Accommodation on the Via Podiensis

[Elinor]

Greetings to all! We want to walk the Via Podiensis in June/July 2025. Is it necessary to book accommodation ahead of arrival, and if so, how far ahead? If possible, we would like to have the flexibility of not booking - is that fine on this route at that time of year?

 

[Bill905]

Based on my experience, I would book ahead. A friend and I booked ahead in February 2022 for our walk in May. We booked as far as Moissac from Le Puy, thinking we would book the rest from Moissac to SJPP while en route. Unfortunately we could not find gites for some stages after Moissac without having to walk about 35 kms, which was too much for us (in our early 70s). So we stopped at Moissac and returned the following year to complete the VP. For that trip we also booked in Jan and Feb for our walk in May and we were successful! For a person walking alone, it might be easier to find accommodations without booking ahead.

There are other similar threads on the forum. Try searching with some key words. I will also add that at some gites I found I was the only non-European among 20 or so pilgrims. It seemed to me that because this route is part of the GR network there were a lot of non-Camino walkers, mostly from France, and they preferred to book ahead.

Bon Cheminn

 

[Elinor]

Thank you very much, Bill! I have started to read some of the related replies which are, as you say, very useful!

 

[Kitsambler]

It is possible to go without reservations, but not recommended, for two reasons:
1) Most gites are small mom-and-pop operations and lodging is demi-pension (3-4 course French meal served family style). Madame needs to know how many groceries to buy and cook. It's a courtesy. One day in advance is fine, and your current host can call for you.
2) The English-speaking gites (marked in MMD) will book up much earlier. Depending on your fluency (or lack thereof) in French, this may be important, as 85% of walkers are Francophones.

 

[caminka]

this year I stopped in three busy via podiensis towns: le Puy, Conques and Figeac. in all I called one or two days ahead.

in le Puy I stayed in accueil st Jacques, the gite run by the camino volunteers. I called two days in advance because I was making reservations for two people and wanted to stay there. I have fond memories of my first stay in 2016 and it's a cool place right below the cathedral.

in Conques I inquired at abbaye ste Foy if they still have 10 non-reservable beds and they do (it was fully booked otherwise), so I arrived at about noon and snagged one bed upon my arrival, to return later for the check-in.

in Figeac I called the evening before and got into the third gite I tried. the first one had a day-off (it was to be a holiday) and the seconed was full. I stayed in gite Chemin des Anges, very nice.

 

[Suzanne A]

I went in 2018 and called one to two days in advance. Went in end of August and Sept

 

[good_old_shoes]

In june / july, I'd say booking a day ahead will be enough. Or maybe a few days if you want to.

I last walked the via podiensis in summer 2022 and the gites I stayed at were sometimes almost empty.

One day I arrived after 8pm, there were only two other pilgrims in the gite. I called same day late afternoon to let them know I'll arrive late.

I mainly camped because I prefer that most days, but when I wanted to sleep inside, I always got a bed at the first place I tried.

If you want the demi pension (dinner and breakfast) then it is polite to make a reservation at least same day, or better the day before, though, so that your hosts can plan for how many people they need to buy food and cook.

If you're okay organizing your food yourself, then I wouldn't feel too bad arriving as a walk-in.

 

[Elinor]

All these comments are hugely helpful - thank you! I do speak French, and we will probably be organising our food ourselves as often as possible because we will be travelling on the South African Rand which makes everything rather pricey ... but in general the idea of booking a day ahead seems to make sense. Thanks for explaining!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I went in 2018 and called one to two days in advance. Went in end of August and Sept

I went in late May/June 2018 with two friends. Speaking no French ourselves, we had the gite owners call for us only the mornings of the nights we needed daily and thankfully it worked well. It sounds like things have changed a lot since that time with more and more gites set up now to take online reservations far ahead.

 

[BlackRocker57]

Greetings to all! We want to walk the Via Podiensis in June/July 2025. Is it necessary to book accommodation ahead of arrival, and if so, how far ahead? If possible, we would like to have the flexibility of not booking - is that fine on this route at that time of year?

Bonjour @Elinor ... you might like to check out Dave Whitson’s @Dave very comprehensive super spreadsheet of accommodation and services that lists more than 950 accommodations on the Voie du Puy-en-Velay and its variantes :
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...tions-and-services-on-the-le-puy-route.72418/