Camino French Way - Section 6

(1,2) Leisurely (3,4) Stimulating (5) A Challenge


Our holidays are graded by 3 categories of difficulty: Leisurely, Stimulating and A Challenge. This grading system will allow you to select the ideal holiday for yourself or your group. We aim to offer you the best experiences and unforgettable memories on a holiday where your desire for a challenge, comfort and safety are our priority. As the abilities of everybody are different, it’s important that you decide on a holiday which best suits your own needs and capabilities. You should take some time to look over our grading system so you can decide which holiday is best for you!

How do we grade?
When grading our holidays we take 3 main factors into consideration: Distance, Gradient and Trail Type (i.e. mountain track, forest road, surfaced road, etc.)
Our Easy walking and cycling holidays are best for families with young children. With older children, experience and fitness level should be considered when deciding on a holiday.

Leisurely(1,2)
• Time: Under 5 hours per day on average.
• Gradient: Gentle, no steep climbs
• Trail Type: Walking path, easily accessible
• Suitable for: Everybody. Some easy preparation walks should increase your enjoyment.


Stimulating(3,4)
• Time: 5 to 7 hours / less than 20km per day on average
• Gradient: Up to 1000m ascent per day on average, possibility of some steep climbing
• Trail Type: Walking paths, mountain trails, not technically difficult
• Suitable for: Moderate level of fitness required. Some weekend walks of around 3-4 hours should help your preparation.


A Challenge (5)
• Time: Days can be over 7 hours / 20km
• Gradient: Days can be more than 1000m, some steep climbing
• Trail Type: Walking paths, mountain trails, can be technically difficult
• Suitable for: Good level of fitness required. Previous experience would be best. Regular weekend walks of 4-5 hours or more are advisable in the months leading up to your holiday. These should include some mountain walks.

Please find below information on how to get to your destination and back. You can also look at our "Camino flight Finder" page, and our airport guide.

Fly to and home from Madrid or Santiago de Compostela: More info: http://www.spanish-airport-guide.com/

 1 - Madrid: Virtually every company flies to Madrid Spanish national company: www.iberia.com Spanish low-cost: www.spanair.com

2 - Santiago: Ryanair and Iberia/BA fly direct to Santiago de Compostela from the UK. Ryanair fly from Stansted, Nottingham East Midlands and Liverpool and Aer Lingus operates from Dublin. Many of the flights that arrive at the airport are from internal Spanish destinations. Iberia and Spanair offer the best selection of flights and you can fly to and from Santiago De Compostela from: Frankfurt, Paris and Rome and Barcelona, Bilbao, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Madrid, Malaga, Palma, Seville, Tenerife and Valencia.

To the start of the walk in Leon:

1 - From Madrid: Train 4h30, several per day

2 - From Santiago: Bus 4h, several per day Train 6h, several per day

Back home from Ponferrada:

1 - To Santiago de Compostela: There are two options to get from Ponferrada to Santiago. (A) Bus (takes 3h, 4 per day @11.45, 15.45. 18.45, 20.45, http://www.alsa.es/ )OR (B)Train (takes 3h, 2 per day http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html )

2 - To Madrid: Train takes 6h

Included:

Luggage transferred from hotel to hotel

Rooms en-suite

Half Board during the hike

Holiday Pack: inc. notes & map(s) & pilgrim passport, what to bring, language book

Not Included:

Flights

Insurance (recommended)

Drinks

Dinner first and last nights

Transfer from/to airport