How expensive is the Norte?

[notion900]

Hi just been reading about the C Norte being 'much more expensive' than the C Frances. Like how much more? I am already a bit concerned about costs due to the poor exchange rate from the pound to euro. Are the extra costs because there are not enough refuges and you end up in hotels? Or are the refuges themselves more expensive? Or is it general cost of living / food? Any idea of daily costs would be of great help.

 

[viajero]

There is a thread about this regarding the cost of albergues: el-camino-del-norte/topic5686.html

I can't remember well the prices but I do remember it being more expensive--especially the first week between Irun and Bilbao. Mainly because the coastal route passes through seaside resorts where there are tourists, the prices tend to be somewhat higher. There are a few posts about this under various threads if you do some searches in this forum. It's a beautiful route.

 

[Bridget and Peter]

I think the problem is that there are just less albergues, so you end up having to use small hotels more. In April this year some albergues were closed too. Costs that we spent, off the top of my head were -
Irun - alberque, donation or fee of perhaps 5 euros,
Rosa's private albergue near Orio I think - 8 euros including breakfast
Small hotel at the top of the hill with the monastery whose name I can never remember (founded where an eagle dropped a skull, such a cheery story) - 16 a head for a dormitory room, included evening meal and breakfast
Gernika - first time there, 42 euros for the two of us in a hotel in the centre, included a set evening meal, special pilgrim deal.
second time we stayed in the youth hostel and I reckon it was a little more expensive including the hostel evening meal, and a lot less comfortable. on the other hand we met nice pilgrims!
Lezama - small b and b type place (alb not open yet) - I think only 24 euros for the room for two
Bilbao - we stayed in a central 1 star pension - 35 for the room.
Portugalete - alb not yet open although several people insisted on taking us to it - again small hotel, probably 30 ish
Castro Urdiales - alb 4 euros each
Guriezo - municipal albergue, ?5 euros
Laredo - we stayed in the Albergue el Buen Pastor which is like a YMCA hostel and I thionk 25 euros for a double room. There is another alb in the town which might have proved cheaper but we chose this because it had a kitchen. So what we spent on the room we saved on not eating out.
Guemes - a famous albergue which everyone says is not to be missed because it is all designed to provide a friendly communal experience, It is a very nice place, and worth the miles and miles it seems to take to find! Again, can't quite remember price but it was maybe 8?
Santander - we stayed in the albergue in 2009, adequate, cheap. This April we stayed in a cheap hotel because we wanted two nights.
Polanco - albergue Regato de las Anguilas, (in an old red cross roadside hut)4 euros each, and we paid the hospitalera 15 for a meal for the two of us of tortilla and salad, wine and coffee
Santillana del Mar - albergue in grounds of Jesus Otero museum, 5 or 6 euros each, no kitchen
Cobreces - in the monastery - 5 euros each I think, could have had a meal but ate our supplies
San Vicente de la Barquera - lovely albergue, usual albergue price and donations requested for the evening meal.
We try to buy picnic food and evening meals from supermarkets rather than eat out too often, so that makes up for some of the cost of the hotel rooms. Buses and train fares on the Feve, should you need them, are really good value!

hope this helps!

B
x

 

[notion900]

Thanks so much, it does not sounds so expensive as I feared.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I found it no more expensive than the Frances.

 

[AJ]

I didn't find it too much more expensive than the Frances either, but I am not on a tight budget and eat a menu or equivalent most days and do not skimp on such essentials as beer and wine.

There are fewer albergues than the Frances, but it is still possible to stay in them most of the time. Seaside towns are not necessarily very expensive: if there is no albergue, check with tourist info. They found me a very nice single room for 15 euros in the heart of Luarca.