How to Plan Your Camino + Going Beyond the Camino Frances (Secret Routes, Donkey Highways, and Spain’s Hidden Village Network) with Shawn and Lainey

What is hiking a camino really like? Can you do it even if you’re not a hardcore hiker, or don’t have a big, life-changing quest in mind? 

Shawn and Lainey are the husband-and-wife team behind Days We Spend, where they share stories and videos about their experiences walking Caminos and slow traveling across Europe. Both are experienced travelers -Lainey is a swing dance teacher who once built a global dance tour from scratch, and Shawn is a writer and creative whose love for "not hiking" somehow led him to walk over a dozen pilgrimages. Together, they’ve built a lifestyle around the kind of travel that slows you down, invites connection, and helps you hit the reset button on life. 

In this episode, we explore the modern pilgrimage lifestyle and why walking across Spain (or Portugal… or France…) might be the most human thing you ever do. 

Shawn and Lainey share an honest, down-to-earth look at what it’s actually like to walk a pilgrimage route, from navigating albergues to letting go of itineraries. You’ll hear what draws people to walk hundreds of kilometers (sometimes again and again), how to plan a Camino no matter how much time you have, and why these long walks are more about transformation through stillness than any big dramatic revelation. Whether you're craving community, solitude, or just a break from the algorithmic noise of modern life, this one will leave you thinking about what it means to just… walk. 

What kind of reset are you craving right now, and do you think a slower, more intentional kind of travel could help you find it? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message. 

Tune In To Learn: 

• Why Lainey’s first Camino de Santiago completely changed how she viewed Spain 

• How Lainey and Shawn went from New York hustle to full-time pilgrims 

• Advice to anyone who thinks they’re “not a hiker” (and why Shawn still doesn’t identify as one) 

• What makes the Camino different from other travel experiences 

• How walking helps you reset physically, mentally, and emotionally 

• Why the Camino doesn’t have to be life-changing to be meaningful 

• How to plan a Camino if you only have 1 or 2 weeks off 

• Why the Camino Primitivo might be your perfect first (or second) pilgrimage 

• Logistics tips: booking, WhatsApp hacks, and when to ditch your plans 

• How to avoid crowds and find less-traveled but equally beautiful routes 

• What it’s like to walk with a partner (and even a donkey!) 

• And so much more 

Resources: 

• Sign up for our FREE newsletter 

• Days We Spend website 

• YouTube 

• Instagram 

• Buen Camino App 

• Wise Pilgrim App 

• Gronze 

• Los Pueblos Mas Bonitos de Espana 

• The Chemin du Puy (Via Podiensis, Le Puy Camino, GR65) 

• The Way of Compostela 

Want More? 

• Hiking the Camino De Santiago, Painting Your Travels, Letting Curiosity Rule, and Tiny House Living with Kari Gale 

• How to Plan a Trip to Europe in 2025 with Lynne Nieman 

• Walking Europe’s GR5, Mindful Self-Compassion, and Wise Strength With Kathy Elkind 

Thanks To Our Sponsors 

• Apple Card - Earn 3% back on the Apple products and services you love with Apple Card. 

• Moon Travel Guides - Use code ‘ZERO’ for 20% off your order. 

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