Help! Transporting my stuff and where to stay

[Lisa Erickson]

Greetings, fellow pilgrims!

So I am hoping for some helpful suggestions with a quandary that I am having. I have decided that it would be best if I solicit the help of a transport service to carry along my backpack each day as I trek from SJDP to Santiago. I am finding however that it gets pretty pricey to do this if I should work through a company that would do this & actually book the lodging for me each night.

So I was thinking that if I could book my own lodging that I could then for certain have a transport company help me with my bag for I could then tell them ahead of time where to forward it on to. Plus, this way I would not have to worry about the places already being booked seeing that I shall be traveling during the busiest months of May & June. (5/13 on)

My question is this... can those pilgrims who have already traveled the Frances Camino tell me of their favorite places to stay along the way (*if I were to follow each of Brierley's recommended overnight stays) From my understanding, this could not be a municipal alberque seeing how they do not pre-book. So it would need to be privately owned alberque or hotel recommendations..

Thank you in advance for your help my dear Peeps!! ANY & ALL information which you might be able to glean to me would be oh so greatly appreciated!!

 

[Mark Lee]

A lot of pilgrims do what you want to do.
Just look at the private albergues and pensiones in the most recent Brierley guide at each stage. Pick one, contact it and make a reservation.
I'll throw in my two cents and make a few recommendations at private accommodations I stayed at.
Pamplona: Casa Ibarolla
Puente la Reina: Santiago Apostol
Hornillos del Camino: Albergue El Afar
Carrion de los Condes: Hostal Santiago
Terradillos de los Templarios: Albergue Los Templarios
Leon: Hostal Guzman el Bueno
Portomarin: Albergue Ferramanteiro

good luck and ultreia

 

[Charlotte Helbig]

You might also try booking.com. Just type in the name of each city/town/village and it will usually give you several options. Make sure you look carefully where the property actually is. Sometimes it will give you a location several kilometers away from where you want to end up. This way most of your bookings will appear in your account so if you have to make any changes you can just do so on the website. In some cases though you will have to contact the property directly.

 

[trecile]

You don't have to book everything in advance to use a transport service. The day before is fine. Just so long as you can tell them where to send it each morning.

And it seems that every month between May and September is the busiest. I don't know which month is truly the busiest, but when I walked last year in the busy month of September I didn't need to make advance bookings anywhere, though I did on a couple of occasions, but just the day before.

 

[scruffy1]

You are correct quickly becomes expensive, prices were once 5-6-7 Euro a shot probably more now, works out to over 150 Euro a month. The system works by using the envelopes provided in most albergues and many hotels. Take 2-3 extras should you lodge in a place that doesn't provide them. These service providers stop in all the usual albergues, should you stay somewhere else do call them to reserve. Phone# on the envelope.
My favorite hostal hands down - En El Camino located in the village of Boadilla just before Fromista. Don't like the Fromista hostels but DO step into the church there to see the Romanesque capitals on the columns.

 

[Eve Alexandra]

I was going to book ahead the whole way at one point, and booking dot com is definitely the easiest way to go about it. I ended up canceling my reservations (free on booking dot com...and super convenient). I ended up realizing I just don't know how many miles I will walk...so I'm planning on booking a day ahead now. I'll still use booking dot com or the wise pilgrim app.

 

[timr]

My favorite hostal hands down - En El Camino located in the village of Boadilla just before Fromista.

No help to the OP - I have never had bags carried. But 100% agreement on best hostal on the Frances!!! I could possibly be pushed to say it is one of my favourite three.

 

[naplesdon]

Jacotrans is probably the most popular transport service, you should be able to find them on line. They will not drop bags of at munis because they usually deliver before they are open and don't want to leave your bag some where tempting its theft. The suggests for the "best" albergues/hostel/hotels change from year to year due to management changes, etc. I would trust any place Jacotrans services and there are lists. I have only been forced to use them sporadically due to a problem with my foot but they are very reliable. I would suggest reserving your next stop each evening and then fill out the transport envelop, you never know if you will need a rest day or it's going to rain the next day until you are there.

 

[DebR]

No help to the OP - I have never had bags carried. But 100% agreement on best hostal on the Frances!!! I could possibly be pushed to say it is one of my favourite three.

I loved this albergue too - one of the very best communal dinners I've eaten in three caminos!

 

[SYates]

Another transport service is run by the Spanish post office, see http://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/transporte-mochilas.php
Buen Camino, SY

 

[Lisa Erickson]

I was going to book ahead the whole way at one point, and booking dot com is definitely the easiest way to go about it. I ended up canceling my reservations (free on booking dot com...and super convenient). I ended up realizing I just don't know how many miles I will walk...so I'm planning on booking a day ahead now. I'll still use booking dot com or the wise pilgrim app.

Eve, thank you. So you don't find booking an alberque just the day before to be a problem with being filled up during May/June? Thanks in advance!

 

[Lisa Erickson]

You don't have to book everything in advance to use a transport service. The day before is fine. Just so long as you can tell them where to send it each morning.

And it seems that every month between May and September is the busiest. I don't know which month is truly the busiest, but when I walked last year in the busy month of September I didn't need to make advance bookings anywhere, though I did on a couple of occasions, but just the day before.

Ok great so then if if I will be traveling in May-June... the busy months... I should be fine booking just the day before? Thanks in advance!

 

[Eve Alexandra]

Eve, thank you. So you don't find booking an alberque just the day before to be a problem with being filled up during May/June? Thanks in advance!

I'm not sure about May/June. I am going in March. It was not easy for me to cancel all those reservations. I'm one of those people who likes as many details as possible taken care of ahead of time. But sometimes...it just needs to be done. I think the Camino is already teaching me to be a little less worried about the small things. Buen Camino!

 

[Fletchonides]

We booked our bags most of the time between SJPdP and Burgos. The initial days I booked on the interwebs, because we were more certain of our distances. We mostly used Jacotrans and then phoned up the day before to book the bags, I think once you phone before 6pm. You put th emoney in an envelope attached to your backpack. Some hostels have envelopes from about 4 different transport companies. Never had a problem, although once they did phone me up as I had put the wrong hostel down on the booking form and they didn't have a booking for me, so I was able to tell the drive where I was really staying.

In terms of booking hostels, we have usually booked them, the initial one in advance, but the later ones a day or three before. I would have a rough plan for the stages we want to do and do some research about the different hostels, so I would know mostly where we wanted to stay, but only phone up 2 days before. Some particular ones I booked, like the Quatro Cantones in Belorado, which has a swimming pool, and Franziskaner beer (a heavenly afternoon). We walked early June.