Cycling UK Forum

We've decided to take our trusty tandem, "Di" to Northern Spain for a couple of weeks at the end of June. We're planning to camp with perhaps a couple of nights in an hotel.
We've decided the camp sites on the first night and the last night to fit in with the ferry arrival/departure but the rest we'll leave to where the fancy takes us - or our legs!
What we're not clear on is whether we have to book all the camping ahead or if we can just turn up and be sure of a pitch. In the UK campsites are expected to give backpackers a pitch on arrival - is it the same in Northern Spain? Thanks

Welcome.

Was that bikepackers rather than backpackers?

Jonathan

read a book recently describing walk (camino de santiago, I think) where author took donkey - sounded like more trouble than it was worth... countryside, on the other hand, sounded delightful !
A chum is there at the mo' and reports that there are more Michelin starred eateries in San Sebastian per head of pop. than anywhere else in the world !!

Zeet TC wrote: ↑14 May 2022, 3:08pm We've decided to take our trusty tandem, "Di" to Northern Spain for a couple of weeks at the end of June. We're planning to camp with perhaps a couple of nights in an hotel.
We've decided the camp sites on the first night and the last night to fit in with the ferry arrival/departure but the rest we'll leave to where the fancy takes us - or our legs!
What we're not clear on is whether we have to book all the camping ahead or if we can just turn up and be sure of a pitch. In the UK campsites are expected to give backpackers a pitch on arrival - is it the same in Northern Spain? Thanks

I can't speak from recent experience of camping in Spain but a little over 40 years ago I did trip by motorbike to Spain in the summer, first stop St Sebastian, and never booked a site. I've camped many times in France, again in the summer holiday period and never had to book. In fact my wife and were cycle camping and turned up in Millau on the same day as the Tour de France. As you can expect everywhere was rammed, but they still found room for us on the campsite. Last August we did a camping holiday on our tandem in the UK. With the extra interest in "staycations" and the increase in people camping we decided to book ahead, as most campsites were saying on their websites that they were only accepting people with bookings. In the event there wasn't any campsite we stayed which couldn't have accommodated us. This August we're heading over to Normandy and Brittany and we won't bother to book ahead. IME there's always room for a two man tent if you're arriving by bike or on foot. BTW please let us know how you get on with your trip this summer. I really fancy northern Spain, in particular the Picos Europas.

Thank you. Really helpful and reassuring.

Hi. I've toured the area many times including end of June/start of July and the sites have not been even close to full at that time of year. We had one night in Llannes in late July where the site was rammed due to a festival but they still squeezed us in - there were six of us in six tents! I love the area, hope you enjoy it too.