Your Camino is going to take some planning. We should get started.

No, really we need to plan this thing at least a little.

Making a successful Camino happen can be all down to the planning.  You will need to make some long term planning decisions as soon as possible to get things underway.

Websites like CaminoTranquilo.net try to give you all the information we can, your planning really begins with online searches, books and apps.

We recommend the ever present “Brierley Guide”. For generations, John Brierley’s “Pilgrims Guide to the Camino de Santiago” has been the tool most use to plan their Camino across Spain. Broken into 30 or so daily segments the guide gives you a nice breakdown of what to expect along this Camino. Well worth the purchase price. Be sure to get the most current edition, as it changes yearly.

Wise Pilgrim also has some fantastic resources available in print and some excellent smartphone apps. We here at CaminoTranquilo.net strongly recommend the app version of the Wise Pilgrim guides. The Wise Pilgrim app is a powerhouse of useful info. Elevation profiles, regional guides and frequent reviews of albergues and not hauling the extra weight of a book makes it a must. The app allows offline use of resources and maps, an extremely handy things for those of us with iffy EU phone service.

YouTube is also a tremendous place for planing your Camino. Channels such as our own(CaminoTranquilo) as well as countless others can give some of the best and up to date information available.

About 1 year out from your decision to go, you may want to start considering the following:

Which Camino will you walk?

Examine the myriad of different Camino options around the world.

How far will you walk?

Talk to family, employers and loved ones about how long you can be comfortably gone.

Are you in physical condition to make a 5 to 60 day hike?  

Check with physician.

Do you have your passport?  

If not, start the process here: US Passport Information

What time of the year will you walk your Camino?

Review weather data for the route as well as pilgrim population in your Camino season.

Will your employer grant you the time off you require?

    Negotiate time frame that works for you both.

What is your budget for a Camino?  

Time to start saving?  More info on budget on the Budget page!

Will your family, partner, spouse be joining you or supportive of you leaving home for weeks or months?

    Start early introducing the Camino idea.  

Are you in good physical condition?  

    If not, and your Doc has cleared you, start light training now!  See training page for some ideas.

About 6 months out you will want to start thinking about these things:

How are you getting to your Camino?  

    If you are flying from the US, you want to start looking at your chosen flight dates about 6 months out for budgeting reasons.  Statistically the best prices are about 89 days from day of flight, but setting up a price alert on any of the many travel websites can make sure you score the tickets that work best for you.  More on this on the Transportation page.

What are you wearing?

    Start shopping now for your clothing and footwear.  You need to be absolutely sure of your choices weeks before you leave for your Camino. See our Gear page!

Are you training?

    You really should be by now, especially if you are attempting a very long Camino(30+days).

Are you saving?

    If budget is a concern you may really want to buckle down and start saving that cash you spend on coffee each morning for your Camino.

About a month out you should be more or less ready to roll.

You have your gear, you have been training in your gear and things are lining up nicely.  From now till your departure date the key is not to change anything unless you really, really need to.  Your boots should be nicely broken in, you know your pack and the contents so well you can find your socks in the dark and you are in good enough shape from your training that your hikes are starting to seem a bit short.

All this is great.  Don’t change now! Runners always say, “Nothing new on race day!” and this is true for your Camino preparation.  If it is not broken, don’t mess with it.

Time to go!

In the days before you leave the urge to tinker with your load-out will be overwhelming.  Don’t let it win. Get on the plane, get on the train, get on the Camino and enjoy. Most of the really hard and boring work is over!