Pasajes (Pasaia) accommodation

[AJGuillaume]

After leaving Irun, we plan to stop in Pasajes (Pasaia). We are slow walkers, and we also aim to keep our stages to an average of 15km where possible. In Pasajes, most guides only list one albergue: Santa Ana.
It has 14 beds only, will not take advance reservations.
We are concerned that we may be victims of the bed race, and find that we have to walk the extra km to San Sebastian.
However, the printed Cicerone guidebook names one extra place to sleep: Lodging Txintxorro.
I can't find it anywhere else. Gronze doesn't mention it, nor do the Cicerone website and the Buen Camino app.
Does anyone know anything about this lodging?
And follow-up question, if the answer to the above is negative, are we likely to be victims of the bed race on 3 September?
Thank you!
Andrew

 

[Dave]

Hi Andrew--Unfortunately, Txintxorro has gone out of business. It will be removed from the next reprinting of the guide. Pasajes has been a surprisingly troublesome spot for accommodation. My best suggestion is to try Airbnb. There are some options.

Worst case, transportation between Pasajes and San Sebastian is very easy, so you could pop out to more accessible (and expensive) lodging and then return the next morning.

Dave

 

[grayland]

For clarification: The post above is from Dave who is the author of the Cicerone guide for the Norte.

His advice to perhaps look to transport somewhere for the night and then return in the morning to continue is excellent. The advantage here is that you could stop anywhere you felt necessary and a taxi was available.

Staying in albergues is a Camino experience... and the most economical way t0 stay. But..it is simply not a integral part of being a pilgrim..just a cheaper way to sleep. I stay in albergues when it is not busy (and the albergue is not sketchy) and in private accommodation at other times. I just stay very loose with the decisions and try not to lock myself into a definite destination each day.

The modern albergue system was started when the modern camino was revived. It was simply intended to provide a place to sleep for those who cannot afford other accommodation. In fact, when it is busy and the albergues are full, staying in a pension or hostel is a very pilgrim like thing to do. It frees up a bed to a budget stressed pilgrim. Unless it is a budget consideration, keep open the option of private accommondation. It does give you a lot of mental freedom to avoid the "bed race".

 

[grayland]

In Spain...Hostal = less expensive than a hotel. Not a dormitory style like an albergue Similar to a Pension.
Hostel = usually an albergue or dormitory style accommodation

You may often see a sign for a "Hostal" on the street in a larger town. It is not an albergue...but a very good choice for an alternative place to stay. Often with shared hall bathrooms but private rooms.

 

[AJGuillaume]

Hi Andrew--Unfortunately, Txintxorro has gone out of business. It will be removed from the next reprinting of the guide. Pasajes has been a surprisingly troublesome spot for accommodation. My best suggestion is to try Airbnb. There are some options.

Worst case, transportation between Pasajes and San Sebastian is very easy, so you could pop out to more accessible (and expensive) lodging and then return the next morning.

Dave

Thank you @Dave, I thought that might be the case when it was not listed on your website.
We have tried AirBnB, and found a place. It just gives us peace of mind.

 

[AJGuillaume]

For clarification: The post above is from Dave who is the author of the Cicerone guide for the Norte.

His advice to perhaps look to transport somewhere for the night and then return in the morning to continue is excellent. The advantage here is that you could stop anywhere you felt necessary and a taxi was available.

Staying in albergues is a Camino experience... and the most economical way t0 stay. But..it is simply not a integral part of being a pilgrim..just a cheaper way to sleep. I stay in albergues when it is not busy (and the albergue is not sketchy) and in private accommodation at other times. I just stay very loose with the decisions and try not to lock myself into a definite destination each day.

The modern albergue system was started when the modern camino was revived. It was simply intended to provide a place to sleep for those who cannot afford other accommodation. In fact, when it is busy and the albergues are full, staying in a pension or hostel is a very pilgrim like thing to do. It frees up a bed to a budget stressed pilgrim. Unless it is a budget consideration, keep open the option of private accommondation. It does give you a lot of mental freedom to avoid the "bed race".

Thank you @grayland! We'll have the Camino experience every now and then. For a number of reasons, we do opt for private accommodation, and I don't consider myself less of a pilgrim for doing so.
Thank you for your advice!

 

[grayland]

I am not sure how the belief that staying in albergues was the test of the pilgrim ever got started.
Strangely, it seems the same people who adhere to this belief are the same ones who strongly advocate that everyone use "luggage" storage.
I have a picture of the lobby of the albergues filled with roller suitcases waiting for jacotrans in the morning.

Many of us have paid our dues in albergues and are happy to surrender our bunks to those in need.