Booking accommodation

[Traveller77]

Hi I will arrive in Leon in 16 days I have my first night booked. After that nothing untill I get to Santiago as I would like to just stop when I have walked enough it will be my first time walking this way. I always book ahead so I am a little concerned about getting a bed for the night. From what I have read I think I will be ok in the alburgues but if I want to stay occasionally in a hotel do I need to book and how far in advance. Thanks for any info.

 

[Waka]

I used the odd hotel on my journey and never had to book, just found one with space, having said that things are always a changing.
If you're unsure then book a day or two in advance.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Hotels in places like Portomarin may be fully booked. Check a site like booking.com now, and see what is available along your route. Albergues often do not take reservations, so if you walk lake into the afternoon, you may find them/some full.

Buen camino.

 

[Anamya]

In both my caminos, booking hotels the day before was enough. I usually used Booking.com or Agoda.com to find places with free cancelation, in case I decided to walk more os less along the day.

 

[Jersey]

I started in Leon and now in Ventas de Narón
Booking.com has been great for me. The lone exception was yesterday in Portomarin ( like Falcón mentions )
I had to call a friend of mine here in Spain & his wife found me a room. I was getting nervous as I had already walked 35km

 

[Traveller77]

Thankyou all for your comments that's my last uncertainty sorted .I am really looking forward to starting.

 

[Anamya]

Thankyou all for your comments that's my last uncertainty sorted .

Great, don't worry that once you get there new ones will appear (and get sorted too)! It will be awesome, buen camino!

 

[JohanNilsenNagel]

Hi I will arrive in Leon in 16 days I have my first night booked. After that nothing untill I get to Santiago as I would like to just stop when I have walked enough it will be my first time walking this way. I always book ahead so I am a little concerned about getting a bed for the night. From what I have read I think I will be ok in the alburgues but if I want to stay occasionally in a hotel do I need to book and how far in advance. Thanks for any info.

Use booking.com, gronze, and TripAdvisor to find hotels or casa rurales, then call (or email) the hotel directly and make your reservation, otherwise you'll pay more (something like 12%) by using any of the booking sites. I usually booked one to three nights ahead whenever I had a strong idea I'd make the distance. That was back in March when there was plenty of room though, so take that into consideration.

 

[grayland]

I usually just book while walking (same day) if accomondation seems tight or if I plan to walk late into the day.
Otherwise I just turn up and look for a place.
Most paper and on-line guides give accomondation choices with phone numbers..or use booking.com.

I really try to avoid making decisions of stopping points days in advance.

 

[alhartman]

Last year Leon-Santiago, even with reservations Albergues wanted a conformation by 4pm since so many pilgrims make reservations then are no shows. Advice to those walking late in day. At one they wanted me to pay for my 4 companions who were on same reservation but intending to come in closer to 6pm.

 

[Shelova]

Hi I will arrive in Leon in 16 days I have my first night booked. After that nothing untill I get to Santiago as I would like to just stop when I have walked enough it will be my first time walking this way. I always book ahead so I am a little concerned about getting a bed for the night. From what I have read I think I will be ok in the alburgues but if I want to stay occasionally in a hotel do I need to book and how far in advance. Thanks for any info.

 

[Shelova]

Generally a day in advance. Use booking.com. For me after a few days on the Camino I preferred to book a day ahead as it gave me peace of mind. Once I reached my destination, in the beginning , it irritated me to have to walk around after a long day to look for accommodation . But it depends when you are walking, during the time I walked it got quite busy. On a rainy day, I met ppl who ended up walking 55 km because everything was booked out, but this is not the norm. Besides, after a few days you will find your rhythm and figure out the distance you are most comfortable walking.

 

[alhartman]

On last year's Leon-Santiago in June, nearly every albergue was 'completo' before 4pm. Being a slow walker with a tendency to arrive 4-5pm at best, we made (same day or prior day) reservations everywhere after La Virgin which was only a 7.3km first day walk from Leon so was there by lunchtime. About 5 waiting ahead of us BTW.

 

[Thornley]

Hi I will arrive in Leon in 16 days I have my first night booked. After that nothing untill I get to Santiago as I would like to just stop when I have walked enough it will be my first time walking this way. I always book ahead so I am a little concerned about getting a bed for the night. From what I have read I think I will be ok in the alburgues but if I want to stay occasionally in a hotel do I need to book and how far in advance. Thanks for any info.

Go and buy Miam Miam Do Do when in Leon.
No further explanation required for a 40 year old
Good guess?