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I don't want to discourage you, but yes, we have had difficulties. Leaving Porto on September 7, we thought we'd do albergues. Our 1st albergue on the Senda Litoral had 24 beds but tried to accommodate others in need. There must have been 40 pilgrims total counting those on floors. After that we (5) started looking for apartments, etc. and had difficulties still. We jumped to the Central from Esposende to Barcelos and still had difficulties. Today our apartment was double booked by Booking and we ended up in multiple rooms in a hotel in Padron. Looking ahead to Santiago, available beds are few and expensive. You might be more successful with albergues between cities, but the Camino Portugues is busy.I have just started walking out of Porto, and was looking forward at accomodation availability for the next few days, and it seems all the bookable accomodation in albergues is full! I don’t want to have to resort to private rooms every night and was wondering if others were finding it difficult to get albergue beds?
I walked the Frances last year and hardly ever booked ahead and as was not intending to on the Portugues Coastal, but really nervous that I will have to rush each day to find accommodation.
I’m interested to hear your experience if currently or recently on the coastal and senda litoral route
Thanks
Apologies. Just saw that you are on the coast. Many pilgrims I had met had crossed back over to the Central route. Good look going forward. Its not a great situation when you have to book ahead. Sometimes however when they use booking.com it is advisable to ring direct. In Rubiàes 8 pilgrims had booked via phone and never showed. DanielI have just started walking out of Porto, and was looking forward at accomodation availability for the next few days, and it seems all the bookable accomodation in albergues is full! I don’t want to have to resort to private rooms every night and was wondering if others were finding it difficult to get albergue beds?
I walked the Frances last year and hardly ever booked ahead and as was not intending to on the Portugues Coastal, but really nervous that I will have to rush each day to find accommodation.
I’m interested to hear your experience if currently or recently on the coastal and senda litoral route
Thanks
I've been walking from Irun on the North route since September 6th... I've been finding it very difficult to get albergues booked nearer the big cities. I've learned the best way to secure an albergue is to call ahead when they open around 3pm on the same day of arrival and try to get there before 8pm at the very latest. I am currently in Aviles and missed the main albergue last night. Although I've just been to the albergue to ask for my credentials/ pilgrims passport to be stampedI have just started walking out of Porto, and was looking forward at accomodation availability for the next few days, and it seems all the bookable accomodation in albergues is full! I don’t want to have to resort to private rooms every night and was wondering if others were finding it difficult to get albergue beds?
I walked the Frances last year and hardly ever booked ahead and as was not intending to on the Portugues Coastal, but really nervous that I will have to rush each day to find accommodation.
I’m interested to hear your experience if currently or recently on the coastal and senda litoral route
Thanks
This is why I am walking in November! Hopefully it will quiet down by then.It's a whole new world on the Camino and not just on the Camino Frances!
I've seen more and more posts from people walking ALL the various routes!
And many many going back again and again - like some of us here on the Forum.
I think unless a person is extremely flexible, or gets up and starts extremely early. the days of not booking are close to being at an end in some villages.
I've booked all my group's lodging for May 2024 and some places were already full.
I know business must be great for those living/working on the Camino, but in my heart of hearts, I sort of hope this wave of bucket list people ends soon - but I don't expect it will.
Fondly remembering those quiet Camino days - wondering if my body is up to a quieter winter Camino...
I'm on the Portuguese coastal it's very difficult getting Albergues, I have been told pilgrims numbers are up by 75 percent this year, I have seen many getting turned away
It's going to be interesting to see if the statistics match the experience you guys are having, or if this is just a short ( a week long or so) blip. Which often ties in with the start of holidays somewhere - like spring break in the US or holidays in Europe. Either way, definitely not nice for you guys.Tonight at Grandas the municipal was full by 2 pm and the other albergues here are fully booked for tomorrow as well.
Hmmm . But then, you yourself actually contribute to the increase with your tour groups! Don't get me wrong I'm actually envious that you've found a way to enjoy walking and make money from it however without experienced guides like yourself many would not actually do the Camino.Fondly remembering those quiet Camino days
Hi Dilbin, Just wanted to know how you found your accommodations. We are doing that route soon and wanted a good website that doesn't lead me to a site to sell me a trip. Thanks ever so much.Hi. I've just returned and had no issue with accommodation. Rubieas Ponte De Lima, Valenca etc plenty of availability. Are you on the Coast??
Ok. you hit a nerve.Hmmm . But then, you yourself actually contribute to the increase with your tour groups! Don't get me wrong I'm actually envious that you've found a way to enjoy walking and make money from it however without experienced guides like yourself many would not actually do the Camino.
Mind you the same could be said for bag transport, YouTubers ( both you and I are also guilty there), a certain film, even books.
Actually it's kind of ironic that those who truly love being alone on the trail can contribute to the very crowd's that they try to avoid.
The Gronze website is a great resource that lists accommodations on most of the Camino routes. It's only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English or the language of your choice.Hi Dilbin, Just wanted to know how you found your accommodations. We are doing that route soon and wanted a good website that doesn't lead me to a site to sell me a trip. Thanks ever so much.
Yes Coastal / Senda LitoralHi. I've just returned and had no issue with accommodation. Rubieas Ponte De Lima, Valenca etc plenty of availability. Are you on the Coast??
It’s very sad but reality unfortunately.It's a whole new world on the Camino and not just on the Camino Frances!
I've seen more and more posts from people walking ALL the various routes!
And many many going back again and again - like some of us here on the Forum.
I think unless a person is extremely flexible, or gets up and starts extremely early. the days of not booking are close to being at an end in some villages.
I've booked all my group's lodging for May 2024 and some places were already full.
I know business must be great for those living/working on the Camino, but in my heart of hearts, I sort of hope this wave of bucket list people ends soon - but I don't expect it will.
Fondly remembering those quiet Camino days - wondering if my body is up to a quieter winter Camino...
Maybe it's like that for me too. Since my first camino the whole thing has changed a lot. I never booked ahead & there was a different atmosphere. Am I just getting older? I'm remembering a conversation a few days ago where I said that this might be my last camino. I feel "outcaminoed" - maybe I have one more in me, but it will have to wait till I'm 70 or something like that. Maybe I need a distance to the camino experience.My whining isn't about pilgrimages to Santiago. It's about the rude people who scatter toilet paper, bottles, and trash, who start fights with hospitaleros, who click click click through villages at 4 am laughing at the top of their lungs waking up the entire village, and who complain about albergues when they could well afford private lodging.
Ironic? Maybe... or maybe just whistful thinking - the same type most people of a certain age have when daydreaming about the good old days...
Hello,I have just started walking out of Porto, and was looking forward at accomodation availability for the next few days, and it seems all the bookable accomodation in albergues is full! I don’t want to have to resort to private rooms every night and was wondering if others were finding it difficult to get albergue beds?
I walked the Frances last year and hardly ever booked ahead and as was not intending to on the Portugues Coastal, but really nervous that I will have to rush each day to find accommodation.
I’m interested to hear your experience if currently or recently on the coastal and senda litoral route
Thanks
Thanks for this - it sounds like I may end up sleeping outside! Oh dearI don't want to discourage you, but yes, we have had difficulties. Leaving Porto on September 7, we thought we'd do albergues. Our 1st albergue on the Senda Litoral had 24 beds but tried to accommodate others in need. There must have been 40 pilgrims total counting those on floors. After that we (5) started looking for apartments, etc. and had difficulties still. We jumped to the Central from Esposende to Barcelos and still had difficulties. Today our apartment was double booked by Booking and we ended up in multiple rooms in a hotel in Padron. Looking ahead to Santiago, available beds are few and expensive. You might be more successful with albergues between cities, but the Camino Portugues is busy.
Be careful about concluding this. The OP was referring to bookable beds. There are municipal and parish albergues that won't be on booking.com. It is not always going to be clear whether they can be booked, but clearly some cannot. They will have beds available each day, albeit with the risk of arriving after they have filled up.Hello,
Thanks for this. It’s v disappointing to hear there are hardly any beds out of porto onwards. I also hadn’t planned on private accomm every night.
It may be very different in October than in early September.Thanks for this - it sounds like I may end up sleeping outside! Oh dear
I walked the Portuguese senda litoral/coastal in April & May. It was my fifth camino (previously Frances, Portuguese central/Fistera-Muxía, Primitivo, Baztán/Frances, always arriving at Santiago) and it was very different. On previous caminos I rarely booked ahead, as this forces you to arrive at a particular place on a particular day. Also, I found that if you were late arriving they gave your bed to someone else anyway.I have just started walking out of Porto, and was looking forward at accomodation availability for the next few days, and it seems all the bookable accomodation in albergues is full! I don’t want to have to resort to private rooms every night and was wondering if others were finding it difficult to get albergue beds?
I walked the Frances last year and hardly ever booked ahead and as was not intending to on the Portugues Coastal, but really nervous that I will have to rush each day to find accommodation.
I’m interested to hear your experience if currently or recently on the coastal and senda litoral route
Thanks
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