Pilgrim.es

[NewIDPilgrim]

Hi all! Have you used Pilgrim.es to plan your Camino? The reviews that I have found make me a bit nervous. Bit I can’t find any other company that will work with my group size. I don’t mind paying for the service but don’t wish to over pay ( my group isn’t wealthy and this trip is going to be a big sacrifice for us).

 

[Pafayac]

I do not really understand what a travel agency provides regarding the Camino...
Sizing the steps is not a big deal, nor booking accommodations (except if you are a large group...). What do you except from a tour operator ?

 

[NewIDPilgrim]

I do not really understand what a travel agency provides regarding the Camino...
Sizing the steps is not a big deal, nor booking accommodations (except if you are a large group...). What do you except from a tour operator ?

Booking accommodations for 10 people.

 

[NewIDPilgrim]

The group is between 10-15 people. I won’t have a final number until next month.
My biggest concern is having to ‘rush’ the day’s journey to be able to get a bed at the end of a stage. We aren’t all young. If it was just me, I would book via booking.com but I can’t do that for the whole group.

 

[trecile]

I do not really understand what a travel agency provides regarding the Camino...
Sizing the steps is not a big deal, nor booking accommodations (except if you are a large group...). What do you except from a tour operator ?

If I were in charge of planning for a large group I wouldn't mind a scapegoat if things go awry.

 

[jsalt]

Hi, welcome to the forum! There are a few of us here who organize groups on the camino, so maybe we can help a bit. Where do you want to start and end? And when do you want to go? We could perhaps offer some suggestions for organizing it all yourself, which would save you all HEAPS of money. (I occasionally bring a group of about 10 from South Africa – people who have little savings and could never ever in a million years walk it alone . . . ).

 

[SoozKH]

Hi all! Have you used Pilgrim.es to plan your Camino? The reviews that I have found make me a bit nervous. Bit I can’t find any other company that will work with my group size. I don’t mind paying for the service but don’t wish to over pay ( my group isn’t wealthy and this trip is going to be a big sacrifice for us).

Try to ask for a quote from rutas meigas. They are a local agency helping the other bigger firms from overseas and hence their price is more reasonable. I have a quote from them to compare but in the end decided to do it myself instead. They do respond well in English (on email, have not spoken to them).

 

[jsalt]

If it was just me, I would book via booking.com but I can’t do that for the whole group.

Yes, you can, I have a few now with booking.com for 8 of us on the Camino Primitivo in September. Most of the bookings I have made are by email or whatsapp. Ideally I like to pay a small deposit to be sure of holding the booking.

 

[dick bird]

Hi all! Have you used Pilgrim.es to plan your Camino? The reviews that I have found make me a bit nervous. Bit I can’t find any other company that will work with my group size. I don’t mind paying for the service but don’t wish to over pay ( my group isn’t wealthy and this trip is going to be a big sacrifice for us).

When do you plan on going? If it is far enough in the future you could save a lot of money by making the bookings online. It would take time and energy but DIY might be the way to go.

 

[dbier]

Have you priced CaminoWays or SantiagoWays?

 

[NewIDPilgrim]

When do you plan on going? If it is far enough in the future you could save a lot of money by making the bookings online. It would take time and energy but DIY might be the way to go.

June 2025

 

[NewIDPilgrim]

Have you priced CaminoWays or SantiagoWays?

No. Are the good?
June 2025

 

[dbier]

I've used CaminoWays, and they handle groups. While I get that booking yourself would be cheaper, *i* would turn to professionals for peace of mind with up to 10 people.

I wonder if AnnieSantiago or JWilhaus is looking to lead a group next year...

Buen Camino.

 

[dick bird]

June 2025

That’s a year away. If cost is a concern that is ample time to research, plan and book without resorting to an expensive trip organizer.

 

[trecile]

With a group that size a big part of planning will involve training and assessing how far each person is able to walk each day. If you want to all stay together I recommend stages that the person who can walk the least far can handle.

 

[Cuttooth]

I was asked to plan a Frances rom SJPP for a group of 8 (most in their 60s and 70s) turning into 13 in Sarria. I had the benefit of walking the Frances a few times but I did all of the booking online, via email, or WhatsApp. With our airfare from the US, private accommodations, meals (estimated from a Camino a year ago), transport to SJPP, luggage transfer, and a few days in Barcelona to acclimate we were still cheaper than all of the services I priced. I have it all in a spreadsheet if you are interested message me and I will share it with you.

 

[JennyW]

Hi all! Have you used Pilgrim.es to plan your Camino? The reviews that I have found make me a bit nervous. Bit I can’t find any other company that will work with my group size. I don’t mind paying for the service but don’t wish to over pay ( my group isn’t wealthy and this trip is going to be a big sacrifice for us).

I just finished first day of Camino Ingles that they organised (self-guided) - so far so good and they had cheaper accommodation options than other companies. But perhaps you could organise and book it yourself, I was nervous about doing that as it’s my first Camino.

 

[JamesGeier]

Hi all! Have you used Pilgrim.es to plan your Camino? The reviews that I have found make me a bit nervous. Bit I can’t find any other company that will work with my group size. I don’t mind paying for the service but don’t wish to over pay ( my group isn’t wealthy and this trip is going to be a big sacrifice for us).

I just completed a pilgrimage walk on the Camino Sanabres from Zamora to Santiago de Compostela. We were a group of 3, and prefer private accommodation over albergues. I used Pilgrim.es to book accommodation the whole way. They were excellent. I have used Camino Ways and Follow the Camino in the past, and both were good. Camino Ways could only book for us on this route from Ourense to Santiago, and Follow the Camino was almost double the price as Pilgrim.es. Overall, Pilgrim.es was very responsive to our needs, helped us with a few questions along the way, and the value for the cost was excellent. I would be happy to use Pilgrim.es again.

 

[WanderLustToo]

I am walking the Camino right now with 7 of us total. I booked the whole trip last December/January and we are using Pilbeo Luggage Transfer. I keep getting compliments on how great the accommodations are and inexpensive. All it takes is attention to details and reading reviews carefully. Camino Ninja app will tell you distances between towns on each Way. Google Maps gives you an idea of coffee houses and restaurants. I had a lot of fun creating this trip.

My biggest hassle so far is people checking in early and taking the wrong room (twin instead of double) in a fully booked hotel.

 

[jsalt]

My biggest hassle so far is people checking in early and taking the wrong room (twin instead of double) in a fully booked hotel.

Yes, things like that happen to me too, and that’s when the group leader has to assert their authority, and order the miscreants to change rooms (try telling the two single guys in the group that they have to share a double bed ).

It’s NOT easy leading a group on the camino. You have to check, check and double check again, every step of the way.

One place took my booking for 12 people, but didn’t want a deposit. I insisted, in order to hold the booking. They refused, assuring me that they “were never full” at that time of the year. I checked again before we left home, no problem. Yeah, you can guess what happened, they were “fully booked” when we arrived. I was furious. And the guy on the desk was the same guy I had continually checked in with. He couldn’t care less.

My co-leader (it really helps to have one!) was meanwhile phoning around and found us a budget hotel with enough beds 3kms further, which turned out to be a better option anyway. But the members of that group have never let me forget the day they arrived exhausted and had to walk further . . .

 

[JennyW]

I just finished first day of Camino Ingles that they organised (self-guided) - so far so good and they had cheaper accommodation options than other companies. But perhaps you could organise and book it yourself, I was nervous about doing that as it’s my first Camino.

PS just to add it continued to go well with Pilgrim.es for the rest of the 7 days to Santiago, my bag nearly always arrived at the next accommodation before I did, and the accommodations were all clean and comfortable although I’d chosen hostals/pensións rather than more expensive hotels. So I can’t fault them and they were better value than others I’d looked at. Buen camino however you decide to do it.