Reservations CF

[CaminoFitz]

How necessary is it to have reservations at Albergues on CF in September. Planning on starting around Sept 4th 2024

 

[Bradypus]

Early September is a very busy period. I would probably make reservations as far as Pamplona. After that numbers tend to be spread more thinly with more possible stopping points. If it is very busy and finding a bed is difficult you can consider booking for the next day or two.

 

[trecile]

The first two weeks of September are possibly the busiest weeks for those starting from SJPdP. I would reserve up through Pamplona. After that you will have a better idea of how far you like to walk each day, and the pilgrim traffic tends to spread out after Pamplona.

 

[C clearly]

Here are two threads that explain the "Tale of two Caminos" and give some strategies for walking at busy times.

 

[JStrat]

The first two weeks of September are possibly the busiest weeks for those starting from SJPdP. I would reserve up through Pamplona. After that you will have a better idea of how far you like to walk each day, and the pilgrim traffic tends to spread out after Pamplona

Hello! Can you recommend Albergue's to reserve through to Pamplona please? Female walking solo intending to walk no more than 20km per day if possible.

 

[trecile]

Hello! Can you recommend Albergue's to reserve through to Pamplona please? Female walking solo intending to walk no more than 20km per day if possible.

You can find all the albergues on the Gronze website. The site is only in Spanish, but if you use the Chrome browser it will automatically translate to English.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

If you want to split the first long day over the Pyrenees you will have to book at Orisson or Borda as soon as your dates are certain.

 

[JStrat]

Thankyou for your feedback, very helpful.

 

[ian&linda]

Here is my accommodation list. We started last September and booked the first week and. After that we usually booked 2-3 days in advance, except Sarria to SdP which we booked about 1 week in advance.

 

[gmag]

Hello, I write with the experience of a hospitalero, and there are a few more of us who think in a very similar way.

As they say Bradypus and Ian &Linda you can book perfectly two days in advance.

But (big BUT)...
If you book through Booking, ATTENTION!!, the albergues that use it have a number of beds for Booking, but not all of the albergues. And it turns out that when those beds are already occupied, Booking says that everything is already full. Then the pilgrims believe that there are no more free beds in that albergue or even in the town!!, this happens very frequently. Apart from that Booking.com receives 25 or 30% of the hostel price too much, but this is something that hostels accept voluntarily and I can't comment.

It is also easy to have beds without having reserved.

I never reserve more than 50% of the albergue, better just 30%. I want to have the greatest number of free beds each day. Mainly because I want to collaborate with maintaining the spirit of the Camino, the beautiful possibility of answering "YES" when at the door someone very tired, sweating asks me if I have a free bed... There are few things as gratifying for me as giving beds in those circumstances!!! Nor are there few of us, hospitaleros, who think like this.

If you want to reserve a bed in a single room it is different, it is logical to book weeks in advance of course.


My advice is, then, that if you want to reserve a bed, do it two days in advance, even three or four if you want to be very relaxed, so you can also have the wonderful feeling of freedom that is necessary to do the Camino and stop where you want. or go to the accommodation you want, perhaps with friends from the Camino.

But all this is just my opinion and that of some other hospitaleros, mainly those of us who have a albergue for having done the Camino. The idea of having the albergue full from the day before makes me deeply sad, and I love filling it little by little throughout the day. Almost every day I have one, two or more empty beds at the end of the afternoon, it doesn't matter. Anything rather than reserving everything days in advance and having the feeling of having a business on the beach.

The Camino provides...



ADDENDUM
At the La Finca albergue, three kilometers from me, in Población de Campos, Maria Jose, the hospitalera owner, thought the same as me.
I want to take the opportunity here to remember that fantastic albergue and that fantastic person and wonderful cook. A great shame for the Camino that they have closed.

 

[trecile]

At the La Finca albergue, three kilometers from me, in Población de Campos, Maria Jose, the hospitalera owner, thought the same as me.
I want to take the opportunity here to remember that fantastic albergue and that fantastic person and wonderful cook. A great shame for the Camino that they have closed.

La Finca was one of my favorite albergues on the Camino Francés, and I'm sad that they had to close. He really put so much thought into designing an albergue with the things that pilgrims need with the luxury of bunks that were like tiny private rooms. My first time staying there I was invited to eat comida with the family and staff and felt so welcomed.

 

[gmag]

La Finca was one of my favorite albergues on the Camino Francés, and I'm sad that they had to close. He really put so much thought into designing an albergue with the things that pilgrims need with the luxury of bunks that were like tiny private rooms. My first time staying there I was invited to eat comida with the family and staff and felt so welcomed.

Excellent brief description of what that hostel was, well designed, very pleasant, bright, luxurious, the staff was charming, the bar was small and atmospheric, the garden large and with horizons, everything was extremely welcoming.
When I see Maria Jose, I see her sometimes, I will tell her what you have written about her hostel and that day when you ate there and that you still remember. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Brian Baxter]

Hello, I write with the experience of a hospitalero, and there are a few more of us who think in a very similar way.

As they say Bradypus and Ian &Linda you can book perfectly two days in advance.

But (big BUT)...
If you book through Booking, ATTENTION!!, the albergues that use it have a number of beds for Booking, but not all of the albergues. And it turns out that when those beds are already occupied, Booking says that everything is already full. Then the pilgrims believe that there are no more free beds in that albergue or even in the town!!, this happens very frequently. Apart from that Booking.com receives 25 or 30% of the hostel price too much, but this is something that hostels accept voluntarily and I can't comment.

It is also easy to have beds without having reserved.

I never reserve more than 50% of the albergue, better just 30%. I want to have the greatest number of free beds each day. Mainly because I want to collaborate with maintaining the spirit of the Camino, the beautiful possibility of answering "YES" when at the door someone very tired, sweating asks me if I have a free bed... There are few things as gratifying for me as giving beds in those circumstances!!! Nor are there few of us, hospitaleros, who think like this.

If you want to reserve a bed in a single room it is different, it is logical to book weeks in advance of course.


My advice is, then, that if you want to reserve a bed, do it two days in advance, even three or four if you want to be very relaxed, so you can also have the wonderful feeling of freedom that is necessary to do the Camino and stop where you want. or go to the accommodation you want, perhaps with friends from the Camino.

But all this is just my opinion and that of some other hospitaleros, mainly those of us who have a albergue for having done the Camino. The idea of having the albergue full from the day before makes me deeply sad, and I love filling it little by little throughout the day. Almost every day I have one, two or more empty beds at the end of the afternoon, it doesn't matter. Anything rather than reserving everything days in advance and having the feeling of having a business on the beach.

The Camino provides...



ADDENDUM
At the La Finca albergue, three kilometers from me, in Población de Campos, Maria Jose, the hospitalera owner, thought the same as me.
I want to take the opportunity here to remember that fantastic albergue and that fantastic person and wonderful cook. A great shame for the Camino that they have closed.

I love the message in this posting and I'm very happy to hear you and other hospitaleros are keeping the wonderful spirit of the Camino alive. You didn't say where your albergue is, can you do that on this site? Regards and good luck with you work, Brian Baxter

 

[gmag]

I love the message in this posting and I'm very happy to hear you and other hospitaleros are keeping the wonderful spirit of the Camino alive. You didn't say where your albergue is, can you do that on this site? Regards and good luck with you work, Brian Baxter

Hi Brian, I apologize for not responding sooner. The albergue absorbs me all day and I barely get into anything that is not something directly related to the albergue.
I'm in Frómista, it's the Albergue Luz. My wife and I have been in love with the Camino since 1998, and in 2000 we decided to live one day on the Camino, among and for the pilgrims. We did it in 2018.
Thank you very much, Brian!.
Kind regards,
Gabriel

 

[Pafayac]

How necessary is it to have reservations at Albergues on CF in September. Planning on starting around Sept 4th 2024

If you are alone, no. This is part of a the "let go" (not sure of the translation) behaviour on the Camino.
If you are 2, perhaps.
More than 2, probably.
If you plan to arrive in Galicia by October, do not forget your rain poncho...