Self-guided tour companies

[teresavh]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

 

[trecile]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

You can make your own arrangements via Booking.com, and use the luggage transport companies along the way

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

It is quick and easy to use Booking.com to arrange for accommodations. Outside of filling out a tag and letting your lodging's staff know you want your baggage transferred, there's not much more to getting transport accomplished. Being in your mid sixties shouldn't be an issue, since a lot of Camino walkers are of the same age range, and older, and make their own arrangements.

It just seems a shame to spend the funds to have someone else do those simple tasks.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

I wonder what are the reasons why your husband wants to do a company tour. Like Dave Bugg said, you can arrange accomodation through booking.com or direct by using the contact information at gronze.com, luggage transfer can easily be arranged. A big disadvantage of company tours is that your program is not flexible. One of the attractions of walking a camino (at least for many of us) is that you can adjust your walking space, distances and so on to your circumstances and actual wishes

 

[KariC]

I don't disagree with any of the above comments, and in particular, agree about the flexibility. Having said that, I did meet an Australian woman in her 70's on the Caminho who was using a company. She was booked into hotels, not hostals, and her luggage was taken care of for her every day. She seemed happy with the company. I have no idea if it was the company you're looking at. But especially if you're in your 60's, I think the flexibility of doing a short day or taking a day off could be really important.

 

[John Sikora]

I've used walkthecamino.com for 3 Caminos worth of arrangements (including the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Santiago. I know I could go to booking.com and figure out what works and what doesn't work, but I'd rather have someone who knows the area book accomodations. That saves me hours of time and worry. And if for some reason the baggage transfer doesn't work, they set it right within an hour or so. Yes, you can do it yourself, but I'd rather concentrate on walking, talking to other pilgrims, and just reflecting - knowing that I have a great place to stay for the night. I know it takes some of the "fun" out of the experience but as I near 70 I find that finding my own rooms through booking.com or others has less and less of a return on investment for me. It is, indeed, a simple task to find a room but to find 30 or so nice rooms in good locations can be daunting (and for me, not worth the savings in money). It all depends on what you view as a fun challenge and what is just a pain in the ankles. Neither way is right or wrong.

 

[Kathor1]

I can't help with names of companies for guided or self guided tours on a Spanish or Portuguese camino but I'm glad to read @John Sikora's contribution! The OP asks about Porto-Santiago, that's about 12 days or so, isn't it? The OP states right at the beginning that she has done several long distance walks by using self-guided tour companies but has also walked the Camino Frances without such "luxury". I would think that she's aware of the advantages and disadvantages of both methods and does not need to be convinced of doing it all on her own!

I've been on numerous self guided and guided walking tours of similar duration in other parts of the world and never felt that I was missing something due to a lack of "flexibility" or that I had wasted money by paying for services that I found useful for me, even if I could have saved money by doing it all by myself!!!

 

[Doogman]

A friend and I did a self-guided trip on the Portuguese Coastal route in 2016 Porto to Santiago). We booked it through Caminoways. Everything went well and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. (I have no connection to the company).

 

[teresavh]

Thanks for all your thoughtful comments! For my husband's peace of mind I think we will use a tour company. We have used Booking.com many times but usually for sightseeing car vacations. I will look into Caminoways and walkthecamino.com. I am happy to support a good tour company which also boosts local economy. I know that Portugal Green Walks is a local Portuguese business.

Now for another question: what guide books have you all used? I used Brierley for the Camino frances and tore out and discarded pages of completed stages each day. Several other peregrinos were horrified by this, one commenting that I was tearing up the "Bible". But John B. did suggest it in the beginning of his book to keep weight down... This time I won't have that restriction (because of luggage transfers) AND could even carry a couple of guides. So, what have you used and would you recommend it?

 

[RJM]

An i-tablet or smart-tablet and a guidebook are the best tour companies available and easily fit in your pack and never complain.

 

[Mark Francis Auchincloss]

There are quite alot of specialist companies you can use from the cheapest to the more expensive depending on accommodation. Here's a few just to start : CaminoWays.com, Santiago Ways, Ultreya Tours, Mystic Tours, EATourSpecialist, Adventure Women etc.

My Galician mate Luis Freixo has an excellent Blog on all the Portuguese Ways see www.caminador.es. It's free and you can download maps in every format : Google Maps, Wikilock, pdf etc

 

[cathn]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

I used Iberian Adventures
They are superb and based in Spain.
Just ask if they do that route.

 

[Anamiri]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

I see you really do want a tour company but my 2c worth. I haven't walked the Portugese, but when I walked the Frances, my expectations were set by the movie The Way and a documentary.
Until I started walking, I had no idea that there was accommodation other than albergues, didn't realise booking ahead was an option, and didnt know about bag transport and how easy and cheap that was.
I had to use bag transport for a bit, it was so simple, as was Booking.com. Sometimes I asked the albergue for recommendations, and they usually phoned for me, no deposit.
Its not until you are walking that you realise you may need some flexibility in distance and maybe rest days.
It truly is very very simple to do yourself. and then you are in control. I was 59 my friend 70.

 

[gloria lowe]

Thanks for all your thoughtful comments! For my husband's peace of mind I think we will use a tour company. We have used Booking.com many times but usually for sightseeing car vacations. I will look into Caminoways and walkthecamino.com. I am happy to support a good tour company which also boosts local economy. I know that Portugal Green Walks is a local Portuguese business.

Now for another question: what guide books have you all used? I used Brierley for the Camino frances and tore out and discarded pages of completed stages each day. Several other peregrinos were horrified by this, one commenting that I was tearing up the "Bible". But John B. did suggest it in the beginning of his book to keep weight down... This time I won't have that restriction (because of luggage transfers) AND could even carry a couple of guides. So, what have you used and would you recommend it?

I also tear pages out so I have what I need for the day in my pocket. I’ve used a company before just for my peace of mind. Being late 60s and alone I wanted to know where I would be each day. I have a friend who used Portugal Green in 2017 when he hurt his knee after about Leon abd this year is doing the Norte and using them again. He was very happy with them. I’m starting in Porto in June and I’ve gone thru and booked ahead for my trip. It takes a lot of time to find a place just where you want it and in your price range but it was sort of fun. I’m using the Brierley book and the Wise Pilgrim book and app. I need that map in my hand. Either way you do it will be fun.

 

[David Tallan]

Now for another question: what guide books have you all used? I used Brierley for the Camino frances and tore out and discarded pages of completed stages each day. Several other peregrinos were horrified by this, one commenting that I was tearing up the "Bible". But John B. did suggest it in the beginning of his book to keep weight down... This time I won't have that restriction (because of luggage transfers) AND could even carry a couple of guides. So, what have you used and would you recommend it?

If weight isn't an option because your luggage is being shipped, I would take the Brierley. I would also take the Wise Pilgrim app for the Camino Portugues. It adds no extra weight and can help you navigate the day while your Brierley is waiting for you at your destination.

 

[Doogman]

If you book a self-guided trip with a company, you can ask them what they provide in the way of a guidebook or walking notes. They will be providing something.

 

[redgoonerinoz]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

hi
We used Raw travel in 2016. Excellent company based in Melbourne. Australia. Camino Frances. Booked with them again in May for the coastal Portuguese. Supplied guide book and maps and luggage transfer.
Nothing was too much trouble.
We are in our 60s .
David.

 

[Former member 22438]

I will walk for the 5th time april next and allways found acommodations myself.
Also this time . Took addresses out of the Brierley guide and what I found on the internet e.g.on this forum
I remember the first time we walked from Lisbon I got in contact with a nice young lady from Iran we met at the Rossio railwaystation. She went on her caminho the day after and my wife and I stayed two days longer in Lisbon. Every day she apped where she was and what was a good place to stay. It was one of our best caminhos and still we are staying at places where we have been before.
Maybe an advantage is that I speak Portuguese and Spanish so I sent emails or phoned to places I want to stay and could arrange the complete trip in advance.

 

[teresavh]

I see you really do want a tour company but my 2c worth. I haven't walked the Portugese, but when I walked the Frances, my expectations were set by the movie The Way and a documentary.
Until I started walking, I had no idea that there was accommodation other than albergues, didn't realise booking ahead was an option, and didnt know about bag transport and how easy and cheap that was.
I had to use bag transport for a bit, it was so simple, as was Booking.com. Sometimes I asked the albergue for recommendations, and they usually phoned for me, no deposit.
Its not until you are walking that you realise you may need some flexibility in distance and maybe rest days.
It truly is very very simple to do yourself. and then you are in control. I was 59 my friend 70.

thank you!

 

[teresavh]

I used Iberian Adventures
They are superb and based in Spain.
Just ask if they do that route.

Thanks! I will look up Iberian adventures

 

[teresavh]

There are quite alot of specialist companies you can use from the cheapest to the more expensive depending on accommodation. Here's a few just to start : CaminoWays.com, Santiago Ways, Ultreya Tours, Mystic Tours, EATourSpecialist, Adventure Women etc.

My Galician mate Luis Freixo has an excellent Blog on all the Portuguese Ways see www.caminador.es. It's free and you can download maps in every format : Google Maps, Wikilock, pdf etc

thanks for all the resources!

 

[mikebet]

I used a company (CaminoWays) one time and did the other walks making my own arrangements, as I will do again in April on the Sanabres. I think the deciding factor for me would be the season. If in the peak season on a well-trod route like the CF I'd like to know that there will definitely be a reservation for me at the end of the day, and thus a pre-arranged tour would be my choice. Otherwise the flexibility of a self-arranged walk seems a better choice, especially with all the online resources available along the way.

 

[auburnfive]

The new Brierley for Portugal also covers the coastal route. We did the route last fall and did our own bookings through booking.com and luggage 5hroigh Caminofacil. The only tricky stretch was getting onto the corr3ct route from Baiona to Vigo, but a stop the day before at the Tourist info cleared it up. It was a lovely walk, if you do decide to book yourselves send me a pm and I can share where we stayed.

 

[Yaari]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

A friend and I used Portugal Green Walks 2 years ago for the Portuguese central route from Porto and we had an excellent experience. Nothing was too much to ask, they were very responsive, the accommodations were fantastic, especially those in Portugal. It is a local company and in our opinion, much better than Mac's Adventures which we had used previously.

 

[Juno]

Agencies I’m familiar with: Follow the Camino, Camino Ways, Spainismore. Some of them are better at getting you to hostels, hotels and everything in between, in the towns and villages where the Albergues are so that you meet other pilgrims. Otherwise, you can end up in a Casa rural off site which is not so good. When you get a quotation, make sure the agency is using the same stops as on the pilgrimage. Prices vary from agency to agency and some only take Euros and you can’t pay in your own currency, so do your homework. Some will split longer days. You can choose to have basic accommodation to staying in Paradors. Do you want B & B or HB, the choice is yours. Enjoy the journey, whatever you decide.

 

[teresavh]

A friend and I used Portugal Green Walks 2 years ago for the Portuguese central route from Porto and we had an excellent experience. Nothing was too much to ask, they were very responsive, the accommodations were fantastic, especially those in Portugal. It is a local company and in our opinion, much better than Mac's Adventures which we had used previously.

Thanks for that recommendation! I am leaning toward Portugal Green Walks.

 

[Cannan]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

We are starting the Camino Portugues in late April. We booked our accommodations Portugal Green Walks. They are reasonable and very responsive.

 

[MTpilgrim]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

I am in my mid-sixties and wanted to do parts of the Camino, but am unable to carry my all my belongings on a daily basis. I live in the United States and know little of the either Spanish or Portuguese, just basics and little of the terrain and towns. Because I needed/wanted to just show up and put only my own needs/thoughts and daily meditations first, I did contract with a company in 2015 to walk Leon to Santiago. I went with a friend who has the personality I would have ended up making all the arrangements. Again, more planning and stress.... so, it was a true gift for me for the entire time to have my accommodations made, with a great breakfast daily, and my luggage transferred. Each day we took our own food, snacks and water and thoroughly took our time as knowing we would have a place each night. My husband and I are now using Portugal Green Walks to walk the Coastal/Sendra Litoral route starting in May. The first lesson I learned on the Camino is "everyone pilgrimages their own way". Having learned, that, I don't feel bad about doing what I needed to do make it truly a liberating experience for me.

 

[mr potatohead]

My brother-in-law and I used a self guided tour in fall of 2018 for the Camino del Norte from Santander to Santiago. He did not want us to book our own accommodations and at our age we did not want to stay in albergues. Big mistake we should have booked ourselves! You stay where they book you to stay.
In the final two weeks, we were booked for 4 days at country hotels away from the Camino (15 to 30 minutes by car). By this time we had connected to other pilgrims (Camino family), so while our Camino family was enjoying their evening camaraderie, my brother-in-law and I were left staring at each other. I also checked the hotel rates using Tripadvisor where we stayed and the markup was about 150%.
I suggest if you are thinking of the self guided route that you get a book such as "Village to Village" series, which has hotels listed for each stage, and cost it out and then compare to the tour guides quote. A couple in our Camino family stayed at hotels at many of the same places we did and paid 40% of what we did. There is a reason why there are so many tour guides --- it's a lucrative business. Nothing wrong with that, but know the cost of doing it yourself before you make a decision.

 

[Jackie888]

I walked from Porto last sept all pre booked with luggage transfer. It was excellent for first camino but would not do it again.... i would prefer flexibility and book accom as I go. Also check where the accom they book is located. About half of mine were out of town so I couldn't hang out with other pilgrims in the evening which was disappointing. For me it is the connection with other pilgrims that made the camino special.

 

[HeidiL]

If you want a little more luxury than what www.booking.com provides, I've always been happy using www.hotels.com - many hotels are listed in both, but often, the more luxurious places are only listed there.

 

[JillGat]

I can see that for some people here, having a company do all the planning took a lot of stress out of their walks. More power to them. I know myself well enough to know that I would definitely find faults with anybody planning my trip for me, as I can't stand it when anyone else tells me what to do. I finally retired from working when I started getting "written up" for insubordination by bosses who were half my age.

 

[teresavh]

Thanks to all who have posted their thoughts on self-guided tour companies here. I discussed it with my husband and we agreed that I would do some preliminary searching for luggage transfer companies and booking our own accommodations. It seemed feasible.
I have arranged luggage transport with a company recommended on the forum (pilbeo) and found lodging through Booking.com. We will save a lot of money this way and I have already become more familiar with some of the names of towns along the routes and a bit about them and the camino. I am glad that we ended up making our own bookings BUT it is a lot of work checking what is available, how close the lodging is to the camino, and checking and double-checking that I am booking the right days.
I do understand the desire for flexibility but I do appreciate (and my husband more-so) the peace of mind of working with one luggage transfer company and knowing that is all arranged in advance.
I am grateful that there are so many options for walking the camino AND to all the peregrinos on this forum who take the time to reply to inquiries.
We start our walk May 21 from Porto.

 

[JillGat]

I bet you, once you start walking, you will be surprised at how easy it all is.

 

[LisaJo]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

We are in our taking our first walk going the Portuguese route, and are also looking at having luggage transported and carrying only a day pack; the choices of what to reserve/how to plan seem overwhelming to me, re: self-guided vs a tour company, but MY husband is the one that wants to maintain flexibility and do all the planning/reservations himself...yikes!

 

[LisaJo]

I walked from Porto last sept all pre booked with luggage transfer. It was excellent for first camino but would not do it again.... i would prefer flexibility and book accom as I go. Also check where the accom they book is located. About half of mine were out of town so I couldn't hang out with other pilgrims in the evening which was disappointing. For me it is the connection with other pilgrims that made the camino special.

We are in the same spot you were in last year; doing walk from Porto in May this year...I think flexibilty IS the way to do it, as I, too, want to hang with other pilgrims; but my concern is that we only want to carry day packs and have our luggage transported to wherever the next stay will be...is that possible? Also, we are thinking we want to combine some of the central walk with the coastal one, time being our friend, in that we can take as much time as we need to...?

 

[JillGat]

We are in our taking our first walk going the Portuguese route, and are also looking at having luggage transported and carrying only a day pack; the choices of what to reserve/how to plan seem overwhelming to me, re: self-guided vs a tour company, but MY husband is the one that wants to maintain flexibility and do all the planning/reservations himself...yikes!

Both of those examples; the OP where the wife wants to plan and the husband wants to be flexible, and this one illustrate why I recommend leaving spouses behind when you walk the Camino

 

[LisaJo]

It is quick and easy to use Booking.com to arrange for accommodations. Outside of filling out a tag and letting your lodging's staff know you want your baggage transferred, there's not much more to getting transport accomplished. Being in your mid sixties shouldn't be an issue, since a lot of Camino walkers are of the same age range, and older, and make their own arrangements.

It just seems a shame to spend the funds to have someone else do those simple tasks.

Thanks for taking the time to write; you eased my mind, a lot!

 

[LisaJo]

A friend and I did a self-guided trip on the Portuguese Coastal route in 2016 Porto to Santiago). We booked it through Caminoways. Everything went well and we thoroughly enjoyed the trip. (I have no connection to the company).

Which did you prefer; coastal or central route? Any way to combine them on one trip?

 

[LisaJo]

The new Brierley for Portugal also covers the coastal route. We did the route last fall and did our own bookings through booking.com and luggage 5hroigh Caminofacil. The only tricky stretch was getting onto the corr3ct route from Baiona to Vigo, but a stop the day before at the Tourist info cleared it up. It was a lovely walk, if you do decide to book yourselves send me a pm and I can share where we stayed.

We will be going in May; originally thought coastal route (because I love the ocean); now thinking Central due to weather (rain/winds, AND there are things we'd like to see on it...we have the gift of time (we have 1 1/2 months) would love to know where you stayed!!

 

[Anamiri]

We are in our taking our first walk going the Portuguese route, and are also looking at having luggage transported and carrying only a day pack; the choices of what to reserve/how to plan seem overwhelming to me, re: self-guided vs a tour company, but MY husband is the one that wants to maintain flexibility and do all the planning/reservations himself...yikes!

Dont worry you'll soon realise how really simple the pack transport and bookings are. Have a great Camino

 

[Doogman]

Which did you prefer; coastal or central route? Any way to combine them on one trip?

I enjoyed them both a lot. If I had to choose, I would probably say the coastal route, as there is something special about walking along the ocean side IMO. If you follow the coastal route all the way, you will eventually merge with the central route at Redondela, so the paths overlap for the last 3-4 days. Alternatively, there are points along the coastal route where you can cut across to the central. I have not done it myself, but there are a number of threads on this forum that discuss this. Just use the search function. Enjoy!

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Has anyone walked the Coastal route from Porto using a self-guided tour company such as Portugal Green Walks? Their website says they arrange accommodations and luggage transfers and provide a "road book". My husband and I took several long distance walks in Scotland using a self-guided tour company and were happy with it. I walked the Camino Frances back in 2012 without such "luxury" but my husband says he would prefer to use a tour company. (We are in our mid sixties.)

Forget WHERE you will be for a minute. Forget about being on Camino. Do you have anxiety about making hotel reservations if you travel on vacation or for business? Probably not. Outside of being on Camino, the process of making a reservation via Hotels.com or Booking,com or Expedia or Travelocity is the same.

As far as forwarding luggage, that is something that most lodging places know about and will help you arrange. It is as simple as filling out a tag or slip.

What will NOT happen is being marooned. You will be near to civilization with taxis and buses and places to stay. IF you are flexible about what lodgings you are willing to stay in, you will be fine.

 

[auburnfive]

We will be going in May; originally thought coastal route (because I love the ocean); now thinking Central due to weather (rain/winds, AND there are things we'd like to see on it...we have the gift of time (we have 1 1/2 months) would love to know where you stayed!!

Here it is. These were almost all booked through Booking.com. We used Caminofacil for luggage, Scott was less than half of a company.

Porto. Moov Centro
Vila do Conde. Hotel Brazao
Esposende. Hostal Eleven
Viana do Castelo. Hotel Larajeira.
Caminha. Resedencial Arco Nova
Oia. Casa Puertas. ( our favourite!)
Baiona. Três Carabelas.
Vigo. Hotel Compostela
Redondela. Apartmentos O Descansino
Pontevedra. Hotel Room
Caldas de Reis Pesion Moderna ( least favourite)
Padron. Hotel Scala.
Santiago de Compostela. San Martin de Pinaro

 

[Dhamiltonlynne]

I've used walkthecamino.com for 3 Caminos worth of arrangements (including the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon to Santiago. I know I could go to booking.com and figure out what works and what doesn't work, but I'd rather have someone who knows the area book accomodations. That saves me hours of time and worry. And if for some reason the baggage transfer doesn't work, they set it right within an hour or so. Yes, you can do it yourself, but I'd rather concentrate on walking, talking to other pilgrims, and just reflecting - knowing that I have a great place to stay for the night. I know it takes some of the "fun" out of the experience but as I near 70 I find that finding my own rooms through booking.com or others has less and less of a return on investment for me. It is, indeed, a simple task to find a room but to find 30 or so nice rooms in good locations can be daunting (and for me, not worth the savings in money). It all depends on what you view as a fun challenge and what is just a pain in the ankles. Neither way is right or wrong.

John I am going to hike the Camino from Porto in April and would like to talk to you about your experience with them. I don't know if this is allowed in this group but if it is please email me (email address removed by moderator, please use private conversation function to contact other members)