For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
I'm on the Camino Francés right now, and this is also a very busy time for the early stages, but I saw a total of five other pilgrims while I was walking today. The reason is that I'm not staying in traditional end stage towns. Last night I was in Cirauqui where only 9 of 20 beds were full...
If nothing is available in Roncesvalles, you can try Burguete which is less than 3 km past Roncesvalles.
Gronze.com is a great source of information for albergues and other accommodations on the Camino. They have contact information to contact the properties directly...
Just today an Italian pilgrim told me and my walking partners that we should walk barefoot across the bridge. I didn't hear the part about walking on the rough stones, so being sensible I walked on the smooth stones.
I would suggest that you cross reference any place that you find on Google, booking.com or another source with Gronze, which only shows accommodations on or near the Camino.
Here's the Gronze listings for Ferreiros:
https://www.gronze.com/galicia/lugo/ferreiros
The smaller Decathlon "City" stores don't have nearly as many products as the larger stores, so that could have been the issue. You can use the Decathlon website to check the availability of a product at a particular store. It's also useful to take a screenshot of the product to show the...
The bottleneck does exist, but not every day. The problem is knowing which days it exists and which days it doesn't!
Knowing when holidays occur in Spain can help.
@StDenis said that the SJPdP data comes from the office in Santiago when pilgrims receive their credentials, but the Pilgrim Office in SJPdP has their own records of how many pilgrims leave from their each month, whether they reach Santiago or not.
For example, the SJPdP Pilgrim Office released...
The Pilgrims Office in SJPdP doesn't usually publish daily statistics, but if you are on Facebook you can ask on their page: https://m.facebook.com/groups/818222641542543/
If you can't get a place at either Borda or Orisson you can book two nights in SJPdP and use Express Bourricot's Mountain Shuttle, which must be booked in advance.
https://www.expressbourricot.com/passengers-transport/
Definitely not too early for either. You should also look at Auberge Borda instead of Orisson. I haven't had a chance to stay there, but it looks nicer than Orisson.
https://www.aubergeborda.com/
This site is run by Ivar at in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon