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The situation in France is a bit different from that in Spain.
Firstly, it is common to reserve gites in France, even if only one or two days ahead, by telephone. There are not as many beds as in Spain, and at times the cheaper places get full, and if you haven't booked you might need to take a more expensive chambre d'hote option. Most people carry the Miam Miam Dodo guide with them on the Le Puy route, and this lists accommodation options and prices. This is available from CSJ, but also in Le Puy from the shop in the Cathedral where you can also get your pilgrim's passport. If you can't speak French, you can probably find a helpful French pilgrim along the way who will reserve for you, and most tourist offices in France will also help with this. (By the way, for making reservations in France... I often wished I had a mobile phone with me, as not all villages had telephone cabins, and without a phone I could never leave a message asking to be rung back about a reservation...)
There are two kinds of gites in France, the communal ones and the private ones. The standard of accommodation in both is usually very good. Communal gites are run for walkers by the local municipality, and tend to just offer a bed. Private gites by contrast often allow you to take the option of demi-pension, meaning you get breakfast and dinner included. The evening meal shared like this is often a very important way of getting to know other walkers.
Costs in France are much higher than in Spain. For a bed in a communal gite, you are often looking at around 8-10 Euros for the night. For demi-pension you are usually looking at somewhere between 25-30 Euros for the night. The meals when you take the d-p option are mostly excellent, several courses, and often feature regional dishes, and in fact in many rural areas maybe your only option for getting an evening meal.
I have just returned home, and started from Le Puy this past spring. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me if you want.
The coldest I have been on any camino was April on the Chemin du Puy. I have a friend who coaches youth hockey in shorts in rinks well below freezing. He is Canadian. For everyone else, shorts would not be adequate!! Ditto the Aubrac plateau in France.
Thanks Gitti you have already... making notes on your advise....Hi Susiew I walked the Le Puy route again with my husband in 2012 and have got a list of accommodations/ reviews from then, happy to email them to you if you sen me your email address, cheers, Gitti
Many thanks to Gitti and Kiwinomad for all your great accommodation advice which I jotted into my MMDD guide book.....
I would love to hear from pilgrims walking in 2014 Le Puy route and hear what accommodation they used and if they had any special places where they had a good experience ...
Thank you
Hi,Out of all these places we had absolutely no complaints to make and no bedbugs to write home about. We were 2 couples of over 60's so comfort was
something we appreciated.
We are over 60 also and enjoy a private room where available. Were any of the places listed above 'private rooms with toilet'. Did you find you needed a sleeping bag? On the Frances we found we were not using our sleeping bags so posted them on. We do not intend taking sleeping bags on the Le Puy route. Keeping our pack weight down.
Some 5 million Euro have been spent on renovation of the Convent, which is operated by the nuns. The rooms are very comfortable, and the food, served by the nuns and lay persons, is basic and filling. The monastery/convent in Vaylats also is operated by the few remaining nuns and volunteers, but is not in undated condition. Both are worth a visit.the Convent de Malet in St Come d'Olt
Going on that same route in 2016 I would love a copy of your list as well. Hope it is not any inconvenience.Hilyn, the list above is of places from my 2009 walk, I walked again with my husband in 2012 and have an updated list. I tried to load it, but it would not let me, happy to email it to anyone though if you send me your address. Regards, Gitti
Not at all. Send me a private message with your email address and I will send it to you
How do I send a private message with my email???Not at all. Send me a private message with your email address and I will send it to you
You say it took 39 days is that from le Puy to Santiago or to SJPP.Hi, I have just returned from walking from Le Puy en Velay to St Jean Pied de Port. I had a fantastic time, took 39 days to walk the track and stayed in lots of amazing places. My expenses averaged at 37 Euros per day, including, bed, breakfast, dinner and a picnic lunch and the odd beer or aperitiv, even a haircut!
I tended to stay in places that offered demipension. The meals there were superior to any restaurant meals, unless the restaurant meal was associated with a gite and specifically aimed at pilgrims/walkers.
The following places, which should all be in the latest Miam Miam Dodo, deserve special mention:
Sauges: Gite a la Ferme, great rooms/bathrooms, very welcoming owner and lovely homecooked food, 5 mins walk from centre.
Chanaleilles: Cafe du Pont. This is a little off the track and at first I thought it did not look very inviting as the gite is in a funny looking spot on the outskirts of the village. As soon as you got through the front door, another story. Fab rooms, big kitchen dining space with open fire, a short walk to a very typical french little bar/restaurant, great food.
Aumont Aubrac: La Ferme du Barry. Great athmospheric restored building 5 mins from centre. Specialises in Aligot, a delicious rich potato and cheese based dish peculiar to the region. A real experience.
Nasbinal: Gite de Caracter Lod'ici. Beautifully refurbished stone house in centre with garden, very Zen, stunning rooms with crisp white sheets, poems on walls. Amazing.
Senergues: Domaine Le Senos, colourful restored spacious stone house, lovely terrace, dinner under pergola.
Livinhac de Haut: La Magnanerie. Characterfilled rooms, antiques, lovely garden setting, excellent restauran close by.
You say it took 39 days is that from le Puy to Santiago or to SJPP.
To St JeanYou say it took 39 days is that from le Puy to Santiago or to SJPP.
Hi, I have just returned from walking from Le Puy en Velay to St Jean Pied de Port. I had a fantastic time, took 39 days to walk the track and stayed in lots of amazing places. My expenses averaged at 37 Euros per day, including, bed, breakfast, dinner and a picnic lunch and the odd beer or aperitiv, even a haircut!
I tended to stay in places that offered demipension. The meals there were superior to any restaurant meals, unless the restaurant meal was associated with a gite and specifically aimed at pilgrims/walkers.
The following places, which should all be in the latest Miam Miam Dodo, deserve special mention:
Sauges: Gite a la Ferme, great rooms/bathrooms, very welcoming owner and lovely homecooked food, 5 mins walk from centre.
Chanaleilles: Cafe du Pont. This is a little off the track and at first I thought it did not look very inviting as the gite is in a funny looking spot on the outskirts of the village. As soon as you got through the front door, another story. Fab rooms, big kitchen dining space with open fire, a short walk to a very typical french little bar/restaurant, great food.
Aumont Aubrac: La Ferme du Barry. Great athmospheric restored building 5 mins from centre. Specialises in Aligot, a delicious rich potato and cheese based dish peculiar to the region. A real experience.
Nasbinal: Gite de Caracter Lod'ici. Beautifully refurbished stone house in centre with garden, very Zen, stunning rooms with crisp white sheets, poems on walls. Amazing.
Senergues: Domaine Le Senos, colourful restored spacious stone house, lovely terrace, dinner under pergola.
Livinhac de Haut: La Magnanerie. Characterfilled rooms, antiques, lovely garden setting, excellent restauran close by.
Pleasure Katie.I am doing t his walk in July this year and the information you have provided here is most helpful. Thankyou so so much.
hello!
my contribution to accommodation lists on via podiensis. also where to sleep between SJPP and irun.
if you have problems viewing the files, try this link: http://caminka.eu.pn/downloads.html.
caminka
hello!
my contribution to accommodation lists on via podiensis. also where to sleep between SJPP and irun.
if you have problems viewing the files, try this link: http://caminka.eu.pn/downloads.html.
caminka
I'm thinking about walking Le Puy to St. Jean PP this fall (2008). Has anyone compiled a recent list of albergues/refugios/gites for this section? How much does a simple pilgrim's bed cost these days? (Obviously, we're not talking 4-star...)
Thanks!
Brandon
Hi Susiew I walked the Le Puy route again with my husband in 2012 and have got a list of accommodations/ reviews from then, happy to email them to you if you sen me your email address, cheers, Gitti[/QUOTE
Hi Gitti, my partner and I are on our way to Le Puy now to start our Chemin all the way to Finessteria! Can you please kindly email me your list of accomodation recriminations? That would be very helpful. Cheers Sorayah
Email address: szazuri@hotmail.com
Hi black sheep wandering .I will be walking solo from Geneva to St Jean PdP via the Le Puy route in October - November 2016. Does anyone have current information about accomodation?
Fabulous thanks OzAnnie. I'll check it out.Hi black sheep wandering .
@caminka - in response above -includes the accommodation you're after and is very Current -
'Accommodation podiensis'
The list is also in the resources section of this forum.
I will be starting Le Puy on 3 sept with a friend from Oz
Buen Camino
Thanks! Looks good. And a great start point.An older, but very comprehensive list:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/le-puy-accommodation-hope-this-is-of-use.12559/
Très bien, merci beaucoup Annie. Bon Chemin@Black sheep wandering
I will try to get back to you about this way.
Currently 4 hr delay on my flight to Lyon with Ezyjet out of Berlin. All part of the adventure! I'll have to come back another time to look around Lyon!
We take train to Le Puy in the morning. So excited about this one.
I'll msg you at a later date about the Norte
Bon Chemin
Annie
@Black sheep wandering
I will try to get back to you about this way.
Currently 4 hr delay on my flight to Lyon with Ezyjet out of Berlin. All part of the adventure! I'll have to come back another time to look around Lyon!
We take train to Le Puy in the morning. So excited about this one.
I'll msg you at a later date about the Norte
Bon Chemin
Annie
Hi Thornley -
It's been a long while !
I arrived Sjpdp Mon 3 Oct. always end up with feet 'in the wars' so stopping at that for present. Trying to sort out 2 painful corns between last right toe and little toe. They've really stopped me. I gathered an extra day after Conques as at that point my knee was giving me grief and heat then and the climb out : made my mind up- travelled to Figeac by the Mal Postale tspt.
Once at Sjpdp Stayed 2 nights , and last night Bayonne -am going to San Sebastián for 2 nights while I decide what next .
Regarding the accommodation on the le Puy to Sjpdp. Found best to just have the Michelin guide and the Miam Miam dodo.
Found we decided how far we wanted to go and searched both guides for places within the kilometres spacing.
I'll look into actuals when I get home for more details though
If I sort out the corns , I want to walk the ingles at least and get to SDC. I have plenty of time as I don't fly out of Madrid until nov8. I retired in July
Annie
I hope the word Piscine appears early in the current MMDD as that was the prerequisite in July 2015 from Moissac.
/QUOTE]
David
Quick response to the mention of swimming pools
There were two good swimming pools
One Chambre d'hote. I think.
A short way off the Chemin tho but the garden and setting was so relaxing - it was at Louvigny -Ferme La Houn de Lacoste-06 80426894
Address. 1 route d'orthez. 64410 Louvigny-
Run by Jean Michel / excellent evening meal.
Breakfast didn't hit the excellence mark of the prev night but pretty much the usual bread jam and coffee
Then an great night entertainment in Basque region day before Sjpdp. Ostabat 800m after village. It was a gite tho -not sure if they had private rooms but great spot outdoors . Food very good. /verandahs etc to lounge on and had a heated pool with Perspex type modern type sectioned cover . They rolled it away so that you could use it. Gite name is: gite D'etape Izarrak,
Ferme Gaineko Etxec 05 59378110
Annie
Thanks a lot for sharing this list! I plan to walk this route in April 2017.hello!
my contribution to accommodation lists on via podiensis. also where to sleep between SJPP and irun.
if you have problems viewing the files, try this link: http://caminka.eu.pn/downloads.html.
file podiensis updated 4. 4. 2016.
caminka
Thanks a lot for sharing this list! I plan to walk this route in April 2017.
Regine
I'm most grateful, just what I needed now. I'll start walking in the first week of April.voila! about two months late, but updated and recalculated - (budget) accommodation on via podiensis.
there are some with question marks, any info if they are still open or not would be appreciated.
Hi Inger,I'm most grateful, just what I needed now. I'll start walking in the first week of April.
Do you know if this route is very hard when you don't speak french? I try to learn a little, but still I don't speak french.
Thanks again
/Inger
Thanks a lot again Caminkavoila! about two months late, but updated and recalculated - (budget) accommodation on via podiensis.
there are some with question marks, any info if they are still open or not would be appreciated.
What a lot of work went into this very helpful information. Thank you so much.Oh wow this is wonderful. Thanks so much sharing
voila! about two months late, but updated and recalculated - (budget) accommodation on via podiensis.
there are some with question marks, any info if they are still open or not would be appreciated.
Hilyn, the list above is of places from my 2009 walk, I walked again with my husband in 2012 and have an updated list. I tried to load it, but it would not let me, happy to email it to anyone though if you send me your address. Regards, Gitti
But is there a tourist office in every town when walking the Le Puy??A tip that I found helpful when I was walking from Le Puy, was to go into the Tourist Office and ask them to book for the next day. They always had a copy of Miam Miam Dodo there, and after selecting the preferred desitination the person at the desk rang through to book for me. These people at the tourist offices were wonderfully helpful about all kinds of things, including accomodation. Janet
But is there a tourist office in every town when walking the Le Puy??
I really enjoyed my stay in June 2013! at Ferme Gaineko-Extea just after Ostabat-Asme, both the place, the food and the host Bernard and his song!Third instalment of great places to stay.
Gite Dubarry near Micoulas. Amazing barn conversion with stained glass windows set into stone, handcarved by owner. Exquisite.
Air sur L'Adour. Hospitalet ST Jacques. Run by former pilgrim couple. Self cater or great restaurant near by. Lovely house in village. Amzing welcome.
Bestide: Ferme de Marson. A farm producing foie gras and other things. Lovely garden setting, pool. Delicious stews, soups, pates, wine available from their shop for self catering.
Cambarrat: Near Arganon. Gite Prive, belongs to a stylist and her husband. Fantastic restored farmhouse using locally sourced materials including colourful basque fabrics. Option to stay in little wagons, roulottes, with handcrafted and colourful artistic interiors. Delicious food.
Ostabat: About 1 km beyond Ostabat is a new purpose built gite with nice rooms, balconies, ensuites and a hilarious singing basque host. Well worth the experience, forgot name of gite, sorry.
All of the above gites were really clean and free of bedbugs!
Hi Gitti. I am going to start to walk Le Puy on 22nd Sep. Would you send me a list via email: mengjunbeijing@gmail.com. Thanks!Hi Susiew I walked the Le Puy route again with my husband in 2012 and have got a list of accommodations/ reviews from then, happy to email them to you if you sen me your email address, cheers, Gitti
For the places you stayed what percentage of the hosts spoke English?Third instalment of great places to stay.
Gite Dubarry near Micoulas. Amazing barn conversion with stained glass windows set into stone, handcarved by owner. Exquisite.
Air sur L'Adour. Hospitalet ST Jacques. Run by former pilgrim couple. Self cater or great restaurant near by. Lovely house in village. Amzing welcome.
Bestide: Ferme de Marson. A farm producing foie gras and other things. Lovely garden setting, pool. Delicious stews, soups, pates, wine available from their shop for self catering.
Cambarrat: Near Arganon. Gite Prive, belongs to a stylist and her husband. Fantastic restored farmhouse using locally sourced materials including colourful basque fabrics. Option to stay in little wagons, roulottes, with handcrafted and colourful artistic interiors. Delicious food.
Ostabat: About 1 km beyond Ostabat is a new purpose built gite with nice rooms, balconies, ensuites and a hilarious singing basque host. Well worth the experience, forgot name of gite, sorry.
All of the above gites were really clean and free of bedbugs!
I am not sure...some, just a few words. I speak a bit of French, so did not try to speak English...one gets by fine though as pilgrim needs are pretty universal.For the places you stayed what percentage of the hosts spoke English?
Will be the last of your worries mate.For the places you stayed what percentage of the hosts spoke English?
Will be the last of your worries mate.
They are kind and will assist in all ways on your journey.
A fraction harder in my opinion then the Frances but our choice for scenery outside of maybe the Primitivo.
have a great GR
It's my favourite pilgrim walk along with Primitivo.For the places you stayed what percentage of the hosts spoke English?
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