Hi there! About it not being able to pay with credit cards in many places, if our experience (from the point of view of an albergue) counts at all, here it is: on one side, albergues are cheap accommodations and profit is not too high, so making it even lower by paying the bank's fees for using credit card makes it even worse. However, that is not the main reason for us (if it wouldn't be for the next thing I'll be saying, we would offer the chance undoubtedly!).
The main reason is that credit card terminals work through the telephone line, and unluckily, here where our albergue is, in the middle of the rural Galician landscape, the phone line some times "disappears"
We are just left without line for some time, maybe hours. Therefore, it is not reliable to offer that mean of payment. Also, even if the line is working (which is the case most of the time anyway), it is quite slow, making the operation sometimes too long and giving repeated failures.
Too much trouble. Good advice for the Primitivo: carry enough cash with you, and use the main cities to withdraw money from ATMs, such as Fonsagrada, Lugo, Melide, Arzua...
Regarding the possibility to book your bed in private albergues: we've had several cases of people arriving and not having any beds left; when they were told so, they very angrily said things about how this should be prohibited and it should be first to come first to get a bed, as in public albergues.
But here's our opinion: private albergues are more expensive, and in exchange we have to offer also something that differentiates us. One of these things is the possibility of booking your bed, which gives you the chance to take your time and not rush in a race for a bed, which I believe drives away all the fun out of doing the Camino. I must say that booking beds also gives us headaches sometimes.
Some people (especially now in the high season, July and August) book in more than one place to make sure they will have a place to stay, and then when they make it to one of the places they booked, like it and decide to stay, they don't bother calling into the others to cancel their reservation.
This might leave us with empty beds at the end of the day, and, most importantly, it's made a few pilgrims have to walk "x" km ahead to the next albergue because at the time they were in this albergue, it was supposedly fully booked up. Of course we try our best to prevent this, but sometimes it is just impossible.
Beatrice, when you walk Lugo to Melide and walk in front of us, wether you'll be staying or not, stop by to say hello. Ask for Juanma, please!
I'll be pleased to have a coffee with you. Buen Camino!
Thanks for your answer. Regarding paying with card I more referred to shops, restaurants, hotels etc places where you have to spend a lot more then the normal albergue fee.
I do understand the economics of having places for reservation. What I meant is that in some places there in only private albergues and as you can reserve a place days before arriving there we who arrives there can be told that it is full and then the person that has made the reservation might not show up at all and we have walk maybe another 5-10 km to find another place.
I just arrived in Fonsagrada and didn't go on to the xunta as I met two pilgrims saying that Cantãnrico was really nice. When I arrived the hospitaliero was on the phone. And then he said I was lucky as that phone call was from a man calling in an cancel. Padrón is not full yet.
I do really appreciate the private albergues and the work you do. I normally try to stay in the private albergues to help the Spanish economy. I have a good salary so I can let people with less stay in the municipal/xunta albergues. Sometimes I stay in donotivos and pay the same as the nearest private as I think they should be on the Camino for those who really needs it.
Im on my cell so I can't see footer info but will check you profile page to find out where you are. I might even call and make a reservation
