Kelly Catlow
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Walking Camino April 8th 2017 start date - excited much!!!
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To answer this question... There are different types of albergues; some are owned and operated by municipal governments or churches while many are private businesses. Many or most of the municipals and parroquials do not take reservations and are first-come, first-served. However, many or most of the privados (which now outnumber the others) do take reservations. The private accommodations range from dormitories with bunk beds, to smaller rooms with a few beds, to luxurious bed-and-breakfast places.I didn't even think you could book a bed but more first in first served, or is this not the case?
You're not "supposed" to book ahead. Except for Municipal albergues, you may often make same day reservations.[...]'Are you supposed to book ahead?' I didn't even think you could book a bed but more first in first served, or is this not the case?[...]
Thank youYou're not "supposed" to book ahead. Except for Municipal albergues, you may often make same day reservations.
Thank youHi Kelly,
There are many MANY threads on this, from as recently as yesterday. If you use the search option for the forum you can find a lot of them. There are arguments on both sides of course! I have walked twice and never booked ahead- except for my stay in Santiago. I walked in October both times and never came across a problem. I think in April it is the same- I don't think you will have an issue. If it makes you feel better to book though, why not? I would limit yourself to booking just a day ahead or so- you want to be able to go with the flow as much as possible.
Here are the "booking ahead" search results
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/search/5424891/?q=booking+ahead&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=22
Thank you so much!Yes...you can book beds in many cases. My daughters and I stayed in Beilari (albergue) in SJPdP the first night and it was a great way to start the Camino. Very inviting and lovely hosts and it housed about 25 and the host had a unique and fun way for all of us to get to know each other that first night...and that was great since we met up with many of those same people throughout the Camino and even since returning home. There were people from Germany, S. Africa, US, Ireland, England, Amsterdam, Belgium, Brazil, it was great. It was $30 each but included dinner and breakfast. After that we booked ahead once in a while and just took a chance the other days...it always worked out. We made friends as we walked and sometimes we worked together to find a place for the next night. We walked in May...but, April should be less busy and so you will surely have no problems with available beds. One of my favorite albergues was just one day out from Santiago - Albergue Alborada Pension. They had bunk beds for about 13Euro and private rooms for 45Euro. We got the private room...and it was great!
Thanks Jason- that's how I feel too so nice to hearI would not like walking the Camino having to book ahead for every nights accommodation. To me it would become more like a packaged holiday than a pilgrimage. I always enjoyed the freedom of stopping when I liked or needed to. Some days I only travelled half days for physical, spiritual or interest needs that I encountered along the way.
Thank you for your reply - awesome! Will also look up pod alberguesI walked in late August through September, and I booked ahead on just 6 occasions.
1) Orisson - reservations are pretty much required unless they get a last minute cancellation
2) Pamplona - I was walking with a group and we all wanted to stay in the "pod" albergue - Casa Ibarrola
3) Villafranca Montes de Oca - I called ahead, because after I arrived at Belorado earlier than I wanted to stop, but I didn't want to continue on if I wasn't going to have a confirmed place to sleep. The albergue wasn't full, and I ended up splurging on a hotel room there.
4) Melide, I was a little worried about more pilgrims on the Camino after Sarria, so I booked ahead. I ended up not liking the area the place was in, so I cancelled the booking (around 2 pm) and found that there were plenty of albergues with beds in a more central location
5) Santiago - I booked a pension
6) Finisterre - I booked a hotel
Other than Orisson, it wasn't necessary for me to book ahead to get a bed, but I just felt more comfortable doing so on those occasions.
It depends. April has about half the arrivals in Santiago as May, but the May arrivals probably started the pilgrimage in April, so you need to include the time lag in your considerations. May is about half as busy as the peak months of July and August. Traffic is up enormously over two years ago, so anecdotal evidence from 2014 and earlier is not what you will encounter in 2017. This year will be up substantially from 2015, and there is no reason to think that next year will be any less busy. Crowds are beginning earlier and lasting longer as pilgrims try to avoid the busiest months. September was once ideal; it has been pretty much ruined by late-traveling pilgrims.'Are you supposed to book ahead?'
Awesome reply and I think it's very good advice - appreciate you taking the time to reply xxIt depends. April has about half the arrivals in Santiago as May, but the May arrivals probably started the pilgrimage in April, so you need to include the time lag in your considerations. May is about half as busy as the peak months of July and August. Traffic is up enormously over two years ago, so anecdotal evidence from 2014 and earlier is not what you will encounter in 2017. This year will be up substantially from 2015, and there is no reason to think that next year will be any less busy. Crowds are beginning earlier and lasting longer as pilgrims try to avoid the busiest months. September was once ideal; it has been pretty much ruined by late-traveling pilgrims.
If you stop in the early afternoon, it is unlikely that you will have a problem finding a bed. If you plan to rise late, walk slowly all day, and arrive late, you should expect to encounter problems some places. The choice really is between wandering a town with your backpack looking for a bed, or using a phone to wander the town either that day or the day before. I can tell you from experience that the stress level is higher when you are hot, tired, dirty, and hungry and find a place full, then face walking around town or to the next village, than if you call ahead and reserve a bed. Almost all places will insist that you arrive before 4 p.m. to claim your bed. They may settle for a phone call on the day of the reservation that you will arrive after 4 p.m., and hold your bed longer.
If you burden yourself with a lot of expectations that you will be destroying the ambiance of your pilgrimage by planning ahead, then you may be setting yourself up to be miserable. You can choose to be miserable (many pilgrims do), or you can choose to exercise your free will and do the little things that help you adapt to an experience that will not adapt to you! I guarantee you that the pilgrimage, the country, and the other pilgrims will not be adapting to your will or expectations. I have found that I am much happier when I accept that fact. An irritable hospitalero is going to be irritable regardless of whether you like it. An albergue is going to be full regardless of whether you wanted to stay there. Pilgrims are going to snore regardless of whether it keeps you awake. You cannot control anything except yourself, and most of what you can control is your attitude and expectations (even your blisters may defy your plans, preparations, and treatments).
If you do not want to reserve ahead, don't. But then don't make yourself all grumpy because everyone else reserved ahead and you did not find a bed. Accept the consequences of your choice and move happily on.
Thank youI would not like walking the Camino having to book ahead for every nights accommodation. To me it would become more like a packaged holiday than a pilgrimage. I always enjoyed the freedom of stopping when I liked or needed to. Some days I only travelled half days for physical, spiritual or interest needs that I encountered along the way.
That would be a lot of little offices! Opening such a place would double the employment in a lot of villages, and the staff would have nothing to do between November and April...then the Spanish tourist boards should have a place at every stage for pilgrims or tourists to go to, to find a bed.
That would be a lot of little offices! Opening such a place would double the employment in a lot of villages, and the staff would have nothing to do between November and April...
Thank you - this is helpful!I walked the CF beginning April 22 this past spring. I did book Beilari in SJPdP and Orisson for the first night -- something I would do again, because it did build community and it was great to run into new friends all along the Camino.
I walked alone for the first half, and though I was traveling during one of the busy times, I had no problem finding available albergues -- I was a fairly fast walker and got to my destination around noon or at least by 2 PM. Some who arrived later had some issues, but it always worked out. No one I heard of was left out in the cold/rain/night.
The second part of the Camino, I walked with 2 others. And we wanted to stay in the same albergue. So, especially after Sarria, we began to book ahead in private albergues. None of us had phone connections, but the albergue staff were always willing to call ahead for us.
It all worked out. Remember, the Camino provides.
Buen Camino!
Funny!!I remember the surprised look on one person's face at the municipal in Estella when she was informed that no, she did not have a reservation because the albergue did not take reservations. Apparently she had used a pack service and assumed that if her pack were delivered there then she had a bed reserved. It was early October and there was still plenty of room.
thank you gareth - one more question - did you take a sheet to cover the bunk to minimise the chance of bed bugs or how did you find the mattresses and albergues?I started from SJPdP this April on the 12th. I booked Orisson and recommend it! Next stop should be Roncevalles and as they have plenty of beds there's no need to book. Thereafter I'd only phone ahead and book or check that there was a chance of a bed it it was late in the day and I didn't want to leave one town before trekking on to the next town if there were no beds available. Some days the weather may be against you and you want to call it a day very early in the day. There is a resource on this website listing the recommended Albergues and I personally found it a very useful tool to have. Do your research before you leave, Google the albergues and make a note of the ones that you would like to stay at.
did you take a bed sheet or something to cover the mattress? bed bugs worry me or being too close to yukThank you - this is helpful!
Hi Kelly,did you take a bed sheet or something to cover the mattress? bed bugs worry me or being too close to yuk
I looked on top of the bunk, and there they were...how did you find the mattresses
So true. We all have different attitudes. I just hasten to emphasize, though, that hygiene and bedbugs are not necessarily related.You will have to decide what you will do about hygiene and bedbugs.
Ignore both hygiene and begbugs? I suppose one could, but ...You will have to decide what you will do about hygiene and bedbugs. Honestly, just ignoring them is a viable option.
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