How do you pay along the Camino?

[Claireabella]

Just started gathering info for my trip. I was wondering what do you bring for payment? Money, cards both. How much money would you carry? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated thanks!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Cash is king. I use an ATM machine and withdraw cash when needed. I spend about 30E per day, so a 300E withdrawal lasts over a week.

 

[annelise]

As Falcon said, Claireabela.

'Upscale' restaurants will most likely accept cards (ask first) and probably most hotels, but not smaller places - i.e. never albergues and in my experience hostales or B and B places.

Some larger supermarkets (supermercados) in larger towns may accept cards - but in the small 'mom and pop' shops along the camino, cash is the only way to go.

Maybe strange advice, but always bear in mind which day of the week it is. (I tended to lose track when in walking mode.) The reason for this piece of advice is that it is not unknown of (anywhere in the world and not specifically in Spain) that for whichever strange reason your card is 'eaten' by the ATM.

Also bear in mind that there may be long stretches through rural areas where there may be no banks.

I therefore always opted for using the ATM during bank opening hours, so if 'swallowed', I could immediately get the bank to retrieve it.

It would be a sad scenario indeed - on a late Friday afternoon - to have your card swallowed, and having to hang around the place over the weekend to retrieve your card - and maybe in low funds to boot.

For me, I took two credit cards for this reason - one on my person, the other so deeply ensconced and hidden in my backpack, that in the unlikely event of anyone - short of walking off with my pack - would not have found it if riffling through my backpack in the albergue.

Have a lovely camino - you can truly look forward to it.

annelise

 

[Mark Lee]

Cash baby....smaller denomination bills

 

[whariwharangi]

Albergues are cash only. So are most of the Mom and Pop stores that are often the only store in the village.

I got off the plane in Biarritz. The bus driver was not happy to make change for my 20 euro note on a fare of 1 euro.

ATM machines are ubiquitous.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I screwed up & waited a day too long before getting more Euros I had 15 euros left found a place to sleep 10 Euros & enough to find a market. Got up & walked 4 hours to a bank. No issues, but if you can help it just be aware. The other issue is I received some change after Pamploma that was counter fit. I was in Burgos when I used it to pay for Dinner. No idea were I got it but the waiter felt bad. He was great matter fact. I simply burned it at the table & payed my bill. I did not meet anyone else who had it happen. So don't worry. If it happens there will not be much you can do. Once again use small bills if you can.
Keith

 

[Cam1952]

I learned after the fact many people don't take a lot of cash with them....fortunately I wasn't aware of this advice when I walked the Frances. I carried enough cash for 25 days and only used the ATM once (or twice) to make sure I was able to handle anything.
I didn't feel the cash was a burden, and just kept it in a money belt, with me at all times. I would take it with me to the shower and slept with it in the foot of my sleeping bag. I didn't feel this was a liability at any point.
When I go again in 2016 I will do the same. Lots of 20 Euro bills.
....others may have differing advice.....

 

[William Garza]

If i may..
Is there a "national bank" of one sort or another,that is as common as apples?
Along the way?
Its kind if a dumb question,but i have been charged for using a local banks atm extortionat rates to pull cash,
My idea was to carry adequate euros.
Thank you guys

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...or_Bank_of_America_account_holders-Spain.html

I hope this helps rather than hinders,had

 

[MTtoCamino]

If i may..
Is there a "national bank" of one sort or another,that is as common as apples?
Along the way?
Its kind if a dumb question,but i have been charged for using a local banks atm extortionat rates to pull cash,
My idea was to carry adequate euros.
Thank you guys

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...or_Bank_of_America_account_holders-Spain.html

I hope this helps rather than hinders,had

Banco seemed to be everywhere

 

[William Garza]

Thank you!

 

[Claireabella]

I learned after the fact many people don't take a lot of cash with them....fortunately I wasn't aware of this advice when I walked the Frances. I carried enough cash for 25 days and only used the ATM once (or twice) to make sure I was able to handle anything.
I didn't feel the cash was a burden, and just kept it in a money belt, with me at all times. I would take it with me to the shower and slept with it in the foot of my sleeping bag. I didn't feel this was a liability at any point.
When I go again in 2016 I will do the same. Lots of 20 Euro bills.
....others may have differing advice.....

See this is what i was afraid i would end up doing. I have no idea of how rural the Camino is and was thinking that people carried cash. But i wouldn't be comfortable with that. Like you, i'd bring it to the shower etc.... Great advice!

 

[Claireabella]

If i may..
Is there a "national bank" of one sort or another,that is as common as apples?
Along the way?
Its kind if a dumb question,but i have been charged for using a local banks atm extortionat rates to pull cash,
My idea was to carry adequate euros.
Thank you guys

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...or_Bank_of_America_account_holders-Spain.html

I hope this helps rather than hinders,had

Gosh yes i never thought of that. Some banks over here charge as much as £5.00 if you are not an account holder with them and you use their ATM!

 

[William Garza]

Lol..when i say extortionate..i was not being mean..imagine using a small town ATM and seeing a $15:00...GaAaaaa!
Surcharge to pull $50:00...
Yeah.it was rampant in the naughtys..uhh ninetys..there are still independent operators who underhandedly charge and you find out later..ugh...

Here is a wiki link to a reciprocity agreement.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_ATM_Alliance

Always take wiki witha grain of salt..although its usually a good starting point for research into a subject.

Ime gonna also look into the ATM issue,but ime sure there is a,Pilgrim with vast and extensive experience in this.

Ime not worried about carrying cash,its the little "emergencys"unplanned that ime planning for.
I was thinking i could do a bank transfer? Of funds,or whatever would facilitate depositing into a Euro bank...hmmf..i betcha the taxman here would freak!

 

[Saramago]

Albergues and small stores - cash. CC cards for pharmacies, sport stores, larger regular grocery stores, hotel break, salons if you want a hair cut or nails on break day - lots of uses for cards. Try to get a debit card and cc with no international fees on ATM or purchases. These will show as you paying a fee to get cash but bank reimburses. It's been years since I've paid any ATM fee or international fee on purchases. You can find good hotel rooms for very little and they take cc cards. Buen Camino!

 

[Claireabella]

Albergues and small stores - cash. CC cards for pharmacies, sport stores, larger regular grocery stores, hotel break, salons if you want a hair cut or nails on break day - lots of uses for cards. Try to get a debit card and cc with no international fees on ATM or purchases. These will show as you paying a fee to get cash but bank reimburses. It's been years since I've paid any ATM fee or international fee on purchases. You can find good hotel rooms for very little and they take cc cards. Buen Camino!

Thank you for that. I worried because people kept referring to credit cards and i don't have one, just a debit card. I thought i was going to have to get one and i really don't want to. Id be dangerous with it!

 

[Saramago]

Thank you for that. I worried because people kept referring to credit cards and i don't have one, just a debit card. I thought i was going to have to get one and i really don't want to. Id be dangerous with it!

Haha!

 

[t2andreo]

Try to plan your cash withdrawals so you have enough Euros on you for three to four days walking. You should come into a large town or city at about those intervals along most routes. I use the €30 - 50 daily average and it always worked over 3 Caminos. I strongly advise against carrying hundreds or thousands of €, or any other currency on you. For what it might be worth, here is my take on money belts, but I defer to everyone's individual choice.

• First, a money belt is inconvenient to wear and access during the day. Mine keep peeping out so everyone can see I have one.
• Second, I personally find money belts a hassle to manage during "down time." I keep everything in my trouser cargo pockets in plastic bags, the trousers go in a waterproof sack for shower time and in the bottom of my bag or linens for sleep if I am in an albergue. I use these heavy duty plastic bags for my phone, passport, pilgrim credential and medications as they are several times thicker than grocery ziplock bags: http://loksak.com/civilian/
• Third, if anyone finds out you are carrying a large stash, bad things could happen along the way.

I recommend using the ATM in large banks, not the small, standalone ATMs sometimes found in gas stations or convenience tiendas. The service charges at major banks are usually, but not always less. There are several major Spanish banks featured all along the various Caminos. You will come to recognize them fairly quickly.

Make sure your ATM card uses a FOUR NUMBER PIN code. Nothing else will work.

Also, alert your home bank that you will be in (countries) from (date you land) to (date your return home). If you forget to do this, the big, bad ATM may eat your card. That can definitely ruin your day. At best, you will have to remain local until the next business day so you can retrieve your card. This is critical for credit and debit cards, as well as ATM cards.

I hope this helps.

 

[november_moon]

I kept a spare 100 euros stashed away so that if I did stretch my cash too far and find myself in a place with no ATM and no way to replenish, I had my extra stash, which is enough for about 3 days.

 

[sam from Michigan]

Would love to know what credit cards you found that do not charge an international ATM fee. I found a number that do not charge international fees on retail transactions, but the ATM remained a problem.

 

[Saramago]

For ATM machine, I use my local Webster Bank account, a Connecticut bank. My type of account there charges me no local, national or international fees. I don't use any cc cards at ATMs. I never bothered to get debit cards for Bank of America or Chase. I use those accounts for other things.

Btw, you have to ask your bank for this. No bank is going to offer it freely. You have to ask around. Actually, I did get the debit for Bank of America years ago, but never have used it. It is also a fee free card. Sticking with the one card makes things easier (for me). You have to shop around.

 

[Claireabella]

I kept a spare 100 euros stashed away so that if I did stretch my cash too far and find myself in a place with no ATM and no way to replenish, I had my extra stash, which is enough for about 3 days.

Thats what i was thinking. Even enough for 2 days in case you get stuck. Better to be on the safe side. I have heard that cards can get eaten but i don't understand why. Unless you put in the wrong pin?

 

[november_moon]

Sometimes the ATM machine just malfunctions and eats your card. This is why people recommend using ATMs at banks (as opposed to free standing) and during banking hours. If the machine eats your card, you can go into the bank and get it back. This has never happened to me, but I was with someone once when it happened to their card (in Memphis, TN).

 

[Nick MJ]

There are loads of ATMs en route. What I do is load up a prepaid euro-denominated debit card - there are lots of different brands to choose from. That way I pay for the Euros just once - and it's generally not a bad rate - and then I can use the debit card either to pay for accommodation or meals or have free withdrawals from an ATM (because most bank ATM's don't charge you if you are taking out euros). As well as saving money, the advantage is that even if I lost the card I haven't lost anything that gives access to my real bank account - just the funds that are loaded on the card if the thief could somehow guess my PIN. I use one which I can monitor from my phone so I know how much I have left (and I can even top up from abroad on my phone if I've underestimated what I need). I tend to carry some euros in cash for the reasons others have given above but on three caminos I have never had to use a credit card or bank card - and have never been stung by the charges that using those cards in a Spanish ATM would incur.

 

[Claireabella]

There are loads of ATMs en route. What I do is load up a prepaid euro-denominated debit card - there are lots of different brands to choose from. That way I pay for the Euros just once - and it's generally not a bad rate - and then I can use the debit card either to pay for accommodation or meals or have free withdrawals from an ATM (because most bank ATM's don't charge you if you are taking out euros). As well as saving money, the advantage is that even if I lost the card I haven't lost anything that gives access to my real bank account - just the funds that are loaded on the card if the thief could somehow guess my PIN. I use one which I can monitor from my phone so I know how much I have left (and I can even top up from abroad on my phone if I've underestimated what I need). I tend to carry some euros in cash for the reasons others have given above but on three caminos I have never had to use a credit card or bank card - and have never been stung by the charges that using those cards in a Spanish ATM would incur.

Great advice. Thank you so very much!

 

[Anniesantiago]

If i may..
Is there a "national bank" of one sort or another,that is as common as apples?
Along the way?
Its kind if a dumb question,but i have been charged for using a local banks atm extortionat rates to pull cash,
My idea was to carry adequate euros.
Thank you guys

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...or_Bank_of_America_account_holders-Spain.html

I hope this helps rather than hinders,had

William, consider opening a Charles Schwab online bank account.
Schwab has been around a long time.
They are dependable.
When you call you get a human.
And best of all, they will reimburse you ALL of the ATM and exchange fees at the end of each month.
I use my card at ANY bank and if I'm charged a fee, it is reimbursed at the end of the month.

It's probably not safe to carry your entire wad of euros along the Camino.
Most folks carry between 200-500.
I never carry more than 300 at a time in my money belt.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Would love to know what credit cards you found that do not charge an international ATM fee. I found a number that do not charge international fees on retail transactions, but the ATM remained a problem.

My USAA bank, if you are prior service or a family member of a military person.

 

[William Garza]

William, consider opening a Charles Schwab online bank account.
Schwab has been around a long time.
They are dependable.
When you call you get a human.
And best of all, they will reimburse you ALL of the ATM and exchange fees at the end of each month.
I use my card at ANY bank and if I'm charged a fee, it is reimbursed at the end of the month.

It's probably not safe to carry your entire wad of euros along the Camino.
Most folks carry between 200-500.
I never carry more than 300 at a time in my money belt.

I will most definately look into the charles schwab acct, i prefer backup money as a rule,but i wont be in the states and i forget human nature...

 

[Melanie McMillan]

Cash is king. I use an ATM machine and withdraw cash when needed. I spend about 30E per day, so a 300E withdrawal lasts over a week.

Did you have any trouble finding atm machines and were you able to use a bank card or was it a credit card? I'm Canadian and heading over in less than two weeks.

 

[Melanie McMillan]

I am a Canadian leaving in less than two weeks. Would love to hear from fellow Canucks who have recently walked about ATM experiences. I am only comfortable with 200-300 euros on me at one time. Credit cards can be cancelled and replaced if lost or stolen....once cash is gone...it's GONE!

Thanks for any information!!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I am a Canadian leaving in less than two weeks. Would love to hear from fellow Canucks who have recently walked about ATM experiences. I am only comfortable with 200-300 euros on me at one time. Credit cards can be cancelled and replaced if lost or stolen....once cash is gone...it's GONE!

Thanks for any information!!

Melanie, I changed 700$ into 500 Euros and was good for almost 3 weeks. ATMs are not an in ingeneral but do not panick whenone rejects your card, the next one will take it. Which means to get to the ATM beore you have only 5 € in your pocket. I use a BMO card. As for cash, I carry it on myself ina freon or cargo pocket, Macabi skirts are great for deep pockets. Any town of a couple 1000 people will have a number ot ATMs.

 

[Camino2010]

Melanie, I changed 700$ into 500 Euros and was good for almost 3 weeks. ATMs are not an in ingeneral but do not panick whenone rejects your card, the next one will take it. Which means to get to the ATM beore you have only 5 € in your pocket. I use a BMO card. As for cash, I carry it on myself ina freon or cargo pocket, Macabi skirts are great for deep pockets. Any town of a couple 1000 people will have a number ot ATMs.

Anemone, I think you were brave! I feel comfortable with 200 euros at a time because it's less to worry about. Last time I walked I met a fellow pilgrim in Leon who had been robbed of 400 euros. He didn't seem to mind and laughed it off but I sat there thinking about how that was half the budget of my Camino! There are enough ATM machines along the way that it's not necessary to carry large amounts of cash, though it is good to always have some. I ran out of cash in O Cebreiro once and there was no ATM there. And yes, as you said, having a card rejected isn't the worst thing in the world (though it was scary for me the first few times it happened). I've found that Santander bank gets along best with my Canadian bank card.

P.S. Melanie, I sent you a private message.

 

[naplesdon]

Albergues are cash only. So are most of the Mom and Pop stores that are often the only store in the village.

I got off the plane in Biarritz. The bus driver was not happy to make change for my 20 euro note on a fare of 1 euro.

ATM machines are ubiquitous.

In fact the Chronoplus buses in Biarritz, Anglet and Bayonne have a notice next to the driver's seat saying he will not accept anything larger than a 5 euro note. The same thing is true in Bilbao with the local buses and trolleys.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Did you have any trouble finding atm machines and were you able to use a bank card or was it a credit card?

I used a bank debit card (I had three, actually), and there are a lot of ATM's. There seemed to be two networks, and my cards were valid in only one of them, which included all of the major banks. If you are running low on cash and are in a city but headed for small villages, plan ahead and make a withdrawal before you leave! Credit cards are not a good backup, and American Express is useless.