Le Puy to Conques

amancio said:

I would most definitely book ahead; normally, it is just enough to have the hospitaleros do the booking for you the next day or two ahead, they can also recommend some albergue or another, and they can ring for you too! That is how I did it last year.

Walking in France is different to walking in Spain, but it is also a beautiful experience, just beware it is very rural and there is not a great availability of places to stay or to buy food or water, and French opening hours can be a bit chaotic.
Otherwise, it is a beautiful experience!

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TMcA said:

Good advice from @amancio.

Period around Easter (April 21) is likely to be busy.

You can order Miam Miam DoDo on line or purchase in Le Puy. It's a simple guidebook that's in French, but easy to understand. It will show you which towns have tourist offices along with locations of lodging plus capacity of each.

Route is well-marked and a wonderful combination of countryside and lovely small towns.

Bon chemin.

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gittiharre said:

Yes. Don't leave it to chance re booking. I have walked this route 3 times. It is very busy often groups of walkers and they book out a whole gite. Book ahead asap. You can use www.chemindecompostelle.com website and look under herbergements GR 65, which brings up an interactive map with accommodation links. It looks like the Miam Miam Dodo maps and has a lot, but not all accommodation options showing.
Keep your distances lower than on Camino Frances as this stretch is rather up and down on sometimes rocky paths.

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HighlandsHiker said:

Liz, bonjour, and exactly as above. I walked it last June from Aumont-Aubrac to Cahors and wouldn't have wanted to have left reservations to chance. Many of my first-choices for places were booked two months in advance and a few areas were difficult to find a bed in at all. If you're fluent in French, it's all easier. I struggle, but was still able to scrape by fairly well.

Some favorites for the section you're doing: Ferme du Barry in Aumont-Aubrac (Aligot! No English); Gite St. Andre in St. Chely d'Aubrac (friendly hosts, nice communal meal, some English); Couvent de Malet in St. Come d'Olt (convent with evening meal, beautiful place, minimal English); Gite St. Christophe in Estaing (my very favorite - kind hosts, great set-up, no English spoken); Le Pole Touristique Bellevue in Golinhac (chalets or gite, no English spoken); Abbaye de St. Foy in Conques (don't miss it! One of the volunteers, Pierre, speaks English). Hope that helps.

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AJGuillaume said:

We walked last year, as part of a much longer Camino, and as mentioned above, I recommend you book in advance.
We stayed mostly in chambre d'hôtes, and the ones we loved were:
Montbonnet: La Barbelotte
Le Sauvage
St Alban-sur-Limagnole: Les Drailles de la Margeride
Aumont-Aubrac: Le 24
We used the Miam Miam Dodo, and also their website, which @gittiharre referred to.
Bon Chemin!

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Felice said:

We walked from Le Puy to Conques in September last year. We had lovely weather - rather warm to begin with as we walked from Le Puy, then pleasant as we crossed the Aubrac plateau. We booked in advance every night. I had booked the first 4 nights several months before we set off, and was glad that I had done so as little villages like Montbonnet were fully booked the night we passed through, according to some tired walkers we met. The same at Le Sauvage, especially since it's the only accommodation in a long stretch.

If you are just one person, you could probably get away with it if you are not bothered where you stay. The nicest and recommended places get booked up ages in advance. But bear in mind that it is quite normal to have the evening meal in the gîte. It's well worth while as it's great company and the food is usually interesting and regional. So giving the hostess warning the night before that you need to be catered for is only fair.

I note that you are walking in April. Be aware that there is a distinct possibility that you will find snow on the plateau as it is quite high.

I will be walking on from Conques, starting in mid May. I'm hoping for lots of wild flowers then.

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Barbara Tho said:

I walked from Le Puy in April/May 2017. Miam Miam Dodo invaluable. Def recommend Gite saint

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Barbara Tho said:

Sorry. Text cut short. Meant Gite Saint Andre in st Chély-d’Aubrac d’Aubrac and L’ Oree du Chemin just before Golinhac

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Barbara Tho said:

Sorry. Text cut short. Meant Gite Saint Andre in st Chély-d’Aubrac d’Aubrac and L’ Oree du Chemin just before Golinhac

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billmclaughlin said:

I’m surprised not to see anyone recommending the Miam Miam Dodo version for iPhone. I used it a few years ago when it worked well enough, and I’ve just downloaded the latest version as I’m planning a hike for September, and it’s much improved. It breaks the route into two halves, before and after Cahors, and either half costs less than US15.

When it comes to making reservations, it has the same info as the print version, but you never have to type a phone number or email address!

Bill

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