Best day to arrive in Santiago

[HeyRobin]

We have the choice to arrive in Santiago on a Sunday or a Monday. Which would be better? I ask because maybe there will be businesses closed on Sunday that we would like to have open. Robin

 

[mattythedog]

We have the choice to arrive in Santiago on a Sunday or a Monday. Which would be better? I ask because maybe there will be businesses closed on Sunday that we would like to have open. Robin

My vote would be Monday. Last month, I found it much easier to get rooms in San Martin Pinario across from Cathedral on 2 different Sundays and Mondays. All pilgrim rooms there were booked many weeks ahead for Fri/Sat. Tourists tend to leave on Sundays, and all hotels/albergues in cities I stayed along CF and North Coast were easier and cheaper to book for Sun/Mon. Guaranteed a lot of businesses will close all over Spain, even Madrid, Saturday at noon and will not open until Monday (unless Monday is a holiday). Everything I booked except Santiago and Madrid, I booked same day, and usually in the afternoon. Most towns I just walked into and got albergue on the spot. Never had any trouble finding a bed in that 37 day adventure, but did find numerous businesses closed weekends and holidays and mornings before 0900. Consider also that bus/train/plane schedules vary from weekends to week days.