Pilgrimage with children: how to make the family trip work

In short: That depends on the child. With school-age children, day stages of five to ten kilometres are realistic.

A pilgrimage with children looks different from one on your own, but it is possible and can become something special for the whole family. The right expectations matter: a good day counts for more than arriving in Santiago.

How far?

As a rough guide, primary school children can manage five to ten kilometres a day, and older children more. Plan lots of breaks, and stop early. A day with two hours of walking and an afternoon by the river is a good day.

Which routes?

Short routes with plenty of places to leave them work best. The Ecumenical Pilgrim Way in the Altmühltal or a section in Germany are good choices, because you can break off by train at any time. The last stages of the Way of St James are doable too.

What motivates children

Give children their own jobs: finding the yellow arrows, collecting stamps, reading the route on the map. Having their own pilgrim passport makes them proud. Along the way, streams, castles and animals matter more than churches.

Luggage

Children carry only a small backpack with water, a jacket and a favourite snack, well under ten percent of their body weight. You carry the rest, so your total weight goes up. That makes luggage transfer especially worthwhile on the big routes. In the albergue, it is best to ask about family rooms.