I am planning to walk the Camino next year in April/May and am wondering how much cash I should carr

[jenny hall]

I am planning on walking the Camino next April and am wondering how much cash I should carry and how much it will cost me?

 

[supersullivan]

Hi Jenny

Welcome to the forum, there are various threads relating to expenditure elsewhere but just to give some early indication: if you are intending to stay in pilgrim hostels ( albergues ) then municipal albergues typically cost €6 per night, privately run albergues run from about €6 to €12, several private albergues will supply a communal dinner with costs ranging from about €6 to €10. Municipal albergues will usually have a kitchen area to cook a meal but knives, forks, plates etc. can be lacking so if intending to self cook regularly then perhaps bring a lightweight set. Villages and towns with cafe/bars/restaurants will usually have a dinner pilgrim menu available for a typical cost between €8 and €10. Breakfast for most will consist of coffee/ juice and toast with butter and jam/marmalade usually between €2.50 and €4. Lunch can run from about €5 to €7 unless you want to eat picnic style when you should be able to eat well for €3 to €5. That should give you a fair idea of the likely minimum daily costs but if you factor in a couple of short additional breaks on long/ very hot days then another €4 to €6 for cold soft drinks/beers would be reasonable. Private albergues will often have a private bedroom ( twin/ double ) available for between €20 to €30. If intending to use small hotels from time to time then rooms are charged per room rather than occupant so a twin room will range from about €25 upwards with the large towns/ cities usually a bit dearer.
Highly recommended to carry just 4/5 days of ready cash and use a debit card to top up cash in the larger villages/ towns.

Buen camino

Seamus

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I budget 35E per day and live well!

 

[supersullivan]

I budget 35E per day and live well!

Ah Falcon, I have expensive tastes in wine and cigars, I've had to give up slow horses and fast women to be able to go on camino.

 

[jmcarp]

...Highly recommended to carry just 4/5 days of ready cash and use a debt card to top up cash in the larger villages/ towns...

I agree with this advice, although I would additionally recommend either splitting that into two batches to keep separately on your person (different zippered pockets, for instance) or at least keeping 59 Euros or so in small bills stashed away in a separate pocket for emergencies.

 

[naplesdon]

Sure you can do the Camino for less 3o euros per day but the objective is not to be going a budget vacation. Enjoy yourself with some fine meals, wonderful wines and a few luxury hotel stays. I budget 30e/day and spend 50, it's the way it is!

 

[naplesdon]

Oh by the way, you don't need to carry more than 300 euros. There are now than enough ATMs from city to city to keep you flush. Just make sure you have a card that works in one of the Spanish machines. There are plenty of thread on this site that explain that issue.

 

[cherrys]

Hi Jenny - I spent between 25-35 euros a day max, ate and drank well on that. I'd usually take about 250 out of an atm, never going below 40 euros (except once) in my purse. Don't know where you're from, but some Americans had to try several atms to find one that worked with an American card. I had an Irish debit card, never had any problems and no fees, so never used my American credit card (which I carried as a back-up). Enjoy your planning, and especially your trip. Buen camino - Cherry

 

[Deleted member 3000]

ATM's in Spain require a four-digit PIN. If your financial institution uses a longer PIN, change it before you get to Spain! Buen camino.

 

[jenny hall]

thanks guys that is very helpful. I now have some idea what I will need so I can start saving

 

[scruffy1]

Falcon's figure of 35E a day is not far off meaning to take it all it once in order to save bank fees means you will be carrying over 1000E! That's no small headache!! I manage with 250E and recharge as needed from one of the many ATM's along the Camino. In any case divide your billsinto separate places and carry 2 credit cards each in a different place. The Camino is safe but who knows plus the ATM may swallow your card, the magnetic strip may scratch, you may forget your wallet, lose it, goodness only knows all the options are open!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Except for transport, the same as any other trip. ATMs everywhere by the way

 

[Wanderer64]

Also worth noting: If you decide to stay in cheap hotels and other non-albergue private room options, you can usually charge the cost of your room to your credit card, requiring you to carry less cash.

I stayed in albergues for most of the first half of my CF, then opted to stay almost exclusively in private rooms for the later half. When I made the switch to private rooms, I realized I didn't need much cash at all as I could charge rooms, sometimes meals and beer/wine on my Visa card.

When I was paying cash for albergue stays, I never kept more than 150-Euro on hand, $75 of which was kept in a sock in the bottom of my pack as emergency cash. When I began staying in private rooms and charging most of my expenses to credit card, I rarely had more than 75-100-Euro total on hand.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

I kept a detailed account of my expenditure last May. It worked out at €53 a day excluding fares to Spain.
The attached file may be of interest to you ... or not . Ooopppps! Can't upload an Excel file.
If you'd like to see the Excel file, just send me an e-mail.
Buen camino, Jenny!

 

[hnguyen]

How much cash to carry with you depends on your budget and spending pattern. Other pilgrims on this forum have already given you the ball-park figures of their daily expenses - so you can deduce from those numbers to come up with your own daily amount - and carry no more than 4-6 days worth. I try to minimize the amount of cash I carry to a maximum of 200 Euros. The issue with too much cash is potential theft (and worrying about it!) or simply misplacing it (forgetting it in the shower or restaurant!) Of course, you can lose or misplace your credit/debit cards - but the loss from such calamity is limited - and you can cancel the card with a quick phone call to the issuing bank. In place of a lot of cash, I carry one debit card and one credit card. I've never encountered any problem with using either card in France or in Spain (I have 4-digit PIN). Here are some of the things I did before my trip: 1. For both debit & credit cards, inform the bank(s) before my departure of the dates and destination(s) of my trip so that they do not freeze my account due to possible security breech. 2. Give the card's information and bank's phone number to some trusted friends or family members at home - in case you need to cancel it and cannot do so easily from overseas. 3. email yourself this same information - so you can access it online anywhere in the world. 4. Make sure you get a credit card that has no "international transaction fee" - this can add up! 5. Find a debit card that refunds ATM fees completely - regardless of which ATM and where you use it!! If you're from the U.S., Charles Schwab offers such a debit card. I've used this debit card all over Europe, Southeast Asia, East Asia, South Asia, North America and Latin America without ever having to pay a penny of ATM fee. Charles Schwab pays all of these fees for me (I'm not a stock holder of this bank!) It makes me wonder how long this nice policy will last.

 

[Lance Chambers]

I keep 3 days worth of money on me just in case I can't get to an ATM and run out. That means I carry no more than about 150 Euro max and I top up every chance I get.

Just so you know it is possible to live on about 15-20 Euro a day if you're careful. If I'm running a bit low on funds I'll buy carrots, bell peppers, half a cauliflower, a couple of bread rolls and a couple of knobs of salami for about 10 Euros and that can feed me for a couple of days. Then all I need is a bunk and a nice bottle of red (1 Euro if I'm feeling I need a really good one).

The issue for me was keeping the money and cards safe so I have this:



Three pockets. The bottom one for cards, middle for paper money, and the top for passports and other important papers. Coins in pocket.

The bag is only ever removed when I shower and immediately I'm dry it goes back on and the bag and the strap go UNDER my trousers, which are fastened with a wide strong belt, so it cannot be seen.

Have had issues in the past, not on the Camino, with sharp knives and missing bumbags before.

Buen Camino