Coffee in the Morning?

[RickGordon12]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

 

[Stivandrer]

Good coffee anywhere in Spain is legendary, and usually near camino routes they know their trade and will be open early most places. People pour in to get early coffee before job, too.
Have no knowledge on the Norte, tho

 

[gregrobinson]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I'm not familiar with the Norte, but have done the Frances several times. It's sometimes difficult to find coffee on the Frances in the early a.m., so I would guess it's even harder on the Norte. I would bring my own or some other option like tea.

 

[J Willhaus]

Here's a tip. I also "need" coffee in the morning and am very crabby until I get some. Once I had to walk 9 km and my husband walked carefully behind me a few hundred meters the whole morning.

I buy these cafe con leche packets at the grocery store in Spain and use a microwave to make hot water and drink one before we leave the albergue. (Sometimes you can only get the Capuccino packets, but they are about the same.) They aren't very good, but they are better than walking 9 km without anything. Then I stop at the first place I can find that is open and gulp down a couple of real ones.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Some forum members use those little immersion heaters that heat up a cup of water for a quick coffee or tea "fix". I prefer to wait until a bar or pastry shop is open, whether walking a few blocks or a couple of kilometers later. I'm usually ready for my first bathroom break before I resume walking.

 

[oursonpolaire]

It really depends where you are. The del Norte has many more towns and cities than the village-dominant Francese, and so you will always be able to find a café open from 7.00 am. Or not at all, and you may need to hoof it for an hour until you find one. While a coffee-drinker, I am also a minimalist, so would not bring anything--- others have made useful suggestions for those who Just Cannot Go Without.

 

[BombayBill]

You’ll also find some bars haven’t yet closed early in the morning and amongst the well lubricated patrons you can get a coffee. It’s an interesting experience.

 

[Charlotte Helbig]

I just got back from the Norte and at times it was challenging to find anything open before 8. If you start walking in hopes of finding something open sooner rather than later, you may be out of luck. More often than not there wasn't anything available for at least 10 k or more. If she really needs coffee first thing in the morning my advice would be to bring her own coffee maker. Have fun! It is a beautiful walk!

 

[trecile]

Since I'm not a coffee addict myself I don't know if this is feasible, but can she start weaning herself off of early morning coffee now before you leave for the Camino? For example gradually building up to not needing coffee before 9am or so? Maybe waiting 1/2 hour longer in the morning each week.

 

[Fran51]

Does she like black coffee? There are single packet drip servings one can carry. Then you just need some boiling water and a mug -- often available at an albergue. These packets are available from Amazon and in some food stores and outdoor stores here in the U.S. I'm not sure if you can find them in Spain.

 

[mustang2actual]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I’ve used the single serving Nescafé sachets in Europe. Find them at most food shops. They do in a pinch shaken in a room temperature water bottle. The

 

[BarbaraW]

I also "need" my coffee first thing in the morning. But on the CF stayed in a few places where no coffee was to be had until 8 am, and it was hot weather and I was keen to get walking in the beautiful dawn light. So started stopping for breakfast at the first place I came to, usually a couple of k on. No harm befell me. It was a bit hard on one day when it was 9 k before I found an open bar for coffee. Then earlier this year the only place between Lires and Muxia was closed for renovation, so I'd done my days walking before getting coffee! It was fine. For me it was helpful to let go of "needs" and comforts on camino.
Maybe your partner could take some sachets and see how she gets on. I'd much rather walk a few k for a cafe con leche grande!

 

[michal.don]

I second what @Charlotte Helbig said. When I walked the Norte, I had a ritual of sorts - I always stopped for a coffee and a sweet/pastry at the first open place I met. Sometimes it was just across the street from where I slept, sometimes an hour or two of walking away, a couple of times i had to wait well into the afternoon. If you really need your coffee the first thing in the morning, I wouldn't rely on always finding a café soon.

 

[t2andreo]

I get my morning “jump start” by mixing a packet of instant coffee (e.g. Starbucks coffee singles) into an empty water bottle filled with the hottest tap water available at my accommodations. Shake and sip. Hang on backpack harness, as I would a water bottle, and enjoy the scenery as I walk.

While not coffee aficionado hot, it is heated enough to taste like the real thing. TIP - buy a stronger blend than you would brew at home. The fuller body overcomes tepid water - at least IMHO.

These packets weigh nearly nothing. You can carry them in a quart / liter sized ziplock.

I have also bought “sobres” (envelopes ) of instant Nescafé in tiendas across Spain.

This is a no-brainer to me. It always gets me to my first “real” coffee stop if the day.

Being lactose intolerant, I do not use any milk / leche. Coffee “solo” is the only way I can avoid “urgencies” on the trail.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[RRat]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

Define "need". I very much enjoy my coffee in the morning. My first cup after walking a few kilometers is wonderful. But I walked with partners that their morning was ruined if they didn't have a cup before they walked out of the albergue. The albergue staff was willing to oblige but it sometimes complicated their morning schedule. As a result the staff waved me good bye but not before they insisted we take a picture for their wall. On the other hand my partners who insisted on coffee were told to hurry up and leave. Two completely completely different experiences at the same albergue.

 

[@Ditts]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I like coffee and a nibble to eat in the morning. I used to set myself a challenge to just walk until the first coffee appeared. I never had anything at the Albergue, also I found my pack heavy enough without adding weight. Depending in what time you leave there is usually something quite soon after you start. It makes me love it even more if I just wait just a bit longer. After I broke my wrist( Sarria) I had to eat and drink first to take medication. Also the last 100k there’s a cafe every few minutes!
Buen Camino

 

[MassNative]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

The Camino runs on Café con Leche!!!!

 

[lt56ny]

Since I'm not a coffee addict myself I don't know if this is feasible, but can she start weaning herself off of early morning coffee now before you leave for the Camino? For example gradually building up to not needing coffee before 9am or so? Maybe waiting 1/2 hour longer in the morning each week.

We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?)

You almost always have great advice. But not being a coffee addict shows with this comment haha!!!!!!!!!! We need our coffee and we don't want to wean, we want to drink!!!!!!! What I always do is ask at the albergue what may be open early. I will also ask bar owners what time they open in the morning. If it is late I ask if there is another bar that may be open early. If there are a few people in the bar I almost always get an answer seeped in local knowledge. Unfortunately the answer is sometimes no. Of course you need some Spanish for this or to get another pilgrim to help you. I am unlike others here I really do not like those instant coffee packs so I tend to go without. Although sometimes there are some albergues with a coffee machine. They usually cost a Euro. Those aren't very good either. It all depends on your own taste of course. I would not bring any extra device. I would try some of the suggested instant coffee solutions mentioned and see if you like any of them.

 

[peshe56]

Just finished walking the Norte . Very very few places will be open early ( 7 am) when most pilgrims are getting started . So most of us walked until we all found the first open cafe, then you would see everyone there having their cafe con leche. Became a lovely morning custom and chance to regroup before all heading out again for another 6 hours of walking!

 

[JerryStroebele]

Must have COFFEE!!! I carry just a few Starbucks little packets for emergencies and to share. Buen Camino

 

[Stivandrer]

Define "need".

I must admit with the testemony of J Wilhaus:

I also "need" coffee in the morning and am very crabby until I get some. Once I had to walk 9 km and my husband walked carefully behind me a few hundred meters the whole morning.

shows that the "need" is quite real !!

 

[AllisonMarie]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I am very similar in my need for morning coffee and I plan to bring a little instant coffee with me for “emergencies.” It can mix in hot or cold water and will get me to the first open coffee option.

 

[Dennis Pack]

Sometimes you just have to flexible and adapt. I think the facilities along the Norte are more than adequate to cater for Pilgrim "needs".
Not a big fan of everyone having to adapt to "my needs" ... I prefer to "live like a local" ... and expand my cultural experiences.

 

[wynrich]

I've mentioned this before and it wasn't entirely well-received, but I've found that one 100 mg caffeine pill gets me through till a good cafe con leche is available. Also my husband and I like starting out walking on an empty stomach and this allows that. I don't enjoy black coffee so the instant coffee packets aren't appealing to me.

100 mg is about what you get in one cup of coffee. I don't really "feel" the caffeine from a pill, but I do seem to have the same energy as I would with a cup of coffee and they stop the cravings. As far as I know caffeine pills are safe and have been really helpful if we want to get off in the morning without stopping at a bar or if no bar is available.

 

[Derek Booth]

The only place I couldn't get my fix of con leche as soon as I stepped out of the Albergue was strangely in Astorga. I had to wander the back streets, 'off piste' but I found a Cafe 4 my Cafe.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I only drink one cup of coffee a day at home, so I am not an addict, although It must have lots of cream and a tad of sugar. I hate black coffee, or black with sugar, so on the Camino I am always happy to walk until I see that first bar or pastry shop that is open.

 

[dimdog]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

Hi I did the entire Norte last June, it was ok(ish) to find somewhere early for the first week or so, but as you progress, & it gets more rural, & I did struggle to find anywhere open early doors.
It's a beautiful camino, with stunning scenery, enjoy

 

[Guateboston]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

Bring it! My friend and I walked the Norte last spring and there were many days that nothing was open for that first cup. Many days we had cold coffee from the night before.

 

[Tom Cartwright]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I need coffee in the morning - I carry starbucks packages for emergency use only if nothing can be found before the start of the day...It even works in a water bottle if required...

 

[pinkwadingbird]

Fellow coffee addict here. I check gronze.com for the next days route to see what stops are available. If it doesn't look promising the evening before I go to a bar/Cafe and get coffee to go. That way it's available first thing. If you're fussy about your coffee being hot this won't work but it's a way to get your caffeine fix.

 

[mustang2actual]

I get my morning “jump start” by mixing a packet of instant coffee (e.g. Starbucks coffee singles) into an empty water bottle filled with the hottest tap water available at my accommodations. Shake and sip. Hang on backpack harness, as I would a water bottle, and enjoy the scenery as I walk.

While not coffee aficionado hot, it is heated enough to taste like the real thing. TIP - buy a stronger blend than you would brew at home. The fuller body overcomes tepid water - at least IMHO.

These packets weigh nearly nothing. You can carry them in a quart / liter sized ziplock.

I have also bought “sobres” (envelopes ) of instant Nescafé in tiendas across Spain.

This is a no-brainer to me. It always gets me to my first “real” coffee stop if the day.

Being lactose intolerant, I do not use any milk / leche. Coffee “solo” is the only way I can avoid “urgencies” on the trail.

Hope this helps,

Tom

That answers a question for me @t2andreo as I too avoid milk. So for only black coffee it's referred to as cafe solo? Thanks for the help.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I wake up in the morning excited about my cup of coffee. I also don't usually stay in Albergues, but rather private accommodation. The thing about cheap hotels and pensions, etc, is they rarely have microwaves or kettles available. Hence, I bring a heating coil and instant coffee sachets.

 

[Rita Flower]

Last Camino I had a light keep cup. If the Bar was not open early enough the next morning I purchased a take away the night before, popped it in the fridge and warmed it up in the microwave the next morning. The coffee still tasted good.

 

[t2andreo]

That answers a question for me @t2andreo as I too avoid milk. So for only black coffee it's referred to as cafe solo? Thanks for the help.

Yes, “café con leche” is coffee with milk. “Cafe solo” is coffee only, or black coffee. “Cafe solo con azúcar” is “black coffee with sugar.”

Don’t confuse them - at your GI system’s peril.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[DreamWeaver]

I just want to say : I find great comfort in this thread knowing I am not the only one 'need' to have a cup of coffee to warm up the engine in the morning. Cheers

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Yes, “café con leche” is coffee with milk. “Cafe solo” is coffee only, or black coffee. “Cafe solo con azúcar” is “black coffee with sugar.”

Don’t confuse them - at your GI system’s peril.

Hope this helps,

Tom

I always order "Cafe Americano" for black coffee. Is there a difference?

 

[Kathy F.]

I also need coffee first thing in the morning - I’m writing this with morning cup #2 in front of me. But it is also important to get on the road first thing in the morning on the Camino.

So how to reconcile both needs?

This is what I did.

My morning routine got me out the door of the albergue usually in about 1/2 hour. Then I started walking.
I usually walked no more than an hour or until I came across the first bar with morning coffee, whichever came first. Having someone prepare a well made cafe con leche for you, along with a warm croissant, is bliss. And a quietly waking up, cheerful, crowd in a town is a great atmosphere in which to start your day.

Dear wife, this is a schedule you can get used to and might work for both of you.

Dear husband, please do not downplay your wife’s need for that morning cuppa. If you do, you have no one to blame but yourself when you feel the burning sensation in the back of your head, as your wife is giving you stink eye from behind.

 

[t2andreo]

I always order "Cafe Americano" for black coffee. Is there a difference?

Cafe Americano is usually expresso, diluted with hot water. Plain coffee is typically, but not always drip brewed and has a softer flavor.

Even at home, when I go to Starbucks, if I ask for a Coffee Americano, it comes from the expresso machine. If I ask for just "coffee" it comes from the pre-made brewed "urn." Same construct in Europe.

That said, in some places, when a person asks for a Coffee Americano, they get what the person serving them thinks is American style coffee. Depending on the barista, it could be wither espresso-based or drip brewed. it depends...

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Cafe Americano is usually expresso, diluted with hot water. Plain coffee is typically, but not always drip brewed and has a softer flavor.

Even at home, when I go to Starbucks, if I ask for a Coffee Americano, it comes from the expresso machine. If I ask for just "coffee" it comes from the pre-made brewed "urn." Same construct in Europe.

That said, in some places, when a person asks for a Coffee Americano, they get what the person serving them thinks is American style coffee. Depending on the barista, it could be wither espresso-based or drip brewed. it depends...

Hope this helps,

Tom

I can't ever remember seeing an "urn" in Spain. Every time i order coffee they use the machine with fresh grounds. It is so yummy.

 

[TeamH]

As long as I have water I'm all good till the first coffee appears, then I might have two!

 

[Sha-Ron]

It's either
Walk until you find the first café or
Microwave hot water for coffee or cappucino sachets brought from home.
Good luck!

 

[Former member 52467]

I walked Del Norte last summer and don’t remember ever going without coffee but we generally stayed at Casa Rurals or hotels with packets of Nescafé and ways to heat the water. I have, however, vivid memories of the times I had to walk 5 miles or more before that first cafe con leche on two separate Camino Frances. Perhaps, as someone suggested, CDN has so many vacationers in the small beach towns that they are more accommodating to early morning coffee drinkers.

 

[trecile]

Perhaps, as someone suggested, CDN has so many vacationers in the small beach towns that they are more accommodating to early morning coffee drinkers.

Not really - vacationers are generally not up at the crack of dawn.

 

[WGroleau]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I’ve slept in 25 cities/villages in Spain and passed through many others. I’ve never failed to find a bar to serve me café con leche in the morning. Except one—and there, the albergue got a boiler and instant coffee ready the night before. (Also tea bags.) And on several Camino walks, I’ve had café con leche in literally every village I passed through. The albergue I mentioned also had breakfast available with brewed coffee for any pilgrims who were still there at seven o’clock. (I know—I prepared the breakfast at least nine hundred times!)

I would be surprised were that not true of at least half the albergues along the way, although I have stayed in some that didn’t.

 

[JCarpenter]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

Can I recommend bringing chocolate covered espresso beans? Two of those first thing are loads better than sub par coffee, and are quite potent. And you can carry enough to last your trip. I am a teacher and call my coffee "Be nice to kids juice", so I can sympathize with those who really need coffee. Then when you run into the first open Cafe, you can have a "second" cup. Be aware that 4 or 5 of those beans will cause jitters and sweating, so eat only a few.

 

[Sparleb644]

WoW, quite varying advice….. we did the Norte in 2018. In decent sized towns (about a third of our nights were spent in sizeable towns) there will be an open bar at 7. We ate breakfast with police, other workers getting off for their day. Not the case in rural or isolated albergues, but all will have an option for hot water.

You´ve had several options described for instant coffee, caféine kicks. The coffee maker is a heavy option; there are a lot of threads on this forum discussing how to get the weight of the pack as low as possible. A light pack will give relief every day, so I would try the instant route (have 3 or 4 in my bag always). If you buy a pack of 6 or 12, you can always share or leave the leftovers in an albergue kitchen - they will make someone happy.

i like good coffee, so I am willing to walk to the first café rather than drink instant. A cortado is now my favourite coffee. And I don’t remember ever going beyond 10 am before finding the first café.

Because you are walking in October, it won’t be light until around 8. So no need for super early starts that would put the café 3 hours down the trail…..

Buen camino

 

[Dilbin]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

I always pack coffee sachets so even if we just have use of microwave then I can have coffee. I used to be a bit of a snob, wanting proper coffee etc but on the Camino this is often difficult, especially for early risers. Essentially it is more about the caffeine and not the coffee so I gave up being picky and haven't looked back since. I'm heading back over early September to do coastal and espiritual variants of the Portuguese and by giving up on "my own demands and wants" I can do, stay and walk with total freedom. " and then I came to haggard gate and I knew as I entered I had come through fields that were part of no earthly estate" Patrick Kavanagh. P.s All this is but a suggestion. Buen Camino

 

[VeganCamino]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

Absolutely. There would be a quarter of the walkers on the Camino without coffee.

 

[Smash123]

Okay! The responses on this thread settle it for me. I’m sticking to doing my Chemins in France. Every gîte provided coffee every morning. It was delicious and plentiful. I did the demi-pension wherever I stayed and the petit-déjeunée was included (as was the four-course dinner). Someone told me the treats if that people lose weight on the Camino in Spain, but gain it in France.

 

[Robo]

Sorry I'm not trolling here. I'm serious. As I find some of these posts a bit alarming

Do you actually 'need' coffee in the morning?
Or do you 'like' to have coffee in the morning?

I like coffee, and I normally try to start my Camino day with coffee and a 'real' breakfast.
Some days I have to start with water and a chocolate bar.......
I might not find a coffee all day.

Don't get me wrong, I 'like' coffee.
I drink 2-3 a day at home.
But 'need' it?

I mean are we talking serious addiction here like nicotine, alcohol or worse?
Seriously........ I didn't realise it was a 'thing'.

 

[Smash123]

Sorry I'm not trolling here. I'm serious. As I find some of these posts a bit alarming

Do you actually 'need' coffee in the morning?
Or do you 'like' to have coffee in the morning?

I like coffee, and I normally try to start my Camino day with coffee and a 'real' breakfast.
Some days I have to start with water and a chocolate bar.......
I might not find a coffee all day.

Don't get me wrong, I 'like' coffee.
I drink 2-3 a day at home.
But 'need' it?

I mean are we talking serious addiction here like nicotine, alcohol or worse?
Seriously........ I didn't realise it was a 'thing'.

Caffeine is an additive substance, like alcohol or tobacco. Google “caffeine addiction”. Depending on the amount of caffeine in your 2-3 a day (some drink it very weak) you could be addicted. If I don’t drink my coffee in the morning I get sluggish, sleepy and headachy. Don’t know if the effects would be so hard on the Chemin tho.

 

[Robo]

Caffeine is an additive substance, like alcohol or tobacco. Google “caffeine addiction”. Depending on the amount of caffeine in your 2-3 a day (some drink it very weak) you could be addicted. If I don’t drink my coffee in the morning I get sluggish, sleepy and headachy. Don’t know if the effects would be so hard on the Chemin tho.

Wow. Makes scary reading!

 

[Dilbin]

Sorry I'm not trolling here. I'm serious. As I find some of these posts a bit alarming

Do you actually 'need' coffee in the morning?
Or do you 'like' to have coffee in the morning?

I like coffee, and I normally try to start my Camino day with coffee and a 'real' breakfast.
Some days I have to start with water and a chocolate bar.......
I might not find a coffee all day.

Don't get me wrong, I 'like' coffee.
I drink 2-3 a day at home.
But 'need' it?

I mean are we talking serious addiction here like nicotine, alcohol or worse?
Seriously........ I didn't realise it was a 'thing'.

I don't drink but definitely need coffee. It's a but of an issue alright but in time I too may give up.

 

[Rita Flower]

Seriously........ I didn't realise it was a 'thing'.

Oh yes. Caffeine is addictive and there are many of us who ‘need’ coffee in the morning. We can go without but it is decidedly unpleasant. For us and those around us.
I have been reading a very interesting book on dopamine and addiction - addiction to the usual things plus sugar, coffee, gaming, social media etc - and dare I say it … Camino forum.
There are of course what one might call
healthy addiction.
Caffeine also has pain reduction factors so even non coffee drinkers often start while on Camino - and maybe stop again when they go home.
Some people are more susceptible to dopamine disruptive substances like coffee.
It sounds like you are not one of them. Count your blessings.

 

[backlasher]

I wake up in the morning excited about my cup of coffee. I also don't usually stay in Albergues, but rather private accommodation. The thing about cheap hotels and pensions, etc, is they rarely have microwaves or kettles available. Hence, I bring a heating coil and instant coffee sachets.

I bring a coil and instant packages from Amazon. I like my coffee with cream and sugar and it's already in the packs. It doesn't add much weight and makes the journey much more pleasant.

 

[TomasWS]

I am not a coffee drinker but my partner is and she "needs" coffee first thing in the morning. We're planning to do the Norte in October. Is it easy to get coffee early (by 7:00? 8:00?) in most places or should she bring her own coffee maker? Thanks for the advice for the odd non hot drink drinker.

Of course, it depends on where you're spending the night, but I've never found it difficult to get my early morning cup(s) of coffee. That said, I do carry a few "coffee bags" and a plug in cup size water heater.