Refugios with some comfort Roncesvalles to Burgos

[Barbara]

I am planning on walking from St Palais in late february and don't want to carry a heavy pack. Read this as WON'T carry a HEAVY PACK....So I will need a minimum comfort, with blankets and at least some heating, as A) I don't do long days and B) the days are short anyway. Cheap hotels are fine, and I am entirely prepared to take a bus from time to time (don't shoot me, that's the way it is). So, at that time of year, do we have enough open to make this possible? It is my fourth camino, but for the last three I had Dalie with me and she carried the tent and cosy sleeping bag. Dalie is retired now, we walked the canal from Brest to Nantes last october to see her out in comfort. She is in her cosy shelter right now with Rosie and Filou, who aren't (for various reasons) going walkies with me.
Anyone? Oh, and is the St Palais refuge open in the winter?

 

[Barbara]

Hello again.
Anyone?
I need to know a bit about seasonable availability before I leave my nice warm home. This will be the first walking Camino I have done without Dalie, so no tent.... I got as far as St Palais from the centre of France with Dalie, so that is where I am going from this year. Anyway it's a bit early in the year for camping. As I won't be carrying a sleeping bag, which would just about double the weight on my back, I really need accommodation with at least some heating, and blankets. I don't mind using hotels (cheap ones) from time to time, and I am entirely prepared to use a bus or taxi to get to the hotel. So, bearing in mind I will be doing short days (because that is how I do it) can anyone please give me a little info? Come on, folks, some of you must have walked this stretch in the winter.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The start of your route is one that few travel, so I suspect that is the reason no one has advice!

Since there is little comfort in albergues, I will take your question on accommodations to be about hostales and hoteles. You can find information on the Camino Frances here by looking in the lodging section:

http://www.mundicamino.com/ingles/ruta. ... escription

You can see the albergues in the Refuge section.

See baggage service here:

http://www.jacotrans.com/p/english.html

 

[Barbara]

Thank you, Falcon
I won't be doing a baggage service, and yes, I have stayed in pilgrim refuges. I don't need luxury, but I will need enough heating and blankets to not freeze at night.
That is a useful link, thank you.
Tis true, I have never met masses of pilgrims in France.....And the last time I was in Spain I walked the Norte and Primitivo. It came as quite a culture shock when I got to the Frances

 

[sillydoll]

Barbara - give Dalie a big kiss from me!! I see her in my book when anyone asks about walking with a donkey and I check up on the info you shared with me!

When I walked the Turonensis - way back in 2004 - we stayed in St Palais and it has a wonderful little pilgrim museum - well worth a visit.

The best people to ask about refuges from there to St Jean would be
http://www.amis-st-jacques-tours.org and/or pagesperso-orange.fr/viaturonensis

Also, there is a Facebook page for that route. Type in Chemin de Paris à Compostelle via Turonensis and many of the small hotels in the villages are linked to the page.

I know that the pilgrim albergue in Roncesvalles does not have blankets so it might be better to book a room - Casa Sabena is nice - or walk on to Burgette where a room in a Pension will be cheaper.

Good luck!!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

LOTS of the more rural places are closed in January and February, including the hostales. A lot of the hostales and "comfort" albergues are charging extra to turn on the heat, and then it shuts itself off at 10 p.m. anyway. Others listed as "open all year" are open only at the owners´ whim, or when more than two or three pilgrims show up and make it worth their while.
Late February is a tough time to be out there, but so far the weather has been pretty mild and the pilgrims just keep coming. Expect to walk some rather long etapas between open albergues -- we are on the meseta beyond Burgos, and it´s a loooong walk between Calzadilla de la Cueza and Moratinos with noplace at all to even have a coffee!

Buen suerte!
Reb