private rooms in albergues

[thetravellingpen]

Thank you in advance...
Budgeting, and wondering what the average price for a private room is in the albergues? Would like to still meet people, enjoy the evening together, but not share a room for sleeping, so this seems a better option when available than a pension.
Comments?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Private rooms in albergues are a bit scarce. Generally you have to go to the hostales or pensiones. You can research these sites for information on each albergue and look for the ones that have single or double rooms.
http://www.mundicamino.com/ingles/rutas.cfm?id=15
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/albergues/#camino-frances

 

[thetravellingpen]

Thank you!

 

[Jochen-Schmidtke]

Thank you!

Hello travelling pen.
Try my list of accomodations
There you will find plenty of different accomodations. Mostly with their home page (if they have one )
The list is written in German but you will be able to decipher the most informations. EZ means single room, DZ means double room.
Buen Camino
Jochen

 

[nreyn12]

To further clarify, private single rooms in albergues are scarce, but private doubles (or triples and quads) are becoming more and more common. If you'd be willing to share with one (two, three) other person, you will have plenty of options for (semi-) privacy. The rate is often about 150% of the normal albergue price, meaning that if a bed in a shared dorm is 10 euros, a bed in a private double room will be 15 euros each, with double occupancy required. These are estimates, of course, but that should help for the budgeting process.

Private rooms are usually only found in private albergues, and most of those can be booked in advance. I wouldn't book more than one day in advance (same day is good, too), so you can keep some flexibility in your itinerary.

 

[thetravellingpen]

To further clarify, private single rooms in albergues are scarce, but private doubles (or triples and quads) are becoming more and more common. If you'd be willing to share with one (two, three) other person, you will have plenty of options for (semi-) privacy. The rate is often about 150% of the normal albergue price, meaning that if a bed in a shared dorm is 10 euros, a bed in a private double room will be 15 euros each, with double occupancy required. These are estimates, of course, but that should help for the budgeting process.

Private rooms are usually only found in private albergues, and most of those can be booked in advance. I wouldn't book more than one day in advance (same day is good, too), so you can keep some flexibility in your itinerary.

Thanks so much for this... will just be flexible then. Just not sure if I'll cope with the dorm room situation on a daily basis! Is it possible to go into a triple room for example, and have others join you, or would it only be for people travelling together who already know each other?

 

[Ourdavy]

Thanks so much for this... will just be flexible then. Just not sure if I'll cope with the dorm room situation on a daily basis! Is it possible to go into a triple room for example, and have others join you, or would it only be for people travelling together who already know each other?

If you get one of the guide books you can call ahead to see if the pensions have private rooms............. ive walked the full camino frances twice from st jean and anytime i stayed in a private room was with pilgrims i met along the way. To be honest by the time you arrive at your destination you,ll sleep anywhere!

 

[Icacos]

........ Is it possible to go into a triple room for example, and have others join you, or would it only be for people travelling together who already know each other?

I've only been on one Camino, the Frances, and it is possible to book the entire private room, so long as you are willing to pay for the extra empty beds. Aside from the extra cost, the downside of this is that you might later run into a tired pilgrim who had to go else where because he/she was turned away from your albergue because it was "completo" (full). This happened to my companions and me in a town close to Santiago, when the three of us booked a four-bed private room. To say we were not very happy with ourselves is an understatement. Charleen

 

[thetravellingpen]

I've only been on one Camino, the Frances, and it is possible to book the entire private room, so long as you are willing to pay for the extra empty beds. Aside from the extra cost, the downside of this is that you might later run into a tired pilgrim who had to go else where because he/she was turned away from your albergue because it was "completo" (full). This happened to my companions and me in a town close to Santiago, when the three of us booked a four-bed private room. To say we were not very happy with ourselves is an understatement. Charleen

Hi,
I think you misunderstood me... I didn't mean I wanted the room to myself, just wondered how as a single traveller you got to stay in a room for 3 or 4 people...

 

[nreyn12]

Is it possible to go into a triple room for example, and have others join you, or would it only be for people travelling together who already know each other?

I'm pretty sure you have to have your group of three to four already assembled when you book. You can also ask to be in the smallest room available; but if it's a busy time they will probably just drop you into the next empty bed or un-filled room.

 

[thetravellingpen]

Ah ok, that's what I was wondering. Will take it as it comes thanks!

 

[Rosemary Lyons]

There are many things we think we can not do,like live with what we carry for a month or more,or walk every day in the snow,in the rain,in the blazing heat,or love strangers almost instantly or eat meat and potatoes every day. But we do. We let go of our preferences and accept what is.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

We let go of our preferences and accept what is.

High maintenance pilgrims find the camino exponentially difficult. You CAN do it your way, but do not expect it to be as easy as it is for the adaptable. For the camino to provide, you have to be willing to listen.

 

[thetravellingpen]

High maintenance pilgrims find the camino exponentially difficult. You CAN do it your way, but do not expect it to be as easy as it is for the adaptable. For the camino to provide, you have to be willing to listen.

Thanks for the reply... I don't however feel that I'm 'high maintenance'. I'm quite prepared to use dorm rooms. However I want to be able to use private/semi-private rooms occasionally and was just asking the average price to be able to budget for a few nights of this 'luxury'.

 

[Thornley]

Select albergues with rooms that indicate the number of beds in each room
Plenty of good ones doing this.

 

[Wanderer64]

You can also opt for private rooms at hostals, pensions and cheap hotels. Most of them are situated very close to the albergue, and there's nothing stopping you from heading over to the albergue to share drinks, dinner and chat with fellow pilgrims. I used to do that, check into a non-albergue private room, then go over and visit with pilgrims/friends at the albergue.

The price for a private room at an albergue will be about the same as what you'll pay at a pension or hostal, about €20 - €30.

There will be lots of private room options for you.

 

[thetravellingpen]

You can also opt for private rooms at hostals, pensions and cheap hotels. Most of them are situated very close to the albergue, and there's nothing stopping you from heading over to the albergue to share drinks, dinner and chat with fellow pilgrims. I used to do that, check into a non-albergue private room, then go over and visit with pilgrims/friends at the albergue.

The price for a private room at an albergue will be about the same as what you'll pay at a pension or hostal, about €20 - €30.

There will be lots of private room options for you.

Thanks for the advice, appreciated!

 

[Kathy F.]

Sleeping with 25 of your closest new friends in an albergue is one of the seminal experiences of the Camino Frances. The coughing, the snoring, the farting, the squeaking bed springs, the threat of bed bugs. Ah, how I miss it.
No, not really, but it IS one of the seminal experiences of the Camino. Of course, you may want to get away from that very occasionally.
Get a room in a pension, a casa rural, a hostel, as others have recommended. Don't worry about missing out on sharing a communal meal, you will have lots of opportunities for that. Enjoy the quiet rest, the chance to recharge your batteries, both literally and figuratively, in security and comfort.
Many people plan to spend an extra day in the main cities along the way and those days were in hotels or pensions of necessity. Albergues require that you leave at a certain hour of the morning.
Personally, twice I had to stay in a single room because the albergues were full. The places along the Camino are full of pilgrims. You will see them everywhere with their backpacks or walking around in socks and sandals.
As much as I enjoy having a clean bathroom all to myself, the tales you return home with will most likely be more about the albergues than the hotels. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
That being said, I blog about my Camino and my next posting is tentatively titled "The A*Hole in the Albergue." Yep. Lots of adventures.

 

[paul.ferris]

My wife had a bad reaction to bed bug bites so we increasingly found a double room above bars/cafes, albergues etc. Always easy to find, never booked ahead but ran about 40 Euro per night. This was late Sept.-October 2011. Prices keep going up and more and more people do the Camino.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

There are many things we think we can not do,like live with what we carry for a month or more,or walk every day in the snow,in the rain,in the blazing heat,or love strangers almost instantly or eat meat and potatoes every day. But we do. We let go of our preferences and accept what is.

Agreed. As humans we have an innate ability to adapt....

 

[nreyn12]

I think the important thing is to know your own needs and preferences and honor them. AND be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone every so often just to see what you're made of! But remember, it's YOUR Camino, your pilgrimage, your life.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

I think the important thing is to know your own needs and preferences and honor them. AND be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone every so often just to see what you're made of! But remember, it's YOUR Camino, your pilgrimage, your life.

And when you do push yourself (just once in a while) you really feel great knowing that you can and have achieved this....

 

[Thornley]

High maintenance pilgrims find the camino exponentially difficult. You CAN do it your way, but do not expect it to be as easy as it is for the adaptable. For the camino to provide, you have to be willing to listen.

Left St Jean many years ago Falcon with a lady who had a hair dryer.
Under no circumstances was she going to get rid of this.
Just after Pamplona her hair was cut short and the dryer was left in the albergue

The girl adapted and was great company on and off all the way to Muxia.
We have kept in touch and her hair is still short , 6 years later.

 

[zakosdad]

Good reply Sara - I lead pilgrimages - groups of people who quite often have never traveled outside the USA before. They would never travel if they had to go alone - so we take the group - use tour buses & guides - stay in hotels. Not a Camino experience - but always prayerful - always as a pilgrim - not as tourists. The goal of our ministry is to empower people to see beyond their ordinary lives - to the beauty of pilgrimage - to experience the journey.

Buen Camino
Dale

 

[Rosemary Lyons]

Good reply Sara - I lead pilgrimages - groups of people who quite often have never traveled outside the USA before. They would never travel if they had to go alone - so we take the group - use tour buses & guides - stay in hotels. Not a Camino experience - but always prayerful - always as a pilgrim - not as tourists. The goal of our ministry is to empower people to see beyond their ordinary lives - to the beauty of pilgrimage - to experience the journey.

Buen Camino
Dale

 

[Rosemary Lyons]

Reading the threads from this interesting discussion revealed a tendency to judge,"self righteous, and pilgrim snobs" while condemning others for perceived judgments!
Goodness! There is a huge difference from those sleeping in Albergues,walking with a pack and walking every day to hostels and bussing. That is a truth that can be pointed out. I met four from Ireland sleeping in hotels,having their bags sent ahead having a great time,getting what they needed from their experience with no illusions they were pilgrims. They were on vacation and understood that difference. Neither they or I had a judgment but the reality is if you are talking busses,staying in hotels,having your bags sent you will have a different experience . You are the only one judging,your experience.

 

[Al the optimist]

I walked the last few days to SDC with another pilgrim I had met in San Mahmed. One day she booked ahead for us as we were walking to an isolated albergue.. When we got there they said they had a room for us "con cama matrimonia". We had not asked for one, were not involved with each other in that way and certainly didn't want it! However there were beds in the dormitory, so we were OK after all. As life has it's funny ways we now are an item and wonder sometimes if fate was giving us a hint.

 

[grayland]

A few posts have been deleted here.

A reminder that all are welcome to post opinions and thoughts....as long as they do not reflect negatively on the opinions of others.
Your opinion on a subject are just that..an opinion that may differ from others.

 

[Dancoyne]

Thank you in advance...
Budgeting, and wondering what the average price for a private room is in the albergues? Would like to still meet people, enjoy the evening together, but not share a room for sleeping, so this seems a better option when available than a pension.
Comments?

That's what I did in Sept. of this year and a private room averaged around 25 euros. There are also a lot of small "guest houses" or small hotels for a few euros more. For planning purposes I would use 25-35 euros. Never spent more then that.

 

[cableseller]

That's what I did in Sept. of this year and a private room averaged around 25 euros. There are also a lot of small "guest houses" or small hotels for a few euros more. For planning purposes I would use 25-35 euros. Never spent more then that.

My group of friends who did the Camino in September opted for the private rooms for a variety of reasons. 25-30 seemed the going rate. We still met up with lots of people and enjoyed the comraderie of the Camino

 

[Brendaparrish]

Good reply Sara - I lead pilgrimages - groups of people who quite often have never traveled outside the USA before. They would never travel if they had to go alone - so we take the group - use tour buses & guides - stay in hotels. Not a Camino experience - but always prayerful - always as a pilgrim - not as tourists. The goal of our ministry is to empower people to see beyond their ordinary lives - to the beauty of pilgrimage - to experience the journey.

Buen Camino
Dale

I am hoping to find a small group to walk with from st j to Pamplona to get my hiking lungs then go it alone do you have suggestions

 

[zakosdad]

I am hoping to find a small group to walk with from st j to Pamplona to get my hiking lungs then go it alone do you have suggestions

Brenda if you are starting from SJJP you should meet a lot of other people who are also beginning their Camino - you can group up at that point assuming that you walk at the same rate and are willing to be part of a "group". Altough you may start with others - since it is an informal group - there is no rule that you have to continue to walk together. As you gain your "legs/lungs" you may find that you walk faster or slower than some in the group and thus automatically find yourself walking with fewer people or perhaps completely alone. My wife and I started out as a twosome and for most of our walk remained just the two of us - and even then, she tended to walk behind me, slightly slower. So even when we walked "together" we were not actually "together". On the first section we walked with others for short distances but then separated. When we got to Sarria it got a lot more crowded - but even with the large increase in walkers - we still managed to keep mostly to ourselves - which is what we wanted. We spent a lot of our time in prayer and were not seeking constant conversation as we walked. We saved those discussions for the end of day in the albergues. Please check out our blog for more hints & tips. Buen Camino

Dale
http://dalenarlene.blogspot.com

 

[Thornley]

Hi Brenda,
Depending on the time of year , you will have between 10 and 80 walking with you in the first 3 hours when leaving St JPDP.
Pamplona is 3 days walk max., you will be in a group.
Your hiking lungs will commence and you will still be in a group ....if you wish or alone until dinner time.
Have a great camino and don't plan too much.