We were pleasantly surprised to find out that the main trail is really pretty hard to miss. There are yellow arrows on building when you weave through towns and villages, and then cement milestones with the yellow scallop shell tile. The maps are very detailed and we usually have a good idea of where were can end up. Anyone you ask will know the camino, and often people come out of their house to point out the way.
Only once have we pitched up to discover that the auberge where we planned sleep had collapsed over the winter and had not yet been repaired. There is a fair amount of new construction and Hostals (modest, inexpensive hotels) being built. An Alberge tends to run USD 10 and you share space (last night we were 8 to a room; us, 2 Koreans, a french couple and two italian women with miserable feet). A Hostal will be a bit more and provide a private room. So far, we have ended up in Hostals when the Auberge has been full, fell down, or just general chaos (the elderly woman running the reception had to take a siesta just as a wave of folks wandered in). The Church auberges are completely by donation and include a communal (always delicious) dinner. This is an entertaining way to meer a very random collection of folks from everywhere. We are speaking a great deal of French as there seem to be lots of French walking and it is often the 2nd language for many folks in Spain.
Our map also tends to recommend the direct way and then an alternate path that runs through the rural areas and away from the roads. This afternoon we went 8 km down what is know as the Via Romana, or the roman road that has been gravelled but is basically the work of roman engineers 2000 years ago. This is also a great way to loose the crowd.
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