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bed race

S

scubajunky

Active Member
hi all, I will be joining the Frances after the primitivo in about ten days time, is there a crazy rush for beds every day ? any danger of not finding a bed ?
 
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You'll start seeing the crowds once you get to Melide, after that you won't have the luxury of walking till the late afternoon and just being able to walk up and find a bed, reserve ahead at private albergues if you want to walk till late afternoon because the Xunta albergues fill up 30 min after they open at 1PM.
 
You'll find out about the situation on the last part of your camino towards Santiago as you walk there.
A possibility is not to stay in the regular major stage places but to pick a smaller village before or after.
 
if the places are full, do alberges accommodate people with mattresses on the floor etc or is it a case of no room at the inn, go find somewhere else ?
 
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scubajunky said:
if the places are full, do alberges accommodate people with mattresses on the floor etc or is it a case of no room at the inn, go find somewhere else ?
Click to expand...
Extra mattresses are pretty much gone these days. Fire codes are enforced, and the new places have been built to building codes that limit occupancy.
 
falcon269 said:
Extra mattresses are pretty much gone these days. Fire codes are enforced, and the new places have been built to building codes that limit occupancy.
Click to expand...

True, but we did get mattresses on the floor twice on the Primitivo last year when the albergue was full. I was surprised myself due to the fire codes you mentioned. There was plenty of room though. But these were exceptions. In general count on it that if the albergue is full you will have to move on.

Davey
 
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There are at least two ways to postpone the crunch. If you spend your last night on the Primitivo in Ponte Ferreira, which I highly recommend,you can walk beyond MelidePonte and spend the night in Boente. Then you just have a night in Arca and that's it.

Or you could go from Lugo to Sobrado dos Monxes and reach the Camino Frances in Arzua. But in any case you're only going to have a couple of nights with the crowds, if in fact there are more crowds on the Frances than on the Primitivo, which I assume there will be.

Buen Camino from Laurie
 
scubajunky said:
hi all, I will be joining the Frances after the primitivo in about ten days time, is there a crazy rush for beds every day ? any danger of not finding a bed ?
Click to expand...

Don't stress out, you'll be fine, i thought the same and when i got there it wasn't a problem finding a bed....so don't panic.
 
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I am on the Francis now. Arrived from Primativo to Melide yesterday and walked on to Boente for the night. Got to the Albergue at about just before two and by one hour after that it was full. Today I left the Albergue in Boente in the dark - first time I did that since starting my Camino in Vezelay - I left because the Albergue was so crowded and I spent the night next to a major snorer, so didn't sleep. Glad I did as I got to Pedrouzo just before 1pm so got a bed. It is now 3.30pm and all places in town are full. The walk today was HORRIBLE. One long line of people all the way. Most with tiny backpacks or no pack at all so most doing 'day walks'. Worst walk of my life. I notice the paths have been widened since I did the Francis in 2013 - to accommodate the cyclists maybe who race past and have no bell? I nearly got bowled twice. Or, the track is always so crowded. Great pity.
My advice would be walk short distance so you get to an Albergue early, stop before or after the Breiley guide-book stops, or leave very early - yes it is a crazy bed race. Or, as some Primativo walkers did, get a taxi to Santiago from Melide ( they had already done the Francis). I plan to leave early tomorrow to try and beat the crowds. Goodness knows what Santiago will be like. A sad finish for me after a wonderful walk through France, the Norte and Primativo.
Good luck but be prepared.
 
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scubajunky said:
hi all, I will be joining the Frances after the primitivo in about ten days time, is there a crazy rush for beds every day ? any danger of not finding a bed ?
Click to expand...
Just left the Primitivo yesterday and stayed at Boente. Thankfully I booked in advance as people were being turned away by lunch time. Pedrouzo was totally booked- tried to book 48 hours before but no luck! I got in at 2:00 and got the last bed in the albergue! If you can bookin advance do so- peace of mind is priceless!
 
You will be fine, I walked mammoth days in peak season last year rarely arriving anywhere before 7pm and only found two albergues full, both happy to accommodate me, one I declined and walked on as I preferred it to go to someone else who may be more tired than I the other I gratefully accepted. One offered me a sofa and the other a mattress on the floor.
 
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My itnerary puts me in StJPdP Aug 27 or so. My plan was to start Sep 1 but starting before the beginning of the month should put us ahead of the potential crowd that may start Sep 1. Regardless, my camp gear is ultra light and if I cannot find a refugio, I will find a spot to pitch the tent.
 
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MichelleElynHogan said:
if I cannot find a refugio, I will find a spot to pitch the tent.
Click to expand...

Hi, wild camping is illegal in Spain. There are lots of threads about it. And, besides, it’s not worth carrying the extra weight on the Camino Frances. The opportunities of actually trying to pitch a tent somewhere are few and far between. Leave it behind!
Jill
 
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scubajunky said:
hi all, I will be joining the Frances after the primitivo in about ten days time, is there a crazy rush for beds every day ? any danger of not finding a bed ?
Click to expand...

Get to Melide , enjoy the food once there.
As Laurie said previously you can continue onto Boente.
Distance now no problems after walking Primitivo .
or
Spend a few extra $$$$$$, you have earned it
1 Stay in Melide
then 24km roughly to
2 Albergue -Hostal Rural Posada Salceda 981 502 767 [ 35e single room ] or a small dorm is available.
Lovely setting indeed.
3 Santiago is now 30km with no problems
 
Remember, it's not how early you start walking in the morning;it's how early you stop. Get any place early and you can find a bed.
 
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