Lodging
The easy availability of lodging on the Camino de Santiago makes it one of the less stressful long range trek you can attempt.
Albergues
A superb system of hostels, known as Albergues are available to pilgrims exclusively and offer an inexpensive and at times charming experience. Almost universally, albergues offer beds(most often bunk beds in large or small dormitories), bathrooms, showers, lockable storage lockers, and laundry facilities(hand wash and hand dry for free or machine wash and dry for a small fee). Extra amenities may include a bar, restaurant, vending machines, massage services, plenty of camino stories and terrible examples of foot maintenance.
Some albergues are municipal, which are managed by local government and are quite serviceable. Private albergues offer a more family feel. Albergues run by religious orders are often well run and ask only for a donation. Your camino guide books and apps will indicate which type they are. Try them all!
A bunk in a dorm with shared bathroom, kitchen and laundry facilities will run anything from a donation to 15 Euro. Be sure to ask about dinner and particularity breakfast options. Often you may not have other early morning coffee choices until the next village or town.
Most albergues have you store your boots and walking sticks in a separate room at the entrance. This prevents dirt and smells from invading sleeping spaces. Some require you to store your backpacks in a different room as well. If so, remove your needed items and valuables and leave it where requested. Don’t worry, as long as your have your valuables, nobody wants your grubby backpack and smelly boots!
Albergue can be identified by not only the backpacks and boots out front, but by standard(ish) signs that are prominently displayed. Usually a concha shell and a capital “A” will designate an official albergue. Many post their prices and amenities out front for you to peruse.
Guide books, apps and people you talk to along the way are great ways to find fun albergues to stay in. Don’t be shy to ask the host at the front desk of your current lodging if they know any good places in your next destination. Very often they will have suggestions and may even call ahead for you to make a reservation.
Many apps have real time reviews of lodging. Take a look at the most recent reviews to help you decide.
Look for the piles of different flyers at your albergue as well. The Camino trail is very, very good at marketing places to stay to you.
During the summer busy season you may want to book your bed ahead of time, particularly when traveling from Sarria to Santiago.
Hotels and pensions
There are also plenty of small hotels for those who don’t desire the bunk bed experience. For a few Euro more than an albergue a 1 or 2 bed room with a private bathroom can be had. Hotels are a very nice option for any recovery or break days you may schedule. If you are on Camino in summer, be sure to book your private rooms ahead via phone or email as they can be snatched up quite quickly.
Pensions are more or less a hybrid of albergue and small hotel. Mostly the practical difference is spelling.
The rules for hotels and pensions are more relaxed, much more akin to what you expect from any hotel around the world.
Checking in
When checking into an albergue, pension or hotel, you may ask to take a look at the facility to determine if you want to stay. Check the bunk spaces and bathrooms for cleanliness and bedbug signs(please see our website page about bedbugs) and make a note of the number of showers to bunks. While that may not matter in the slower seasons on the Camino, having just a few showers available for a packed summer season may be a problem.
If you decide to stay, you will be asked to present your passport and credential. If possible, keep these in an easily accessible place on your person. Not only if it is safer from theft, it prevents loads of other pilgrims piling up behind you while you dig in your pack. As part of completing your registration you may be offered breakfast and dinner options, and a set of disposable(or non disposable) sheets and pillowcases. Not all albergue provide sheets and pillowcases. You may opt to use a sleep sack or sleeping bag instead.
You will pay for your accommodation and extras at check in. Not all albergue can process credit and debit cards so be sure to have enough cash! Pay attention to any rules the albergue may have. Often to provide quiet time for sleepers, the front doors are locked and a quiet time is enforced. Kitchen, bathroom and laundry rules will be posted as well.
The albergue worker will show you a bed or tell you which bunk room you are in. Do not place your backpack on the bed! It will be dirty as heck and you don’t want that on the beds. Drop your sleeping bag or sheet on the bed to claim it as yours and begin your post walking rituals. Do not move another pilgrims stuff from a bunk. If there is a mixup, please ask the albergue desk person for assistance.
Albergue will have a strict rule about when you must vacate the next morning, usually between 8 and 9 am.. This is to allow the staff to clean the facility and prepare for new guests. Please be aware and comply.
Lodging etiquette
Please remember that you are engaged in a group experience and sharing resources, particularly when in lodging accommodations. Here are a few hints to make the experience better for everyone involved.
Quiet: You are not alone in the albergue. Try not to make unnecessary trips through sleeping spaces after the lights are turned out. Set any alarms you need to vibrate. Keep talking in the sleeping spaces to a minimum, others may be trying to take a nap after a long walk. Try not to rustle through backpacks or plastic bags during the night. While one person doing it is not annoying, 12 are… Get your packing done the evening prior and be ready to roll out as quietly as possible the next morning. Repack any last minute items(sleep sack, sleeping bag) into your pack in the common areas.
Bathrooms: Keep your showers short. Do not do laundry in the showers. Do not do laundry in the bathrooms unless there is a specific basin designated for it. If you make a mess, please clean it up. Wear your shower shoes, nobody wants your foot fungus. If you are traveling alone, keep your valuables with you in the shower space. Do not leave an unattended bag outside of the shower stall.
Lights: Most albergues have an enforced lights out time. After this time please do not use high power flashlights or headlamps in the sleeping spaces. If you need to move about, the light from a phone screen is often enough. Small key chain lights with red LED emitters are a super way to navigate without disturbing others!
General: Foot maintenance is right out of bounds in sleep areas, apart from moisturizing, etc. Deal with blisters or other injuries in the bathroom or outside the albergue. Many albergue do not allow food or drink in sleeping areas(apart from water). Please respect this as it keeps bugs and vermin away from beds. Do not place your backpack on chairs or beds at any times.
WIFI: There is wifi at almost every albergue these days. When everyone needs to use it at once, things tend to slow down. If you are a blogger or a huge Facebook pic poster, consider waiting to the early morning hours when fewer people are using wifi to upload. Same goes with streaming or downloading videos. Be mindful of others who want to communicate with their families.
Kitchens: Many albergues offer access to a self service kitchen. At times sparsely equipped, they usually have at least enough equipment to boil water for pasta or soup or make a salad. Many pilgrims throw in together and make communal meals to save money and spend quality time with new friends. Please clean up completely after yourself and do not leave excess food in the refrigerator.
Albergue Security
Problems in albergues do happen, it is an unfortunate aspect of grouping humans together.
While most albergue are quite safe, you may hear of theft from time to time and with so much activity it can be easy to misplace items and for mistakes to be made. To avoid these, exercise a few easy steps.
Never, ever walk away from your valuables. If you are traveling with one or more friends, shower and do laundry in shifts so the others can keep an eye on your belongings. If traveling alone, always take your valuables to the shower, laundry, bar, etc with you. (See our guide to backpack packing and management and general security page for hints to make this a breeze.) Albergues do offer locking storage for backpacks in many cases, but it may be best not to trust them with your passport and bank cards.
Don’t leave your phone to charge unattended. This is the most common way phones are lost. Consider carrying a backup battery and charging your phone with it as needed. You can then leave your battery to charge unattended at your bunk with little chance of theft.
Physical assaults are exceedingly rare and are usually due to too much wine and partying, but whatever the case this should be reported immediately to albergue staff and if need be, the police. Be loud, be emphatic and be certain those around you know what is happening!
Lastly, use common sense and avoid risky behaviors.
