How Far to Book Accommodation In Advance Camino Portuguese

[SILVtheNomad]

Hello everyone,
I am planning on walking the Camino Portuguese this upcoming September and was curious how far in advance I should be booking accommodation and where to look for hostels/ pilgrim albergues. I currently only have my accommodation booked for Porto and I heard September can be pretty busy is that true for this particular route?

 

[Roland49]

I walked last year in July the week prior the catholic youth assembling in Lisbon and only booked the Albergue in Porto in advance.
Sometimes you have to walk further or alter your plans (walked to the central to avoid the overcrowded coastal), but it is doable without prebooking.

Have fun and

 

[Grousedoctor]

Regarding where to look for accommodations check out Gronze.com. You’ll find a variety of accommodations along your route as well as contact information for the albergues and hostels.

 

[ratherbefollowingflechas]

As it seems your post is asking how far in advance should you book, it seems like your plan is to book, vs winging it as you go. That being the case, there is nothing to stop you from booking now. While many say you can wait, I prefer to have all the details sewn up. Our last Camino was a re-do of the Primitivo of from 2023 - which had injury issues. We walked this May/June (2024) and every last booking was made in September of 2023. (Except for the train from Madrid to Oviedo.) I am a former travel agent so it is my nature to pre-plan everything. Plus, I had COVID and was quarantined in my bedroom with my laptop and really needed something to do. Either way, if you are picky with your requirements (and I really, really am), if you find places you want to stay then lock them in. The closer you get to your departure date, the more limited your choices. Almost all places will let you cancel/adjust your dates, so there is really no downside to reserving in advance. I used booking.com mostly and reached out directly to places I wished to re-visit from the previous year. I used the Camino Guides for the Portuguese (2016) which had #'s for places and maps. I have not used Gronze, but only because I have had luck elsewhere.

Happy Booking and Buen Camino!

 

[SILVtheNomad]

As it seems your post is asking how far in advance should you book, it seems like your plan is to book, vs winging it as you go. That being the case, there is nothing to stop you from booking now. While many say you can wait, I prefer to have all the details sewn up. Our last Camino was a re-do of the Primitivo of from 2023 - which had injury issues. We walked this May/June (2024) and every last booking was made in September of 2023. (Except for the train from Madrid to Oviedo.) I am a former travel agent so it is my nature to pre-plan everything. Plus, I had COVID and was quarantined in my bedroom with my laptop and really needed something to do. Either way, if you are picky with your requirements (and I really, really am), if you find places you want to stay then lock them in. The closer you get to your departure date, the more limited your choices. Almost all places will let you cancel/adjust your dates, so there is really no downside to reserving in advance. I used booking.com mostly and reached out directly to places I wished to re-visit from the previous year. I used the Camino Guides for the Portuguese (2016) which had #'s for places and maps. I have not used Gronze, but only because I have had luck elsewhere.

Happy Booking and Buen Camino!

Thank you I appreciate it!

 

[Wooz]

We booked Porto, Santiago and our first two nights because we knew we wanted to start with short distances. After that we booked either two or one day out based on how we were feeling. This was on the Portuguese, mainly Littoral, some Coastal in June of this year with mainly private rooms in shared spaces.

 

[Vacajoe]

September can be very busy. If you do not like the stress and occasional expensive rooms that come from accepting whatever is available when you arrive, definitely book ahead. The CP is seeing record crowds and the infrastructure isn’t made for that

 

[Steven Dwyer]

Last year, September was the most popular month on the Portugese Camino. So far this year, pilgrim numbers are up 50% on the coastal route and just over 8% on the central route. If you are planning to walk the coastal route, and you are planning on staying in places that take reservations, I would suggest making reservations now for a better selection.