Use of pubs

Posted by Martin (Fresno, CA, USA) on 03/11/08 12:21 AM

I was planning to hang out in Ireland and the UK until my 3 months are up and I can re-enter the Schengen countries again. I am currently walking in Spain.

A Canadian couple told me that when I get to a little town, I should check with the locals in the pub to find out where I can spread my sleeping bag overnight. I don´t think I can afford those lodging rates, which I am seeing more than once or twice a week. Can anybody confirm this pub strategy?

With the dollar falling the way it is, I hope I don´t end up having to return to the US.

Posted by Geoff

Powell River, Canada

03/11/08 05:02 PM

359 posts

In the small towns and villages, Martin, if you want to know anything going on in the area, the pub is the place you'll hear it. The people are generally friendly (sometimes less so as the evening/pints go down), the landlord especially will know all the goings on and who might allow you to pitch your tent/sleeping bag in their barn/back garden. You may even find the pub has a room or two upstairs where you can put your head/sleeping bag down for next to nothing. First time to England 35yrs ago, stayed at a pub w/2rms for rent in a very small village halfway between Bristol and Bath at the incredble rate of 8GBP per nite including breakfast. Those kinds of places still exist.

Posted by Annie

Denver, CO, USA

03/11/08 09:11 PM

31 posts

I have no experience with it - but have heard GREAT things about couchsurfing.com. May be worth checking into, since you're willing to "spread your sleeping bag"...
Annie

Posted by Lauren

St. Paul, Minnesota, USA

03/11/08 11:02 PM

20 posts

CouchSurfing -- great suggestion! Though I, too, have never used the free service (yes, it's totally free!), a good friend of mine used it last year to find lodging in homes in London, Amsterdam and Athens. All her experiences were positive -- so much so that she's in Thailand right now as part of a two-month stint to promote the global program.

Posted by Al

Nottingham, UK

03/12/08 03:59 AM

658 posts

I hate to say anything negative about pubs but this has a few drawbacks.

Going to a pub doesn't always ( sadly ) guarantee a place to flop for the night.

Added to this you can spend more on beer and buying rounds of beer than the cost of a cheap B&B.

Try looking at the Youth Hostel Association, that way you're guaranteed a place to sleep and it's going to be cheap.

Posted by Martin OP

Fresno, CA, USA

03/13/08 10:43 AM

6 posts

Thanks to everyone for the great info. I looked today and a dollar will buy me 59 centimos -- cowabunga!

So I think I will take the advice about locking in a cheap flight out around the middle of April.

I was talking to some canadiens errants and they were telling me that it is a very pleasant walk along the Saint Lawrence seaway. Or there is an " American Discovery Trail " That runs through the Dakotas and on into the Appalachians " So if I have to cut my coat to fit my cloth at least I won´t have to suffer much.

Thanks again folks.

Martin

Posted by Barry

San Diego, CA

03/13/08 05:30 PM

638 posts

Another program similar to couchsurfing is www.hospitalityclub.org. I've never used them but have made some connections with people coming to San Diego.

Posted by Martin OP

Fresno, CA, USA

03/14/08 12:21 AM

6 posts

Thanks Barry.

And especially thanks to the fellow up there who gave me the heads up about the airline rates going up. I checked and the price for the return flight on aer lingus has gone up $115. He who treks and runs away may live to trek another day, so I locked in a flight back to SFO in the middle of April for $495 against the chance that it would be $1,000 by the time I finish walking the Camino de Santiago and get back to Dublin.

Best regards to all.

Martin