The Camino Francés is the classic. It’s the best-known and busiest Camino, and you can feel it. You walk alongside pilgrims from all over the world, share tables and stories, and find plenty of albergues along the way. Even so, you can still find your own stillness here, especially if you set off early.
The first day hits you straight away. You cross the Pyrenees via the Route Napoléon, with almost 600 metres of climbing and the border with Spain along the way. After that the landscape becomes more rolling: vineyards, small villages, the cathedral of Burgos. Then comes the meseta. Wide cornfields, little shade, a sky that seems to go on forever. Some people find it dull, while others fall silent in its presence.
León has another cathedral. After that the path climbs again: the Cruz de Ferro just past Foncebadón and the climb to O Cebreiro, where you walk into Galicia. Green, damp and hilly. Many pilgrims only start in Sarria, because to receive the Compostela you need to walk the last 100 kilometres.
The best time to walk the Francés is from April to June, or in September. It’s very manageable then, even on the meseta. In summer it’s hot there. From November to March it’s cool and wet, and the Route Napoléon is closed. You then walk via Valcarlos.