Camino de Frances Budget

[Jerri Kerley]

I am so excited to be planning my first Camino. I will be going in September 2017. I would appreciate any advise on budgeting my money. Albergues, food, hotels, hidden costs, etc. Thanks!

 

[nycwalking]

Jerri,

Congrats on planning. You may spend 20-30 euros a day, covers albergues, snacks, and meals. You can trim by seeking out donation only albergures and purchasing food at markets. Or, your budget can increase with hotel, hostel stays, and eating most meals in resturants.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

I am so excited to be planning my first Camino. I will be going in September 2017. I would appreciate any advise on budgeting my money. Albergues, food, hotels, hidden costs, etc. Thanks!

Hi Jerri ,last year I walked for 37 day''s and I spend about €1400 .
Wish you a wonderful journey and a Buen Camino , Peter .

 

[m108]

Welcome to the forum Jerri!
That there would be no misunderstanding - "donativo" does not mean that if you want to pay-pay, if you do not - not need.
Usually, the minimum amount is that would be paid to municipal albergue (>6€).
Buen Camino, m

 

[aname4me]

Your budget depends on what you are used to, and what comfort you expect.

We are a retired couple. We budget €100/day for us both (the Camino ave=€38/person).....don't forget to enjoy yourself. A few €120/day are more fun.

For €100/day we get a private double room and a tasty (not pilgrim) Supper.

We have done the Camino twice and do not enjoy the poor sleep we get, by sleeping 20 to a room.
It turned us into grumpy, sleep deprived zombies.

It is not a speed race.

It is not a “who spent the least” contest.

It is you, enjoying a seven week walk, and discovering yourself (and your partner).

 

[jsalt]

I am so excited to be planning my first Camino. I will be going in September 2017. I would appreciate any advise on budgeting my money. Albergues, food, hotels, hidden costs, etc. Thanks!

Albergue: anywhere between 5 and 15 euros.
Breakfast: 3.50 euros.
Lunch: Menu del Dia 12 euros, or a bocadillo for 3.50 euros.
Dinner: Menu del Peregrino (if you hadn’t had lunch) 9 euros.
A few café con leches and vino tintos: 5 euros.
Total: about 30 euros per day. If you cook for yourself, and do not buy café con leches, and you stay in parochial or municipal albergues for 5 euros per night, it will be cheaper.

I personally find “donativos” expensive. I usually enjoy the experience, appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into them, and I always enjoy the communal dinner, so there is no way I can walk away without making a suitable donation. “Donativos” are not “free”, unless you are like the young man I met recently on the Norte. He had a farm, but it failed and he lost everything. He was now walking the camino, asking in every farm for work, but times are tough and nothing was available. He was living on chestnuts and sleeping rough. If he stayed in a “donativo” he couldn’t pay, but he would do what work he could while he was there.
Jill

 

[long trails]

I spent leas than €20 per day. Usually closer to €15.

I met someone doing it on €5 per day. They were camping so their only expense was food.

 

[trecile]

Warning, if you become addicted to the wonderful fresh orange juice in Spain you could blow your budget on orange juice alone!

I reached the top of Alto de Perdon on a particularly hot day, and quickly downed two glasses of OJ at an oasis of a food truck there. The best orange juice I've ever tasted.

And while it's cheaper than fresh OJ at home, a glass will set you back between 2 to 3 Euros.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Welcome to the forum Jerri!
That there would be no misunderstanding - "donativo" does not mean that if you want to pay-pay, if you do not - not need.
Usually, the minimum amount is that would be paid to municipal albergue (>6€).
Buen Camino, m

Actually, in donativos you are often ask to pay what you can, or what you think is fair. And if you think about it, the albergue needs to make up the money those who cannot pay a typical rate don't pay. So perhpas you can even leave a bit more than normal, as a way to sponsor those who need the lower price.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

On budget...30€ if you want 1 decent meal a day.

Bed:10
Breakfast: 3
Lunch: 5 (sandwich and a drink, or an ensalada mixta)
Dinner: 10 (pilgrim menu)
Cafe con leche at one of your stop: 1.50

I have never found that buying food at the grocery store saved me anything over a restaurant meal, unless you are sharing with others and one buys the pasta, the other the tomatos, the other the ham amd the last the yogourt.

 

[Road Warrior 1]

I am so excited to be planning my first Camino. I will be going in September 2017. I would appreciate any advise on budgeting my money. Albergues, food, hotels, hidden costs, etc. Thanks!

Ditto Jerri, we are thinking the same.......may see you there as we anticipate departing St Jean 18/9 then no further plans until departing Madrid 9th Nov.......This is also our first camino.......There's lots of info and i'm sure you will work out a budget closer to your needs....cheers Road Warriors

 

[Marion-SantiagoInLove]

Hi Jerri, welcome
When I prepare a Camino, I go the other way around: estimate a top-daily budget (according to my savings) and balance day after day it so I don't exceed it. I walked last year with 5€/day: obviously doable, but with what goes with such budget. (Which, by the way, still allowed me some treats...!)
Buen preps!

 

[traveler]

Hi Jerri,

If you need to bracket the most you might spend, here are a few thoughts. We're currently starting our fourth Camino on next Wednesday morning (second one in 2016). For this trip we budgeted 150€ per day for two of us (75 € each) which includes everything except airfare (we're using airline miles). This past summer we did a leisurely 60 day pilgrimage covering about 1000 km. We didn't watch expenses and didn't stay at any alburgues (this time) and spent slightly less than 150€ per day. But that included some museums, paradors, a few (not many) fancy nights out, and few donations.

If we watched expenses we could easily get by on 100-120€ per day and still have a nice private room each night and would be eating the same. But we'd be more careful about the extras. And candidly on our first Camino we felt no need for the extras (it was just exciting to be walking), we stayed in a few alburgues, and we spent less.

We don't dislike alburgues but our leisurely approach to walking bring us in later than most and we like getting up late -- we're 9 - 5 hikers with stops for churches, meditation, prayer, birds, talking, and photos. And so a private room is bit more flexible.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

You asked about hidden costs, and someone already mentioned the cost of, and addiction to, freshly squeezed orange juice. Not a hidden cost, but something to keep an eye on.

In fact I can't think of hidden costs per say, but there are things that little by little can add up.

Cafe con leche is one of them. Two to get me started at my first morning stop, anotherone mid-morning. That's 5€ gone. Ok, 3.50€ since the first one is included in my breakfast budget.

Then there are the Aquarius drinks you may order during the day to replenish your electrolytes, or even just to purchase something in a bar in order to use their toilet. If electrolytes is what you feel you may need I suggest buying effervescent tablets such as Nuun or Zym, or buy 1.5l bottles of Aquarius in grocery stores. Such a bottle will cost you the same as a can does in a bar. Yes, please, do order something in bars if you want to use their facilities: they need to pay for water, tp, cleaning staff and products.

Should you get injured, or feel you must take a taxi for some other reason, it may be useful to know that taxis typically charge 1€ per km.

I always here people mention alcohol on this forum. Red wine and beer and inexpensive in Spain (at least the cheap stuff) but again that adds up if you drink beyonf the red wine included in the menu del dia or pilgrim dinner. And then you may also be tempted to try local specialties: cidra, pacharan, orujo...

Meds on the other hand are a bargain, and many that require a prescription at home are sold without in Spain, but behind the counter. Ah, but farmacias charge a bundle for suntan lotion, bring it from home, at least a bit in case of a super hot and sunny day.

And the other unexpected expense maybe bag transportation, again in case of injury or a day you feel you really could not walk another day with your pack. Typical price is about 5€ these days, perhaps as high as as 6€ but less expensive starting in Sarria. This also adds up.

Finally laundry if done by machine. Depending on the albergue you could pay from 2-4 or so per machine (washer and drier) but prices vary a lot. Sharing a load with others is a way to save. I use those services after a rainy day when my pants are covered in mud, or I will pay for drying only on rainy evenings when I know there is no way my clothes will air-dry. Laundry powder is now most often included, even dispensed automatically from the washing machine.

Perhaps others will think of ways € manage to quietly escape one's wallet....

 

[good_old_shoes]

This is why this forum can be so helpful - there's people from all backgrounds here. One needs 150 Euros per day, one 15, or even less... and it's all fine.

Without having read this forum I probably never would have walked because I thought I couldn't afford it.

All I can say is, don't let the fear of not having enough money stop you if you feel you have to do it. Just keep expectations low and have an emergency plan to get back home, just in case.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Key word here is "need". I don't think anyone "needs" 150€ a day to do the Frances, in fact I could not imagine how to spend that money on any Camino. That would take me a whole lot of research!

And yes, absolutely, keep € in case of emergency, including travel insurance.

 

[Priscilla NC]

Warning, if you become addicted to the wonderful fresh orange juice in Spain you could blow your budget on orange juice alone!

I reached the top of Alto de Perdon on a particularly hot day, and quickly downed two glasses of OJ at an oasis of a food truck there. The best orange juice I've ever tasted.

And while it's cheaper than fresh OJ at home, a glass will set you back between 2 to 3 Euros.

Hahaha. I am not a lover of OJ usually. I went much of the camino without it. Until I tasted it one day, and then my daily expenses jumped. It's awesome!!

It's also a good source of electrolytes/minerals to help us stay strong in our walking. At least that's how I justified it.

 

[november_moon]

I am not a big juice person to begin with, but yes, I loved the zumo de naranja on the Camino.

 

[traveler]

This is why this forum can be so helpful - there's people from all backgrounds here. One needs 150 Euros per day, one 15, or even less... and it's all fine.

Yes - I think it's helpful to bracket possible Camino expenditures from 15 - 75 € per person per day.

 

[Jerri Kerley]

You all are awesome! Thank you for taking the time to reply.

 

[Jose J. Martinez]

My wife and I walked the CF in March, April and May, a total of 35 days. We budgeted 25 euros per person per day and stuck to that as much as possible. It is very possible to do with an average budget like that...just avoid the too much cerveza and vino and fancy foods.