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Are there blankets in the albergues?

High Endeavours

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Time of past OR future Camino
CF 13
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LePuy 15
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I'll be starting my Camino from Coimbra on September 18th and expect to finish around October 4th. Normally I'd carry a sleeping bag, but this year I'll begin my walking season in the heat on August 20th from Leon to Santiago via the Invierno. I'll carry my silk liner for this route. I then start another walk along the coast, the Camino Dos Faros where I'll have to stay in small hotels because there is very little infrastructure along the route. However, when I get to Portugal I'll be able to stay in albergues once again. There seems little point in carrying my sleeping bag for the first month. Along the Plata I carried it, but never used it with my silk liner and the occasional blanket being adequate. So any information about this topic that those of you who have walked can provide would be very appreciated. Thanks so much!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
If you start to feeling that it's getting too chilly at night, go to one of the Chinese stores you see all over Spain and I guess Portugal and buy yourself one of those fleece blankets. They weigh far less than a sleeping bag and, at least, you don't have to share a 'dubiously hygienic one' in an Albergue! By that late September, how many have these blankets been washed during the 'season'?
 
Some of the albergues have blankets. But not all. In one (I think it was Ponte de Lima) a pilgrim came in and then left because he was traveling with no bag and there were no blankets. I do like Annakappa's idea of buying an inexpensive one if you need it. I took a lightweight bag and only used a blanket over that if it was really cold. For the reasons mentioned above.

The weather is so unpredictable you just never know.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
If you start to feeling that it's getting too chilly at night, go to one of the Chinese stores you see all over Spain and I guess Portugal and buy yourself one of those fleece blankets. They weigh far less than a sleeping bag and, at least, you don't have to share a 'dubiously hygienic one' in an Albergue! By that late September, how many have these blankets been washed during the 'season'?
Good idea. Will keep that in mind. The weather can easily cool as I walk up into Spain. Thanks!
 
To go one step further, when walked from Oporto last June, because the season was 'approaching summer' I decided not to take my sleeping bag with me. I bought us two of these lightweight fleece blankets and sewed Velcro along the bottom and about 30 cms up the side, so as to form a sleeping blanket if necessary. Sometimes I used it like that and, as the weather got distinctly hotter, just used it as a blanket to cover myself. Ah yes, so as not to sleep on dubious bottom bed sheets, I brought along a couple of very, very light weight flat sheets ( those of this new micro fiber). Anyway the whole 'packet' weighed about 400 grams, instead of the over one kilo of my old sleeping bag.
 
I'll be starting my Camino from Coimbra on September 18th and expect to finish around October 4th. Normally I'd carry a sleeping bag, but this year I'll begin my walking season in the heat on August 20th from Leon to Santiago via the Invierno. I'll carry my silk liner for this route. I then start another walk along the coast, the Camino Dos Faros where I'll have to stay in small hotels because there is very little infrastructure along the route. However, when I get to Portugal I'll be able to stay in albergues once again. There seems little point in carrying my sleeping bag for the first month. Along the Plata I carried it, but never used it with my silk liner and the occasional blanket being adequate. So any information about this topic that those of you who have walked can provide would be very appreciated. Thanks so much!
Just done it, Camino Frances. Plenty of blankets. Most seemed fine. Albergues were not cold and quite a few had heaters.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
We're starting the Camino Portugese from Lisbon in early May and plan to walk to Santiago. We have silk liners as well as very light sleeping bags. We used the silk liners a lot on the Camino Frances but did not need to use our sleeping bags at all.
Can anyone advise re: whether we'll need sleeping bags in Portugal? It sounds like there may not be the same number of choices that there were along the Camino Frances. We'd prefer not to take the sleeping bags but definitely will if we'll need them along this walk.
Thanks,
 
We walked in May three times a caminho. 2 times in Portugal
We only had silk liners in the backpack which we used many times in albergues.
On the camino Ingles there was one albergue in Betanzos where were no blankets but we wore fleecevests during the night.
Leave your sleeping bags at home I should say

Bom caminho
 
I used my lightweight sleeping bag every night from Porto to Santiago last April. I prefer to sleep in my own bedding as I know where it's been. Some of the Albergues had blankets but not all. And many of the mattresses were covered in that vinyl or plastic that is not all that cozy.

Buen Camino.
 
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I used my lightweight sleeping bag every night from Porto to Santiago last April. I prefer to sleep in my own bedding as I know where it's been. Some of the Albergues had blankets but not all. And many of the mattresses were covered in that vinyl or plastic that is not all that cozy.

Buen Camino.
Hi there ,
I intend to walk from Porto (coastal route) to Santiago the last week of June into July. I walked the from Sarria two years ago and it was fantastic but this time I am going alone and hope to stay in the Albergues along the way. So can anyone help me do I need to book them in advance? Is the route well sign posted. What is the cost of the ferry to A Guardia.
Thank You
Teresa
 
Hi there ,
I intend to walk from Porto (coastal route) to Santiago the last week of June into July. I walked the from Sarria two years ago and it was fantastic but this time I am going alone and hope to stay in the Albergues along the way. So can anyone help me do I need to book them in advance? Is the route well sign posted. What is the cost of the ferry to A Guardia.
Thank You
Teresa
You can not book albergues in advance Who comes first ....
Ferry costs. 2 or 3 €
If the ferry does not sail due to the tides the alternative is to cross the river by a small fisherman's boat. We paid 5€ each for the fisherman'ns boat crossing and this was great fun.
 
You can always get a microfiber swimming towel from Decathlon. I took it back in July 2015 on my first Camiño with a cotton liner and no sleeping bag. When it got chilly (meaning every night!), I would cover myself with it and be fine :)

They're about 14€ depending on size and really lightweight.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hello,
Anyone with experience on the Camino de la Plata?
My wife and I have done the Frances in 2014 and 2016. And now wish to explorer Andalusia and the Extremadura. I personally like to travel real light so I have no desire to carry a sleeping bag. On the Frances, a silk sleeping sack and "albergue issued" blankets did the trick. Even in Galicia in October.
Any thoughts regarding the availability of blankets along the de la Plata? Considering a March 1st departure from Sevilla. Wish to be comfortable during the night.
Tony Calhoun
Ojai, CA
 
I can't be specific on all the albergues on the Plata, but in quite a few there were no blankets. I remember this because I gave my sleeping bag to a young lady who was cold every night. She didn't bring her own thinking there would be blankets. I walked last year in April/May. It was hot during the day, but it was chilly at night.

Hope this helps
Davey
 
@Tony Calhoun I really needed my sleeping bag and I left Seville on 24 April. If you leave in early March, even more so I'd imagine. A few of the albergues had blankets, but certainly not all.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I avoid blankets . When were they laundered. Just smell blanket first
 
The times I used the blankets were the only times I met the bedbugs....coincidence????
 
The times I used the blankets were the only times I met the bedbugs....coincidence????

Probably. I often use albergue blankets, never met a bedbug. Only witnessed my friends on camino meeting bedbugs twice. One of which was in a parador.

Davey
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
The times I used the blankets were the only times I met the bedbugs....coincidence????
Maybe , maybe not. I had bed bugs twice along the Frances. Did not need an albergue blanket to get them, usually a dirty mattress. But thanks for the tip about the availability of blankets just the same.
 
Hello,
Anyone with experience on the Camino de la Plata?
My wife and I have done the Frances in 2014 and 2016. And now wish to explorer Andalusia and the Extremadura. I personally like to travel real light so I have no desire to carry a sleeping bag. On the Frances, a silk sleeping sack and "albergue issued" blankets did the trick. Even in Galicia in October.
Any thoughts regarding the availability of blankets along the de la Plata? Considering a March 1st departure from Sevilla. Wish to be comfortable during the night.
Tony Calhoun
Ojai, CA
You might want to post this question again in the Via de la Plata forum (Forums > Routes ending min Santiago de Compostela > Via de la Plata). You may get some people here in the Camino Portugues forum who also have experience on the VDLP but you are almost certain to get more and better answers there.
 

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