Bookings
The trip is getting close and no way of online booking and no clear information about what to do with bookings. At the moment will just arrive and hope for the best. I guess I will need to carry a tent to be sure of a place to sleep.
Has anyone out there had any luck at all with bookings? Can we assume that booking will not be required this season?
thanks
Posted: Sat, Jun 6, 2009, 19:49
I eventually gave up with the web page and sent an email to the parc (infos@parc-naturel-corse.com) to ask if I could make reservations that way. I got the reply that they were no longer selling tickets for June and that we would have to bring a tent. So that is what we are doing (we are leaving on th 27th of June).
"La vente des billets pour juin est cloturée, il va falloir emporter votre tente ou en louer une sur
place dans la mesure des disponibilités."
Posted: Sun, Jun 7, 2009, 6:38
I do not believe that every bed in every hut for every day in June has been reserved. I believe what we are seeing here is a prime case of french incompetence in running a booking system or else a system which has been advertised in more detail only to the chosen few ie the French.
I intend taking my tent and now getting worried that there will be nowhere to camp.
I still would like to know what will happen to people who turn up without a reservation.
Posted: Mon, Jun 8, 2009, 12:06
I contacted them also via email. They explained that not only will the online booking not work for trips in may or june, but also that all refuges and camp sites are full for this period. We need to address a guard at each refuge who will then assign a spot.
So we just take our tent and will see at the moment. What are they gonna do: send us back?
The whole issue of booking in advance and its execution is a joke though, incompetence at its finest.
Posted: Thu, Jun 11, 2009, 15:52
Kasper-
Could there be a miscommunication or misunderstanding? I find it hard to believe that all refuge and tent sites are full in June. Perhaps they are simply no longer taking reservations, so all you have to do is talk to the guardians at each refuge (just like it used to work).
I don't like this reservation system either, but if it ever becomes efficient and well managed, then I think it will help reduce the strain on the trail and refuges during high season. It is an unfortunate reality that the GR20 is becoming a victim of its own success.
Posted: Thu, Jun 11, 2009, 19:32
i have just finished a week of the gr and am sat by the beach in bastia. I didn't have any problems finding a place to sleep. Most people are camping apart from one night where it rained for twenty eight hours and people were sleeping on the floor of the refuge. In addition to this everyone i mentioned the booking system to looked at me blankly so i really don't think they have a chance me getting it working this season. I would just go along and enjoy it. If the worst happens you can always book in Calenzana at the gite d etape. There is no way it can all be fully booked based on what i saw this week,
Si
Posted: Sat, Jun 13, 2009, 8:14
Posted: Sat, Jun 13, 2009, 20:14
Posted: Sun, Jun 14, 2009, 6:05
Hi Simon,
thanks for your response. Possibly many people did not do the GR20 north because of snow and uncertain weather conditions... this will change these days. Anyway, what did the park rangers say about the booking system?
Would you suggest me just to go there (30/06 - 13/07 south -> north) and take a tent with me?
Michael
Posted: Tue, Jun 16, 2009, 14:08
the only guardian we mentioned the booking system to was the one at calenzana (my gf speaks fluent french) and she looked back at us blankly (no body seemed to know much about it at all)... It does seem from other threads that the booking system is up and running and you dont need to pay in advance so would suggest that you use it just in case, but i personally dont think there has been enough publicity for the booking system to be enforced fully this year (If for no other reason it would be a nasty shock for those regulars who do the gr20 every year and wont have done any research on forums or have looked at the park website).
As for the tent i would suggest taking as lightweight a tent as possible (mine was 2.8kgs for 2 people and a bit heavy really), maybe even opting for lightweight over strengh and staying in the bunks only on windy or wet nights (thats just my personal preference though - for me my tent was luxurious compared to the night i spent in the refuge)
Posted: Wed, Jun 17, 2009, 13:23
Simon
2.8 kg is not that bad for a 2 person tent, ofcourse there are really lightweights but I think that a good night sleep in a comfortable tent on a good sleeping mat is more important then saving 1kg.
As soon as the weather changes into rain or storm a bit more comfort makes a hugh difference.
I think it is finding a balance between, price, comfort and durability.
after a day off hiking I like to have at least a good night sleep without the feeling that I'm wrapped up in a far to small tent. but everyone has his owne opinion about that
regards Danny
Posted: Wed, Jun 17, 2009, 19:15
I suppose it was nice to have the comfort of the big tent (vaude mkii light) over a smaller one- if there are two of you to share the load it is ideal but my other half was not willing to carry the other half of the tent :P - the main thing i guess it to keep the total weight down - there are ways other than carrying a small tent i suppose - my pack weighed close to 23kgs fully loaded (including water, food & petrol) so try to aim for 10kgs when you put your sack on the scales at the airport, as the extras you add when you arrive soon add up - anyway going a bit off topic now - check out the vaude, msr and north face tents - they seem to have some cool designs that make a small weight go a long way.
Posted: Wed, Jul 8, 2009, 15:19
Booking via the PNRC website seems to be up and running, although a bit cumbersome- you have to book each hut individually... and the bad news is; You DO have to pay in advance.
Using the French language website (the translator is really non-functional), I was sure it said that reservations would be kept for up to 7 days before payment was necessary, so I decided not to pay until I was certain of my route; however, as soon as I clicked off the website after booking, I got a pile of emails, one for each hut, saying that my reservation had been cancelled...
Bon Chance!!
Posted: Wed, Jul 15, 2009, 21:17
Just an update to all, I posted this in another tread, but here it goes again for those following this one:
Advance booking for the GR20 this year does not seem to be mandatory anymore. The web site (www.parc-corse.org) says that
"Booking is only accepted using credit cards. Payment WITHOUT RESERVATIONS will be possible at the refuges."
So there it is, they finally saw that their system could not work (at least for this year). You can book in advannce if you really want to be certain you have a spot to sleep, or you can just go the good old first come first served way. Me, I'll be carying a tent just in case, no reservations, when I go mid-August.
Good luck to all!
Posted: Mon, Jul 27, 2009, 8:52
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Posted: Fri, Jun 5, 2009, 22:53