There is no single answer. Every pilgrim has their own limits, starts this adventure with their own goals in mind and has different interests as a tourist arriving in a new city, valley or village. The duration of the Way, the difficulty of its different sections and the location of each will help each pilgrim make the decision that is best for them.

The longest routes are the French Way, which has 37 stages, and the Northern Way, which has 32, followed by the Silver Way (often called Vía de la Plata), with 26 stages. Of all of these, the French Way is the best equipped in terms of services. It is also the most popular and traditional route, and therefore the most travelled by pilgrims.

This table shows the number of stages into which the different Ways are divided, the number of kilometres in each, and the estimated time it takes to complete them. Remember, there are two factors that will greatly influence the duration of your journey: your own physical fitness and how much of a hurry you are in to reach Santiago.