I tried to meet in a text all that I have answered about cycling in Santiago de Compostela. If your question is not answered here, send me to reply with the greatest pleasure and put to other candidates for cyclists pilgrims.
How to plan the trip?
If you're going the way of truth, ie, walking or cycling, without vehicle support, to plan only gives the average miles per day of travel. Known in advance, here in Brazil where you go to sleep each day is impossible. The path is above all an experience of life. There are days when you pedal 90 km, and others, only 14 because the rain and cold did you run into a hostel. By bike, the average is 15 days on the road. This is also the programming guide published by the Junta of Galicia is the best guide to bike. It is free and you can ask the Internet directly from Spain or the Spanish tourist office in Sao Paulo. In short, you plan the day and city of departure and follow the yellow arrow. Then use the guide to know where and how many hostels have their front. She begins to ride early and so fulfill the middle of the day or the day favor, after a super mileage, open the tab and find the nearest shelter. That probably will be crowded and you should get another 5 miles away.
Road map?
Practically you do not need map to find the path. Every 500 meters you should find a yellow arrow, if they are gone is because you're on the wrong track. I got to take a GPS, but it hi pra bag on the third day, I was just being used to collect speed data and altimetry. Such information to be rendered irrelevant in the third day. The guide provided by the tourist office has a route, and the main list of hostels.
Hostel or hostel?
For hostal you can understand simple inn or hotel. They cost about 40 euros for up to two people. In the hostels spending is about 8 euros. For hostel you can imagine anything, there are some super uptight with a spotless kitchen and others with Jeitão that seem ripe mountain lodge. In almost all cases, are at least 6 people per room, but can reach 60. No joke, I took shelter in makeshift municipal gymnasium. Looked like a community of migrants from flooding, but all very organized with beds and everything else. The respect among the pilgrims is very large, but sleeping and they forget that there are people who snore. No way. But as the effort of the day is huge and wine supper infallible, it is difficult to sleep. The hostel is part of the experience of the path.
What kind of bike? Mountain biking or road?
Can you do with two. But the road has to go by road and mountain bike lets you do almost all the way down the trail hikers. It has places like the descent of the Pyrenees and down the Hill of Pardons is better to go by road because the road gets to be dangerous for bikes loaded. In you will find many roots of trees and another very large loose stone loose.
By road it is quiet, but you overlook the beautiful towns. If you become aware, sermpre can enter the points of most interest. And by road bike, only the roads are allowed. Do not enter a highway, even though the side, you get a fine and can stop at a police station.
I take a bike or rent or buy there?
If you consider that this bike for the rider as the boot for the walker, it is best to get you know and have this set. And the job of finding what to buy, adjust and then bring back ends up being even bigger than a stick in your suitcase-bike here and get in Pamplona. It does not cost a penny more to get on the plane and airports have cart to load it. Just watch out for the shins of unsuspecting tourists happy to airports that only look at the flight panel.
Risers, which the worst?
Mount the pardons, just outside of Pamplona. Competing with him, inch by inch, the Cebrero. The Pyrenees is complicated if you are on track and is famous because you never know how long it will be at the top of the mountain, where it is usually cold. The Mount of Pardons Jew who with this bag, is small but full of stones and climb is strong. Of course it gives to circumvent the road, but alas you do not let the sins of the hill and have to carry them to Santiago. The view from up there is wonderful fall and then, oh yes the road, wonderful. For trail riders only very experienced venture and without charge. Now Cebrero tests your patience to the limit. So much for track and road must be very determined. If it rains, be prepared to push the bike for two kilometers along the trail. It is shorter there, but has its risks. The road is smooth, but it is a ramp that never ends. Even when it comes to a city and we think eventually discovers he has six thousand more feet without clearance for the legs.
Budget, when it costs?
Outside the tickets, you should keep in mind that the basic cost is about EUR 20 days using hostels. This value is 2007. If the option is hostal, this figure rises to over 10 million room is shared with one person. Still Pamplona France the cost is 50 euro taxi per person. And on arrival in Santiago de Compostela, you cease to be a pilgrim and the cost rises pra 80 euros for the day as a tourist.
The book by Paulo Coelho serves as a guide?
No. He fiction. The path is just a character in his novel. Look, do not put character and scenery, as he fantasized a lot about everything. I met a Mexican who confessed that he stopped reading the book on page 100, because he realized that it would be well to make the path.
What to bring to the table?
The minimum required. Everyone recommends that all new and pilgrims take more than they need. It will be different with you, but decrease the damage is good. Bike, use one bag for clothes, and the other for sleeping bag and if you want to save, food. It has laundry in all hostels. Two sets of clothes for the day and over one and a half pra night is enough, more anorak and a sandal that sometimes makes slippers too. Towel and a minimum of shampoos and creams. Visit stores climbers, has read everything that you need. Avoid cotton clothes, they are slow to dry and weigh a bit when wet. I was heavy, because I took a cooking and kitchen things to avoid restaurant and still took 17 kg of cargo and 19 kg
bike with suitcase-bike. Data from Iberia.
More aboute places to biking in Brazil at
OndePedalar - Bicicleta e Cicloturismo
