accommodation and info about Camino

[magdalenazalewska]

hi friends. I am doing my Camino in 3 weeks, starting on the 14th of August, from St Jean Pied de Port. Can any of you who already did it tell where shall I go in St Jean Pied de Port to receive my pilgrims pass and maybe get some map etc?
Will it be difficult to find some accommodations during the period 14th of August-end of September? Ivar as far as I understood you are on Camino now? Are they many pilgrims?
Hugs Magdalena

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

the CSJ sell a guide and the link is just below the map. It will tell you all you need to know.

The guide lists almost all the pilgrim accomodation there is along with telephone numbers. It is worth trying to book a bed in SJPP but after that you should have few problems getting a bed.

It tells you places of interest to look out for and gives practical advice.

You will not needs a map as the route is waymarked with yellow arrows and other markings.

If you search the FAQ's you will learn most of what you need to know.

Ivar lives in Spain.

Welcome to the Camino.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

The office of the Accueil Saint Jacques is at 39 Rue de la Citadelle where you pick up a credential, your first sello and the latest information about the Pyernees.

 

[magdalenazalewska]

Thank you so much. Is SJPP a big city? I will try to book night in SJPP as you siggested. The rest...I will pray to God so He help me with the rest of the nights since I don't know how far I will walk the first days and therefore will not book anything I hope I will be fine

Thnaks
Magdalena

 

[Sagalouts]

Hi Magdelena
SJPP is a medium sized town,a great place to stay is the private albergue L'esprit du Chemin considered by many to be the best,give thought also to staying at Orrison 8/10k up the hill the next day.
good luck
Ian

 

[magdalenazalewska]

Thanks Ian I will do that

 

[Deleted member 3000]

L'Esprit du Chemin is here, and reservations are advisable:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=l%27espri ... 1,,0,15.94

The Pilgrim Office is just about opposite it. You can get information from them. Unless you are meeting some tight time deadline, plan a stop at Hontto (variously Hounto, Honto) or Orisson on the first day. Some of the climb is very steep leaving St. Jean Pied de Port, so you will have had a workout by the time you reach them. Orisson particularly can fill up, so a reservation is advisable. Hontto has private rooms as well as an albergue. Everyone has a communal dinner unless you cook for yourself in the albergue kitchen.

 

[magdalenazalewska]

L'Esprit du Chemin is kinda full Its says at their side that they always keep some beds for tired pilgrims, shall I take my chance or shall I look for something else? Do you know pilgrims, any other place?

 

[sillydoll]

I will be starting from St Jean on 2nd September.
Orisson is full but they offered us 2-person tents for 23€ with dinner.
Knowing the weather at that time of the year (in 2007 we had torrential for 4 solid days) I opted to book two nights at Gite Compostela in St Jean instead (15€ a bed).
Depending on the weather, we will decide on the morning of Friday 2nd September whether to walk the route Napoleon to Orisson or to Val Carlos. Caroline's Express Bouricott will collect us in the afternoon from either place and take us back to the Gite. Then she will fetch us at 08h30 on the Saturday and take us back to where we left off. She charges 3€ per trip.

 

[grayland]

Sil...
I am a little confused....
I understand you are going to walk to Orisson (or Val Carlos) and then taxi back to SJPP, stay the night, and then taxi back to Orisson or Val Carlos to continue?
Did I get that right?
Ed

 

[Anniesantiago]

I encourage you find reservations in SJPP. There are threads on here about where to stay. I also love L'Esprit du Chemin. I don't understand when you say it is "kinda" full. If it is not full, I'd go there. Small, cozy, lovely place. Take them up on their dinner. If you decide to walk all the way to Roncevalles, they will pack you a lunch for a small fee.

I also strongly suggest that unless you are 17 or an athlete, you make reservations at either Hunto or Orisson for a break between SJPP and Roncevalles. That few kilometers can make the difference between a wonderful experience and the "hell day" many write of.

Once you are there, you honestly will not need much of a guide... the way is clearly marked. For ideas of where to stay along the way, there are several threads here about people's favorite and least favorite albergues (and why).

You can read and see photos about that first stretch on my blog at
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/06/camino-frances-part-1.html

Be sure and visit the Pilgrim's Museum in SJPP!
Buen Camino!

 

[Olivares]

I am neither 17 nor an athlete and had no major difficulties completing the SJPDP to Roncesvalles. I just started early, went at a slow pace, rested every couple of hours and before I knew it I was looking at the Roncesvalles enclave from Collado Lepeder. I actually find the steep downhill much more rough than the walk uphill.

 

[sillydoll]

Hi Ed,
Yes - that is what I have arranged.
We didn't want to walk to Roncesvalles in one day and there is no accommodation at Orisson (besides those cute little tents!) By the way, Esprit du Chemin was also full on 1st and 2nd September so we've booked into the Gite Compostela instead.
Option One:
If the weather is good on Friday 2nd September, we will walk to Orisson. We can take our time because Caroline will only fetch us at 3:30pm to take us back to St Jean.
If the weather is still good on Saturday we will be taken back to Orisson to carry on walking to Roncesvalles.
Option Two:
If it is misty and rainy on Friday we will walk to Val Carlos.
Option Three:
If the weather has cleared by Saturday we can choose whether to go back to Val Carlos or be taken to Orisson to walk the Route Napoleon to Roncesvalles.
Nice to have all these options!

 

[magdalenazalewska]

hi there, I will stay in Baurdox one night since my plane arrive about 22 on the 12th of August. Will take train in the morning til SjPP and will be there in the afternoon. Was thinking to stay in SJPP one night from 13th til 14th of August. I wrote to L'Esprit du Chemin already and they have confirmed that is fully booked. They said that I can take a chance, it might be something that day. They gave me some links to some other places. I am wandering maybe I will start walking that day, I mean from SJPP and stay over further south? What is the closest place and how many kilometers is it away from SJPP?

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

IMHO It is impossible to leave SJPP in the afternoon and safely get to Roncenvalles.

You could walk as far as Orisson 8km but it is steeply uphill or the other albergue Hunto (not been there) mentioned in the thread.

If you can book a place at Orisson then depending on what you mean by afternoon might, just might, be doable.

In 2004 when I was fit I left SJPP at 8.00 am and got to Roncenvalles - having had a couple of hours break at Orisson at 7.00pm. To be fair I have never coped with hills but I doubt if there is anyone here who would advise you to do nothing but set out early from SJPP.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Hounto is 5.5 km from St. Jean. You might want to allow at least three hours to get there. It is a steep climb in many parts, though gentle in some as well. Call for reservations, or you might have the same problem as Orisson. My legs did not have a single step more in them when I arrived at Hounto, and I had been walking for a month, though just from near Ostabat that day!

 

[kaylfrazer]

I was at L'Esprit 10 days ago after walking from Le Puy. There was a rumour that they always kept a few beds for pilgrims who turned up in person and this may be true, but people were definitely being turned away..While I really like L'Esprit, I would definitely book elsewhere.

As to walking from SJPP to Roncesvalles.. I am a slow walker so it took me 9 hours in 2003. My much fitter longer legged son only took 6 hours a few years later. I didn't find it overly difficult but it would be risky to start in the afternoon.

Kay

 

[ranthr]

Book a place to sleep in St. Jean and walk to Roncesvalles the next day. You can have a food and water stop at Orrison and there is water at the frontier. If you get out before 8 you have time enough.
Randi

 

[roxanne1944]

Has anyone here ever booked a hotel/room through eurobookings.com? I am coming to Santiago de Compostela in November on a 5 day visit as a pre-Camino fact finding trip. My friend who plans on walking the Camino with me in 2012 is coming with me. I have booked in at the Hospedería San Martín Pinario where I stayed previously on a two day birthday/Christmas present from my son. Unfortunately, I appear to have booked a double instead of a twin room & am getting absolutely no help from the people at eurobookings in changing this. I've sent them a number of emails & keep getting 'An agent will be in touch' .....'read our FAQ sheet'......'if I can be of any further assistance'.... but they never are! According to them, the booking is non-refundable - otherwise I would just cancel the booking & start again with another booking company. I tried phoning them & was left hanging on listening to music for about 10 minutes - at which point I just gave up. I have thought of contacting the hotel directly but my Spanish is not good enough for that. A trip that I had been looking forward has now become a nightmare as I try & sort the booking out. Sharing a bed as a teenager & talking through the night can be fun - not so when you're both retired & need your sleep & space to twist & turn to get comfortable. Has anyone any suggestions as to what I can do? Thanks.

 

[sillydoll]

I booked and paid for 7 rooms for 2 nights in June and tried to cancel one room on one night when we learned that a couple flying to the UK on Ryanair had to fly out on a Friday.
I was told that they couldn't do refunds but that we could use the value of the room (€67) in their dining room - which is what we did.

My colleague had to return to South Africa after 10 days on the Camino so when we got to the Hospederia I expalined to them that we didn't need a twin room anymore, they changed it to single with no problem.
You can email the hospederia - they do speak English - but I really don't think there will be any problem in changing your room when you get there.

The hospederia, which has only been open for a year, is a stunning place to stay. They have smart, newly renovated rooms on the 1st and 2nd floors and older 'pilgrim' rooms (which look like monk's cells) that have not yet been renovated on the 4th floor for €23 with breakfast.

reservas@sanmartinpinario.eu

 

[roxanne1944]

Thank you babydoll for that information. I have just received an acknowledgement from eurobookings to my latest email - they say my email was blank due to a technical problem & could I please resend my query. I have done so but will now contact the hostel directly as you suggest. I will never book with eurobookings again.

 

[grayland]

Third party bookings are always a gamble if anything goes wrong. I always try very hard to contact the property directly if possible in any way.
This is true not only on the Camino but in the other travel we do..which has been pretty extensive world wide over the past years.

The only serious problems I have had with botched bookings and cancellations have been through third party bookings.
Others may have different experiences.

 

[roxanne1944]

In the end, I asked my son who lives & works in Spain to call the Hospedería San Martín Pinario on my behalf. The booking was amended without any trouble....... so much for using eurobookings - never again.

I take your point about 3rd party bookings grayland - and will avoid that in the future. Now I can look forward to the trip again & to staying in a fabulous Hospedería. thanks to both babydoll & grayland.