Some costs on the camino

[sillydoll]

Albergues (nobody calls them refugios in Spain) cost us on average €5 - some are donation, some charge €3 and the private cost between €7 and €9.
We had a budget of €20 a day for food: €3 for breakfast - €5 for lunch and €10 for dinner and €2 for choclate or sweets. We hardly ever overspent although one of our group spent more on beers and wine but still didn't go much over budget.
You will hardly ever find vegetables on a pilgrim menu. There are many small ‘supermecados’ in Spain that sell basic provisions. We often bought a lettuce, tomato, onion etc and made our own salad. Served with ham and/or cheese and bread it makes a substantial dinner. Average cost about €4.50 for three people. I also bought packet soups and added small tins or bottles of vegetables to them for a nourishing meal.

• A few café-bar-cum-restaurants have 3 different prices on their menu. It is cheapest to eat at the bar. You can pay €1 – €1.50 extra to eat at an inside table and a further €1 - €1.50 to eat at a table on the terrace outside.
• Pan (bread) is free with a pilgrim menu but with a Menu del Dia some places will put it on the table and then charge you for it.
• Most Menu del Peregrinos include a first and second course, a desert, bread, water and wine.
• Some Menu del Dia will offer more variety on the courses.
• A typical Peregrino Menu is, Primero - garlic soup, or salad, Secundo: chicken and fires, or a thin slice of beef steak and fries or a pork chop and fries; and desert – a piece of fruit, an ice cream or flan. If you don’t fancy paying €9 for this meal it will be cheaper to eat from the al la carte menu.
• Café-bars also sell breakfasts, a typical menu being a coffee and 2 slices of toast with jam for under €3

Water €1 – 1.50
Coke €1 - €2
Vending machine cans .90c to €1
Vending machine bottle €1.20 - €1.50
White wine small glass from: €1.50 euro
Red wine small glass from €1.20 Large glass €2
Estrella beer (small) €2
Amstel beer (large) €3
Coffee €1.10 to €1.40
Tortilla (potato omelet) €1.50 to €2
Patatas fritas (fries) €3
Ensalada mixta €6 – €9
Toasted sandwich €5
Bocadillo € 4 (50c with each extra filling)
Menu del Peregrino or Menu del Dia €7 – €10
Pasta – most from €6
Platas Combinados – fish or steak or chicken or pork – from €9
Hamburger – A meat patty on a roll (no extras) €2.50 and with cheese or ham about €6
Pan (bread) – 80c to €1
Magnum ice cream - €2
Other ice-cream cups €3.50 - €4

PS: I brought a restaurant menu home with me so if there are any other prices you would like to have mail me off the forum and I will check it for you.

 

[Joseph Chan]

Dear Sil,
Thank you for your most practical advice on food costs, and also on the objective comments on the albergues you stayed in on your recent camino in your other recent post. Your postings has set the standard to follow on any of the Camino related forums: practical; objective; non-judgemental if one diverts off the crowded albergues and seeks an alternative accommodation; freedom of choice.
Good to see you are back home where you can watch the RWC.
Grandpa Joe

 

[sillydoll]

Thank you Grandpa Joe - and so sorry that the All Blacks didn't make the final. We have a nephew taking his gap year in New Zealand and he has fallen in love with your country.
On Accommodation:
Whilst walking the camino we stayed in hotel/hostal accommodation in Pamplona, Burgos, Leon, Sarria and Santiago. We then stayed in similar accommodation in Lugo, Oviedo, Castrojeriz, Santo Domingo de Silos and Roncesvalles on our car journey back to Pamplona. Some cost as little as €30 for a double and the most costly was in Sarria which was €60 for a double. All had en suite bathrooms. In Santiago, Hostal Suso in Rua do Vilar was a perfect place to stay at €38 for a double.

 

[AJ]

This sort of information is extremely useful for those of us who have not previously made the pilgrimage and who have never visited Spain.

Many thanks

AJ