Places of interest

[Jacintha Warren]

I'm starting solo on 1st May and wonder if anyone has any good advice on where to stay each evening? I'm open to whatever the Camino brings me but wonder if I should book anything in advance so that I'm sure of a bed etc. Also any good tips on great places to stay or places of interest. Does anyone know if there's a place I can see reviews of hostals etc?
Many thanks in advance
Jacintha

 

[dougfitz]

My wife and I walked from SJPP on 2 May last year, and after having difficulty finding accommodation at Zubiri, booked most of the rest of the way. Others who left a day or so later claimed they had no problem finding accommodation. My advice is that if you do decide not to book ahead, have a strategy for how you are going to deal with finding places full. This might mean:

1. searching for other, generally more expensive, options locally
2. walking on to the next place if it is close enough
3. finding private accommodation off the main path but close enough to take a taxi
4. taking a taxi to the closest larger town with available accommodation (and returning the next day to where you were).

I find the site at gronze.com useful for information on pilgrim accommodation, but in many cases the number of reviews are relatively small. Booking.com has good coverage of a lot of private albergues and other private accommodation, but not normally municipal or other albergues that don't take bookings.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Booking a "nice" place ahead of time in the big city's is always a good idea so you can incorporate a "rest" day with a sight seeing day combined. I would certainly book a "nice" hotel in Santiago ahead of time. (I really like Hotel Montenegro there).

 

[Jacintha Warren]

Booking a "nice" place ahead of time in the big city's is always a good idea so you can incorporate a "rest" day with a sight seeing day combined. I would certainly book a "nice" hotel in Santiago ahead of time. (I really like Hotel Montenegro there).

Thank you! Not going to make Santiago this time round tho!

My wife and I walked from SJPP on 2 May last year, and after having difficulty finding accommodation at Zubiri, booked most of the rest of the way. Others who left a day or so later claimed they had no problem finding accommodation. My advice is that if you do decide not to book ahead, have a strategy for how you are going to deal with finding places full. This might mean:

1. searching for other, generally more expensive, options locally
2. walking on to the next place if it is close enough
3. finding private accommodation off the main path but close enough to take a taxi
4. taking a taxi to the closest larger town with available accommodation (and returning the next day to where you were).

I find the site at gronze.com useful for information on pilgrim accommodation, but in many cases the number of reviews are relatively small. Booking.com has good coverage of a lot of private albergues and other private accommodation, but not normally municipal or other albergues that don't take bookings.

that was really helpful. I have 12 days to get myself together and get some bookings done. Really appreciate that.

 

[MaryLynn]

I have mainly stayed at municipal or parochial albergues, where booking ahead is not possible, and I never had a problem finding a place on any of my Caminos at any time of the year. I like the simplicity of albergues and the freedom to walk as far as I wanted to walk each day.

 

[Robo]

I have 12 days to get myself together and get some bookings done. Really appreciate that.

You might not want to book too many nights ahead until you find your comfortable pace and distance?
It would be a pity to find you wished you had booked closer or further on......

 

[Mike Savage]

For me it worked out best to not have a place booked. I did have to walk a little further on a few times but I was able to stop for the night any time I wanted. Sometimes I walked in to a town, found it to my liking, and stopped right there for the night. Even if I had only gone a short distance. Molinaseca on the Francés comes to mind. (So far on all of my caminos I have chosen not to have phone service which no doubt affected my decision too.)

 

[biloute]

The only places I booked ahead on the Camino Francés were the big towns: Burgos, León and Santiago. I had no trouble finding a bed anywhere. It may be more difficult if you start on a weekend or holiday because a lot more people would leave then than if you started on a weekday. But since May 1 is a Monday I don't think you'll have a problem, especially this early in the season.

 

[Jacintha Warren]

Thank you for your advice, think I won't be booking ahead!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Thank you for your advice, think I won't be booking ahead!

I am willing to bet two-bits that you will change your mind! Have fun; be flexible; change your mind when that works out better. Buen camino.

 

[julia-t]

I book ahead - but only 24 hours.
Once I have finished for the day, I assess how I am feeling, legs, feet, back, etc, count up how far I have just walked that day. Then check the map, consider where the albergues are for the next day, and how far I think I might want to walk.
Maybe discuss with fellow pilgrims where they think they might be stopping/staying the next day.
I also check the weather forecast!
I look at Brierley and/or Wise Pilgrim app, and select an albergue (I try to pick one with a small ratio of beds/rooms). Then I call them and reserve a bed (and always ask for a low bed because I have bad knees!).
Sometimes if you have made a good friend, it's nice to share a private room for only a little more cost.

 

[CdnDreamer]

In 2015 when I walked in April/May, the May 1st holiday also fell on a weekend. It was busy that week, as many Spanish people walked for one week. I arrived in Puente La Reina on the Friday night of the long weekend to find the albergues almost full, and many Spanish people started from there on the Saturday (and I was in that wave). It was busy for about a week and then it got quiet again. Since you are starting out on the Monday, you may be between the waves of people starting on Saturday from different cities on the Camino. Even in the wave I only had one night where I had to walk an extra 3 km to find a place to sleep.

In the Resources Section there is a list of favourite albergues. There should also be a list of albergues that have communal meals - I travelled alone and enjoyed communal dinners. Buen camino!

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Interesting point. I did not know May 1st was a holiday. Thanks

 

[Jacintha Warren]

Y

I am willing to bet two-bits that you will change your mind! Have fun; be flexible; change your mind when that works out better. Buen camino.

You're right! My plan is to be completely flexible, and see where it takes me. 7 days to go!!!!!

 

[Jacintha Warren]

In 2015 when I walked in April/May, the May 1st holiday also fell on a weekend. It was busy that week, as many Spanish people walked for one week. I arrived in Puente La Reina on the Friday night of the long weekend to find the albergues almost full, and many Spanish people started from there on the Saturday (and I was in that wave). It was busy for about a week and then it got quiet again. Since you are starting out on the Monday, you may be between the waves of people starting on Saturday from different cities on the Camino. Even in the wave I only had one night where I had to walk an extra 3 km to find a place to sleep.

In the Resources Section there is a list of favourite albergues. There should also be a list of albergues that have communal meals - I travelled alone and enjoyed communal dinners. Buen camino!

I'd love the idea of the communal meal and will definitely check out the list of fav albergues, I'm getting really excited, thank you so much for your help.

 

[biloute]

I book ahead - but only 24 hours.
Once I have finished for the day, I assess how I am feeling, legs, feet, back, etc, count up how far I have just walked that day. Then check the map, consider where the albergues are for the next day, and how far I think I might want to walk.

I did this on the Le Puy route in France after I ran into a large hostel that was completely booked and ended up having to stay at a bed and breakfast that was very nice, but much more than I had wanted to spend. I didn't bother in Spain, though. Never had problems.