Le Puy Lodging Reservations via Tourist Offices

[Florida Bill]

I’m interested in making lodging reservations (2-3 days advance) via help from the tourist offices while walking the Camino Le Puy. Can someone tell me how frequent the tourist offices are on the Camino Le Puy? And how can I found out which villages have them?
Thanks

 

[Leila99]

In all the usual "etape" you will find one: Nasbinal, Espalion, Conque...There is hardly a town without them. I think from the usual major stops only Ostabat has none.
I found them extremely helpful especially as my French is rusty. Once I couldn't find a bed and they called around until they found a gite with a last-minute cancellation. I couldn't have explained my urgengy and despair over the phone. This was in August 2022. I don't know what it is like when you plan to walk. I would suggest to contact them on the day in presence or call them a couple of days before.

BTW they often have lovely "tampons"! (that's the credential stamp in French, it took some time to get used to it)

 

[Florida Bill]

In all the usual "etape" you will find one: Nasbinal, Espalion, Conque...There is hardly a town without them. I think from the usual major stops only Ostabat has none.
I found them extremely helpful especially as my French is rusty. Once I couldn't find a bed and they called around until they found a gite with a last-minute cancellation. I couldn't have explained my urgengy and despair over the phone. This was in August 2022. I don't know what it is like when you plan to walk. I would suggest to contact them on the day in presence or call them a couple of days before.

BTW they often have lovely "tampons"! (that's the credential stamp in French, it took some time to get used to it)

Thank you so much that’s a relief! I’m planning going this spring or fall. I’ve read where the locals there say best time to walk it is in the fall but I was planning this spring. Do you have a preference and recommendation?

 

[Leila99]

For a staying? As Tourist Office the guys at Nasbinals rock it funnily enough one of the guy was also in the previous town Aumont-Aubrac and remembered I was asking. Just make sure you show your enthusiasm for the via Podiensis, which deserves it 100%. They feel a bit like Cindarella compared to Camino Frances.
My must staying on the way:
Saint Chely St Andre
Soulie Michel Donativo (they call it Love& Peace, magical experience)
Conque Abbey
La Cassagnole Gite Le Relais donativo, lovely atmosphere. we ate a great dinner and sang together, hospitalers happened to have their guitar and some guys danced.
CAhors 2° Souffle. (or Gite Municipal) - Jacque is a star to give tips
Lectoure Le pas sage small cosy and strong pilgrim spirit
Lamothe Mille Bornes (I made an extra short stretch to stay here and did not regret it)
Navarrenx Cri Giraffe what a dinner!!!
Aroue Bohoteguia dinner and friendship
Ostabat Ospitalia - lovely taking care
Zubiri Suseia, lovely lovely dinner and taking care. Sarah is a star. Extra short bit out of the way but worthwhile

Most of this you can book yourself directly without the aid of tourist office.

 

[MichaelC]

One of the standard afternoon rituals at most gites is for the patron or patronne to help English speakers make calls for the next day. I actually don't recall many tourist offices, but I wasn't looking for them either.

I ended up reserving my first five days via email. If you want to start with short stages I'd recommend locking down the first three days (five was overkill; I just got too excited). Some of the shorter stages stop in smaller towns with fewer gites. After that it was very easy to plan day-by-day.

 

[Antonius Vaessen]

For searching accomodation and making reservations I found the Gronze site very helpful

 

[jouffroy47]

Thank you so much that’s a relief! I’m planning going this spring or fall. I’ve read where the locals there say best time to walk it is in the fall but I was planning this spring. Do you have a preference and recommendation?

May is the busiest month on the Podiensis [September is the second busiest], and the French tend to take advantage of holidays as there are 5 of them this coming year in May. In the spring you may get a tad more rain than early fall, but you'll have the spring flowers. The seasonal gîtes d'étape open in April and start closing down after the first week of October. It is likely to be busy, but it is only 1/10 as busy as the Francés, the busiest segment being Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques.. You might want to join the basically anglophone Facebook group dedicated to this route started by Robert Forrester--they can be extremely helpful and supportive https://www.facebook.com/groups/ViaPodiensis

 

[lisagb]

I’m interested in making lodging reservations (2-3 days advance) via help from the tourist offices while walking the Camino Le Puy. Can someone tell me how frequent the tourist offices are on the Camino Le Puy? And how can I found out which villages have them?
Thanks

I didn’t see too many along this route. I would recommend getting a guide book (I used Miam miam dodo) and either calling (if you can speak French) or emailing ahead of time. With a guide book you can see if the hosts speak your language, whether there’s shared rooms and baths, dinner and/or breakfast provided, wifi etc. Hope this helps! Buen Camino! Lisa

 

[Florida Bill]

tips
Lectoure Le pas sage small cosy and strong pilgrim

For a staying? As Tourist Office the guys at Nasbinals rock it funnily enough one of the guy was also in the previous town Aumont-Aubrac and remembered I was asking. Just make sure you show your enthusiasm for the via Podiensis, which deserves it 100%. They feel a bit like Cindarella compared to Camino Frances.
My must staying on the way:
Saint Chely St Andre
Soulie Michel Donativo (they call it Love& Peace, magical experience)
Conque Abbey
La Cassagnole Gite Le Relais donativo, lovely atmosphere. we ate a great dinner and sang together, hospitalers happened to have their guitar and some guys danced.
CAhors 2° Souffle. (or Gite Municipal) - Jacque is a star to give tips
Lectoure Le pas sage small cosy and strong pilgrim spirit
Lamothe Mille Bornes (I made an extra short stretch to stay here and did not regret it)
Navarrenx Cri Giraffe what a dinner!!!
Aroue Bohoteguia dinner and friendship
Ostabat Ospitalia - lovely taking care
Zubiri Suseia, lovely lovely dinner and taking care. Sarah is a star. Extra short bit out of the way but worthwhile

Most of this you can book yourself directly without the aid of tourist office.

Thank you for that inspiring info and seems you had an epic experience. I will probably put this out on the forum, but do you have recommendations or preference of best time of year (fall vs spring) and specific time good to start? I know there’s pros and cons to each. I read where the locals recommend fall. Also, I understand in very rural or more remote areas you can stay on farms. Did you have any experience with that? And I would imagine likely that the hosts on farms wouldn’t speak English.

 

[lisagb]

I went in September early October and it was wonderful.

 

[Gazelle2]

Thank you so much that’s a relief! I’m planning going this spring or fall. I’ve read where the locals there say best time to walk it is in the fall but I was planning this spring. Do you have a preference and recommendation?

I walked in May rained a bit , but a lovely time of year to see the beautiful countryside. I am walking it again next year in May

 

[rob walks]

My wife and I and a friend walked in August and September this year. It was wonderful.
Because we were a group and wanted to walk moderate days – 15 to 20 kms, we booked ahead from Le Puy to Conques. Mostly by e-mail direct with the Gites, the guidebook Miam Miam Dodo is available online and each page has electronic links to most (but not all) of the options for that town. It's all in French, but easy to follow. I used a translation app to write my polite request in French and invariably received a polite, helpful response. I also used google, booking.com, air bnb etc. It did take a bit of effort, but I like planning caminos so it was fun.
It was fairly busy in parts; we were pleased we had booked for the first week. Then after Cahors we hit a really busy patch. I was booking 3 nights ahead and had one night where I received 10 polite refusals and hit it lucky on the 11th. Our plan C was to taxi 10kms off trail, but we didn’t need to.
We visited the tourist offices for other things, and they were friendly and helpful, as were the Gite operators.
We finished in Moissac, and plan to return next year to walk through to Pamplona.
Because there will be 3 of us again (maybe even 4!) I’ll book most of the nights ahead again. If I was on my own as I have been on previous Caminos, I would only book a day or so ahead – most Gites provide a dinner (definitely not to be missed!) and like to know how many guests to expect that night.

 

[BlackRocker57]

I’m interested in making lodging reservations (2-3 days advance) via help from the tourist offices while walking the Camino Le Puy. Can someone tell me how frequent the tourist offices are on the Camino Le Puy? And how can I found out which villages have them?
Thanks

Bonjour / G’Day Bill, to answer your question directly : there are a good number of tourist offices [office de tourisme en français] on the Chemin du Puy. In the first stretch to Conques [10–12 days depending in how far you like to walk wach say] you will find them at Le Puy-en-Velay, Saugues, Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole, Aumont-Aubrac, Nasbinals, Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac, Saint-Côme-d’Olt, Espalion, Estaing and Conques ... so, there are plenty ... and all of them are very / unfailing helpful and will help you find a bed and phone ahead as well for reservations ...

After Conques you will find OdTs at Decazeville, Figeac, Cajarc, Limogne-en-Quercy, Lalbenque and Cahors ...

Some but not all close for lunch for a couple of hours in the non-peak months but generally stay open all day in July and August; btw Spring is a beautiful time to walk this Way ... autumn is lovely too but different and fewer wildflowers

 

[Florida Bill]

Thank you for taking time to share your information. Hope you have many more great caminos.