Such big differences in what people are reporting! I've read many reports about the difficulty finding accommodation this year, and the absolute necessity of booking well ahead (and even then sometimes having trouble).
I've also read many reports that the crowds are similar to 2019.
I've read some reports that the crowds are smaller than 2019, some that the crowds are larger.
And some reports - like yours - that say there's no problem finding accommodation.
No doubt all those reports are correct, despite being contradictory. But it's enough to drive a first-time pilgrim crazy wondering what to expect! Yeah I know - everyone's mileage may vary, and there are many variables that can impact the availability of a bed. But still surprised how different peoples' experiences have been this year.
That is because there are two short but very large waves of people starting in St. Jean. If you start from SJPdP during the first two weeks of May and September then you will find it is very busy. Outside of these times it generally isn't busy.
Also, because most people take around five weeks to walk from SJPdP to Santiago de Compostela then you continue to hear from people about how busy it is through May to June and September to October but what isn't often obvious is that these reports are coming from people within those waves.
Then in August the Spanish take their annual Summer holidays and many choose to walk a Camino. Mostly the locals walk shorter Caminos and so from O Cebreiro to Santiago gets busy in August and particularly from Sarria to Santiago.
Then you have people who preplan their walk as if it is a walking holiday and they follow guide book stages and as a result the suggested stopping points mentioned in the guide books get much busier than the towns either side of those suggested stopping points.
Then you have the people who will only stay in a private room that they can reserve. There seems to be more of these people this year. These are mainly the people who are saying that it is busier than usual and that "you must reserve".
Pilgrims who are prepared to stay in dormitory type accommodation (that often can not be reserved) rarely have these problems finding a bed.
Lastly, for most people the
Camino Frances is 100 metres wide and they never look for accommodation that is off the route.
You need to decide where you are comfortable in terms of uncertainty and organise your Camino around that.
For some people a Camino is a pleasant holiday walk through a beautiful part of Spain.
For others it is an opportunity to challenge yourself in a way that is not dangerous but which will often result in a breakthrough in some part of your life.
If you are walking a Camino because you want to have a pleasant holiday in Spain then reserve your accommodation as you would for any holiday.
If you are walking a Camino as a personal challenge then part of the challenge is trusting in yourself that you can find a solution to the daily question of where shall I sleep tonight?
Allowing your daily activities to be simplified into:
Get up
Wash then pack my bag
Walk
Stop to eat when hungry
Walk
Stop for the day when tired
Wash
Eat
Sleep
.... Then repeat
Powerfully shows you what are the important things in your life and what is the fluff.
Doing this for 30+ days also shows you what you can achieve by putting one step in front of another (you can walk 800klms).
As you will hear, over and over, it is your Camino. How you choose to do it is up to you. AND if you want to challenge yourself then consider not reserving every night and consider trusting yourself to get you through.
After all, Spain is a beautiful, highly civilised, first world country. If something goes wrong, help is never far away
