The Camino de Santiago Routes - From Conques to Cahors through the Célé Valley

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

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

From 2 people.

9 days / 8 nights / 8 days of walking.

Depart on a date of your choice 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 booking. An additional travel pack is available at an extra charge (35 € / additional pack)

Half-board accommodation (except in Figeac, where dinner is at your own expense: there are plenty of lovely little restaurants). Choose between two options:

• In walkers' hostels: You sleep in dormitories or, at best, in 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, at an additional cost payable locally). Shared bathroom facilities (showers, washbasins and toilets) are outside the rooms. For a sociable atmosphere, meals are served at set times and eaten together.

• In hotels of various categories or guesthouses, depending on availability (usually with a shower or bath and toilet in the room).

For organisational reasons, including cleaning, restocking and allowing the owners time to rest, arrival and check-in at walkers' hostels and guesthouses are not possible before 16:00/16:30.

Half-board accommodation (except in Figeac, where dinner is at your own expense: there are plenty of lovely little restaurants).

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

• Breakfasts: served from 07:30, at the table or as a buffet. They usually include 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 route guide supplied in your travel pack provides information on places to buy supplies in shops at your overnight stops 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. Even so, some accommodation providers have reported the return 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 (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 the accommodation providers' instructions carefully and understand that these measures are necessary (for example, a ban on taking luggage and backpacks into bedrooms or dormitories). Once you return home, if you have any concerns, we recommend washing all your belongings at 65°C or, alternatively, placing them in a freezer for 2 days (bedbugs cannot survive temperatures below 0°C).

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated just one or two years ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms.

If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”, this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers comfort comparable to that of a 3* hotel.

Meeting point

Day 1: in the late afternoon at your accommodation in Conques.

End of the trip

Day 8: in the late afternoon in Cahors.

SNCF railway stations at Saint-Christophe-Vallon (Paris–Rodez line via Brive) or Rodez.

• From Saint-Christophe-Vallon: Taxi Lample (Tel.: 0471499555/ 0607759332 – email: taxi-lampleorange.fr gnkv-ynzcyr@benatr.se) runs a service to Conques from April to September, Monday to Sunday, at a fare of 12€. Booking is required at least 48 hours in advance.

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

Rodez SNCF railway station – Tel.: 0565773330.

Taxi Lample (Tel.: 0471499555 / 0607759332 – email: taxi-lampleorange.fr gnkv-ynzcyr@benatr.se) offers a service from Rodez to Conques during the school holidays in April, July and August, by reservation. Departure is at 8 am and the fare is 15€.

At the end of the trip: Cahors SNCF railway station (Toulouse–Paris line via Brive)

Via Michelin website

You can leave your vehicle in the main car park (250 spaces) at the top of the village of Conques, next to the town hall, for approximately 4 € per vehicle (unlimited parking time). A free car park is located approximately 2km from the village towards Rodez. For more information, visit the Conques Tourist Office website: 0565728500.

Vehicle relocation: La Malle Postale offers a service to move your vehicle from your starting point to the end of your route. For more information (current terms and prices), contact La Malle Postale, Tel.: 04.71.04.21.79 or 06.67.79.38.16.

Return minibus transfers from Cahors to Conques, every day from April to October:

• Departure from Cahors (SNCF railway station) at 10:30
• From Cahors to Aumont, departure from Cahors at 10:30
• From Cahors to Le Puy-en-Velay, departure from Cahors at 10:30

Book and pay for your transfer when booking your walking holiday.

For transfers from other locations and private transfers for individuals or groups, please contact us.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim during the day’s walk or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must judge whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore your own 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 – walking, cycling and snow-based holidays – 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 adopt more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we are committed to:

• Transparency in our practices and prices
• 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 accordance with our sustainable development policy

For walking

• Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, a reinforced heel and soles with good grip

• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)

• A fleece

• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)

• Shorts, T-shirts and technical underwear (quick-drying fabric)

• A long-sleeved shirt (quick-drying technical fabric)

• Trekking poles (telescopic), very important for making walking easier

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing has also become available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of not developing sweat odours! (Brands include Icebreaker, Ruka, etc.).

As a general rule, avoid cotton, which makes you cold when wet

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection) and sunglasses
• Hat, cap or bucket hat
• A windbreaker
• A rain poncho or a Gore-Tex jacket

For your lunchtime picnic

• Plastic bowl, container or plate

• Cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)

• Water bottle with a minimum capacity of 1.5 litre (mandatory); an insulated flask for winter

After your walk

• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening

• A change of clothes and underwear

• Toiletry bag and towel (small)

• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, Elastoplast, Biogaze or “2nd skin”, gauze, disinfectant, arnica granules and aspirin for minor aches and injuries… (quite a list! But rest assured, the first-aid kit often comes back untouched after your week of walking)

• A small, comfortable backpack of 20 to 30 L with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic during the day

• One 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 13 kg.

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

The Grand Angle team is here to help your trip run smoothly, so please do not hesitate to contact us: we will do everything we can to make your stay a success.

France

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

Conques Tourist Office
Le Bourg
12320 Conques-en-Rouergue
Tel.: 0565728500
Fax: 0565728703

France: +33.

There may be no mobile coverage on some sections of your walk.

No time difference: GMT +1.

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

• Les Chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle (The Routes 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 St James.

• Mille ans vers Compostelle: l’aventure des pèlerins sur les chemins de Saint-Jacques (A Thousand Years towards Compostela: The Adventure of Pilgrims on the Routes of St James) – Patrick HUCHET, Editions Ouest France - Album Collection (October 2012), 204 pages. This book traces the entire history of the pilgrimage to Compostela, from its foundation in the 9th century to its revival in the 20th century.

• The Pilgrimage – Paulo COELHO, Editions 84 - J’ai Lu series (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 as a universal experience.

Cultural and travel guides

• Gallimard Guide to the Way of St James

• Huchet / Yvon Boelle, On the Routes 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 St James

To Santiago de Compostela - F. Lepère. Published by Lepère – February 2009.

Historical essays

• Yves BOTINEAU, The Routes of St James - - Published by Arthaud. (Being reprinted).

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

• The Routes to Santiago de Compostela, In Situ series, published by MSM

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

Internet

• Association of Friends of the Way of St James

• Routes to Santiago de Compostela

• The Crossroads

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

This document is well known to pilgrims and provides a written record of their journey. This passport is a powerful symbol of belonging to the community of walkers on the Way of St James. It should be stamped at each stage and confirms your status as a pilgrim. It is issued by associations dedicated to the Way of St James, but you can also obtain it when setting out from Le Puy-en-Velay.

Novels

• Coelho, Paulo, The Pilgrimage, published by A. Carrière, 1991. The philosopher takes us along the route in a beautiful book that should not be confused with a travel account or a historical study.

La Procure bookshops, which specialise in Catholicism, offer a wide selection of books. One example in Paris: La Procure 3, rue de Mézières 75006 Paris, Tel.: 01.45.48.20.25. There are also branches elsewhere in France.

Environment

The walks take place within the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park; all activities must therefore comply with its charter, particularly its conservation principles: respect for natural heritage, respect for cultural heritage and local residents, respect for natural resources (water, soils, habitats, wildlife, plants and climate), and efforts to prevent pollution and any environmental impacts: do not disturb animals in their own habitat, and do not pull up flowers, as they will not grow back!

The Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park has remarkably well-preserved and diverse natural habitats that support particularly rich wildlife and plant life. To date, the following have been recorded: 198 bird species, 58 mammal species, 15 reptile species, 14 amphibian species, 102 butterfly species, 48 dragonfly species and 51 orthopteran species (insects). There are more than 1000 plant species, of which 150 are considered notable. Several species are of national or European importance: European pond turtle, yellow-bellied toad, white-clawed crayfish, large copper butterfly, European otter, Eurasian eagle-owl, short-toed snake eagle, Eurasian stone-curlew and ocellated lizard. Notable plant species include limestone sandwort and Guillon’s ironwort.