Introduction
This more remote and isolated camino is also maintained as the GR653 and goes by many names. I will use Voie d'Arles as my name of choice as I'll be walking from Arles in the south of France though Via Tolosana is common or variations on "Voie" such as Chemin d'Arles. Of course once you get into the region of Aragoné in Spain the way is called the Camino Aragonés. Voie d'Arles is on the spine of my guidebook.
Roughly speaking the route starts in Arles, through Montpellier, Toulouse and Oloron-Ste-Marie, then over the Pyrenees at the col de Somport to Jaca in Spain then finishing in Puenta la Reina just south of Pamplona by which time it has joined up with our old friend the Camino Francés.
As well as the Miam Miam Dodo guidebook I am using some other key resources.
The Confraternity of St James in London has excellent route overviews and the kind of summary advice that can get lost in forums and blogs. https://www.csj.org.uk/chemin-arles
There are multiple forums and Facebook groups and the Camino de Santiago forum is comprehensive and very useful if you are stuck or have a specific question though you can be misled by individual views or experiences.
chemin de compostelle is recommended by the Miam Miam Dodo guide.
https://walkinginfrance.info/ is a personal blog and very informative.
https://www.gronze.com/camino-arles is often cited as the most comprehensive guide.
One challenge I have is that with an autumn walk I would reach the col de Somport in late October when the weather is cooling and certainly cooler and less predictable at 1,632m. The following site tells us that the temperature is in the range 4-12 degrees centigrade and that wet weather is likely. All of this means layers for warmth, hat, gloves and a stout poncho.
https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/historyclimate/climatemodelled/somport_spain_3108717
The guidebook suggests 28-36 days in France to get from Arles to the Pyrenees then a further 5-7 days to complete the route to the finish line at Puenta la Riena in Spain. Allowing 2 days to get to Arles, 32 days in France, 7 days in Spain then 2 days to travel home makes 43 days to which I can add two rest days in Toulouse; 45 days in total or six and a half weeks. Looking at distances the total is 946km which is an average of 24.25km (~15 miles) a day for the planned walking days which works as I have the 15 mile rule on previous thru' hikes and works even if the terrain is hilly and I am carrying a bit more wet weather kit. Arles to Toulouse is 464km and 19 days at a 24.4km daily average. Toulouse to Puenta la Riene is 482km and 20 days at a 24.1km daily average. Leaving on Monday 16th September would get me home on Wednesday 30th October. Some initial planning shows there is accommodation about every 15 miles with an occasional long day.
My approach will be to book as much as possible ahead of time and ensure enough contingency that I can keep to the plan. 2 days to travel out let's me take the train and have time for sightseeing in Arles or recover from travel delays. Covering an average of 15 miles a day provides contingency; there is scope to do longer days to get back on plan if the weather or other factors get in the way.
I am keen to avoid flights where practical and a route via Lille or Paris appears workable. Whilst £60 flights are avaliable these are at impractical times so the train is good value.