Camino de Santiago - route?

[Rogillio]

First off, new to the forum......a buddy of mine gave me "The Way" DVD as a Christmas present and I just fell in love with the idea of doing this trek. I am a novice hiker. My son and I tried to hike to Everest Base Camp in 2014 but the altitude got to me so we turned back 2 days before EBC. So 7 days of trekking is the longest I've gone.

I have been toying with hiking some on the AT and ordered HYOH book yesterday - no pal pal so check in the mailbox (that antique metal thing at the end of my driveway) this morning and put the flag up.

Sorry for my ADD/rabbit trail.....

I read all of what you wrote about the Camino de Santiago and I still want to hike it. The idea of miles and miles of hiking on a blacktop road kinda sucks. Can you recommend a route with the LEAST amount of blacktop walking?

Also, do people stay in hotels and bunkhouses? About how much $$ per day is needed? How much more are the hotels than the bunkhouses?

~Mike

[FrancisTapon]

I read all of what you wrote about the Camino de Santiago and I still want to hike it. The idea of miles and miles of hiking on a blacktop road kinda sucks. Can you recommend a route with the LEAST amount of blacktop walking?

I haven't hiked it, but it seems that El Camino del Norte has a bit less pavement walking than El Camino Frances (the main route).
It might be 15% less, but it's hard to know.
It's certainly less crowded, if that's important to you.
If you look forward to meeting to meeting lots of interesting pilgrims, then stick with El Camino Frances.

Also, do people stay in hotels and bunkhouses? About how much $$ per day is needed? How much more are the hotels than the bunkhouses?

99% stay in the albergues, which are bunkhouses that cost $5/night as long as you have a "Credential" or Pilgrim's Passport (which is cheap or free).

Hotels run $25-100 depending on the quality.

Food costs the same as it does in the USA.

It'll be a lot easier than Everest Base Camp!