The ways to Santiago
Camino Francés
The classic route, and the one most people mean when they say the Camino.
- Distance
- 771 km
- Time
- 31 to 35 days
- Stages
- 33 classic stages
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France
The ways to Santiago
The classic route, and the one most people mean when they say the Camino.
Starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France
The Francés is the Camino from the books and the films. It crosses the Pyrenees on the first day and then rolls on through Pamplona, the vineyards of Rioja, the wide meseta after Burgos and the mountains of León, before the green hills of Galicia carry you into Santiago.
It is the route with the most pilgrims, the most albergues and the strongest infrastructure. If this is your first Camino and you want the full experience, arrows everywhere, company when you want it and quiet when you need it, then this is the one.
When we set off on the Camino Francés for the first time, we knew nothing about the Camino. We had a cheap and far too heavy backpack and a pair of untested hiking boots, and it still turned out to be the best month of our lives. When people ask us when we have been happiest, we still answer without hesitation: the Camino Francés.
It is the Camino from the books and the films, the one most people mean when they simply say the Camino. Originally it is a pilgrimage to the tomb of the apostle James in Santiago de Compostela, but you do not need to be Christian or spiritual to have wonderful experiences. For us it was as much about the people we met as about the road itself. You come away richer in stories, not only about your own life but about other people's too.
What makes the Francés special is how civilised it is. Countless books and films have been made about the route, and along the way you find just about anything your heart desires. The hospitality was overwhelming every time we arrived somewhere new, and even when a place was overbooked, we found somewhere to sleep. After a couple of weeks most people dream of yellow arrows and scallop shells, that is how well it is waymarked.
The first day's climb from France over the mountains to the monastery at Roncesvalles. A hard start, but one of the most beautiful stages on the whole route.
The first real city, famous for the running of the bulls. Tapas bars, a lively old town and a good place to celebrate the first week.
Rolling wine country around Logroño and Nájera, where the path winds between the rows. Some wineries even have a pilgrim fountain that pours wine.
The great high plateau between Burgos and León. Open skies, grain fields to the horizon and long, meditative days that many people end up loving.
The iron cross in the mountains near Foncebadón, where pilgrims lay a stone brought from home. The route's most symbolic stop and a quiet moment for many.
The green climb into Galicia with thatched Celtic houses and mist over the valleys. From here Santiago feels close.
When you walk across Spain, you meet all of it. The terrain is hugely varied, from the mountain crossing over the Pyrenees on the first day to gravel tracks, tarmac, forest and the wide meseta after Burgos. It is a cross country trek in the best sense of the words. Finding your way, on the other hand, is easy. The route is so well marked with yellow arrows and scallop shells that most people quickly find their way back if they stray a little. The difficulty lies mostly in the total distance. We walked the route in 26 days, but if you follow the official stages, you get a gentler pace. The individual days are manageable for most people in ordinary shape.
If this is your first Camino and you want the full experience with company when you want it, and quiet when you need it, then this is the one. Our best advice, though, is to avoid being too set in your expectations. We have seen that the people who struggle on the Camino are often the ones who have prepared so much that the route cannot live up to the picture in their head. If you have decided in advance that the trip has to change your whole life, you can end up spoiling your own anticipation. Walk with an open mind, and the Francés delivers the rest.
Most people travel to Biarritz or Bayonne in France and from there take the little regional train or a shuttle bus up to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. From Denmark the simplest way is usually a flight to Biarritz or Bilbao and onward by train and bus. Arrive in Saint-Jean the day before, so you can collect your pilgrim passport and start the Pyrenees stage rested and early the next morning.
May, June and September are the best months: long days, open albergues and gentler heat than in July and August. Winter is possible, but quiet, and a few high stretches demand respect.