Name: Cycling the Camino de Santiago
Brand: Cicerone Press
Price: 14.95 GBP
Availability: InStock

Cycling the Camino de Santiago - Front Cover

1/10

The Way of St James - Camino Frances

Guidebook detailing the 850km cycle route from St Jean-Pied-de-Port in southern France to Santiago de Compostela, following the original pilgrim route, with optional road variants. Suitable for most abilities and bikes, the route is presented in 18 stages averaging 45km each, with notes on the religious significance and local sites of interest.

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Quick facts

Guide name: Cycling the Camino de Santiago: The Way of St James – Camino Francés
Location: France and Spain – St Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela
Start point: St Jean-Pied-de-Port, French Pyrenees
End point: Santiago de Compostela, Galicia
Distance: 770km (479 miles)
Number of stages: 18 stages (28–55km/17–34 miles each)
Typical duration: Approximately 2 weeks
Routes described: Two parallel routes – an off-road route for mountain and trail bikes, and a road route on quiet asphalt for touring cycles; routes can be mixed and matched
Difficulty: Suitable for any reasonably fit cyclist; off-road route has steep ascents and descents on rough trails; road route ascends steadily with no undue difficulty
Terrain: Off-road trails, rough tracks, and mountain paths (off-road route); quiet asphalt roads (road route); rolling hills, high plains, and green valleys
Navigation/mapping: 1:100,000 maps and elevation profiles included for each stage; GPX files available to download
Key centres: St Jean-Pied-de-Port, Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, Astorga, Ponferrada, Sarria, Santiago de Compostela
Highlights: Roncesvalles, Pamplona, vineyards of La Rioja, the meseta of Castile and León, O Cebreiro, Santiago de Compostela cathedral and the shrine of St James
Pilgrim information: Guidance on obtaining and using a pilgrim credential (Credencial del Peregrino); information on albergues and pilgrim services along the route
Accommodation & logistics: Refreshment and accommodation information for every stage; facilities summary table; cycle shops and repair facilities listed throughout
Best time to go: April to October; July and August best avoided due to extreme heat of up to 40 degrees; snow possible on higher sections, November to March

Detailed overview

Cycle the Camino de Santiago and follow the Camino Francés, the original pilgrim route from St Jean-Pied-de-Port in the French Pyrenees to the great cathedral city of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. Crossing the rolling hills of Navarre and La Rioja, the vast plains of Castile and León, and the lush green valleys of Galicia, this 770km (479-mile) journey through northern Spain offers cyclists a unique way to experience the ancient Way of St James.

Two parallel routes are described across 18 stages by author Mike Wells: the first, an off-road route suitable for mountain and trail bikes; and the second, a road route on quiet asphalt roads suitable for touring cycles, with each stage between 28 and 55km (17–34 miles). Each route can be completed in around 2 weeks and is suitable for any reasonably fit cyclist.

Cycle the Camino Francés in 18 stages from St Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela, with both an off-road mountain bike route and a parallel road route on quiet asphalt described for every stage
Navigate with confidence using 1:100,000 maps and elevation profiles included for each stage, alongside GPX files available to download for both route variants
Plan your Camino cycling holiday with comprehensive refreshment and accommodation information for every stage, a facilities summary table, a list of cycle shops with repair facilities along the route, and practical advice on preparation and pilgrim credentials
Understand the rich history, culture, and religious significance of the Camino de Santiago with introductory sections covering the history of the pilgrimage, Spanish architectural styles, and the local food and drink
Route highlights include the Roncesvalles, Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, Astorga, Ponferrada, and the magnificent cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, housing the shrine of St James

Begin your Camino cycling adventure fully prepared with this trusted Cicerone guidebook. Discover the landscapes, history, and spiritual heart of northern Spain on the world-famous Way of St James.

Where and when to go

Seasons

Both routes can be cycled between April-October, though as it is very hot (up to 40 degrees) in July-August these months are best avoided. Snow can fall on higher parts between November-March.

Centres

St Jean-Pied-de-Port, Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, León, Astorga, Ponferrada, Sarria, Santiago de Compostela

Difficulty

The off-road route is best ridden on a mountain bike or trail bike. It has steep ascents and descents on rough off-road trails. The road route, while reaching the same altitudes, ascends steadily on quiet asphalt roads with no undue difficulty for touring cycles. Less experienced mountain-bike riders can mix and match, using the road route to avoid the toughest off-road sections.

Must See

Rolling green hills, high chalk downland, vineyards, historic churches, architecture, local cuisine, Santiago cathedral housing the shrine of St James

Map key

Overview map

Route summary table

Introduction

History

The Camino

The routes

Natural environment

Preparation

Pilgrim credentials and information

Getting there and back

Navigation

Accommodation

Food and drink

Amenities and services

What to take

Safety and emergencies

About this guide

The route

Navarre and La Rioja

Stage 1 St Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles

Stage 2 Roncesvalles to Pamplona

Stage 3 Pamplona to Estella

Stage 4 Estella to Logroño

Stage 5 Logroño to Santo Domingo de la Calzada

León y Castile

Stage 6 Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Villafranca Montes de Oca

Stage 7 Villafranca Montes de Oca to Burgos

Stage 8 Burgos to Castrojeriz

Stage 9 Castrojeriz to Carrión de los Condes

Stage 10 Carrión de los Condes to Sahagún

Stage 11 Sahagún to León

Stage 12 León to Astorga

Stage 13 Astorga to Ponferrada

Stage 14 Ponferrada to O Cebreiro

Galicia

Stage 15 O Cebreiro to Sarria

Stage 16 Sarria to Palas de Rei

Stage 17 Palas de Rei to Arzúa

Stage 18 Arzúa to Santiago de Compostela

Appendix A Facilities summary table

Appendix B Tourist information offices

Appendix C Cycle shops

Appendix D Pilgrim information

Appendix E Useful contacts

Appendix F Language glossary

Appendix G Spanish architectural styles

Which format is best for me?

Printed book

A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps — everything you need on the trail.

ISBN	9781852849696
Availability	Published
Published	6 December 2021
Reprinted	31 December 2027
Weight	290g

eBook

The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.

Updates

Updated 26 January 2021
Author updates
Author Mike Wells has provided the following updates
Updated 1 March 2019
Corrections
page 33
Michelin map booklet is numbered 160, not 161.
Updated 23 June 2022
Getting home
p31
Sadly, after 42 years of dismantling and packing pilgrims' bikes for the flight home, Velocipedo closed in February 2022. If you want to pack your bike and fly it home as accompanied luggage there are other cycle shops in Santiago who will help you with this. Get a list from the tourist office. The Paq Bicicleta service provided by Correos Spanish Post Office) will pack your bike and despatch it home for you by courier.
Updated 28 June 2024
Road updates
Stage 5 road route p102/103 Camino route not effected). A new motorway bridge before the turn-off for Navarette has caused the route to be permanently diverted for a short distance. After emerging beside N120, follow track bearing L, then 75m before new motorway overbridge turn L to reach roundabout. Go ahead second exit) then cross motorway bridge and go ahead again second exit) at next roundabout . Pass over another motorway bridge and continue as per p103.
Updated 25 November 2022
Travelling with a cycle on Eurostar
After 3 years since they ‘temporarily’ ceased carrying cycles because of covid, Eurostar have begun carrying them again, but with a very limited service and with conditions of carriage that are not attractive to touring cyclists. Before covid, all trains to Paris and Brussels carried up to six cycles, two fully assembled and four dismantled, in specially designed fibreglass bike cases. Eurostar provided the cases and tools to dismantle/reassemble bikes in an area dedicated to this procedure.
The reinstated service carries bikes only on trains to Paris not Brussels) on selected departures from London between 07.55 and 15.31 or from Paris between 11.13 and 18.13. Fully assembled bikes are not being carried. Four dismantled bikes can be carried, but cyclists must deliver their bikes already boxed to the baggage counter in either London or Paris. Pre-booking is compulsory and riders must now travel on the same train as their bikes. After completing the journey, boxes must be collected directly from the train and cycles reassembled on the platform.
This is far from ideal, and until Eurostar fully reinstate their previous cycle carriage policy, cyclists are recommended to take their bikes by plane, ferry or Euroshuttle when heading to the European mainland. The situation could potentially change.
The Cycling UK website www.cyclinguk.org has a page dedicated to Eurostar cycle carriage policy, which is updated regularly to contain any new information.

Meet the author

Mike Wells

View author

After a career in marketing, culminating as marketing director of a leading supermarket group, Mike Wells started to write walking and cycling guides in his fifties. He has been a keen cyclist for over 25 years. After completing various UK Sustrans routes, such as Lôn Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C route across northern England, he then moved on to cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. Even further afield he has ridden the Congo-Nile trail from the Congo basin to the source of the Nile in Rwanda's Nyungwe national park. On all these trips he was accompanied by his partner Christine, who sadly died in 2020.

He has written 10 cycling guides for Cicerone, including a series following the great rivers of Europe. For a full list of Cicerone books and articles by Mike Wells, visit his author page.