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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

LIVE from the Camino Live from the Camino Francés

Time of past OR future Camino
2020
I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.
 
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Great information. Starting my camino in a month and it's great to have current information.
 
I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.
Fantastic info: MUCH appreciated!

Buen Camino!
 
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I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.
We hope to walk the Camino del Norte from Bilbao starting in early September. I expect it will be necessary to book ahead as much as we would like to just arrive in the early afternoon and easily find a place then. Thank you for taking the time to explain how it has been going for you.
 
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“They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room.”

So glad to hear that there is now alternative accommodation to Orisson. It’ll make a big difference for some of us who will pass that way in the future and wanting to make a stop on day one. Great news.
 
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Oh man So grateful for this info. I'm setting off next Tuesday, double vaccinated and confident, my main concern being availability of beds in albergués, so this is exactly the kind of info i need. Thanks a million.
 
Super info, muchas gracias! I’m starting in SJPP on Sept 14, so nice to hear updates! Buen camino and keep posting!
 
I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.
Thanks for your post. I’m in Melbourne, Australia, just starting another lockdown - number 5 - and am Camino deprived. Please keep them coming, and to those who mentioned their future plans, envy and best wishes all the way. I planned to walk my fourth camino last year, but our government won’t even let us leave the country ( unless for business or if you are connected 😉. Even our states close their borders. Still, we must consider and help those worse off. Sorry about the mini rant, but a real dose of the Camino would be the ideal medicine for my soul at the moment. Stay well, walk mindfully, and please keep posting. ❤️🙏🏽
 
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I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.
Thanks for your timely and informative post. Helps a lot
 
I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.
Thanks for informative update
 
I started the Camino Francés on July 11. I stopped by the tourist office in SJPP before I started to walk. They told me there were not many pilgrims so far this month, about 80 to 100 per day. They gave me a list of albergues all the way to Santiago that were open, with prices and contact info.

They suggested calling a day ahead to make reservations in SJPP. They felt you would be able to get a bed if you did this.
On the Napoleon route I stopped and stayed at Auberge Borda. I made a reservation by email for July 13 but on July 11 I sent another email to change it to that day. No problems doing this. I wanted to walk July 11 because it was going to be sunny that day followed by four days of rain. They did not ask for a deposit or advance payment. It is located about 1 km beyond Orisson. It is new, green and very nice. The beds are arranged in curtained cubicles with four beds to a room. One other person slept in my room. The other rooms had four people in each, but these eight were part of a group that had been traveling together for a week. I believe you could rent a four bed room (now a two person room because of COVID) as a private room. I believe they do have one dedicated private double room.



The hospitalero at Borda, Laurent, told me he had not been busy. There had been variable numbers of pilgrims. We had twelve the night I was there, July 11. The day before he had 5. The day before that he had 2. This new Albergue is a worthwhile stop and I would recommend it.
Laurent at Borda told me to stop at the pilgrim office in Roncesvalles. He said they would give me more up to date info on which albergues were open in Spain. I never got to the office as their hours conflicted with my siesta. Laurent cautioned me to be careful and plan ahead in Spain.

The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.

I did not stay at the albergue because I had heard they had filled all 90 beds recently and that was too many people for me. I later heard that on that night there were “not many” pilgrims there. There were about thirty pilgrims at the mass that evening.
I stayed at the Casa Sabina. They did not want to take a reservation. By email they asked me if I would arrive before 5 pm and if so to go to Casa Sabina and I could get a room. If I came after 5 pm when the Casa closed or if there were no rooms available when I arrived before 5, they told me they would have a room at the Posada. I got there at 2 pm and I and some other pilgrims quickly took all 4 rooms at the Casa. I know they had many of the 20 rooms at the Posada available that afternoon. Both the Casa and the Posada are apparently run by the same people.
On July 13 I felt tired and jet lagged so stopped early in Bizkarreta. There are no albergues there but several Casa Rurals. I called two that were completo but the third had a room for me. I believe they filled all eight rooms that night but it was very quiet which was nice.

On the walk from Roncesvalles to Zubiri I saw less than 20 pilgrims along with several bicigrinos. I stopped in Larasoana on July 14 at the Albergue San Nicholas. People were divided into rooms of four beds but with only two people per room. It is possible to pay for a two person room for just yourself if you want a private room. The hospitalero, Luis, said pilgrim numbers are way down. Yesterday, July 13 he had zero pilgrims Today there are ten. I shared a room with a vaccinated American!
People wear masks in the common areas of albergues but not in the room, unless you want to, or when having communal meals. For me, so far this has been an acceptable COVID risk. Others might feel differently.

Regarding Booking.com; I think it is well known that the number of available rooms listed on Booking.com is not the same as the actual number of available rooms at the hotel. Businesses do not list all their rooms with Booking.com. Without going into details I would say that currently whatever is listed on B.c is vastly different than the reality at the hotel or albergue, both in the number and type of available rooms . I would say to always call the lodging and only use B.c as a quick way to verify whether a lodging is actually open.

Based on my four days on the Camino thus far I would say there is no reason to pay a non refundable fee in advance.
Hope this is useful.

WalkingLester,
This is great info for everyone on the CF now.
Thanks so much for posting.
By the way the reason that Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12 is that the King and Queen of Spain were there for a special event.



Carpe diem and Buen camino.
 
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The Hotel at Roncesvalles was sold out on July 12. There did appear to be some kind of non Camino related event going on that day, as there were numerous Guardia Civil officers around as well as many local people.
To the contrary, it was a very Camino related event: the Spanish king and queen were in Roncesvalles on 12 July to participate in a solemn ceremony that took place in the church of Roncesvalles in connection with the Jacobean Holy Year 2021-2022.
 
July 15. I walked from Larasoana to Pamplona. I saw about 40 pilgrims scattered along the way. I stayed at Albergue Casa Ibarrola. They can sell 10 beds there. I asked Cesar, the hospitalero if they were seeing a lot of pilgrims. He said yes, and indicated that they are completo every day. I called at 1000 and got a reservation for that day. I called their two numbers a couple of times and let it ring a long time before anyone answered. Cesar recommended calling ahead for reservations, the day before or the same day. I got there at 2 pm and there were 8 of us there already. A 63 year old man who walked from Roncesvalles to Pamplona in one day, 40 km, arrived at 7 and got the last bed. Cesar may fill up regularly but I find it hard to believe that Albergue Jesus and Maria which can have over 50 beds now in COVID times is regularly selling out.

July 16. I saw 25 pilgrims on the way to Puente de La Reina. Albergue Jakue is selling beds as private rooms in the albergue. For example if they have a room with 4 beds, they can fill two. So you and a friend, or you by yourself can have the room for 40 Euros. Albergue Jakue was full on this day.

I have been using Gronze.com, the Wise Pilgrim app and website, and Camino Ninja as resources to help me find open lodgings. All are very helpful but not perfect. You can check the albergue website, some will say whether they are open or closed, but many are not updated. Some albergues have booking engines on their website and I suppose those are accurate. But, by far the best move is to call the albergue or hotel to get the up to date story.

July 17. On the Way to Estella I saw 15 pilgrims. Albergue Curtidos was full on the reservation engine on their site. I called Hostel Agora at 8 in the morning and they had beds and private rooms available so I took a room. Hospitalera Andrea says that some days she is completo, others maybe only two pilgrims. It is highly variable. She also recommends calling a day in advance. There were 6 other pilgrims traveling in pairs and they stayed in private rooms. I don’t think anyone stayed in the shared dorm. By the way, this is a pretty nice albergue.

On the road to Estella I met two pilgrims who have been staying in albergues. No problems with beds. One is calling a day in advance because sometimes he sends some of his bag. They have not seen any full albergues, even the cheaper municipal or donativos which generally fill up first.

July 18. On way to Los Arcos I saw 14 other pilgrims. I made no reservations. I arrived at 330 and called Casa de la abuela and asked about a private room but they were booked. There were still available camas in the shared dorm. I called Albergue Casa de Austria and got a private room with shared showers and bathroom for 25 Euros. There were still dorm beds available.



I am tending more towards private rooms because of COVID.
 
July 15. I walked from Larasoana to Pamplona. I saw about 40 pilgrims scattered along the way. I stayed at Albergue Casa Ibarrola. They can sell 10 beds there. I asked Cesar, the hospitalero if they were seeing a lot of pilgrims. He said yes, and indicated that they are completo every day. I called at 1000 and got a reservation for that day. I called their two numbers a couple of times and let it ring a long time before anyone answered. Cesar recommended calling ahead for reservations, the day before or the same day. I got there at 2 pm and there were 8 of us there already. A 63 year old man who walked from Roncesvalles to Pamplona in one day, 40 km, arrived at 7 and got the last bed. Cesar may fill up regularly but I find it hard to believe that Albergue Jesus and Maria which can have over 50 beds now in COVID times is regularly selling out.

July 16. I saw 25 pilgrims on the way to Puente de La Reina. Albergue Jakue is selling beds as private rooms in the albergue. For example if they have a room with 4 beds, they can fill two. So you and a friend, or you by yourself can have the room for 40 Euros. Albergue Jakue was full on this day.

I have been using Gronze.com, the Wise Pilgrim app and website, and Camino Ninja as resources to help me find open lodgings. All are very helpful but not perfect. You can check the albergue website, some will say whether they are open or closed, but many are not updated. Some albergues have booking engines on their website and I suppose those are accurate. But, by far the best move is to call the albergue or hotel to get the up to date story.

July 17. On the Way to Estella I saw 15 pilgrims. Albergue Curtidos was full on the reservation engine on their site. I called Hostel Agora at 8 in the morning and they had beds and private rooms available so I took a room. Hospitalera Andrea says that some days she is completo, others maybe only two pilgrims. It is highly variable. She also recommends calling a day in advance. There were 6 other pilgrims traveling in pairs and they stayed in private rooms. I don’t think anyone stayed in the shared dorm. By the way, this is a pretty nice albergue.

On the road to Estella I met two pilgrims who have been staying in albergues. No problems with beds. One is calling a day in advance because sometimes he sends some of his bag. They have not seen any full albergues, even the cheaper municipal or donativos which generally fill up first.

July 18. On way to Los Arcos I saw 14 other pilgrims. I made no reservations. I arrived at 330 and called Casa de la abuela and asked about a private room but they were booked. There were still available camas in the shared dorm. I called Albergue Casa de Austria and got a private room with shared showers and bathroom for 25 Euros. There were still dorm beds available.



I am tending more towards private rooms because of COVID.
Great detail specific update. A great benefit to those behind you.
 
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July 15. I walked from Larasoana to Pamplona. I saw about 40 pilgrims scattered along the way. I stayed at Albergue Casa Ibarrola. They can sell 10 beds there. I asked Cesar, the hospitalero if they were seeing a lot of pilgrims. He said yes, and indicated that they are completo every day. I called at 1000 and got a reservation for that day. I called their two numbers a couple of times and let it ring a long time before anyone answered. Cesar recommended calling ahead for reservations, the day before or the same day. I got there at 2 pm and there were 8 of us there already. A 63 year old man who walked from Roncesvalles to Pamplona in one day, 40 km, arrived at 7 and got the last bed. Cesar may fill up regularly but I find it hard to believe that Albergue Jesus and Maria which can have over 50 beds now in COVID times is regularly selling out.

July 16. I saw 25 pilgrims on the way to Puente de La Reina. Albergue Jakue is selling beds as private rooms in the albergue. For example if they have a room with 4 beds, they can fill two. So you and a friend, or you by yourself can have the room for 40 Euros. Albergue Jakue was full on this day.

I have been using Gronze.com, the Wise Pilgrim app and website, and Camino Ninja as resources to help me find open lodgings. All are very helpful but not perfect. You can check the albergue website, some will say whether they are open or closed, but many are not updated. Some albergues have booking engines on their website and I suppose those are accurate. But, by far the best move is to call the albergue or hotel to get the up to date story.

July 17. On the Way to Estella I saw 15 pilgrims. Albergue Curtidos was full on the reservation engine on their site. I called Hostel Agora at 8 in the morning and they had beds and private rooms available so I took a room. Hospitalera Andrea says that some days she is completo, others maybe only two pilgrims. It is highly variable. She also recommends calling a day in advance. There were 6 other pilgrims traveling in pairs and they stayed in private rooms. I don’t think anyone stayed in the shared dorm. By the way, this is a pretty nice albergue.

On the road to Estella I met two pilgrims who have been staying in albergues. No problems with beds. One is calling a day in advance because sometimes he sends some of his bag. They have not seen any full albergues, even the cheaper municipal or donativos which generally fill up first.

July 18. On way to Los Arcos I saw 14 other pilgrims. I made no reservations. I arrived at 330 and called Casa de la abuela and asked about a private room but they were booked. There were still available camas in the shared dorm. I called Albergue Casa de Austria and got a private room with shared showers and bathroom for 25 Euros. There were still dorm beds available.



I am tending more towards private rooms because of COVID.
there is lot confusion about albergues (fully booked or not)
we will be starting July 24 from SJPDP and such infos are much appreciated - thank you very much :)

Ultreia et Suseia
 
Thank you for these very helpful updates! Have you reached Galicia? Do you need to show proof of vaccination or PCR test to get into albergues, restaurants etc? Thank you so much!
 

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