Pilgrim Guides to Spain #1: The Camino Francés - updates to the 2009 edition

We'll use this page to pass on changes that pilgrims have reported since the publication of the latest edition in January 2009. We'll be especially glad to hear of refugios you find unexpectedly closed, or indeed open!

General Comments

  1. We have received no reports as yet about Swine ‘Flu infection on the Camino, but note that cases of the disease are increasing in France.
  2. There have been no reports of bed bug infestation on the route this year although it is reported that the hospitalera at Rabé de las Calzadas insists that, as a precaution, rucksacs are put in polythene sacks secured with cord and hung away from the bunks.
  3. There seems to have been some increases in accommodation costs and some have reported that some menús del dia and menús del peregrino have increased in price or seem to be somewhat smaller this year

 

Page 3, Saint Jean Pied de port.

The Tourist Office is at 14, pl. du Général de Gaulle. Its website www.pyrenees-basques.com has lists of hotels and chambres d’hôtes.

Add  R 7  “Sur  le Chemin-Au chant de coq ”. 36 rue de la Citadelle, Rooms of 4, 6 and 8 beds. 8-16€.  ( 06 74 31 02 23.

The Bar-Restaurant "Chez Edouard", 10 Place Charles de Gaulle, 64220 St-Jean-Pied-de-Port (05 59 37 13 11), offers a pilgrim menu at €12. Try it and let us know if it's worth a permanent recommendation in our guide!


Page 4.
At end of entry for Refuge-Auberge Orisson add, Open from Easter to October.
Page 5. Valcarlos.
Insert. R Parish Albergue (8) ( 948 780 117. Open all year.
Page 6. Roncesvalles.
Delete the final sentence of the paragraph describing the pilgrim albergue and insert; The  Albergue Juvenil “Real Colegiata” is reported to be closed for extensive renovation and its long-term future seems to be in some doubt.
Page 7. Burguete/Auritz,
 Bar Fronton, in the plaza by the church, towards the end of town, opens early (7 am). (? Seasonal)


Page 11. Eunate.
A pilgrim has reported some confusion at a fork in the track back to Obanos just past the church picnic ground.
Page 12. Puenta la Reina.
Bar Charli reported closed.  Bar La Torreta reported to have increased  menú  price to 9.50 € and food reported as poor.
Page 14. Villamayor de Monjardin.
Oasis refuge has doubled the number of toilets, showers and washbasins. Open April to October. Charge for bed increased to 5€.
Page 16. Viana.
Albergue Andrés Munoz, now charge 6€.
Page 18. Navarrete.
R1 (Municipal Albergue) c/San Juan 2, now charges 5€, opens 1330.
Bar Deportivo charges 12€ for its pilgrim menú, but it is reported to be very good.
Page 28. Rabé de las Calzadas.
It has been reported that one of the albergues in Rabé de las Calzadas has closed, it is not known which one.
Page 29. Hontanas.
Albergue Meson Puntido charges 5€ for a bed.
Page 31. Fromista.
A new private albergue Estrella de Camino is reported here, at the far end of town, 7€. Good kitchen and showers and very clean.  Further information please.
Page 53. Ponferrada.
Albergue San Nicolas de Flüe closes for the night at 2200.
Page 57. Trabadelo.
New bar/pension  El Puente Peregrino opened at Camino de Santiago 153. Plan to remain open all year and open 7 days a week from 0630 to 2200 but maybe less in the winter. 3 double rooms, 30€ in winter and 35€ in summer. The restaurant does not serve meat, just fish and vegetable dishes. Clothes washing and drying facilities available, 3€ each. Reservations by telephone 987 566 500 or 680 236 345 or by e-mail: elpuenteperegrino@yahoo.com. One enthusiastic report already.

Page 63. Sarria.
 New albergue, Albergue Internacional, c/Mayor, 57. 50 places (bunks), 10 €, in 4 dormitories, also 2  twin rooms with bathroom. Separate male and female showers/WCs. Menu, 9€, breakfast, 4€. Internet o.50€ for 15 minutes
Page 65. Gonzar.
Double rooms at Casa Garcia without dinner or breakfast cost 30€. Free use of washing machine.

Page 66. Ventas de Naron
Amended  entry   Bar Albergue O Cruciero (24). 9€. Also has 2 dbl. rooms with bat, 30€ and 1dbl. room without bath 25€. Menú, 8€.
Ligonde.  Albergue Municipal has washing machine 3€ and dryer 2€. 1 male shower /wc and I female shower/ wc.
Page 67. Palas de Rei. Hospedaje Guntina has rooms for 10€ per person with shared bathrooms in the hall. Very basic (no toilet seat).
Page 69. Ribadiso do Baixo. Albergue has washing machines and dryers, the bar restaurant next door has internet.
Page 71. A Rua. Hostal O’Pino has double rooms with bathroom for 47 €. The hotel restaurant is closed on Sunday.

Thanks to Susan Ni Dhubhlaoich for the following

PRACTICAL CYCLING FEEDBACK/UPDATES:-

I took my bike from Pamplona to Roncesvalles at the end of July 2009 by bus. Cost of one way for me and bike was €11.60. [€5.60 for me and €6 for the bike]. I was asked to take off the front wheel as were all the other cyclists. As it was summer, there was an additional bus at 10am Mon-Fri, over and above the 18h one which runs Mon-Fri. Still no service on Sundays.

I rented a bike from Tour n Ride, a company in Santiago. I found them good and efficient. As a completely novice cyclist (I don't possess a bike here at home! However, I run and pretty fit so that helped a lot with the hills!) I rented everything from them except clothing i.e. for a 24 gear mountain bike, panniers (perfect size), a helmet, front handlebar bag, bottle holder, the total cost for renting for 19 days was 400euro. That included delivery of the bike via courier to a Pamplona address. In the end I only needed 14 days cycle time.

In hindsight I could have done with some cycling ties/cords in addition to the panniers to tie my sleeping bag (which I bought in Roncesvalles refugio for €25. Hadn't realised I needed one when staying in refugios.)

I sent my rucksack and additional gear I did not need on the bike from Pamplona to Santiago via Lista de Correos. For a very large green box (la caja verde) weighing 6.3kg, it cost €11.

BICYCLE SHOP UPDATES to Cycling Pilgrim guide:-
Page 29 : ESTELLA
Liscardi Bicicletas, Paseo de la Inmaculada, Estella. This shop is no longer there. The owner has retired. Instead the bike shop I went to with a very friendly owner was
BICIHOBBY, Carlos VII, 12, Estella. Tlfo: 948 546 393
(beside the CEPSA garage on the main route out of the town)

Page 30: LEON
BICICLETAS Carlos. CHANGE OF ADDRESS. Now at Calle La Torre 8

Also very good were:
Bicicletas Ramon, C/Federico Echevarria 13, 24002 Leon. 987 276 276

Your Walker's Pilgrim guide was pretty much spot on in terms of update info! From distant recall, you mentioned you had little information on the newly refurbished Refugio in Burgos. Page 25 on the Guide. Albergue Jacobeo. This is a new facility. I asked them how many beds and I seem to recall 160 so it
is very central. Closed at 10.30pm and was bike friendly ie. with bike racks inside... Only thing is you have to climb quite a few steps to get there. I certainly could not figure out how to get up there without accessing the street via 20-30 steps! Modern bunks with plugs beside each bed.

Thanks to John and Elizabeth Hungerford for the following:

My wife and I walked the Camino Frances from St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela in April/May this year.  We used the Confraternity of St James' Pilgrims Guide to Spain book - 1 Camino Frances 2008 edition.  We found it very useful.

In the yellow section in the middle Part One Planning Your Journey in the item on "How much does it cost ?" it mentions that in 2007 Richard Barry spent 1,080 Euro.  But it doesn't say over how many days that covered.  Did he take 34 days (at 32 Euro per day) or perhaps 40 days (at 27 Euro per day) ?

I kept a record of all our expenditure for our journey over 50 days from 1 April till 20 May 2009 - see attachment.  The net result - on a per person per day basis was
Albergue                    5.98 Euro    We always stayed in an albergue - and we always made a donation at the religious ones.
Dinner                        8.32 Euro    We ate the pilgrims menu/menu del dia every night (except for two occasions when we cooked in the albergue).
Other food and drink    7.25 Euro    Breakfast and lunch.  Most days we had a coffee/cool drink for morning tea - and often had a drink at a bar before dinner.
Other items                3.87 Euro    This included internet, chemist (some innersoles etc), entrance fees, and a poncho as well as miscellaneous items.
Total                          25.42 Euro   per person per day.

To me this is of more relevance than saying we spent a total of  2,541.60 Euro as a couple or 1,270.80 Euro per person