Accommodation

[go ozzie]

We are two ladies who will arrive at SJPP from Australia on 3rd September and hope to start the walk on the 5th. We are booked into accommodation for the first 3 nights. We are both nearer to 70 than 60 and I am now freaking out that we should have done some booking in advance! Our plan is to take it slowly and have our luggage sent on ahead. Now I am reading that we will have to arrive at our destination early to be sure of a bed. Will we be able to book in advance all the way? (Too old to sleep outside on the ground!) Not sure how far we will go but the plan is to try to reach Santiago sometime!

 

[alexwalker]

Do not book ahead. You are walking in Sept., and there should be a bed for you everywhere. Just don't walk into late afternoons. If you do not want to sleep in albergues, you can book fairly inexpensive rooms in hostals for the two of you to share. Try www.booking.com for that, or the places you are staying in.

I have walked 7 Caminos. I have never been without a bed for the night.

Buen Camino: Enjoy! (I will be ahead of you, starting from Burgos on Sept. 2 )

 

[SYates]

In September you shouldn't have a problem in finding a bed - no need to freak out ;-) The more you book in advance, the more you loose that sense of freedom/spontaneity that is so special to the Camino. As you plan to send your main backpack ahead you will need anyway to tell them where to deliver to, so calling ahead one day in advance is plenty. Buen Camino, SY

 

[go ozzie]

Very reassuring Alexwalker.......feel better already.

 

[go ozzie]

I read somewhere only private albergues accept luggage sone on ahead. Is this true?

 

[SYates]

Not completely, it really depends on the albergue owner but the companies that provide luggage transport will know which ones accept luggage and which ones not. So, worst case scenario: You have to walk a bit through the village to pick up your backpack at the delivery point and carry it back to the albergue you are staying at. Buen Camino, SY

 

[go ozzie]

Feel so much better with this information. Thankyou SY

 

[domigee]

Enjoy the Camino

 

[gerardcarey]

Oi! Oi! Oi!

 

[Magnara]

We are two ladies who will arrive at SJPP from Australia on 3rd September and hope to start the walk on the 5th. We are booked into accommodation for the first 3 nights. We are both nearer to 70 than 60 and I am now freaking out that we should have done some booking in advance! Our plan is to take it slowly and have our luggage sent on ahead. Now I am reading that we will have to arrive at our destination early to be sure of a bed. Will we be able to book in advance all the way? (Too old to sleep outside on the ground!) Not sure how far we will go but the plan is to try to reach Santiago sometime!

Three caminos, in three different countries (Spain in January, France in May, Italy in October) and never booked anything before we left home. (We did have to book one day ahead as went along in our camino in France because of the number of French non-pilgrim hikers in May). We always just rocked up to a village when we decided to stop for the day and found something in Spain and Italy. It's so nice to be free of planning ahead and we have never had to sleep on a park bench. The whole camino experience takes you out of our normal life and letting go of feeling in control of everything is very refreshing. Go with the flow, assume it will be ok, be happy with whatever bed turns up. Lovely!

 

[Anniesantiago]

You should be fine in September.
If possible, take some extra days and just start early and stop early.
If you begin to run out of time, take a bus and jump ahead.
You only MUST walk the last 100 k to get the Compostela.

 

[KariC]

I'm also toying with the idea of at least on some days, sending my backpack ahead and just hiking with a daypack. It makes me a bit nervous, though. Has anyone ever lost a pack that way? Do the companies always come through?

 

[Lisa HS]

60 years old, here and just finished my first Camino. KariC, I walked this past Spring (SJPP to Santiago), and had my pack shipped ahead on the longer or steeper days (about 1/4 of the time). My pack was always there when I arrived at my albergue - no problem. go ozzie - around the middle of each day, I called and booked for the next night...that way I knew where I was going each morning when I set out. Also, I only walked between 16 and 22 Kms a day. I took my time, stopped 2-3 times a day for coffee/snacks/2nd breakfast. All this allowed me to take the time to enjoy myself, not worry at all about a bed AND be injury free. I never felt like I wasn't being "spontaneous", and the few times I did decide to change plans, I just called up the albergue and canceled my reservation (it was never a problem and they were always very grateful that I bothered to call...make sure you do if plans change). Everyone has their own Camino, and this worked very well for me.

 

[Deacon Jason]

We are two ladies who will arrive at SJPP from Australia on 3rd September and hope to start the walk on the 5th. We are booked into accommodation for the first 3 nights. We are both nearer to 70 than 60 and I am now freaking out that we should have done some booking in advance! Our plan is to take it slowly and have our luggage sent on ahead. Now I am reading that we will have to arrive at our destination early to be sure of a bed. Will we be able to book in advance all the way? (Too old to sleep outside on the ground!) Not sure how far we will go but the plan is to try to reach Santiago sometime!

I am finding that freaking out a bit is part of the waiting process...I will only be a few days behind you and I am fighting off the urge to second guess everything.

Buen Camino sin preocupados! Hopefully I will catch up to you at some point along the way.

-Jason

 

[KariC]

60 years old, here and just finished my first Camino. KariC, I walked this past Spring (SJPP to Santiago), and had my pack shipped ahead on the longer or steeper days (about 1/4 of the time). My pack was always there when I arrived at my albergue - no problem. go ozzie - around the middle of each day, I called and booked for the next night...that way I knew where I was going each morning when I set out. Also, I only walked between 16 and 22 Kms a day. I took my time, stopped 2-3 times a day for coffee/snacks/2nd breakfast. All this allowed me to take the time to enjoy myself, not worry at all about a bed AND be injury free. I never felt like I wasn't being "spontaneous", and the few times I did decide to change plans, I just called up the albergue and canceled my reservation (it was never a problem and they were always very grateful that I bothered to call...make sure you do if plans change). Everyone has their own Camino, and this worked very well for me.

Thanks, Lisa!

 

[go ozzie]

Four weeks ago I had hardly heard of the Camino but when it came up at coffee I just knew I had to do it! I contacted my trusty travel companion and we are off....departing Perth in Western Australia on 31st August to spend a couple of days with family in Singapore then off to SJPP on 2nd September. No time to think about it but hey.........September seems the best time for us to go and at our age can't risk leaving it until next September!! Thank you for this wonderful site and and thank you google!! Look forward to meeting you all along the way.

 

[AcrossTheWater3008]

Hahaha... when the Camino calls, we drop everything and answer the call...

I am currently in Muxia, having walked from SJPDP ... I will be going back to London soon.

Its been a great Camino and I wish the same for you both!

Buen Camino!

 

[Dancing Rain]

We started our walk from SJPP on 2 Sept last year. We booked to stay at Kayla (Orrisson) on our first day, but didn't book at all for the following 46 days. We took it slowly and usually stopped early or mid afternoon. Except for the Zubiri we were always able to get a bed in the first place we stopped, and still did in Zubiri (great albergue called El Palo de Avellano). It was all an experience we look back on with great fondness - letting go and trusting! The Wisepilgrim Guide App for the Camino France's was very helpful. A pilgrim at that albergue in Zubiri told me about it. I'm still grateful for her passing comment. Never saw her again!!