Trip notes

GETTING THERE: From Madrid, take trains to any larger city along the Camino; buses and taxis connect smaller ones. STAYING THERE: Buy a ‘‘credencial’’, which gets you into most public hostels. The credencial, stamped and dated along the way, earns you the compostella when you turn it in at Santiago’s Pilgrims’ Office, https:/ /oficinadelperegrino.com. Hostels (albergues) charge about €5 ($7.90) for a bed – first come, first served. Most towns also have hotels; private rooms with bathrooms average €30 ($44.40). Services transport backpacks for €3-5 daily. Most restaurants have three-course pilgrims’ menus with wine, €8-10. TIPS: Train before you go; it’s strenuous. The Camino Frances is so well-marked with yellow arrows and its shell symbol that you never need maps. If you read Spanish, the best guide is free at http:/ /caminodesantiago.consumer.es/ los-caminos-de-santiago/frances/ Take precautions, especially for female solo travellers. An American woman walking the trail was murdered in 2015.