We use comfortable hotels, rural houses or family pensions with a pleasant atmosphere in keeping with the spirit of the Camino. In all our hotels, the rooms have private bathrooms and a good breakfast is included every morning. For dinners, we are happy to recommend excellent local restaurants through our 24/7 assistance service.
Luggage transfer is included in your package on a daily basis. After breakfast, leave your bags at the reception or lobby of your hotel before starting your stage. Your luggage will be picked up and transported to the hotel where you will stay the following night according to your itinerary.
CaminoByTheWay and Bierzo a Pedales provide special labels for you to mark your belongings with your name. Labeling your belongings avoids confusion, delays, and losses.
The concept behind all CaminoByTheWay and El Bierzo a Pedales trips is “the cultural and spiritual experience coupled with an active vacation”. The fitter you are, the easier you will adapt and enjoy yourself. We encourage people to take responsibility for their fitness and preparation consistently before departure and to INCREASE their regular weekly training program in the two months leading up to departure. That way, when you start pedaling, you’ll feel relaxed, comfortable, and strong, having done more than enough preparation for the ride. You’ll also have more energy to enjoy the sights, take photos and explore the sights at your leisure, rather than just getting to the next hotel.
There are many interesting sights and experiences to be found during the day and being fit allows you to enjoy them all. At a minimum, we recommend 40 minutes of aerobic-type exercise (running, swimming, cycling, walking up a hill, or working out in the gym) two to three times a week for two to six months prior to your departure. Training should intensify as you get closer to departure, up to an amount you feel is appropriate.
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*We recommend cycling the Camino only if you have some cycling experience and essential knowledge of bicycle maintenance.
Doing the entire French Way, from Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela, is a great challenge, but an unforgettable experience. Although each stage is planned to be done without problems, it is the accumulation of so many stages that adds difficulty. The distance of the stages is planned according to the difficulty of the terrain, lengthening them in less difficult terrain.
We will start in the Navarre Pyrenees, and continue through the rolling countryside of Navarre and La Rioja before entering the flat plains of the Meseta. Once we reach León, the terrain becomes green and mountainous again, crossing the Montes de León and the mythical ascent to O Cebreiro; from there, the final stretch to Santiago de Compostela does not present a great topographical challenge despite being a constant up and down, crossing the most authentic Galicia of small villages and oak forests.
The trail runs along dirt paths, cobblestone lanes, and secondary roads. All sections are very well marked: just follow the yellow arrow, which can be found on walls, rocks, trees, or marked on the surface itself. A simple tip: one of the differences between the Camino on foot and the Camino by bike is the speed, in the same way, that walking is easy to see the arrows in advance, it is not so easy when we do it by bike, so always make sure you see an arrow before making any change of direction.
