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I walked from Oloron Ste Marie through the Aragones to Puenta la Reina (and on to Santiago) in 2016 and never needed a phone, except for one situation in which I had to hitch a ride, because it was getting dark and still two hours walk from my night's stop. But I don't know what good it would have done to have a phone. I had booked ahead at the monastery at Sarrance, by email, and had my booking confirmed by a hospitalera and by one of the brothers, but nonetheless there was no record of it when I arrived. There was still a bed for me in the auberge, in fact, a private room. Bookings did not seem necessary on that route, and since it has not become busier since this may still be the case. I stopped in the tourist office in Canfranc Estacion, when an albergue which was supposed to be open turned out to have no hospitalero there. The person in the tourist office phoned around until she found me a room in a different hostel. There was also a very helpful tourist office in Jaca, which helped me to arrange to go to San Juan de la Pena. You won't want to miss it. Enjoy your walk on this delightful route. Buen camino.
Bravo! You have much to look forward to! ... A few quick thoughts, in no particular order:
1. Oloron is a good place to start. Try and visit there the last surviving traditional beret factory in France. Circumstances prevented me from doing so, and I'm still sorry about that.
Godspeed.
I walked from Oloron Ste Marie through the Aragones to Puenta la Reina (and on to Santiago) in 2016 and never needed a phone, except for one situation in which I had to hitch a ride, because it was getting dark and still two hours walk from my night's stop. But I don't know what good it would have done to have a phone. I had booked ahead at the monastery at Sarrance, by email, and had my booking confirmed by a hospitalera and by one of the brothers, but nonetheless there was no record of it when I arrived. There was still a bed for me in the auberge, in fact, a private room. Bookings did not seem necessary on that route, and since it has not become busier since this may still be the case. I stopped in the tourist office in Canfranc Estacion, when an albergue which was supposed to be open turned out to have no hospitalero there. The person in the tourist office phoned around until she found me a room in a different hostel. There was also a very helpful tourist office in Jaca, which helped me to arrange to go to San Juan de la Pena. You won't want to miss it. Enjoy your walk on this delightful route. Buen camino.
I walked the Aragonese alone and with no SIM card. Actually, I was about a week behind Albertagirl. There were albergues where the door wasn't locked and the hospitalera showed up eventually to register you and ask if you wanted dinner. Basically you went in and settled in. Most places had a hospi there when I arrived. In one place, the local bar managed the albergue.
The albergue in Sanguesa is tiny, but good, and the alternate route after there, through the gorge, is gorgeous.
It's a great route. Happy planning!
Great picture, Rev
It is indeed.Thank you for this advice, Northern Light! It's good to know that many albergues are open, and that you can settle in and then check-in with the hospitalera later. I've been reading through these threads and making notes of the recommended detours, and I'll add the gorge to my list! (is this the Foz de Lumbier?)
Hi Nadine,
I endorse the Rev's comment about an Oloron start: the 3-day journey up into the Pyrenees becomes increasingly spectacular until you reach the summit. On the second day there are some short sections where the path is cut out of a cliff above the river gorge. Please use the rope hand-holds provided and take it very carefully...
Buen camino.
At last one more pilgrim on the Aragones…Last year in May I walked also from Oloron til Puenta la Reina. Very rainy (watch out in the Val d'Aspe) and very lonely. What you should see , if possible, is Canfranc station also because of lots of history during WW II, Jaca, San Juan de la Pena but it is not easy to plan on the route, and Eunate
Yes, yes, yes, visit the beret factory and buy yourself a beautiful and properly fitted beret as they are THE best headwear for walkers. Warm, waterproof and won't blow off in high winds and if you buy a wide one you can shelter from the sun under it; I once saw some French soldiers on a railway station wearing berets so wide that they looked like mushrooms!
Thank you, @Pilger99 for the emergency calling information of great value to anyone on any route! I had suspected this but was unsure. Also, there is the AlertCops app that has been mentioned a number of times on the forum.Emergency calls (to police, firefighters etc.) are free without any SIM.
It doesn't matter if the origin is a fixed or mobile phone.
Call 112, which is valid all over EU.
see https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/health/unplanned-healthcare/index_en.htm for more.
If you have the "emergency" need of calling a taxi or the next albergue you still need a SIM. The mountains of San Juan de la Peña (especially the way up) and some other stretches are away from people. In most other places you can count on help by locals, but don't expect immediate help, since the villages are small and the main traffic goes over the motor-way.
Just buy a French SIM card and the whole process would most probably take as much time as it took you to write the OPHello fellow pilgrims!
I am so excited to be planning a walk from Oloron to Puenta La Reina, beginning around mid-June (and then on to Irun, hopefully to Oviedo, a route I walked in 2015 and have been wanting to return to ever since).
This forum has been invaluable, as usual, and I've spent several hours reading through these posts. Thank you all for this very helpful information!
My biggest question is this: I'm traveling from the US and my phone won't be able to make calls unless I buy a local SIM card. I did not do this when I walked the Camino de San Salvador a few years ago, and had some hilarious moments trying to hunt down pay phones in order to call someone to let me into the albergues. It always worked out, but I vowed that if I were walking an isolated route in the future, I would pony up for a SIM card.
If I happen to be one of the few/only pilgrims on this route when I walk, what are the chances that there will be someone/a hospitalero in the albergues when I arrive? Will I need to have a working phone to contact someone to let me in? I'm not terribly worried about this; I trust that I could go knocking on doors to ask for help if needed, but my Spanish is very minimal and if it's expected to have a working phone to help with the albergue situation, I will certainly see to that.
Lastly, because I am deep in the glorious anticipation/preparation stage of my pilgrimage: would anyone like to share their single favorite moment or memory from this route? This is one that seems to be a hidden treasure, and I am just so excited to begin this journey.
Buen Camino,
Nadine
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