Stage/off-stage

[JulesfromKS]

Newbie question here…. I keep seeing posts about lodging using the phrase “off-stage” and I’m not clear what this means. A less popular area? Without having been before, how would one know if a place is “off-stage”?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If on consecutive days your guidebook has suggested you walk from A to B and then to C there are two stages, A-B and B-C. In the context of lodging, towns B and C are stage towns. A lot of people using the same guidebook as you will end up lodging at B and C. Off stage means staying in towns before or after B and C.

 

[Tincatinker]

All the standard guidebooks ( and www.Gronze.com) have chapters (stages) - start at an obscure French provincial town, walk to a Spanish monastery. Walk from said Spanish monastery to a small Basques town with lots of Albergues and so on, all the way to Santiago ( worth finding the Show of Hands song on Ubend if you like songs with Santiago in the lyric). Radicals have been known to avoid the towns that feature in the chapter endings. This is known, in French circles as “going off-piste”. There’s another meaning in English that is not relevant to this discussion.
@JulesfromKS traveling “off-stage” just means avoiding following the herd. And availing yourself of a Camino that is entirely your Camino

Enjoy it

 

[Bradypus]

This is known, in French circles as “going off-piste”.

If you stop midway between stages would that be "half-piste"?

 

[alhartman]

Here is my old list of stages from Brierly, amis.fr, and Gronze. So this is a list of places to avoid. Stop earlier or pass on by in favor of the next city. Bold cities show up as end stages in all three sources,

Day	Brierly	Amis.fr	Gronze
0	SJPDP	SJPDP	SJPDP
1	Roncesvalles	Roncesvalles	Roncesvalles
2	Larrasoana	Larrasoana	Zubri
3	Cizur Menor	Cizur Menor	Pamplona
4	Puenta La Reina	Puenta La Reina	Puenta La Reina
5	Estella	Estella	Estella
6	Los Arcos	Los Arcos	Los Arcos
7	Logrono	Viana	Logrono
8	Najera	Navarette	Najera
9	Santo Domingo	Najera	Santo Domingo
10	Belorado	Santo Domingo	Belorado
11	San Juan de Ortega	Belorado	San Juan
12	Burgos	San Juan	Burgos
13	Hornillos del Camino	Burgos	Hornillos
14	Castrojeriz	Hornillos	Castrojeriz
15	Fromista	CastroJeriz	Fromista
16	Carrion de Los Condes	Fromista	Carrion
17	Terradillos de los Templarios	Carrion	Terradillos
18	Bercianos	Terradillos	Bercianos
19	Mansilla de Las Mulas	Bercianos	Mansilla
20	Leon	Mansilla	Leon
21	Villadangos	Leon	San Martin/Villar
22	Astorga	Viladangos	Astorga
23	Rabanal del Camino	Astorga	Foncebadon
24	Molinaseca	Rabanal	Ponferrada
25	Villafranca Del Bierzo	Molinaseca	VillaFranca
26	Ocebreiro	Cacabelos	Ocebreiro
27	Tricastela	Vega de Valcarce	Tricastela
28	Sarria	Alto de Poya	Sarria
29	Portomarin	Calvor	Portomarin
30	Palas de Rei	Portomarin	Palas de Rei
31	Ribadiso	Ponte Campana	Arzua
32	Arca	Ribadiso	Opedrouzo
33	Santiago de Compostela	Arca	Santiago
34		Santiago

 

[Robo]

Newbie question here…. I keep seeing posts about lodging using the phrase “off-stage” and I’m not clear what this means. A less popular area? Without having been before, how would one know if a place is “off-stage”?

You will also hear the term 'off Camino'.

Whilst most Pilgrims will stay at accommodation right on or very close to the actual Camino route, 'off Camino', could refer to accommodation that might be 3-4 kms or more away from the route for example.

Usually not so popular as it involves extra walking or use of transport.

It might come about because you want to see a particular attraction, or that your preferred places to start are full, but I think more commonly occurs if using a tour company to arrange your accommodation.

Some seem to have a 'knack' for booking obscure places.
I met some Pilgrims last time out who were frustrated with it.

So you can think of it in terms of:

Off stage = before or after popular overnight stops.
Off Camino = out to the left or right of the Camino route.

 

[dougfitz]

Here is my old list of stages from Brierly, amis.fr, and Gronze. So this is a list of places to avoid.

This appears to be a somewhat cynical view of the stage towns. For the OP, most of the end of stage towns were selected by various guidebook authors or web-site development teams based on factors like their facilities being suitable to support pilgrims, as well as the distances and difficulty involved in walking to them from the last stage town. What is clear is that this makes them popular as overnight stops, which can make them crowded and finding pilgrim accommodation becomes more difficult or close to impossible at certain times of the year.

While not the only reason, that is one reason to contemplate walking a little more, or less, on any day. As @Robo has hinted at, in these circumstances, it might also be a good option to consider somewhere off-camino, as he puts it. Some places that offer off-camino accommodation will also offer to collect you from and return you to the Camino, either within the cost of the accommodation or as a small extra fee.

And if you do select a place that is off-stage for some guidebook, it is now your stage end, so for your personal camino, it is now on-stage

 

[MARSKA]

Here is my old list of stages from Brierly, amis.fr, and Gronze. So this is a list of places to avoid. Stop earlier or pass on by in favor of the next city. Bold cities show up as end stages in all three sources,

Day	Brierly	Amis.fr	Gronze
0	SJPDP	SJPDP	SJPDP
1	Roncesvalles	Roncesvalles	Roncesvalles
2	Larrasoana	Larrasoana	Zubri
3	Cizur Menor	Cizur Menor	Pamplona
4	Puenta La Reina	Puenta La Reina	Puenta La Reina
5	Estella	Estella	Estella
6	Los Arcos	Los Arcos	Los Arcos
7	Logrono	Viana	Logrono
8	Najera	Navarette	Najera
9	Santo Domingo	Najera	Santo Domingo
10	Belorado	Santo Domingo	Belorado
11	San Juan de Ortega	Belorado	San Juan
12	Burgos	San Juan	Burgos
13	Hornillos del Camino	Burgos	Hornillos
14	Castrojeriz	Hornillos	Castrojeriz
15	Fromista	CastroJeriz	Fromista
16	Carrion de Los Condes	Fromista	Carrion
17	Terradillos de los Templarios	Carrion	Terradillos
18	Bercianos	Terradillos	Bercianos
19	Mansilla de Las Mulas	Bercianos	Mansilla
20	Leon	Mansilla	Leon
21	Villadangos	Leon	San Martin/Villar
22	Astorga	Viladangos	Astorga
23	Rabanal del Camino	Astorga	Foncebadon
24	Molinaseca	Rabanal	Ponferrada
25	Villafranca Del Bierzo	Molinaseca	VillaFranca
26	Ocebreiro	Cacabelos	Ocebreiro
27	Tricastela	Vega de Valcarce	Tricastela
28	Sarria	Alto de Poya	Sarria
29	Portomarin	Calvor	Portomarin
30	Palas de Rei	Portomarin	Palas de Rei
31	Ribadiso	Ponte Campana	Arzua
32	Arca	Ribadiso	Opedrouzo
33	Santiago de Compostela	Arca	Santiago
34		Santiago

My research shows there are few reasonable off-stage options in some of these areas. I'd appreciate info about off-stage places near Viana, Naverett, Najera.

 

[dougfitz]

My research shows there are few reasonable off-stage options in some of these areas. I'd appreciate info about off-stage places near Viana, Naverett, Najera.

Gronze is a reasonable source for this sort of information. I doubt any of us individually would be as complete as that, one of the apps or a good guidebook.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I'd appreciate info about off-stage places near Viana, Naverett, Najera.

We stayed at all three of these places (2015). I'm taking this opportunity to say that you must visit the church in Navarette even if you don't stay in town.

 

[Pafayac]

This is known, in French circles as “going off-piste”

"hors-piste", used for ski.

 

[Sandcruiser]

"off stage" tend to be quieter and can be eaiser to find lodging

"On stage" tend to have more options, a wider variety of foods, more impressive attractions, and grocery/farmacia/etc resources

Both have their charms/benefits