The Camino de Santiago: From Aumont-Aubrac to Conques

Easy to moderate. Between 4 and 8 hours of walking per day, with no technical difficulties. The entire trail is waymarked with GR markings (white and red) and/or scallop shell symbols.

No main luggage to carry: you only carry a small backpack with your picnic lunch and the things you need for the day. Your luggage will be waiting for you every evening at the end of the day’s walk. Your luggage is transported by vehicle and is limited to one bag per person, weighing no more than 13 kg.

7 days, 6 nights, 6 days of walking.

Choose your departure date from April to October.

We will send you a travel pack containing all the documents you need for your walking holiday: a route guide and maps, luggage labels, and an itinerary with contact details for your accommodation.
1 travel pack per group. An additional travel pack is available for a supplement of 35 €.

Half-board accommodation.
Choose from two options:

• In walkers' hostels reserved for people on multi-day walks. Sleeping accommodation is in dormitories or, at best, rooms with 4 to 8 beds; in both cases, you share with other guests. Blankets are provided, but sheets and towels are not (these can usually be hired on site – not included, payable locally). Shared bathroom facilities (showers, washbasins and toilets) are outside the rooms. Meals are served at set times and eaten together for a sociable atmosphere.

• In private rooms in hotels of various categories, guesthouses or pilgrim accommodation (such as inns or walkers' hostels), depending on availability (usually with a shower or bath and toilet in the room).

For practical reasons, including cleaning, stocking up and allowing the owners time to rest, check-in at walkers' hostels and guesthouses is not possible before 16:00/16:30.

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined – far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms.
If, for example, we indicate a comfort level of “2* or equivalent”: this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers a level of comfort equivalent to a 2* hotel.

• Dinners: served from 19:00/19:30; these are usually the pilgrim menu of the day (starter, main course and dessert). During your walk, you will discover regional specialities.

• Breakfasts: served from 07:30, at the table or as a buffet. They usually consist of a hot drink, bread and/or pastries, butter and jam, and sometimes fruit juice, yoghurt and sweetened cereals.

• Picnics: most accommodation offers packed lunches (not included, payable locally). The walking guide provided in your travel pack gives details of places to buy supplies in shops at your overnight stop and/or along the route.

Please let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

All our accommodation has been selected for its hospitality, comfort and cleanliness. Nevertheless, some accommodation providers have reported a resurgence of bedbugs, which are most often carried by hikers. To help accommodation providers eradicate this problem and reduce the risk of bites, you should spray the inside and outside of your luggage (both your daypack and your transferred luggage), as well as all your clothing and footwear. Sprays are available from pharmacies and some accommodation providers; some products are 100% natural and ECOCERT-certified. To reduce the risk of spreading bedbugs, we ask you to follow accommodation providers' instructions carefully and understand that these are necessary precautions (for example, prohibiting luggage and backpacks in bedrooms or dormitories). Once you return home, if you have any concerns, we recommend washing all your belongings at 65°C or placing them in a freezer for 2 days (bedbugs cannot survive temperatures below 0°C).

Day 1: late afternoon at your accommodation in Aumont-Aubrac.

Day 7: late afternoon in Conques.

Aumont-Aubrac SNCF railway station.

At the end of the trip: from Conques, you will need to travel to St-Christophe - Vallon SNCF railway station (on the Rodez - Paris line via Brive) or Rodez railway station.

• to reach St-Christophe: LAMPLE taxis (Tel.: 0471499555/ 0607759332 – email: taxi-lampleorange.fr gnkv-ynzcyr@benatr.se) operate a shuttle service by prior booking between Conques and St-Christophe SNCF railway station, departing at 11:30. Fares 201715€. Lample taxis also offer private transfers at 45€/journey on weekdays and 65€/journey on Sundays and public holidays

• to reach Rodez: scheduled coach service operated by VERDIER – Tel.: 0565771055. There is no service between Conques and Rodez during school holidays, at weekends or on public holidays. Rodez bus station – Tel.: 0565681113. Rodez SNCF railway station – Tel.: 0565773330.

LAMPLE taxis (Tel.: 0471499555/ 0607759332 – email: taxi-lampleorange.fr gnkv-ynzcyr@benatr.se) offer a transfer from Conques to Rodez during school holidays, by prior booking.

For current train timetables, visit the website: https://www.sncf-connect.com/

Check your route on Via Michelin
Aumont-Aubrac is close to the A75 motorway linking Paris - Clermont-Ferrand - Béziers, 35km south of Saint-Flour.

• at the fairground car park; please note, however, that parking is prohibited during certain events, such as the local patron saint’s festival (the 2 Sunday in August).

• at the SNCF railway station

• for those seeking secure parking, GERVAIS garage (Tel.: 04.66.42.80.17) offers paid parking.

Vehicle transfer: La Malle Postale offers a service to transfer your vehicle from your starting point to the end of your route. For further information (conditions and current rates), contact La Malle Postale, Tel.: 04.71.04.21.79 or 06.67.79.38.16.

• From Conques to Aumont-Aubrac, daily from April to October, departing from Conques (tourist office) at 8:00 am or 1:30 pm. Arrivals in Aumont-Aubrac at around 10:30 am and 3:30 pm.

Book and pay when you book your walking holiday.

• From Conques to Le Puy-en-Velay, daily from April to October, departing from Conques at 8:00, arriving in Le Puy-en-Velay at around 12:00 noon, and departing from Conques at 13:30, arriving in Le Puy-en-Velay at around 17:00.

Please take the distance of the final stage into account when planning your return shuttle time if you are not booking an extra night at the end of your trip.

Several of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either during a stage or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore your responsibility and undertaken at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the traveller’s ethical charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and enjoy meaningful encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible environmental, ethical and sustainable management practices, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our practical actions in support of responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainability policy

In this section, you will find links to products from our partner Alpinstore, a French online retailer specialising in outdoor equipment, based in Annecy.

To carry your belongings

• A comfortable 20 to 30 L backpack with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day
• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, limited to 10 kg

Discover how to pack your hiking backpack in our magazine.

For hiking

For maximum comfort, choose a layered clothing system: warm base layers (leggings + top) such as “Carline” or “Capilene” (hollow fibres that wick away perspiration) + a sweatshirt or fleece jacket + a mountain jacket and overtrousers with a waterproof, breathable membrane (such as Gore-Tex or equivalent) for bad weather. In general, except in hot climates and countries, avoid cotton, which holds moisture close to the body (and takes a long time to dry), and opt for suitable synthetic fabrics instead.

• Hiking boots with ankle support, a sturdy treaded sole, a supportive heel counter and good waterproofing
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)
• A fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Comfortable shorts in technical fabric
• T-shirts or technical base layers (quick-drying fabric)
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Walking poles (telescopic), which are very important for making walking easier. Discover all the benefits of hiking poles in our dedicated article, or how to choose your hiking poles

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing is also available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting perspiration odours!

For your lunchtime picnic

• Your eating kit: a plastic bowl, container or plate, and cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)
• 1 or 2 water bottles (a minimum total capacity of 1,5 L) – compulsory –; an insulated flask for winter

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection)
• Sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A rain poncho or a waterproof jacket such as a softshell or Gore-Tex jacket, and waterproof trousers if needed

After your walk

• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• A change of clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag and a small towel
• Swimwear and a towel for wellness facilities (if specified) or swimming
• A small first aid kit: personal medication, surgical masks, hand sanitiser, plasters, sterile dressings and a bandage, gauze, disinfectant, arnica pellets, aspirin, etc. (please note that this list is not exhaustive and should be adapted to your own medical needs).

Find these tips in our article #"what to take on a hike".

This list is intended as a guide and should be adapted to your trip and the season in which you are travelling.

France

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Aumont-Aubrac Tourist Office

Maison du Prieuré

48130 AUMONT-AUBRAC

Tel: 0466428870

France: +33.

No time difference: GMT +1.

Aumont-Aubrac has a continental climate, with significant temperature variations between winter and summer, as well as between night and day. Lozère’s climate is shaped by both oceanic influences, particularly in the north of the department, from Aubrac to Margeride, and Mediterranean influences, felt mainly in the south of the department: the Cévennes and Causses. However, the terrain creates contrasts throughout the area.

From photography books and historical essays to travel narratives and novels, the route has inspired many authors.
General works:

• The Ways of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela – Bernard BRIAIS, Editions de Borée (October 2013), 240 pages. Through photographs, this beautiful book invites us to discover or rediscover the beautiful places, historic monuments and natural sites along the four historic routes of the Way of Saint James.

• A Thousand Years Towards Santiago de Compostela: The Adventure of Pilgrims on the Ways of Saint James – Patrick HUCHET, Editions Ouest France - Album Collection (October 2012), 204 pages. This book traces the entire history of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, from its founding in the ninth century to its revival in the twentieth century.

• The Pilgrimage – Paulo COELHO, Editions 84 - J’ai Lu Collection (April 2009), 256 pages. In this novel, the author, who undertook the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela himself, recounts his journey of self-discovery in a simple, flowing style, presenting it as a universal experience.

Cultural and travel guides

• Gallimard Guide to the WAY OF SAINT JAMES

• Huchet / Yvon Boelle, On the Ways to Santiago de Compostela, Patrick- Rennes, Ouest France - 1999 (covers the French and Spanish sections).

• Pocket Guides for Walkers and Pilgrims on the Way of Saint James

To Santiago de Compostela - F. Lepère. Ed. Lepère – February 2009.

Historical essays

• Yves BOTINEAU, The Ways of Saint James - - Ed. Arthaud. (Being reprinted).

• Xavier Barral, Santiago de Compostela, the Great Way, Découverte Gallimard

• The Ways of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela, In Situ Collection, Ed MSM

• Jacques de Voragine, The Golden Legend -, Point Seuil 1998. This book is less concerned with history than with romanticising the lives of saints: how legends are created.

Internet

• Association of Friends of the Way of Saint James

• Routes to Santiago de Compostela

• The Crossroads

The pilgrim’s passport, or “credencial” or “créanciale”:

This document is well known to pilgrims and allows them to keep a written record of their journey. This passport is a strong symbol of belonging to the community of walkers on the Way of Saint James. It should be stamped at each stage and confirms your status as a pilgrim.

IGN map at 1/25000 scale (Blue Series): no. 2735 East (Le Puy), no. 2736 West (Monistrol), no. 2636 East (Saugues), no. 2637 East (St-Amans), no. 2637 West (St-Chely), no. 2537 East (Fournels), no. 2537 West (Nasbinals).