Organized trips for doing the Camino de Santiago
Doing the Camino de Santiago on an organized trip has many advantages, and is the easiest option to prepare your pilgrimage to Compostela, although you can also go on your own. As mentioned in other articles on our Camino de Santiago blog, you can do organized trips or you can join one of the scheduled and guided groups. Check the link if you want to know the differences between one type of trip and the other.
Both types of organized trips to the Camino de Santiago have numerous advantages. Guided groups are usually completed on foot, but organized trips to do the Camino de Santiago can be arranged for both walking and cycling pilgrimages.
Doing the Camino in an Organized Group with a Guide is an excellent experience, together with more pilgrims and free from all concerns. Leave us the details of your trip and leave everything in our hands.
Advantages of having an organized trip on the Camino de Santiago against going it yourself
In this article we want to explain some of the advantages of doing the Camino de Santiago organized as against doing it yourself. Both experiences are fantastic and suitable for all kinds of pilgrims, but doing the Camino de Santiago with a schedule allows you to enjoy certain amenities that you won’t always find if you do things yourself, or at least, you’ll end up paying a lot more for them than if you do manage everything through an agency.
A specialized team will guide you
When it comes to organizing the Camino de Santiago you will come up against many doubts; Which route to take? Where do I sleep? What do I take? On foot or by bike? Etc. If you go on your own, you will find a lot of information online about each of the topics, as you can see in our blog on the Camino de Santiago.
However, having the advice of the team of one of the companies which organize the Camino de Santiago, will allow you to make more appropriate decisions when scheduling your pilgrimage. Even more, if you decide to take a scheduled trip on the Camino de Santiago with us, as we can boast of being authentic lovers of pilgrimage to Compostela.
You will stay in much more comfortable places
The main feature of doing an organized Camino de Santiago is that you sleep in comfortable and charming accommodation (hotels, cottages, etc.). Pilgrimage is not at odds with comfort! The pilgrim routes are already hard enough without being subjected to bad nights.
Of course, if you go on your own, you can also access these types of accommodation, but you will have to use your instinct to choose them well. The network of hotels we work with, we know that they guarantee the highest quality and comfort to pilgrims.
The inconvenience of hostels
Staying in hostels on the Camino de Santiago has a degree of romanticism because it reminds pilgrims of the Middle Ages, but the truth is that to sleep in hostels you have to be well-prepared. Most hostels on the Camino de Santiago are open rooms where hundreds of pilgrims sleep.
Choosing the hostel network will ensure that you forget about intimacy and, on many occasions, not sleep as well as you would want. The noise of people coming in and out, as well as snoring, are often the biggest problem in this type of accommodation!
Please note that beds cannot be booked in the hostel network. Therefore, none of the organizing companies that offer scheduled trips to the Camino de Santiago will give you the option to manage your accommodation in hostels.
If you find a scheduled trip where you’re promised accommodation within the pilgrim hostel network, be suspicious and ask exactly what they’re offering you. They may refer to private hostels, where you can book in advance.
A room is shared with far fewer people than in the public, but do not have the comfort of hotels or cottages. If you want to do the Camino de Santiago on your own and stay at hostels it is a good idea to take note of the above.
Services in quality accommodation
Another fact that makes a difference for many pilgrims who decide to do an organized trip on the Camino de Santiago with us, is the bathroom. In the most affordable accommodation the bathroom is shared with many other people, pilgrims or not.
Breakfast is another of the elements that pilgrims seek when deciding to do the Camino de Santiago. Getting up and having breakfast ready is the best way to make the most of the morning.
Our scheduled trips to the Camino de Santiago are always organized in comfortable accommodation and, therefore, always have a private bathroom and all the necessary services to guarantee the comfort of our pilgrims. We are not only lovers of the Camino de Santiago, but also of comfort and quality!
Avoid unforeseen situations
Although for some pilgrims to make the Camino de Santiago without knowing where the stage will end is an exciting option, for most people this option is not possible. Their days are limited and they need to reach Santiago de Compostela, or their final destination, in a certain time.
A delay in planning the stages may mean not having enough time to make the stretch of the Camino de Santiago that they had planned. So another advantage of making the Camino de Santiago organized is that you avoid unwanted unforeseen events. Doing the Camino de Santiago for free may sound more adventurous, but you must be willing to take the risks involved.
Breakdowns and injuries
If you decide to do the Camino de Santiago by bike and go with your own one, a breakdown can mean having to stop for several days to get it repaired. That doesn’t happen on an organized trip, because it instantly sends a vehicle to replace your bike so that you can continue.
When doing the Camino de Santiago on foot there are also injuries which can cause pilgrims feet to become affected. Tendinitis, severe discomfort with blisters, etc., may prevent you from completing a stage. However, if you do an organized Camino de Santiago, you have a support car that, in those cases, it will transport you to the end of the planned stage. You don’t lose a day, just like you would if you do the Camino de Santiago on your own.
Having nowhere to sleep
On the other hand, there are also those unforeseen events associated with finding accommodation. If you do the Camino de Santiago without prior reservations, you certainly risk not finding a bed, especially in high season and on busy routes such as the Camino Frances or the Camino Portugues.
As we said in the previous section, this does not happen on scheduled trips to the Camino de Santiago. At the end of each stage, you will be sure that you will find a comfortable bed waiting for you.
You’ll enjoy the experience much more
Although there are many people who do the Camino de Santiago more than once, the truth is that most people live that experience only once in a lifetime. In that case, why not enjoy it to the fullest, why risk small details ruining the experience?
You’ll be more rested
Resting after long days on the Camino is very important if you want to make the most of it. Having a bad night means being exhausted the next morning. Also if you don’t rest properly, as we explain in this article on how to train for the Camino de Santiago, the probability of getting injured may be higher.
Sleeping well is synonymous with a happy pilgrimage! Resting comfortably in a clean place with excellent services is one of the main guarantees of the planned trips on the Camino de Santiago. We personally check the quality of the accommodation with which we work; we do not jeopardize the trust provided by those pilgrims who travel with us!
Maximum energy with minimal effort
Another fundamental aspect to enjoy the Camino de Santiago to the fullest is to eat properly. Breakfast and dinner are the most important meals.
If you have an organized trip on the Camino de Santiago, you can also plan your diet. This means that you will avoid having to start stages without breakfast because you do not find anything open, as happens to some pilgrims who go on their own along the Camino de Santiago. Also, if you choose to include evening meals, you’ll save yourself having to cook or find a place to dine.
A sad sandwich at the end of the day is not the best way to enjoy the Camino de Santiago! Don’t forget that its gastronomy is world-renowned. If you want to know more about how to eat during your pilgrimage and what typical dishes you will find on the way, you can read our post about nutrition and gastronomy on the Camino de Santiago.
You’ll enjoy the baggage transport service
Another advantage of making the Camino de Santiago on a scheduled trip is that these offer the baggage transport service. Although carrying the backpack on the Camino de Santiago is a classic way to walk, it is also not necessary to carry absolutely everything.
Isn’t it more comfortable to carry only a small backpack with what you need for each stage? In this article, we tell you some of the advantages of doing the Camino de Santiago without having to carry everything with you. Of course, if you do the Camino de Santiago on your own, you can also hire this type of service too, but the logistics will be much more complicated.
You’ll save time
Agreed! To stay in hotels and cottages on the Camino de Santiago and have a backpacking serving service it is not essential to have a company specialized in the organization of pilgrimages, but how long will it take to organize it on your own?
The reality is that most people who decide to hire the Camino de Santiago on a scheduled trip do so to save time. Choose the route, plan the stages and manage the accommodation reservations, find out how to get your credential, etc. takes quite a few hours sitting in front of the computer.
Not doing the Camino de Santiago because of a lack of time to organize it is a real shame! That’s what companies like us are for! A simple call or a message and you will quickly have everything ready to make a pilgrimage to Compostela. In this video you will see how easy it is!
Companies that organize the Camino de Santiago offer security
In addition to all the above advantages, those trips organized on the Camino de Santiago offer a security that you will not enjoy if you plan everything on your own. On one hand, the companies that organize the Camino de Santiago guarantee the quality of the services with which they work: accommodation, carriers, restaurants, etc.
On the other hand, these types of trips usually include insurance. Both travel insurance and cancellation insurance on the Camino de Santiago. Unforeseen events as the name suggests cannot be foreseen!
Have the option to join a guided group
Another advantage of organized trips to the Camino de Santiago is that they offer you the option to take the tour with a guide. We already talked about these type of trips about in another blog post, in which we explained the advantages of doing the Camino de Santiago with a specialized guide.
You will know your budget, no surprises
Calculating how much it will cost you to do the Camino de Santiago is always one of the most complicated parts of the organization. One of the advantages of doing an organized Camino de Santiago is that before you start, you will be clear about what budget you will need to enjoy the experience as you wish, without any surprises!
Who decides to do an organized Camino de Santiago trip?
The reasons for deciding to make the Camino de Santiago organized are very diverse. There are many types of pilgrims who prefer to enjoy the advantages of making the Camino de Santiago on a scheduled trip.
Contrary to what might be thought, pilgrims who make planned trips on the Camino de Santiago are not just the elderly, nor foreigners. Young people, families and groups of friends or companies also prefer, on many occasions, to have the security that a pilgrimage provides with everything already organized.
There are many people who are eager to live in their own flesh the extraordinary experience of completing the Camino de Santiago, but not all have the necessary time to organize it or do not want to put so much effort into it. These are the kind of pilgrims who decide to use an agency specialized in the Camino de Santiago.
So you know, whether you are young, middle-aged or older, foreign or born in Spain and go with whoever you go with, making an organized Camino de Santiago trip is the most comfortable option. There are already many pilgrims who have trusted in us, and we are fortunate to be able to boast that they have all been highly satisfied with their experience.
However, we also understand that for economic reasons, or personal preferences, you decide to go to the Camino de Santiago on your own. In that case, be sure to check out our blog to find out more about how to organize your trip. In Santiago Ways, all pilgrims are well received.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for an agency with which to travel to the Camino de Santiago, do not hesitate to contact us. On our website you can find the prices for all routes on the Camino de Santiago, as well as the services that are included. If you prefer, you can also leave us a comment or write to us on our Facebook!
Buen Camino!
