How to find a bed on the Camino de Santiago - best apps to use

Camino packing list
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

[@MrHoutstoker]

As a pilgrim you DON'T reservate a bed. don't do that. don't be afraid, everything comes good. My wife and I have two times walk the camino and NEVER reservate a bed. Thrust and Jacob always help you..Buen camino.

[@crinoidia]

Another great video Greg!

[@wowzieee]

We learned the Sunday many things are closed , so on the Friday's we'd book until Monday, so we we knew we would have a place along Pondienses.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Yes, on Sundays many stores are closed, unless you are in one of the larger cities like Pamplona, Leon or Burgos. In the smaller towns usually the restaurants will be open and if there's one of the chain grocery stores, often those are open as well. But most of the shops, clothing, etc are closed.

[@aprilchung7280]

Thanks again!

[@theshaddocks5605]

Very helpful video. Thank you.

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Glad it was helpful!

[@somehappenings246]

Im from western Canada, really appreciated info about jet leg. I would love another video of just about sleep on the camino. How to get over jet leg, or deal with it, tricks of dealing with sleep deprivation while on the camino. Where to nap mid day, napping on the trail,....good sleep makes everything better

[@TheCaminoGuide]

Uploading now 👍

[@marharytabalabayeva8698]

Is it possible to book a bed in a municipal albergue too?

[@TheCaminoGuide]

The municipal albergues generally do not take reservations.

[@cindylopez4883]

What do you do for phone service?

[@TheCaminoGuide]

International service is generally expensive with the US carriers. Most people will buy a SIM card when they get to the airport. The trick is that some SIM cards only work in France or only in Spain or you pay extra to get one for all Europe. I think my son and I paid €30 for a 1-month SIM at the airport in Paris, but that's very expensive. In Spain you can get one for like 10 Euros. Most of the newer phones come with ESIM capability, which is super easy. You just download the app for the company/service you want to use and it's just like ordering a pizza. You just pick the one you want and it sends you a link to download and automatically sets it up and activates it. I used this in Asia. Super easy. Quick search online shows several, including Orange, Holafly, etc... You don't need the full phone service. You only need data. Download WhatsApp to use for communicating as most of Europe uses it. It runs off of data only and you can make video calls or regular phone calls to friends and family back home. The ESIM services offer all of Europe or country specific usually. Depending on where you land, you may need Spain only or you might need Spain and France. You can still use WhatsApp with any free Wi-Fi You can find, which is pretty much any restaurant or hotel/hostel. So It's not the end of the world if you don't have it right away. Just make sure your family and friends are set up on WhatsApp so you can communicate with them. I think Spain only service is less than 10 euros and should have enough data to last for a while. When you run out you just reload it. If you don't have ESIM, then you would buy a physical SIM card and swap it with your current SIM. Make sure you don't lose your current SIM card though. I usually get a little piece of tape to secure it inside my phone cover. But again, it's not the end of the world if you don't have phone service right away, as you can always find a restaurant or cafe to sit at and use their Wi-Fi even if you don't have a SIM card in your phone.

[@theshaddocks5605]

Do you speak English when you call the albergues?

[@TheCaminoGuide]

The first thing I usually ask them is if they speak English. They answer the phone and I will say, "hola, do you speak English?". In most of the bigger cities they do, but in the meseta they usually don't. So it helps to know a few words and phrases, like " hola, necesito una cama por esta noche" which I think might mean I need a bed for tonight. They usually know why you are calling anyway. If you want a private room You can ask for un cuarto privado. They will usually get the idea. If you hear, "Sí" followed by a bunch of words you don't understand, I usually say muchas gracias, me llamo Greg y necesito dos camas en una o dos horas...Sí? Something like that. They will generally know that you don't speak much Spanish. The other way to do it is to email them and they are usually able to translate the email on their end. Just keep it simple. -I need one bed or two beds or one private room with two beds. If you really want to be thorough, you can use Google translate to create the proper sentence in Spanish and then just copy and paste it into several emails.

[@theshaddocks5605]

Thank you for your expansive answer. Most helpful. I’m Catholic and planning a religious pilgrimage in the near future. I hope it’s possible in the current Camino climate you describe in your videos.