For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
It is an opportunity for solitude, but pray for heat (water & dormitories) and blankets. Sleeping bags are an absolute necessity.
It is very important not to assume all albergues will be open! However, you only need one bed each night and that will not be hard to find, with a modest amount of planning each day.Reading all the warnings on this board about all the closed albergues has put me a bit off the idea.
Since Kanga just posted about the closure of the Napoleon Route through Orisson, it reminded me that winter pilgrims also need updated news on the status of albergues. I think Reb was the one to introduce us to this website and I know it is a godsend. It is updated regularly, as soon as new info is available. A student of mine walked with his mom and sister last year over the holidays and told me that they would have really been in deep trouble without this. So, winter pilgrims, enjoy and buen camino, Laurie
http://www.aprinca.com/alberguesinvierno/
Do you think it would be possible to get a copy of the winter list from SJPDP electronically from them to print out while I'm still at home? I'm starting in Roncesvalles in January as my knee has decided day 1 on the Pyrenees isn't a good idea this year but I'd still like to have a copy in hand. I wonder if they would consider adding a page to their website with this important information...?You will also be given a pretty up to date list by the Pilgrim Office in SJPP..if you ask. If you use both lists..you will have a good source of info.
If you start after St. Jean it may be a good idea to ask other pilgrims if they have the list and then add the differences to your copy of the
Acogida list above.
The website talks about albergues open up to 28th January. Does that mean that in March there will be more?
Easter is early, so some will open a week before to get some revenue from the surge of pilgrims, mostly León onward. The Easter pilgrim is mostly Spanish, and they are mostly 100 km pilgrims.The website talks about albergues open up to 28th January. Does that mean that in March there will be more?
I’m starting from SJPdP on 22nd March.... so it’s probably only the first week I’ll need to check individual Albuergues for, then, from what you say.
I have done the frances many times and now I am wondering if I should do it again from mid november. Reading all the warnings on this board about all the closed albergues has put me a bit off the idea. But I suddenly remembered that when starting in St. Jean Pied de Port you get a list of accommodation. This list has all the closing and opening dates. I have a copy of this list from october 2017. The list from Amies de chemin says there are albergues open out november and december in Roncevalle, Zubiri, Pamplona, Puenta de la Reina, Estella and the list continues. Many of these cities has many albergues open these months. With all the warnings on this board I am starting to wonder if there is something I do not comprehend. When the big towns and main villages on the camino frances has municipal albergues open, then they are open as normal? I read somewhere online (can't remember where) that the albergue municipale in Viana was listed as open but a policeman had the key and did not show up before late at night to let in the pilgrim. Is this normal practise or will there be hospitalieroes/staff to welcome People in most Places listed as open? As far as I can see there should be sufficient albergues open to do the Camino without any problems, or is there something I do not grasp? I also see that People Write there are very few pilgrims, but when small villages like Zubiri has Three albergues open out november and one of them open out december, then they can not all be empty? (Sorry my first Language is not English).
I see albergues up through Pedrouzo.I see only albergues till Santo Domingo??
I'm not sure how to use this site but hope my message gets to you. I tried to open the albergues site and could see nothing listed. Can you help me?Here is the updated list of albergues that expect to be open in the winter. This list is maintained each year from about November 1, through the winter. (The web link remains valid through the rest of the year, but there is no information on the page.)
Even with this list, it is wise to confirm the details close to the time, because circumstances can change!
Translation of the introductory paragraph on that site:
This list is periodically updated and can be found on www.aprinca.com/alberguesinvierno and on Facebook: Aprinca Albergues Invierno. There may be other places that we do not know about or do not want to be included in it.If you find an error in this list, please communicate it to hostinvierno@gmail.com
The Route Napoleon (from SJPDP to Roncesvalles) is closed until 1 April, so that is the date that I think of as "open season". Until that date pilgrims have to use the historic route, via Valcarlos.Hi - just wondering when "winter" ends, for the purpose of albergues being open or not.... I'm starting walking around March 12 on the Camino Frances, probably from Roncesvalles or St Jean PdP, and hoping not to have to book ahead if possible. I see some people mention easter as the time many albergues open - thats not until 7 April this year. Any advice from around whether or not I'm making life difficult for myself by not wanting to book ahead? Thanks in advance!
I might book ahead for the first few days - I see that @Bradypus mentioned that the only open albergue at Zubiri was nearly full. It always seems busiest in the first days after SJPDP.Thanks @Kanga - I appreciate the reply. I guess I wasn't sure whether mid-March still counts as "winter" in camino terms.... It sounds like it might! I was planning on walking the Valcarlos route, unless the weather is particularly awful, in which case the idea was to start at Roncesvalles. I'm planning on walking longer days anyway - I only have about 28 days in total available to me for walking - I figure I can manage that, having done some pretty lengthy days on the VDLP in the past.
I've always thought that the Camino "season" starts after Easter.The Route Napoleon (from SJPDP to Roncesvalles) is closed until 1 April, so that is the date that I think of as "open season". Until that date pilgrims have to use the historic route, via Valcarlos.
From the information provided by @Bradypus and others who have been walking during winter, it seems that booking ahead is not so much the issue as actually finding albergues that are open. @Bradypus mentioned that there was only one night when the albergue he was planning on was full, and he found an alternative, private room. It sounds as if the main issue was having to walk longer stages than planned, because there was simply no accommodation open in some places. Booking ahead does not solve that problem.
SameI'm not sure how to use this site but hope my message gets to you. I tried to open the albergues site and could see nothing listed. Can you help me?
Below is what I see when I click on http://www.aprinca.com/alberguesinvierno/ . Which device are you using and what do you see instead? I noticed that it says in my web browser "not secure" but my browser let me open this website without fuss. Perhaps the reason why you can't see anything?Same
Yes. I viewed the source code for the webpage and noticed that it embedded another webpage to control its appearance, likely to just add a picture at the top. The page you want to view isThe website is poorly designed.
Wow, what a difference!Yes. I viewed the source code for the webpage and noticed that it embedded another webpage to control its appearance, likely to just add a picture at the top The page you want to view is
Wow, what a difference!
Here's what it looks like when you use the URL that @Rick of Rick and Peg posted.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?