Hello all,
I'm thinking of doing a part of the route in October 2008, when I'll have about a month off work.
Can anyone recommend which of the four original routes might be best for me? or a part of which...
Any suggestions or recommendations about the way?
Is October going to be too cold & rainy?
Thanks
You don't say in your post how much time you've got to do the Camino, but if you've got the luxury of a full month, one way of getting the best of both routes would be to do the Via de la Plata route and take the eastern branch. Then, once you reach Astorga via La Bañeza, you can join the regular Camino Francés that goes onwards through Ponferrada to Santiago. You still get some of the plains of Castile, but the weather is likely to be warmer and drier through western Andalusia and Extremadura. FWIW, rain and cold weather are likely at any time in Galicia. I was up there in late July and the weather was quite cold and rainy.
Whoops. Sorry about that first line of the previous answer, Karnaf. What I mean to say is that you didn't mention how much time of that month off you wanted to dedicate to doing the Camino - if you were going to spend the entire month doing it, or just three weeks or so...
Whether you choose the French way or the Vía de la Plata, it's should be pretty cold at nights, but fine or even hot during the day until you reach Galicia (the last part of the Camino). There, you get into oceanic climate, which means that temperatures are less extreme, but rain is more likely.
I believe that the French way is better equipped (hostels, etc). However, the Vía de la Plata has a more changing scenery, as you travel south-north instead of east-west.
You choose.