Last time I walked the Francés I took the Valcarlos route and stayed in the albergue there. A leisurely breakfast in SJPDP watching the eager beavers rush off to the Napoleon, then a lovely walk through the Basque countryside (with a stop off at Arnéguy for coffee and a meander through the duty free shops), then on to Valcarlos and the excellent albergue there, where I stayed. Only two pilgrims in the albergue, a scrumptious dinner meal, and the next day a stroll through the beech woods, and I arrived in Roncesvalles ahead of the Napoleon crowd, with no trouble getting a bed.