Albergues - pre-book?

[Kate Allenger]

Hi all! I'm sooo excited to finally be planning for my Camino !!!!! I'm going the French Way and I'll be walking from Mid-August to September. Do I need to pre-book the albergues or will I be able to find places as I go. I'd prefer not to be too structured. Also, for this time of year, will I need to bring a sleeping bag? Thank you! - Cayman Kate

 

[jdpiguet]

Hi Kate,

Municipal and parochial albergues cannot be booked.

Private accommodations can be.

I don't think you need to book at this time, out of the 2 or 3 first days.
If you come from far away and have to compensate the jetlag, it is easier to secure the first nights.

August will normally quite warm, September is already a little colder.
Sleeping bag or not is a personal convenience, depending of you: are you a cold or a warm sleeper?

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

 

[Kate Allenger]

Hi Kate,

Municipal and parochial albergues cannot be booked.

Private accommodations can be.

I don't think you need to book at this time, out of the 2 or 3 first days.
If you come from far away and have to compensate the jetlag, it is easier to secure the first nights.

August will normally quite warm, September is already a little colder.
Sleeping bag or not is a personal convenience, depending of you: are you a cold or a warm sleeper?

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

Thanks very much

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hi all! I'm sooo excited to finally be planning for my Camino !!!!! I'm going the French Way and I'll be walking from Mid-August to September. Do I need to pre-book the albergues or will I be able to find places as I go. I'd prefer not to be too structured. Also, for this time of year, will I need to bring a sleeping bag? Thank you! - Cayman Kate

Hi Kate,
Walking in Mid-August to September is a lovely time to walk according to my wife anyway.
Maybe book the first two Albergue's and for the rest just see how busy it is.

Wish you a wonderful time and a Buen Camino,Peter.

 

[Kate Allenger]

Hi Kate,
Walking in Mid-August to September is a lovely time to walk according to my wife anyway.
Maybe book the first two Albergue's and for the rest just see how busy it is.

Wish you a wonderful time and a Buen Camino,Peter.

Thanks very much!

 

[JulieandPeter]

Hi,
The first time (April-May) I only pre-booked at SJPDP and Santiago and then booked online (when I could) an hour or so before we were arriving in a town. That worked out great. We only had a problem in Palas de Rei where we had to search for an available room which we found.

The second time (late May to July 2) I pre-booked everything I could because 1) I love to plan and I had a much better sense of how long we could walk, etc. and 2) I was under the impression that there were going to be a lot more people in June (there were not).

In hindsight, I wish I had not pre-booked so far in advance because I did not take into consideration weather (being forced to get someplace in a thunderstorm or in sweltering heat), needing a rest, or wanting to go further (all the things everyone discusses in this forum that I wished I had listened to ).

I pre-booked accommodations for another travel companion who ended up walking in five hours what it took us two days to do. After Zubiri, I cancelled all of his reservations and he did just fine finding places to stay each day.

Having said that, based on the crowds we saw after Sarria (there were A LOT more people after Portomarin in June than in May), if I were you, I would have a general idea of where you want to stay after Sarria and book ahead when you have a sense of when you will get there and how far you are walking each day. Hope that helps! Buen Camino.
EDIT: There were a lot of school groups in June starting in Sarria - that might not be the case in September.

 

[Kate Allenger]

Hi,
The first time (April-May) I only pre-booked at SJPDP and Santiago and then booked online (when I could) an hour or so before we were arriving in a town. That worked out great. We only had a problem in Palas de Rei where we had to search for an empty room which we found.

The second time (late May to July 2) I pre-booked everything I could because 1) I love to plan and I had a much better sense of how long we could walk, etc. and 2) I was under the impression that there were going to be a lot more people in June (there were not).

In hindsight, I wish I had not pre-booked so far in advance because I did not take into consideration weather (being forced to get someplace in a thunderstorm or in sweltering heat), needing a rest, or wanting to go further (all the things everyone discusses in this forum that I wished I had listened to ).

I pre-booked accommodations for another travel companion who ended up walking in five hours what it took us two days to do. After Zubiri, I cancelled all of his reservations and he did just fine finding places to stay each day.

Having said that, based on the crowds we saw after Sarria (there were A LOT more people after Portomarin in June than in May), if I were you, I would have a general idea of where you want to stay after Sarria and book ahead when you have a sense of when you will get there and how far you are walking each day. Hope that helps! Buen Camino.
EDIT: There were a lot of school groups in June starting in Sarria - that might not be the case in September.

Thanks very much!