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Arriving in Santiago tomorrow. Will there be room in Albergues?

RhondafromBC

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances(2013)
Hello. We are arriving in Santiago tomorrow. Looking online, all the alberques that are bookable are all full. Are there plenty of alberques that are not reservable that will have space? Thanks
 
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Hi, Rhonda, Enjoy your last day! The online sites like booking.com only have access to a very small number of rooms in each hotel/albergue/pension, so I would get on Gronze and call some of the places listed there https://www.gronze.com/etapa/pedrouzo-pino/santiago-compostela. (if you don't speak Spanish, note that clicking on "ver mas" at the bottom of the page will bring up a LOT more possibilities.

Everyone says it's very crowded, good luck. Broadening your search out of the historic core is also a good idea. There are lots of places around the Plaza Roja, which is more of the "real Santiago's" center than the cathedral area. And it's only a few minutes walk up a hill to the old town.
 
Hola Rhonda - if you are particularly looking for an albergue those in the Old Town are all full according to reports today. Earlier there were some beds in the Seminario Menor but these fill up quickly at weekends.

If you don't get booked when you arrive go to the Tourist Office at 62 Rua Do Vilar and they can check the Seminario Menor for you.

If you are coming in the Camino Frances you could stop at the municipal Albergue in San Lázaro or a little further towards town the Albergue Fin del Camino - the latter will take reservations by phone.

Good luck

John
 
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At the last minute this year when I changed my arrival date into Santiago, I found the F and F. http://pension-residencia-ff.santiagodecompostelahotels.net/es/

It is a college dorm during the school year. Very clean, cheap, modern. Not much charm but it was fine. And I liked being out of pilgrimlandia, though I have to admit I did go back to San Martin pinario when I returned from Muxia.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Does it happen that people don't find any housing when they arrive in Santiago? Even outside the old town or the surrounding area?
 
Does it happen that people don't find any housing when they arrive in Santiago? Even outside the old town or the surrounding area?

Highly unlikely. But be prepared to pay for a more upmarket / pricier hotel when the albergues are completely booked.
From the first time I arrived in 2011 till this year I saw only more and more pensiones/ hotels and ArBnB popping up.
Where it will stop is something for another thread...
 
Two large albergues to consider are
1. Albergue Monte do Gozo
which is just outside the city
with 500 places but which does not take reservations.
see more here
https://www.gronze.com/galicia/coruna/monte-do-gozo/albergue-xunta-monte-do-gozo
and

2. Albergue Seminario Menor which is within the city and does take reservations with 177 places
see more here
https://www.gronze.com/galicia/coruna/santiago-compostela/albergue-seminario-menor

Good luck and enjoy Santiago!
We arrived in Santiago a day earlier than our planned reservation at a hotel, so not knowing that Seminario Menor took reservations, we intentionally got there by 1pm and had no trouble getting a bed on May 20, 2017.

I do have a question on the Monte do Gozo zunta. On May 20th as we trudged toward Santiago in the outskirts, we happened to walk through this huge no frills type of complex, but it looked like a ghost town. No activity whatsoever, very unkempt, dead leaves piled in every corner. Knowing nothing about this place and as rundown as it appeared, I actually thought it was a huge albergue that had been closed down for years and felt kind of sad that it couldn't survive. Now I'm wondering if it possibly opens June 1st for the beginning of the busiest season....Can anyone provide an answer for me? I'm very curious about this.
 
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The Polish albergue is excellent it's close to the massive Monte do Gozo albergue. The Polish one is bookable and has a good restaurant. We had a twin room, en-suite.....pure luxury ...but there were also dormitories. The downside was no breakfast service however walking into Santiago one can find plenty of places for breakfast.
 
Hello. We are arriving in Santiago tomorrow. Looking online, all the alberques that are bookable are all full. Are there plenty of alberques that are not reservable that will have space? Thanks

Hi Rhonda, did you find something? August 15 is a big holiday so there are a lot of travelers gearing up to be in Santiago (and on the move in general all through the country) this weekend. Hope it worked out for you to find something comfy and suitable!
Faith
 
I do have a question on the Monte do Gozo zunta. On May 20th as we trudged toward Santiago in the outskirts, we happened to walk through this huge no frills type of complex, but it looked like a ghost town. No activity whatsoever, very unkempt, dead leaves piled in every corner. Knowing nothing about this place and as rundown as it appeared, I actually thought it was a huge albergue that had been closed down for years and felt kind of sad that it couldn't survive. Now I'm wondering if it possibly opens June 1st for the beginning of the busiest season....Can anyone provide an answer for me? I'm very curious about this.

According to Gronze it’s open all year round, but the three times I’ve walked past (always in November and late in the day) it looked as derelict as you say . . . :confused:
Jill
 
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At the end of Rua Vilar there is a small (tiny, actual: Take off your backpack before you enter) fruit shop. The owner, Jose Ramon, will provide you with a comfortable room in the centre of Santiago at a fair price. Having been brought up in (must have been sophisticated) England, he speaks more elegant English than most of the native Englishmen. I always stay in his place (he has two) in Santiago city centre.

Yes, this is correct: The smallest fruit shop in Santiagog has rooms for rent. Just say that I, AlexWalker, sent you there, and you should be fine.:)

And of course, you have the Seminario as an OK solution.
 
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I think the single rooms in the Seminario are one of the great bargains of the Camino. Not very stylish perhaps but clean and quiet. And remarkably cheap.
I loved the place. Such an elegant old monestary, lot's of showers, etc and twin beds! Who can argue with that!...Oh, and I was even staying in the albergue section and loved it!
 
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At the end of Rua Nova there is a small (tiny, actual: Take off your backpack before you enter) fruit shop. The owner, Jose Ramon, will provide you with a comfortable room in the centre of Santiago at a fair price. Having been brought up in (must have been sophisticated) England, he speaks more elegant English than most of the native Englishmen. I always stay in his place (he has two) in Santiago city centre.

Yes, this is correct: The smallest fruit shop in Santiagog has rooms for rent. Just say that I, AlexWalker, sent you there, and you should be fine.:)

And of course, you have the Seminario as an OK solution.
This little nugget of info is a hidden gem. Thanks for sharing it. One of the things that makes this forum so awesome. Pilgrims helping pilgrims!:)
 
This little nugget of info is a hidden gem. Thanks for sharing it. One of the things that makes this forum so awesome. Pilgrims helping pilgrims!:)
It is indeed a hidden gem. I have paid 25 Euros/night for a room in Rua Franco, the main pedestrian street in the city centre. I had a room with a view to the bell tower of the cathedral (!). And the best tapas places just a few metres away: I can highly recommend going to the fruit shop in Rua Vilar. But mention AlexWalker and I will expect you will get special attention. :);)
 
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At the end of Rua Nova there is a small (tiny, actual: Take off your backpack before you enter) fruit shop. The owner, Jose Ramon, will provide you with a comfortable room in the centre of Santiago at a fair price. Having been brought up in (must have been sophisticated) England, he speaks more elegant English than most of the native Englishmen. I always stay in his place (he has two) in Santiago city centre.

Yes, this is correct: The smallest fruit shop in Santiagog has rooms for rent. Just say that I, AlexWalker, sent you there, and you should be fine.:)

Really?! I didn't know this! That's great! Are you talking about the tiny shop with bakery goods and soda, right next to the newspaper kiosk? It's always dark in there and I've never gone into it, so I didn't know they also had fruit :).
 
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Really?! I didn't know this! That's great! Are you talking about the tiny shop with bakery goods and soda, right next to the newspaper kiosk? It's always dark in there and I've never gone into it, so I didn't know they also had fruit :).
Hi Nate, and I should say, hello again, as I visited you this spring (BTW: I admire your work in SdC).

If my memory serves me correct: If you leave the Pilgrim House, go to the left, and near the end (a plaza) to your right hand, you will find Jose Ramon's (very) small fruit shop. He is the kindest person you'll find, and he has 2 houses (really nice and priced nicely) in the centre of Santiago. Simply a bargain. I prefer his place in Rua do Franco (disgusting name...), as this is the pedestrian and tapas centre of Santiago.
 
Hi Nate, and I should say, hello again, as I visited you this spring (BTW: I admire your work in SdC).

If my memory serves me correct: If you leave the Pilgrim House, go to the left, and near the end (a plaza) to your right hand, you will find Jose Ramon's (very) small fruit shop. He is the kindest person you'll find, and he has 2 houses (really nice and priced nicely) in the centre of Santiago. Simply a bargain. I prefer his place in Rua do Franco (disgusting name...), as this is the pedestrian and tapas centre of Santiago.

Thank you, Alex, for this information. I know which shop you're talking about now and will refer pilgrims there if they need a place.

Buen Camino!
 
Thank you, Alex, for this information. I know which shop you're talking about now and will refer pilgrims there if they need a place.

Buen Camino.
I am very happy about that: Jose Ramon in the fruit shop (of course: If you need a room in Spain, go to the fruit shop :)) is such a helpful and friendly person, fluent in English, and not to mention: His mother and father assist in his business in the most friendly way. Centre of Santiago: Surprisingly good prices. Honest people. Do not remember the name of his mother, so I just call her "mi bonita". seems to work every year...
 
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I prefer his place in Rua do Franco (disgusting name...), .
Knowledgeable sources in Santiago tell me that the street takes its name from the foreign merchants who settled there in the medieval period. Everybody who came from the wrong side of the Pyrenees were "Francs" as far as the Gallegos were concerned :) The name goes back a long way.
 
According to Gronze it’s open all year round, but the three times I’ve walked past (always in November and late in the day) it looked as derelict as you say . . . :confused:
Jill
If there are approximately 500 beds in this place, surely a few people on this forum must have stayed there in the recent past, especially as busy as the Frances has become and the need for beds. Maybe the gronze site is outdated on its information that it is still open...anybody stayed here lately (or ever)?
 
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We arrived in Santiago a day earlier than our planned reservation at a hotel, so not knowing that Seminario Menor took reservations, we intentionally got there by 1pm and had no trouble getting a bed on May 20, 2017.

I do have a question on the Monte do Gozo zunta. On May 20th as we trudged toward Santiago in the outskirts, we happened to walk through this huge no frills type of complex, but it looked like a ghost town. No activity whatsoever, very unkempt, dead leaves piled in every corner. Knowing nothing about this place and as rundown as it appeared, I actually thought it was a huge albergue that had been closed down for years and felt kind of sad that it couldn't survive. Now I'm wondering if it possibly opens June 1st for the beginning of the busiest season....Can anyone provide an answer for me? I'm very curious about this.
I purposely stayed in the xunta albergue at Monte de Gozo in May this year just because I wanted to experience sleeping in a 500 bed albergue. (Yep, I know I'm odd. No need to mention it.) It was fantastic but a little sad. It's divided into barrack type buidings, each building having a large number of small dorm rooms containing (from memory) four or maybe six bunks. Excellent bunk beds, new mattresses and pillows, and all covered in that rubberised plastic stuff that I tell myself stops bedbugs in their tracks. Each building also has unisex bathrooms that have showers with doors which is not the norm for xunta albergues. Each building has a well equiped kitchen, a reading room, and laundromat facilities. Everything in the building I stayed in was modern and spotlessly clean and the hospitalera was delightful. I would stay there again as it's an easy 5 km walk the next morning into Santiago. The sad bit was that there was only a handful of pilgrims staying in this beautiful albergue on the night I stayed. We didn't even fill one building. The next morning I walked through the complex and some of the barracks were in far poorer condition and I wondered whether they were opened even in peak times. At the bottom of the complex is a large precinct that has restaurants, cafes, bars, places to party, a medical centre, etc. etc. None of which of course was open and it all looked very wintery and neglected but I would not be at all surprised if it was a bustling place in season.
 
I purposely stayed in the xunta albergue at Monte de Gozo in May this year just because I wanted to experience sleeping in a 500 bed albergue. (Yep, I know I'm odd. No need to mention it.) It was fantastic but a little sad. It's divided into barrack type buidings, each building having a large number of small dorm rooms containing (from memory) four or maybe six bunks. Excellent bunk beds, new mattresses and pillows, and all covered in that rubberised plastic stuff that I tell myself stops bedbugs in their tracks. Each building also has unisex bathrooms that have showers with doors which is not the norm for xunta albergues. Each building has a well equiped kitchen, a reading room, and laundromat facilities. Everything in the building I stayed in was modern and spotlessly clean and the hospitalera was delightful. I would stay there again as it's an easy 5 km walk the next morning into Santiago. The sad bit was that there was only a handful of pilgrims staying in this beautiful albergue on the night I stayed. We didn't even fill one building. The next morning I walked through the complex and some of the barracks were in far poorer condition and I wondered whether they were opened even in peak times. At the bottom of the complex is a large precinct that has restaurants, cafes, bars, places to party, a medical centre, etc. etc. None of which of course was open and it all looked very wintery and neglected but I would not be at all surprised if it was a bustling place in season.
Thanks for sharing your experience. When I walked through the complex I don't recall any sign of life. As sad as the place looks, it's uplifting to hear there is one building still dedicated to housing pilgrims in a clean environment and respectful manner.
 
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Thanks for sharing your experience. When I walked through the complex I don't recall any sign of life. As sad as the place looks, it's uplifting to hear there is one building still dedicated to housing pilgrims in a clean environment and respectful manner.
I would think in peak season there would be a lot more buildings open. You and I must have been there about the same time, certainly within a day or two of each other. Wish we'd met. :)
I was in bed 3, habitación 5, building 29. Right up the top of the complex. As far as I could work out there were 30 buildings each containing 21 habitacións. It is an incredible place and IMO it's well worth staying there, even if just for the experience alone.
PS be wary opening the thumb nails if you don't have unlimited internet service because I still haven't worked out how to reduce the download size of photos.:eek:
BF482516-6730-437B-BFE3-FF32C7702EF8.JPG CE0965C3-0198-4EDF-B852-AD1E0D59827A.JPG 6C2F9E27-89D3-424F-81B7-008DA3CE43AD.JPG 4984E6DF-71C1-4FC2-8531-D10B27B7A4CD.JPG 739E5E01-29CF-4898-94DA-054936824C3C.JPG
 
I remember it in 2003 (Holy Year) on the Friday before the Sunday Feast day. It was humming, including the shops at the bottom.

The last few times I have walked past it looked abandoned - tumbleweeds blowing through and no signs of people. Good to hear it is still open.
 
I would think in peak season there would be a lot more buildings open. You and I must have been there about the same time, certainly within a day or two of each other. Wish we'd met. :)
I was in bed 3, habitación 5, building 29. Right up the top of the complex. As far as I could work out there were 30 buildings each containing 21 habitacións. It is an incredible place and IMO it's well worth staying there, even if just for the experience alone.
PS be wary opening the thumb nails if you don't have unlimited internet service because I still haven't worked out how to reduce the download size of photos.:eek:
View attachment 35632 View attachment 35633 View attachment 35634 View attachment 35635 View attachment 35636
Wow, those pictures show the facility to be very nice and "squeeky clean"! Hard to believe it's the same place. Yes, we were probably very close in proximity to each other and it would have been nice to meet you!
 
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And with apologies for hijacking this thread even further off track, is the huge sign that describes further development of the Monte de Gozo albergue complex out of date or wishful thinking or what? The sign is before you get to the albergue.
 
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I think the single rooms in the Seminario are one of the great bargains of the Camino. Not very stylish perhaps but clean and quiet. And remarkably cheap.

And......mine had great WiFi !

A very helpful young man on reception booked us beds at a very good albergue in Negreira.
 
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.
I am very happy about that: Jose Ramon in the fruit shop (of course: If you need a room in Spain, go to the fruit shop :)) is such a helpful and friendly person, fluent in English, and not to mention: His mother and father assist in his business in the most friendly way. Centre of Santiago: Surprisingly good prices. Honest people. Do not remember the name of his mother, so I just call her "mi bonita". seems to work every year...
Alex, do you just walk in? I have to stay in Santiago on two Saturday nights end of Sept. Can be dicey without a rezzie.
 
Alex, do you just walk in?
Yes. I will check if I can find the phone no.

Edit: Got it: Jose Ramon Villaverde Martinez, 626323680. The shop, Charcuteria Villaverde, is at Rua do Vilar 82. His personal phone: 628577323. His mother, Maria, is also in the shop: 630058885.

Two places to sleep, in Rua do Vilar 42, and in Rua do Franco (main pedestrian street). I have only stayed in Rua do Franco.

Say hello from AlexWalker ;)

PS: There is no way to find his place without knowing about it! Not even @natefaith , in the same street, had a clue... ;) So this address should be on your phone, and please: Don't tell anyone, or he will always be completo!
 
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I do have a question on the Monte do Gozo zunta. On May 20th as we trudged toward Santiago in the outskirts, we happened to walk through this huge no frills type of complex, but it looked like a ghost town. No activity whatsoever, very unkempt, dead leaves piled in every corner. Knowing nothing about this place and as rundown as it appeared, I actually thought it was a huge albergue that had been closed down for years and felt kind of sad that it couldn't survive. Now I'm wondering if it possibly opens June 1st for the beginning of the busiest season....Can anyone provide an answer for me? I'm very curious about this.

Monte Do Gozo zunta was built to cater for the major celebrations that take place in Santiago when St. James's Day (25th July) lands on a Sunday. Huge crowds turn up and must be accommodated. The last one was 2010 and the next is 2021.
 
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Monte Do Gozo zunta was built to cater for the major celebrations that take place in Santiago when St. James's Day (25th July) lands on a Sunday. Huge crowds turn up and must be accommodated. The last one was 2010 and the next is 2021.
Very interesting fact. Thanks for sharing that information and it helps to make some sense out of this 500 bed ghost town!
 
Yes. I will check if I can find the phone no.

Edit: Got it: Jose Ramon Villaverde Martinez, 626323680. The shop, Charcuteria Villaverde, is at Rua do Vilar 82. His personal phone: 628577323. His mother, Maria, is also in the shop: 630058885.

Two places to sleep, in Rua do Vilar 42, and in Rua do Franco (main pedestrian street). I have only stayed in Rua do Franco.

Say hello from AlexWalker ;)

PS: There is no way to find his place without knowing about it! Not even @natefaith , in the same street, had a clue... ;) So this address should be on your phone, and please: Don't tell anyone, or he will always be completo!

Thanks Alex! 'mum' s the word! I especially like that it is right next to La TITa!! The bestest tapas place in town! Yum!
 
Thanks Alex! 'mum' s the word! I especially like that it is right next to La TITa!! The bestest tapas place in town! Yum!
Oh there are several in SdC: Do Bispo in Rua do Franco springs to my mind, next to my favorite hostel with Jose Ramon...;)
 
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I stayed in the fruit shop flat in 2007. I was in that street on Friday and felt a bit nostalgic for it and imagine my surprise to now hear it's still a thing!
 
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