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Reservations and WhatsApp

Merida

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
San Salvador and Primitivo starting June 20 2024
Hi we are doing the Camino De San Salvador and the Primitivo in 2 weeks am really excited! I notice on the Primitivo according to Gronze most hostels require reservations. This is where my question is - do they accept WhatsApp message or do I have to actually call the day before? I am Deaf and I would very much prefer to use WhatsApp message rather than having to find someone to call for me. What are your suggestions? Much appreciated
 
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Pafayac said:
You can use WhatsApp messages, preferring spanish. If I remember, hospitaleros are not reluctant with written messages (at least they prefer them than my bad spanish accent !).
Click to expand...
Thank you! That helps
 
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Pafayac said:
You can use WhatsApp messages, preferring spanish. If I remember, hospitaleros are not reluctant with written messages (at least they prefer them than my bad spanish accent !).
Click to expand...
I used WhatsApp almost exclusively recently and had good results. Have a saved message in Spanish to send, perhaps:

Hola, me llamo Juspassinthru, necesito 2 camas para mañana, ¿tenéis alguna disponible? ¿Es posible reservar?

If you can’t figure out their response, use Google Translate or DeepL.

I almost always got a response and I ALWAYS thanked them even if they were completo/full.
 
Im on the Primitivo later this year and I booked my rooms either through Booking.com, Gronze or directly by email. Im also deaf so I also try to avoid calls where possible (But can do it if stuck in a corner)

I´ve not yet used Whatsapp for bookings.

As above, translators work well with email if you are not confident speaking in Spanish
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
Thanks! Yes, like you, avoiding calls is what I'm hoping to do . I think Whatsapp will work well, I did not want to book in advance.
 
Great translation tips, I appreciate it. Yes I have translation app ready on my phone.
 
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Most require reservations? Or accept reservations? Now you have me nervous. I start the Primativo this Sunday and have no reservations after Oviedo. Do you recommend I reserve ahead?
 
anoldfireman said:
Most require reservations? Or accept reservations? Now you have me nervous. I start the Primativo this Sunday and have no reservations after Oviedo. Do you recommend I reserve ahead?
Click to expand...
No Albergues require reservations. (Edited to add: on the Primitivo during the main season)
Most private Albergues accept reservations, but none of the Municipals/ Xunta do. I booked Grado ( because I had an injury and knew I would be slow) but then took it on a case by case basis.
It really depends on how far you wish to walk and your tempo. If you know you are slow you might wish to consider booking a day or two ahead, but if you are happy taking what you can get I doubt you'll have a major issue.
Mini recommend booking Berducedo because it is a well-known pinch point, however I simply just walked on to La Mesa ( because I felt like it, not because I couldn't get a bed)
 
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Thank you so- I have not had the time to look into how busy things were- I am happy with a garden hose and a pile of dirt to sleep on after being on strike teams as a firefighter for many years. Just do not want to have to walk an extra 10 miles to find a spot- you tempered my anxiety- thanks
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
anoldfireman said:
Most require reservations? Or accept reservations? Now you have me nervous. I start the Primativo this Sunday and have no reservations after Oviedo. Do you recommend I reserve ahead?
Click to expand...

Peterexpatkiwi said:
No Albergues require reservations.
Click to expand...
On lesser traveled routes like the Salvador there are places that require or strongly recommend reservations. Also outside of the normal season there are even albergues on the Frances that can require reservations. They won't open if they aren't expecting pilgrims.

This does not apply to the Primitivo most of the year.
 

On the Salvador I am staying mostly at the "pilgrim" hostels and it indicates no reservations which I interpret it to mean first come first served - On the Primitivo I have a mixture of pilgrim hostels and other type of hostels - some say reservations other say dont. I appreciate all of your input and will keep in mind the possibilities I need to do when I get there.
 
I guess it is a fine semantic distinction. On the lesser walked routes "first come, first served" isn't a thing so much because places don't fill. On the Camino de Madrid I was the only pilgrim in the place two thirds of the time and I don't think I encountered a full albergue on the Salvador. On the other hand, there aren't hospitaleros at the albergues all the time to meet pilgrims who may or may not be coming on any given day. That's why it is considered good etiquette to let them know you will be coming, so that the albergue is ready to receive guests. On the Salvador, this doesn't just apply to albergues but to restaurants. There are a couple of places where, if you don't reserve your meal the day before, there won't be food for you. Ender's Guide is especially good at alerting you to these situations.
 
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That makes a lot of sense, thank you!
 
Those of us who walked the Aragónes (another lesser walked route) early in the season experienced unattended albergues too. Often there’s a number to call on the door, which was unlocked. In Monreal, she knew how many to expect as the albergue in Sangüesa had let her know. The one bar that was open was notified by the hospitalera. In some areas, there seems to be a good if informal network. I agree that some sort of heads up would be a good idea.
 
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Sometimes it wasn't really possible to give a heads up. For example, the published number for thr albergue leads to the ayunamiento, which is only open a few hours and never when you call, or the email is checked by the ayunamiento and you find when you arrive that they haven't passed on your message to the hospitalera. In these cases, you have to rely on what is posted on the albergue door, or the help of locals. But where I could, I did like to five a heads up.
 
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