Sleeping in the hostels

[mickcope]

This trip is my first so I have played safe and used hotels. I would like to try the hostels - but have seen a few comments about people not sleeping well after being disturbed by others in the night.

I wonder what the general experience is. Do people get a decent nights sleep in the dormitory’s ?

Cheers. Mick (two days left to reach Santiago and loving it )

 

[Purky]

Bring some good earplugs. I find hotels quite nice every now and then, but the best nights were always in hostels. There you will meet your last-minute dinner companions, drinking buddies or conversation partners. Book a hotel to catch up on some sleep every four or five days. Buen camino!

 

[SabsP]

This trip is my first so I have played safe and used hotels. I would like to try the hostels - but have seen a few comments about people not sleeping well after being disturbed by others in the night.

I wonder what the general experience is. Do people get a decent nights sleep in the dormitory’s ?

Cheers. Mick (two days left to reach Santiago and loving it )

Hi Mick.
Yes most probably you will be disturbed by less considerate pilgrims in the albergues . But you will also find lovely warm and considerate people. Sharing stories and preparing dinner on a small stove in a cramped kitchen and remembering it years later as one of your best Camino experiences.

Although I do not have a ranking of albergues being better than private places ( I use those regularly also on a Camino) I always will advise future pilgrims to try at least an albergue once or twice during a Camino.
If it is not to your liking and you do have the funds , by all means do book private places. But you might surprise yourself and find the albergues inspirational and meaningful.

All the best!

 

[trecile]

It really depends on how well you sleep in general, and how well you are ae to tune out your surroundings to sleep. I don't y use earplugs, instead I listen to podcasts on my phone. Something just interesting enough to hold my interest but not so engaging that it keeps me awake. For me, actively listening to something works better than trying not to hear something. I haven't listed to it yet, but there is actually a podcast designed specifically to put you to sleep called Sleep With Me.
I would encourage you to give albergues a try.

 

[Marbe2]

I usually book a mix of private albergues, sometimes even bunk beds (though not frequently), hostels, pensions and hotels. Many private hostels/albergues also have private rooms! You get the best of both worlds. You can get a private room with bathroom and share in the community meal. One example is Albergue Reboleira in Fronfria.

 

[gypsy9]

Um....you won’t sleep much...you will get savvy with earplugs and positioning your towel to block out the fluorescent lights...you will get woken by either your upper or lower bunk buddy—turning over, rubbing feet, belching, texting, up n down to toilet...shake, shake,shake...

But dorms suit my budget....
plus....,You will develop a comfortable and intimate trust w some pilgrims—just because you’ve shared space—some you will meet over and ov r again—for better and for worst...it’s beautiful and miraculous and part of the Camino paradox...

 

[Deleted member 77020]

Bring some good earplugs. I find hotels quite nice every now and then, but the best nights were always in hostels. There you will meet your last-minute dinner companions, drinking buddies or conversation partners. Book a hotel to catch up on some sleep every four or five days. Buen camino!

sorry my best nights were in my own room.

 

[Paladina]

I haven't listed to it yet, but there is actually a podcast designed specifically to put you to sleep called Sleep With Me.

Are you sure the podcast is designed to put you to sleep? The title implies a certain indulgence not normally granted in an albergue.

 

[trecile]

Are you sure the podcast is designed to put you to sleep? The title implies a certain indulgence not normally granted in an albergue.

yes, it's not for the other thing.

 

[trecile]

I regret not spending more nights in albergues on my Camino del Norte this year. I was getting frustrated with the limited amount of beds during the summer, so I ended up staying in private accommodations about 35% of the time. I feel that this kept me from getting to know my fellow pilgrims better.

 

[rappahannock_rev]

And, ahem, if you snore as terribly as I do, please stay in hotels!

 

[Phil71]

I never sleep well in albergues. But I always stay in them. For me it is one of the most important parts of a Camino. As everyone has said, you meet people, cook together, share space and form bonds that can last a long time after your trip has ended. A Camino without that connection to people would lessen the experience massively. For me anyway.

 

[Davey Boyd]

I'm usually so shattered at the end of the day I can sleep through almost anything. Almost.

Staying in albergues is one of the best things of walking the camino to me. Being around and getting to know my fellow pilgrims. And when I do need my own space I just sleep outside on the trail somewhere.

Nothing wrong with sleeping in hotels, but I think you miss something of the camino if you only stay in hotels. I recommend you should try an albergue a few times.

Davey

 

[David Tallan]

Bringing earplugs is a good idea. You will likely get a better sleep in a hotel. You may find that you have a better experience in an albergue. For many people, one of the highlights of the Camino experience is the camaraderie with fellow pilgrims. You can certainly experience some of that while staying in hotels and meeting fellow pilgrims while walking or at bar stops. But my experience is that the camaraderie is immeasurably strengthened when staying at albergues. It makes it so much easier to spend so much more time with them.

On our 2016 Camino, I would say we experienced the complete range from staying in hotels (Burgos and Astorga on rest days and the Parador in SdC) to places like Grañon, where the people are brought together in a truly special way but also where we had probably the worst sleep of our Camino. I wouldn't want to spend my whole Camino at either end of the spectrum. Hotels make a nice occasional break but I much preferred albergues. It reinforced the "pilgrim" feeling. As well, I couldn't have slept on a mat on the floor with no pillow every night, either. The sweet spot for me was a nice albergue with a communal meal.

 

[Terri B]

A mix of accommodation is good, sometimes hotels are good for some alone time, but the camaraderie in the Albergues will often outway adjusting to the habits of other people. But at the end of the day, if you're tired you'll sleep anywhere.

 

[C clearly]

Do people get a decent nights sleep in the dormitory’s ?

Try it - one night of poor sleep is not a big risk. Of course you shouldn't expect to sleep as well as you would at home in your own bed. Beyond that it depends on many things, and there are no guarantees. You would do it to experience the other positives, and when they are overshadowed by negatives, you take a night with a private room.

If my priority was a good night's sleep, I would have to stay home!

 

[Walking Lover]

This trip is my first so I have played safe and used hotels. I would like to try the hostels - but have seen a few comments about people not sleeping well after being disturbed by others in the night.

I wonder what the general experience is. Do people get a decent nights sleep in the dormitory’s ?

Cheers. Mick (two days left to reach Santiago and loving it )

I have Lyme disease so rest is a must. Therefore, I pay the extra and use booking.com.

 

[tomnorth]

It really depends on how well you sleep in general, and how well you are ae to tune out your surroundings to sleep. I don't y use earplugs, instead I listen to podcasts on my phone. Something just interesting enough to hold my interest but not so engaging that it keeps me awake. For me, actively listening to something works better than trying not to hear something. I haven't listed to it yet, but there is actually a podcast designed specifically to put you to sleep called Sleep With Me.
I would encourage you to give albergues a try.

I too don’t care for earplugs. I listen to white noise through earbuds. Wearing a buff helps keep the earbuds in. When I wear earplugs I hear my blood coursing through my head...drives me to distraction.

 

[tomnorth]

Bringing earplugs is a good idea. You will likely get a better sleep in a hotel. You may find that you have a better experience in an albergue. For many people, one of the highlights of the Camino experience is the camaraderie with fellow pilgrims. You can certainly experience some of that while staying in hotels and meeting fellow pilgrims while walking or at bar stops. But my experience is that the camaraderie is immeasurably strengthened when staying at albergues. It makes it so much easier to spend so much more time with them.

On our 2016 Camino, I would say we experienced the complete range from staying in hotels (Burgos and Astorga on rest days and the Parador in SdC) to places like Grañon, where the people are brought together in a truly special way but also where we had probably the worst sleep of our Camino. I wouldn't want to spend my whole Camino at either end of the spectrum. Hotels make a nice occasional break but I much preferred albergues. It reinforced the "pilgrim" feeling. As well, I couldn't have slept on a mat on the floor with no pillow every night, either. The sweet spot for me was a nice albergue with a communal meal.

I had a great experience also in Grañon, but hardly slept a wink. I’ve decided that mats on a hard floor just doesn’t cut it for me anymore. I love the communal meals at the albergues. I do think though that I may treat myself a couple more times to a Hotel Rural or pensione along the way.