Reserving accommodation on a pilgrimage

In short: It makes sense in high season and on the last 100 kilometres before Santiago. Out of season you can usually find a bed spontaneously.

Spring in particular sees a lot of pilgrims on the road, as the weather is neither too hot nor too cold yet. Along the pilgrimage routes there is accommodation for pilgrims in the small villages and towns. It is often fully booked, though. Without a reservation you may not find anywhere to stay for the night. That is why you should reserve your accommodation in advance.

To avoid spending the night without a bed, you should reserve your albergue beforehand. You will also want to avoid an expensive hotel, which can make the pilgrimage very costly. These days this is relatively easy. You can reserve a bed for the night in the following ways:

• Phone the albergue

• Reserve accommodation with a smartphone app (booking.com)

• Book all your albergues before the trip

• Ask local people about places to stay

If you reserve your albergues before you set off, you are on the safe side. The downside is that you then have to reach your daily destinations. It makes particular sense for stages where only a few places to stay are available at the destination.

PLEASE NOTE!

If you want to go on a group pilgrimage, you have to reserve some accommodation up to a year in advance!

Reserve or stay spontaneous?

Many public albergues don't take reservations and give out beds in order of arrival. Private albergues, on the other hand, can usually be booked by phone or online. A tried and tested middle way is to book the first two nights and the evening before known bottlenecks, and otherwise decide a day in advance. That keeps you flexible in case your feet want a shorter day. You will find the prices on our costs page.