No beds

[Sporkie]

Hi guys,

I was wondering what are the town's you found out that give you trouble finding a place to sleep on the frances? When I was walking it a month ago there where some full albergues but not entire towns with no accomodation left. What towns should people really book in advance ?

And yes, I do know that some of you don't like online booking, or calling in advance.

Thanks

 

[Aysen Mustafa]

Perhaps Portomarin. If you want to stay in a small private albergue I would book.

 

[Becky 59]

I would consider booking on Friday and Saturday nights, when the Spanish weekenders seem to flood the route, where ever you are.

 

[Debra Garcia]

Hi guys,

I was wondering what are the town's you found out that give you trouble finding a place to sleep on the frances? When I was walking it a month ago there where some full albergues but not entire towns with no accomodation left. What towns should people really book in advance ?

And yes, I do know that some of you don't like online booking, or calling in advance.

Thanks

We have been calling for reservations the night before and this has been such a comfort as we walk so slow

 

[RJM]

Almost impossible to predict whether all the albergues will be full at any given time on the Camino. As said before in other threads, there are times in the middle of the busy months when you are the only pilgrim in an albergue, or maybe you are sharing it with only 2-3 others.
I would say for sure make reservations in Saint Jean if possible, and if you know what day(s) you will be in Santiago, make reservations there.
Also, the bigger cities, and Sarria get very busy on weekends.

 

[jonarv]

Would only recommend ordering dinner as the wait in the morning for breakfast is a long process. There is a supermarket less than a hour away and some wear to sit and have enjoy you breakfast.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

On last year's Camino, there was only one time that there was no bed availability in the entire village. That was in Maneru. In fact, the next two towns were all booked in every albergue and other lodgings.

Part of the reason is that Caleb and I didn't leave Pamplona til around 11:00 am --- a real late start, but we had some more sights we wanted to see that we hadn't seen the previous evening. So, we didn't arrive until around 6:00 pm. We went to the local bar, had a quick bite since I was starving, and the shop owner kindly called us a taxi to take us to a booking we just had made in Estella. No biggie.

The next morning, we had arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 5:45 am to take us back to Maneru. An unplanned for expenditure, but again, no biggie

 

[Jo Jo]

Only town we've ever had trouble with was Larrasoana (one day out of Roncevalles for us). Municipal alburgue has always beenfull. First CF we got the last bed in town (in a pension); Last time just gave up and walked to the nuns at Zalbaldika (don't do this--too many Kms for me that soon in the trip). Our experience on the 2016 CF, when our feet were better and we were walking long days into the evenings, was that after about 5 nights, the clumps caused by everyone walking SJPP to Roncevalles began to even out, and it was much easier to find beds. YMMV.

Buen Camino,
Jo Jo

 

[Robo]

Zubiri was booked out when we got there late April. And surrounding villages.

 

[Treva]

Zubiri was booked out when we got there late April. And surrounding villages.

Must have been the same day we were in Zubiri... We ended up sleeping on the municipal gym floor...concrete, no pad, cold night... but had great fellowship with other pilgrims in spite of (or maybe because of) the situation!

 

[kay lee]

Zubiri. We (four pilgrims) ended up sharing a hotel room with two beds. Many others walked on or took taxis to the next town. Every single accommodation type was occupied in Zubiri on this day in early May.

 

[Susan Peacock]

My experience after three Camino's (2 spring and 1 fall)
1) Orisson-goes without saying
2) Roncevalles if you are walking from SJPdP in one day and expect to arrive late (depending on time of year.)
3) Zubiri was completo in all three Camino's-I suspect because people under-estimate the difficulty of the day and are ready for a stop.
4) Towns after or before a long stretch (Los Arocs, Carrion de los Condes..) This is particularly true if you are walking a long day and will not arrive until late in the afternoon.
5) If you are walking out of a major city during the May 1st Spanish holiday. I was walking out of Burgos on the Monday of that week and was only able to find a private room in Hontanas 34km from Burgos by calling ahead. Every town in between was full and the albergues in Hontanas turned away pilgrims all afternoon. It was another 9km to Castrojeriz. People were taxing back to Burgos.
6) Staying on Brierley stages Sarria on....while I can't speak to the accommodations for this section as I stay off stage, I can tell you that the path will be more crowded if you stay in a stage town. If you stay in a smaller town you will be walking with fewer people.

There are so many towns and albergues and you will quickly get a feel for the numbers of pilgrims related to accommodations. Even when busy I wouldn't book more that a day or two ahead with the exception of the first few nights. You want to leave yourself flexibility to change your distances or stay with other pilgrims. If you do make reservations and change your mind, please be courteous and notify the albergue as soon as possible. There were pilgrims making reservations in multiple cities to give themselves flexibility. I won't even describe how wrong I felt this was. Buen Camino!

 

[Mackie]

Hi guys,

I was wondering what are the town's you found out that give you trouble finding a place to sleep on the frances? When I was walking it a month ago there where some full albergues but not entire towns with no accomodation left. What towns should people really book in advance ?

And yes, I do know that some of you don't like online booking, or calling in advance.

Thanks

Villafranca del Bierzo and O Cebreiro. However, having walked the Camino in 2011 and 2016, it seems that booking in advance is now the norm.

 

[Mito]

It's too bad that booking ahead is getting so popular. It means those who don't may be shut out. I have always enjoyed the "I'm really not sure where I'll be staying tonight" aspect of the Camino. Magical and freeing. Fortunately, I don't like the heat, so my Caminos have usually been in the spring when finding an open albergue is more of an issue than finding a bed! Start and stop early has always been my mantra and always ensured me a bed. That may not be so with all the bookings

 

[Bradypus]

I have always enjoyed the "I'm really not sure where I'll be staying tonight" aspect of the Camino. Magical and freeing.

I agree. For my first two Caminos I would walk till lunchtime, rest and eat for a couple of hours, then carry on for a while and stop around 6 or 7pm. I never had problems in finding a bed even at that time of the evening. No longer a practical option for much of the year on the Frances. As I hate to commit myself to a fixed stage by reserving and resent having my walking day dictated and curtailed by the "bed race" I now prefer to walk other routes at less popular times of year. The inconvenience of a reduced number of open albergues is a price worth paying to avoid the three-ring-circus of the Camino Frances most of the year.

 

[freespirit]

Perhaps Portomarin. If you want to stay in a small private albergue I would book.

Hi I remember my first camino in 2010 there was no beds whatever so a few of us went to the park nearby and tried to sleep on the concrete stage felt very hard after a few bottles of red wine and ba

 

[André Walker]

Walked the Frances in 2011 and 2014. No problems then, even without booking in advance, although the increasing number of pilgrims was obvious. Walked the Del Norte in 2016. Less walkers. Also less albuergues, but it was well balanced: only 1 full albuergue, first stop after Bilbao (as to be expected, because people sometimes stay in Bilbao for an extra night to visit the Guggenheim and a number of pilgrims start in Bilbao). So, if you've finished the Frances, doing a lesser known Camino might be an option.

 

[TMcA]

My wife and I walked from Pamplona to SdC in 2013 and almost never reserved.

But in early May of 2016 we finished the Le Puy route and continued from SJPdP to Roncesvalles and on to Pamplona. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a Dutch hospitalier at the large Roncesvalles Refugio (albergue) mentioned to me that the following day they would be full. By about 4PM the next day Zubiri was completo and people had to sleep outside the town.

Some responses to that earlier post conveyed a message to the effect that "that was not my experience", etc. Probably true when those individuals made their Camino. But it was true around May 9 of 2016. So I would follow the advice of @ Susan Peacock...reserve ahead for Orisson, Roncevalles, and Zubiri and if you are are walking in a busy month (May, June, and September) get a feel for whether a reservation is necessary for the rest of your Camino.

Buen Camino.

Tom

 

[Deleted member 3000]

For those who are hoping for an uncrowded June, the news is not great. Daily arrivals this year are averaging almost 400 per day ahead of last June, and 200 per day more than last July.

 

[long trails]

Only issue I had was in Los Arcos which seems to be a bit of a bottle neck. Beyond that most pilgrims seem spread out further along the trail.