Camino de Santiago
Introduction
To organize the Camino de Santiago by bicycle there are several options depending on whether you want to do the Camino with comprehensive reservation management (we would put you in contact with a travel agency) or if you want to do it for yourself making the reservations yourself .
It will also depend on whether you want to do it with your own bike or with a rental bike.
In the following text “template type” I have tried to collect the most complete information about the Camino de Santiago by bicycle, examples of stages, budgets… etc. with the intention that whoever reads it can get a very approximate idea about how to face the path, the different possibilities and the costs that this will entail.
I have written this text taking into account most of the doubts that arise daily.
I beg you please read it carefully and follow the links that will take you to the sample schedules and pdf with tips.
If after reading and studying this text you have any questions, contact me as many times as you need.
Sending template-type information has the advantage that many topics can be addressed and general information given, but the possibility of giving a concrete and precise answer is lost.
In your case, do not hesitate for a moment to contact me as many times as you need to solve any doubt that may arise after studying this text.
Muchas gracias.
Requirements to get the Compostela
The Santiago de Compostela pilgrim’s office requires that those who make the Camino de Santiago on foot have to walk at least the last 100 km to get the diploma or Compostela that accredits it.
In the case that concerns us and concerns us “El Camino de Santiago by bicycle”, it is necessary to do at least the last 200 km.
So, taking Santiago de Compostela as the epicenter and looking for a distance of these 200 km, it will be possible to get the Compostela by doing any path or route that reaches Santiago with that minimum distance.
In order to justify those kilometers, it will be necessary to carry the “credential” or pilgrim’s card during the journey and put in churches, museums, hostels, hotels… etc. at least two daily stamps that increase the passage through those places.
You can get the credential at the hostels at the beginning of the route, in associations of friends of the Camino de Santiago or if you choose to rent one of our rental bicycles, you will find it included in the equipment.
What do I need to make the way?
It is not necessary to worry excessively about whether you have everything you need or you may be missing something to prepare your way to Santiago. Unlike other routes, the Camino de Santiago runs through very civilized places with many shops and services, so it is preferable to have to buy something on the go than not to transport something that we might need for hundreds of kilometers and that we will not use in the end. .
At Bicigrino we have prepared a list of material that tries to compile everything that is necessary for a cycling route, but it is very important that you know how to interpret this list. It is not a list to take absolutely everything that appears on it, but it shows what you might need on the road and what you should take into account… but I insist! You do not have to take everything!!.
In the following link you can see the list we are talking about:
What way do I do?
Comment that for those who do the Camino de Santiago for the first time, the most recommended route due to ease of logistics, signage, services, history, monuments… etc. is the Camino de Santiago known as FRENCH WAY.
Then, once this path has been completed, those who want to repeat it can take routes such as the Vía de la Plata, the North Way, the Primitive way… etc… If you already have experience in cycling and want to try other routes ahead with routes such as the North Way or the Vía de la Plata, but if this is not the case, we insist that the French Way is always better to start.
This path, in addition to being the easiest, is the one that also has all the Jacobean essence, the pilgrims, the monuments, cathedrals… and on its journey you will be able to soak up the history and tradition of what it means to walk the path.
Then, once this experience has been lived, you will like the other paths much more and you will enjoy them more intensely.
In addition, if you want you can do other cycling routes such as the TRANSALANDALUS and in which we also provide coverage: http://www.transandalus.org
Do I need GPS? Why if I get lost?
On the path that we recommend doing in the first instance (THE FRENCH WAY) it is virtually impossible to get lost and it is not necessary to use GPS devices.
On this route, the universal sign of the Camino de Santiago (the yellow arrow) is present in all places, intersections and detours. Following those arrows becomes the easiest of games and in essence it is part of the adventure to follow the official arrows and signs throughout the journey.
On other routes such as the Vía de la Plata, the North Way, the Primitive Way, although they are also well signposted with yellow arrows, perhaps the use of a GPS can provide extra peace of mind because at all times we will be sure if We are going or not on the correct route but it is also not an essential thing.
On the Camino de Santiago and in relation to the signs there is a golden rule that does not usually fail: If you come to a crossroads and you do not see a yellow sign or arrow anywhere, it means that you got lost at the previous crossroads.. , simply go back and get back on the right track. That easy.
The French way (Recommended for beginners).
So we insist on the idea that the recommended path for beginners is the French path.
This path has so many possibilities for accommodation and is so well signposted that organization is not very necessary…, it would be enough for you to be well informed and have our own bicycle delivery services in transport at the beginning of the path or if you need it you can also rent a fully equipped bicycle for cycle touring.
In the bicigrino virtual store you will find all these services.
At Bicigrino we have prepared a guide to this path with all the practical information (stages, profiles, hotels, hostels, workshops, services) with this guide you will be fully informed during the tour as it has been designed under a simple and comfortable concept that allows you to take it even during the trip.
In the following link you will find our guide to the Camino Frances (free download) with the establishments proposed in hotel, rural houses and hostels…, there are also bicycle workshops in case you have any contingency en route.
The Camino for free
The option of going to do the Camino for free, simply knowing where you want to start from is a good way to do the Camino.
You can take the tour and let yourself be carried away by the events of the trip. You should not be afraid to do it alone and without too much organization…, on the French way the distances between towns are not more than 15 km and the entire route is very well covered with establishments, information and signs.
Making the way for free has the facility that it can be done flexibly and you can adjust the different stages to your strength or to the attractiveness of each of the places you pass through…, simply by having good information about the place through which you travel (our pdf guide will help you for that) you can decide where to stop and try to adjust the total route to the days you have to do the route and its different stops on the go.
Haciendo el camino de esta forma deberás llevar el equipaje necesario en las alforjas (nuestras bicicletas de alquiler las llevan como equipamiento ), si todo lo que necesitas para la ruta está contigo podrás parar donde y cuando quieras.. Así ganas en libertad y en flexibilidad.
The Camino organized.
There is the option of making the journey with hotel or hostel reservations, luggage transport and we can also help you with that. In this other option, you gain peace of mind (especially in times of high demand) knowing that you will always have reserved accommodation at the end of the stage and if you send the luggage you will not have to carry it. But it is important that you know that this option will completely eliminate the flexibility that we talked about before and you will have to do the stages according to the organization and planning. You will be forced to get to the place where your bags and your hotel reservation are. In this option it is necessary to do a very good planning to avoid reaching the destination too soon or make reaching the end of the stage become a real hell. For example due to unfavorable weather, headwind, mechanical breakdowns, etc. Thus, it is recommended to be conservative and plan stages with certain criteria. At Bicigrino we are specialists on the road and in that sense we can help you. For organized routes we collaborate with Travel Agencies specialized in this route and if you need it, all you have to do is ask and we will contact you.
With support car and guide?
For groups we have an accompaniment service along the way with a support car in which you can enjoy a comprehensive and attended service at all times. The support car service is much more than a simple accompaniment. The driver of the car is a person with extensive experience on the road and mechanical knowledge that will cover you throughout the route, advise places to visit, alternatives on the road, etc. With this service we plan the route for you according to the days you have to do it, we reserve the hotels for you and we coordinate everything for you. You can also make connections from airports and places distant from the road. And of course your luggage will be transported between stages by us. It is a comprehensive service with excursions at the end of stages to interesting places (for example monasteries, wineries, castles) and gastronomic recommendations. A total experience studied and planned to provide a comprehensive service on the road and in which you only have to worry about pedaling and enjoying.
Own bike or rental?
For people who are only going to do this route and do not plan to become regular cyclists, the recommendation is to rent.
Renting a bicycle will be cheaper than transporting and equipping your own and you will save yourself many logistical inconveniences of having to move your own.
The bicycles that we rent at bicigrino are new and high-end bicycles. They are specially equipped for the Camino de Santiago and we can deliver and pick them up anywhere in Spain or Portugal. They also have a complete assistance network in workshops throughout the route.
People who come from outside Spain with more reason will find it more profitable to rent than to bring their own bicycle. Transporting the bicycle from distant countries will not be cheap and you will have some inconveniences or customs procedures.
It is also good that you know that once you arrive in Spain, moving the bicycles by public transport will not be very easy because unfortunately in Spain the public services (buses, trains…) do not always accept bicycles.
Our rental bikes are equipped to the maximum, even with gel covers for the saddles. However, if someone wants to and specifically requests it, they can even bring their own saddle. In the following links you can see our offer of rental bicycles:
and in this other link our PRICE RATES:
Why is there no helmet in the equipment included in the bicycles that are rented?
Our rental bikes do not have a helmet as included equipment. But that does not mean that it is not necessary…, rather on the contrary, it is an essential element to be able to ride a bicycle and it is mandatory according to Spanish legislation. We do not put the helmet as equipment for two main reasons:
– FOR HYGIENE REASONS: We do not consider it logical that helmets go from the heads of some clients to others impregnated with sweat and dirt from use.
– FOR SAFETY REASONS: We think that it is such an important safety element that it has to be the exact size of your head and adjusted to your measurements to be effective. For this reason we do not see fit to send you a helmet inside the box in which our rental bikes are transported.
– AIRBAG TYPE HELMET (optional): What we do have for rent (as an option) is an innovative “airbag type” helmet that solves all the aforementioned problems. It works by attaching itself to the cyclist’s neck and has a washable cover with which we can deliver the completely clean and disinfected helmet. Being an airbag type, it will effectively protect your head regardless of its size (it is 4 times more effective than a normal helmet).
Can you do the Camino with an electric bike?
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A motor-assisted bicycle opens up many possibilities for doing a route such as the Camino de Santiago with hundreds of kilometers traveled for all kinds of people. The bicycles that we have for rent at Bicigrino are high-end and fully equipped and prepared for cycling. The road is also tourism (cycling is the word) and you will be able to enjoy the tour or be accompanied by your loved ones on this wonderful route regardless of their state of preparation or how each user wants to face the tour.
You can see our offer of electric rental bicycles here:
This type of bicycle can be taken with different levels of assistance ranging from zero assistance (engine off) to 5 different levels of assistance so that you get tired or suffer just what you decide. As for the autonomy of its batteries, do not worry, our bicycles in the “ECO” option have a range of up to 120 km.
And if I want to do the road with my own bicycle. How do i transport it?
If after what we have told you about renting a bicycle, you consider that you are interested in doing it with your own. It is possible that you already have the cycling equipment or think about making the investment to take advantage of it on other routes.
It is good that you know that at Bicigrino we have specially coordinated bicycle transport services so that they can take your bicycle to the beginning of the path and that you can easily retrieve it from Santiago or another place.
For that, it will be enough for you to use our transport services through the virtual store.
** We have agreements with hotels, hostels and bicycle shops so that you can send your bicycle or deliver it to recover it at home in any of our affiliated establishments, which are many. You only have to consult about the different possibilities when processing the order of your transport.
Bicigrino’s Virtual Store
In our virtual store you will find all the material specially selected for cycling, if you need panniers, if you need to install a rack, the best guides on the Camino de Santiago… etc.
In this store with secure payment by credit card, paypal, or cash on delivery, you can also contract transport or bicycle rental:
Can you transport my luggage?
At Bicigrino we do not have the luggage service available between stages (moving the suitcases every day on the journey).
But if you need us to move your bags directly from the starting point of your journey to Santiago de Compostela or to any other place in Spain or Portugal, we can do it for you.
With our luggage transport service, for example, you can pick up your luggage at HOSTAL LA SALLE in Santiago, which is the place where we collect our rental bicycles or from which we organize the transport of bicycles through Seur.
We can also send them to the hotel that you indicate or to any other place, even if it is not Santiago.
OUR WEBSITES Information about the route, stages, hostels, hotels…
The bicigrino website apart from the services it offers is a mainly informative website. On our website you will be able to see and use their information to easily plan your route.
You have a network of hotel-type accommodation, hostels, stage information, advice… etc. Our advice is to go to the path informed about the route and the different possibilities in such a way that you can travel along it knowing at all times what you are going to find, where to stop, what offers there are, what places are most recommended… etc. .
On our websites everything is structured for easy consultation.
We recommend you read this journalistic article written by ourselves for a travel magazine. In this special report on cycling and the Camino de Santiago, we fully explain how to face the Camino de Santiago in any of its variants, how to prepare, what times of the year are better than others due to weather… etc.
Bicigrino website
On our main website you can find all the information at a general level.
HOSTELS website
On our specific website of hostels are the hostels of various roads.
HOTELS website
Hotels, rural houses and charming accommodation on the different routes.
Example stages and schedules.
As an example, in the following links you will find different plans for the route with proposals for stages, accommodation, approximate price budget…
There are many options and possibilities to face the route. The schedules that you can see below are given as an example but in no case should they be considered as rigid or mandatory.
Depending on the days you have to complete the path, you could, for example, take the planning of the complete path in 13 days that is proposed and consider it from stage 5, from a specific city or from a place that is not exactly the starting point that is proposed.
People who do not have the 13 days, for example, are advised to start the tour at different points along the way to take into account that it is a cycling trip to enjoy the trip and the route to the fullest. The Camino de Santiago is not a race or a competition ;),
Take these example stages and these planning precisely “as an example” and that they serve to help your plans or planning:
12 DAYS, RONCESVALLES COMPLETE, HOTELS VERSION
13 DAYS, COMPLETO S.J.PIED PORT, HOTELS VERSION
12 DAYS, S.J.PIED PORT COMPLETE, HOSTELS VERSION
7 DAYS SHORT STAGES, HOTELS VERSION
5 DÍAS FROM PONFERRADA, ETAPAS CORTAS, HOTELS VERSION
Anything else? I have more doubts…
In this template or collection of answers we have taken into account most of the questions or doubts that we have been receiving for years regarding the Camino de Santiago by bicycle.
After so much time dealing with queries on a daily basis, we more or less already know what doubts or concerns the people who contact us in the first instance have.
That is why we have believed that preparing an email like this in graphic format and with the different sections with examples and standard answers can be of great help in a first contact.
However, we do not want everything to stay here and we do not intend to lose contact with you.
If any doubt was not resolved, if you have any other need not covered in this template or simply if you want to contribute something, please contact us as many times as you consider appropriate through this email: caminosantiagobike@gmail.com, we will be happy to clarify with you all the questions you ask us. Thank you very much.