Tours

[Scubageek]

Next year when I do the Camino de Frances I was planning on staying in albergues or hostels along the way without making reservations. A thread last week referencing the albergues being full kind of spooked me. I am now thinking about using a tour company to book my hotels/hostels. I know I will lose a little of the experience by doing so. Any recommendations on tour companies? I plan on walking the entire way and not using a service to transport by backpack.

Thanks for your help.

 

[nycwalking]

You don’t need a tour company. A tour company books you into their schedule, their way stations, with little or no flexibility to indulge your needs or wishes.

Book: SJPP, Orisson if you plan to stay there, and Roncesvalles. If you sally forth and find many pilgrims vying for a few beds use booking. com or some other booking site.

Buen camino.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Next year when I do the Camino de Frances I was planning on staying in albergues or hostels along the way without making reservations. A thread last week referencing the albergues being full kind of spooked me. I am now thinking about using a tour company to book my hotels/hostels. I know I will lose a little of the experience by doing so. Any recommendations on tour companies? I plan on walking the entire way and not using a service to transport by backpack.

Thanks for your help.

I am not able to answer your question directly, but I do understand the discomfort of uncertainty. The questions really are these:

1. Will you be stranded with nowhere to sleep at the end of the day when you are on Camino?
2. For all of the extra expense and loss of flexibility, can a tour company really do something that is not easy enough for you to do yourself?

The first thing to be aware of is that you are likely to arrive at your Camino starting point and find that as you proceed, there is plenty of space available for you to stay without making a single reservation. If you do periodically find that things are a bit crowded with pilgrims, you can then decide to make a reservation for the next night. If you find things are not crowded, then you can just go with the flow.

The second thing to consider is that IF all lodging choices are truly fully booked, and not just alburgues or hostels, then the ability to take a taxi to the next town is a viable choice. Stay the night, and then taxi back to where you left off the next morning. Buses are also a good possibility, too.

Next, consider that you are basically wanting to hire someone to do something that is free if you do it yourself: make reservations. It is about as easy to make a reservation for lodging in Spain as it is to do so at home. An app like Booking.com or Hotels.com make it quick and easy. And even if those apps state that there are no reservations available, keep in mind that they only have access to a portion of available rooms, and that contacting a hotel, hostel, casa rural, etc directly often times will get you a reserved room or bed.

If you do not find what you need with those Booking apps, then Gronze and a few other websites can give you information, including email addresses and phone numbers, about lodgings in the towns or villages you want to be stay at. So if need be, a day or so ahead, you can email or call them for reservations. If language is a barrier, then the staff of the lodging, be it an alburgue Hospitalero or a hotel clerk, where you are already at can help make a reservation for you.

These are just some things to consider, which may help balance out your negative concerns.

 

[MaryLynn]

I have walked every year since 2011 - thousands of km! - and only once in 2012 we three had to go to three albergues until we found 3 beds. There will always be a bed or a way to find a bed. Trust. It’s part of the joy of the Camino to learn to give up your fears.

 

[C clearly]

Next year when I do the Camino de Frances

When are you planning to walk, and starting where? Will you have a phone with data (e.g. Spanish SIM card)?

There is a big different between walking "free form" without any thought to ever making a reservation, and paying a tour company to structure your whole trip! I recommend that you book your first 2 or even 3 nights, take a smart phone with booking.com and/or other apps installed, and know how to use them. Unless you are totally unsociable, within 24 hours you will be connected with other pilgrims, see how they are managing, how busy the camino is, and you will find yourself able to adapt.

If you book the whole route in advance, you will probably regret it, given that you didn't really want to do it in the first place.

 

[lt56ny]

No Tour!!! Listen to the advice here it is all excellent!!!!

 

[Scubageek]

Thank you everyone for your responses. You have renewed my faith in "The Camino will provide." I will use bits and pieces of everyone's advice to complete my journey without using a tour company.

So, I have another question. I plan on starting in Astorgia, going to Santiago and then to Finesterre and Muxia and then back to Santiago before I head home from Madrid. I want to spend a couple of days in Santiago and Astorgia. I am planning on taking 3.5 weeks to complete. Is that doable? I definitely do not want to rush through my trip.

Thanks again for all of your help and support!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

So, I have another question. I plan on starting in Astorgia, going to Santiago and then to Finesterre and Muxia and then back to Santiago before I head home from Madrid. I want to spend a couple of days in Santiago and Astorgia. I am planning on taking 3.5 weeks to complete. Is that doable? I definitely do not want to rush through my trip.

Brierley's guide (averaging 25 km a day) suggests an 11 day walk to SdC. Typically 3 days to Finisterre but could be 4. One day to Muxia, could be 2. I don't think accommodation from Muxia is as plentiful so 3 days back to SdC.

In 2015 the tourist office in Santiago de Compostela gave out a free guide for the walks to Muxia and Finisterra (in English). I found a version of this online at: http://www.caminodesantiago.gal/documents/17639/155453/Fisterra Muxía - Plano - EN.pdf?version=1.0

 

[Scubageek]

Thanks. If I plan for 3.5 weeks, I should have plenty of time in Santiago and Astorgia.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Thank you everyone for your responses. You have renewed my faith in "The Camino will provide." I will use bits and pieces of everyone's advice to complete my journey without using a tour company.

So, I have another question. I plan on starting in Astorgia, going to Santiago and then to Finesterre and Muxia and then back to Santiago before I head home from Madrid. I want to spend a couple of days in Santiago and Astorgia. I am planning on taking 3.5 weeks to complete. Is that doable? I definitely do not want to rush through my trip.

Thanks again for all of your help and support!

I think you will be happy with your decision. As each day passes, your confidence will grow and you will soon be wondering why you even thought of hiring a tour company in the first place.

You will also be able to take what you have learned, and go on to help others who are struggling with self-doubt about planning a Camino.

 

[TMcA]

I would suggest doing the following and it will help you grow more confident and knowledgeable. It will cost maybe $50, but chalk it up to the $$ you will save by foregoing a tour.

First, order or buy a map. I bought a Michelin road map of Spain and Portugal from Amazon for $12. It has helped me orient myself when I read posts and has helped me get a perspective on how far Astorga is from Madrid, Barcelona from Pamplona, etc. I admit, I'm a map guy and I use my maps in addition to Google maps to familiarize myself with all of Spain and Portugal. The map is also useful for showing family and friends where it is you're going both before and after your Camino.

I would also buy a guidebook. Just search on this forum and order one.

These actions, plus a quick glance every few days at the Camino Frances part of this forum will get you going.

Once you're getting closer and ready to plan in detail, you can use gronze.com to look at mileage between points on the Camino Frances, to see the elevations of your walk, and the accomodations where you might lodge.

Buen Camino.

 

[P Steeper]

I finished the Camino Frances on May 11th and I rarely booked ahead. I'd recommend walking the distance your feet can do each day and this will vary depending on aches and pains, good and bad days. There were several occasions when people told me there were no beds showing on Booking.com in the next town. This was always wrong as I always got a bed. Not everything is listed in Booking.com as it costed the albergues money to list on the app. When I entered Portomarin I was told no beds were available as 170 were booked by one group. It was a school group and they had booked all the 10€ beds but most of the 30€ single beds were available in the town. I'd plan ahead on Easter Week but otherwise you will be fine.

 

[trecile]

There were several occasions when people told me there were no beds showing on Booking.com in the next town. This was always wrong as I always got a bed.

You're right too many people see "sold out on booking.com" , but don't realize that it only means that the beds/rooms available through booking.com are sold out. You can always call or email the property directly to check the real availability.