Albergues full in Orisson - bad time to start?

[dreamcoder]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Bradypus]

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast?

Easter is on 9 April. That might have a little to do with it.

 

[Former member 92300]

There are no other accommodations in between Honto and Roncesvalles - so Orisson area always fills up. I wouldn't worry about it.

Your other options would be to either walk the Valcarlos route, OR
Walk to whatever point you want to on the Napoleon route, shuttle back to SJPDP for the night, and then shuttle back to where you left off the previous day to finish the route, OR
Walk all the way to Roncesvalles the first day - which is what the majority of people do. I prefer to stay in Orisson - but even though it is a hard day - I would be able to make it to Roncesvalles if necessary and if I took my time.

Anyhow - the Orisson area is frequently fillied up way far in advance. It doesn't mean that other places along the route will book up. There just aren't other options in that particular area. Orisson/Borda/Kayola don't offer enough beds for the number of people who request to stay there.

You could also keep checking back to see if anyone cancels.

 

[SabsP]

Easter is on 9 April. That might have a little to do with it.

Indeed. Depending on which autonomous community, Easter schoolbreak can be one or two weeks.

School holidays in Spain: 2024–2025

Here's a list of holidays so you can plan the family vacation.

www.expatica.com

 

[André Walker]

Jeanine is right: no need to worry. Orrisson is indeed a bottleneck on the first stage out of St. Jean (considering the small amount of beds they have).

You could make it to the big albergue in Roncesvalles in one day. Or, take the other route to Roncesvalles: through Valcarlos.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Roncesvalles (por Valcarlos) | Camino Francés | Gronze.com

Variante obligatoria en invierno, por el valle de Valcarlos, siempre cerca de la nacional y a menor altitud que la Ruta de Napoleón. En caso de nieve o de malas condiciones meteorológicas, y también en caso de dudas sobre la propia condición física, es, sin duda, la opción más sensata, aunque su...

www.gronze.com

 

[Kathor1]

@dreamcoder, contact Orisson by email. A forum member wrote yesterday that their new booking system has teething problems. Here‘s what their booking calendar looks like at the moment (see below). I don’t know what it means when 13 April is partially shaded. I see in another post that yesterday the same date was fully shaded. In any case, they have only 29 beds.

 

[André Walker]

To compare: the height profiles.

 

[J Willhaus]

Borda is also near Orrison. You might see if they are booked up. Here is there info on gronze.com

Auberge Borda | Albergue de Peregrinos en Auberge Borda | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Auberge Borda, en Auberge Borda: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

 

[trecile]

There is no town of Orisson, so there is just the Refuge Orisson and Auberge Borda between SJPdP and Roncesvalles.

When those two are full your options are to walk the Napoleon route in one day to Roncesvalles, or the Valcarlos route in two days and spend the night in Valcarlos. Or the third option of walking partway via the Napoleon route and shuttling back to SJPdP, then the next morning returning to the spot where you left off.

Express Bourricot offers this shuttle service or you could use a local taxi.

Passengers tranport on the way of Saint James | Trip from Biarritz to St Jean pied de port

Transporting people around the Way of Saint James. Trips from Biarritz to St Jean Pied De Port to Roncesvalles, and the whole pilgrimage region

www.expressbourricot.com

 

[Robo]

Another option that I have used is the 'mountain shuttle'. Pick how far you want to walk day 1. Get picked up and returned to that point, to start day 2 Easy....

Passengers tranport on the way of Saint James | Trip from Biarritz to St Jean pied de port

Transporting people around the Way of Saint James. Trips from Biarritz to St Jean Pied De Port to Roncesvalles, and the whole pilgrimage region

www.expressbourricot.com

 

[Robo]

@trecile . We posted at the same time

 

[dreamcoder]

@dreamcoder, contact Orisson by email. A forum member wrote yesterday that their new booking system has teething problems. Here‘s what their booking calendar looks like at the moment (see below). I don’t know what it means when 13 April is partially shaded. I see in another post that yesterday the same date was fully shaded. In any case, they have only 29 beds.

View attachment 143732

Thanks @Kathar1na! I did email them and they told me it was full.

 

[dreamcoder]

This is all fantastic information. thank you everyone!

 

[Kathor1]

I did email them and they told me it was full.

Thank you for the feedback, @dreamcoder. I checked the booking website of Borda for quite a number of dates in April and they seem to be pretty fully booked, too. But as others have said, this is no reason to feel discouraged or change plans. If I would not want to walk the full length in one go I‘d use the mountain shuttle service and if that is also fully booked I’d try to arrange for a taxi to pick me up and take me back the next day. Buen Camino!!!

 

[C clearly]

because it wasn't supposed to be as busy.

There is a common misunderstanding about busy times on the Camino. The greatest crowds of pilgrims on the Camino Frances are in July and August, but on the Sarria to Santiago stretch - the final 100 km. No other time period or location on the Camino comes close to this density. BUT September and May are the busiest times for people starting at SJPP, and the accommodation options are limited in certain places.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

I did an April Camino in 2019 which was not overcrowded at all ... but the only albergue in Orisson was booked well in advance.

If you start early morning, SJPdP to Roncesvalles is very doable for most people as far as I would judge it.

 

[henrythedog]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

If you choose to start at that time - and use the shuttle as others have recommended - I’d advise to book your accommodation up to and including Pamplona. Zubiri is another congestion point. Thereafter the flow evens out.

 

[Walkerooni]

Since you have stated you don’t want to walk that whole stretch in one go, there may be another option that would make it a little easier:
Day1–book at Honto, which is only about 5k from SJPdP. Spend a leisurely day in SJPdP before going. At least you will be underway. And shorten the section the next day.
Day 2–Honto to Roncesvailles.

 

[amercado95]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

I will arrive in SJPP on April 13 in the afternoon.Was planning on travelling the same day to Orisson. But rather start fresh on the April 14 to Roncesvalles. See you on the Camino!

 

[geraldkelly]

The weeks around Easter are the busiest time of the year for people starting from Saint-Jean.

Buen Camino!

 

[trecile]

I did an April Camino in 2019 which was not overcrowded at all ... but the only albergue in Orisson was booked well in advance.

Orisson is just about always fully booked ahead. They have just 28 beds, and Auberge Borda has beds for 14.

The weeks around Easter are the busiest time of the year for people starting from Saint-Jean.

Actually, the busiest times for starting from St Jean are the first two weeks in May and the first two weeks in September, though Semana Santa before Easter is very popular too.

This graph from 2017 shows the pattern of pilgrims starting from SJPdP. The peaks are the first two weeks of May and September.

 

[jldelta]

Walk to whatever point you want to on the Napoleon route, shuttle back to SJPDP for the night, and then shuttle back to where you left off the previous day to finish the route.

This.

 

[RJM]

As I have never gone backwards on any of my Camino's I don't recommend walking to Orisson, shuttling back and then shuttling forward the next morning. Ugh.
I recommend leaving early the first morning and walking all the way to Roncesvalles. That's what most pilgrims do. If that's not possible just start in Roncesvalles instead.

 

[naplesdon]

Pay attention to what Henrythedog had to say. If you think you have problem on the first day out of SJPdP then make sure you have fully booked place for the next 3 days before you get to Pamplona.

 

[t2andreo]

NOW is the traditional start of the annual pilgrimage season. A lot of people want to be on the Camino during Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter (9 April this year), and Easter Week - the week immediately following the Christian holiday. Thus, there is a pronounced spike in the number of pilgrims during this period.

After these dates, the annual season progresses, with the departure and arrival numbers rising weekly, until schools and universities are out in June. Then things really start to surge. Once the customary European holiday season kicks in during July and August, the peak volumes are attained, through the end of September.

As others have said, the trick to managing this "pig in the python" phenomenon is to avoid stopping at any place that could be a pilgrim starting or ending place (ending their Camino trip) on a Friday or Saturday evening. This is when, and where, the highest demand will be for accommodations of all types.

It's like surfing, except instead of choosing the largest "right wave" to ride, you need to assess the patterns and calculate the troughs (low points) between peak wave (of pilgrims). This is where you want to walk - between the days of peak pilgrim activity. That is the best peak traffic management tool I have learned over all of my Caminos.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[joramos]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

Try calling Borda at +33661929743 in case of last minute cancellations.

 

[isawtman]

If you have Roncesvalles booked, then it really doesn't matter how long that it take you to get there, as long as you arrive before 10 pm. I didn't have a reservation and it was full that day, so I walked on to Burguete. I did luckily find a bed there. I am 64 and I made it all the way to Burguette from St Jean. There was a big line at Roncesvalles, so I probably got in faster by walking the 3 km to Burguete. The walk from Roncesvalles to Burguette is totally flat. See below for all the places I stayed at

 

[Vasser]

i tried booking orisson just now for saturday night - they replied quickly saying it wasnt open...im not sure if that meant we are full up...or if its not open at all

 

[trecile]

i tried booking orisson just now for saturday night - they replied quickly saying it wasnt open...im not sure if that meant we are full up...or if its not open at all

They aren't open until mid April.

 

[naplesdon]

It is looking like it is going to be a very busy Camino France. Try an alternative route, come by and see me in Canfranc Estacion early in July on the Aragones from Oloron-Ste. Marie

 

[victw]

The suggestion for Valcarlos leaves me scratching my head. They only have 24 beds and as far as I can tell, can't be reserved.

Roncevalles as a full day does not look appealing - the downhill on the back side looks gnarly - I'd focus on my training if I thought I was going to do a full day with pack.

 

[trecile]

Roncevalles as a full day does not look appealing - the downhill on the back side looks gnarly

There are two ways down when you reach Collado de Lepoeder. The path to the right is a more gentle descent and much of it is paved. This is the way the the Pilgrims Office recommend each time I was there.

 

[J Willhaus]

Albergue municipal de Valcarlos | Albergue de Peregrinos en Valcarlos / Luzaide | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue municipal de Valcarlos, en Valcarlos / Luzaide: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

This says Valcarlos municipal does take reservations.

 

[Tincatinker]

The suggestion for Valcarlos leaves me scratching my head. They only have 24 beds and as far as I can tell, can't be reserved.

Roncevalles as a full day does not look appealing - the downhill on the back side looks gnarly - I'd focus on my training if I thought I was going to do a full day with pack.

Valcarlos does accept reservations https://www.gronze.com/navarra/valcarlos-luzaide/albergue-municipal-valcarlos and remarkably few pilgrims take advantage of this easy first day and the delights of a charming Basque village

 

[Tincatinker]

Albergue municipal de Valcarlos | Albergue de Peregrinos en Valcarlos / Luzaide | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue municipal de Valcarlos, en Valcarlos / Luzaide: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

This says Valcarlos municipal does take reservations.

Snap!!

 

[Bradypus]

Valcarlos does accept reservations https://www.gronze.com/navarra/valcarlos-luzaide/albergue-municipal-valcarlos and remarkably few pilgrims take advantage of this easy first day and the delights of a charming Basque village

I left SJPDP along with about 400 other people one day in September 2016. I chose the Valcarlos route and saw less than a dozen other pilgrims along the way to Roncesvalles. Absolute madhouse when I got there though!

 

[victw]

Valcarlos does accept reservations https://www.gronze.com/navarra/valcarlos-luzaide/albergue-municipal-valcarlos and remarkably few pilgrims take advantage of this easy first day and the delights of a charming Basque village

I've sent two emails - gronze does not have the same email address as the municipal website - and have used whatsapp. I have yet to receive a response to my request for a reservation.
Suggestions are welcome.

 

[J Willhaus]

• Address : Elizaldea, 52 — Valcarlos – Navarra.
• Telephone : (+34) 948 790 117 (Valcarlos Town Hall) / (+34) 696 231 809 (Tourism and reservations office)
• Email : turismo@luzaide-valcarlos.net
• Social networks: Facebook
• GPS : 43°05'35.3″N 1°18'06.1″W / 43.093128, -1.301704 | See on the map |
• Hostel property: Valcarlos Town Hall.
• Person in charge of running the shelter: Ana Mari.

Here is some other information which is different than the Gronze.com listing. Maybe try this email or number on WhatsApp? the Tourism and reservations office looks like it is a cell phone?

 

[Tincatinker]

Try this number:
+34 948 790 199

That said I have never reserved at Valcarlos and have never not got a bed

 

[isawtman]

You can see my Sept 2, 2022 hike from St Jean to Roncesvalles here:

It shows you The Way the way it is. Again, I couldn't get a bed so
I went on to Burguete.

 

[Marbe2]

Thank you for the feedback, @dreamcoder. I checked the booking website of Borda for quite a number of dates in April and they seem to be pretty fully booked, too. But as others have said, this is no reason to feel discouraged or change plans. If I would not want to walk the full length in one go I‘d use the mountain shuttle service and if that is also fully booked I’d try to arrange for a taxi to pick me up and take me back the next day. Buen Camino!!!

Albergue Borda opened their schedule for 23 in December 22. They fill quickly. We booked a private room and other accommodations up to Pamplona for late September as soon as the rooms opened up. And looking at very limited availability now, I am glad we did.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Albergue municipal de Valcarlos | Albergue de Peregrinos en Valcarlos / Luzaide | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue municipal de Valcarlos, en Valcarlos / Luzaide: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

This says Valcarlos municipal does take reservations.

I was able to make a reservation at the Valcarlos muni for four family members in 2017. Someone had informed me it was possible to reserve ahead and I was quite surprised.

 

[hikentravel1234]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

You usually have to get the Orisson reservation about a month in advance. First, see if you can get a reservation a day earlier (it's only 3 1/2 hours to get there) OR 1 day later.
Unless you are in really good shape, I would definitely stop in Orisson.

 

[Kathor1]

You usually have to get the Orisson reservation about a month in advance. First, see if you can get a reservation a day earlier (it's only 3 1/2 hours to get there) OR 1 day later.

As already mentioned in post #6, Refuge Orisson have now a new online booking system with a calendar that shows you on which dates you can no longer book. While I don't know what the difference is between the dates that are fully shaded and the dates that are partially shaded it is clear that when you try to book for such a date you get a screen where you are informed that all the 25 dormitory beds and all the 4 beds in the two new private rooms with two beds each are "not available" on those dates.

This is what it looks like for the next three months at the moment of writing this post:

 

[Kathor1]

As already mentioned in post #6, Refuge Orisson have now a new online booking system with a calendar that shows you on which dates you can no longer book

It is interesting to see how the Orisson booking calendar for April fills up when comparing the status of two days ago and today (see below). One can see the more popular days of the week: not surprisingly it is the weekends and in particular the Saturday when a majority of pilgrims arrive in SJPP and start their walk. Mondays are less popular unless, of course, it is the 1st of May which is a Monday this year.

 

[mattythedog]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

As already posted, the "something going on" is the week after Easter. I started a Camino the Sunday after Easter one year and still found SJPP and everywhere else very busy. I found an offbeat albergue in SJPP that night and walked via Valcarlos (Napoleon route being closed) to Zubiri the following day. Zubiri was fully booked, and pilgrims had been taking taxis to Pamplona since noon. A lady came out of a side road just as I was crossing the stone bridge into town and told me she had a small, one-person-ONLY room in her hotel (which was actually a converted house). After waking around town for an hour checking albergues and hotels, I went back and took her room. I was told that many people throughout Spain take the whole week off to travel and partake in festivals.

2x now, the Napoleon route has been closed to me in the end of April due to weather. There is a very good chance it will be closed to you also, so do check the alternative route through Valcarlos.

 

[slmoser]

Hello fellow pilgrims,

I too have had concerns when attempting to make a night’s reservation at Orisson, Ronscevalles & Borda.

I contacted several by email and was finally able to make a reservation at Hotel Ronscevalles via email.

I hope this is not indicative of the entire Camino this season, be brave and don’t give up! Buen Camino!

 

[smoote65]

If you choose to start at that time - and use the shuttle as others have recommended - I’d advise to book your accommodation up to and including Pamplona. Zubiri is another congestion point. Thereafter the flow evens out.

How much advance notice do you need to give the albergues before booking accomdations? I was planning to be in that area around April 23-24-25

 

[Ianinam]

How much advance notice do you need to give the albergues before booking accomdations? I was planning to be in that area around April 23-24-25

As you can see in the booking calender of auberge Orisson (32 beds) @Kathar1na posted in message #45 it fills up quickly! So make your bookings asap, also in the albergue at Roncesvalles (245 beds) the reservations are increasing day by day.

 

[naplesdon]

You are probably already behind the curve for making reservations for the first week after SJPdP. The surge has started and it looks like the numbers are huge.

 

[trecile]

How much advance notice do you need to give the albergues before booking accomdations? I was planning to be in that area around April 23-24-25

You normally don't need to give albergues advance notice on the Camino Francés, but if you want a reservation make it NOW.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

. The surge has started and it looks like the numbers are huge.

What factual information do you base this statement on?

 

[Bradypus]

What factual information do you base this statement on?

This might do for a start. And the Santiago pilgrim office handed out nearly 1,000 Compostelas yesterday. With other days of 600+ and 700+ in the past week. That sound pretty busy to me.

Bureau d'accueil des pèlerins de St Jacques de St Jean Pied de Port | Première grosse affluence en ce mercredi 29 mars

Première grosse affluence en ce mercredi 29 mars. 158 pèlerins sur la journée. Tout le monde à l'ombre compte tenu de la vague de chaleur qui passe ! Mais attention un épisode neigeux arrive sur les...

www.facebook.com

 

[naplesdon]

Take a look at the photo from SJPdP from yesterday and listen to the chatter about making reservation.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

158 is certainly not huge.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Take a look at the photo from SJPdP from yesterday and listen to the chatter about making reservation.

At what point did the many youngsters start in St. Jean?

 

[Kathor1]

158 is certainly not huge.

It says ”Première grosse affluence” in the FB comment posted by the SJPP volunteer.

158 is not a big number for the other end of the Camino Francés where nearly 1000 Compostelas is quite a bit for this time of the year. I think that 158 is quite a bit for the start of the CF and time of the year. They never get higher than 500 pilgrims daily and that is already very rare. Looks like the CF is busy at both ends right now.

 

[naplesdon]

The post about the youngsters in SdC was from Ivar. I suspect it is a result of school holidays which are in full swing here in Portugal at the moment and they were starting in places well inside the 100k line. My comment was based on a photo of 100's lined up in SJPdP looking for passports. Granted they have just battled their way from wherever during the transport strikes.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

The post about the youngsters in SdC was from Ivar. I suspect it is a result of school holidays which are in full swing here in Portugal at the moment and they were starting in places well inside the 100k line. My comment was based on a photo of 100's lined up in SJPdP looking for credentials. Granted they have just battled their way from wherever during the transport strikes.

But you posted your comment in a thread relating to Orisson which is not related to Santiago. Unfortunately this sort of hiped chatter is unhelpful for people who dont yet have the experience to tell the difference between numbers in Santiago de Compostela and St. Jean.

 

[naplesdon]

Huh? I was not attempting to equate starting numbers to ending numbers.

 

[Roscoe]

i tried booking orisson just now for saturday night - they replied quickly saying it wasnt open...im not sure if that meant we are full up...or if its not open at all

The Napoleon route is not open until April 3.

 

[slmoser]

Call or email them

 

[neverlost4good]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

You could always taxi up to Orisson (the steepest section) and walk on to Spain, or taxi down and up again the next day.

 

[Bradypus]

158 is not a big number for the other end of the Camino Francés where nearly 1000 Compostelas is quite a bit for this time of the year. I think that 158 is quite a bit for the start of the CF and time of the year. They never get higher than 500 pilgrims daily and that is already very rare. Looks like the CF is busy at both ends right now.

I've just had a look at the SJPDP office's Facebook page. Seems there were 160 registered on Thursday and 245 on Friday. Given that Roncesvalles has beds for 183 there might be a squeeze on accommodation for the next couple of days in the early stages.

 

[Ianinam]

Roncesvalles has 183 beds in Aterpea, the new, renovated albergue. Furthermore another 32 beds in the 'Dependencia', the winteralbergue, and also 30 beds in the Sótano, the cellar. This makes a total of 245 beds nowadays.
Of course the 183 beds in Aterpea are the best, the beds in the Dependencia and Sótano are less comfortabel, and therefore € 4,00 cheaper. But if you're tired: a bed is a bed ....

 

[Aysen Mustafa]

To compare: the height profiles.

View attachment 143733

Looking at that map, if I rewalk the CF, I'm taking the Valcarlos Route, the last 4 kms to Orisson was a killer.

 

[Megsy]

So Frances is peak busy second week of September? Starting 21Sept would be a better option?

 

[Marbe2]

So Frances is peak busy second week of September? Starting 21Sept would be a better option?

My advice is to make sure you have reservations up to Pamplona, up to early October!

 

[Megsy]

My advice is to make sure you have reservations up to Pamplona, up to early October!

Thanks for that!

 

[Kathor1]

Seen today on the Orisson website:

We are delighted to announce the opening of Refuge Orisson on Friday, April 7, 2023.​

 

[rogersoncharles1951]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

Don't miss the Napoleon route if no bed in Orrison just take a hours rest there then carry on to roncevallice your past the most steep part of the stage lot less steep from now on just take your time and enjoy the scenery and wonderful experience Buen Camino.

 

[t2andreo]

But you posted your comment in a thread relating to Orisson which is not related to Santiago. Unfortunately this sort of hiped chatter is unhelpful for people who dont yet have the experience to tell the difference between numbers in Santiago de Compostela and St. Jean.

Oh, relax already - everyone just chill!

According to El Correo Gallego today: https://www.elcorreogallego.es/sant...1-000-peregrinos-diarios-llegan-85547940.html

Pilgrim arrivals at Santiago are already over 1,000 daily. The number of arrivals wlll shoot higher this week and next. I predict this will be a very busy season.

Everyone might as well start making adjustments and change plans as you are able. ALWAYS have a Plan B, for a planned daily stage and for accommodations at the end of that stage.

When you consider that more than 50% of ALL pilgrims walk the Camino Frances, and that around half of those start BEFORE Sarria, with the largest portion starting at the beginning - St. Jean Pied de Port (SJPdP), perhaps you can understand where the concern about the first few daily stages out of SJPdP come from.

View this as a classic "Pig in the Python" process situation. The Camino ingests all these new pilgrims at SJPdP, and at other cities early on (Pamplona, Logrono, etc.) you need to evaluate the flow and alter your expectations accordingly. Avoid being at one of those starting places on a Friday or Saturday and will have a more relaxed Camino. Keep the proverbial "Pig" ahead or behind you.

If you do a Google search for "pilgrim office saint jean pied de port," you will get - among other things - a side panel showing the distribution of busy times of the day and week. That is an indicator of the pilgrim volume coming out of SJPdP - much of it the following day.

I am not aware that the pilgrim office at SJPdP publishes online, daily departure numbers - or the number of new pilgrims who registered at the office - I wish they would.

THAT would be a very useful number indeed. MonaSP - you listening in? One could presume that most of those folks will actually depart the following morning. You could then extrapolate the progress of this "peloton" along the Camino Frances. After all, pilgrims have been making this journey for more than 1,200 years. I am confident that there are some good patterns within the daily distribution of pilgrim walkers.

In my professional experience, it is a classic queuing theory problem. Someone with more smarts than me, could even model the resulting flow and distribution for the ensuring five weeks or so it takes most of the pilgrims to make it to Santiago from SJPdP.

It is all very interesting.

Hope this helps the discussion.

Tom

 

[Elainesnider]

Has anyone had any luck with Refuge Orisson since it opened up? I have tried to communicate via e-mails in French but am not able to make myself clear. I don't know if my reservation is correct? I am unsure of billing. Any suggestions? My trip isn't til september 2023.

 

[trecile]

Has anyone had any luck with Refuge Orisson since it opened up? I have tried to communicate via e-mails in French but am not able to make myself clear. I don't know if my reservation is correct? I am unsure of billing. Any suggestions? My trip isn't til september 2023.

Did you book on their website?

This post on another thread about Orisson should be helpful:

The Orisson website and their booking process changed this year (2023)!

Perhaps a forum member who has made a successful booking very recently can describe the actual process. It would help to avoid future confusion between old and new. You enter your date and personal details AND your credit card details and make a credit card payment or at least submit a guarantee - so this is new. It still says in their new instructions that they will confirm the booking separately but not having finished the online booking myself (as I didn’t want to make an actual reservation) I got only to the point where you enter your credit card details and press confirm …

Below are screenshots of the current online booking process for Orisson. Also, you now get a booking reference and can log in to see your booking.

View attachment 144257

View attachment 144258

 

[Elainesnider]

I thought I did. My bank shows a charge...but it seems too low. I am unable to reach anyone to determine if it is an error or not.

 

[Former member 107684]

Has anyone had any luck with Refuge Orisson since it opened up? I have tried to communicate via e-mails in French but am not able to make myself clear. I don't know if my reservation is correct? I am unsure of billing. Any suggestions? My trip isn't til september 2023.

I booked on their website for a date in May a couple of weeks ago and, when concluded, it said at the top of the page words to the effect "Booking confirmed" (it's probably worth taking a screen shot at that point.) I subsequently received a comprehensive email after about 10 days confirming the reservation.

 

[Elainesnider]

Thank you . I appreciate the info

 

[MEO]

Buen Camino! I'm planning on starting my Camino on April 13th and wanted to cut the first stage in half and stay in Orisson, but I'm finding all the Albergues to be full. This has made me a little worried that maybe I'm starting during a really busy time? I chose the Spring because it wasn't supposed to be as busy. This leaves me with two questions:

1. Is anyone aware of something going on that week that would cause the Albergues to be booked up so fast? If so, would staying a few extra days in SJPP make things easier for me?
2. Do you have any suggestions for alternative places to stay other than the three I found in my book (Refuge Orisson + Auberge Borda + Kayola).

Many thanks in advance!

Orisson typically books up months in advance. I booked last June for Sept 2022. Rocesvalles is much larger but the earlier you book the better bed location. I booked this one also in June and scored a bed (not a bunkbed) on the top floor with the high ceiling. A guy I met showed up without a reservation and managed to get a bunk in the cellar. It was not nearly as nice. Good Luck and Buen Camino!

 

[Elainesnider]

Orisson typically books up months in advance. I booked last June for Sept 2022. Rocesvalles is much larger but the earlier you book the better bed location. I booked this one also in June and scored a bed (not a bunkbed) on the top floor with the high ceiling. A guy I met showed up without a reservation and managed to get a bunk in the cellar. It was not nearly as nice. Good Luck and Buen Camino!

Thank you