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That's what it is. Nicely explained, Rick of Rick and Peg.
Many people in this forum are from the US and unware of the ESTA requirement. In fact, nationals from countries that don't require a formal visa, to call it somehow, need to do an ESTA and pay a fee, for background checks, to enter the...
Albergues stays are about the experience and the people you share it with. The most memorable ones for me were:
Bodenaya
San Juan de Villapañada (5 km after Grado) (my first night on the Camino and where I met most people I walked with the rest of the Way)
Albergue Ponte Ferreira (wonderful...
I'd also suggest to speed up and do more KM a day if that's possible. I also had to re adjust my stages so that I could meet my cousin on her last day of holidays around Santiago. I did the Primitivo in 11 days, instead of the 14 originally planned. As it happened, mostly everybody I was walking...
Hello and welcome! Camino primitivo was my first (and only so far) Camino and I did it 2 years ago. Nervous and exicted I was, too. It's an amazing route and you'll find yourself very comfortable within 24 hours. At least so I was when I stopped at my first albergue and met such wonderful bunch...
Yes. It's a better start for the Hospitales route. Much shorter than starting from Campielo. I couldn't get a bed at Samblismo. But it's just the one albergue. Not sure if Correos picks up you rucksack from there. I carried mine all the way so I am not sure if Correos has pick ups at every albergue.
I stayed in Borras in 2019 and it's highly UNRECOMMENDABLE. Also for sending your rucksack better option is Campielo and the options for a hearty lunch/dinner when you arrive are great.
The albergue in Bodenaya is a real treat and glimpse of the old days experience. Worth staying overnight with David. I stayed there in August 2019 (last time I went on holidays, dear me!). Somebody I met the night before in San Juan de Villapañada (a really nice albergue to stay at, for another...
I agree with the above comments. The only concern is that the weather can be bad in Hospitales, foggy, misty, rainy, windy, and cold. All of that I had when I did it a couple of August ago. And I wouldn't change it for anything! A walking pole can be useful but not necessary.
Good advice on...
I was heading for a Movistar shop but found a Phone House shop on the way. Phone Shop sells SIM cards from several companies and I got a Llamaya SIM card. The shop assistant, after looking through what they had to offer, said it was the most convenient price and data-wise for what I wanted. I...
There's another Camino route that's being resurrected. It's sometimes known as the Primitivo Frances. It was the route from France previous to the full Northern Reconquista when the current Camino Frances was non-existent or too dangerous from the perils of Mores attacks to travel along. About 6...
The next village with an Albergue Municipal is San Juan de Viillapañada, about 5 km further. But they don't accept reservations, being a municipal albergue and it's almost 1 km off the main Camino. So call heading there to find out availability. The "Hospitalero" Domingo is very helpful and...
I agree with the previous posters, take a sleeping bag. You don't want to have a bad night sleep because of cold weather, despite there's "natural human heating" generated in communal dorms. I walked the Primitivo the second half of August and there were blankets at all the albergues (municipals...
Take microfibre towels. Few private albergues provide towels and none of the municipal ones do. My experience in the Primitivo during the second half of August this year is that all albergues offered blankets but when the nights get colder there might not be enough blankets for everybody. So...
I second Davey Boyd. Definitely, easier to get it at the Albergue El Salvador which is a short walk from the Cathedral. And you can always stay there. The cathedral was closed all the time I was in Oviedo... :-(
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