Family traveling and beds in albergues

[Paul_L]

We are traveling with 5 kids (2,8,10,14,15).

We have only been traveling for a comparatively short time, starting in SJPP and now in Navarrete, but I wanted to share a strange conversation that keeps coming up- arranging payment at night for beds.

We have stayed in Albergues most nights (except for two nights of hotel stays due to a bit of illness) and our question about if we pay for our two year old, even though he always sleeps with his Mum every night, is met with mixed reactions. In most places we have to pay for a bed that we don't use, and then sometimes they sell his bed to another pilgrim as well. We have had a mix of him not paying, paying half and paying full.

It appears that we pay per person, tonight for example we have four children sleeping in two beds (they are fine with it), but still paid €10 per person. The host (it's a private Albergue) then got irritated at me when I asked if the baby pays as he had asked for payment (paying 7 beds, when we are all sleeping in four beds). It just seems a little rough to me. I'm curious about what other people's experiences or expectations would be.

A quick note, I seem to recall the municipal Albergue in Estella being bagged by someone in another thread. We stayed there a couple of days ago and the hospitalero was brilliant; welcoming, warm, helpful, concerned and not intrusive. A very difficult balance that he trod perfectly. The Albergue was clean, warm, well equipped and spacious.

 

[SYates]

Might be simply that the hospitaleros are not used to the 'make up' of your group and revert to what they know 'one pilgrim-one bed'. Also "In most places we have to pay for a bed that we don't use, and then sometimes they sell his bed to another pilgrim as well." as there are, most likely, at this time of the year, many more beds than pilgrims how do you know that s/he sold your bed on? Buen Camino, SY

 

[Paul_L]

Might be simply that the hospitaleros are not used to the 'make up' of your group and revert to what they know 'one pilgrim-one bed'. Also "In most places we have to pay for a bed that we don't use, and then sometimes they sell his bed to another pilgrim as well." as there are, most likely, at this time of the year, many more beds than pilgrims how do you know that s/he sold your bed on? Buen Camino, SY

Tonight there are four rooms with 1 bed in one room, 2 beds in two rooms and five in one, when we arrived there were already two pilgrims in the five bed room. There are nine people in our group (4 adults and our five children). We were told we could use the three beds in the five bed room, and the other beds (the couple with us took the single bed room, the bed is a king single I think). We paid for the seven beds (and the couple with us for two, in the single bed). A short time after arriving, other pilgrims arrived and he took their payment and filled the beds we weren't in. It makes sense to me, but he is also charging two people for the same beds. I also appreciate that people just want a place to sleep, and the contrary would be horrible (if they were to say, sorry, we have an empty bed but you can't sleep in it because someone paid for it and they aren't using it!!!!)

Also in another place, the beds were allocated by bed number. Other people were allocated to the same bed number as our children after they checked what bed that they had put their stuff in. Effectively they put two people in the same allocated bed. I don't mind, but it just seems rough to charge us per person and not bed if they can double up. To then get irritated if I ask if a baby pays too seems a bit rich.

Being a group of nine means that even if there are only 2-4 other pilgrims around, suddenly there are a number of pilgrims to a room.

Clearly people are not used to the composition of our group, and I expect that. It is part of the fun, being the novelty!

I think I'm just tired and not liking paying for our baby when he never uses a bed. It also isn't in all places, and I undersand that people aren't used to babies rocking up! The idea of double selling beds really doesn't bother me, as they are just beds for people to sleep in, which really is what matters. If our kids have a bed, then we are grateful.

 

[SYates]

It is part of the fun, being the novelty!

That's the spirit! Also, even if your baby doesn't use a bed, s/he uses still water, heat, whatever in the albergue or at least benefits from it. Just see it as a time share, lol, your baby/kids/you buy a single night time share in the house, not a bed only ... Buen Camino! SY

 

[Kiwi-family]

We found the same - the only two exceptions in over three months of walking various camino trails were Borres on the Primitivo (which most people seem to diss but we were grateful to get two beds and two mattresses on the floor for five of us) - at that one we were told not to pay at all because we would not have beds, but we did pay because we were using water and the microwave (the lady in the bar then gave us chocolate!!!!) The other place was Something-or-other-fountain (blush) in Cee on the way out to Fisterra. They charge 5euros for kids and 10euros for adults - the place was The Most Spacious anywhere and gave free tea!
At Ponte Olviera we stayed in the little donativo place just after the bridge and took the last beds. When another family we had walked with earlier turned up (in the pouring rain) we insisted that we would top-n-tail so that they could also have some beds. The hospitalero took a bit of convincing, but acquiesced to our request eventually. On our way back to Santiago we stopped at the same place again and they plied us with lots of food. Again, it was raining and we got the last beds. Another lone pilgrim wandered in after dark - this time there was no argument about us giving up one of our beds!!
When travelling in other parts of the world we have had no trouble doubling up in beds and paying per bed rather than per person. The camino is a little different;-)