Gite Bidean in St Jean Pied de Port was our number one ranked Albergue (and the first one we stayed at) during our 779 km trek across Spain
Teresa and I recently completed the Camino de Santiago Frances, an epic 779 km pilgrimage across Spain. It was an amazing experience, unlike any other activity, vacation, or travel we have done before. You can read more about our overall experience on the Camino here - xxxx, along with other posts about how to make your Camino experience more enjoyable, but for this post, I will focus on the albergues we stayed at.
For starters, I think the decision on where to stay while walking the Camino is one of the most important ones you will make. Not only does it have a significant impact on how much money you will spend on your trip, but it will also affect your strategy for booking or not booking accommodations in advance, whether you can transport your bag, and how much sleep you will get. One of the most incredible aspects of walking the Camino is the community you encounter. People from all over the world and all walks of life are trekking across Spain doing the same thing you are doing. It creates a unique opportunity to not only meet new people but to talk to them and understand their points of view and their experiences. The type of accommodation you choose can greatly impact your ability and opportunity to be part of this community. It can even influence how you decide to have dinner.
This post is not just about our 5 favourite albergues. It will also cover what albergues are, the different types, how each will affect your budget, and what we found were the most effective ways to reserve accommodations.
First, you may be asking what is an albergue? In simple terms, an albergue is a hostel for pilgrims (pilgrim is the term used to identify anyone walking the Camino). If you have ever travelled and stayed in hostels you will be familiar with the concept of an albergue. A standard albergue has one or several dormitory rooms with either bunk beds or single beds, a shared bathroom/shower facility (usually separated for men and women but not always), a kitchen (a few don't) and a common area (often both inside and outside). Many albergues are for the exclusive use of pilgrims walking the Camino. For these places, you will need to show your pilgrim credentials to check-in. For more info on Pilgrim credentials see my blog post on what to pack for the Camino - click here. Most, but not all albergues have a pilgrim or communal dinner around 7:00 pm. It normally consists of 3 courses. A starter, either soup or salad (sometimes pasta), a main course, usually chicken, fish or vegetarian and dessert. Water and wine are normally included for 12-14 Euros. Not only is this dinner great value and often delicious, but in my view it is a key part of the Camino experience. During dinner, you have the opportunity to meet fellow pilgrims, catch up with ones you have met before and have many enjoyable and memorable conversations. Don't miss out on these dinners.
There are three types of accommodations on the Camino: I have attached a chart below that summarizes their key differences.
Public Albergues - these places are normally run by the municipality of the small town they are located in or sometimes by a church or monastery. In most cases you cannot reserve a room in advance, meaning they are on a first come first serve basis. They tend to be larger than private albergues, sometimes up to 100 beds, have fewer facilities (eg. washing machines and dryers, wifi) and are the cheapest form of accommodation unless you are camping. Teresa and I only stayed in one municipal albergue and the feedback we heard from other pilgrims was that they tended to be hit or miss. Some were very nice, others not so much. Another important difference is that in most cases you cannot have your bag delivered here (they don't accept them). You will also need a sleeping bag as sheets and blankets are usually not provided.
Private Albergues - these accommodations are normally run by an individual, family, or a small business. They may or may not be for the exclusive use of pilgrims, meaning regular tourists may be able to book these rooms (this is important to remember if you are looking for a place on a weekend or a public holiday). They tend to be smaller and are more expensive than public albergues, although still very reasonable. Normally the facilities are better and more consistent in terms of quality. In addition to the dorm-style rooms, these places often have private rooms available (normally with shared bathrooms). Reservations can be made in advance, either by contacting them by phone or WhatsApp (more on this later) or through booking.com. You can also have your bag delivered to these locations. Many of the private albergues also provide sheets and blankets and offer a pilgrim dinner and sometimes breakfast (remember to take advantage of this).
Pension - a pension is not an albergue. It is more like an economy hotel room. You get a private room with sheets and towels and usually a shared bathroom. You can have your bag transported here but they do not offer a pilgrim dinner. It is definitely quieter than sleeping in a dormitory room but it is also more expensive. Normally there are no shared facilities like laundry, kitchen, lounge etc. You also miss out on the social aspect of the albergue accommodation.
Here is a chart that gives you a brief overview of the types of albergues and their attributes. Please note the prices are per person and do not include the price of any meals.
The strategies for planning accommodations are as varied as the people walking the Camino. Some believe that a "true" pilgrim should not book their rooms in advance. They believe that previous pilgrims did not use booking.com and therefore reserving in advance is not an "authentic" experience. These same people also feel that you must carry your bag and that bag transport is somehow "cheating". I think all of this is baloney. One of the great things about walking the Camino is that you can do whatever way fits you. People should not be deprived of either experiencing or enjoying the Camino just because they cannot physically carry their knapsack or want to book a place in advance. At the other end of the spectrum, we met people who had reserved their accommodation through booking.com for the whole 33-40 days of their trip. This seemed unwise to me as there is a high possibility that something will happen during your trip (injury, illness, desire to explore a city, etc) that will change your plans. By reserving ahead for the whole trip you instill a level of inflexibility you may regret later. In addition, if you have used booking.com for your reservations you run the risk of significant cancellation penalties when changes have to be made.
Given that Teresa and I have only trekked the Camino once I certainly don't pretend to be an expert but the following system worked well for us in planning accommodations.
First, we decided that we did not want to arrive in a town without a reservation. A lot is going on when you trek the Camino and we decided that arriving at our chosen destination to find out that there were no rooms available was something we did not want to go through. This has the potential for disaster - you could end up staying in a place that is not very nice, is very expensive or both. In the worst case, you would be forced to keep walking to the next town to find a vacancy. None of that seemed very appealing. We quickly realized a couple of other things. First, even with private albergues there was quite a range of prices, quality, available facilities etc. You also realize that most pilgrims are using the same online tools to find a place to stay. There are a couple of key Camino apps and of course Google for both directions and reviews. Therefore, the most affordable places with the highest ratings and the best facilities tend to fill up first. Our relatively easy strategy was to reserve a spot for three nights out.
Initially, I booked places through booking.com which seemed to be the primary online tool for Camino accomodations. But as time went on, I found that many places were sold out or that only the most expensive room options were available. I quickly discovered that the best way to contact the albergue was through WhatsApp rather than phoning. The staff (often the owner) was very busy and would not pick up the phone. With WhatsApp, they could answer when they had a few minutes, usually very promptly. In some cases, they would respond in Spanish so I would use Google Translate to word my request. Generally, I found that more rooms were available at lower prices when contacting the albergue directly than on booking.com. One other thing we did was book a private room approximately once a week to take a break from the dormitory sleeping. It gave us more flexibility when getting ready in the morning and we usually had our own bathroom. It was a nice change.
Ok, on to our 5 favourite albergues. I am also going to include a chart below that shows all the places we stayed with ratings and comments. Here goes:
Gite Bidean - St. Jean Pied de Port - https://gite-bidean-saint-jean-pied-de-port.ibooked.ca/. This was the first place we stayed when we arrived in France at our starting point in St Jean. We had booked 2 nights so we had one day rest before starting the Camino (as it turns out, one day doesn't make much difference from a resting point of view). After staying here I said to Teresa that this could be the nicest place we stay on our trip. The gite (gite is a French alberque) is located in a beautiful historic building in the center of town. Sleeping is a combination of single and bunk beds. The whole building is beautifully decorated and clean with good bathroom facilities. What makes this place memorable and comfortable are the owners. Pascal and Joe are so accommodating and funny that you immediately feel at home. The pilgrim dinner and breakfast were delicious with the food homemade by Joe. I highly recommend staying here if you are starting your Camino in St Jean.
Albergue My Way - Astorga - https://pilgrimate.io/camino-frances/astorga/albergue-my-way . This was very close to first place and maybe should be considered a tie. The owners spent 2020 and 2021 renovating and adding to the facility. Everything was brand new - the bunk beds, the bathrooms, the heating, the lounge, everything. They had a great bar and lounge where we spent the afternoon in front of the gas fireplace drinking beer. A great way to end the day after walking 25 km. The pilgrim dinner was one of the best we had and although they did not have breakfast, there were two places opened at 6:00 am for coffee close by. If you are staying in Astorga while walking the Camino this is a must stay.
Hostería de Curtidores - Estella - https://lahosteriadelcamino.com/ - This albergue was in a beautiful historic building on the river. Check-in was friendly and helpful. We were assigned a room with two single beds, a bunk bed and a bathroom. As Teresa and I were the first to arrive, we took the two single beds. Only one of the beds in the bunkbed ended up being occupied so it was very quiet. They did not have a pilgrim dinner but did offer breakfast in the morning. They also had a large communal kitchen in the basement where you could do your own cooking. There was an amazing restaurant 2 blocks away which our host described as the best in the town. It was a short walk over the river to the center of town to view many historic sites. Worth staying here if you stop in Estella
Albergue Alfonso II en MELIDE - Melide - http://alberguealfonsoelcasto.com/ . This is a new/newly renovated albergue that features beautiful bathrooms and showers, sturdy and comfortable bunk beds with sheets and blankets as well as a complimentary locker with lock. In addition, there is a spectacular backyard garden, a small communal kitchen and a comfortable eating area. The heating is modern and efficient (not old radiators). Although there is no pilgrim dinner, during the busy season they offer breakfast. There are 15-20 bunk beds along with some private rooms on the second floor. Despite our reservation being the only one that evening, the owner very kindly opened the building to us and let us stay completely on our own. Other pilgrims we knew that were in the same situation, had their reservations cancelled by the albergue. If you are looking for a modern, efficient albergue in Melide this is the place to stay.
Albergue Essentia - Redecillia de Camino - https://turismoburgos.es/essentia/. Beautiful well-kept albergue with a fantastic host. Smaller rooms with fewer beds per room (we were the only two in our room). The host who had walked the Camino was funny, friendly and helpful. The dinner was amazing (breakfast was average but worth staying just for dinner). With self-serve laundry facilities and cheap beer, this is a great place to stay.
Honourable Mention - Albergue El Serbal y La Luna - Pieros - https://wisepilgrim.com/camino-frances/pieros/accommodation/albergue-el-serbal-y-la-luna. Although certainly not the most modern albergue or the one with the most facilities this made the list because it was very unique. Housed in an old building, the facilities are older but well-maintained and clean. The albergue is staffed by 3 volunteers who have all walked the Camino. They offer a vegetarian pilgrim dinner and breakfast, which is a nice change because generally, it was difficult to get vegetables with meals in Spain. They have beer and laundry, with drying done in front of a wood-burning stove. The volunteers eat dinner with you and everyone is encouraged to share stories about their Camino. Although not the fanciest place we stayed, it is worth stopping here to enjoy the very comfortable and engaging atmosphere.
As I was completing this top 5 list I realized that there were other great places we stayed during the trip. I have included a colour-coded chart below:
Green - top 5
Blue - next best, really good
Yellow - ok, not at the top of the list but ok to stay at
Red - I would pass and look for something different
I hope you find this information useful. Accommodations are a big part of the journey so take the time to do some research and come up with a plan that fits your budget. Although it is fair to say that when Teresa and I travel we do not normally (like never) stay in shared/dormitory accommodations, but I strongly recommend you try them for at least part of your pilgrimage. I think it adds to your experience and will be an important part of the memories you will have.
For information on tips to make your Camino experience more enjoyable read my blog post - click here. For tips on what to (and what not to) pack see my post here - click here. And for a perspective on what the Camino means and the overall experience read my blog post here - click here
If I can help in any way do not hesitate to contact me at thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com.
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