What can I really expect to spend on this walk?

Nicke

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Loaded question...I understand. Where am I staying, how much do I spend...etc? I have figured out travel expenses to SJPP. My plan is to budget this trip at 30 euros per day. Am I off base here...too high, too low? Also where do most people leave from after they complete their way. I will stay anywhere but have learned from this forum that an occasional upgrade would be beneficial. Lastly...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?
 
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Hi @Nicke - I think you right on the money. A single Peregrino can survive quite nicely on €25-30/day if you are using Albergues. My normal routine was a café con leché and toast in the morning (€2-3), sandwich, fruit and drink for lunch (€5-7 or less if I found a bigger grocery store), Albergue (€7-12) and Pilgrim menu for dinner (€8-10). An occasional beer in the afternoon and a couple nice nights in a hotel were the treats I gave myself but overall, easily under €30/day on average.

I'm not from the US but I found my best prices out of Madrid flying back to North America but as we all know, spending a little time bargain hunting on the internet can come up with some great specials.

Buen Camino!
 

Kitsambler

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how much do I spend...
On the Camino Frances in Spain, your estimate sounds comfortable (excluding air and trains). You can probably treat yourself to something nice once a week on that budget, I would imagine. (waiting for someone more familiar with Spain to weigh in on this one.)
...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?
Madrid seems to be popular.
 
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Mike Savage

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I get by fine on the camino with a budget of 25-30 euro/day. I do not drink alcohol though. I think you budget will be plenty adequate if not spot-on.
 

Mike Savage

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I usually fly home from Santiago de Compostela though this year I will fly home from Lisbon as I really want to get back there to enjoy the city some more after my camino.
 
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Dear Nicke,

I am going to go out on a ledge here, (and undoubtedly invite some criticism), but I think your estimate may be just a bit low. My husband and I are in our 50's and have reached a point where we have stopped sweating the bottom line in our adventures. If you are more budget-conscious or budget-driven, then I think that a reasonable amount would be more in the 35-40 Euro per day range average. Our routine tended to be a cafe con leche and a pastry as we left in the morning. After 2-3 hours of walking, we would have a second breakfast of cafe con leche, eggs and bacon, and a fresh squeezed orange juice (I quickly became addicted to these!). Please note that between Roncevalles and Santiago, we paid from 3 - 9 euro for the same breakfast of two eggs and 4 slices of bacon and some toast. Fresh squeezed OJ varied between 1.5 to 4 euro...By noon, we were more than ready for a beer and a bocadillo - and sometimes we bought for fellow walkers.

By late afternoon, after we had settled into our albuergue and had washed ourselves and our clothes, we gathered with friends and imbibed and snacked some more. Sometimes we even paid to have our laundry done so that we could spend more time with friends. We met many younger pilgrims who were on a tight budget and as a result we happily pitched in more than our share of the dinner check. When they objected, we humbly countered with the simple request that they pay it forward when they reached our stage of life.

When we weren't walking and eating and drinking, we visited churches and museums and paid entrance fees and lit candles and tossed coins into the hats of those busking their way. We bought trinkets that we didn't need from children along the way, we tipped more than most would consider acceptable, and our returns were so much more than our investments. Some days we even treated ourselves to a private room to spare the other pilgrims the power of my husband's snore.

Some days are cheaper, some days are more expensive. Some people are more in the position to leave more behind in gratitude of what their lives have become. We spent hundreds of dollars on high-tech gear, and yet we met a lovely girl who just threw what existed in her dresser drawers into her pack. Sometimes the people you meet along the way are not quite there yet, and if you want to enjoy their company, compromises must be made.

While you really can do the Camino at whatever price point you decide, to cover the basics I would say 10 euro for your bed, 4 for breakfast, 5 for lunch and 10 for dinner (with wine), so almost 30 euro with no additional fun, is as cheap as you should budget.

As far as flights go, I have found skyscanner.com invaluable for planning and booking flights. They provide insight into routes and airline combinations that you may have not considered. They saved me over $800 on flights from Denver to Lisbon for our last trip, and over $900 between Denver and Madrid for Caminos 1 and 2.

Buen Camino and happy budgeting!
 
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Jan 26, 2016
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P.S. Not sure where you are in Texas, but American Airlines code shares with Iberian, and you can get back to Dallas from Madrid on a direct flight. All sorts of other options if you want to change planes somewhere along the ways. If you are closer to Houston than you need to research Continental flights and their partners.
 

Davey Boyd

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Dear Nicke,

I am going to go out on a ledge here, (and undoubtedly invite some criticism), but I think your estimate may be just a bit low. My husband and I are in our 50's and have reached a point where we have stopped sweating the bottom line in our adventures. If you are more budget-conscious or budget-driven, then I think that a reasonable amount would be more in the 35-40 Euro per day range average. Our routine tended to be a cafe con leche and a pastry as we left in the morning. After 2-3 hours of walking, we would have a second breakfast of cafe con leche, eggs and bacon, and a fresh squeezed orange juice (I quickly became addicted to these!). Please note that between Roncevalles and Santiago, we paid from 3 - 9 euro for the same breakfast of two eggs and 4 slices of bacon and some toast. Fresh squeezed OJ varied between 1.5 to 4 euro...By noon, we were more than ready for a beer and a bocadillo - and sometimes we bought for fellow walkers.

By late afternoon, after we had settled into our albuergue and had washed ourselves and our clothes, we gathered with friends and imbibed and snacked some more. Sometimes we even paid to have our laundry done so that we could spend more time with friends. We met many younger pilgrims who were on a tight budget and as a result we happily pitched in more than our share of the dinner check. When they objected, we humbly countered with the simple request that they pay it forward when they reached our stage of life.

When we weren't walking and eating and drinking, we visited churches and museums and paid entrance fees and lit candles and tossed coins into the hats of those busking their way. We bought trinkets that we didn't need from children along the way, we tipped more than most would consider acceptable, and our returns were so much more than our investments. Some days we even treated ourselves to a private room to spare the other pilgrims the power of my husband's snore.

Some days are cheaper, some days are more expensive. Some people are more in the position to leave more behind in gratitude of what their lives have become. We spent hundreds of dollars on high-tech gear, and yet we met a lovely girl who just threw what existed in her dresser drawers into her pack. Sometimes the people you meet along the way are not quite there yet, and if you want to enjoy their company, compromises must be made.

While you really can do the Camino at whatever price point you decide, to cover the basics I would say 10 euro for your bed, 4 for breakfast, 5 for lunch and 10 for dinner (with wine), so almost 30 euro with no additional fun, is as cheap as you should budget.

As far as flights go, I have found skyscanner.com invaluable for planning and booking flights. They provide insight into routes and airline combinations that you may have not considered. They saved me over $800 on flights from Denver to Lisbon for our last trip, and over $900 between Denver and Madrid for Caminos 1 and 2.

Buen Camino and happy budgeting!


No critisism at all. We all have different needs and expectations whilst on The Way. I was very comfortable at 30 Euros and I drank beer all day every day. However, I only stayed in the cheapest albergues and ate very cheaply too. I agree that if you want to upgrade your accommodation regularly, eat better meals etc then to be comfortable would cost more. I found that a lot of the younger pilgrims had a real tight budget, often around 15 - 20 Euro's and they were fine, but could not afford the extra luxuries that others could, to the point that they could not go out in the evenings with the rest of the pilgrims going for 'a nice meal'. They still had a 'blast' and a joyful and spiritual experience though. I met a young group who had walked from Prague on 7 Euro's a day and then walked home again, though they had to sleep outside constantly and eat from tiendas, and they loved it.

Some of us are better off than others, but I don't think you need very much to have a meaningful and comfortable camino though.

Buen Camino!
 
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HeidiL

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For us, we have had plenty of days that cost us less than €20 per person, and then we had that day in Almansa, on the Camino de Levante, where we had a 23-course lunch (yes, TWENTY-THREE!) in a Michelin-starred restaurant (they were very pilgrim-friendly, and came over with an extra drink afterwards to ask us about the Camino) and staggered to the local spa-hotel to sleep it off.

We also regularly buy food and drinks for young pilgrims who seem to be struggling on a tight budget, and often give quite a lot in donativo albergues to make up for the ones who can't afford to give much.
 

alexwalker

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Your estimate of 25-30 is spot on, but as others say, it all depends. I can only give you my own: I have just a coffee in the morning. After 2-3 hours, I have breakfast (bocadillo/tortilla/similar) & a cold beer, if it's hot (or not...). Another pit stop & beer later, with shoes off and relaxing, simply enjoying where I am. After ending my day's walk, given the albergue has a kitchen, I make my own lunch/dinner + Wine. On such a day, I am down to ca. 20 Euros. Other days I eat out, ca. 30 Euros total. As many others, I treat myself to a private rom on occations, ca. 30 Euros, for privacy, bath, & let the hostel do my washing. All in all: More money in the bank when I return than when I left :) (retired), but I don't really care: I spend what I want, but these figures are what it is boiling down to for me.
 
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I have looked up our ATM withdrawals during the Camino Frances and then I figured that the 47 days we spent in albergues cost us 20 euros a night and the 11 times we had private rooms cost us 35 euros a night (yes, 58 days!) That left us spending the non-lodging portion of the money at 25 euros each per day. Breakfast was usually 2 coffees and rolls, lunch was usually sandwiches made by us that lasted for two days, some wine or beer when we stopped in the early afternoon and usually a pilgrims' dinner. Admissions to sights took up some and also stops at phamarcies. None of this was kept account of but the rest must have been for those little things like new socks, postcards and donations. This seems to be in line with what a lot of those in the older age groups spend. However a young lady we met about halfway through the CF had budgeted 15 euros a day for everything.
 
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notion900

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Cooking for yourself 2 or 3 times a weeks saves a lot, and it is very pleasant and fun to make a meal with new friends.

But beware of being too frugal: local people's expectations of you are coloured by the fact that they know perfectly well what your flights will have cost. So European young people and elderly can get away with spending very little, whereas a mature Antipodean or American would maybe be seen as a freeloader or a penny pincher if they spent the same. But equally throwing money around for the sake of it is seen as very poor taste in Europe, e.g. giving big tips in restaurants for no good reason. Following the sound budgeting advice on this thread will keep you on the line between these two extremes.
 
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naplesdon

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Firstly, it is a pilgrimage not a cheap vacation. These kind of threads about how "low can I go" always drive me nuts. Sure most of us try to operate on a budget, after all it does take some planning to do your Camino, but this maybe the only time in your life you get to enjoy Spain for 10, 30, 45 days from a perspective most people will never see it.
I try not to spend more than 30 euros but at the end of my Camino I normally find I've spent something between 50 and 60 euros/day. I sleep in albergues most of the time but I'll take a private room if I feel I need some solitude and I'll splurge on a Parador at least once. I eat and drink to my hearts content, after all this is Spain one of the most notable places in the world for cuisine; so enjoy their wine and food. A bocadilla for lunch and dinner gets about as boring as steady diet of Mickey D's. My rant is over, enough said.
 
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jpflavin1

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Loaded question...I understand. Where am I staying, how much do I spend...etc? I have figured out travel expenses to SJPP. My plan is to try and do this trip at 25-30 euros per day. Am I off base here...too high, too low? Also where do most people leave from after they complete their way. I will stay anywhere but have learned from this forum that an occasional upgrade would be beneficial. Lastly...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?

Nicke:

I have comfortably made this journey six times on 30 Euro's a day, exclusive of travel costs. Those will very greatly depending on your home.

Ultreya,
Joe
 

Debbye Jean

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Loaded question...I understand. Where am I staying, how much do I spend...etc? I have figured out travel expenses to SJPP. My plan is to try and do this trip at 25-30 euros per day. Am I off base here...too high, too low? Also where do most people leave from after they complete their way. I will stay anywhere but have learned from this forum that an occasional upgrade would be beneficial. Lastly...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?
I'm from US and booked a flight last November with justairticket. It was only $443 for round trip to and from Madrid.
 
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Oravasaari

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Oct 18, 2014
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Your estimate of 25-30 is spot on, but as others say, it all depends......All in all: More money in the bank when I return than when I left :).

I am similar to alexwalker, alburgues, occassional cheap hotel, 20€ when cook for myself and 30€ when eat out in the evening. I do like my wine and beer though, so if you are teatotal then it could be lower.

The camino is pretty much "free" for those of us living in Scandinavia, i.e. just as expensive as being at home (pint of Guinness in Helsinki is 8€, bottle of cheap cooking wine 7€, drinkable 15€, decent 20€ i.e Campo Veijo generic spanish plonk is 5€ in Spain and 15€ in Finland. Wine in a restaurant in Finland is 30€ plus. Meal for two plus wine in Helsinki is always 100€ plus).
 
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PncessAmy

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I found the cheapest flights out of Newark to Madrid, even though I live in Atlanta it was much cheaper. $450 r/t, not bad!

Finding a balance between austerity and comfort is part of the fun of this journey imho. What do you really need? Do you need a warm breakfast every day or will cheap oatmeal work for you? Want to drink squeezed orange juice or buy an orange to munch? Do you want to shop with other pilgrims to pool resources and toss less? Do you enjoy sleeping outside sometimes or do you only rest well in a bed? Do you really need that breathable permethin treated t-shirt or can you spray clothing you already own? Is seeing museums important to you, or will sight-seeing without a tour enough? Different answers in different spots, I'd imagine.

Getting down to essentials and being free of the trappings of corporate America is part of my journey, but dang those trappings are comfortable! I prefer to cook for myself and would rather throw together a salad than eat fried potatoes, so I don't envision spending $20/day on food. That's a lot of money if you're near a grocer. Besides, I need to have a splurge fund for a spa day at the end to get rid of road feet!

So, be austere and bring a credit card is my motto.

Buen camino!
 

Devon Mike

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30 euros per day is a good budget for someone walking as a basic pilgrim and cutting out all the tourist stuff.

I frequently buy food in local shops to keep me going. The experience is very different from home, for example I often find a litre of red wine is cheaper than a litre bottle of water!!
 

Patch

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I spent around 30 British pounds a day. I didn't have any real budget to be honest, had the occasional night in hotels and eat most main meals in restaurants. The spend on bus/train transfers was also part of that spend. I would have thought the 30 euro bandied around is a reasonable figure if you are watching the pennies. Have a great camino BTW.
 
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alexwalker

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I am similar to alexwalker, alburgues, occassional cheap hotel, 20€ when cook for myself and 30€ when eat out in the evening. I do like my wine and beer though, so if you are teatotal then it could be lower.

The camino is pretty much "free" for those of us living in Scandinavia, i.e. just as expensive as being at home (pint of Guinness in Helsinki is 8€, bottle of cheap cooking wine 7€, drinkable 15€, decent 20€ i.e Campo Veijo generic spanish plonk is 5€ in Spain and 15€ in Finland. Wine in a restaurant in Finland is 30€ plus. Meal for two plus wine in Helsinki is always 100€ plus).
Ditto. I said somewhere that I have more money in the bank when I come home from the Camino than when I left... And alcohol is so expensive here, we can barely afford clothing for our children.
 

kelleymac

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Loaded question...I understand. Where am I staying, how much do I spend...etc? I have figured out travel expenses to SJPP. My plan is to try and do this trip at 25-30 euros per day. Am I off base here...too high, too low? Also where do most people leave from after they complete their way. I will stay anywhere but have learned from this forum that an occasional upgrade would be beneficial. Lastly...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?

My son (15 yo) and I averaged about $50 US per day. We stayed at albergues. We cooked our meals about half the time (often teaming up with other pilgrims), and ate out at restaurants (pilgrim's menu) about half the time. We splurged on a meal in Burgos. We did laundry almost every night in the washing machine and dryers. We could have saved money by hand washing and line drying. We also gave 10-15 euros per person at donativos. -- As for flying-- I use http://matrix.itasoftware.com to find a cheap flight. It's a very flexible search engine, and you can find some great deals. Last Spring we flew for $377 round trip from Toronto to Paris. We live about 4 hours from Toronto-- I found that flights are far cheaper from Canada than the US. You may find a similar situation with Mexico. I don't know.
 
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kelleymac

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My son (15 yo) and I averaged about $50 US per day. We stayed at albergues. We cooked our meals about half the time (often teaming up with other pilgrims), and ate out at restaurants (pilgrim's menu) about half the time. We splurged on a meal in Burgos. We did laundry almost every night in the washing machine and dryers. We could have saved money by hand washing and line drying. We also gave 15-20 euros per person at donativos. -- As for flying-- I use http://matrix.itasoftware.com to find a cheap flight. It's a very flexible search engine, and you can find some great deals. Last Spring we flew for $377 round trip from Toronto to Paris. We live about 4 hours from Toronto-- I found that flights are far cheaper departing from Canada than the US. You may find a similar situation with Mexico. I don't know.

Ultreia.
 
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long trails

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I think I averaged less than EUR 20 per day overall. (was GBP 15 at the time).

I generally stayed at the cheaper albergues but I did have private rooms in hostals for about 5 mights out of 35. I cooked my own food more than I ate out. Probably only had the Menu del Dia 5 times.

I met some girls who were on EUR 5 per day but they were wild camping. Another girl I met claimed to be spending less than EUR 2 per day, but she really looked like she could do with eating more to be honest.
 

alhartman

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My adult daughter and I did Leon to Santiago (19 days) last year for EU45 each. That included everything except airfare: SIM cards, souvenirs, bus, rail, about 7 days in twin room hotels, food, taxis, etc. I did solo Camino in 2013 for about EU30 per day; mostly albergues.
 

alexwalker

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Firstly, it is a pilgrimage not a cheap vacation. These kind of threads about how "low can I go" always drive me nuts. Sure most of us try to operate on a budget, after all it does take some planning to do your Camino, but this maybe the only time in your life you get to enjoy Spain for 10, 30, 45 days from a perspective most people will never see it.
I try not to spend more than 30 euros but at the end of my Camino I normally find I've spent something between 50 and 60 euros/day. I sleep in albergues most of the time but I'll take a private room if I feel I need some solitude and I'll splurge on a Parador at least once. I eat and drink to my hearts content, after all this is Spain one of the most notable places in the world for cuisine; so enjoy their wine and food. A bocadilla for lunch and dinner gets about as boring as steady diet of Mickey D's. My rant is over, enough said.
He, he, my friend, I see where you come from.

Indeed, money should not be an issue. Walking the Camino is indeed an experience of a lifetime for many. In earlier posts I have stated my normal expenses on a normal camino. However, as I have stated, I do not really care. But I do care about being conscious about spending money, to the extent comfortable to me: I am fully aware that I am more fortunate than most people living along the camino.

But some walkers are more tight than me, for sure, so I understand that the issue is coming up (time and time again). The abuse of the concept "donativo" always offends me, f.ex. It (the Camino) is not a holiday; it is something else. Donativo, f.ex., does not mean free: It means "give what you can share with us for the help we provide you". Think.

But as old-timer pilgrims, both You and I are fully aware of that. My hope is, that by the end of the walk, many more will have realised it too, join "our club", and understand what You and I understand. But, hard to explain to first-timers...

But then again, so many people set out for a holiday, and end up as different beings in front of the cathedral. That is a blessing of/from the Camino. There is hope for the future.

PS: It seems I have to go to Biarritz one day and share a bottle or two of red with you,,,;)
 
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Linda Fantillo

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Depending what the euro is to the Canadian dollar - I allow $60 Canadian a day which works out to about 40 euros a day. I know some days I did not spend this much, but if I did and not so much other days, I know that I was staying somewhat in my allowed budget. It all worked out except for the final night in SDC where we all splurged royally!
 
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Mark Lee

Guest
Loaded question...I understand. Where am I staying, how much do I spend...etc? I have figured out travel expenses to SJPP. My plan is to try and do this trip at 25-30 euros per day. Am I off base here...too high, too low? Also where do most people leave from after they complete their way. I will stay anywhere but have learned from this forum that an occasional upgrade would be beneficial. Lastly...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?
25-30 euros a day and you will be a comfortable pilgrim
I flew from Santiago back to Madrid and from there flew back to the US.
every time I arrived in Santiago I treated myself to a private room in a pensiones for at least one night
ultreia
 

Nicke

New Member
Mar 22, 2017
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Texas
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Planning my first walk!
Dear Nicke,

I am going to go out on a ledge here, (and undoubtedly invite some criticism), but I think your estimate may be just a bit low. My husband and I are in our 50's and have reached a point where we have stopped sweating the bottom line in our adventures. If you are more budget-conscious or budget-driven, then I think that a reasonable amount would be more in the 35-40 Euro per day range average. Our routine tended to be a cafe con leche and a pastry as we left in the morning. After 2-3 hours of walking, we would have a second breakfast of cafe con leche, eggs and bacon, and a fresh squeezed orange juice (I quickly became addicted to these!). Please note that between Roncevalles and Santiago, we paid from 3 - 9 euro for the same breakfast of two eggs and 4 slices of bacon and some toast. Fresh squeezed OJ varied between 1.5 to 4 euro...By noon, we were more than ready for a beer and a bocadillo - and sometimes we bought for fellow walkers.

By late afternoon, after we had settled into our albuergue and had washed ourselves and our clothes, we gathered with friends and imbibed and snacked some more. Sometimes we even paid to have our laundry done so that we could spend more time with friends. We met many younger pilgrims who were on a tight budget and as a result we happily pitched in more than our share of the dinner check. When they objected, we humbly countered with the simple request that they pay it forward when they reached our stage of life.

When we weren't walking and eating and drinking, we visited churches and museums and paid entrance fees and lit candles and tossed coins into the hats of those busking their way. We bought trinkets that we didn't need from children along the way, we tipped more than most would consider acceptable, and our returns were so much more than our investments. Some days we even treated ourselves to a private room to spare the other pilgrims the power of my husband's snore.

Some days are cheaper, some days are more expensive. Some people are more in the position to leave more behind in gratitude of what their lives have become. We spent hundreds of dollars on high-tech gear, and yet we met a lovely girl who just threw what existed in her dresser drawers into her pack. Sometimes the people you meet along the way are not quite there yet, and if you want to enjoy their company, compromises must be made.

While you really can do the Camino at whatever price point you decide, to cover the basics I would say 10 euro for your bed, 4 for breakfast, 5 for lunch and 10 for dinner (with wine), so almost 30 euro with no additional fun, is as cheap as you should budget.

As far as flights go, I have found skyscanner.com invaluable for planning and booking flights. They provide insight into routes and airline combinations that you may have not considered. They saved me over $800 on flights from Denver to Lisbon for our last trip, and over $900 between Denver and Madrid for Caminos 1 and 2.

Buen Camino and happy budgeting!

Thank you so much for your insight and reply. I am turning 50 and can afford to spend what is needed, however I want to do exactly as you have said you and your husband have done. Pay it forward and on the trail and help others whenever possible. I appreciated the insight. I am from Denver but now residing in Austin. Great info from everyone! Thank you so much!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.

Nicke

New Member
Mar 22, 2017
3
2
Texas
Time of past OR future Camino
Planning my first walk!
Cooking for yourself 2 or 3 times a weeks saves a lot, and it is very pleasant and fun to make a meal with new friends.

But beware of being too frugal: local people's expectations of you are coloured by the fact that they know perfectly well what your flights will have cost. So European young people and elderly can get away with spending very little, whereas a mature Antipodean or American would maybe be seen as a freeloader or a penny pincher if they spent the same. But equally throwing money around for the sake of it is seen as very poor taste in Europe, e.g. giving big tips in restaurants for no good reason. Following the sound budgeting advice on this thread will keep you on the line between these two extremes.

Thank you! I have read many of your posts and replies and have found your information spot on much of the time, well all of the time thus far. I appreciate the feedback very much and am doing my due diligence with my guide reading and forum info. Also I have been doing Rosetta Stone for a few months...still sucking there but can't wait to put some of it to use. If I ever get to London, you are someone I'd love to share Camino stories with. Thanks again!

Nick
 
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The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Jan 26, 2016
108
401
Time of past OR future Camino
CF (14), CF (15), CP (16), Primitivo (23 and 24)
Thank you so much for your insight and reply. I am turning 50 and can afford to spend what is needed, however I want to do exactly as you have said you and your husband have done. Pay it forward and on the trail and help others whenever possible. I appreciated the insight. I am from Denver but now residing in Austin. Great info from everyone! Thank you so much!
Go Team Colorado!!!
 

notion900

Veteran Member
Aug 28, 2007
1,624
4,071
London
Time of past OR future Camino
>
Thank you! I have read many of your posts and replies and have found your information spot on much of the time, well all of the time thus far. I appreciate the feedback very much and am doing my due diligence with my guide reading and forum info. Also I have been doing Rosetta Stone for a few months...still sucking there but can't wait to put some of it to use. If I ever get to London, you are someone I'd love to share Camino stories with. Thanks again!

Nick
Thanks so much. Would be great to see you in London. Here's a heart warming tidbit for you. You might have heard of a certain incident in London this week. Tonight I went to an event run by Afghan and Iranian ladies, to celebrate their new year. It was so much fun, there was dancing and food. Two female police officers arrived and joined in the dancing, in their uniforms, and let the women and children try on their hats and jackets for photos. We don't sit around moping and worrying about terrorism. Come and see!
 
Last edited:
A selection of Camino Jewellery

Mark McCarthy

Active Member
Jun 5, 2015
339
562
Liverpool
www.facebook.com
Time of past OR future Camino
CF 2014 2015
Lourdes 2 SdC 2016
Sarria 2 SdC April&Oct 2016 & (April 2018)
Camino Baztan June 2017
Dear Nicke,

I am going to go out on a ledge here, (and undoubtedly invite some criticism), but I think your estimate may be just a bit low. My husband and I are in our 50's and have reached a point where we have stopped sweating the bottom line in our adventures. If you are more budget-conscious or budget-driven, then I think that a reasonable amount would be more in the 35-40 Euro per day range average. Our routine tended to be a cafe con leche and a pastry as we left in the morning. After 2-3 hours of walking, we would have a second breakfast of cafe con leche, eggs and bacon, and a fresh squeezed orange juice (I quickly became addicted to these!). Please note that between Roncevalles and Santiago, we paid from 3 - 9 euro for the same breakfast of two eggs and 4 slices of bacon and some toast. Fresh squeezed OJ varied between 1.5 to 4 euro...By noon, we were more than ready for a beer and a bocadillo - and sometimes we bought for fellow walkers.

By late afternoon, after we had settled into our albuergue and had washed ourselves and our clothes, we gathered with friends and imbibed and snacked some more. Sometimes we even paid to have our laundry done so that we could spend more time with friends. We met many younger pilgrims who were on a tight budget and as a result we happily pitched in more than our share of the dinner check. When they objected, we humbly countered with the simple request that they pay it forward when they reached our stage of life.

When we weren't walking and eating and drinking, we visited churches and museums and paid entrance fees and lit candles and tossed coins into the hats of those busking their way. We bought trinkets that we didn't need from children along the way, we tipped more than most would consider acceptable, and our returns were so much more than our investments. Some days we even treated ourselves to a private room to spare the other pilgrims the power of my husband's snore.

Some days are cheaper, some days are more expensive. Some people are more in the position to leave more behind in gratitude of what their lives have become. We spent hundreds of dollars on high-tech gear, and yet we met a lovely girl who just threw what existed in her dresser drawers into her pack. Sometimes the people you meet along the way are not quite there yet, and if you want to enjoy their company, compromises must be made.

While you really can do the Camino at whatever price point you decide, to cover the basics I would say 10 euro for your bed, 4 for breakfast, 5 for lunch and 10 for dinner (with wine), so almost 30 euro with no additional fun, is as cheap as you should budget.

As far as flights go, I have found skyscanner.com invaluable for planning and booking flights. They provide insight into routes and airline combinations that you may have not considered. They saved me over $800 on flights from Denver to Lisbon for our last trip, and over $900 between Denver and Madrid for Caminos 1 and 2.

Buen Camino and happy budgeting!
You definitely walk my kind of Camino!
 
D

Deleted member 56069

Guest
We budget around 85 Euro's a day primarily as we like private rooms most nights with Pensions and hotels when we hit larger centres on occasion.
Often we are below our budget for the day. Overall we find Spain to be very inexpensive compared to the rest of Europe.
Certainly we have found the last couple of years that staying in towns/villages that are not the official end points as per our guide book generally offer savings.
We are pretty frugal in our day to day lives, so when we are are on our annual Camino, we don't feel as inclined to economise.
 
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David L

New Member
Feb 17, 2017
19
62
Time of past OR future Camino
2017, 2022 Camino Frances
2023 Camino Portugues
Loaded question...I understand. Where am I staying, how much do I spend...etc? I have figured out travel expenses to SJPP. My plan is to try and do this trip at 25-30 euros per day. Am I off base here...too high, too low? Also where do most people leave from after they complete their way. I will stay anywhere but have learned from this forum that an occasional upgrade would be beneficial. Lastly...where do USA folks fly out of after their trip?

Hi Nicke,
I'm in San Antonio. After the trip, I'm flying from Barcelona to Atlanta to San Antonio.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-

AmyP

New Member
Mar 28, 2017
6
3
Time of past OR future Camino
Walking Camino Frances May/June 2017
Hi Nicke,

I am walking my first Camino this May, so I don't have any past years experience for money, but I found the cheapest flights flying in and out of Paris (I'm from Seattle). It did require a train ticket to get to SJPP and transportation back to Paris from Santiago, but it was still cheaper than flying out of Spain - booked mine roundtrip for about $700. But, it also depends on the time of year and how far in advance - I booked mine five months in advance.

Have fun planning!
Amy
 

HenkSlb

Member
Jul 5, 2016
47
74
Time of past OR future Camino
2017
I always get a strange feeling when people from outside (or even inside) Europe want to spend less than nothing while going on camino. Try to travel in the USA on a budget below nothing. A night in a hotel in the States would easily cost me $50 while in Spain you can sleep in a hotel room for around €25. So why not leave some money in the country you are visiting? We are peregrinos, not parasites. A night in an albergue has its costs too--and a donativo of €5 will not cover these at all. Be glad the people of Spain (and Portugal) are kind enough to receive you.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Mar 1, 2017
12,873
36,194
Northern Illinois, USA
Time of past OR future Camino
Recent:Norte/Muxia- Spring '23
MadridWay- Fall '23
Hi @Nicke - I think you right on the money. A single Peregrino can survive quite nicely on €25-30/day if you are using Albergues. My normal routine was a café con leché and toast in the morning (€2-3), sandwich, fruit and drink for lunch (€5-7 or less if I found a bigger grocery store), Albergue (€7-12) and Pilgrim menu for dinner (€8-10). An occasional beer in the afternoon and a couple nice nights in a hotel were the treats I gave myself but overall, easily under €30/day on average.

I'm not from the US but I found my best prices out of Madrid flying back to North America but as we all know, spending a little time bargain hunting on the internet can come up with some great specials.

Buen Camino!
"Spot on" in breaking down the average daily costs. My experience was almost identical to yours.
 
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marbuck

Active Member
Jun 17, 2012
462
637
Tamborine Mountain Australia
tamborinetopyrenees.blogspot.com.au
Time of past OR future Camino
Condom to Pamplona April 2016.
Le Puy to Condom France - April-May 2015.
Roncesvalles to Santiago April - May 2014
Finisterre to Muxia May 2014
Firstly, it is a pilgrimage not a cheap vacation.
How true, it may also be the only time you ever get to walk through Spain so if it cost you a few more $ to enjoy your Camino then just do it. Remortgage the house if necessary.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!

linda piso

Member
Jan 23, 2015
47
74
(USA) Pittsburgh, PA
Time of past OR future Camino
English (Summer 2016)
Portuguese (Fall 2017)
Ditto. I said somewhere that I have more money in the bank when I come home from the Camino than when I left... And alcohol is so expensive here, we can barely afford clothing for our children.


OK you are funny! And alcohol is so expensive here, we can barely afford clothing for our children! :0
 
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