have it all published in a book. It is also a free app.