Booking ahead?

[AussieJan]

We're starting from Le Puy on Sept 1st (well, that's the plan!). Having not done the pre-booking accommodation routine before, how many days ahead do we need to book? Is it possible, or advisable, to 'just wing it' and not pre-book?

 

[edandjoan]

I hope we can just "wing it". We did not book ahead on the French route or the Primitivo. We never know how far we will walk each day. We are starting just ahead of you on Aug. 28 or 29th. We fly into Paris on the 26th and we want to visit a camino friend from Switzerland before we start from Le Puy.

 

[AussieJan]

I hope we can just "wing it". We did not book ahead on the French route or the Primitivo. We never know how far we will walk each day. We are starting just ahead of you on Aug. 28 or 29th. We fly into Paris on the 26th and we want to visit a camino friend from Switzerland before we start from Le Puy.

Wow, I hope we can catch up to you. Would be great to meet you - given that we aren't booking ahead we'll probably meet you whilst desperately trying to find somewhere to stay & eat!

 

[Arn]

My first several Caminos, I didn't book ahead. As I garnered more control over time available and realized I'd missed several truly inspiring stops because I was caught in the rush for a bunk, I began planning an interesting, rather than a hurried Camino.
Gone are the 25-30 km days where a snapshot visit falls short of an enjoyable interlude.
I now book ahead, allowing for time walking to support my time enjoying. Some days are long, but no more than 20km. Others as short as 6km. The long days allow for quiet reflection while still moving at a reasonable pace. The shorter days reflect time well spent immersed in a moment surrounded by the grandure or simplicity of a targeted location.
Take a moment to realistically ascertain why you think you are on Camino. Then allow the Way to fill in the gaps.
If all you want is the Compostela...you can walk from Sarria, Tuy or Ferrol in six or seven days...pour yourself onto a plane and return home certificate in hand.
To me, that's the equivalent of tailgating at the Southern Cal vs UCLA, Chelsea vs Barca, SA vs All Blacks match...snockered enroute to the match up, fortified at the game...poured into the ride home and...days later told what a fantastic event I was almost at.
If your first effort is force marched, or preplanned by others, the Camino will recognize this and either say Ta Ta, or, infuse you with the desire to return and find true meaning in walking the Way.
For me...the Camino is part of the work in progress God has planned for me.
Buen "reserve a spot in life" Camino,
Arn

 

[AussieJan]

Thanks Arn - wise thoughts to ponder...

 

[marbuck]

After watching many pilgrims on the Frances waiting in line for a bed, sometimes in the rain, sometimes in the blazing sun and this at 2pm in the afternoon. They should be exploring the latest village they are in, sitting in a church contemplating why they are walking the Camino or for that matter sitting in a bar having a beer or a glass of wine with their new friends. I think a far better idea is to pre book a bed or a room, plan your distance to something that is manageable and enjoy your Camino. You may never do another one, so go and enjoy this one.

 

[Thornley]

We're starting from Le Puy on Sept 1st (well, that's the plan!). Having not done the pre-booking accommodation routine before, how many days ahead do we need to book? Is it possible, or advisable, to 'just wing it' and not pre-book?

The accommodation on the Le Puy is different than the previous camino's Jan but there is no need to book more than 2 days ahead.
We found it more enjoyable knowing the next 36-46km were covered especially before Conques and up until Cahors and it allows the host to visit the market and/ or prepare the food.
We booked ahead if we were passing through a large town , had lunch in a nice restaurant in town and then just the fruit etc for dinner in either a smaller village further on or alberque / convent in the town.
You will know when talking to the gite owners what lays ahead and you will only require MMDD and info from the tourist offices.
Take your time and enjoy the wonderful scenery.
Bon Chemin,
David

 

[edandjoan]

Jan...
How much time do you have? We have about 34-36 days just depending on visit to old camino friends on the front and backside of the walk. We plan to walk to SJPP or as far as Pamplona. We like to see what each town or village holds for us...a church visit, a museum and walk as long as we feel good. We also like to have time to wash our clothes and nap before dinner each day. We stop often for coffee on our walk. Perhaps our paths will cross.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

how many days ahead do we need to book? Is it possible, or advisable, to 'just wing it' and not pre-book?

Everyone else (the French, mostly) will be booking ahead. It is customary on the Chemin du Puy. It will save you the time it takes to wander around looking, or in the case of a single gite village, walking several kilometers further. When the Office de Tourisme is open, they can help if you have not prebooked. You can wing it on the Camino Frances, but it may be a bit more difficult on the Chemin du Puy. If you have included hotels in your budget, booking.com is a very helpful website.

Bon chemin.

 

[AussieJan]

Jan...
How much time do you have? We have about 34-36 days just depending on visit to old camino friends on the front and backside of the walk. We plan to walk to SJPP or as far as Pamplona. We like to see what each town or village holds for us...a church visit, a museum and walk as long as we feel good. We also like to have time to wash our clothes and nap before dinner each day. We stop often for coffee on our walk. Perhaps our paths will cross.

Thanks Ed and Joan - we have about 35 days. Do hope we meet.

 

[AussieJan]

Everyone else (the French, mostly) will be booking ahead. It is customary on the Chemin du Puy. It will save you the time it takes to wander around looking, or in the case of a single gite village, walking several kilometers further. When the Office de Tourisme is open, they can help if you have not prebooked. You can wing it on the Camino Frances, but it may be a bit more difficult on the Chemin du Puy. If you have included hotels in your budget, booking.com is a very helpful website.

Bon chemin.

Thanks Falcon - yes it does seem that pre-booking a few days ahead is the accepted practice. Maybe a few hotels, but mostly a gite budget!

 

[irishgurrrl]

We're starting from Le Puy on Sept 1st (well, that's the plan!). Having not done the pre-booking accommodation routine before, how many days ahead do we need to book? Is it possible, or advisable, to 'just wing it' and not pre-book?

Hi, the Le Puy route is a good bit different than the Spanish Caminos in that its advisable to at least book a place the day before (and sometimes further in advance if for example if it's busy on the route) for a few reasons....
- accommodation is generally more scarce and more expensive than the Camino Frances.
- compared with the Camino Frances the Le Puy route doesn't have many hostels along the way but mainly comprises of gites, chambre d'hôte and in some places... hotels. Some villages, particularly the more remote ones may only have one or two options for places to stay and the only food option may be to get your evening meal with your hosts.... If that's the case they need your reservation the day before so they are sure to have enough food to feed everyone....its seen as a courtesy along this route. If you just chance arriving somewhere without a reservation you may not get the meal and there may be no other food options in the area... and you may also find there are no beds left with many kms to walk to the next place (not always the case but it can happen).
- you will mainly meet French people on this route. They tend to generally travel in group of 3+ and often book all their accommodation in advance. If you end up hiking the same itinerary as them you may find places fill up fast. My advice in this case would be too book further ahead (say 3 days ahead or so) or at least check ahead to see how it's looking). If you have time you may need to be more flexible on where you stop for the night. September should be alot easier than when I hiked the route (April / May) ... there are alot of national holidays and school hols in May in France....

Not sure if there are many public/religious hols in September/ October... but just keep an eye out around those times and you should be ok. No need to book everything in advance, just a day or two is normally fine up to 3 or 4 days in advance if you happen upon a rush on beds due to groups en route or a busy period especially in areas where beds are scarce.

Bon Chemin!

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Not sure if there are many public/religious hols in September/ October... but just keep an eye out around those times and you should be ok.

There isn't a public holiday till Toussaint (November 1), but September is a very popular month for walking, possibly second only to May, and there is a longish school holiday, also called Toussaint (exact dates depend on the district) similar to half-term in the second half of October.

 

[irishgurrrl]

By the way, I'm not normally one for bringing guide books on my caminos but the accommodation list etc in the Miam Miam Dodo was invaluable for the Le Puy Route. Highly recommend you bring it.

 

[rhmocha]

We walked from Le Puy to SJPDP last Sep/Oct, and it was very busy in September. We had booked the first week from home, which made the beginning of the walk more relaxing. We saw some pilgrims on Day 3 who were not happy, as they had to walk an extra 5 km in the hot sun that afternoon in order to get accommodation. We promptly went back to our room and booked for the next 3 nights! We were told that it would thin out after Conques, as many of the French people end their walk there, however we continued to reserve ahead at least 2 days. More times than not we were doing "demi-pension", as the smaller towns did not have a restaurant. The MMDD was great for listing services in the towns, so it was easy to see if finding food would be a problem. The host really needs to know ahead of time how many guests will be eating, so it all works very well if people book ahead. Although we were struggling with our high school French, we had no problem making reservations by phone. Once in awhile we had our host phone on our behalf, mainly due to no cell service being available, and they are used to doing that. The tourist information offices also are very helpful, but are only located in the larger towns.
Hope this has eased your mind a bit - we were worried about reserving before we left, but soon got used to it. And it does mean that you can enjoy the walking, knowing that you have a bed waiting for you!
Bon Chemin!
Linda

 

[irishgurrrl]

We walked from Le Puy to SJPDP last Sep/Oct, and it was very busy in September. We had booked the first week from home, which made the beginning of the walk more relaxing. We saw some pilgrims on Day 3 who were not happy, as they had to walk an extra 5 km in the hot sun that afternoon in order to get accommodation. We promptly went back to our room and booked for the next 3 nights! We were told that it would thin out after Conques, as many of the French people end their walk there, however we continued to reserve ahead at least 2 days. More times than not we were doing "demi-pension", as the smaller towns did not have a restaurant. The MMDD was great for listing services in the towns, so it was easy to see if finding food would be a problem. The host really needs to know ahead of time how many guests will be eating, so it all works very well if people book ahead. Although we were struggling with our high school French, we had no problem making reservations by phone. Once in awhile we had our host phone on our behalf, mainly due to no cell service being available, and they are used to doing that. The tourist information offices also are very helpful, but are only located in the larger towns.
Hope this has eased your mind a bit - we were worried about reserving before we left, but soon got used to it. And it does mean that you can enjoy the walking, knowing that you have a bed waiting for you!
Bon Chemin!
Linda

Hi Linda,

half tempted to return to the Le Puy Route in September this year. What sort of temperatures were there when ye did it?

Eilish

 

[Arn]

From end of March to Sept you are looking at temps well within the comfortable range 45+F
Plan for Yhe worst .., enjoy the rest!

 

[irishgurrrl]

From end of March to Sept you are looking at temps well within the comfortable range 45+F
Plan for Yhe worst .., enjoy the rest!

Thanks Arn, I already hiked the Camino in April May last year... I guess the temps will be similar I.e. wildly variable lol

 

[edandjoan]

Guess I have some work to do...this will be hard as we never really know how far we will walk. I looked back at our blog from last year and we walked 15K a few days, several 30K day and many that fell between 20K-28K. There were days when we thought we would do around 20k and ended up at 30k. Last year we gave ourselves 25 day to walk from SJPP to Leon and it only took us 20 days. From there we bused to Oviedo and walked the Primitivo and that took us a day less than planned to SdC, which was nice as we then walked to Muxia.
I shall book a place in Le Puy. And then I will have to look at our options for the next few days. I do have the MMDD book.
After we arrive , we will look into booking a day or two ahead as we go.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

this will be hard as we never really know how far we will walk.

It is not impossible to walk without reserving ahead. However, there are a lot of one-gite places. If you are willing to take a taxi, or walk some distance further, that is not a problem. The hosts at chambres d'hote may take a spontaneous day off if no one has reserved, so no one will answer the door when you knock. One of my first reservations was at a municipal gite. On arrival, all the beds were claimed. When the manager showed up, she kicked out everyone without a reservation, and we got beds! There were a lot of sleeping bags on the lawn that night.

Answering machines take many phone calls, so all you can do is leave a message. You won't really know if you have a bed, but a couple of times, the host had arranged beds elsewhere for us.

The biggest irritant to French hosts is reservations that are not canceled. If you won't be able to reach a reserved spot, call to cancel. Even a couple of hours notice is enough to keep the host content (and provide a bed to another weary pilgrim).

 

[irishgurrrl]

Guess I have some work to do...this will be hard as we never really know how far we will walk. I looked back at our blog from last year and we walked 15K a few days, several 30K day and many that fell between 20K-28K. There were days when we thought we would do around 20k and ended up at 30k. Last year we gave ourselves 25 day to walk from SJPP to Leon and it only took us 20 days. From there we bused to Oviedo and walked the Primitivo and that took us a day less than planned to SdC, which was nice as we then walked to Muxia.
I shall book a place in Le Puy. And then I will have to look at our options for the next few days. I do have the MMDD book.
After we arrive , we will look into booking a day or two ahead as we go.

Hey there,

Unless you are super fit most people I met tended to do shorter distances day to day for the first two weeks on the Le Puy route than the Camino Frances. Although not difficult per se, the Le Puy Route is way more up and down especially the first week or two than the Camino Frances which is tiring day after day. The two routes are not really comparable for that reason.

For example I met a pilgrim who told me he was easily doing 26km training hikes in Germany so tore into what would be biggish mileage for the Le Puy route and completely ignored his bodies messages that he was doing too much.... I was not surprised when I heard he had to go home after about 3 weeks due to an overdoing it type issue with his legs/joints.... Its just not that type of Camino.... Most everyone else I met were pacing themselves especially for the first two weeks and were happier for it.

If you have lots of time to complete the route you could build a little flexibility into your time on the trail day to day.... Yes its not the Camino Frances where you could rock up to a village without a booking but then again this is a different type of experience... and one I preferred scenery wise overall to the CF to be honest. You could chance winging it but if September is as busy as May you may end up in the middle of nowhere with no bed and no food/shop and a taxi trip to the next village... Personally I wouldn't do it but each to their own. I have to say though that it definitely helped that last year we could cancel reservations easily when we needed to last year.... I read in a post somewhere that some places are now taking credit card details which of course would make it a little less flexible.....

My suggestion is to have a look at the elevation profiles available on the Godsalco site (spelling? on smartphone so cant check). Found it great to plan out the route roughly. I liked having a rough itinerary so I knew roughly where I needed to be by a certain date so I didn't end up under severe pressure of time later.... I didn't stick to it religiously but it definitely helped.... I just wanted to chill out on this one and it worked out great that way.... Personally the bit of planning I did in advance really helped me relax on the trail... I really enjoyed the camino and the pre-booking didn't put me out too much for that reason especially if only a day or two in advance. Basically people just get used to having to do it on the route even if it wasn't the way they'd have chosen to do it originally

 

[edandjoan]

The biggest irritant to French hosts is reservations that are not canceled. If you won't be able to reach a reserved spot, call to cancel. Even a couple of hours notice is enough to keep the host content (and provide a bed to another weary pilgrim).

Thanks for your input.
We understand this..it is their livelihood and we do not want to reserve a bed and not show, and that bed could have been for some one else who needs one and is going to pay for it. These people are are small business owners and it is important to respect that and we will. We are also understanding more (as we read these boards)that this is a "holiday" route as well as a pilgrim route and a bit different than being in Spain. We probably will not have a phone, but we have not carried one in the past and all has been fine. I understand the hosts can call ahead for us and that would be fine as our French is not good.

 

[edandjoan]

Hey irishgurri,

Your post is too long to quote, but thanks for the input. We are not young, but not old and are pretty fit. I run 3 times a week for a weekly total of 20 miles and cross train twice a week and my husband cycles about 100 miles a week. We thought that the Primitivo was much more up and down than the French route, but it was so beautiful and the pilgrims and locals so friendly.

I have looked at the elevations and there are some hills to start then it looks to level out...would you agree? We have about 34 days. Once we get to SJPP we can walk if time permits toward Pamplona or get a bus as we fly out of Barcelona. Do you have a blog from your walk on the Le Puy? Or how long were your first few stages?

Are you from Ireland? We walked, bused and hitch-hiked there in 2013. Saw some beautiful places.

 

[rhmocha]

Hi Linda,

half tempted to return to the Le Puy Route in September this year. What sort of temperatures were there when ye did it?

Eilish

Hi Eilish,
We had beautiful weather with highs in the low-mid 20's. It was 25 on Oct 17 when we walked into SJPDP! Not sure if that is typical, but we sure enjoyed it!
Cheers,
Linda

 

[irishgurrrl]

Hey irishgurri,

Your post is too long to quote, but thanks for the input. We are not young, but not old and are pretty fit. I run 3 times a week for a weekly total of 20 miles and cross train twice a week and my husband cycles about 100 miles a week. We thought that the Primitivo was much more up and down than the French route, but it was so beautiful and the pilgrims and locals so friendly.

I have looked at the elevations and there are some hills to start then it looks to level out...would you agree? We have about 34 days. Once we get to SJPP we can walk if time permits toward Pamplona or get a bus as we fly out of Barcelona. Do you have a blog from your walk on the Le Puy? Or how long were your first few stages?

Are you from Ireland? We walked, bused and hitch-hiked there in 2013. Saw some beautiful places.

Hey there,

I do tend to go on a bit on my posts lol Yes it levels out a good bit after the first week or two... The first two weeks are stunning so its worth taking your time on this stretch

I don't have a blog but I'll find my old itinerary and post or message you with it later (on smartphone so can't at the mo). I roughly followed the itinerary of another pilgrim in this forum for the first week or two if memory serves me correctly. Very short stages to start. Mainly because I definitely wasn't fit starting this camino as I'd been unwell (nothing serious.... just not conducive to training) before my trip so got very little training in beforehand.

Its a fabulous route (my favourite so far!) and even though I hadn't planned to return to it so quickly... I may even revisit the first week or two again later this year (its that nice!). We shall see.

P.S. Yep I'm from Ireland. That's great you got to tour around the country There are some beautiful places to visit here alright I'm hoping to explore some of the many long distance trails,we have here too. Some of them go through some stunning places

 

[irishgurrrl]

Hi Eilish,
We had beautiful weather with highs in the low-mid 20's. It was 25 on Oct 17 when we walked into SJPDP! Not sure if that is typical, but we sure enjoyed it!
Cheers,
Linda

Thanks Linda. We had similar weather in April/May last year! It was great. Just a bit of rain on the Aubrac and a few mixed weather days approaching the Pyrenees! We were so blessed!

 

[irishgurrrl]

Hey irishgurri,

Your post is too long to quote, but thanks for the input. We are not young, but not old and are pretty fit. I run 3 times a week for a weekly total of 20 miles and cross train twice a week and my husband cycles about 100 miles a week. We thought that the Primitivo was much more up and down than the French route, but it was so beautiful and the pilgrims and locals so friendly.

I have looked at the elevations and there are some hills to start then it looks to level out...would you agree? We have about 34 days. Once we get to SJPP we can walk if time permits toward Pamplona or get a bus as we fly out of Barcelona. Do you have a blog from your walk on the Le Puy? Or how long were your first few stages?

Are you from Ireland? We walked, bused and hitch-hiked there in 2013. Saw some beautiful places.

Hi,

This was my itinerary for the first couple of weeks...
Le Puy-en-Velay to Montbonnet (16.7km)
Montbonnet to Montrisol d'Allier (13.7km)
Montrisol d'Allier to Saugues (11.7km)
Saugues to Le Villeret d'Apchier (22.6km)
Le Villeret d'Apchier to Saint Alban Sur Limagnole (20.9km)
St Alban... to Lasbros (21km)
Lasbros to Finieyrols (9.4km)
Finieyrols to Nasbinals (9.8km)
Nasbinals to St Chely d'Aubrac (15.8km)
St Chely... to St Come d'Olt (16km)
St Come d'Olt to Estaing (18.9km)
Estaing to Golinhac (13.2km)
Golinhac to Conques (20.2km)
Rest Day in Conques

We did two short days on day 8 and 9 than take a day off. I remember feeling particularly tired the last few days into Conques. Luckily I had lovely company and we also met a lovely group that helped distract me from my fatigue particularly after a long hill en route to Golinhac !!!

 

[Thornley]

Hi,

This was my itinerary for the first couple of weeks...
Le Puy-en-Velay to Montbonnet (16.7km)
Montbonnet to Montrisol d'Allier (13.7km)
Montrisol d'Allier to Saugues (11.7km)
Saugues to Le Villeret d'Apchier (22.6km)
Le Villeret d'Apchier to Saint Alban Sur Limagnole (20.9km)
St Alban... to Lasbros (21km)
Lasbros to Finieyrols (9.4km)
Finieyrols to Nasbinals (9.8km)
Nasbinals to St Chely d'Aubrac (15.8km)
St Chely... to St Come d'Olt (16km)
St Come d'Olt to Estaing (18.9km)
Estaing to Golinhac (13.2km)
Golinhac to Conques (20.2km)
Rest Day in Conques

We did two short days on day 8 and 9 than take a day off. I remember feeling particularly tired the last few days into Conques. Luckily I had lovely company and we also met a lovely group that helped distract me from my fatigue particularly after a long hill en route to Golinhac !!!

Would not change this itinerary very much.
First 3 days are the correct way as the climb out of Montrisol can be very hard.

 

[irishgurrrl]

Would not change this itinerary very much.
First 3 days are the correct way as the climb out of Montrisol can be very hard.

My itinerary was based on an itinerary Gittihare shared with me. If I was to do it again I probably wouldn't stay in Finieyrols (didn't particularly like the gite we stayed in there) but would probably continue onto Nasbinals and have a rest day there if I needed it... that had been my original plan and can't remember why we ended up doing two short days instead but that's the way it happened at any rate.

 

[irishgurrrl]

Hey irishgurri,

Your post is too long to quote, but thanks for the input. We are not young, but not old and are pretty fit. I run 3 times a week for a weekly total of 20 miles and cross train twice a week and my husband cycles about 100 miles a week. We thought that the Primitivo was much more up and down than the French route, but it was so beautiful and the pilgrims and locals so friendly.

I have looked at the elevations and there are some hills to start then it looks to level out...would you agree? We have about 34 days. Once we get to SJPP we can walk if time permits toward Pamplona or get a bus as we fly out of Barcelona. Do you have a blog from your walk on the Le Puy? Or how long were your first few stages?

Are you from Ireland? We walked, bused and hitch-hiked there in 2013. Saw some beautiful places.

In case you haven't seen this before - this is a fantastic online planner.... http://www.godesalco.com/plan/podense

 

[edandjoan]

And this one:
http://pelerins-compostelle.com/pelerinage-compostelle-chemin-puy-en-velay-etape-itineraire/

I don't think I copied the first page and it is in French, but I use google translate. It also has elevations.
I think I have found most of the web sites to help and I am starting to add english to my MMDD book. I tend to overplan so that once on the way I can enjoy myself.

 

[Kitsambler]

...there are some hills to start then it looks to level out...

Most of the severe elevation changes wrap up with the climb out of Conques, so roughly the first third of the route. The second third, through Auviallar, is "hill town country". Then there is a long relatively flat area where the towns are quite spread out at 25 km intervals. At Navarrenx you start picking up the foothills of the Pyrennees.

If you've walked the Primitivo and Ireland, then you already know that long distance walks, with a pack, are harder on the feet than running or cycling.

 

[Thornley]

Most of the severe elevation changes wrap up with the climb out of Conques, so roughly the first third of the route. The second third, through Auviallar, is "hill town country". Then there is a long relatively flat area where the towns are quite spread out at 25 km intervals. At Navarrenx you start picking up the foothills of the Pyrennees.

If you've walked the Primitivo and Ireland, then you already know that long distance walks, with a pack, are harder on the feet than running or cycling.

Don't scare them off Kits. ...lol
Even if the towns are 25km apart , which is correct , there are plenty of beautiful gites available between same.

 

[happymarkos]

We're starting from Le Puy on Sept 1st (well, that's the plan!). Having not done the pre-booking accommodation routine before, how many days ahead do we need to book? Is it possible, or advisable, to 'just wing it' and not pre-book?

My wife and I left Le Puy in late August last year and had been advised to book as far ahead as Conques as many groups of French people walk in the popular times and can take up all the beds. It was painful trying to do this on line as many places wanted a deposit, sometimes as little as E5.00 but they did not accept credit cards or have PayPal accounts, and without a French bank account it meant in the order of $A20+ just in bank fees. So I continued to look around. It is best to start with shorter distances until the body and feet get used to it which will be on fairly steep terrain at times, so depending on your level of fitness booking 15-18km stages may be the way to go; it is not really about distances but what the terrain is. Agree with Irrishgirl

 

[edandjoan]

We leave Le Puy on August 28, and I am trying to book ahead through the weekend (August 31). We are trying to figure out how to book "Gite a la femme" in Saugues as we don't speak French or have an international phone plan and there is nothing other than a phone number for contact. If anyone has any ideas on how to book this place feel free to offer suggestions.
*Once we start walking we will book a day or two ahead.
**We are practicing/learning to speak French.

 

[Luka]

I hope to arrive in Le Puy on Tuesday the 12th of May. I have booked a few days ahead (through the Ascension weekend). I have no idea where I will be in the Pentecost weekend yet, so que sera, sera...

 

[happymarkos]

We leave Le Puy on August 28, and I am trying to book ahead through the weekend (August 31). We are trying to figure out how to book "Gite a la femme" in Saugues as we don't speak French or have an international phone plan and there is nothing other than a phone number for contact. If anyone has any ideas on how to book this place feel free to offer suggestions.
*Once we start walking we will book a day or two ahead.
**We are practicing/learning to speak French.

try a web site under the name of the Gite; sometimes a way around the lack of internet address.

 

[edandjoan]

try a web site under the name of the Gite; sometimes a way around the lack of internet address.

We tried a google search, but didn't find anything.
I see you walked last year...do you have a blog or online journal of some sort? How many days did it take you to walk to Roncevaux? We hope to walk the Cele Valley route.

 

[mspath]

...We are trying to figure out how to book "Gite a la femme" in Saugues as we don't speak French or have an international phone plan and there is nothing other than a phone number for contact. ....

In what source did you find "Gite a la femme" ? I believe that femme, ie woman is a typo and the correct name should be "Gite a la ferme" ie Gite at the farm. See this page for more info including a POSTAL address. Write your request in English and translate it into French using an on-line translate program. They also suggest Faxing a request.!

Bon chance and Bon chemin!

MM

 

[edandjoan]

In what source did you find "Gite a la femme" ? I believe that femme, ie woman is a typo and the correct name should be "Gite a la ferme" ie Gite at the farm. See this page for more info including a POSTAL address. Write your request in English and translate it into French using an on-line translate program. Also you might send a Fax as a request.

Yes I did misspell "ferme" .
I will try and write as I do have some time before we leave. Thanks for the info/link.

 

[Thornley]

We leave Le Puy on August 28, and I am trying to book ahead through the weekend (August 31). We are trying to figure out how to book "Gite a la femme" in Saugues as we don't speak French or have an international phone plan and there is nothing other than a phone number for contact. If anyone has any ideas on how to book this place feel free to offer suggestions.
*Once we start walking we will book a day or two ahead.
**We are practicing/learning to speak French.

Hi Ed and Joan ,
1/
Get a copy of MMDD now , not in a weeks time mate now,
2/
On page /plan 05 , under the big eye , number 19 , is a place called Office de Tourisme.

ot.saugues@haut-allier.com ....... phone number 04 71 77 71 38
www.haut-allier.com [ for all accommodation and MAYBE Itier and Martines e/m if they have one]

Write to the OT , in english , it will not worry them and they will let La ferme know.
You could e/m Le Margeride [ no 4 ] who speak good english and they will ring Itier and Martines [ no 5 ] for you.

You are wasting your time , and may i say with a smile going grey , if you don't get a copy of MMDD asap.

*** And if i was staying in an english speaking abode in Le Puy then why not request them to ring Itier in Saugues and book the night for you.
**** We booked with Itier when in Montbonnet +++++ or should i say our hosts did.

 

[edandjoan]

Hi Ed and Joan ,
1/
Get a copy of MMDD now , not in a weeks time mate now,
2/
On page /plan 05 , under the big eye , number 19 , is a place called Office de Tourisme.

ot.saugues@haut-allier.com ....... phone number 04 71 77 71 38
www.haut-allier.com [ for all accommodation and MAYBE Itier and Martines e/m if they have one]

Write to the OT , in english , it will not worry them and they will let La ferme know.
You could e/m Le Margeride [ no 4 ] who speak good english and they will ring Itier and Martines [ no 5 ] for you.

You are wasting your time , and may i say with a smile going grey , if you don't get a copy of MMDD asap.

*** And if i was staying in an english speaking abode in Le Puy then why not request them to ring Itier in Saugues and book the night for you.
**** We booked with Itier when in Montbonnet +++++ or should i say our hosts did.

We have a current copy if the MMDD and we are working off of that. We will try the Office de Tourisme. Le Margeride (no 4) is our second choice. We have been reading other threads on this board and blogs of others to get our recommendations for overnights. Thanks for you help!

*With a smile! I am already grey and Ed has lost much of his hair!

 

[grayland]

I would suggest that you may be overthinking and over -planning the
pre-booking.. Book the first 2 nights and then book the night before from the MMDD. You may not always get the exact one you want each night...but you can walk much more relaxed and not on a tight schedule.
Just my experience.

 

[edandjoan]

I would suggest that you may be overthinking and over -planning the
pre-booking.. Book the first 2 nights and then book the night before from the MMDD. You may not always get the exact one you want each night...but you can walk much more relaxed and not on a tight schedule.
Just my experience.

Believe me I hate prebooking. We would rather walk, as we have in the past, and sleep where ever we find ourselves at the end of the day. So many comments on these boards have said "the Le Puy is different" and you must book so we thought we would book through the weekend, we start walking on a Friday, and then see how things go.

Thanks everyone for the help, we know GOD will place us where we need to be and we look forward to our walk in France. Now, I must get back to my French lessons and my work.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

http://www.gitelafermette.fr/accueil-a-la-ferme/ALF_detail.asp?AdFermeId=30

 

[Thornley]

http://www.gitelafermette.fr/accueil-a-la-ferme/ALF_detail.asp?AdFermeId=30

With a lovely border collie to keep you company if arriving early.

 

[Canucks]

We chose to prebook everything from le Puy to SJPdP last sept/oct and were happy. Others wing it. You can't go wrong either way so it depends on what you cherish more.....the freedom to stop wherever you want whenever you want, or the freedom to walk into a village, check in at the place you know is great, and immediately go explore the village. We like the peace of mind of having a guaranteed place and we know how far we can walk. 31 days of bookings isn't that difficult and it worked fine for us.

 

[SYates]

I called ahead the same day or, max, the eve before, no more. Bon Chemin, SY

 

[Bungle]

We leave Le Puy on August 28, and I am trying to book ahead through the weekend (August 31). We are trying to figure out how to book "Gite a la femme" in Saugues as we don't speak French or have an international phone plan and there is nothing other than a phone number for contact. If anyone has any ideas on how to book this place feel free to offer suggestions.
*Once we start walking we will book a day or two ahead.
**We are practicing/learning to speak French.

I do not speak French and found that so long as your first day is booked you only need do the following:
Get someone who speaks/writes in French to write down in your notebook a couple of questions - Can you please book me accommodation for tomorrow at .... with demi pension. How much is it. And make sure that the name you book it in is understandable to the host and the potential host. I found that booking the day before was fine in April.

 

[Bungle]

I called ahead the same day or, max, the eve before, no more. Bon Chemin, SY

The only places that I had problems with booking the day before was at St Jean and Hounto - I think the film "The Way" was probably responsible as St Jean was overflowing with americans - I did not see an American until I reached St Jean, and not many after Zubri! I think that maybe a night at Roncevalles would cool the enthusiasum!
And St Jean was expensive so my planned day off there was cancelled!

 

[Thornley]

I do not speak French and found that so long as your first day is booked you only need do the following:
Get someone who speaks/writes in French to write down in your notebook a couple of questions - Can you please book me accommodation for tomorrow at .... with demi pension. How much is it. And make sure that the name you book it in is understandable to the host and the potential host. I found that booking the day before was fine in April.

MMDD only book to take , prices shown.
Point out the next day to host and all is done.

 

[Rellrog]

Thanks everyone. I suspect I missed a posting on this but our French isn't that great and wondered if the gite or hostel owner would be willing to make the next reservation for us. Thanks Falcon for the Hotel.com idea...will likely try that. Also, we did the Frances two years ago and want to do both the Norte and the LePuy this time. Any suggestions as to the order of things...the two times are late July and first week of September. Wondering about crowds, heat and accommodations. As of now we plan for the Norte first and the Le Puy in September. Thanks for any suggestions you might give.

 

[irishgurrrl]

Thanks everyone. I suspect I missed a posting on this but our French isn't that great and wondered if the gite or hostel owner would be willing to make the next reservation for us. Thanks Falcon for the Hotel.com idea...will likely try that. Also, we did the Frances two years ago and want to do both the Norte and the LePuy this time. Any suggestions as to the order of things...the two times are late July and first week of September. Wondering about crowds, heat and accommodations. As of now we plan for the Norte first and the Le Puy in September. Thanks for any suggestions you might give.

Hi Rellrog,

Haven't done the Norte yet but your plan sounds good to me. I wouldn't do the Le Puy Route late July due to the heat. September is perfect.

 

[irishgurrrl]

Thanks everyone. I suspect I missed a posting on this but our French isn't that great and wondered if the gite or hostel owner would be willing to make the next reservation for us. Thanks Falcon for the Hotel.com idea...will likely try that. Also, we did the Frances two years ago and want to do both the Norte and the LePuy this time. Any suggestions as to the order of things...the two times are late July and first week of September. Wondering about crowds, heat and accommodations. As of now we plan for the Norte first and the Le Puy in September. Thanks for any suggestions you might give.

Hi - yes the gite owner is normally more than happy to make the next reservation(s) for you if you ask. I phoned ahead myself but I know of others who asked the gite owner to make the reservation for them.

 

[NavyBlue]

Hi - yes the gite owner is normally more than happy to make the next reservation(s) for you if you ask. I phoned ahead myself but I know of others who asked the gite owner to make the reservation for them.

Hello,

Sure. In fact, french gite owners tend to build informal networks with their colleagues upstream and downstream. Expected practice for a new owner is to visit them and get acquainted. Good thing for you if you need their help (not so good if you don't show up in a place you have booked. Word might spread...).

 

[Rellrog]

Well, plans have changed. We'll be doing the Le Puy first (in late July) and the Norte in September. Had to do it this way due to our logistics. Looks like we'll have to suffer the heat...we like getting an early start in the mornings so maybe we can limit that heat.

 

[Kitsambler]

doing the Le Puy first (in late July)...

July has a thinner walking population due to the heat. So you will now have a different problem: instead of trying to find an empty bed, you will be trying to find an open gite. Many owners will take a few days off if no one has booked. So do be sure to book a day in advance; the current day's host or the Office de Tourisme can handle the French for you. (The Le Puy route lies mostly south of the Lange-d'Oc line, so the accents will be very different.)

 

[Rellrog]

Thanks much. Will follow your advice.

 

[Rellrog]

One question...I thought the French tend to take their holidays in late July and August. I also read that the French in the north tend to head south at that time. I also notice many on this forum state that many of the people walking the Le Puy are French on a holiday walk ...not necessarily walking the Camino. Given this wouldn't the gites tend to stay open during July and August...despite the heat.

 

[Kitsambler]

The northerners may head south, but not to walk, due to the heat. Whenever the custom gets thin, Madame and Monsieur Gite Owner tend to take some time for themselves. My point is, don't assume that places will be open. Do continue the practice we have encouraged, of reserving a day or two in advance.

 

[Rellrog]

Thanks Kit. Will take your advice and call ahead at least one day. This will take some getting used to since we often enjoyed making those decisions on the fly on the Frances. I understand new conditions call for new ideas!