You can do the whole camino not staying at the albergues

[wichanee]

After the camino I went by public transport touring the Costa da Meurte and now back in Santiago again cooling my heels until tomorrow when we leave for Portugal.
I have posted much early on when preparing my walk if it is possible to stay in private accommodation all the way through without staying at the albergues. Most seem to think that it is not possible.
I would like to post here for the record that is is possible and we have done that. There are quite a few people - small minority - who are committed to the camino but prefer their own privacy at bedtime. There are a few stages you may have to walk a little bit longer to reach the casa rurales or hostals in the next villages. But now the whole network of private accommodation is rising up to meet the challenge and there will be more.
And for comraderie among peregrinos some may think is lacking without staying in the albergues, I can say from experience that we made a lot of friends on the walk. The best place is bar-cafe in a small village where everybody has to dine together in only one place or two. The only thing you have to bring along with you on the camino is your smile and the intention to make friend The rest will follow.
For fear of irritating the purists on this forum, I will send accommodation list to those who ask me privately. PM me if you wish.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

We had a very helpful series of posts on this very subject recently. There was general agreement that it is not at all controversial for prilgrims to use accomodation other than albergues. I am sure your list will be very popular!

 

[ivar]

I think many will find this document useful. If you you feel like, you could e-mail this document to me, then I would upload it to this website and post a link to it in this thread.

By the way, the next version of the forum will have the possibility for all users to attach documents to a post, something that I think will be very useful.

Un saludo,
Ivar

 

[bpondugula]

Hallo

We did the camino in March from Leon to Santiago and we feel private accomodations along the camino are a welcome sight. Especially if the albergue is closed for repairs. The albergue at Ocebreiro was closed, and if there was no private accomodation after the long and difficult climb, we definitely would have walked further on to either Hospital de condesa (atleast 8kms away). I would have preferred a private accomodation instead of staying at the albergue in Melide. Boy ,that was in a bad shape. I hope they fix it.

Regards
Bharat

 

[j maguire]

Hi wichanee

We are half way through the camino and feel that hostals and casa rurales are much better option than a lot of the municipal albergues . We had no particular problem with the communal dormatories but we found the facilities in some to be too testing { I know we are too soft :!: }.

A very few euro's more secured privacy and hot water while not interfering with the normal friendship and companionship that is such a part of the camino. We continued to meet fellow pilgrims at cafes and churches as well as on our daily walk.Some great examples of private hostals that we have encountered so far include Orrison before Roncevalles, Maralotx in Cirauqui and En El Camino in Broadilla.

I would love to see your list partularly to find accomadation on the second half of the camino .

Buen Camino

Joe

 

[sillydoll]

Private albergues

A good resource for private albergues - some that can be booked in advance - is Redalbergues: Click on Folletos and you can download a brochure of their albergues.

http://www.redalberguessantiago.com/

If you would like to have a copy of the list of albergues/addresses etc only on a word document, let me know and I will mail it to you.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Thanks - the main thrust of this is to list accomodation which is an alternative to the communal provision of albergues.

 

[Magnara]

We only used a handful of albergues along the Camino Frances. It was winter and many were shut, so we had no choice, but even those that were open were often absolutely freezing, and a bit dismal, being alone ina big building looking at the long table and imagining it filled iwth pilgrims eating and talking. So we went for the hot shower (sometimes a bath!, what luxury) and comfortable beds option. Each to his own. I think it would be a shame for anyone to think they had a fix on what is a "real" camino, we are all walking for different reasons and in different ways. As the French say, "Vive la difference".
Magnara

 

[wichanee]

For all of you who have PM me, please wait a bit as I am still on the road and it would take time to compile the whole list. Try to do my best as soon as possible.
In Leon, the tourist office near the cathedrale has excellent booklet on rural tourism in Castille y Leon. The booklet lists all accomm (hostals and casa rurals CRACs,etc) and the telephone numbers are updated this year so it is quite accurate. You can also search for particular village's accom through their website.

 

[Dawn of a new Day]

i am not sure if these names apply to the camino frances, however on the camino norte, there are hostels, pensiones and hotels. Look for pensiones, they are the best price, just like a hotel room. They were even cheaper than the youth hostels.
dawn

 

[pilgrimpictures]

anyone get this list

I see wichanee has not been here for over a year.

Did anyone getthis private accomodations list?

Thank you! I am travelling with kids who need their hot bath/showers and sleep at night.

 

[Javier Martin]

Re: anyone get this list

I'm sorry to be so late, but as I've been on holidays it's been impossible for me to write earlier.

If you are interested in private acomodation, I can give you a list from Astorga. Last time I had to use it was in 2002, but I suppose its not a problem.

Is it correct to publish it for everybody? I have no personal or economic interest in any of them, but other acomodation can not believe it.

Buen Camino.

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[William Marques]

Javier
There is no problem posting useful information that you have no private interest in.

Pilgrim Pictures
You were probably looking at the date to the left when he joined the date this post started by him was July 2nd 2007

 

[Minkey]

Just wondering why you'd want to...

 

[Javier Martin]

It's convinient to call to make a reservation. I've slept in most of them, several years ago.

Astorga: Pension Garcia, 987-616046
Rabanal: El Refugio, 987-691274
La Posada de Gaspar: 987691079
Molinaseca: El Palacio, 987-453094
Ponferrada: Pensión San Miguel, 987-411047
Villafranca: El Cruce, 987540185
Casa Méndez, 987-542408
Triacastela: Bar Fernandez, 982-548148
Portomarin: Casa Perez, 982-545040
Palas de Rey: Casa Guntina, 982-380080
Casa Vilariño, 982-380152
Arzua: Casa Teodora, 981-500083
Pensión Carballeira, 981-500094
Santiago: Casa Ramos, 981-581859, very close to the Cathedral.

I hope it's useful to you.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[Bill791]

I would appreciate a copy of the hotel listing you have.
I plan to do The Camino not staying in the Albergues and will go sometime around May next year.

Bill.

 

[Javier Martin]

Most of then offers you a good menus.

Both in Rabanal, the one in Ponferrada, both in Villafranca. The one in Triacastela offers you good breakfasts. The one in Portomarin is a very quiet place, a good man. Good meals, too. In Palas I prefer casa Guntina to sleep but casa Vilariño for meals. In Arzua both are good but Teodora is a bit more expensive but of course much better. And Casa Ramos ... my favorite place in Santiago until now, but my next time I'll visit "casa Ivar" ...

Buen Camino. May be you can lose something from albergues, but you will rest much beter.

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[TravellingSonn]

Hi Folks,

I was wondering if I could grab a copy of the list?

Buen Camino
Love and smiles
Sonia

 

[Javier Martin]

I don't see any problem!!

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain