The French Camino is one of the routes of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle St.James in Santiago de Compostela. It is the most popular Camino route. According to the Pilgrims’ Reception Office in 2024, 236 381 people walked the French route. Pilgrims start their walk from different towns along the Camino. 64% of the pilgrims walk the last 100 km on the French route from Sarria.
Alto del Perdon is the most recognizable landmark on the French Camino de Santiago
You can find more information on walking stages, distances, elevations, stops along the route, and albergues in our post “Camino Frances walking stages“.
The French route overview
- Total distance – 770 km/478 mi
- Number of days required – 30-33 days
- Walking surface – 290 km/180 mi – tar/asphalt; 480 km/298 mi – gravel road/footpath
- Walking on the road – 70 km/43,3 mi mostly quiet roads with almost no cars
- Average cost – 30-35 Euros per person per day
- Accommodation – private and public albergues, hotels, guesthouses
- Route marking – yellow shells and arrows, distance poles (in Galicia)
A video capturing my standard day on the French Camino de Santiago
Insurance for the Camino
You can read more information on travel insurance for the Camino Frances in our dedicated post on Camino travel insurance or get an instant quote right now.
Things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.
French Camino PDFs
To make your planning easier we’ve created free downloadable PDF files that contain detailed walking stages and places to stay on the French Way of St.James.
What is the French Way of St.James?
The French Way is the most popular Camino de Santiago long-distance pilgrimage route. The history of the Camino dates many centuries back. Since the 12th century, the French Camino has been used by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over Europe as the main route to the tomb of St.James in Santiago de Compostela. Due to its popularity, the French Camino has the best infrastructure and the most albergues compared to the other routes. Many pilgrims walk it as their first Camino.
How long is the route?
The distance of the French Way of St.James from St.Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela is 770 km/478 mi. One needs 30-35 days to complete the route. There are plenty of beautiful towns on the French Camino if you need to take a rest day.
Hospital de Orbigo, a small town in the second half of the French Way
Where does it start?
The French route starts in the small town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, near the border with Spain. St.Jean is the official start of the Camino but you can start walking from anywhere along the route. Many people don’t walk the entire Camino and do only a part of it depending on how much time they have and how far they want to walk.
Popular starting points of the French Camino
| Name of the town | Distance to Santiago |
|---|---|
| Le Puy (France) | 1490 km/925 mi |
| Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port | 770 km/478 mi |
| Roncesvalles | 746 km/463 mi |
| Pamplona | 702 km/436 mi |
| Logroño | 606 km/376 mi |
| Burgos | 483 km/300 mi |
| León | 319 km/198 mi |
| Astorga | 267 km/166 mi |
| O Cebreiro | 162 km/100 mi |
| Sarria | 116 km/72 mi |
Distances to Santiago from different towns on the French Camino
Le Puy is 1500 km/932 mi from Santiago, St.Jean-Pied-de-Port is about halfway. I haven’t walked the French part yet but I’ve met some people who have. From what I’ve heard the French part of the Camino is quite different, first of all, because there are very few people which might be great if you’re seeking solitude. Second, there are fewer albergues which means your accommodation expenses will be higher.
Many people start the French Camino in Roncesvalles (746 km/463 mi from Santiago) skipping the challenging stage from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. My advice is if you start in Roncesvalles and get there by bus book your accommodation ahead, there is one big public albergue for 200 people, and two hotels. You can book the albergue online.
The Cathedral of Saint Mary in Astorga, a popular town to start the French Camino
Starting in one of the big cities like Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Leon, or Astorga is a popular option. You can choose any of these cities depending on how much time you have and how far you want to walk. It’s quite easy to get to any of the cities from anywhere in Spain or Europe.
Another popular starting point of the French route is O Cebreiro. Getting to this little mountainous village is tricky. Public buses don’t go to O Cebreiro. The best option is to get first to Lugo, then to take a bus to a small town Pedrafita do Cebreiro which is 4,5 km/2,7 mi from O Cebreiro, and from there walk or take a taxi. There are a couple of daily buses from Lugo going that way.
Many people start walking the Camino from Sarria, a town that is 116 km/72 mi from Santiago. It’s an option if you don’t have much time and want to walk the required 100 km/62 mi for getting the Compostela certificate.
Is it easy to find the Way?
Yes, the route is well-marked from the start to the end. You can follow yellow shells and arrows painted on the ground, walls, stones, and Camino signs. You don’t need GPS to find the route.
Sometimes Camino signs can look like this.
The best guidebook
If you want to buy a guidebook I can recommend A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino de Santiago; Camino Frances by John Brierley. We used his guides for several Camino routes including this one. They’re easy to use, very detailed, and helpful.
How hard is the walk?
The French Camino is hard like any long-distance route. It has some challenging parts with steep ascents and descents and long walking stages. It’s especially hard for first-time pilgrims who have never done a multi-day walk before. So training for the Camino de Santiago is important.
How to get to the Camino?
St.Jean-Pied-de-Port is the official start of the French Way of St.James. It’s a small French town on the border with Spain. Getting there might look a little bit complicated. I tried to put together the best transportation options.
Best ways of getting to St.Jean Pied de Port from France and Spain
Either way via France or Spain you’ll have to make at least one switch to get to St.Jean. There are no direct transport options from the capital cities. Departure times and ticket prices can change at any time, you can confirm the information on the companies’ websites. We have a detailed post explaining how to get to St.Jean Pied de Port from different cities in France and Spain.
The scenery at the beginning of the French Camino on the way from St.Jean to Roncesvalles
Backpack delivery on the French Camino
It’s possible to walk the French Camino with a day pack. Several luggage transfer offer luggage delivery on the route. You can carry only valuables and water with you and your luggage will be delivered to your hotel/albergue. The service costs 7€ per backpack per stage on average. The backpacks are picked up in the morning at the reception and delivered by lunchtime. Correos, Pilbeo, and Xacotrans (from O Cebreiro to Santiago) are the main companies offering luggage transfers.
My favorite parts of the route
I enjoy mountainous scenery and don’t mind steep ascents and descents. For me the beginning of the French Camino from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Pamplona and the middle section to and from O Cebreiro are the best parts of the route.
If you prefer walking on flat ground then the part of the French route between Burgos and Leon, the famous Meseta is the best section for you. It’s probably the most famous scenery on the French Camino. To be honest, it’s my least favorite part of the route but I know some pilgrims really enjoy it.
If you want to do a shorter walk and get your Compostela certificate for completing the Camino then the French Camino from Sarria is the best section for you to walk.
Our video on the Meseta part of the French Camino de Santiago
Best months for walking
If you want to have the best weather not too rainy and cold and not too hot May, June, and September are the best months for walking the French Camino. Temperatures are comfortable around 25°C and not many rainfalls. Spring in general and May, in particular, in my opinion, is the best time for walking the Camino. In addition to the good weather and long days, you get to see fields covered in flowers.
The good weather attracts many people. May, June, and September are the busiest months on the French route. You might have to book accommodation in some places in advance and deal with many people on the route but on the bright side, it’s very social – good for those who walk alone.
In August and July, it is hot and dry, especially in the part of the Meseta. You have to start walking early to be done by lunchtime. There are not that many people walking the Camino in August. Everybody knows it’s hot, and people don’t want to walk in the heat.
In the second half of October, March, and April you can be lucky and get nice weather or unlucky and get a lot of rain and low temperatures. There will be some pilgrims but significantly fewer than in the summer months.
As for walking completely off-season from November to February, it’ll be cold and wet, many albergues are closed. Some parts of the Camino, from St.Jean to Roncesvalles and through O Cebreiro are closed too. You have to take the alternative winter routes or skip the stages. The only advantage of walking the French Way in winter is that there will be no people on the route.
A typical scenery in the Meseta part of the French route in September
How much does the walk cost?
The Camino can be done on a tight budget spending 25€ daily. If you don’t mind paying more and want more comfort your spendings can be between 40 and 50€ per person per day. Here is a detailed breakdown of the Camino cost.
Accommodation
The cheapest accommodation option on the French Camino is municipal or public albergues. Where you can get a bunk bed in a dormitory for 10-12€. Private albergues (a dormitory with bunk beds) are between 15€ and 18€. Prices for private rooms start from 35€ for a single room and 50€ for a double room.
The accommodation makes a huge difference to your budget. If you stay in municipal albergues your walk will be cheap and on the contrary, if you choose to stay in private rooms your spendings will be comparable to a normal holiday.
Sleeping every night in a dormitory with many other people and using shared facilities is quite tiring. I usually book once or twice a week a private room where I could rest, take a long shower, and enjoy being alone.
The interior of the Cathedral de Leon, one of the most beautiful cathedrals on the French route
Eating out
Not surprisingly eating out is more expensive than making food. Sometimes on the Camino, you’re too tired to cook or want to go out with other pilgrims. Trying local food on the Camino is a part of the experience so I’d suggest eating out from time to time to get a taste of Spain.
A standard breakfast (coffee, orange juice, croissant/sandwich/toast) you can find everywhere on the French Way costs 4-5€. I usually stop for breakfast after about 1 hour of walking.
Menú del Día or Menú del Peregrino is the most popular lunch option on the French Camino. You get it everywhere at lunch time. Some places serve it for dinner. It’s a set lunch with the first (soup, salad, or pasta), the main (meat, chicken, fish, vegetables with garnish), wine/beer/water/cool drink, dessert, or coffee, and bread. Menú del Día usually costs 12-15€. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not.
Coffee, beer, and wine are quite cheap in Spain. Even if you’re on a tight budget you will be able to afford a cup of coffee or two and a glass of wine or beer. A cup of coffee is 1,5-2€, and a glass of wine/beer – 2-3€.
Grocery shopping
The cheapest option is buying food in supermarkets. Staying in albergues will help with spending less on food because most of the albergues have a kitchen, unlike hotels. Most places you stop on the French route have supermarkets, shops, or at least small grocery stores. Depending on what you buy prepare to spend between 10€ and 15€ per person per day on groceries.
Extra services
The backpack delivery service that some pilgrims use on the French Camino, costs 7€ per backpack per stage. You don’t have to use it every day I know some pilgrims use it when it’s a long walking day or a difficult one with many hills or a steep climb.
Many pilgrims wash their clothes every day by hand. Some albergues have washing and drying machines that work with coins. One load of washing is 5€, drying is 5-6€. These machines are usually big you can share one load between two or three people.
My budget breakdown for the French Camino
In 32 days on the French route I spent;
- Accommodation – 494€, 8 nights in private rooms (including 1 night in a spa hotel), 8 nights in municipal albergues, and 16 nights in private albergues. If you stay in albergues only you can do it for under 350€ per person for 32 days.
- Grocery shopping – 178€
- Eating out – 298€, if you make your food and eat only breakfast or a sandwich you can save about 100€.
- Coffee, wine, beer – 49€
- Transport – 84€, bus Barcelona – Pamplona – 28€, bus Pamplona – St.Jean Pied de Port – 22€, train Santiago – Madrid – 34€.
- Laundry – 23€
- Other (SIM card, entrance fees, toiletries, etc.) – 50€
Total: 1152€ or 36€ per person per day.
A pie chart of all my expenses on the French Way in 32 days, in Euro
What to pack for the walk?
My main tip is don’t overpack! Unless you’re planning to use a backpack delivery service. Two essential things that you want to be good quality and comfortable are shoes and a backpack. Make sure you wear your shoes before starting the Camino so your feet are used to them. If you walk in a new pair of shoes your chances of getting blisters are pretty high. Find out more about the best backpacks and best shoes for the Camino de Santiago.
We have a detailed Camino packing post where you can find what to pack for different seasons for men and women.
The impressive Cathedral of Burgos
What is the accommodation like on the Camino?
Finding places to stay on the French Camino is easy. There are many albergues, hotels, and guesthouses along the route. Albergues are the cheapest accommodation on the Camino. Albergues can be municipal and private. Municipal albergues are cheaper, bigger, and less comfortable than the private ones.
Most albergues have a couple of dormitories with bunk beds (sometimes one huge room with many beds) and shared facilities like a kitchen, toilets, and showers. In municipal albergues, you often get disposable bedding (a bed sheet and a pillow casing).
Challenges you may encounter in albergues, especially in municipal as they’re usually bigger and accommodate more people;
- Snorers, make sure to pack earplugs; you often have people snoring in your dorms.
- Lining up to use showers, washing machines, cooking facilities, checking in, etc. My advice is after you check-in don’t make your bed or unpack your backpack, grab your stuff, and go to the shower. Sometimes there are only two or three of them for 30 or 40 people.
- Being woken up at 4.30am because some people want to start walking at 5am and even if they try to be quiet they still make some noise.
If staying in dormitories doesn’t sound very appealing and you rather pay extra money to have more comfort and privacy you can stay in hotels and guesthouses. If you’re planning to walk the French route in high season (May, June, and September) I recommend booking hotels in small places in advance. I walked the French Way in September and well-priced private rooms were often booked. You’ll have more comfort staying in private but for the experience, I suggest spending at least one night in an albergue.
| Facilities | Municipal albergues | Private albergues | Hotels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only for pilgrims | yes | no | no |
| Need a Credential to stay | yes | no | no |
| Hot shower | yes | yes | yes |
| Kitchen | usually | usually | no |
| Wi-fi | usually | yes | yes |
| Blankets | sometimes | usually | yes |
| Washing machine | usually | usually | sometimes |
| Restaurant | no | usually | usually |
| Advanced booking | rarely | yes | yes |
| Luggage delivery | sometimes | yes | yes |
A table comparing facilities and requirements to stay in public and private albergues and hotels on the French Camino 
A dormitory in a public albergue on the French Way 
A dormitory room in a private albergue on the French Camino 
A budget private room in a hotel on the Camino A public albergue, a private albergue, and a room in a hotel on the French Way
As for booking in advance, I recommend doing it in the peak season, particularly in some places. First of all in Roncesvalles (there is only one albergue for 200 people and two expensive hotels). Zubiri is a small town and a popular stop on the second day. O Cebreiro is another small town with one municipal albergue and a couple of small guesthouses.
French Way FAQ
Will I be lonely if I walk the Camino alone?
The French Way was one of the few Camino routes that I walked without Campbell. I didn’t feel lonely. Many pilgrims walk this route and your chances of walking alone are quite small. By the end of the first week you know quite a lot of people and always can find somebody to walk with or have lunch.
Is it safe to walk the French Way of St.James alone as a woman?
Safety for female pilgrims is one of the most frequently asked Camino questions we get. I walked alone for 780 km and never felt unsafe on the French Camino. You hardly ever walk alone if you walk in the season. There are usually other pilgrims on the route. Even when I had an hour or so walking on my own I never felt unsafe. If you feel intimidated or unsafe you can team up with another pilgrim many people walk the Camino solo.
Will it be difficult to communicate on the French Camino if I don’t speak Spanish?
If you don’t speak any Spanish don’t worry about it, many pilgrims are foreigners. Most people I met on the French route could speak pretty good English. On this route, there were more pilgrims from the US, Canada, and the UK compared to the other Camino routes so English was probably the most spoken language. Many locals don’t speak English but there is always someone around who can help and translate for you.
Which Camino route is the best to walk for a first-timer?
Out of the long-distance routes, I’d say the French Way is probably the best because it has the best infrastructure for pilgrims. Distances between places are not too long so you can easily walk 20 km a day and find a place to sleep. If you want to try the Camino and aren’t ready to walk for one month you can choose a shorter route like the English Way or walk the last 100 km to Santiago on one of the Camino routes.
Recommended books and guidebooks
French Way planning resources
Questions or Comments?
Got any questions or comments? We would love to help! All questions and comments will be answered by us personally in Buy Me a Coffee. Click below and ask away.
Feel free to support our site by buying us a coffee!
Liked this post? Pin it!
The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
Please visit:
Our Sponsor