Reservations (?) for September 2022

[Roamer35]

Hello All,
Some friends and I are considering walking the Camino Frances in September. Our plans are not firmed up but there might be anything from two of us to a group of five. I have been checking youtube videos and posts on this site regarding the availability of accommodation. Some of the things I have read and heard about problems people are having to find a place to rest their weary heads at day's end are a real buzz kill. I have done a few other walks in Spain and of the 150 or so nights on my previous walks never once did I have trouble finding a bunk in a municipal, religious or private albergue. Has all that changed? Now it seems it's all about "booking ahead." Planning every day to the last mile. Spending time on a cell phone looking for accommodation. What is your experience this year? Are my days of carefree wandering in Spain at an end? Heaven forbid!

 

[C clearly]

Well, the best information we have is on the "LIVE from the Camino" threads that you can access here.

As to whether you can wander carefree in Spain, if that is important to you, perhaps you should not choose a route and month when hundreds of people are known to be on the same stage at the same time. Also, being carefree on your own in a crowd is different from doing it with a group of people who might be looking to you and expecting you to organize the solutions. (It is easier to improvise on your own!)

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

My wife and I have walked four CFs from St Jean to Santiago. Each time we've hiked mid-Sept to late Oct. Our first time we did not make advance reservations and this worked out fine. The second time we made advance reservations for all but a few. There was heavy pilgrim traffic for several days. Some days entire small towns were "completo" by 2 pm. Our last two caminos we had advance reservations every night and we were glad we did. Bob

 

[pierrenaples]

We started booking from SJpp thru Pamplona starting mid-september , then made reservations every 4-5 hours all the way to Burgos, we aren't in a hurry and would rather enjoy our days rather than needing rest days overdoing it. We still may take some as needed. Most we can cancel until a few days prior, some were nonrefundable. We are staying in municipals and small hotels most of the way. Out of all of the bookings The first overnight stop in Orisson was the hardest, we had the change the reservation date by one day but I think there was a storm that caused some damage and for a week or so we couldn't get a reply but they did finally answer us.

With no breaks the walk will take us roughly 40ish days at that pace. We added a day extra for Garabandal (2 hours drive North of Burgos), its on the bucket list so no choice... I think we will be doing Finisterre too depending on how we feel by then. We also added a few days in Santiago to see the town.

If you are using Booking.com, as we did be careful when choosing a place in small towns, many times it reverts to the nearest big town and unless you are careful you may think you are staying where you want, only to find later that its miles away in the wrong direction. For the ones in smaller towns I zoomed in using google maps and located places that way. Our waypoints are set from where we are staying to where we are going to be staying instead of town to town, as some are either before or after towns.

I was surprised at the elevation differences between those listed on google maps and those on the stage profile available here. I'll go with the the profile ones.

Good Luck and Buen Camino.

 

[henrythedog]

If you’re looking at current reports do bear in mind that we’ve just had Easter and the May holiday which in normal years would bring the Spanish peregrinos out in droves. Also it’s an extended holy year. Also we’ve had two years of covid closure. Also a certain amount of the infrastructure has not reopened.

I was on the meseta in early April and it was virtually deserted.

September? A very busy time in normal years. Personally I would book the first couple of nights (all nights pre Pamplona if starting in St Jean) and take advice from the hospitaleros thereafter.

The free market will sort out capacity in due course by flexing availability and price.

 

[Ianinam]

I do not know in which period of September you want to start. The first two weeks of September are by far the busiest period of the year in Roncesvalles. Totally full, every day again, at 2 pm.
So if you want to walk carefree I'd start in the second half of September, then the numbers of pilgrims are falling rapidly.

 

[Roamer35]

We are considering booking with a company simply named "Pilgrim." But we don't know anything about them. Their website sounds good and their prices are reasonable. We would like to hear from anyone who has used that method of booking accommodation.

 

[Nanouk]

My wife and I have walked four CFs from St Jean to Santiago. Each time we've hiked mid-Sept to late Oct. Our first time we did not make advance reservations and this worked out fine. The second time we made advance reservations for all but a few. There was heavy pilgrim traffic for several days. Some days entire small towns were "completo" by 2 pm. Our last two caminos we had advance reservations every night and we were glad we did. Bob

With whom did you make your reservations?

 

[C clearly]

With whom did you make your reservations?

Hi Nanouk - Welcome to the forum!

Sometimes, people book all their lodging through an agency, but usually when people on the forum refer to making reservations, they are talking about making separate reservations with each lodging - using direct phone calls, emails, WhatsApp or an online app such as booking.com.

For discussion of booking through an agency, you could have a look at threads tagged with travel-agencies/groups.

 

[Nanouk]

Thank you!

And glad to be here...part of this terrific group/site.

 

[pierrenaples]

With whom did you make your reservations?

How is the weather late September-November, Rain?? my wife is packing like it might snow… We have goretex shells, ponchos, rain pants, fleece and the girls also have down vests. Trying to keep our pack weight under 15lbs is getting tough for them.

 

[Roamer35]

You can find weather averages at www.weatherspark.com. Just enter the name of a city along the route, Burgos or Leon for example. I carry a lightweight poncho that also covers my pack. I find a poncho gives better ventilation and is drier than gore-tex. It also eliminates the weight of carrying a pack cover. Too each his own, but think rain pants and a down vest are unnecessary.

 

[pierrenaples]

You can find weather averages at www.weatherspark.com. Just enter the name of a city along the route, Burgos or Leon for example. I carry a lightweight poncho that also covers my pack. I find a poncho gives better ventilation and is drier than gore-tex. It also eliminates the weight of carrying a pack cover. Too each his own, but think rain pants and a down vest are unnecessary.

Wow. Great tool. Thanks.