Starting early June

[3kings15]

Hello everyone,

My little brother and I are starting off from Le Puy on 4th June 2013 - plan is to wing it with accomodation and sleep outside when we occasionally run out of luck.

But... i thought I would book the first night on the GR65 as we will be jet lagged and grumpy but the first two Gites I've tried for 4th June are full and this is six weeks out! Is this normal? MIght need to pack a tent.

Cheers

Stewart
Auckland
New Zealand

 

[Kitsambler]

June is normally rather lightly travelled. Sounds like you've found a "wave" which you will be competing against for the duration. Can you get out of synch with them by starting a day earlier or later?

 

[3kings15]

I was wondering about a wave, my brother is only with me for 12 days so don't want to delay a day and we can't start sooner.

Worst case for the first night is a taxi back to Le Puy I guess and then taxi back but in the meantime trying a few other places.

Once i'm on my own I'll have more flexibility.

Cheers

Stewart

 

[zammy]

What is exactly your plan? whuch towns did you try? a possible solution is to walk just about 10 km from le Puy and sleep there, and from then on you'll be off the crowded trail, most people go from le Puy to St Privat and so on.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

You don't appear to be coinciding with a public holiday, so might have coincided with a group. There are several options for towns/villages on the first night or two out of Le Puy though, so hopefully you will be able to find something. Last year I walked the rather more solitary Cluny route before starting off from Le Puy, and I was quite flabbergasted when I found the first gite I called on the Le Puy route, in Montbonnet, was 'complet'. But the Tourist Office rang a second gite for me, also in Montbonnet, and I got a place there without any problem.

I notice you are a Kiwi. If you want to talk about 'options' on this part of the route, I could let you know my Palmy phone number in PM if you'd like. I have a copy of last year's Miam Miam Dodo here at home if you don't have access to it.
Margaret