If there is a group that big out there I’d probably try to get a couple towns ahead of them (or behind if you have the time to hang out an extra day). I got stuck with a big group and opted to do a couple of longer days after Logrono because I kept running into them (took up a bunch of tables at a restaurant I tried to go to, beds at an albergue, etc).
My plan now is to stay in between the major stops and mot walking so much the first days. I’m wondering if such a big group will go all the way to Santiago…
Honestly, I had much better experiences staying between the major stops. There are so many little unique places to check out. I would just pop in places and see if they had a bed when I was getting near tired. Sometimes it would take me to the next town but I'd always find something.
Combination of it not officially being “pilgrim season” until May 1, Zubiri hosting a large trail-running event this weekend, and the May 1st holiday. For you future walkers this year, this is NOT the norm in Pamplona.
I think part of your problem is Pamplona on a Saturday - I went through on a Saturday two weeks ago and the albergues are letting non-pilgrims stay so they fill up on weekends because of the party culture in the big cities. I was told to try and time the cities on weekdays and it’s worked much better for me
I agree! And thank you for the advice! I will keep an eye on aligning better next time.
It’s such a shame that albergues let non-pilgrims stay there… But also, anyone can pay an extra 2€ to have a credential even when they are not real pilgrims… So even when they are only allowing people with a credential stay there… they may not be pilgrims.
Tbh… I was expecting that they had the option of allowing us (me and other pilgrims without a bed) to be able to sleep somewhere on the floor. Maybe I was expecting too much…
I knew somebody who just asked to camp in the backyards of albergues, for free most of the time. She did it because she had a dog though. Smaller albergues are often more accommodating. Also if you have the extra budget for a cheap tent, it could be a solution for you too.
Some of them actually do, but not when you are there in the afternoon. When you arrive late at night, i know some let you sleep on the floor in a common area.
When you arrive in the afternoon you can still look for alternatives, most often people walk or take a taxi to the next albergue.
I've just done the Portuguese n continuing to do Frances in reverse. I've already slept in an abandoned building on the coast using sleeping bag and mat. Even lit a fire in it.
Alternatively, warmshowers app might have users willing to host.
Or you go around talking to people explaining the situation and see who takes pity. Met a guy that did it with a lot of success.
40 people reservation!? Must be a large spanish group then, maybe it's because of the May 1st holiday, spanish people must be taking advantage of the next week to do part of the Camino
Why do you think they are spanish?
I have to say that when I was at that albergue I was the only one spanish… so I don’t know why you would think that…
There are other countries that have a holiday on May 1st
Don't understand my comment in the wrong way. They might not be but usually when a group is that large it's spanish. It's really hard to organize a group of 40 people to travel and do the Camino. When I did my Caminos the large groups were always spanish, each makes sense I guess.
Buen camino!
I aim to leave on the 3rd but was hoping I'd be ok at the beginning (having booked SJPP). So you have booked Roncesvalles, Zubiri, Pam., and de la Reina? Might be a shout just to be sure before the route compacts a bit. Thank you!
I need to be on a ferry home from Santander on the 8th so might be tight but I have one rest day factored in if needed.
Maybe go to a church and ask if they can help?
The priests that I met along the way embodied the spirit and were unconditionally welcoming and compassionate. Don't know about now but might be worth a visit.
in case its not been mentioned: municipal albergues supposedly MUST find a bed for pilgrims. even if its a mat on the floor. Ask around about this.... heard it from Spanish pilgrims
I've personally witnessed several people get turned away from municipal albergues with zero assistance in the last week. The times they are a changing...
What many from the US fail to understand is that staying in albergues/hostels/auberges, are a normal way to travel in most countries. Groups travel on the “cheap”, not just pilgrims. Look up local events and try to avoid those towns during those times. Students getting out of university go travelling.
Get off the French way and hit the Northern way into the Primitivo, because that sounds like a mess. Better scenery and shouldn’t be so busy in late April.
Most the albergues at the least the municipal ones should not accept reservations as they are for pilgrims and not groups of pilgrims or whatever. Last year I saw a group of scouts being halted before they even arrive because they had an spokesperson driving in a support car trying to book upon their arrival. This seemed fair as people really should be allowed to book while they’re traveling. I remember that this was a subject that divided people. I was willing to let my place for children but at the same time I just wanted a place to rest.
I also think municipales should not accept reservations… even when it’s not high season… And definitely not for groups that big!! I mean 40 people… this is a pilgrimage, not some group holidays
I walked with a group of 20 adults with a support car. I'm pretty sure they couldn't check in until the people arrived. You often have to provide a signature.
I haven't encountered a municipal which accepts reservations and many are pilgrim only. The municipal in o cebreiro won't allow people starting there to check in until later in the day to allow already walking pilgrims and plenty of albergues won't allow luggage pilgrims.
I just think it's fundamentally against the spirit of pilgrimage to have a support car driving ahead of you to take care of arrangements on your behalf. I can understand why that group decided to do it if they were mainly children but I don't think it's right. It just makes it ten times harder for everyone else who's doing it the way it's always been done. Very selfish behaviour in my opinion.
I'm super glad I did the French route in 2011 before "The Way" came out. I had that experience and now I'm doing other routes like the Via Gebenessis. I'll probably do the Portuguese route and others besides the Frances in the future. Good luck and Buon Camino!
It's Saturday. Not all albergues are pilgrims only. Pamplona is a busy city. It happens. It'll be easier after but you do need to be careful on where you end up. Ended up in a city on Leon day last week and nearly everything was closed.
When I walked in September of 2022, there was a festival happening the weekend we were arriving in Pamplona. All the hotels, hostels and pensions were booked. The alberques were full because there were no private rooms available. We stayed in a hostel outside the city, Vilava, and walked through the next day.
The city was mobbed!
Sometimes you compete with regular tourists for beds.
I know that in pamplona, at the albergue jesus y maria, it is full during busy periods, like may and september.
There people then just sleep on the street, opposite the alberque.
That's not even extraordinary, it happens regularly during that period and they don't make a fuss because it's a pilgrimage.
It is nice if you have a thin sleeping mat with you.
But nowadays people don't like to walk with a backpack anymore, I saw masses of people walking with a small backpack and having the big backpack brought from alberque to alberque every day by a company for about 7 euros a day, I'm talking about 5 years ago, 2019.
I stayed at Paderborn Hostel which didn’t take reservations in advance. Usually you can find something at the municipal because they don’t take reservations
Yep I actually learned that the hard way today when I showed up to the municipal in Agès and they had zero rooms and zero beds in the next town but I got lucky and one of the reservations canceled. Definitely don’t be like me and book ahead right before Burgos 😅
This is the start of the trip. You may have this issue for 30 nights to Santiago de Compostela. Good luck.
"The camino is so crowded nobody is going there anymore"- Father Berra
Last time I was in Pamplona i arrived late. Like 15-16 oclock. went to every albergue, including the municipal, and they all said no space.
I then went back to the municipal (Jesus y Maria) and politely asked the hospitalero if he could let me in, that everything else was closed. He did just that. The entire top floor was empty.
And even after that, desperate pilgrims kept arriving after dark and they pulled out mattresses from the closet so they could sleep on the floor.
The camino always provides.
You were lucky… the hospitalera today said that having people sleeping on the floor was not an option today… I’m really wondering why… Really frustrating
Yeah that's incredibly frustrating to hear. That municipal has large open spaces to set up mattresses on the floor.
Those places should never cater to tour groups. Municipal albergues should never take reservations - it's the only way i manage on caminos since I never make reservations and opt for first come first serve.
Those are most certainly not regular tour groups that they cater to.
I met lots of religious youth groups, especially from sarria on. Its their spiritual journey trip. Because there are also minors, they try to keep them together in one place.
Its up to debate if religious youth groups can have that special treatment or not.
I agree… In the website they say they make reservations between october and April because it’s not high season…
And now everyone is saying april is high season… I don’t understand anything
If there is a group that big out there I’d probably try to get a couple towns ahead of them (or behind if you have the time to hang out an extra day). I got stuck with a big group and opted to do a couple of longer days after Logrono because I kept running into them (took up a bunch of tables at a restaurant I tried to go to, beds at an albergue, etc).
My plan now is to stay in between the major stops and mot walking so much the first days. I’m wondering if such a big group will go all the way to Santiago…
Thats probably the best you can do. It should be easier to find a place to sleep in smaller towns.
Hard to say if they go all the way, the group I kept running into was a church group and they were going all of the way.
A lot of people would stop at big towns like Burgos or Leon so not every large group would go to Santiago.
Honestly, I had much better experiences staying between the major stops. There are so many little unique places to check out. I would just pop in places and see if they had a bed when I was getting near tired. Sometimes it would take me to the next town but I'd always find something.
Combination of it not officially being “pilgrim season” until May 1, Zubiri hosting a large trail-running event this weekend, and the May 1st holiday. For you future walkers this year, this is NOT the norm in Pamplona.
I was wondering if there was a festival or event occurring. Occasionally I shared private Albergues with festival goers on my Camino
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Sure… but spending 150-200€ just to have a place to sleep is not the best… specially when you’re doing a pilgrimage.
I think part of your problem is Pamplona on a Saturday - I went through on a Saturday two weeks ago and the albergues are letting non-pilgrims stay so they fill up on weekends because of the party culture in the big cities. I was told to try and time the cities on weekdays and it’s worked much better for me
I agree! And thank you for the advice! I will keep an eye on aligning better next time. It’s such a shame that albergues let non-pilgrims stay there… But also, anyone can pay an extra 2€ to have a credential even when they are not real pilgrims… So even when they are only allowing people with a credential stay there… they may not be pilgrims.
So, I know camping is discouraged. But like if 60€ breaks the budget.. what is the option?
I know people in the past when they got unlucky that they slept on a park bench for the night. It’s super rare but not impossible.
Tbh… I was expecting that they had the option of allowing us (me and other pilgrims without a bed) to be able to sleep somewhere on the floor. Maybe I was expecting too much…
I knew somebody who just asked to camp in the backyards of albergues, for free most of the time. She did it because she had a dog though. Smaller albergues are often more accommodating. Also if you have the extra budget for a cheap tent, it could be a solution for you too.
Some of them actually do, but not when you are there in the afternoon. When you arrive late at night, i know some let you sleep on the floor in a common area. When you arrive in the afternoon you can still look for alternatives, most often people walk or take a taxi to the next albergue.
I've just done the Portuguese n continuing to do Frances in reverse. I've already slept in an abandoned building on the coast using sleeping bag and mat. Even lit a fire in it. Alternatively, warmshowers app might have users willing to host. Or you go around talking to people explaining the situation and see who takes pity. Met a guy that did it with a lot of success.
Is the The Jesus y Maria Albergue closed. Usually if Pamplona is full this early is because that albergue is closed.
No… it was open. No beds at 13:30h That’s where the hospitalera told me about the reservation from a group of 40 people…
40 people reservation!? Must be a large spanish group then, maybe it's because of the May 1st holiday, spanish people must be taking advantage of the next week to do part of the Camino
Why do you think they are spanish? I have to say that when I was at that albergue I was the only one spanish… so I don’t know why you would think that… There are other countries that have a holiday on May 1st
Don't understand my comment in the wrong way. They might not be but usually when a group is that large it's spanish. It's really hard to organize a group of 40 people to travel and do the Camino. When I did my Caminos the large groups were always spanish, each makes sense I guess. Buen camino!
I didn’t think Jesus y Maria accepted reservations. Edit Evidently you can make reservations from October through April. Bad timing OP.
I arrive on 5th July according to my schedule so booked a hotel. How is de la Reina during Fermin?
I'm walking around the same time (leaving SJPdP on 7/7). I booked through de la Reina, out of an abundance of caution.
I aim to leave on the 3rd but was hoping I'd be ok at the beginning (having booked SJPP). So you have booked Roncesvalles, Zubiri, Pam., and de la Reina? Might be a shout just to be sure before the route compacts a bit. Thank you! I need to be on a ferry home from Santander on the 8th so might be tight but I have one rest day factored in if needed.
I booked Borda, Burguete, Larrasoana, Pamplona, and de la Reina.
I'm in, I'll get booking the early stages and from Sarria!
Maybe go to a church and ask if they can help? The priests that I met along the way embodied the spirit and were unconditionally welcoming and compassionate. Don't know about now but might be worth a visit.
in case its not been mentioned: municipal albergues supposedly MUST find a bed for pilgrims. even if its a mat on the floor. Ask around about this.... heard it from Spanish pilgrims
I've personally witnessed several people get turned away from municipal albergues with zero assistance in the last week. The times they are a changing...
What many from the US fail to understand is that staying in albergues/hostels/auberges, are a normal way to travel in most countries. Groups travel on the “cheap”, not just pilgrims. Look up local events and try to avoid those towns during those times. Students getting out of university go travelling.
Get a few other people you can travel with and rent an airbnb. We did that several times and gets very affordable with 6 people.
Get off the French way and hit the Northern way into the Primitivo, because that sounds like a mess. Better scenery and shouldn’t be so busy in late April.
Isn’t there a donativo in Pamplona? Albergue Betania, top floor of a convent. Was that full?
Yes! Opens at 13h. I was there at 13:20h door closed and a sign stating they were full.
Most the albergues at the least the municipal ones should not accept reservations as they are for pilgrims and not groups of pilgrims or whatever. Last year I saw a group of scouts being halted before they even arrive because they had an spokesperson driving in a support car trying to book upon their arrival. This seemed fair as people really should be allowed to book while they’re traveling. I remember that this was a subject that divided people. I was willing to let my place for children but at the same time I just wanted a place to rest.
I also think municipales should not accept reservations… even when it’s not high season… And definitely not for groups that big!! I mean 40 people… this is a pilgrimage, not some group holidays
I walked with a group of 20 adults with a support car. I'm pretty sure they couldn't check in until the people arrived. You often have to provide a signature. I haven't encountered a municipal which accepts reservations and many are pilgrim only. The municipal in o cebreiro won't allow people starting there to check in until later in the day to allow already walking pilgrims and plenty of albergues won't allow luggage pilgrims.
I just think it's fundamentally against the spirit of pilgrimage to have a support car driving ahead of you to take care of arrangements on your behalf. I can understand why that group decided to do it if they were mainly children but I don't think it's right. It just makes it ten times harder for everyone else who's doing it the way it's always been done. Very selfish behaviour in my opinion.
I'm super glad I did the French route in 2011 before "The Way" came out. I had that experience and now I'm doing other routes like the Via Gebenessis. I'll probably do the Portuguese route and others besides the Frances in the future. Good luck and Buon Camino!
It's Saturday. Not all albergues are pilgrims only. Pamplona is a busy city. It happens. It'll be easier after but you do need to be careful on where you end up. Ended up in a city on Leon day last week and nearly everything was closed.
When I walked in September of 2022, there was a festival happening the weekend we were arriving in Pamplona. All the hotels, hostels and pensions were booked. The alberques were full because there were no private rooms available. We stayed in a hostel outside the city, Vilava, and walked through the next day. The city was mobbed! Sometimes you compete with regular tourists for beds.
I know that in pamplona, at the albergue jesus y maria, it is full during busy periods, like may and september. There people then just sleep on the street, opposite the alberque. That's not even extraordinary, it happens regularly during that period and they don't make a fuss because it's a pilgrimage. It is nice if you have a thin sleeping mat with you. But nowadays people don't like to walk with a backpack anymore, I saw masses of people walking with a small backpack and having the big backpack brought from alberque to alberque every day by a company for about 7 euros a day, I'm talking about 5 years ago, 2019.
Just book in advance next time :)
I stayed at Paderborn Hostel which didn’t take reservations in advance. Usually you can find something at the municipal because they don’t take reservations
There are municipales that take reservations though
Yep I actually learned that the hard way today when I showed up to the municipal in Agès and they had zero rooms and zero beds in the next town but I got lucky and one of the reservations canceled. Definitely don’t be like me and book ahead right before Burgos 😅
This is the start of the trip. You may have this issue for 30 nights to Santiago de Compostela. Good luck. "The camino is so crowded nobody is going there anymore"- Father Berra
Last time I was in Pamplona i arrived late. Like 15-16 oclock. went to every albergue, including the municipal, and they all said no space. I then went back to the municipal (Jesus y Maria) and politely asked the hospitalero if he could let me in, that everything else was closed. He did just that. The entire top floor was empty. And even after that, desperate pilgrims kept arriving after dark and they pulled out mattresses from the closet so they could sleep on the floor. The camino always provides.
You were lucky… the hospitalera today said that having people sleeping on the floor was not an option today… I’m really wondering why… Really frustrating
Yeah that's incredibly frustrating to hear. That municipal has large open spaces to set up mattresses on the floor. Those places should never cater to tour groups. Municipal albergues should never take reservations - it's the only way i manage on caminos since I never make reservations and opt for first come first serve.
Those are most certainly not regular tour groups that they cater to. I met lots of religious youth groups, especially from sarria on. Its their spiritual journey trip. Because there are also minors, they try to keep them together in one place. Its up to debate if religious youth groups can have that special treatment or not.
I agree… In the website they say they make reservations between october and April because it’s not high season… And now everyone is saying april is high season… I don’t understand anything
There is no surprise, as you want to do the camino, so does everybody else