Starting our first Camino in June 2015 with our kids (17, 16, and 8) - would like to avoid filthy/not well taken care off places... would like advice of places to avoid. We are doing the
Camino Frances starting at SJPP. Thank you!
With reference to
John Brierley's
Camino Frances Guide, 9th Edition, published 2013, page 129, Albergue La Hutte, where I've now stayed twice, but my 2014 stay was more than disappointing when a demented raging out of control woman, screaming in what sounded to me like French and not Spanish. threw my semi-dry clothes on the floor from where after it had started to rain I had hung them after bringing them inside the Albergue. I restrained my impulse to deliberately rip her throat from her neck and learned afterwards that apparently she was an owner of the Hotel/Albergue La Hutte. This place is not worthy of being included in anybody's guide as providing worthy accommodation, but rather all pilgrims should be warned away.
There's another one, two days out from Santiago on the Camino Francis, a Municipal Albergue which I will have to look up the details, very picturesque by a stream, but without any effective management, locking of doors with being next to a bar that facilitated many partying and drunken 'pilgrims' coming noisily back to the Albergue and waking up everyone else.
Notwithstanding, a recommendation, page 246, Albergue International, in Sarria, which I rate as among the best of albergues which I've enjoyed. The premises were clean and well maintained and the proprietress and her nephew were most accommodating, trying very hard to please a tired and grumpy old man after a long walk in the early October rain. I concluded that their efforts were very deserving of more notice, as the albergue was not very full. As the only one dining there enjoying an excellent generously sized meal, I couldn't understand why other pilgrims went elsewhere for their evening meal. Apparently the Albergue International wasn't widely known to the "Gucci" crowds starting their Camino from Sarria.