To book or not to book

[Ray Deb]

Planning on starting my Camino on the 20th May. Do I need to book a room in Roncesvalles in advance .

 

[PixieAuror]

It seems good to book in advance, there is no way to be sure of a bed with the popularity of the Camino many Pilgrims are arriving everyday. Knowing you have a bed (if you're certain of your dates) would mean one less thing to worry about.

 

[Bob P]

I've been thinking about this a lot. I arrive in Madrid April 2. This is my first Camino. My flights have changed, now there is much talk about strikes and I don't wish to "schedule" my pace other than complete before my flight home (45days) Reservations seem to make sense, but set pace. So, here is my question. If you don't reserve a bed, can you find a place to sleep? Sleeping on the ground, outside, in April would NOT be good. Any thoughts from experienced folks?
Thanks, Bob

 

[VNwalking]

@Bob P, at that time of year, you'd be unlikely to run into trouble. On my three spring caminos (starting from early to late March), I didn't have any trouble finding a bed all the way to Santiago.
You're right about how booking forces you into a box, where you have to go a certain distance - whether in the end you would have preferred more kms, or fewer.
That said, booking the first night before you start walking - in SJPP, or Roncesvalles, or wherever - allows peace of mind and a gentle landing onto camino terra firma.

 

[tpmchugh]

Planning on starting my Camino on the 20th May. Do I need to book a room in Roncesvalles in advance .

I would say at that time, best to book. I personally never book anything other than my first night but Roncesvalles is slightly different. It is a long arduous hike and the next town does not have an albergue. In my opinion, only the very fittest will have enough left in their tank to walk any further any way. I certainly could not do it. Even if you plan to break the hike up with a stay at Orisson on your first night, it will still be a difficult hike. So yes, book Roncesvalles in advance regardless of what anyone says about it. I stayed in an albergue much further along the way in mid May 2016 and according to the Canadian hospitaeros, around 850 pilgrims left St Jean that day so by the time you start the numbers will be well on the rise. By the way, if you plan to stop in Orisson, I would get that booked too asap

 

[Oxford Alice]

I just booked at the albergue in Roncesvalles for my April arrival -- bed and dinner.

When I did my last Camino, in 2014, I got into town late and had to stay at the big old albergue (110 beds in one room) which is now considered 'overflow' and it was actually a traumatic experience for me. Maybe it was the fact that I'd been travelling all day (R'valles was my departure point); maybe it was that I felt vulnerable as a woman on my own; maybe it was the fact that my upper bunk abutted that of the guy next to me who had (I kid you not!) a red silk heart-shaped pillow; maybe it was the gruff hospitaliero --- I don't know, but it's not an experience I personally wanted to repeat. I'll be walking into Roncesvalles from Valcarlos and I know I'll enjoy the journey more if I have a degree of reassurance about my lodging and nourishment that night. That's just me!

I have to say it makes me sad when anyone lays down rules for the Camino, or even hints that there is some sort of standard to be maintained (carrying your own bags, no motorised conveyance, no reservations, no hotels, etc.). Being away from the expectations of others is one of the most beautiful things about the Camino for me. We are who we are. If you want to book a bed or room, book it!

 

[Kathar1na]

Planning on starting my Camino on the 20th May. Do I need to book a room in Roncesvalles in advance .

I would but you don't have to. About 60 beds are bookable at the Roncesvalles albergue, twice that number or more are given out on a first come first served basis. 20th May 2018 is a Sunday. Weekends are always busier than other days but this weekend is special because 21st May is Whitsun Monday which is a national holiday in many European countries including large countries such as France and Germany - so ... great vacation time for Europeans who want to try out the first two weeks or more on the Camino Frances and they all need to sleep somewhere!

Oh, and welcome and buen camino!

 

[PixieAuror]

I've been thinking about this a lot. I arrive in Madrid April 2. This is my first Camino. My flights have changed, now there is much talk about strikes and I don't wish to "schedule" my pace other than complete before my flight home (45days) Reservations seem to make sense, but set pace. So, here is my question. If you don't reserve a bed, can you find a place to sleep? Sleeping on the ground, outside, in April would NOT be good. Any thoughts from experienced folks?
Thanks, Bob

book ahead - have your adventures in other ways. Not having a bed is not an adventure I want to experience.

 

[Sailor]

Planning on starting my Camino on the 20th May. Do I need to book a room in Roncesvalles in advance .

For peace of mind, it is a good idea to make reservations. Team Sailor [my wife and me] walked during September/October 2017 and we made reservations all the way to Puente La Reina, here is the information:

(1) St Jean Pied de Port, reservation at Hostal Beilari for two nights
(2) Orisson, reservation at Refuge Orisson for one night
(3) Roncesvalles, reservation at Albergue Orreaga for one night
(4) Larrasona, reservation at Bide Ederra for one night
(5) Pamplona, reservation at Casa Ibarrola for one night
(6) Puente La Reina, reservation at Albergue Jakue for one night

No advanced reservations made after Puente La Reina. Now looking back, it was a good decision to make my reservations, and if I had to do it all over I would NOT change a thing. Good luck walking YOUR camino. Ánimo! La luz de Dios alumbra su camino.

 

[Kurt5280]

I would always book a room in SJPdP, Orison, Roncesvalles, Pamplona, and Santiago...otherwise I would "go with the flow" in finding a bed for the night.

 

[Brian E]

Planning on starting my Camino on the 20th May. Do I need to book a room in Roncesvalles in advance .

I start the same day as you and didn't think twice about reserving a bed in Roncesvalles. After that I am winging it but not many options the first day. Peace of mind can be a good thing. We will probably cross paths at some point I imagine.

 

[Sailor]

Concur with Mister Kurt on booking a room for Santiago. In any other town, just check with the hospitaleros and they can call to reserve a room for you for your next stage. Good luck, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

I would book because that is a long, hard day of walking and there aren't really other options should you find the place booked up.



Please don't define other people's pilgrimages. Hike your own hike and let other's hike theirs. Please.

If you re-read my post, I do not take any side. Simply, the two major types of people on the Camino are noted. There are many other goals / purposes that, to a minor degree, would also be involved in answering the question, to book, or not to book. But hey, it was already a long response.

And, honestly, there are always many options.The best way to describe them would be, commercial and non-commercial in nature.

Take care and enjoy.

 

[Perran Gay]

If you re-read my post, I do not take any side. Simply, the two major types of people on the Camino are noted. There are many other goals / purposes that, to a minor degree, would also be involved in answering the question, to book, or not to book. But hey, it was already a long response.

And, honestly, there are always many options.The best way to describe them would be, commercial and non-commercial in nature.

Take care and enjoy.

I'm very new to all this, and although I've been reading about the Camino for quite a few years, I have yet to begin one, so this is theoretical, but it is what I believe, so that makes it true, at least for me! When I walk my first camino in a few years' time (and I can't find the time to do a really long walk until then because of family issues), I will be in my mid sixties, and with some back issues and some knee problems that need some careful handling. My wife and I intend to walk, hopefully all the way across Europe from the Polish-Lithuanian border to Santiago, taking about eight months to do so, as the beginning of our retirement (instead of a world cruise!). We hope to stay in small hotels and B & Bs and to walk with a day sack only, and with luggage transported for us. It is, for us, an enormous adventure, and an act of faith, but to achieve it, we know that we need some help, both in transporting our luggage and in guaranteeing a comfortable bed for the night. Thirty years ago, I went on an adventure, walking across Europe with hardly any money and relying on the generosity of strangers. That was truly an adventure, and what you say about it in your first post is absolutely true. But our next planned journey is just as adventurous, or so it seems to us - it's just that what constitutes an adventure is different for every person, and during each period of the same person's life.
As for what makes a pilgrim to Santiago, you have only to look at some of the ancient accounts to read how grateful pilgrims were when they found more comfortable lodgings, or when someone carried their pack ahead of them on horseback. Authenticity is a very dangerous thing to define - I guess that an authentic pilgrimage as our ancestors would have defined it would begin with starting from your own front door, and in walking back again, not starting off a mere 800 kilometres from Santiago and walking only one way, or following a well-travelled route with all the infrastructure in place. I don't think the difference you are trying to define has anything to do with issues of commercial or non-commercial either - people along the route have always made money from the pilgrims of their own day, but that doesn't change the nature of what is an authentic pilgrimage for the person who makes it. Some of us just need a little more help than others!
But thank you, Michelle, for your first post - although I disagree with it, it has prompted me to think about what the camino might mean for me and that is a very good thing for this forum to be doing.

 

[november_moon]

If you re-read my post, I do not take any side. Simply, the two major types of people on the Camino are noted. There are many other goals / purposes that, to a minor degree, would also be involved in answering the question, to book, or not to book. But hey, it was already a long response.

Michelle - I did read your post - and reread it as requested. I still stand by my request. Please do not try to define other people's pilgrimages for them.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

I'm very new to all this, and although I've been reading about the Camino for quite a few years, I have yet to begin one, so this is theoretical, but it is what I believe, so that makes it true, at least for me! When I walk my first camino in a few years' time (and I can't find the time to do a really long walk until then because of family issues), I will be in my mid sixties, and with some back issues and some knee problems that need some careful handling. My wife and I intend to walk, hopefully all the way across Europe from the Polish-Lithuanian border to Santiago, taking about eight months to do so, as the beginning of our retirement (instead of a world cruise!). We hope to stay in small hotels and B & Bs and to walk with a day sack only, and with luggage transported for us. It is, for us, an enormous adventure, and an act of faith, but to achieve it, we know that we need some help, both in transporting our luggage and in guaranteeing a comfortable bed for the night. Thirty years ago, I went on an adventure, walking across Europe with hardly any money and relying on the generosity of strangers. That was truly an adventure, and what you say about it in your first post is absolutely true. But our next planned journey is just as adventurous, or so it seems to us - it's just that what constitutes an adventure is different for every person, and during each period of the same person's life.
As for what makes a pilgrim to Santiago, you have only to look at some of the ancient accounts to read how grateful pilgrims were when they found more comfortable lodgings, or when someone carried their pack ahead of them on horseback. Authenticity is a very dangerous thing to define - I guess that an authentic pilgrimage as our ancestors would have defined it would begin with starting from your own front door, and in walking back again, not starting off a mere 800 kilometres from Santiago and walking only one way, or following a well-travelled route with all the infrastructure in place. I don't think the difference you are trying to define has anything to do with issues of commercial or non-commercial either - people along the route have always made money from the pilgrims of their own day, but that doesn't change the nature of what is an authentic pilgrimage for the person who makes it. Some of us just need a little more help than others!
But thank you, Michelle, for your first post - although I disagree with it, it has prompted me to think about what the camino might mean for me and that is a very good thing for this forum to be doing.

Thank you Perran for the kind words. In my first post, as I have mentioned to november-moon, I am really not supporting or conedmning anyone for anything, just stating what the Caminolife these days is about. Each person has their own reason(s) for walking the Path.

The purpose of that post was to stir the pot a bit for its readers, promote the conscious thinking of why in the heck would I want to walk so far, for so long? What am I willing to do to accomplish this task? Why am I committing to this task?

It does hurt a bit that some may consider my words as an attack on them personally. Perhaps they are mirroring some feelings or issues, (something we all have), and I pray that they are able to overcome them.

I wish you and your Wife well and a Buen Camino.

 

[Tincatinker]

Steady peregrino/as, steady. Let's not let yet another thread descend into the 'real' pilgrim debate. And let us keep the 'no personal criticism of fellow members' rule at the forefront of our minds whenever we post.

Other useful rules are that: everyone who disagrees with me hasn't understood the question: the only true pilgrims are pagans on their way to Muxia, and (as referred to in another thread) all rules are silly. The choice / decision to pre-book accommodation is an entirely personal one based on a personal assessment / perception of risk. I do not pre-book because, as I neither snore nor fart, I am welcome everywhere.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Michelle - I did read your post - and reread it as requested. I still stand by my request. Please do not try to define other people's pilgrimages for them.

Sorry you have taken my words in such a way.

I have no control over anyone and would never attempt to do so. That would be the actions of the greatest fool in the World to even try. I would not wish such power. It does seem that the post has its promoters, on both sides and that is good. The purpose of it was to get people thinking about their Camino and what it means to them.

I hope the dialogue continues.

 

[naplesdon]

For peace of mind, it is a good idea to make reservations. Team Sailor [my wife and me] walked during September/October 2017 and we made reservations all the way to Puente La Reina, here is the information:

(1) St Jean Pied de Port, reservation at Hostal Beilari for two nights
(2) Orisson, reservation at Refuge Orisson for one night
(3) Roncesvalles, reservation at Albergue Orreaga for one night
(4) Larrasona, reservation at Bide Ederra for one night
(5) Pamplona, reservation at Casa Ibarrola for one night
(6) Puente La Reina, reservation at Albergue Jakue for one night

No advanced reservations made after Puente La Reina. Now looking back, it was a good decision to make my reservations, and if I had to do it all over I would NOT change a thing. Good luck walking YOUR camino. Ánimo! La luz de Dios alumbra su camino.

Not to sound like a nit picker but..
(1) I have never spent the night in SJPdP, so I have no opinion
(2) Orisson definitely needs a reservation
(3) The albergue at Roncevalles has reduced the number of beds available so an online reservation is now advised
(4) I'd opt for Zubiri, Palo de Avellano is nice but I have only reserved it once because I was walking with 2 other pilgrims, Larrasona is a push for one day
(5) Stay at the muni in Zalbaldiki, it is a wonderful experience
(6) loads of places to stay in Pamplona
(7) stay in Uterga (Albergue Camino del Perdon) so you can detour to see Eunate on the way to Puente la Reina
(8) in Puenta la Reina, Jakue is fine but there are plenty of other place to stay

 

[domigee]

The choice / decision to pre-book accommodation is an entirely personal one based on a personal assessment / perception of risk. .

Spot on

 

[trecile]

If you re-read my post, I do not take any side. Simply, the two major types of people on the Camino are noted. There are many other goals / purposes that, to a minor degree, would also be involved in answering the question, to book, or not to book. But hey, it was already a long response.

And, honestly, there are always many options.The best way to describe them would be, commercial and non-commercial in nature.

Take care and enjoy.

If resrving a bed is a personal necessity, it defines that person as a tourist rather than a pilgrim / peregrino, (

You clearly do "take sides" and seem to know people's personal motivations by how they come by their accommodations.

 

[Oxford Alice]

I'm very new to all this, and although I've been reading about the Camino for quite a few years, I have yet to begin one, so this is theoretical, but it is what I believe, so that makes it true, at least for me! When I walk my first camino in a few years' time (and I can't find the time to do a really long walk until then because of family issues), I will be in my mid sixties, and with some back issues and some knee problems that need some careful handling. My wife and I intend to walk, hopefully all the way across Europe from the Polish-Lithuanian border to Santiago, taking about eight months to do so, as the beginning of our retirement (instead of a world cruise!). We hope to stay in small hotels and B & Bs and to walk with a day sack only, and with luggage transported for us. It is, for us, an enormous adventure, and an act of faith, but to achieve it, we know that we need some help, both in transporting our luggage and in guaranteeing a comfortable bed for the night. Thirty years ago, I went on an adventure, walking across Europe with hardly any money and relying on the generosity of strangers. That was truly an adventure, and what you say about it in your first post is absolutely true. But our next planned journey is just as adventurous, or so it seems to us - it's just that what constitutes an adventure is different for every person, and during each period of the same person's life.
As for what makes a pilgrim to Santiago, you have only to look at some of the ancient accounts to read how grateful pilgrims were when they found more comfortable lodgings, or when someone carried their pack ahead of them on horseback. Authenticity is a very dangerous thing to define - I guess that an authentic pilgrimage as our ancestors would have defined it would begin with starting from your own front door, and in walking back again, not starting off a mere 800 kilometres from Santiago and walking only one way, or following a well-travelled route with all the infrastructure in place. I don't think the difference you are trying to define has anything to do with issues of commercial or non-commercial either - people along the route have always made money from the pilgrims of their own day, but that doesn't change the nature of what is an authentic pilgrimage for the person who makes it. Some of us just need a little more help than others!
But thank you, Michelle, for your first post - although I disagree with it, it has prompted me to think about what the camino might mean for me and that is a very good thing for this forum to be doing.

What a great adventure, and a beautiful post! Thank you for the truth in all of it.

 

[Sailor]

Thank you Mister Don for providing other [good] options (in reply #23) for the original poster and all others checking this conversation. Ultreya! La luz de Dios alumbra su camino.

 

[Kathar1na]

This is a common question

I guess the title of the thread (To book or not to book) may be misunderstood as an invitation to a general discussion about ... I don't even know how to call it ... personal philosophies perhaps? The poster wants to know whether to book a bed in Roncesvalles or not. Why force the discussion into a different direction?

I actually find the course of the discussion a bit amusing. Here we have an albergue that's actually owned by the Catholic Church in Spain, although they've handed over the daily management to a volunteer association from the Netherlands. It's easily an albergue on the site with the longest and richest tradition for hospitality and charity on the whole 800 km long Camino Frances. So this place steeped so deeply in history and tradition offers the possibility to book a bed in advance. And it offers the possibility to not book in advance and get perhaps a bed. And it offers the possibility to not book in advance and with some luck not get a bed if so desired. Where's the issue here?

I loved @Oxford Alice's reply: Being away from the expectations of others is one of the most beautiful things about the Camino for me. Yes!!!

 

[fraluchi]

When Annakappa walked with me the Frances from Roncesvalles to Santiago in 2007, she insisted to be a "pilgrim". At the bottom of this message our YouTube presentation will say it all.
What we didn't tell, is that on an odd occasion we had to use somebody's 'phone (at a bar, restaurant, or albergue) to ask around for two beds that night if most places seemed to be "sold out".
Times have changed: we now have iPhones, GPS etc. and the pilgrimage has become rather "comfortable".
Why not?

 

[Anamiri]

Having read some of the earlier posts I'm slightly shocked at how quickly people judge others for booking ahead.
The reason for booking is often because of pack transport, they have to be dropped off at the accommodation.

You can have no notion whatsoever as to why the transport is used.
In my case it was because of a developing a sore knee, tight deadlines didn't give me enough time to rest it, so pack transport allowed me to keep walking without the weight of the pack.
I actually prefer carrying my pack and stopping when I feel like it, but that is not always physically possible. No I didn't book at Roncesvalles, it didn't even occur to me, we walked there, waited in line and got a bed.

People with all sorts of aches and disabilities walk the Camino.
Well done them I say, regardless of how they have to do it.
They could be home on the couch, but they are out there walking the Camino instead.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

I guess the title of the thread (To book or not to book) may be misunderstood as an invitation to a general discussion about ... I don't even know how to call it ... personal philosophies perhaps? The poster wants to know whether to book a bed in Roncesvalles or not. Why force the discussion into a different direction?

I actually find the course of the discussion a bit amusing. Here we have an albergue that's actually owned by the Catholic Church in Spain, although they've handed over the daily management to a volunteer association from the Netherlands. It's easily an albergue on the site with the longest and richest tradition for hospitality and charity on the whole 800 km long Camino Frances. So this place steeped so deeply in history and tradition offers the possibility to book a bed in advance. And it offers the possibility to not book in advance and get perhaps a bed. And it offers the possibility to not book in advance and with some luck not get a bed if so desired. Where's the issue here?

I loved @Oxford Alice's reply: Being away from the expectations of others is one of the most beautiful things about the Camino for me. Yes!!!

Thank you for bringing this up Katharina,

I apologize. The purpose of my response to this post was to consider the act of booking vs the act of not booking, nothing more. It was not intended to raise armies against or for either practice. Further, it was hoped that each person would ask the question of themselves over taking sides. On the Camino, we are all brothers and sisters.

 

[naplesdon]

Hey mods, I think this thread is turning into a food fight and some adults need to jump into the conversation. The newbies are not being served by the veterans' opinions

 

[Glenshiro]

This question may be at least partly age -related. As a teenager, in the 70s, I hitchhiked all over Europe, sleeping in Youth Hostels when I could afford them and in fields, barns and under hedges when I couldn't. Those days are long gone and I now appreciate a bit of comfort (and privacy, as much for the sake of others as myself; I no longer have that beach -ready body) which necessitates booking ahead. So that's what I do. With the greatest respect to Michelle, everyone has to do their own camino, and it is not for others to judge them, much less label them. There are as many reasons for walking the Camino as there are people walking it.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Book if it gives you peace of mind.

 

[peregrina2000]

Here we go again. Despite the efforts of several mods, people just don't seem to be able to refrain from being judgmental. I think we should add the "tourist vs. pilgrim" debate to the list of prohibited topics, like bullfighting, politics, and religion! I'm going to lock the thread.

 

[Kanga]

I have tried to tidy up the thread by deleting some posts that were referring to previously deleted posts.