Albergue's Offering Full Board and Half Board

[RumAndChupacabras]

What does it mean? I'm making a few last reservations for our "Ruta De Los Asturianos O Del Regañón" Camino to Santo Toribio.
I searched the Forum and can't find anything on this topic.
Thank You!

EDIT: This is the context of my question.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/whats-old-is-new-again-ruta-de-los-asturianos-o-del-rega%C3%B1%C3%B3n-trail-to-santo-toribio.62882/

 

[trecile]

What does it mean? I'm making a few last reservations for our "Ruta De Los Asturianos O Del Regañón" Camino to Santo Toribio.
I searched the Forum and can't find anything on this topic.
Thank You!

Half board = dinner, full board = dinner and breakfast

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Thanks, T!

 

[grayland]

It is common to find the option on the LePuy route in the gites (French version of albergues).
It is usually the case there that the gite is not located near a bar or restaurant and do not offer kitchen use.
Not much choice in those cases...unless you can carry cold dinner and breakfast in your pack.

 

[Via2010]

Normally - in holiday-catalogues - "half-board" means dinner and breakfast, "full-board" lunch, dinner and breakfast. "b&b" is bed and breakfast.

Considering that spanish lunch is late, when most pilgrims have already reached their Destination for the day, I do not think that it is different if you put reservations for private albergues, hostales and casas rurales that offer meals.

 

[KinkyOne]

Half board = dinner, full board = dinner and breakfast

Sorry but not true. See the post above this one by @Via2010

 

[Robo]

Normally - in holiday-catalogues - "half-board" means dinner and breakfast, "full-board" lunch, dinner and breakfast. "b&b" is bed and breakfast.

Considering that spanish lunch is late, when most pilgrims have already reached their Destination for the day, I do not think that it is different if you put reservations for private albergues, hostales and casas rurales that offer meals.

Correct. Can't imagine why an Albergue would offer Full Board.......

 

[november_moon]

I was wondering about an alberque offering full board also. At lunch time, most pilgrims are walking.

 

[trecile]

I was wondering about an alberque offering full board also. At lunch time, most pilgrims are walking.

That's why I thought that in albergues half board meant dinner only, and full board meant dinner and breakfast.

 

[KinkyOne]

In the summer months due to the heat early risers start walking at 5am or even earlier and are done with their daily stage at noon. After showering and doing the laundry it would already be time for lunch I guess.

And then an afternoon nap so they can again rise early the next day

 

[Via2010]

Just as I have written: Spanish lunch-time extends from 13.30 to 16.30 (depending on the area).

When Walking in Summer, you try to reach your Destination by 14.00 the latest. So you can easily enjoy a cheap "Menu del día" (which is in many cases only offered at lunch-time) upon Arrival.

 

[Kathor1]

Can't imagine why an Albergue would offer Full Board.......

The word albergue doesn't mean albergue de peregrinos. It may just denote an establishment that offers dormitory type beds.

Away from the pilgrim highways, people may stay in albergues for walks within the area lasting a day or less or for other outdoor activities close to the albergue. They will not be forced to leave after a stay of a single day. That's why albergues and gîtes may offer pension completa and pension complète which is a rate that includes indeed breakfast, lunch and dinner plus accommodation.

However, the OP asks about albergues on the Ruta de los Asturianos o del Regañón and I have to confess that I know next to nothing about it.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Half board = dinner, full board = dinner and breakfast

"Full board" is supposed to mean breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- but I suspect you're correct as far as these Albergues are concerned, if they're for pilgrims.

But if these are Hotels rather than refugios, then probably it's the three meals.

 

[JabbaPapa]

The word albergue doesn't mean albergue de peregrinos. I'm quite certain that albergue just means an establishment that offers dormitory type beds.

No, the meaning of the word can range between what we'd call a Hotel, a Hostel, or an Albergue in the Camino sense.

I suppose the most literal translation of the word would be "Inn", when that's not being used as just a fancy word for a pub.

 

[Kathor1]

No, the meaning of the word can range between what we'd call a Hotel, a Hostel, or an Albergue in the Camino sense. I suppose the most literal translation of the word would be "Inn", when that's not being used as just a fancy word for a pub.

I just provided an explanation why places calling themselves albergue in Spain offer full board as some people were puzzled by this, thinking only of albergues in the context of Camino pilgrims.

Isn't the "Ruta De Los Asturianos O Del Regañón" in the Picos de Europa area? That's a prime hiking area.

 

[Via2010]

The "ruta de los Asturianos" (also known as Ruta de St. Toribio) is in a popular spanish hiking-area (i. e. Picos de Europa). Thus "albergue" may be compared to the "refugios" you find in the Alps or to the French "gîtes d'etappe" and so it is quite obvious for me that "full board" includes a lunch.

 

[Kathor1]

As to the albergues on the Ruta de los Asturianos, I had a look on Gronze.com. Here is an example: Albergue de Portilla in Portilla de la Reina. Accepts pilgrims but is not exclusively for pilgrims. Price per person and day:



Accommodation
Accommodation + breakfast
Half board (accommodation + breakfast + one meal which often means dinner)
Full board (accommodation + breakfast + lunch + dinner)
Meal (lunch?)/dinner
You can save 4 € per day if you opt for full board.

 

[JabbaPapa]

There are some cases where half board is lodging and breakfast, and then lunch rather than dinner.

Caveat emptor.

 

[Kathor1]

There are some cases where half board is lodging and breakfast

I believe that when I see it (within the reach of EU consumer protection law) and in the price list given as an example there can be no doubt that media pensión is not accommodation and breakfast.

 

[twh]

For any newbies still reading this thread (I doubt there are any) the 2 - 3 euro breakfast at an albergue is typically tea/coffee and bread/toast w/butter/jam. If you MUST have coffee before you can function then it is convenient to have this coffee & toast snack available. If you desire a more substantial breakfast and you are on a budget and can walk a few miles to the first bar; then save the 3 euros, walk the 2 blocks or 2 miles and get a big breakfast for 6 - 8 euros that will fill you up.

RE: full board, half board: If you like a big breakfast, an albergue that offers breakfast included in the price is of little to no value.

RE: Lunch at the albergue you will stay at - I have limited experience, just 1 CF camino, but practically speaking there is no lunch at the albergue because they shoo you out of the building at 8 - 9am, lock the doors and don't unlock the doors again until 2pm. I never saw an albergue dinning room occupied with people eating a served lunch in the afternoon. I'm sure there are exceptions and maybe some of the street level, high traffic restaurants are also connected to an albergue due to the high traffic and they of course serve lunch but again, for a pilgrim walking every day and the "full board" discussion, I wonder if any of this is relevant?

 

[Kathor1]

but again, for a pilgrim walking every day and the "full board" discussion, I wonder if any of this is relevant?

This discussion is totally irrelevant for any newbie or other pilgrim who is walking the Camino Frances. It is also a bit absurd. This discussion is relevant for people who want to walk the Ruta de los Asturianos/Camino Lebaniego and are puzzled by the description of some of the albergues in this area, for example as listed on Gronze.com such as https://www.gronze.com/cantabria/cabanes/albergue-cabanes, https://www.gronze.com/cantabria/potes/albergue-picos-europa or https://www.gronze.com/castilla-y-leon/leon/villafrea-reina/albergue-venta-eslonza and others.

The problem with these discussions is that people too often ignore what it says in the tags and in the introductory message and only take note of the thread title when they write their comments.

 

[KinkyOne]

Exactly.
Also there are many more Caminos than just CF. And many more albergues than just municipals or/and parrochials with strict departure/arrival hours rules.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I believe that when I see it (within the reach of EU consumer protection law) and in the price list given as an example there can be no doubt that media pensión is not accommodation and breakfast.

You may have misread the post -- I said some of them are +lunch instead of +dinner.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

...The word albergue doesn't mean albergue de peregrinos. It may just denote an establishment that offers dormitory type beds...

Exactly the situation.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Isn't the "Ruta De Los Asturianos O Del Regañón" in the Picos de Europa area? That's a prime hiking area...

Correct and, there is a plethora of hiking, climbing and cycling going on there.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

...I wonder if any of this is relevant?...

Glad you posted this because at some point in time, a newbie might just happen to read this and misconstrue it for an Albergue exclusively for Peregrinos.

The context of my question was because, I hadn't seen this Full or Half Board option before making these very rural arrangements. Since there are no markets or shops or bars in between, food and drink become a different matter.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Exactly the situation.

Typically yes, but as you can see from these examples :

Albergues en Madrid

Encuentra los albergues que van más contigo

www.booking.com

... an albergue can provide anything between dormitory style bedding and small two-person bedrooms.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

Understood @JabbaPapa. The places I'm dealing with don't show up on bookingdotcom. Most don't even have their own website. I've been visually searching/sourcing these remote casa rurals, albergues, etc. using satellite views in Google maps.

 

[Kathor1]

@RumAndChupacabras, I had a look at your wikiloc page. Day 4, lugar Cuñaba ... omg, the mountains are calling me again ... ☺.

PS: I understand that your purpose is pilgrimage to Saint Toribio. For me personally, looking at the photos, it’s the mountains that are calling, not a Camino. ☺

 

[Kathor1]

Glad you posted this because at some point in time, a newbie might just happen to read this and misconstrue it for an Albergue exclusively for Peregrinos.

Now that the original question has been answered and we've cleared up what media pensión and pensión completa and albergue means in Spanish, please allow me to venture on a little side track.

It occurred to me that the narrow concept of the word albergue in Camino English may have to do with the fact that there is no equivalent in English, while a number of other European languages have it: auberge (French), albergo (Italian), herberg (Dutch), Herberge (German) ... a somewhat modest place anywhere where any traveller can stay. Origin is apparently the Germanic tribes' heriberga, a word that lost its heitch on the way south.

Be careful when you refer to une auberge espagnole because it has a specific meaning in French. ☺

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@RumAndChupacabras, I had a look at your wikiloc page. Day 4, lugar Cuñaba ... omg, the mountains are calling me again ... ☺. PS: I understand that your purpose is pilgrimage to Saint Toribio. For me personally, looking at the photos, it’s the mountains that are calling, not a Camino. ☺

Very exciting for me to read this! Last year, I was in Asturias and Cantabria for a total of 3 days with a very large family group from Texas. We lodged in Pañes. Just a few months ago, I saw the Santo Toribio credential that @Canuck had posted a photo of. When I saw there were 4 routes to it and one went right through Pañes, I could hardly believe my eyes. What came before that trip and what transpired after that trip is forthcoming.
As soon as I have (or make) the time, I truly need to write my story...regarding "Camino" coming into my life.

Do you have a thread for that visit of yours???

 

[Kathor1]

Do you have a thread for that visit of yours???

Oh, I'm so sorry to have to disappoint you. When I said that the mountains are calling me again, I meant mountains in general, not the Picos de Europa. I've not yet been there.

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

@Kathar1na, no problem. I certainly understand, this!