• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Advanced search…

Search results for query: *

  1. H

    Opening new credit card for the bonus (plus airlines question)

    In general, upgrading with points is a bad deal compared to redeeming points for business class outright.
  2. H

    Opening new credit card for the bonus (plus airlines question)

    I used points to get to my camino. I've been churning credit cards for over a decade and have burned through about 3 million airline miles and hotel points. I redeemed 57k American Airlines miles for a flight from Denver to London via Dallas and 68k United miles for a flight from Frankfurt...
  3. H

    Absentee voting while on the Camino?

    Have you contacted your county clerk? They might be able to send your ballot to a Correos office to be held. My county sends out overseas ballots on September 23 so there's plenty of time.
  4. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    Thank you Doug! I will admit I've already started thinking about my next Camino, but I have a dog now so that complicates things. That was indeed gorgeous. I spend the night in Las Herrerias and rode a horse up to O Cebreiro. Thank you! I definitely dealt with some injuries along the way...
  5. H

    Withdrawing Euros

    I’m guessing you’re an American if you’re using Chase. Best approach is to get one of the various debit cards on the market that refund third-party ATM fees and don’t charge foreign transaction fees, like Schwab. That way you get the interbank currency rate which is as good as it gets.
  6. H

    Random thing that made you smile on Camino?

    An old man offering garlic bread to pilgrims just before Lorca. The dog at the pizza place run by an American shortly before Las Herrerias.
  7. H

    ATM withdrawal

    My experience with my Schwab debit card is that it never works with contactless ATMs. YMMV.
  8. H

    Cash

    Tap-to-pay with a card has relatively low limits but payments with Apple/Google Pay are usually much higher or unlimited. I’ve used Apple Pay for transactions upwards of 500 euros without a problem.
  9. H

    Cash

    Don’t forgot laundry machines, they’re almost always coin-op.
  10. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    Today I walked the final stage into Santiago. Thank you all so much for your support. :)
  11. H

    Bank/ATM machines in Spanish/English

    The technical term is “direct currency conversion” and it allows the merchant’s bank or whichever bank operates the ATM to hide an obscene markup in the exchange rate, upwards of 9%. If you charge in euros, the currency conversion will be much closer to the interbank rate which is the best...
  12. H

    Bank/ATM machines in Spanish/English

    You won’t encounter surcharges at retail points of sale but you will see “direct currency conversion”. This is when the POS offers the choice of euros or your card’s home currency. Always choose euros! There is a huge markup hidden in the exchange rate, upwards of 9%.
  13. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    I think it’s a neuroma. I have one elsewhere. It flares up when my laces get loose, when I retie them the metatarsal pad on my orthotic is able to keep it in check. I’ll schedule an appointment with my podiatrist when I get home. Meanwhile it’s manageable.
  14. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    Small update: I’m now in Gonzar, four days out from Santiago. Other than some off-and-on toe pain I’m in good spirits. I apologize for not responding to those who offered their support in this thread individually but I will do so when I get home and have a proper computer.
  15. H

    Bank/ATM machines in Spanish/English

    Caixa ATMs have long been unreliable with foreign cards. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
  16. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    Thank you all for your kind words. I found myself far more motivated this morning walking to Villafranca del Bierzo and I’m excited to wake tomorrow and make for Las Herrarias.
  17. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    Thank you all for your words of experience, wisdom and encouragement. You’ve given me much to ponder while walking tomorrow.
  18. H

    LIVE from the Camino Losing motivation after believing you can finish

    Hello from Ponferrada. I’ve got ten days left on the CF. Only, I feel like I’m losing motivation? When I set out from SJPDP I was truly uncertain as to whether or not I was capable of walking the camino. I’m 70 pounds overweight and lead a sedentary life. Yet here I am, hundreds of kilometers...
  19. H

    Weirdest/Strangest item someone has taken on the Camino

    Can confirm the bibimbap at Orion, I stayed there 10 days ago. Highly recommended! In some ways bibimbap seems like the perfect pilgrim meal: rice for carbs, meat and egg for protein and fat plus lots of veggies. I’ve seen a pilgrim carrying a full-size guitar this summer.
  20. H

    Do private rooms at albergues generally have private bathrooms as well?

    I stayed there last week. Just has the basics but I highly recommend the experience.

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Latest posts

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top