New Pilgrim, looking for strategies to find private rooms.

[MassNative]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

 

[peregrina2000]

And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

Hi, @MassNative and welcome to the forum! I think the first thing that many pilgrims need to know is that booking.com does not have access to all of the rooms in any hotel, pensión or casa rural (with a few exceptions). So the fact that booking shows no availability really doesn’t give you a good picture of what’s actually available. Most forum members would recommend that you contact the places directly. And by far the easiest way to do that, at least for places where there is a mobil phone number, is to send an online message through WhatsApp. If you are not familiar with this app, there are lots of explanations on the forum, and we will be happy to answer questions. It works like a texting message, but it goes over the internet so there are no charges. More than 98% of Spanish mobile phones have it.

Beginning on the 21st of September will likely put you behind the big September rush, so I would think that if you reserve the first several days, you will then be able to get a sense of your pace and will be able to book ahead a day or so. Good luck with this and buen camino, Laurie

 

[trecile]

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles.

Even though Roncesvalles is a large albergue the bunks are arranged in such a way that there is actually more space between beds/privacy than at Orisson.
As you can see in this picture, the bunks are arranged in alcoves with 2 bunks/4 beds per alcove.



I would recommend that you use Gronze to find albergues with private rooms, pensions, hostales, etc.

Gronze is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

I would recommend that you book your accommodation up to Pamplona - after that you will have a better idea of how far you want to walk each day, and can book a day or two ahead.

 

[K_Lynn]

Booking.com is an excellent resource but as others have mentioned not all accommodations will be listed through them. Google maps will list hotels and albergues if you are having difficulty finding a room with Booking. Some albergues do offer private rooms in addition to communal rooms.
On the topic of Booking, pay attention to the distance of your preferred accommodation to the center of town. Aim for within 500m. You do not want to have to walk an extra few km north of the path at the end of the day or have to navigate crossing a highway and roundabouts to get to your room.

I booked a fabulous room at El Cid in Burgos through Booking that overlooked the Cathedral! Their breakfast buffet was amazing and if you get in early you can grab a table at the window and enjoy the view of the Cathedral while you eat.

 

[trecile]

On the topic of Booking, pay attention to the distance of your preferred accommodation to the center of town. Aim for within 500m. You do not want to have to walk an extra few km north of the path at the end of the day or have to navigate crossing a highway and roundabouts to get to your room.

I cross reference places that I find on Booking with Gronze to make sure that they are on or near the Camino route.

 

[Anamiri]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

I generally book one or two days ahead. But some paces are tight for accommodation, so I'd book those as soon as you can. The section up until Pamplona can be challenging.
And remember that towns that are tourist towns as well as pilgrim towns can also be tight eg Astorga.

 

[auburnfive]

My secret strategy, when booking.com, gronze etc is not fruitful is to go to the luggage transfer websites, and look at the drop down menus for a town. Occasionally there has been an accommodation there that is not listed anywhere else. They may not be directly on the path, but might offer a pick up option.

 

[henrythedog]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

Gronze is good; the ‘+’sign after a Brierley listing is useful; Booking can be helpful but don’t assume that when they’ve no rooms left that the place is full.

Email can be good to make contact especially for hotels/hostales but WhatsApp can be better for smaller places and many albergues.

If you’ve successfully booked Orrison you’ve already navigated one of the most perplexing booking challenges on the Camino.

 

[MassNative]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions so far, greatly appreciated.

I do use WhatsApp, so I will try that tomorrow morning to reach out to listed properties!

Jim

 

[Saint Mike II]

I may have used "booking.com", but mostly I use the private alberque/casa rural network. I picked up a brochure just before Puente la Reina that listed about 15 or more accommodation venues. They were more than happy to make forward reservations (using my mobile) . So keep an eye open for such info,. Cheers

 

[Anamiri]

I may have used "booking.com", but mostly I use the private alberque/casa rural network. I picked up a brochure just before Puente la Reina that listed about 15 or more accommodation venues. They were more than happy to make forward reservations (using my mobile) . So keep an eye open for such info,. Cheers

I must look out for that next time, were they just in the reception area? Have you ever seen an online version?

 

[xin loi]

I never pre book while walking a Camino...but when traveling off the Caminos and visiting cities through out Spain , I have had much better results finding placers using Air BNB than Booking.Com.

 

[lt56ny]

If you can book without using a website like booking please do so by writing the establishment by whatsapp or calling directly. Many places are still recovering from the pandemic and they lose 15% of the room cost to the commision. Also you may get an even cheaper price booking directly.

 

[Schamber]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

You could email Hotel Roncesvalles also. It was a wonderful hotel.
If you can’t find place in apps try the internet search. I did that for a few places.

 

[MassNative]

All these comments have been great! My booking anxiety has been greatly relieved! I was able to book a Casa Rural in Burguete this morning and I am looking further down the road towards Pamplona now!

Thank you all!
Jim

 

[DyanTX]

I walked during the same timeframe in 2016. We found that booking a couple days ahead for a private room was good except that Friday and Saturday nights were very busy as locals travel weekends. Indeed, when we arrived in Roncesvalles on Friday night, found that busloads of pilgrims were being offloaded to stay there. We continued to book a couple days out until Sarria where it became harder to find rooms and thus booked several days ahead. Mostly used the direct e-mail to the albergue or pension rather than a booking site. I would imagine this year to be even more crowded during that timeframe.

 

[trecile]

Indeed, when we arrived in Roncesvalles on Friday night, found that busloads of pilgrims were being offloaded to stay there.

That was probably because Roncesvalles is the traditional starting point for Spanish pilgrims.

You could also say that bus and train loads of pilgrims are dropped off to stay in St Jean Pied de Port every day.

 

[Caminogoat]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

Hello and Welcome!

I usually research the accommodations through all available means (Google, Booking.com, etc.) at home and jot down names, phone numbers and price ranges. Booking.com does not list phone numbers but you can Google them. I research accommodations one town before and after as well as the daily target. I usually walk in March, October or early November to avoids crowds. When I get there, I research demands by surfing in Booking,com. I don't book ahead unless it looks busy. I call them directly to book and get a minimum of 10% off of Booking.com price. Even when you absolutely can't find anything, it's not the end of the world. A taxi will save you from sleeping under the stars. ¡Buen camino!

 

[DyanTX]

That was probably because Roncesvalles is the traditional starting point for Spanish pilgrims.

You could also say that bus and train loads of pilgrims are dropped off to stay in St Jean Pied de Port every day.

Probably true too! Especially this year. We had been (falsely) told that Roncesvalles did not take reservations. We got a bed in the basement on rickety bunks. It was a bed but didn't provide much rest or sleep. Lesson learned - do my own research

 

[pjacobi]

If you stop at a hotel without reservations and no rooms are available, most hotel owners will make heroic efforts to make calls to other hotels to find you a room somewhere.

Mary and Joseph didn't complain when the only place left was the stable.


-Paul

 

[Orujo]

Even though Roncesvalles is a large albergue the bunks are arranged in such a way that there is actually more space between beds/privacy than at Orisson.
As you can see in this picture, the bunks are arranged in alcoves with 2 bunks/4 beds per alcove.

View attachment 130468

I would recommend that you use Gronze to find albergues with private rooms, pensions, hostales, etc.

Gronze is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

I would recommend that you book your accommodation up to Pamplona - after that you will have a better idea of how far you want to walk each day, and can book a day or two ahead.

I was super-impressed with the Ronscevalles albergue, I wouldn’t miss it personally. Walking up and over the Pyrenees and then arriving here was just amazing. And the beds were excellent, very nicely spaced as you say. But chilly and no blankets - even in August! I will always have lasting memories of that place

 

[hawkeyepierce]

FWIW I’m on the CF currently (Estella tonight) and I haven’t had any issues finding either beds in albergues or private rooms as I go. I haven’t booked anything more than a day in advance, other than SJPDP and Borda. I’m sitting the Agora albergue right now, nearly 9PM, and not even half the beds are taken.

Same with last night when looking for a private room in Lorca (Casa Nahia, excellent place for a bit of luxury right on the camino). Only two rooms taken.

I think the only place I’ve stayed that was fully booked was Borda (excellent place btw).

Tomorrow I hope to reach Los Arcos and based on a few searches tonight there’s plenty of rooms available.

Also, if the casa rural you’re referring to in Burguete is the Hostal Burguete of Hemingway fame, just know that while the man who runs it may seem curt at first he’s really quite nice. Try the trout.

 

[Gazelle2]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

I have walked The Camino twice and have always managed to find sensibly priced hotels with bathroom using Booking.com or Airbnb, my idea of hell is a crowed dormitory. I have never had a problem and never booked far in advance as it restricts you too much.
Never had bedbugs or suffered !!

 

[USMC-Pilgrim]

I cross reference places that I find on Booking with Gronze to make sure that they are on or near the Camino route.

I took a similar approach (SJPDP to SDC, May 18 - Jun 22.) I opened Gronze on my iPad mini and Booking.com on my phone. Only issue I had was booking La Laguna (the one on the beach, not the one before O'Cebrerio.... ARGH....)
Fortunately, there was a room available at La Escuela/La Laguna and I was rescued. I do have my list available if you are interested.

 

[CarrieJL]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

Jim- whatprivate room did you get in Orisson? I wasn’t able To find any such option whether availavle Or Sold Out.

 

[trecile]

Jim- whatprivate room did you get in Orisson? I wasn’t able To find any such option whether availavle Or Sold Out.

There are no private rooms at Orisson.
The new Auberge Borda, which is one km past Orisson does have one private room.

Auberge Borda | Albergue de Peregrinos en Auberge Borda | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Auberge Borda, en Auberge Borda: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

 

[CarrieJL]

There are no private rooms at Orisson.
The new Auberge Borda, which is one km past Orisson does have one private room.

Auberge Borda | Albergue de Peregrinos en Auberge Borda | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Auberge Borda, en Auberge Borda: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

thanks!

 

[David with new Kit!]

We used private rooms for our CF in September 2021 using a mix of the resources mentioned above. We did once stay in a public albergue, but that was a misunderstanding with a phone call!!

We book with a rolling five day system. Book five, use one, book one, we always have five booked ahead and are doing the same on the Norte in a couple of weeks time.

You can of course not book ahead and have a more free choice of where to stay, but if you really want a private room, then book.

The first few days on the CF can be a bit tight accommodation wise, so it is sensible to book up to and including pamplona, after which everyone stretches out a bit.

 

[MassNative]

Jim- whatprivate room did you get in Orisson? I wasn’t able To find any such option whether availavle Or Sold Out.

No private rooms in Orisson. We realize with will need to sleep in some shared rooms during our camino.

 

[MassNative]

I took a similar approach (SJPDP to SDC, May 18 - Jun 22.) I opened Gronze on my iPad mini and Booking.com on my phone. Only issue I had was booking La Laguna (the one on the beach, not the one before O'Cebrerio.... ARGH....)
Fortunately, there was a room available at La Escuela/La Laguna and I was rescued. I do have my list available if you are interested.

Hi, if you are willing to share you list with me, I would love to see it.

Jim

 

[Saint Mike II]

I must look out for that next time, were they just in the reception area? Have you ever seen an online version?

Hola, Sorry I do not have an on-line version. From memory they were in the reception area along with other local info sheets. I will try to remember which one was the most easterly and come back. Cheers

 

[CarrieJL]

Hi, if you are willing to share you list with me, I would love to see it.

Jim

Me too!

 

[Richardw2]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

Check out walkthecamino.com they are fantastic. We have worked with the twice in the past. Let them know what you want and Caroline will make it happen.

 

[Suka]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

I walked in June and it seemed about every other person I met had a slight sniffle or cough. My group all got sick, although because we were vaccinated and boosted, no-one was very ill. That seems to be the standard -- not very sick, don't bother testing, just carry on walking. So be prepared to be exposed just about anywhere at anytime. With the new variant spreading so quickly, I think it prudent to not plan for 'if,' but 'when'.

 

[Anthony18]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

I used Booking.com. After settling into my albergue at the end of a day's walk, I'd grab my Brierly guide to look for a town with as many albuerges as possible, that would be close the amount of miles I was willing to walk the next day. Once I'd find one, I'd use Booking.com to reserve a private room. Worked like a charm.

 

[StephenHLanark]

Check out walkthecamino.com they are fantastic. We have worked with the twice in the past. Let them know what you want and Caroline will make it happen.

I’m about to use walkthecamino for the third time and have no hesitation in recommending them

 

[JimG59]

I’m also leaving STJPDP on the 21 September. I have the next 3 nights accommodation booked via Booking.com. ( Roncesvalles, Urdaniz and Uterga) Will play it by ear from then on.

 

[haylesm]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

Hi Jim, we walked CF in 2016 and used an app to locate albergues with private rooms. Usually contacting them in the morning was sufficient to prebook for that night (although my husband is Spanish & had a Spanish phone contract, not sure what roaming charges would be like if you have to make daily calls).
The app is Camino Pilgrim - Frances by Áurea Moemke.
A couple of times in larger cities we used Booking.com to find either reasonably priced hotels or more upmarket albergues.
Enjoy the experience! Buen camino.
Hayley

 

[Penny and Mike]

Hello, new Pilgrim here. Walking for the first time on the Frances, beginning 21/9/2022 from SJPP.

My wife and I are walking together and we would like to stay in private rooms as much as possible, to avoid catching COVID.

Do any experienced Pilgrims have any advice on strategies for setting up private rooms? How many days in advance to people book while walking. Are there other private room listings beyond the guidebooks/apps? Is the stretch from SJPP to Pamplona the worst part? Do pilgrims spread out along the camino after that point?

Any other collective wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

I already have Orisson booked for the first night, but would really like to avoid the big albergues, such as Roncevalles. Apparently, that start date is very busy, as I cannot find anything available in Roncevalles that night. And Burguete looks sold out too, for any properties that use booking.com.

I see on my Wise Pilgrim Frances app a list of Casa Rurals in Burguete that do not have online booking options, so I picked one that looks good and emailed about availability on that date. So I will see what happens.

Gracias!

Jim

carmen@orbisways.com arranges room along the way

 

[kmkepler]

My wife and I walked the Camino Frances in April / May 2018 - stayed in mixture of albergues and private rooms - seldom made reservations until close to Santiago. We are now planning to do the Camino Portugues in Late Sept/ Oct 2022 - Any recommendations on making reservations along the way or is the camino pilgrim facilities and availability similar to the France Way?

 

[hueppi]

Consider that some albuerges do not accept reservations at all. For instance Casa Paderborn in Pamplona does not take reservations. It's first come first serve until full. They open around 1 pm.
Critical dates are the San Fermines festivities in July. But only because all other accommodation will be closed or booked. And Casa Paderborn only has 26 beds