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Cycling the Camino de Santiago

The Way of St James - Camino Frances

ISBN

9781852849696

Availability

Published

8 Mar 2019

Reprinted

6 Dec 2021

Edition

Third

Pages

264

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm

Weight

290g

Delivery & Returns

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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 19 stages averaging 45km each, with notes on the religious significance and local sites of interest.

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

ISBN

9781852849696

Availability

Published

8 Mar 2019

Reprinted

6 Dec 2021

Edition

Third

Pages

264

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm

Weight

290g

Delivery & Returns

Overview

A guidebook to cycling the Camino de Santiago (Camino Francés or Way of St James) pilgrim route from St Jean-Pied-de-Port in southern France to Santiago de Compostela. Covering 770km (479 miles), this pilgrimage route through northern Spain can be completed in 2 weeks and is suitable for any reasonably fit cyclist.

Two routes are described, the first is suitable for mountain/trail bikes and is mainly off-road, and the second is a parallel route suitable for touring cycles that uses quiet asphalt roads. The routes are described east to west in 18 stages, each between 28 and 55km (17–54 miles) in length.

1:100,000 maps and profiles included for each stage?
GPX files available to download?
Refreshment and accommodation information given for each stage
Information on cycle shops with repair facilities along the route
Advice on planning and preparation

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

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

Updates

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.

Stage 14 road route p193 (Camino route not effected). A viaduct on the A6 motorway has collapsed at Castro causing closure of the motorway and all motorway traffic is being diverted onto the N VI main road between Vega del Valcarce and Pedrafita. Cyclists are prohibited from using N VI between these points. As this was the road route up to Pedrafita, cyclists must now use the Camino route as described on p188/189. This is very steep (12%) but asphalt surfaced throughout. Repairing the viaduct is a major engineering project and is expected to take several years.

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.

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.

December 2021

2022 reprint route updates

969 Cycling the Camino de Santiago 2022 Rpt UPDATES (3.88 MB)

January 2021

Author updates

Author Mike Wells has provided the following updates

Cycling the Camino Frances update Dec20 (109.557 KB)

March 2019

Corrections

page 33

Michelin map booklet is numbered 160, not 161.

Downloads

Cycling the Camino de Santiago - GPX File

By Mike Wells

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.

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