Albergues and refugios

Albergues and Refugios are hostels- but hostels for pilgrims only. To stay in one you are required to present a passport or credential to the hospitalero. The Hospitalero will stamp these with their special stamp when you sign in to an albergue. The passports or credentials can be obtained from a number of places. First you can get them from your country fraternity, if you are a member only, or from the major towns such as St Jean Pied de Port, Roncesvalles or Pamplona where most people begin their pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella.

Albergues operate on a first come , first serve basis. Preference is usually given to walking pilgrims and theen to cyclists. You cannot book a place ahead and most hospitaleros will not allow car pilgrims to stay there or allow a support car to book beds before hand. There are quite a number of pilgrims who cheat the system with 1 new way to finish the camino and that is they catch a bus, taxi, hitch hike or use a car to get from point A to B. Sorry to the guys who actually used this system during the time we spend with them.

The facilities vary greatly. Some albergues are warm and cozy, some are old school buildings that lack any atmosphere. Some have washing machines ( but you need to do this mostly by hand) and kitchens. Most have hot water and heating and internet connection available. In most towns there will be a bar that will serve the "pilgrim's menu", this is usually cheaper but with little choice. Pilgrims menu will cost approximately 7 euros but after a while you may tire of this meal and decide to change to menu of the day. At 10 euros this will provide you with a better choice and quality of the meal.

The house rules vary in each albergue, most open at around 4pm and close between 10 and 11pm. You need to return prior to closing time as some albergues will lock you out and spending the night on the street ain't my kind of fun. Some hospitaleros will wake you at 6am sharp and everyone out by 7am. You are only allowed 1 nights stay, unless you are forced to rest for medical reasons. You must supply a doctor's certificate. My first night in an albergue in St Jean pied de Port was an eye opener. I had never before stayed in dormitory style accommadation and certainly not mixed. I wanted to run a million miles away to some nice hotel/motel. I was in shock and sooo very tired after traveling from Australia to France. I am also very glad that I resisted this urge as the people taking care of us were very kind and warm hearted. We slept the first night in a private room. I believe the hospitalero sensed my inner feelings and decided to make the transition a little easier for me. We met some pilgrims who stayed with us quite some time. It's these people and some others who we will always cherish.