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Yes, that's what I did in 2018. Usually the gite owners are very willing to do that for you with no problem. I also received help from the visitor centers a few times and they spoke good English.I have read quite a few posts about the need to book ahead on this route in autumn.
If one is not traveling with a phone, and has the first night booked in Le Puy, is it feasible to think I can book one night in advance, one day at a time, via the gite owners?
Yes, that's what I did in 2018. Usually the gite owners are very willing to do that for you with no problem. I also received help from the visitor centers a few times and they spoke good English.
It was done that way for years!!. And my first lePuy in 2006 we used gites to book the next 1-2 nights along with (what is probably now disappeared) phone booths.
May need to borrow use of cell phone from fellow pelerins.
Alternative is to buy a French burner phone.
But you need to book ahead because hosts need to know you are coming (except a very few municipal)
Yes, tourist office. The larger cities had them with a sign in the larger cities. I did not speak French, but their English was always good.By visitor center do you mean something like a tourist office? How did you find those?
Also, I speak some Spanish but I don't speak French.
If you can walk with a phone and a local sim with data it does make life much easier on the Le Puy route. I walked Le Puy to Burgos last July and the route is very quiet once past the Aubrac. There was about 17 pilgrims walking the whole route and sort of moving along at the same time. I got to know them over a couple of weeks. Mostly french with a few who understood English most would phone ahead about 10am each morning to book a Gite for that night. I would usually work out about how far to walk the next day and call the preferred Gite the evening before. Other pilgrims and Gite owners will call ahead for you if you ask. In the first half there will be a lot more mainly French GR route hikers and booking a day or more in advance advisable.
I do also advise you to learn some basic phrases in French around making reservations, where is an ATM, I'm looking for etc. Can you phone and make a reservation for me.... In that part of rural France it can be harder to find someone who speaks English. Several Gites I stayed in, some by myself, the owners English was worse than my French but we always worked things out.
Don't loose any sleep over it though, it will be a great walk phone or no phone.
You can always get a bed at this this. No problem at all. Only in sauvage because there is no other options there. That place is fantastic.I have read quite a few posts about the need to book ahead on this route in autumn.
If one is not traveling with a phone, and has the first night booked in Le Puy, is it feasible to think I can book one night in advance, one day at a time, via the gite owners?
Thanks for your post. I am planning for the Via Podiensis late april/first may 2020, and is a little consern about the accommodation sit. My guidebook says as you, that if you are walking alone there should not be a problem. On the other hand someware in this thread say that always to book ahead (for some nights anyway). Whewn walking in Spain I never book (knowing is't different in France) it seems that booking puts me on a schedule wich is not the purpose of my pilgrimage. Also knowing my frence is next to nothing I just wonder the 'pro and con'. So I seems to need some advice on the accommodation question. Thanks in advanceI think you can do it without a phone: The French people are great at helping. Just start out saying that you're sorry you don't speak French, and that you need help. Something like: Pardon-- Je ne parle pas francais-- je suis desolee, mais parlez-vous anglais? J'ai besoin d'aide.
I depended on tourist offices or the marie (village office) to help. They speak english at the tourist offices. I would take some index cards with some french phrases on them, so you can hand them to people when you need help.
I joined up with a group at Le Puy for a while and a french speaking woman took the reponsibility of calling ahead. But then I split off by myself, and just showed up at a gite and that worked fine. I walked Sept/Oct 2017. I don't think you're going to find full gites, it's more likely they won't be open or have made food. Though-- that never happened to me. There was always plenty when I just turned up.
When I went on the alternative route to .....)
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