Crowded Accomodation?

[mypinkshirt]

Hi,

I am considering walking the camino de santiago at the end of this April/early May since it coincides with many of the public holidays in the UK this year. I would be a single female, but it seems from most posts that I would never be alone, especially during that time of year. However, my concern is that various websites talk about over-crowding leading to difficulty in obtaining accomodation, and it seems rushing to the next destination each day takes something away from the journey.

Does anyone have any thoughts/advice on frequency of the albergues filling up during what will probably be a very busy period? Would hate to have to choose between either walking at 4am every day or sleeping outside.


Thanks in advance,

Stacy

[HuskyNerd]

I'm very surprised to hear there are sources suggesting the Camino will be crowded in April/May. There was quite a bit of anxiety about that last year, given that it was a holy year and there were 2.5 times the pilgrims as the previous year, but as it turned out the overcrowding was much less than anticipated and occurred mostly on the last 100 kms +/- before Santiago.

While some people who might have avoided the Camino last year due to the crowds are anticipated to take it up this year, there are few who are expecting anything like the numbers of last year. The next holy year is 2021, so most people expect a return to the gradual increase in pilgrims we've seen in non-holy years for the last couple of decades. This is a long way of saying that you should have little difficulty finding accommodation this year, particularly in the spring.

I'll be leaving St Jean PdP on May 12 bound for Santiago. Perhaps I'll see you!

[Leslie]

The list of albergues can be found here Camino Pilgrim Hostels - Camino Frances Albergues

And I will second Sandy - you will be fine for somewhere to stay.

[grayland]

I agree...you should have no problems in April/May. The overcrowding you hear about occurs sometimes in August and sometimes in July.
Most Europeans (French/Spanish/Italians) take August off on holiday and the number of Pilgrims does increase.
April and May will not be a problem.
Buen Camino

[Covey]

I have walked the Camino Frances starting in July, August and September in various years and have never not found a bed in an Albergue when I wanted one. A lot depends on your walking pattern.

I prefer to start at dawn and finish at 2pm and then I have plenty of time to do my laundry and hang it out to dry, and then wander off to have a mooch around, have the odd glass of something nice and maybe something to eat, and sit back chatting to my fellow Pilgrims, and watch the world go by.

If on the other hand you start looking at 5pm for somewhere to sleep, then in the peak months you might have a problem at the Albergue, but you will always find a bed in a Casa Rural or small hotel, but sadly not for €5 a night!

In the summer you do not really want to be walking after 2pm because it gets quite hot and the ground has warmed up with the mornings sun and the heat radiates off the track, and down from above. 3.30pm is an excellent time to be sitting under a tree or umbrella in a nice town/village square and pondering the Meaning of Life, and should you have another ice cold beer now, or later!

[BHinSanDiego]

Like Covey, I usually started at dawn (nice to have that cool air in the morning) and stopped about 2PM and again do the same as Covey get all the little chores out of the way early and hang out. I wouldn't get up till they turned on the lights which is usually 6AM but did witness for a period of time pilgrims that felt it neccesary to get up an hour earlier, make noise and wake others with the noise, hit the road to get to their next stop and be there when the alburgue opened. I would get there, get a bed too, after a couple of days, if I saw these same people I would make sure to get into another room if possible or as far away from them as possible. I never understood their rational for racing to the next alburgue, but at the same time I didn't dwell on it, it was their Camino to do as they pleased, just felt they were rude to get up early and make noise packing, dressing and getting ready. And there was never a need to race to the next alburgue, granted you might not get the choice bunk but you got one and that's all that should really matter. Plus that early in the year I doubt it will be crowded, I went last year and only had trouble finding accomodations toward the end, at that point I was staying in private alburgues which still only cost 7-10 euros and would make a reservation for the next night, which I only did twice.

[Covey]

I have often pondered on what happens to those who wake everyone up at 5am crashing around with their headlights on.

I call them the Phantoms of the Camino because nobody seems to know where they go during the day, but they always seen to end up behind me in the check-in queue. Maybe they joined the afternoon siesta classes run by that well known Rock Star Preacher we are privileged to know here on the Forum!!!