And just because we have the ability to book doesn’t mean we have to.
In theory, yes.
But in practice, when
all or almost all albergues allow reservations, the reality is a bit different.
If all albergues allow reservations, it is impossible to plan if you don't make reservations. You have no idea if there's a bed available anywhere, no matter what time of day you arrive. There might not be a bed available for you in the next 60kms and you'll only find out once you're told "complete" again and again or by making phone calls. Which makes it very difficult to walk without reservations, and pushes you towards booking even if you prefer not to.
When there's non-bookable albergues, you at least know that there's a bed for you for certain if you arrive early, and you can make a good guess what time of day the albergues might fill up, depending on how busy it is. That way you can plan even without making reservations.
If a place can not be booked, I have a fairly good idea what time of the day I can arrive and still get a bed, depending on how busy the Camino is at the moment and at what times the albergues I stayed the days before filled up at, and how many beds they have.
So I don't run to be first at an albergue, even without reservations, usually I arrive in the afternoon, sometimes even later, sometimes even in the evening.
If it isn't very busy, I know that most likely the place won't fill up until evening, so, no need to hurry at all. If it is a bit more busy and not many other options, I walk a slightly shorter day so that I don't arrive too late in the day.
But if all places can be booked in advance, you never know. It's impossible to plan
at all.
Even if albergues 'keep a few beds for walk ins' as was suggested, it's still problematic.
When it is only "a few" beds for walk - ins, then you definitely (!) need to arrive early, if you want any chance of getting a bed there.
So, then it
really is a bed race for the few beds that are left for the walk-ins!
In the end, walking without reservations is then an option that mainly exists in theory, as it puts those who prefer not to make reservations at a massive disadvantage from the get go.
Look at the Via Podiensis, for example. Almost all (or all?) gites allow and even encourage reservations.
Yes, you could walk it without reservations if you walk during a less busy time and if you're okay adding 10-15km at the end of the day from time to time, but almost nobody does that, almost all walkers make reservations unless they've got a tent as backup (and those are few).
I'd understand the change of rules for the Xunta albergues if there were truly no options yet for those who walk extremely slowly, arrive very late, or simply want the security of having a reservation for whatever reason.
But many, many albergues
already do allow reservations. So there's no disadvantage for the eldery and slow walkers. They can book one of the many, many beds in a private albergue
already. Yes, those are slightly more expensive.
But if Xunta / municipal albergues can be booked, too, most likely their prices will go up, also, so it's probably not even cheaper anymore than the private ones.
In short,
If all albergues can be booked, then there's not really a choice anymore.
For me, that is not a positive change.
But it is what it is. If that change of rule truly becomes reality, and if in the end it becomes the norm in general (and with more and more municipals allowing reservations it seems to go into that direction...) all you can do is adapt.
I'll be a happy camper then, I guess.