Walking the Camino de Santiago is a unique experience that many people start preparing for a long time beforehand. We have walked nice different Camino de Santiago routes and know how overwhelming it can be to plan the Camino. In this post, we’ve put together our best Camino de Santiago tips and recommendations for planning the pilgrimage.
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Table of Contents
Tip to prepare for the Camino
1. Start planning your Camino in advance
If it’s your first Camino walk you might be overwhelmed by all the information. You’ll need some time to process and organize it. The more time you have the less stressful your planning will be. If it’s not your first Camino then you don’t need that much time. Of course you can decide to do the walk last minute and you’ll be fine but not everyone can cope with spontaneous trips that involve long-distance walking.
You can follow our 10 easy steps to prepare for the Camino de Santiago.
2. Choose the right route for you
There are many Camino de Santiago routes in Spain and Europe. For the first Camino I recommend choosing one of the main routes because they have more infrastructure and are easier to walk. Base your decision on the desirable distance, time of the year, accommodation type, and business of the route. The Camino Frances and Portuguese Camino are the two most popular routes to walk as the first Camino. Our post on the main 7 routes of the Camino de Santiago might be helpful to make a decision.
3. Decide how far you want to walk
Based on how much time you have and your average daily distance decide how many kilometers in total you want to walk. If you don’t have enough time to walk the route you like you can walk a part of it. There are no rules on where to start or finish the walk. So you can walk a full length of a long route, one of the shorter routes, or a part of a route.
If you want to get the Compostela certificate for completing the Camino you need to walk at least 100 km on any official Camino route. You can find more information on the Compostela here.
4. Start training for the Camino
Don’t underestimate the walk even if you’re an avid hiker walking the Camino is a different experience. We’re guilty of doing it ourselves when we walked our first Camino. If you don’t exercise regularly and are not used to walking a lot it’s better to start slowly by walking a couple of kilometers a day and build the distance over weeks or even months till you get to 20-25 km. You can follow our Camino training plan.
5. Get a pair of good shoes
The success of your walk depends on them. Do some research, decide which shoes are the best for you and for the chosen Camino route, buy shoes in advance so your feet have time to get used to them. Walking the Camino in new shoes is not a good idea even if it is the best footwear in the world, you’re very likely to get blisters after the first couple of days. You can get some ideas about the best footwear in our Camino shoes post.
6. Set up your budget
Decide how much money you can/want to spend on the trip and then divide it by the number of walking days to see how much you can spend a day. Don’t forget to add transport expenses e.g. plane tickets, etc. Knowing that will help you to see what kind of accommodation, food options, etc. you can afford. Once you have your daily budget you can check in our post on the cost of the Camino de Santiago where you can find breakdowns for different budgets.
7. Decide on the luggage
Whether you want to carry your backpack or use a luggage transfer service and walk with a daypack instead. It depends on you if walking with a heavy pack is too difficult then use the luggage transfer. If you are comfortable with your pack then carry it yourself. If you decide the second, make sure you have a good backpack for the Camino.
8. Don’t overpack
It is only applicable if you are planning to walk with your backpack. Imagine, you carry that weight on your shoulders every day for hours the lighter it is the easier the walk. Don’t take any “just in cast” items, don’t bring too much extra clothes, devices, books, etc. You can get some tips in our Camino packing post.
9. Get a local SIM card
If you don’t have a SIM card from one of the European countries then I recommend buying one before starting the walk. It’s important to stay connected in case you need help. You can usually buy cheap SIM cards valid for 30 days at small convenient shops.
10. Get a Credential (pilgrim’s passport)
It’s a small book with places for stamps. You collect stamps from accommodation places, cafes, churches, etc. along the Camino route. You need the Credential as a prove of pilgrimage to stay in public (municipal) abergues and to the the Compostela certificate at the end of the Camino in Santiago de Compostela. You can buy it at churches, albergues, and information offices on the Camino. It usually costs 2-3 euros.
Tips for walking the Camino
11. Don’t chase others
It doesn’t matter how far or how far you walk. Some people run the Camino in a couple of days, some take a month to walk the same route.
12. Take care of yourself
If you feel tired, unwell, or have blisters rest for a day or two. Don’t stress out about your itinerary. It’s better to be healthy and skip a stage or two than end up in a hospital.
13. Ask for help if needed
If you walk alone and feel unwell or something bothering you ask people around for help. Other pilgrims, locals, people working in albergues everybody is ready to help.
14. Watch your valuables
Don’t leave your wallet or documents unattended in places where anybody has access to them. Take your valuables with you or lock them in a locker when staying in albergues.
Questions or Comments?
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Mary Ann Wettler
Wednesday 19th of March 2025
Hello there. It's mid-March 2025 and I am planning on doing the camino this summer or early fall. I haven't determined a route yet - possibly the Porto to Santiago - inland route. My husband and son, 16, will join me for maybe four days. The thing is....I prefer to walk in cooler weather while my husband prefers warmer. Which month do you think would be wise to compromise. Thank you.
Stingy Nomads
Saturday 22nd of March 2025
Hello Mary. Thank you for the comment. I think the second half of September-the first half of October are a good time for your family to do the Camino from Porto. It's warm during the day and fresh in the morning. It's usually sunny with not much wind or rain. The Coastal Route is usually a bit cooler due to the ocean breeze. Buen Camino
Linda Wood
Thursday 17th of October 2024
You mention bed bug spray in your packing list. From what I have read on the various groups, this is more of a problem in the allergies and dormitories, but not impossible to find in hostels or hotels. What spray do you recommend and do you have tips on prevention? Second question: how available is safe drinking water? Should one be prepared to treat or bring filters? Thanks for your informative site!
Stingy Nomads
Monday 21st of October 2024
Hello Linda. Thank you for the comment. I had bedbugs twice on the Camino Frances, and once on the Camino del Norte. Always in albergues. I've never had bedbugs in hotels but did have a couple of times in dormitories in hostels. I'd suggest checking on Amazon for the spray with the best reviews. As for drinking water it depends on where you are. In the Meseta part of the Camino Frances it's not recommended drinking tap water. On the Portuguese route you can drink tap water and find drinking taps along the way. We never use filters on the Camino. It's always better to ask at your hotel or albergue about drinking water they'll know if it's safe to drink or not. Buen Camino
Christine
Saturday 30th of December 2023
Thank you so much for this wonderful article and bundle of resources - it is so helpful and generous. I am planning to travel alone from New Zealand to walk the Camino in September (hoping that will be slightly less busy by then but still warm - or should I come later?). I’d ideally like to do a coastal route as I like to be by the coast but I’ll also be on a budget (not too stingy but a little!) and I’d like to be able to plan as I go rather than pre-booking too much of the trip. Which route do you think would be best for me in those circumstances (and when?). I am quite fit so that is not a major consideration. Thank you so much!
Stingy Nomads
Tuesday 2nd of January 2024
Hello Christine. Thank you for the comment. September is probably the busiest month on the Camino de Santiago. If you want to escape crowds and have nice weather I'd suggest coming the end of September. We walked 2 different Camino routes in October and the first two weeks of the months the weather was very nice. From mid-October it gets cold and rainy. To complete the Coastal Route you need 10-14 days depending on your daily distances. There are many albergues and hostels along the route you can find budget accommodation. If you walk in October you should be fine without booking in advance. Public albergues (the cheapest accommodation) can't be booked in advance anyway it's first come first serve principle. Buen Camino
Camila Ro
Monday 27th of March 2023
Hi, I'm thinking of doing the Portuguese Route, from Porto, in June. Is it advisable to bring a sleeping bag, even if I'm thinking of staying in hostels or albergues?
Is it a safe route to do it by myself?
Stingy Nomads
Monday 27th of March 2023
Hello Camila. Thank you for the comment. We usually take a thin summer sleeping bag or a silk sleeping bag liner on the Camino. Most albergues have blankets but sometimes without a cover for hygiene reasons, we prefer to have our own liner. The Portuguese Camino is a popular route with many pilgrims especially in June I'd say it's safe to walk alone. Buen Camino
Allison Wilkins
Thursday 17th of November 2022
I am learning a lot from your website. I hope to walk the del Norte and connect onto the primitivo next July. I will be walking by myself and would like to have my luggage delivered and just carry a day pack. What company do I contact for this? Also I presume I would need to have every accommodation booked previously which is quite a task for around 40 days. Is it still easy to arrive in a town and find accommodation? Thank you Allison
Stingy Nomads
Thursday 17th of November 2022
Hello Allison. Thank you for the comment. Correos (Spanish post) does luggage delivery on both Camino routes. They're a reliable company with many pilgrims using their services every year. Here is the link to their website https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/. As for booking accommodation, I would strongly recommend doing so for the Camino del Norte. July is the peak season for the area the route goes through some of the most popular beach destinations in Northern Spain. There are not many public albergues on the route so your options will be private hostels or hotels. On the Camino Primitivo, it's easier to find places to stay as there are more public albergues and there are not many tourists besides pilgrims in the area. You don't have to book accommodation for the 40 days just for the first half, especially in the Basque Country in the coastal towns (San Sebastian, Getaria, etc.). You can find a list of places to stay on the Camino del Norte https://stingynomads.com/camino-del-norte-stages/ (in the 4th paragraph) and on the Camino Primitivo https://stingynomads.com/camino-primitivo-stages/ (in the 3rd paragraph). Buen Camino