9 REASONS WHY YOU MAY WISH TO BOOK AHEAD ON THE CAMINO FRANCES AND 5 REASONS WHY YOU MAY NOT.
There are no two ways about it, The Camino de Santiago is more popular than ever. This year looks set to be a record breaker in terms of numbers of pilgrims walking the Camino.
The Camino Frances is the most popular of all Camino routes. And, whilst it has impressive infrastructure, is there always enough accommodation for everyone?
We often get asked how to avoid the race for beds, as well as whether it is important to book ahead on the Camino Frances. This blog post seeks to set out 9 reasons why you should consider booking ahead for the Camino Frances and 5 reasons why you may not need to.
9 reasons why you should book ahead
Here are 9 reasons why you may want to consider booking ahead on the Camino Frances.
1/ You’re walking during the peak season
As of 2023, the busiest months on the Camino Frances were August and September, closely followed by May. For this year, the number of people walking is higher than ever. Whilst it is impossible to plan exactly when the Camino Frances will be busy, it is most likely that the months of May, August and September will be busiest.
Be aware that tourists, those not walking the Camino, will also book accommodation in summer months and around holidays like Easter. This has less impact on pilgrim albergues of course, but a high impact on private accommodation.
2/ You are particular about your accommodation
Not all accommodation on the Camino Frances is created equally. There are very basic municipal albergues, these are often the ones with the most beds but cannot be booked ahead. There are private albergues, some with quite snazzy facilities. Then, there are private rooms in B&Bs, pensions and even hotels.
Find out more about different types of accommodation on the Camino here.
Depending on your travel style, you are likely to have different preferences for your accommodation. When I walk the Camino, I normally have specific albergues that I want to stay in, having spent a long time researching the best ones. But, I know for some people, this isn’t so important.
If you want to stay in only private rooms, or avoid municipal albergues, then planning and booking ahead can be advisable. Likewise, if you have specific albergues in mind – a great example is Casa Susi, one of our favourite albergues on the Camino Frances, has a small number of beds. This is the type of unique place on the Camino Frances that is so worth booking ahead!
3/ You have a limit on how many kms you can walk each day
I have met so many people walking the Camino who take pride in the fact that they don’t plan their walking stages each day. These people prefer to keep things spontaneous, deciding as they walk where they will stay that day. Or perhaps, booking one day ahead.
The one thing that these people tend to have in common, is that they are comfortable walking long distances each day if they need to.
Imagine walking 25km, then finding out that the albergue you wanted to stay in has no space? This might be fine if you’re a walker who is comfortable walking another 5km or even 10km. But if you have a daily walking limit, then booking ahead on the Camino Frances is recommended.
4/ You want to walk the “typical daily stages”
You’ll notice when planning your Camino route that there are “typical daily stages”. These are the most commonly walked, as they tend to be recommended in books and on apps. Generally, these are around 25km per day.
We are big advocates for walking alternate stages, not only because it ensures that you have a unique experience, but because you’ll avoid the race for beds.
If you do want to walk the typical stages, accommodation is best booked ahead. Simply because there will be more people trying to stay overnight in the same town.
Find out more about daily stages for the Camino Frances here.
5/ You plan to stay in certain popular areas
There are certain areas on the Camino Frances that are bottle necks when it comes to accommodation. If you plan to stay in these areas, it is worth booking ahead. Two such examples are Saint Jean Pied de Port and Roncesvalles. These two places are normally where most people will stay the night before starting the Camino Frances and on the first night.
If you plan to stay in Pamplona, Logroño, León and Burgos on the Camino Frances – we would also recommend booking accommodation ahead. This is because these cities are popular tourist locations. Pay particular attention to whether you plan to visit these cities on weekends too.
6/ You have budget constraints
If you have budget constraints, I’d really recommend at least planning ahead, even if not booking ahead on the Camino Frances. I make the distinction between planning versus booking, because many of the municipal or budget albergues cannot be booked ahead.
I believe that costs on the Camino have gone up slightly in recent years (you can read more about that here) . For this reason, if you’re on a restrictive budget I’d suggest doing your research and planning your daily stages around the cheaper albergues. If you can’t book, you can try to make sure you’re one of the first to arrive to secure your bed when the albergue opens.
The other reason to book ahead with a budget, is that you may secure the best prices for accommodation that you can book. This is particularly important for high demand locations – like cities and bottle-neck areas too. Be aware of weekends, which can raise prices in cities and tourist areas.
7/ You’re travelling in a couple or in a group
For solo travellers, there is potentially less pressure when it comes to booking ahead. This is because quite often albergues will have a spare bed, but they may not have two, three of four to accommodate a couple or group.
The other reason why couples and groups may want to consider booking ahead is to avoid arguments! I know this sounds a bit OTT, but it can be stressful if you can’t get the accommodation you want because you haven’t booked ahead. In a group dynamic or a couple, it’s best to keep things as friction free as possible.
For more tips on walking the Camino as a couple, you can find our blog post here.
8/ You don’t want to spend your evenings planning the next day
One of the reasons that we often choose to book ahead on the Camino, is that we don’t want to spend our evenings planning. There’s so much more to experience in the evening – drinking wine, eating good food, socializing and sleeping!
If you don’t book ahead, you may spend each evening researching, calculating distances and calling albergues on the phone. Honestly, it just isn’t worth it for us.
9/ You’re just not someone who likes to leave things to chance
Deciding whether to book ahead for the Camino Frances may also come down to your personality type. If you’re a worrier, a planner, or just someone who likes to be in control – booking ahead may be best. Conversely, an easy breezy happy go lucky type, may be more comfortable winging it!
5 reasons why you may not need to book ahead on the Camino Frances
Here are five reasons why you may not need to book ahead on the Camino Frances.
1/ You are happy go lucky when it comes to accommodation
If it doesn’t matter to you whether you sleep in an albergue with rickety bunk beds, a fancy albergue with a pool, a private room or even on top of a haystack, then don’t worry about booking ahead on the Camino Frances.
In our experience there is normally some accommodation available to those who haven’t booked ahead. It may just mean you need to be flexible about where you rest your head for the night.
2/ You don’t have budget constraints
If you don’t have budget constraints, booking may not be necessary. This is because you could potentially find space in a hotel with a private room, if the dorm rooms are all full in albergues.
The other reason that budget makes a difference, is that if you have a contingency fund you may be able to use transport to get to emergency accommodation if you need to. Those without a contingency fund, are better off planning in advance, even if booking is not possible.
3/ It doesn’t phase you to walk an extra few kms per day
When it comes to deciding whether to book ahead on the Camino Frances, you may want to keep in mind how comfortable you are walking long distances. So, if you know that it won’t be a big deal to walk an extra 5km at the end of the day to reach an albergue with space, then you don’t have to worry so much about booking ahead.
4/ You prefer to stay spontaneous
Some people take spontaneity in their stride. For these people, the idea of booking ahead is a total turn off. I know that many people also think that booking is somehow counter to the “pilgrim experience.” Honestly, we don’t believe that one size fits all – the Camino is a personal experience. But, if you do think that booking will somehow takeaway from your adventure, then don’t do it.
Leaving plans open means you can be flexible, join a group, or just go with your gut on a particular day. If this feels important to you, then don’t plan ahead.
5/ You’re travelling solo
If you’re travelling solo, it’s a little easier to wing it. You only have to manage your own time and emotions. Plus one person is more likely to get a last minute bed than two or more.
That said, when I’ve walked the Camino solo as a woman, I much prefer to book ahead. It’s a personal choice!
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Looking for Camino souvenirs?
We wanted to create Camino merchandise that we would actually wear ourselves. On the trails, out and about or at home. Keep it classy.
You can find all our items in our Etsy store – Camino Nostalgia.
Santiago coordinates t-shirt – multiple colours.
Camino Class of ’24 & ’25 sweater – multiple colours.
Ladies Camino Class of ’24 Tee – multiple colours
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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