2024 Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela cost

[Bog526]

Just made two first booking for the start of our Camino one SJPDP and Roncesvalles and wow prices are all levels but the base is starting for two around 120euro (175 Cdn) for two beds and some food. 45 day estimate is 7900 +/-. Prices have jumped over our last visit. Second thoughts now on a 45 day pilgrimage .. hate to say it

Has anyone completed the Frances route and added of the cost minus airfares.?

 

[ELHS220]

I sent you a message.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Bog526, there have been multiple threads that have touched on this topic over the last couple of months. The general consensus has been that budget’s run from €30 pp, per day (one or two who achieve less!) to the sky is your limit. Many of us seem to fall in the €40-50 bracket, with occasional private rooms etc. Logically, that’s easier to achieve as a couple. As always, the less you self cater, and the more private rooms you take, the higher the costs. Astonishingly, you can still find some Albergues for just €8 pp, pn.

It totally depends on your expectations.

 

[Antnix1]

Stay at municipal albergues and donativos, prepare your own food (eat a lot of pasta), avoid alcohol in bars and prepare to lose some weight. You can achieve under €20 a day.

Not advice i would take but i did manage to spend very little some days, mainly when there were no restaurants open..

I met a guy who cooked plain pasta at night for his evening meal and reheated some for breakfast. That met most of his calorie requirement. Aside from that he bought fruit when it was €1 a kilo - mainly bananas and mandarin oranges.

It's up to you really. Many people opt to have a few very cheap days and the odd splurge day

€120 a day even for 2 is splurging every day. It may be cheaper to book a 3 star all inclusive in Corralejo.

 

[Bog526]

@Bog526, there have been multiple threads that have touched on this topic over the last couple of months. The general consensus has been that budget’s run from €30 pp, per day (one or two who achieve less!) to the sky is your limit. Many of us seem to fall in the €40-50 bracket, with occasional private rooms etc. Logically, that’s easier to achieve as a couple. As always, the less you self cater, and the more private rooms you take, the higher the costs. Astonishingly, you can still find some Albergues for just €8 pp, pn.

It totally depends on your expectations.

Hi, i should have looked more thoroughly, once i seen the amount of threads i could not find how to delete my post . Albeit, i am learning from people mentionings, thank you

 

[trecile]

Just made two first booking for the start of our Camino one SJPDP and Roncesvalles and wow prices are all levels but the base is starting for two around 120euro (175 Cdn) for two beds and some food.

You must not have booked at the albergue in Roncesvalles. You can get a bed plus dinner and breakfast there for €31 each.

Albergue de peregrinos de Roncesvalles | Albergue de Peregrinos en Roncesvalles / Orreaga | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue de peregrinos de Roncesvalles, en Roncesvalles / Orreaga: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

 

[OzPeter]

Just made two first booking for the start of our Camino one SJPDP and Roncesvalles and wow prices are all levels but the base is starting for two around 120euro (175 Cdn) for two beds and some food. 45 day estimate is 7900 +/-. Prices have jumped over our last visit. Second thoughts now on a 45 day pilgrimage .. hate to say it

Has anyone completed the Frances route and added of the cost minus airfares.?

At Rabanal. Typically spending 40 to 60€ for a private room, 30€ for main meal, 10 € for breakfast & 10~20 € for drinks and bar snacks. We are not skimping and have gone out to a proper restaurant and typically 60€ for 2 & stay in a hotel on rest days, 80~120€ per night .
Hope this helps

 

[lt56ny]

Just made two first booking for the start of our Camino one SJPDP and Roncesvalles and wow prices are all levels but the base is starting for two around 120euro (175 Cdn) for two beds and some food. 45 day estimate is 7900 +/-. Prices have jumped over our last visit. Second thoughts now on a 45 day pilgrimage .. hate to say it

I could easily do 2 caminos for 45 days including airfare for the price you quoted. I would even have a nice chunk of change left over. If you want to walk and stay in upscale htels and eat out every meal than yes prices have gone up in Spain just like everywhere else in the world. If you want to do a camino for 30-35 euros a day, and some days even closer to 20 Euros a day I would be happy to talk with you about what I do. My point is not to criticize but to show we all have our own reasons and methods. If you want a "high end" camino then you have to pay a high end price. There are some that spend more than you and others who spend less than me. Then there probably is the majority that are somewhere in between.
For me, personally I believe a camino is not meant to be easy or comfortable. I think there are very valuable lessons to learn when one walks a very basic camino with few materialistic comforts.
Before my first camino my daughter had just returned from traveling the world for one year. After I hugged and kissed my baby girl I asked her the two most basic questions. How are you. She was glowing so I really didn't need to ask but you know parents, my second was how was it:
She held my hands and said: "Daddy I learned that all I need in my life is You and Mommy and Allie's (her sister) love and my few close friends and what I can carry on my back. The rest is bullshit and a burden.
I thought of what she told me on my first camino and I walked like that. I have tried to live my life and my caminos the same way ever since.

 

[Lemondrop]

I could easily do 2 caminos for 45 days including airfare for the price you quoted. I would even have a nice chunk of change left over. If you want to walk and stay in upscale htels and eat out every meal than yes prices have gone up in Spain just like everywhere else in the world. If you want to do a camino for 30-35 euros a day, and some days even closer to 20 Euros a day I would be happy to talk with you about what I do. My point is not to criticize but to show we all have our own reasons and methods. If you want a "high end" camino then you have to pay a high end price. There are some that spend more than you and others who spend less than me. Then there probably is the majority that are somewhere in between.
For me, personally I believe a camino is not meant to be easy or comfortable. I think there are very valuable lessons to learn when one walks a very basic camino with few materialistic comforts.
Before my first camino my daughter had just returned from traveling the world for one year. After I hugged and kissed my baby girl I asked her the two most basic questions. How are you. She was glowing so I really didn't need to ask but you know parents, my second was how was it:
She held my hands and said: "Daddy I learned that all I need in my life is You and Mommy and Allie's (her sister) love and what I can carry on my back. The rest is bullshit and a burden.
I thought of what she told me on my first camino and I walked like that. I have tried to live my life and my caminos the same way ever since.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

 

[JerryStroebele]

So what would you spend in 45 days at home? For food, entertainment, shopping, commuting. ANY other vacation. Subtract that from your Camino costs. The Camino in Spain: "It's a bargain." Buen Camino

 

[Cecinunley]

Just made two first booking for the start of our Camino one SJPDP and Roncesvalles and wow prices are all levels but the base is starting for two around 120euro (175 Cdn) for two beds and some food. 45 day estimate is 7900 +/-. Prices have jumped over our last visit. Second thoughts now on a 45 day pilgrimage .. hate to say it

Has anyone completed the Frances route and added of the cost minus airfares.?

Yes that costs is very high I assume you are staying in hotels at that price albergues are not that expensive. One dorm bed is between 12-20 euro. Even a private room in an Albergue can be as low as 24 euro. I did the Frances in 42 days and my average daily cost including meals was about 45-50 euro. I budgeted higher and saved quite a bit.

 

[PeteD]

As a couple we completed the Frances in October 2023. Individually it cost 1,850 Euro for the 38 days i.e. 49 Euro per day each. We stayed mostly in albergues with a few donativos and treated ourselves to a private room in a casa rural, hotel or similar once a week. Food was mostly pilgrim meals, lots of coffee and cake and good vegetarian meals in larger towns. And as @JerryStroebele points out there would be expenses incurred if you stayed at home that should reduce the overall impact. Worth ever Euro IMHO.

 

[Bog526]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

We are not looking for comfort just basics however I am not obviously using the proper resourses. I was looking for dorm style that has like group meals . If you could share your resources I would greatly appreciate it

Thanks

 

[Bog526]

As a couple we completed the Frances in October 2023. Individually it cost 1,850 Euro for the 38 days i.e. 49 Euro per day each. We stayed mostly in albergues with a few donativos and treated ourselves to a private room in a casa rural, hotel or similar once a week. Food was mostly pilgrim meals, lots of coffee and cake and good vegetarian meals in larger towns. And as @JerryStroebele points out there would be expenses incurred if you stayed at home that should reduce the overall impact. Worth ever Euro IMHO.

Thanks, I have not heard about donativos.. how to you find these along the route?

 

[Bog526]

I could easily do 2 caminos for 45 days including airfare for the price you quoted. I would even have a nice chunk of change left over. If you want to walk and stay in upscale htels and eat out every meal than yes prices have gone up in Spain just like everywhere else in the world. If you want to do a camino for 30-35 euros a day, and some days even closer to 20 Euros a day I would be happy to talk with you about what I do. My point is not to criticize but to show we all have our own reasons and methods. If you want a "high end" camino then you have to pay a high end price. There are some that spend more than you and others who spend less than me. Then there probably is the majority that are somewhere in between.
For me, personally I believe a camino is not meant to be easy or comfortable. I think there are very valuable lessons to learn when one walks a very basic camino with few materialistic comforts.
Before my first camino my daughter had just returned from traveling the world for one year. After I hugged and kissed my baby girl I asked her the two most basic questions. How are you. She was glowing so I really didn't need to ask but you know parents, my second was how was it:
She held my hands and said: "Daddy I learned that all I need in my life is You and Mommy and Allie's (her sister) love and my few close friends and what I can carry on my back. The rest is bullshit and a burden.
I thought of what she told me on my first camino and I walked like that. I have tried to live my life and my caminos the same way ever since.

We are not looking for comfort just basics however I am not obviously using the proper resourses. I was looking for dorm style that has like group meals . If you could share your resources I would greatly appreciate it

 

[Bog526]

As a couple we completed the Frances in October 2023. Individually it cost 1,850 Euro for the 38 days i.e. 49 Euro per day each. We stayed mostly in albergues with a few donativos and treated ourselves to a private room in a casa rural, hotel or similar once a week. Food was mostly pilgrim meals, lots of coffee and cake and good vegetarian meals in larger towns. And as @JerryStroebele points out there would be expenses incurred if you stayed at home that should reduce the overall impact. Worth ever Euro IMHO.

Thanks going to look again on finding what you were mentioning. Where would I start to look for the albergues with donavitos and casa rurals

Thanks

 

[PeteD]

Thanks going to look again on finding what you were mentioning. Where would I start to look for the albergues with donavitos and casa rurals

Any of the guides or apps will list donativos as well as other types of accommodation as will the resources on the forum. Note that donativos may not have a set cost but rely on the donations so overall the costs could be similar.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Thanks, I have not heard about donativos.. how to you find these along the route?

gronze.com

 

[henrythedog]

Bear in mind that - depending on your personal financial situation - a donativo should not necessarily be cheaper than equivalent commercial alternatives.

 

[AnneO]

I walked in May and June last year, 40 days from Pamplona to Santiago. I stayed entirely in private accommodations and didn’t limit what or where I ate. My total cost was about 3800 Euros, or about 95 Euros per day. This total includes all my expenses (including a few pharmacy visits and taxis/busses along the way, laundry, touristy things, etc.). Lodging and food alone averaged about 80 Euros per day.

 

[lt56ny]

We are not looking for comfort just basics however I am not obviously using the proper resourses. I was looking for dorm style that has like group meals . If you could share your resources I would greatly appreciate it

wow prices are all levels but the base is starting for two around 120euro (175 Cdn) for two beds and some food. 45 day estimate is 7900 +/-. Prices have jumped over our last visit. Second thoughts now on a 45 day pilgrimage

Well Wow haha. The way you worded your original post I think that almost all of us thought that you were talking about private rooms and restaurants each night. There was no mention of you looking to sleep in basic environs.
The least expensive and often the most rewarding options are donativos and municipal albergues. Remember donativo does NOT mean free. You should leave a minimum donations of what a municipal albergue would charge and if they offer a communal meal you should also leave at least 10E. If they offer both you should leave at least 20-22E. Some even offer breakfast. 3E would be the minimum for that.
You can also prepare dinner at many albergues. (Not the municipal Xuntas in Galicia). Most have a partial kitchen and many have a full kitchen. When you arrive check to see what pots and pans and spices etc an albergue may have before you go to the store to buy food. A partial kitchen will most likely be a refrigerator and microwave.
No one source has all available places to stay. You should always look at Gronze.com and there are also two very good apps called Buen Camino and Wise Pilgrim. They will all give you a description of the albergues and tell you if they are monasteries or donativos etc. There are some amazing donativos that have really only the most basic of basic services but reward you in many other ways. For example these are some wonderful and famous and as basic as they come albergues:

Albergue parroquial San Juan Bautista | Albergue de Peregrinos en Grañón | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue parroquial San Juan Bautista, en Grañón: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

Albergue Hospital de peregrinos de San Antón | Albergue de Peregrinos en Convento de San Antón | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue Hospital de peregrinos de San Antón, en Convento de San Antón: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

Refugio Gaucelmo | Albergue de Peregrinos en Rabanal del Camino | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Refugio Gaucelmo, en Rabanal del Camino: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

There are any others

 

[trecile]

We are not looking for comfort just basics however I am not obviously using the proper resourses. I was looking for dorm style that has like group meals

You will find what you are looking for on Gronze.com
The (approximate) prices are listed, and donativo (not free!) places are indicated with a D.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

Where and how did you book Roncesvalles?

 

[Bog526]

Well Wow haha. The way you worded your original post I think that almost all of us thought that you were talking about private rooms and restaurants each night. There was no mention of you looking to sleep in basic environs.
The least expensive and often the most rewarding options are donativos and municipal albergues. Remember donativo does NOT mean free. You should leave a minimum donations of what a municipal albergue would charge and if they offer a communal meal you should also leave at least 10E. If they offer both you should leave at least 20-22E. Some even offer breakfast. 3E would be the minimum for that.
You can also prepare dinner at many albergues. (Not the municipal Xuntas in Galicia). Most have a partial kitchen and many have a full kitchen. When you arrive check to see what pots and pans and spices etc an albergue may have before you go to the store to buy food. A partial kitchen will most likely be a refrigerator and microwave.
No one source has all available places to stay. You should always look at Gronze.com and there are also two very good apps called Buen Camino and Wise Pilgrim. They will all give you a description of the albergues and tell you if they are monasteries or donativos etc. There are some amazing donativos that have really only the most basic of basic services but reward you in many other ways. For example these are some wonderful and famous and as basic as they come albergues:

Albergue parroquial San Juan Bautista | Albergue de Peregrinos en Grañón | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue parroquial San Juan Bautista, en Grañón: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

Albergue Hospital de peregrinos de San Antón | Albergue de Peregrinos en Convento de San Antón | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Albergue Hospital de peregrinos de San Antón, en Convento de San Antón: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

Refugio Gaucelmo | Albergue de Peregrinos en Rabanal del Camino | Gronze.com

Información del albergue de peregrinos Refugio Gaucelmo, en Rabanal del Camino: Precio, plazas, características, etc...

www.gronze.com

There are any others

Thank you so very much for the detailed explanation, this makes it easier to calculate.

Thanks again and have a wonderful day

Dave

 

[David Tallan]

We are not looking for comfort just basics however I am not obviously using the proper resourses. I was looking for dorm style that has like group meals . If you could share your resources I would greatly appreciate it

Thanks

The best resource for this is probably Gronze.com (which is in Spanish, but Chrome can translate for you if you aren't comfortable enough with the language.

Or you could just look at the "Online Guide (beta)" that you can see in the main menu on the top of this site (on computer) or in the flyout menu on the left (on mobile), which is provided by Wise Pilgrim. Both of these will share a wide range of inexpensive dorm style accommodations and indicate which offer communal meals.