Albergue etiquette: the rules in a pilgrim hostel

In short: In public albergues usually only one night, unless you are ill or injured.

In an albergue, 20 or more people often sleep in one room. This works surprisingly well as long as everyone sticks to a few rules.

Arrival

Show your pilgrim passport and pay straight away. Hiking boots usually stay in the entrance area, so light shoes are handy for the evening. Backpacks often don't belong on the bed, because that is how bed bugs move from house to house.

In the dormitory

Quiet time starts at 10 pm at the latest, and the doors are locked. If you want to leave early, pack the evening before and leave the room quietly. Plastic bags rustle, so cloth bags are better. Keep lamps dimmed to red or switched off.

Kitchen and bathroom

Leave everything as you found it. In the kitchen everyone does their own washing up, and many pilgrims cook together. In the bathroom, keep your shower short, because others are waiting after you. Only hang your washing on the lines provided.

Giving

Many albergues rely on volunteers known as hospitaleros. At donation-based albergues, called donativo, it doesn't mean free: give as much as you would pay in a guesthouse. There is more on prices on our costs page.