Anniesantiago said:
If you have a guidebook you won't need a map.
There will be so many pilgrims on the road, you can just follow them!
Try to stay "between stages" if you can - usually more beds.
Anniesantiago is certainly right about staying "between stages". One of the downsides to the prevalence of guidebooks is that pilgrims bunch up at the same places at the end of the day, contributing to the mad dash for beds in high season.
Some of my best memories of the camino are from stays at less-popular places: tranquil, no crowds, nice relaxed fellow pilgrims.
As my camino went on, I tended to arrange my stages accordingly. You might have to walk one long stage (or even a short stage) to get "out of sync" with the guidebooks, then it is quite easy to stay at smaller places.
As for following other pilgrims, that is certainly one way to navigate, especially if one is on the main routes. However, there are days, especially off the main routes, where you see hardly another person.
There is a philosophical aspect to consider about following others. I don't offer this as Gospel, simply as something to think about. Should we follow others in life, or should we plough our own furrow?
On one hand, too much individualism can lead to isolation and loneliness, but on the other hand, do I want to put myself in the hands of others and let their decisions guide me?
One should seek a balance between individual responsibility and connection with the community of others. Individualism lies at the heart of secular society, while submission lies at the core of all the major religious faiths.
There is no right answer to such questions. The main thing is to question what seems obvious, to uncover kernels of truth about ourselves.
The camino provides many opportunities to reflect on how we live, to question assumptions, to become a little more spiritually whole.
Bob M