Even if you have heard of the Camino de Santiago, you might not know that it’s actually a network of several pilgrimages over Europe rather than a single trail.

The most popular route is the Camino Frances, or the French Way, which starts across the border of France and goes across the north of Spain.

It is this route that I have chosen to take. Although some say they prefer others, it feels like a good symbolic first one, and it probably has less places closed during winter.

One reason for starting this blog was a dearth of consolidated resources on walking the Camino Frances specifically in January. A lot of existing write-ups on winter I could find were in November/December and February/March but not much in January.

The best I could find was Mountains with Megan, who started the first week of January and ended the first week of February, which is also my plan.

During a good season, the route is meant to take 30–35 days. It’s not clear however how many days one typically takes in January, especially with the reduced daylight hours, potential storms, rest days, and possible bedbugs. From this post on the Camino de Santiago forum, it seems like 33 days is doable (although tiring), and that 40+ days is possible with a relaxed pace.

Wanting to start exactly on January 1 might also not be possible, with holiday closures and lack of transport to get to the start point.

With these in mind, I booked a semi-flexible flight from Turkish Airlines on February 12 from Madrid, giving 35 days with a one week buffer. I’m prepared to change the flight earlier or later if needed, which would incur a €50 penalty. Closer to the end when things are clearer, I’ll weigh that cost against the cost of accommodation for my remaining days in Spain.

I hope to give a good picture of walking the Camino Frances in January by the end of the walk.