If you have any questions about Albergues feel free to ask? Or maybe tell us about one that you really like? If you are new to the channel and the Camino, check out the links in the video description. (sorry that the camera moves a lot on this one!)
Hello Rob Thank you for the videos All Albeques require a booking ? I am a slow Walker and wouldn't wanna miss the views because I'm rushing for a bed. What's the cheapest Albeques cost..? When is it best to do first Camino where it's not full. Thank you
@@Mainnoza_23 Wow. THose are big questions! Let me try to explain. (1) Some Albergues you can book, usually private ones, others you can't, usually Donative or Municipal. But that's just a general statement. This one was Municipal and you had to book. I think someone had to come in to turn on the hot water etc. Gronze.com is a great resource to check out accommodation of all types. and it shows if they take bookings or not.
@@Mainnoza_23 (2) I'm a slow walker too. If I was walking to an Albregie where I couldn't book, I might leave a little earlier. But it depends a lot on the route. On the VdlP I never found an Albergue more than half full. On the Frances maybe 70% full.
@@Mainnoza_23 (3) Cheapest Albergues? Needs a careful answer. Donativo (Donation) would be the cheapest, if you didn't donate much. But you should donate the same as you would pay elsewhere if you can. Donativo doesn't mean free. (I usually pay more in a Donativo just to help out) Next cheapest would be Municipal.
@@Mainnoza_23 (4) When? When it's not too busy. But that depends on the route. If you are going to walk the Camino Frances (good for a first time due to lots of infrastructure) then May and September are peak starting times from St Jean. It can get busy in those months. But there are strategies to avoid crowds, like staying in the smaller villages along the way rather than the more popular stopping points. If I get a chance I'll do a video on this topic.
That’s a great video- finally a first hand detailed video of an albergue, so we can see all the features that we read about or hear about from pilgrims’ videos. Thank you
Agree Rob the English run albergue in Rabanal is wonderful. The large albergue run by the Brothers in Sahagun is also great ( cheap private rooms with baths! - I almost cried ).
Really great Albergue. The only one I have stayed in that gets close was in Padron a couple of years ago. The dorm was a bit more crowded but there were big fluffy towels. The surprise bonus was the clothes washing. They leave a tub on each bed and you put anything you want washing in it. Magically it gets washed, dried, folded(!) and returned. Cost €15 for the stay.
They are not all that nice........ But I found them generally OK. This was a more 'regular' one ruclips.net/video/nJe_e3Jy8mo/видео.html www.gronze.com/castilla-y-leon/leon/alija-infantado/albergue-peregrinos-alija-infantado
Just came back from my first camino Rob. Thank you for being a good source of information these last few months of planning. You should do a video on the after camino. Because oh my god, isn't it devastating to be back ?
Hi Rob, thank you for this video! Actually , I do have some questions: 1. When I saw the blankets and the bed sheets I wondered how you can be sure there are no bed bugs? 2. The little storage on top of the stairs is where you usually leave your boots, isn't it? 3. Perhaps you can shed a little lighte about what the first steps are when you "check in" to an albergue. 4. How do you choose your bed if you have free choice? Best regards Jimmy
1. You can't be 100% sure. I always check the mattress seams and bed posts. The sheets if provided are generally easy to see if clean or not. Blankets, may get get cleaned now and again. In this place the bedding cupboard was spotless! 2. Yes, for footwear storage. Often to be found inside the entrance at reception. 3. I'll do a video on it. But generally A. Pilgrims are checked in in the order they arrived. Show credencial, sometimes passport, pay for bed. Get allocated or select a bed. Prepare bed/sleeping bag to show bed is now occupied, shower, do laundry...... 4. Very personal choice. I want to be away from bathroom entrance or room entrance. Lower bunk, near a power outlet. I'll do a video on it.
The most comfortable Spanish Municipal Albergue in that style that I've ever stayed in was one slightly hors-piste on the Catalan/Ebro Way at Alcoletge, near Lleida. No sheets or towels, but excellent washing machine and drier, better than those in your one, more spacious perfect living arrangements and a far better fully-equipped open kitchen area, more beds IIRC (was alone too), not just food but a steak in the fridge waiting for me, noodles and some tinto, and far better mattresses though I have no idea about blankets as it was in the midst of the horrendous 2019 heat wave, and 40°C so certainly did not want them. My favourite stand-out private Spanish Albergue is on the Francès, the Albergue-Pensión at Boente, for outstanding food and comfort, though La Morena at Ledigos and la Casa de Beli at Tardajos and La Huella at San Martín del Camino are all excellent as well, as is La Encina at Puente de Orbígo (though I *love* the Parroquial there for its plain and rustic charm !!). But the one I like best of all is Jean-Louis' Santiago pilgrims Albergue in Lourdes. Donativo though he STRONGLY recommends that you pay in, as well you should !! He feeds you, even gives you drink, with the able assistance of his fellow conspirators, all excellent gentlemen. Plus you get to stay two nights for your two pilgrmages -- one to Lourdes, the other to Compostela. But then you're back out and walking !! I tend to prefer the cheaper and less pretentious places overall, though a good private one from time to time when needed can be glorious. I have also occasionally had some great generosity from some private Albergue owners towards my non-ideal financial situations, basically from being a VERY long-distance pilgrim and with proper pilgrim staff and big black pilgrim cape and all, plus not being an a-hole ...
Lift your feet when you’re walking rob😉😁 cool albergue…i always thought these albergues would be ancient and quaint (and perhaps rundown), but from looking at a lot of caminovideos, many are surprisingly modern and new.
Tell us more about the camino invierno! I checked your profile but couldn't see any other videos (I might be wrong) :D or have you talked about it elsewhere like on a podcast or something? thanks, from new zealand :)
I have never been bitten by a bed bug, or even seen one in about 160 days on Camino. But they do exist of course, and not just in Albergues... Fancy Hotels can get them too. I always check the bed before I unpack anything. (along the mattress seams) If I ever found bed bugs I would move on.
I have to confess, this was the first Camino where I used Albergues. I stayed in about 15 of varying types. Donativo, Municipal, Private. They were all good. I would not hesitate to use them again. There were also certain ones I wanted to try. Tip. I tended to pay more in the Donativos. Quite a lot more actually. As I figure they need the money more and sadly many people think Donativo = free or cheaper. As an example, I stayed in a well known Donativo, where we had a nice communal meal. But let's just say that the meal had obviously been made on a very low budget. I know others who stayed the day after or before us, I can't recall, and they had a really nice meal. Why? How much you leave today, may often dictate what the Pilgrims eat tomorrow...
Very variable 🙂 I carry a small swiss army knife, so at least I have a knife. The Municipal Albergues in Galicia have a bit of a 'reputation'. Great kitchens, with no pots or utensils at all! At this one I had to bring my own food (I usually don't cook), but there was no bar or shop in the village. So I brought really simple stuff that only needed a pot or could be eaten as is..... I would advise in most cases.....wait till you get there, see how well the kitchen is equipped and then decide if and what you might cook.
@@robscamino Well *some* of the Xunta Albergues in Galicia are properly equipped, but that's by exception to the general rule. One advantage BTW if you plan to start out as a group of friends 3 or more is that you can grab some light weight backpackers' cooking gear, then divvy it up between you for not much extra weight individually. Pick up ingredients as you go, then cook as you like.
Air what? 🙂 I don't recall finding AC is an Albergue anywhere. It's not a big thing in Spain. Larger Hotels tend to have it, but Albergues, B&B type places, No. Though as I reflect on my last Camino, it was nice to find it now and again in private accommodation. If you get AC, treat it as a bonus, not a normal thing.
I tend not to walk in Summer. I find it too hot for walking. My last Camino on the VdlP for example can reach 45-50C in summer! The likely walking weather tends to dictate when I go. I can manage up to 30C but don't like hotter. I can only recall being hot at night a couple of times, usually because the room was an internal one with no windows to the outside, so airless. (rooms above a bar, that type of place) So I guess what I'm saying is, if it was hot enough to need AC at night, I probably wouldn't be walking at that time of year on that route.
@@robscamino Great advice! I would prefer to walk in the cooler weather also. I plan on walking with my 11 year old son and unfortunately the only time we can go is from early June to early August.
Avoid the Southern routes then, maybe stick to the Camino Frances? Be prepared for no AC and love it when you find it. It might be worth checking when Spanish school holidays are and see if you can avoid them a bit. It gets busy then. www.edarabia.com/school-holidays-spain/
Drastic measure...... take him out of School! Is that a 'thing' these days. I recall when our kids were young we could do it for 'special' trips. Maybe he has to present a project on return. language, history, geography etc.
Is just the one toilet and shower sufficient for a room of 16? Presumably it wont always be an even split of male to female 8/8. to use both bathrooms Peak hour could be very busy! Do some of them have communal shower facilities or does Spanish modesty not do that sort of thing?
I'm not sure it would be a problem. People arrive as different times. Maybe a bit of a rush for toilets in the morning. But most people shower at night and not in the morning. There was another downstairs of course. I can only remember waiting once to use a shower/toilet. A municipal albergues, with about 20 beds and 1 combined shower/ toilet. There were only 6 of us there that night though. So a 2 minute wait was fine.......People are usually thoughtful and if it's busy won't take long showers etc.
That's two -- men's and women's ; and yes, it's sufficient. And on those lesser travelled Caminos, the Albergues are very rarely full. It tends towards about 60% male 40% female, which is a far better ratio than decades ago when it was predominately men !! Communal shower facilities have become extraordinarily rare, but where they do exist, they're still segregated by sex.
Hi Rob. Wonderful video and it looks like a smashing place to stop. Have you a preference for private or the municipal albergue or does it even matter to you that much?
I never really worry about it. I have stayed in most types. THey all vary a bit in terms of quality and facilities. Municipals are 'usually' more basic... But as you can seem that one was great!
If you have any questions about Albergues feel free to ask? Or maybe tell us about one that you really like? If you are new to the channel and the Camino, check out the links in the video description. (sorry that the camera moves a lot on this one!)
Hello Rob
Thank you for the videos
All Albeques require a booking ? I am a slow Walker and wouldn't wanna miss the views because I'm rushing for a bed.
What's the cheapest Albeques cost..?
When is it best to do first Camino where it's not full. Thank you
@@Mainnoza_23 Wow. THose are big questions! Let me try to explain. (1) Some Albergues you can book, usually private ones, others you can't, usually Donative or Municipal. But that's just a general statement. This one was Municipal and you had to book. I think someone had to come in to turn on the hot water etc. Gronze.com is a great resource to check out accommodation of all types. and it shows if they take bookings or not.
@@Mainnoza_23 (2) I'm a slow walker too. If I was walking to an Albregie where I couldn't book, I might leave a little earlier. But it depends a lot on the route. On the VdlP I never found an Albergue more than half full. On the Frances maybe 70% full.
@@Mainnoza_23 (3) Cheapest Albergues? Needs a careful answer. Donativo (Donation) would be the cheapest, if you didn't donate much. But you should donate the same as you would pay elsewhere if you can. Donativo doesn't mean free. (I usually pay more in a Donativo just to help out) Next cheapest would be Municipal.
@@Mainnoza_23 (4) When? When it's not too busy. But that depends on the route. If you are going to walk the Camino Frances (good for a first time due to lots of infrastructure) then May and September are peak starting times from St Jean. It can get busy in those months. But there are strategies to avoid crowds, like staying in the smaller villages along the way rather than the more popular stopping points. If I get a chance I'll do a video on this topic.
That’s a great video- finally a first hand detailed video of an albergue, so we can see all the features that we read about or hear about from pilgrims’ videos. Thank you
Glad it was helpful! I was able to do this 'full tour' because it was empty. I'll do another soon, with snippets of different Albergues.
Agree Rob the English run albergue in Rabanal is wonderful. The large albergue run by the Brothers in Sahagun is also great ( cheap private rooms with baths! - I almost cried ).
Sounds wonderful.
Really great Albergue. The only one I have stayed in that gets close was in Padron a couple of years ago. The dorm was a bit more crowded but there were big fluffy towels. The surprise bonus was the clothes washing. They leave a tub on each bed and you put anything you want washing in it. Magically it gets washed, dried, folded(!) and returned. Cost €15 for the stay.
Wow! Sounds great.
Excellent episode! I haven't stayed in a hostel since the 80s so this was a real eye opener!
I enjoyed them. Stayed in quite a few this time.
Wow - very impressive Albergue!! Must admit I haven’t stayed in a Municipal, but I will be now. Extraordinary provision of supplies!
They are not all that nice........ But I found them generally OK. This was a more 'regular' one ruclips.net/video/nJe_e3Jy8mo/видео.html www.gronze.com/castilla-y-leon/leon/alija-infantado/albergue-peregrinos-alija-infantado
Just came back from my first camino Rob. Thank you for being a good source of information these last few months of planning. You should do a video on the after camino. Because oh my god, isn't it devastating to be back ?
I'm sure I've done that. If not, I will. (Looks like I have some old videos, post Camino, but not really about POst Camino Blues. So I'll do one)
@@robscamino alright I’ll look for it
I looked. I don't think I've covered it properly. Only bits in different videos. So I'll do one.
Wow, the real towel would be a treat!
It was! and sheets! 🙂
😂 😂 Thanks for the quick reply. I figured that was the case. Thanks for all your videos. They are really helping me prepare.
Happy to help!
Great video Rob - and a posh albergue! Especially for a municipal!!! 👍
It was great. On the top of a mountain, all to myself. That night was a thunderstorm and I had the windows open watching the storm. Magical....
Hi Rob, thank you for this video! Actually , I do have some questions:
1. When I saw the blankets and the bed sheets I wondered how you can be sure there are no bed bugs?
2. The little storage on top of the stairs is where you usually leave your boots, isn't it?
3. Perhaps you can shed a little lighte about what the first steps are when you "check in" to an albergue.
4. How do you choose your bed if you have free choice?
Best regards
Jimmy
1. You can't be 100% sure. I always check the mattress seams and bed posts. The sheets if provided are generally easy to see if clean or not. Blankets, may get get cleaned now and again. In this place the bedding cupboard was spotless! 2. Yes, for footwear storage. Often to be found inside the entrance at reception. 3. I'll do a video on it. But generally A. Pilgrims are checked in in the order they arrived. Show credencial, sometimes passport, pay for bed. Get allocated or select a bed. Prepare bed/sleeping bag to show bed is now occupied, shower, do laundry...... 4. Very personal choice. I want to be away from bathroom entrance or room entrance. Lower bunk, near a power outlet. I'll do a video on it.
The most comfortable Spanish Municipal Albergue in that style that I've ever stayed in was one slightly hors-piste on the Catalan/Ebro Way at Alcoletge, near Lleida. No sheets or towels, but excellent washing machine and drier, better than those in your one, more spacious perfect living arrangements and a far better fully-equipped open kitchen area, more beds IIRC (was alone too), not just food but a steak in the fridge waiting for me, noodles and some tinto, and far better mattresses though I have no idea about blankets as it was in the midst of the horrendous 2019 heat wave, and 40°C so certainly did not want them.
My favourite stand-out private Spanish Albergue is on the Francès, the Albergue-Pensión at Boente, for outstanding food and comfort, though La Morena at Ledigos and la Casa de Beli at Tardajos and La Huella at San Martín del Camino are all excellent as well, as is La Encina at Puente de Orbígo (though I *love* the Parroquial there for its plain and rustic charm !!).
But the one I like best of all is Jean-Louis' Santiago pilgrims Albergue in Lourdes. Donativo though he STRONGLY recommends that you pay in, as well you should !! He feeds you, even gives you drink, with the able assistance of his fellow conspirators, all excellent gentlemen. Plus you get to stay two nights for your two pilgrmages -- one to Lourdes, the other to Compostela. But then you're back out and walking !!
I tend to prefer the cheaper and less pretentious places overall, though a good private one from time to time when needed can be glorious. I have also occasionally had some great generosity from some private Albergue owners towards my non-ideal financial situations, basically from being a VERY long-distance pilgrim and with proper pilgrim staff and big black pilgrim cape and all, plus not being an a-hole ...
Sounds like some great Albergues you have stayed in!
It's a very good albergue. Wow
It was great, and wonderful views.
Lift your feet when you’re walking rob😉😁
cool albergue…i always thought these albergues would be ancient and quaint (and perhaps rundown), but from looking at a lot of caminovideos, many are surprisingly modern and new.
LOL. I was wearing ultra light pedicure slippers that I wear inside. They dangle off my feet when walking. If I lift my feet, they fall off 🤪
@@robscamino i thought that’s what it was😂 the sound just gave me a flashback to my mother who used to yell at me to lift my feet🤫
Great video! You have sparked my interest to see things I would have not known about! Looking forward to the next video 😊
I probably have a year of videos from my last walk !
Tell us more about the camino invierno! I checked your profile but couldn't see any other videos (I might be wrong) :D or have you talked about it elsewhere like on a podcast or something? thanks, from new zealand :)
The Invierno part of the Blog starts here: robscamino.com/category/camino-invierno-to-santiago/
Rob, thankyou - really enjoyed this video. I couldn't quite catch where it was precisely? Can you please advise?
Villavieja on the Camino Invierno. www.gronze.com/etapa/ponferrada/medulas
How often do you notice bedbugs when staying at Albergues? This would my biggest issue with communal living.
Thanks all your videos and advice.
I have never been bitten by a bed bug, or even seen one in about 160 days on Camino. But they do exist of course, and not just in Albergues... Fancy Hotels can get them too. I always check the bed before I unpack anything. (along the mattress seams) If I ever found bed bugs I would move on.
I have to confess, this was the first Camino where I used Albergues. I stayed in about 15 of varying types. Donativo, Municipal, Private. They were all good. I would not hesitate to use them again. There were also certain ones I wanted to try. Tip. I tended to pay more in the Donativos. Quite a lot more actually. As I figure they need the money more and sadly many people think Donativo = free or cheaper. As an example, I stayed in a well known Donativo, where we had a nice communal meal. But let's just say that the meal had obviously been made on a very low budget. I know others who stayed the day after or before us, I can't recall, and they had a really nice meal. Why? How much you leave today, may often dictate what the Pilgrims eat tomorrow...
I do have a question regarding kitchen equipment: how is the general situation on utensils- spatulas, ladles, graters, knifes etc.?
Very variable 🙂 I carry a small swiss army knife, so at least I have a knife. The Municipal Albergues in Galicia have a bit of a 'reputation'. Great kitchens, with no pots or utensils at all! At this one I had to bring my own food (I usually don't cook), but there was no bar or shop in the village. So I brought really simple stuff that only needed a pot or could be eaten as is..... I would advise in most cases.....wait till you get there, see how well the kitchen is equipped and then decide if and what you might cook.
@@robscamino Well *some* of the Xunta Albergues in Galicia are properly equipped, but that's by exception to the general rule.
One advantage BTW if you plan to start out as a group of friends 3 or more is that you can grab some light weight backpackers' cooking gear, then divvy it up between you for not much extra weight individually. Pick up ingredients as you go, then cook as you like.
How about Air conditioning? I’m assuming it can get hot in summer.
Air what? 🙂 I don't recall finding AC is an Albergue anywhere. It's not a big thing in Spain. Larger Hotels tend to have it, but Albergues, B&B type places, No. Though as I reflect on my last Camino, it was nice to find it now and again in private accommodation. If you get AC, treat it as a bonus, not a normal thing.
I tend not to walk in Summer. I find it too hot for walking. My last Camino on the VdlP for example can reach 45-50C in summer! The likely walking weather tends to dictate when I go. I can manage up to 30C but don't like hotter. I can only recall being hot at night a couple of times, usually because the room was an internal one with no windows to the outside, so airless. (rooms above a bar, that type of place) So I guess what I'm saying is, if it was hot enough to need AC at night, I probably wouldn't be walking at that time of year on that route.
@@robscamino Great advice! I would prefer to walk in the cooler weather also. I plan on walking with my 11 year old son and unfortunately the only time we can go is from early June to early August.
Avoid the Southern routes then, maybe stick to the Camino Frances? Be prepared for no AC and love it when you find it. It might be worth checking when Spanish school holidays are and see if you can avoid them a bit. It gets busy then. www.edarabia.com/school-holidays-spain/
Drastic measure...... take him out of School! Is that a 'thing' these days. I recall when our kids were young we could do it for 'special' trips. Maybe he has to present a project on return. language, history, geography etc.
Is just the one toilet and shower sufficient for a room of 16?
Presumably it wont always be an even split of male to female 8/8. to use both bathrooms
Peak hour could be very busy!
Do some of them have communal shower facilities or does Spanish modesty not do that sort of thing?
I'm not sure it would be a problem. People arrive as different times. Maybe a bit of a rush for toilets in the morning. But most people shower at night and not in the morning. There was another downstairs of course. I can only remember waiting once to use a shower/toilet. A municipal albergues, with about 20 beds and 1 combined shower/ toilet. There were only 6 of us there that night though. So a 2 minute wait was fine.......People are usually thoughtful and if it's busy won't take long showers etc.
I only used one that had a communal shower. I would feel a bit awkward about that. But again, I was the only person staying there!
That's two -- men's and women's ; and yes, it's sufficient. And on those lesser travelled Caminos, the Albergues are very rarely full.
It tends towards about 60% male 40% female, which is a far better ratio than decades ago when it was predominately men !!
Communal shower facilities have become extraordinarily rare, but where they do exist, they're still segregated by sex.
How much does it cost again?
...
This one was 10 euros. The Albergues I stayed in ranged from 8 - 15 Euros.
Hi Rob. Wonderful video and it looks like a smashing place to stop. Have you a preference for private or the municipal albergue or does it even matter to you that much?
I never really worry about it. I have stayed in most types. THey all vary a bit in terms of quality and facilities. Municipals are 'usually' more basic... But as you can seem that one was great!
@@robscamino depends on the size of the town I suppose. The municipal in Sahagun was top notch but in Hornillas a much smaller town , not so much..