Camino Norte & Frances - albergue availability 2021

[Former member 97924]

I am considering walking the Camino Norte from San Sebastian, starting in a couple weeks in early July. Plan B is the Frances.

I walked the Frances in August 2017 with minimal planning, because I wanted to discover it for myself and I wanted to start each day's walk without knowing where I'd end the day. I never prebooked. Only once did I encounter a full albergue. I would love to walk the Norte in the same fashion. I can't afford hotels and I'd rather not prebook. Is anyone planning the Norte in July?
1.) Are there enough albergues open to be able to walk the whole Norte without staying in hotels?
2.) What are your thoughts on going without booking? If I must book, how far in advance do you think is necessary? A day? A couple days? Weeks?

If the Norte isn't feasible, then I have the same questions about the Frances. I know albergues will be operating at reduced capacity, but maybe the lack of pilgrims due to covid will balance it out? Are most albergues on the Frances open this summer?

I found a partial albergue list updated for 2021 for the Norte, but none for the Frances. Does anybody have one?

 

[nathanael]

I am considering walking the Camino Norte from San Sebastian, starting in a couple weeks in early July. Plan B is the Frances.

I walked the Frances in August 2017 with minimal planning, because I wanted to discover it for myself and I wanted to start each day's walk without knowing where I'd end the day. I never prebooked. Only once did I encounter a full albergue. I would love to walk the Norte in the same fashion. I can't afford hotels and I'd rather not prebook. Is anyone planning the Norte in July?
1.) Are there enough albergues open to be able to walk the whole Norte without staying in hotels?
2.) What are your thoughts on going without booking? If I must book, how far in advance do you think is necessary? A day? A couple days? Weeks?

If the Norte isn't feasible, then I have the same questions about the Frances. I know albergues will be operating at reduced capacity, but maybe the lack of pilgrims due to covid will balance it out? Are most albergues on the Frances open this summer?

I found a partial albergue list updated for 2021 for the Norte, but none for the Frances. Does anybody have one?

Good for you I know you will enjoy it that is how I have done my eleven Caminos.

 

[SabsP]

Hi , do take into consideration that the beaches on the Camino del Norte are a favourite amongst Spaniards to take their summerholidays.
July and August are very popular.
This year it might be even more popular seeing more Spaniards still do not want to travel abroad and will spend time in their own country.

Regarding the Frances : the Gronze website is always well up to date with albergue openings.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

 

[Former member 97924]

Hi , do take into consideration that the beaches on the Camino del Norte are a favourite amongst Spaniards to take their summerholidays.
July and August are very popular.
This year it might be even more popular seeing more Spaniards still do not want to travel abroad and will spend time in their own country.

Regarding the Frances : the Gronze website is always well up to date with albergue openings.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

This is a great resource! Thank you. If the albergues marked there as available truly are, then it seems that walking the Frances without booking albergues is feasible but the Norte probably isn't.

 

[trecile]

This is a great resource! Thank you. If the albergues marked there as available truly are, then it seems that walking the Frances without booking albergues is feasible but the Norte probably isn't.

I did the Norte in July 2018, and there were not enough albergue beds for the number of pilgrims at that time. This year albergue beds are scarcer as some albergues aren't opening, and those that are are operating covid protocols with fewer available beds.

 

[Former member 97924]

I did the Norte in July 2018, and there were not enough albergue beds for the number of pilgrims at that time. This year albergue beds are scarcer as some albergues aren't opening, and those that are are operating covid protocols with fewer available beds.

Thank you. That's a really helpful comparison. This is the kind of information I was looking for.

Since only once did I encounter a full albergue on the Frances in 2017 (in August!), that's probably the camino to walk. The decrease of albergue beds due to covid should be offset by the decrease of pilgrims due to covid and the frequency of albergues on the Frances.

 

[JP]

I did the Norte in 2019 inMay/June and Albergues are a lot scarcer and with less beds than the Frances. I ended up in Hotels a few times and twice in Camping Grounds.

 

[lt56ny]

I did the Norte in July 2018, and there were not enough albergue beds for the number of pilgrims at that time. This year albergue beds are scarcer as some albergues aren't opening, and those that are are operating covid protocols with fewer available beds.

I did the Norte in 2019 inMay/June and Albergues are a lot scarcer and with less beds than the Frances. I ended up in Hotels a few times and twice in Camping Grounds.

Hi , do take into consideration that the beaches on the Camino del Norte are a favourite amongst Spaniards to take their summerholidays.

I think what everyone wrote really does sum up what it is like on the Norte in the Summer. It is safe to say this is a year like none other. We have no idea how many more pilgrims are rushing to the CF especially. According to Ivar it seems to be growing by the day. Will there be albergues to handle the possible onslaught of pilgrims from around the world who can't wait to walk? I have no idea.
If you can go later in the year that may make your life easier. I walked the Norte from early October to mid November of 2018. There was never a problem with beds. I too walk on a budget and I never had to get a hostel or a hotel. (I did it once in Gijon when I was a little under the weather and needed a rest day).
As SabineP said Gronze.com is a great resource and very much up to date. In November/December of 2019 I walked the CF and used Gronze and the free apps of Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino to check on availability of albergues that were open/closed. No one app completely covers all the albergues/Donativos/munis. Having all three came in handy. I also found that overall I would say that they were all only about 60-65% accurate regarding whether an albergue was open or closed for the winter.
So have as many resources as possible. If you are going to go soon I would think you will need a little planning no matter which camino you do. It is a brave new world, especially concerning albergues.

 

[lisaflora]

I am considering walking the Camino Norte from San Sebastian, starting in a couple weeks in early July. Plan B is the Frances.

I walked the Frances in August 2017 with minimal planning, because I wanted to discover it for myself and I wanted to start each day's walk without knowing where I'd end the day. I never prebooked. Only once did I encounter a full albergue. I would love to walk the Norte in the same fashion. I can't afford hotels and I'd rather not prebook. Is anyone planning the Norte in July?
1.) Are there enough albergues open to be able to walk the whole Norte without staying in hotels?
2.) What are your thoughts on going without booking? If I must book, how far in advance do you think is necessary? A day? A couple days? Weeks?

If the Norte isn't feasible, then I have the same questions about the Frances. I know albergues will be operating at reduced capacity, but maybe the lack of pilgrims due to covid will balance it out? Are most albergues on the Frances open this summer?

I found a partial albergue list updated for 2021 for the Norte, but none for the Frances. Does anybody have one?

I just planned whole trip with reservations, starting 3 most ago. Mostly alberghes already full or not open. Best to go to booking.com...even hotels filling and prices skyrocketing. Airbnb also a good bet.

 

[Signy33]

I'm on the Norte (right now in Santander). I make reservations a day in advance. Lots of albergues are still closed. There are enough to get by with a bit of planning. Sharing an Airbnb is an option in the stretches that lack cheap accommodation. I know pilgrims who don't want to make reservations, but they have a tent and are willing to walk 40km a day if necessary. I've seen several of them get turned away because the albergue was full. Personally i'd rather not do more than 30-35km.

 

[Former member 97924]

I just planned whole trip with reservations, starting 3 most ago. Mostly alberghes already full or not open. Best to go to booking.com...even hotels filling and prices skyrocketing. Airbnb also a good bet.

Are you referring to the Norte? From what I hear, that's a good idea.
I'm going to chance my luck on the Frances, because to plan it all out in advance would take away from the Camino for me. That's just my preference.

 

[Signy33]

Are you referring to the Norte? From what I hear, that's a good idea.
I'm going to chance my luck on the Frances, because to plan it all out in advance would take away from the Camino for me. That's just my preference.

I think that if you don't want to plan, the Frances is ok right now (from what i hear from other pilgrims i met on the via Turonensis).

 

[Former member 97924]

I think that if you don't want to plan, the Frances is ok right now (from what i hear from other pilgrims i met on the via Turonensis).

That's good to hear, because my impression is that people tend to overstate the need to book albergues. In 2017 everyone told me to book and yet I never had to.

 

[trecile]

That's good to hear, because my impression is that people tend to overstate the need to book albergues. In 2017 everyone told me to book and yet I never had to.

But there was no pandemic in 2017!

 

[lisaflora]

Are you referring to the Norte? From what I hear, that's a good idea.
I'm going to chance my luck on the Frances, because to plan it all out in advance would take away from the Camino for me. That's just my preference.

Yes, the Norte

 

[lisaflora]

Are you referring to the Norte? From what I hear, that's a good idea.
I'm going to chance my luck on the Frances, because to plan it all out in advance would take away from the Camino for me. That's just my preference.

I understand, I originally was going to try and wild camp the whole way due to limited algergues and not wanting to be too crowded with COVID, etc. Then I starting thinking, at my age, after a long hike in the heat [or wet], do I really want to hang out for hours with no place to store my pack, no shower, no cell service and just hope that I don't get booted by Guardia Civil? haha. But you could always take a light bivvy for just incase the albergues are closed.

 

[Former member 97924]

But there was no pandemic in 2017!

True, but I think the pandemic will reduce the number of pilgrims as well as the number of albergue beds.

I'm sure I'll encounter some full albergues, but it looks like there are plenty of albergues open, so there should always be somewhere to stay. If needs be I'll walk on to the next village. Things will work themselves out.