walk/accommodation/ transport on Portuguese july

[mbear]

I am walking the "Portugues" from Porto 2nd week in july. May I have advice on the need [or not] to pre book accommodation. I anticipate booking my 1st night in Porto and am hoping to walk [following suggested walking days of around 11/12 days] to Santiago de Compostella [3 of us from Tui].

Another option I am considering ,is perhaps using say 1/2/3 towns and bussing/train out each day and return to accomm each night [ie walk with day pack ea day]. Is this a realistic option? and if so could advice be given as to what towns/villages along the route have public transport/accommodation to enable me to "commute" my way along. It may even be a combination of walking with backpack on some of the route and using a night base to go and return from on other sections of the route?

Thank you [in anticipation of your advice/help]

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

See this downloadable guide: http://www.csj.org.uk/guides-online.htm

If you don't intend to sleep in albergues or the overflow pilgrim accommodation it will be essential this year to book ahead.

On this route, with some careful planning when you are there it is perfectly possible to move forward and back on public transport and/or taxis. It may acutally be quite a good idea if you are intending to go in the height of the season when there will be many. many other pilgrims.

I hope this helps.

John

 

[mbear]

Thanks John .I will work out a plan/plans to walk the route from Porto,using a few base towns to commute on a daily basis. Perhaps I could "post " again when I have researched possibilities for advice/comments.

 

[kstaylor]

If you don't intend to sleep in albergues or the overflow pilgrim accommodation it will be essential this year to book ahead.

John,

Do you think I would need advance booking of accommodation for mid-April to mid-May (starting from Porto about April 14)? I do not plan to utilize the albergues, just basic hotels. My preference would be to keep things flexible, deciding at each town how long to stay,

Thank you,
Kit
http://www.arovingvision.com
kst@arovingvision.com

 

[Thornley]

mbear,

Don't stay in Tui on a weekend mate................they have a disco next door to the wonderful , and i mean wonderful alberque in a lovely , friendly town.
You will have a lot of road walking early so enjoy Porto.
When in Padron find a great little cafe/bar called " Xurcarja" ...wine i euro in mug and great pardon peppers.
In Calais de Reis the alberque has disappeared but a great meal in a private home can be had in
"Bodega, Los Tres Molinas" on the main street heading out of town.

The one negative is the amount of cyclists using the alberques who arrive late in the evening.
Ear plugs required.

Buen Camino,
David

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Kit - yes I do. If you don't use a company like the Camino Travel Centre and want to book yourself I'd call a few days in advance.

Regards

John

 

[anniethenurse]

Hello Kit!
My plans changed I can´t do El Camino Portugues in May as planned. But I had booked some hotels along the camino by using http://www.booking.com. I even had planned to stay at the big albergues along the route, too - the bigger the albergue the better chance getting a bed.
Or you can contact Ivar and he´ll help you http://www.CaminoTravelCenter.com/

Following cities are along the camino and the hotels (bookable via http://www.booking.com) are mentioned in the guide book by John Brierly.

Porto
Maia: Estralagem Lidador
Matosinhos
Via do Conde: Estralagem do Brazao
Barcelos: Hotel Bagoeira
Valenca: Hotel Lara
Pontevedra: Virgen del Camino
Santiago de Compostela many hotels

You really should book at least some hotels in advance. Or you end up paying more than € 50 each night. At least you should book in Santiago to be sure to have a room.

buen camino
annie

 

[kstaylor]

John & Annie,

Thank you for your helpful advice. I should be able to reserve in each town two or three days in advance. But I won't know the excact date I plan to leave Porto until April 11 or 12. And, along the way, I won't know how many days I'll be staying in many of the towns. Ideally I hope to find 25-30 Euro hotels -- with some thanks to the Greeks for taking the edge off the Euro just before my trip.

The reason I do not want to stay in albergues is that I lost most of my esophagus 13 years ago, and sometimes break into a very loud cough in the middle of the night, and/or get such bad reflux that I need to sit up for an hour or so. In any dormitory-type accomodation that would greatly annoy many of my tired neighgbors, while others would rush to 'save' me when I am actually alright. It still scares my wife, and she is quite used to it.

Annie, sorry to hear you will not be on the Caminho Portuguese.

Kit
http://www.arovingvision.com
kst@arovingvision.com