How are the beds in the albergues?

[acdbee]

I've done a bit of travelling around the world and have discovered that all beds are not created equal. Some days you wake up and have slept like a baby, other days you wake up feeling like you've just spent 8 hours on a rack.

My husband is 6' tall and often has trouble finding a bed that is long enough for him, especially in South East Asia, but this has happened in Canada also, where we live.

So.

How are the beds, overall, on the Camino? Bedbugs aside, are they long enough? Firm? Soft? Mattresses good/bad/lumpy?

Exhaustion and snoring roommates notwithstanding, are people getting a good sleep?

 

[CaminoGen]

You'll get a mix of everything you mention. If you find yourself in need of a good night sleep and privacy, get a room in a pension or a hotel in the bigger cities. I was just glad to find a bed. Of course, I preferred wood bunk beds or mattresses on the floor...less noisy than the metal bunks.

 

[Kitsambler]

At least in France, and I suspect generally true in Spain as well: private rooms have better bedding. Some bunk beds are stoutly built of wood; others are metal-frame surplus from military barracks (or seem like it, anyhow). Old, dingy buildings are often inhabited by old, dingy bedding.

 

[SYates]

Like others have mentioned, you really get a bit of everything in the albergues ;-) Normally the beds are long enough even for taller pilgrims. What causes me the most problems is when they are soft / hanging through. I have a bad back and that warranties the next morning a really bad backache, so bad that I can't stand upright. So I test the bed and in case of doubt and where possible put the mattress on the floor. Or I change the refuge if that is not possible / allowed, SY

 

[NicoZ]

My husband is 6' tall and often has trouble finding a bed that is long enough for him?

Isn't that 180cm or pretty close? I'm guessing Spanish mattresses are normally 180cm. No?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Many are six feet; head on the headboard, feet on the footboard!!

 

[acdbee]

Thanks everyone!
We are not strangers to putting mattresses on the floor for support. We will just hope to not get stepped on!

 

[CaminoGen]

Re: Re: How are the beds in the albergues?

Thanks everyone!
We are not strangers to putting mattresses on the floor for support. We will just hope to not get stepped on!

Sometimes there is barely room for à chair, let alone a mattress... :smile:

 

[annakappa]

Personally prefer the newer metal bunk beds to the wooden ones. The reason being is that I think that there is less chance for bed bugs to hide in the cracks of the metal frame ones. As far as comfort is concerned, there is a bit of everything. Sagging mattresses are fatal to a good night's sleep! In that case, the obvious choice would be to put it on the floor, BUT I can't remember many dorms where this would be possible. There just isn't the room! Anne

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

My husband is around 6'3" and he hasn't had any problems with the size of beds. Or none worth mentioning to me, anyway - I guess I could ask him! Sleeping on mats on the floor in Granon and Tosantos wasn't the most comfortable night for either of us, but we got lucky in Tosantos - there were two extra mats, so we both doubled up! LOL

 

[Devon Annie]

Don't know, I've been to tired to notice. I've slept a solid 8 hours everywhere I've been and could have slept longer!

 

[acdbee]

Thanks everyone for your replies!

 

[Say Simba]

Beds. Comfortable. Or, maybe it was better than sleeping on the ground. You walk 20-30 kilometers a day and have a few beers at the end, it really doesn't matter then. After all, its the Camino.