Planning for a no-itinerary camino.

[Sanchez]

Hi there,
I'm landing in Spain on May 10, starting a walk on the Via de la Plata as soon as I get there. I've spent a bit of time in Spain, but haven't walked any of the caminos. I'm hoping for a little advice on what I should plan for.

I'm not making the entire walk, it's going to be very non-scheduled, so I won't know for sure when I'll be entering any particular city. With this in mind, what are people's thoughts on expectations of vacancy at the Albergues? Should I be sure to call ahead every day or can I have a reasonable expectation of finding open beds most days? (May 10-June 7)

And speaking of calling, are most Americans simply buying a Spanish pre-pay smartphone for telephone/navigation or just paying the extra to the US-based carrier for euro service?

Thanks!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Regading a Spanish Sim card, after a disaster a few years ago buying in Spain I caved and decidd to give it a try again. Lebara kiosk at the Malaga airport. Good. But blew through the 20€ once again. Had to recharge a few days after Merida (everything closed on Sunday in Merida and no places to buy recharge until 2days later). Will use own provider's international plan, once again, next time.

As for the necessity to book, I think the best thing to do is book for theforst two nights (landing day and after the first day of walking) and then you can get a sense of how many are kn the road with you.

 

[koknesis]

https://www.vodafone.es/c/particulares/es/tienda/movil/tourist-in-spain-vf/

Used every time when visiting Spain. No problems. There will be no roaming charges in EU for European subscriptions starting from middle of June. One can use then voice/data connections just like in home country.

 

[Trude]

Finishing Via de la Plata tomorrow. We never planned ahead and always got a bottom bunk. The hostels are sometimes cheaper than the Alburgue if there's two of you. In the English book they do not speak well of the Alburgue in CEA we found it to be great. On the Via you have to decide whether to walk long distances or short as the accomodation is spaced unevenly. I walked from Sevillia but it was most enjoyable after Salamanca.

 

[Donna Sch]

Hi there,
I'm landing in Spain on May 10, starting a walk on the Via de la Plata as soon as I get there. I've spent a bit of time in Spain, but haven't walked any of the caminos. I'm hoping for a little advice on what I should plan for.

I'm not making the entire walk, it's going to be very non-scheduled, so I won't know for sure when I'll be entering any particular city. With this in mind, what are people's thoughts on expectations of vacancy at the Albergues? Should I be sure to call ahead every day or can I have a reasonable expectation of finding open beds most days? (May 10-June 7)

And speaking of calling, are most Americans simply buying a Spanish pre-pay smartphone for telephone/navigation or just paying the extra to the US-based carrier for euro service?

Thanks!

I only booked my first night in Sevilla at Triana. If you are in SdC on 24/7 make sure you book somewhere otherwise you will be competing with the hordes who all will be in town for the fireworks. And I copped a motorsports event in Sanabria and we got one of the last rooms in town. So watch out for feast days and days when non-pilgrims will also be in town.
Otherwise it is rare to not be able to get a bed. Watch out for some spots where routes converge or which are popular with cyclists (and are donativo) - you may end up in a top bunk! The reality is that you often have your choice of bunkbed, and can sleep on the bottom and spread your gear out on the top one as needed.

I just bought a Spanish SIM and swapped cards. Lebara had a stand at BCN airport and it was a reasonable deal.

 

[C clearly]

I walked from Sevillia but it was most enjoyable after Salamanca.

I'm responding to this, just to show how we are all different, and every camino is also different. I walked from Sevilla to Astorga last month and I liked the Merida-Salamanca portion most! It depends so much on the weather, the fellow walkers, and how one is feeling.

 

[sharon w]

Well...we have just had to change plans as all accommodation is completo on Sunday night for Galisteo and Riolobos, including albergues. Now having to go from Canaveral to Plasencia. Luckily we booked Canaveral a while ago. It is the long weekend. There are many pilgrims on the VdlP at the moment and they are all desperately trying to get a bed somewhere. Others have caught buses and moved on.

 

[domigee]

Well...we have just had to change plans as all accommodation is completo on Sunday night for Galisteo and Riolobos, including albergues. Now having to go from Canaveral to Plasencia. Luckily we booked Canaveral a while ago. It is the long weekend. There are many pilgrims on the VdlP at the moment and they are all desperately trying to get a bed somewhere. Others have caught buses and moved on.

Wow! Hope you don't have too much trouble from now on.
Maybe there is something to be said for walking it in the Summer, the heat is a killer but there's plenty of room in the albergues

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Well...we have just had to change plans as all accommodation is completo on Sunday night for Galisteo and Riolobos, including albergues. Now having to go from Canaveral to Plasencia. Luckily we booked Canaveral a while ago. It is the long weekend. There are many pilgrims on the VdlP at the moment and they are all desperately trying to get a bed somewhere. Others have caught buses and moved on.

Why are you going as far as Plasencia? Have you given Sra Elena a try in El Carcaboso? Or even in Galisteo, the Hotel de Medina?

After Carcaboso, there is an albergue in Olivia de Plasencia, and one called Asturias further on, but still much more on Camino than gping to Plasencia.

Ypu could also consider a shorter walk and stay in Grimaldo instead of Riolobos/Galisteo.

Best of luck!

 

[sharon w]

Thanks. Hotel Medina is full as well as the albergues and rural casas. We are going to be in Oliva de Plasencia on Monday night, so the walk is doable from Plasencia. There are 4 of us, but even so, this area is filled with people from Madrid for the long weekend. Both the albergues in Riolobos and Galisteo can be booked and they have been.
We have had no other problems, even though most of the albergues have been full. We see new people every day. Some started in Merida. If we went to Carcaboso, I think it would be too far from Canaveral. We are going to have a day off and catch the train or bus to Plasencia. We are staying in an albergue in Plasencia.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks.
We are staying in an albergue in Plasencia.

Sounds like you have a good plan. Things were already quite busy when I walked, albergues with a bed or two to spare, and that was because a good number of people were staying in pensiones and hotels.

 

[sharon w]

Hostel Canaveral booked out. Many people catching a taxi to go on. There are more and more pilgrims every day.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hostel Canaveral booked out. Many people catching a taxi to go on. There are more and more pilgrims every day.

Happened when I was there. They were sending people to the Malaga pension up the street, apparently not very nice. The hostel on the other hand ended up with 6 free beds because people did npt show up (it is not just for pilgrims). And its food is delicious. I had calamares en su tinta which were the most tender I have ever had.

 

[Trude]

Well...we have just had to change plans as all accommodation is completo on Sunday night for Galisteo and Riolobos, including albergues. Now having to go from Canaveral to Plasencia. Luckily we booked Canaveral a while ago. It is the long weekend. There are many pilgrims on the VdlP at the moment and they are all desperately trying to get a bed somewhere. Others have caught buses and moved on.

Wow what a difference 2 weeks make. The maximum in the Albergues was 11 and hostels were cheap. Your own room for 10€ each in some places. We would walk all day and not see another pilgrim. Only Easter Zamora was quiet full, a lot of cyclists. Our guide book does not say nice things about CEA Albergue, we found it wonderful.

 

[Sanchez]

Wow, sounds like a few different answers on the topic of reserving beds.

Perhaps this was a busy weekend? I'm hoping the density of pilgrims lightens up a little as summer approaches.

Thanks all, for the input.

 

[C clearly]

Perhaps this was a busy weekend?

Yes - May 1 is a holiday and fell on a Monday this year. Many people take advantage of the long weekend, so it shouldn't be a surprise to find it busier than usual in accommodation.

 

[Sanchez]

I'm seeing no availability at the municipal albergue & the Triana into next week.
Anybody have leads on other low cost options in Sevilla?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I'm seeing no availability at the municipal albergue & the Triana into next week.
Anybody have leads on other low cost options in Sevilla?

I,stayed in a single room for 30€ on my way back to the airport here. Good location, terrible shared facilities though.

http://www.pensionperezmontilla.com/

 

[Sanchez]

Thanks Anemone! That's perfect.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thanks Anemone! That's perfect.

Glad it suits you.

 

[notion900]

Hi @Sanchez I got back from VDLP on Tuesday. Sevilla on Good Friday was busy but I had managed to book Triana a week before. I started from Villafranca and walked to Fuenterroble, and then got the bus to Salamanca, where I stayed Monday 1 May night. Salamanca had been very busy over the weekend because of a public holiday on 1st, but that night was no problem as people had already checked out and were going to eat lunch and go home. I would have had problems if I had arrived 2 days earlier. Apart from that there was no problem with beds at all. I only had to sleep in a top bunk 3 times. I made a few bookings here and there at places where I identified there might be bottlenecks (e.g. after the problem long stage from Casar de Caceres, where everyone has to stay in Cañaveral). But generally I did not book.

Just shows the impacts of public holidays and festivals, so do your homework on national and regional festivals (you will just miss Seville Fería by a whisker), and ask hospitaleros as you go along, they are usually a mine of information. I was sternly warned by the volunteers at Fuenterroble about the public holiday, because I had to make travel plans to get back to Madrid.

BTW make sure you carry plenty of water and factor 50 sunscreen, the VDLP can be quite unforgivingly hot.

 

[sharon w]

Zamora albergue completo today. It takes 30 pilgrims. Many others are spread around town in hotels. After talking to quite a few pilgrims this afternoon, they are surprised at the number(perhaps50). So we are trying to get out of this large group yet again. There are also many cyclists here.