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Now this is one of the more important topics. Before I went on the Camino I thought that the only logical thing to do was to carry a tent and sleep a little rough every night. Now I walked with a guy who did this but even he will admit that sometimes staying in a hotel was a much needed luxury, you just don't quite get the same nights sleep in a tent as you do in a bed. So, this is a viable option, IF you have muscles of steel that can carry your clothes, your towel, your toiletries, your sleeping-bag, your shoes AND a tent. I would recommend packing your bag with what you plan on taking and trying it on and going for a good long walk with lots of hills before making that executive decision.
As you know I had filming equipment with me which already made my bag 10x heavier than most of my friends along the way, so a tent was out of the question. BUT where do you stay?!
Along the way there are places called Albergues, they are essentially Pilgrim specific hostels. If you don't think you can deal with hostels then I am doubting the Camino is for you. They cost from €0-€15 but honestly if you are paying €15 you are being ripped off for the most part. I LOVED the Albergues, it was the place in which I made a lot of the friends that I had along the way, you would cook together, drink together and sleep together. With most places having around 15 beds in each room it was a pretty cosy way of living. You quickly feel like a nomadic village with everyone falling into the category of extended family as you often stop in the same places each night.
You can pay a little extra in most places and request a private room these range in size for example one night we got a room for the four of us, however, it is common for young couples to get a private room ; )
There is no need to book ahead of time unless you have it in good knowledge that there are a maximum of around 50 beds in your next town and it is going to be busy. This happens a lot through the Meseta. It can be very busy along the last 100km, however, you will find that you are often walking further and faster than the 100km Pilgrims.
If you are walking the Camino from further away than Saint Jean Pied-de-Port then you may dislike the business of the Camino de Frances, however, many of the people I walked with really enjoyed the camaraderie which is what you get from staying in the Albergues.
Buen Camino xx
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