Pilgrims from Australia and the wonderful New Zealand

[SarahTheKiwi]

Hi Sarah. With summer coming, and you a South Islander, I'm urging you to take a hike to the DOC hut at the Temple Ski Basin in Arthur's Pass National Park. It is the exact antipode to an easily indentifiable point on the CF next to the Santiago airport. Details in the following post:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/te-araroa-forum-info-planning.78633/#post-1103586

Hopefully one day. I haven't been to Arthur's Pass for possibly over 20 years. I must get out and see my own country again!

 

[Thornley]

Hi @KiwiRon. I'm guessing a greater part of my expense is starting from Invercargill. Regional flights are a killer. My flights are $4,300 to be exact, including a night in Dubai and travel insurance (which are only small factors). I'm flying all the way to Biarritz, and then out of Madrid on the return leg. I intend to book Borda if I get half a chance, then the next day hop slightly past Roncesvalles. I don't want to stay at Roncesvalles really.

Stay the extra night @ St JPP ,
Walk as far as you want that day [ Orrison / Borda ] return taxi , great sleep , taxi to where you stopped and you will make Burguete easily, which is a great place to stay.
April could be beautiful , play it by ear mate because our first one in May 2008 was via Valcarlos , which we loved [ Mount closed because of torrential rain ]

 

[hunsta]

Off on our third Camino in April, Porto central (coast to Vila do Conde) with a finale
Happy Hiking and Buen Camino.

I did that this year starting May 2nd. You`ll love it. Just watch when you get to Vila do Conde. Do hang a right over the bridge so as to get to the aquaduct. Otherwise its very easy (as I did) to follow the arrows which lead you back on the coastal route.

 

[hunsta]

I did my 2nd and 3rd Camino in early May this year. Flights were quite good as I booked rather early. But just checking before I left, were surprisingly doubled.
I am trying to consider walks closer to home. But one can do home as often as one can get away. I am looking into NZ for 2025. But Just coming into this forum, always makes me want to go back to Spain. I would like to do the CF again before I retire. So I can still afford to do it. However my last 5 week trip to Spain/ Portugal only cost me 6K total.
Cheers

 

[alwalker]

I've done 4 caminos (including the Ignaciano in Spain) Despite the initial cost of flights, I still find those trips far cheaper and have so much more worth than any other holidays I look at in Australia or NZ.

Hi, My search for --Ignaciano in Spain -- did not show anything? Where is this way???

 

[Bradypus]

Hi, My search for --Ignaciano in Spain -- did not show anything? Where is this way???

In the Basque region. From Loyola to Manresa linking sites connected to the life of the Jesuit founder. @timr walked the route quite recently and made detailed posts about the journey.

Thread 'Camino Ignaciano Autumn 2023' https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-ignaciano-autumn-2023.83858/

Camino Ignaciano – Camino Ignaciano

caminoignaciano.org

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Hi, My search for --Ignaciano in Spain -- did not show anything? Where is this way???

There are a number of threads on the Camino Ignaciano on a sub-forum here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/forums/camino-ignaciano-loyola-manresa.158/

 

[Pamb]

Hi, My search for --Ignaciano in Spain -- did not show anything? Where is this way???

It runs from Loyola in the Basque country to Manresa in Catalina. Crosses the Frances at Navarette and Logroño. https://ignatiancamino.com/about-the-ignatian-camino/

 

[gittiharre]

Hi. Just wondering how many caminos people have done in Europe with the additional costs and time coming from Australia and New Zealand? I am up to 3 and a bit. After just returning from CF, it is highly addictive.
Are there any walks you recommend closer to home?
Thanks in advance.

I am totally addicted to walking the Caminos of Europe. I started with the CF in 2006 aged 51 and have walked a route almost every year including during covid. Just got back from walking the St Olavsleden in Sweden and Portugal. Until this year flights were cheap. In 2023, I got a return flight for 1600 NZ dollars...with Emirates into Munich, out of Barcelona and the year before 1650 into Lisbon and out of Santiago de Compostela.
This year I paid 3300 into Ljubljana and out of Frankfurt. Accommodation costs have also increased substantially in main centres.
I used to be able to have a basic camino experience on 30 Euros a day and really comfortable one on 65 Euros a day...I suspect that has changed. The St Olavsleden was very expensive..I did not keep a record, as I did not want to spoil the experience.
That being said, I walked the Vezelay Route last year and it was extremely affordable. Excellent pilgrim lodgings, often hosted by volunteers who cooked delicious meals for 10 Euros and the bunk and bfast came to 12 to 15 Euros. A lot of the gites were almost empty. I walked in Late September and October. Downside was the amount of road walking...
.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Hi @gittiharre, Have you walked the Via Podiensis in addition to the Vezelay Camino? I ask because I loved the Via P and have considered returning. The costs are not inexpensive, but the Vezelay sounds like a real bargain, although cost isn't everything. I'd be interested to know if they are comparable in terrain and architecture. I know the Vezelay would not be as well traveled as the Le Puy.
Any thoughts?

 

[dougfitz]

The St Olavsleden was very expensive..I did not keep a record, as I did not want to spoil the experience.

I didn't keep a record on the S:t Olavsleden either, but tried to do an estimate of my costs this year in Norway. I was a bit complicated because I was away for 60 days with visits to family and friends book-ending my pilgrimage walk, as well as staying in Trondheim for the cultural and beer and food festivals. So this includes some more expensive accommodation than just the days on the Gudbrandsdalen routes itself. Excluding air fares, my per diem was about AUD135 as best I can calculate. That is a bit over EUR 83 or nearly NOK 1000.

This was not quite as expensive as I expected that it might have been. I originally budgeted on the basis of $150 a day, excluding air fares.