mike mcbroom
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Francis June 17, 2015 ,Portagusee from Porto to Santiago August 2016, Francis may 2018 this year wil
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One could say demand for albergue beds is exceeding supply, pushing more people into more expensive market segments. In some places even these have been booked out.I guess one would have to somehow define what is a shortage of beds? Is it a shortage of beds or an increase of pilgrims?
Obviously the amount of pilgrims on the CF on any given day, any given hour and any given location is a very fluid thing. No way to predict it, and no way to categorize it. Taken into consideration that new albergues seem to be popping up with regularity all along the CF, the amount of available beds changes, too.
Not sure how any type of publication or website/forum could come up with a statistic saying there is a bed shortage as both pilgrims and available beds on the Camino are not a finite thing.
Not saying that you are, but I wouldn't sweat it.
This has not been my experience recently, with even the intermediate places booked out or completo early in the day.There are various reports of high volumes of Pilgrims on the Caminos this year and consequent pressure on bed spaces. The usual advice applies. Avoid the standard guide-book stages and be astonished by the shortage of Pilgrims not beds.
Even many of the smaller places are full at the moment and even if you book ahead they will give your bed away if you don't show up by 3pm. An American lady I walked with had an expensive experience of this recently. No beds in Zubiri. Walked on. No beds in Lorrosoana (sorry about the spelling). Waited 2 hours for taxi to Pamplona - no beds! Four pilgrims had to take two rooms at the Marriott chain in Pamplona that night!!There are various reports of high volumes of Pilgrims on the Caminos this year and consequent pressure on bed spaces. The usual advice applies. Avoid the standard guide-book stages and be astonished by the shortage of Pilgrims not beds.
The difficulty as an individual is knowing how far ahead there might be a problem. My wife was shattered when we couldn't find any place in Zubiri, and we have booked from then until yesterday, when she took the bus from Najera to Burgos to get some rest. In that time we have had to set ourselves shorter days than we had anticipated.Doug, and Gunmut, thanks for this. Relying on posted information on this and other fora has given an impression of over-busy hot-spots, pilgrim-waves moving out of start points and some Albergues left wondering what all the fuss is about. A reminder to me that it is only a very small minority of pilgrims who post live information anywhere on the .net
Gosh.... now I am really worried... I have booked my flight to Biarritz on 13/7 and going straight to SJPDP - booked overnight accomodation there and in Orisson (but not heard anything yet)... have not booked anything else....! Am wondering maybe I should go with tour operators even at £2900 from Pamplona to SdC! Please advise or delay my trip until August?
I've started watching the daily arrival stats on the pilgrim's office website, and the typical arrival waves are still occurring. Roughly 350 to 700 Monday thru Thursday and 1000 to 1200 Friday thru Sunday. I'm wondering if you're caught in the crest of a wave or if May marks the commencement of a tsunami that hasn't arrived at SdC yet and you're riding that.This has not been my experience recently, with even the intermediate places booked out or completo early in the day.
Why are you worried? Because of the quasi-panic silly threads like this cause. Like throwing a snake in the hen house.Gosh.... now I am really worried... I have booked my flight to Biarritz on 13/7 and going straight to SJPDP - booked overnight accomodation there and in Orisson (but not heard anything yet)... have not booked anything else....! Am wondering maybe I should go with tour operators even at £2900 from Pamplona to SdC! Please advise or delay my trip until August?
Or buy a sleeping mat along the way and problem solved once again. If the weather permit, of courseWhy are you worried? Because of the quasi-panic silly threads like this cause. Like throwing a snake in the hen house.
Just walk your Camino worry free, otherwise what's the point in walking it? And personally paying someone 2900 pounds to "guide" you on the Camino is ridiculous. Of course that's just my humble opinion and a whole nother rant in itself.
I think I would have said a similar thing just a couple of weeks ago, but having experienced what has been happening right now, I don't believe that the strategies I might have recommended are really appropriate for this busy time on the early parts of the CF. Even young, fit walkers are stopping early if they haven't booked.Why are you worried? Because of the quasi-panic silly threads like this cause. Like throwing a snake in the hen house.
Just walk your Camino worry free, otherwise what's the point in walking it? And personally paying someone 2900 pounds to "guide" you on the Camino is ridiculous. Of course that's just my humble opinion and a whole nother rant in itself.
I think I would have said a similar thing just a couple of weeks ago, but having experienced what has been happening right now, I don't believe that the strategies I might have recommended are really appropriate for this busy time on the early parts of the CF. Even young, fit walkers are stopping early if they haven't booked.
I walked through Santo Domingo yesterday at about 2.00pm, and there were albergues already turning people away. Not all, but certainly enough that it is clear it wouldn't be much longer before others were also complete.
I am hoping that this will be the end of it, but I clearly cannot be certain. I also hope for other's sakes that this is associated with the May peak that has been discussed in another thread, but again, I can't be certain of that either.
Booking ahead a day has worked for me so far, but others are booking ahead two days, and there seems to be a large group of pilgrims who are on arranged packages with all of their bookings made for them.
The other approach that appears to be working is to stop relatively early. In Apr 2010, it was unusual for me to even think about stopping for the day before 3.00pm. I often stopped far later. Stopping before 2.00pm now appears to be the only way to be sure of a bed on the parts I have walked so far.
Sure, advise forum members not to worry, but lets also discuss some working strategies and not just mouth platitudes.
The difficulty as an individual is knowing how far ahead there might be a problem. My wife was shattered when we couldn't find any place in Zubiri, and we have booked from then until yesterday, when she took the bus from Najera to Burgos to get some rest. In that time we have had to set ourselves shorter days than we had anticipated.
Most places hold till 3.00 pm as a standard response, but I have always been able to negotiate a later time just in case. I have also rung to let them know if we were running close to the agreed deadline to hold.
My wife has made a number of observations about the number of pilgrims walking with just a day pack and walking on a booked schedule. It is certainly far more evident than when I last walked, noting that in the past I walked a month earlier than I am now.
Thank you for being candid with your observations. My son is really struggling out there with all of this and since I am not there to experience it I have only had what some are saying like oh it will all work, you will get a bed, go ahead or behind the group, while he keeps telling me there is no ahead or behind and that he feels like it has become almost Disney like. We can only hope this is not the continued state of the Frances. Meanwhile, he has changed up his plans. Wishing you all the best on your journey as well.I walked the Camino Frances at this time 3 years ago. I never reserved an albergue bed, never saw a completo sign and never worried. This year I've had to reserve every night and most towns I've stayed in (not just albergues) are completo by 3:30. Those are the facts. Subjective observation - I'm seeing an increasing number of walkers who are treating the Camino more as an opportunity for a vacation with friends than as a personal pilgrimage.
Naaaaawwww!!! One of those threads made my day today.Be great as well if all threads based on or about rumors were reduced if not eliminated.
I would recommend trying a site like www.gronze.com before giving up on your preferred dates. Not all of the available accommodation choices are using booking.com. You may find places available that way.Hi... I have trying to book a bed in Roncesvalles but no beds according to Booking.com on my date so have booked in Espinal instead .. mentally I have prepared my self to stop at Roncesvalles after Orisson (have a bed, btw!!) so if I feel unable/wunwilling/mentally and physically exhausted, I will cab to Espinal! No beds in Burguete too, hence Espinal..
Hope the beds situation gets better.... Buen Camino to all on the Way or planning!
Hi... I have trying to book a bed in Roncesvalles but no beds according to Booking.com on my date so have booked in Espinal instead .. mentally I have prepared my self to stop at Roncesvalles after Orisson (have a bed, btw!!) so if I feel unable/wunwilling/mentally and physically exhausted, I will cab to Espinal! No beds in Burguete too, hence Espinal..
Hope the beds situation gets better.... Buen Camino to all on the Way or planning!
Hi... I have trying to book a bed in Roncesvalles but no beds according to Booking.com on my date so have booked in Espinal instead .. mentally I have prepared my self to stop at Roncesvalles after Orisson (have a bed, btw!!) so if I feel unable/wunwilling/mentally and physically exhausted, I will cab to Espinal! No beds in Burguete too, hence Espinal..
Hope the beds situation gets better.... Buen Camino to all on the Way or planning!
but have not emailed the (not on Booking.com) alburgues as am not conversant in Spanish
I do the same Jill. And it works. Most of the time they reply back in English!!!! I do enjoy giving it a go with my Spanish............Hi, it’s easy to email the private albergues in Spanish. Write a very simple query in English:
Please could I reserve one bed for Thursday 19 May?
Go to Googe Translate https://translate.google.com/ and translate the query into Spanish:
Por favor, ¿podría reservar una cama para Jueves, 19 de mayo?
Copy and paste it into an email to the albergue.
Even if it hasn’t translated accurately, they will understand.
(I also copy and paste the English version into the email at the bottom. If they understand English, and the Spanish version is garbage, they might reply in English!)
If they reply in Spanish, then just go back to Google Translate for the English version.
Easy!
Jill
Hey thanks! Exciting times ahead!Had booked my SJPDP a bed in a gite near to the Pilgrims Office, hopefully no problem getting my paspoart! What time does the Pilgrim Office closes please as will probably get to SJPDP at 2000 hours as flying into Biarritz at 1700 hours!
Almost everyone has a sello along the CF and all of them count --- hotels, bars, churches, albergues, food stands, even some houses along the way.
I liked that site www.gronze.com, but is it only in Spanish?I would recommend trying a site like www.gronze.com before giving up on your preferred dates. Not all of the available accommodation choices are using booking.com. You may find places available that way.
I think so. Most of it should be self evident, but if you need it translated, use a browser like Google Chrome that will do the translation for you.I liked that site www.gronze.com, but is it only in Spanish?
Hi Quinrada, It's my first time too and I would feel happier with some reservations under my belt. Could you please advise the best way to go about it? I am only intending a week's walking maximum, maybe from Pamplona to Logruno. Best wishes, FfionI'm glad to read your response @GettingThere.
I am walking with my daughter in July and have prebooked quite a few places in advance. What I'll lose in spontaneity, I'll gain back in savoring moments without rushing towards my endpoint each day. It's been extremely easy (and fun) to research and book some special places in advance.
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