CF - current budget

[Jan_89]

Hello friends!

I wonder what the current prices (albergues, peregrino menu, or some new expenses...) are on the Camino Francés.. I mean current budget for a day. I walked Camino almost 3 years ago and I would like to know if there are some changes or how to prepare for that..

Peregrinos who walked Camino Francés max last year - I would be grateful for your advices..

Thank you!

 

[superleggera]

I'll be interested to know this as well, thanks for asking the question

I can see from the people on this forum that there is a wide gamut of expectation as to what is cheap, expensive, essential or elective depending on how you aim to conduct the Camino, I'm probably at the very low end of that spectrum and I expect most of your other respondents will disagree with my expectations.

From what I have determined is possible from my deliberately limited research, I'm aiming to do it on around an average of 20EUR per day, if I have to spend more some days that's fine and I'll try to pull it back by spending less on others.

I will qualify this by saying that I'm not doing the Camino with the intention of treating it like a holiday but at the same time I'm not seeking to inflict 6 weeks of penury on myself either. As far as I'm able, I'll try to travel and eat in a humble, abstinent manner which means sticking to municipal albergoes and eating pilgrim/communal albergo meals when they are available regardless of whether or not I like what's on the menu. It also means I'll be laying off booze as much as I can during the week- I'll be thinkin' instead o'drinkin'... but I'm no party-pooper either, obviously wine aids the digestion of food so as a Health & Safety issue I won't turn down a glass or two with dinner and in general, I'm hoping to enjoy it as much as anyone else doing the Camino.

BC!

 

[rometimed]

That's a good question.

My best guess is I averaged it out to about 40EUR/day but I spent 3 days around my birthday @ the Parador in Leon with dinner and drinks out etc + had 5 other hotels along the way + that includes walking to Muxia an Finesterra along with eating 'out' basically every day.

My guess I could have done it for less than half if I really wanted to so the 20EUR/day thing isn't too far off IMO.

 

[Jan_89]

What I think and how was it 3 years ago for me:
Albergue: +/- 10 EUR
Food + bar + restaurant or something: +/- 20 EUR
And then other personal expenses.

I don't know, but I think 20 EUR/day is not enough, depends on the region.. I think at least 30 EUR/day is optimal.

My question is if it is the same in 2017..

 

[superleggera]

What I think and how was it 3 years ago for me:
Albergue: +/- 10 EUR
Food + bar + restaurant or something: +/- 20 EUR
And then other personal expenses.

I don't know, but I think 20 EUR/day is not enough, depends on the region.. I think at least 30 EUR/day is optimal.

My question is if it is the same in 2017..

Hi, that's fair enough but I won't be indulging in the restaurants & bars too much unless I have no choice. I've been to Spain (and France many times) before and done the restaurants & bars thing to death, I'm looking for something else on this trip. Who knows, maybe on 20EUR per day all I will find is hunger and loneliness....I guess I'll soon find out

Whatever happens, I will certainly add to this thread on my return and let you know how it went.

BC!

 

[Jan_89]

Hi, that's fair enough but I won't be indulging in the restaurants & bars too much unless I have no choice. I've been to Spain (and France many times) before and done the restaurants & bars thing to death, I'm looking for something else on this trip. Who knows, maybe on 20EUR per day all I will find is hunger and loneliness....I guess I'll soon find out

Whatever happens, I will certainly add to this thread on my return and let you know how it went.

BC!

Totally agree! During my Camino I've been in restaurants once / week and it was fine, but still I needed money for something else.. Some regions are pretty expensive for me!

I wonder how it will be this time..

 

[jpflavin1]

Hello friends!

I wonder what the current prices (albergues, peregrino menu, or some new expenses...) are on the Camino Francés.. I mean current budget for a day. I walked Camino almost 3 years ago and I would like to know if there are some changes or how to prepare for that..

Peregrinos who walked Camino Francés max last year - I would be grateful for your advices..

Thank you!

Jan:

If you go on the Gronze.com site, it lists most of the accommodations along the Frances and their current cost. It will also let you know if there is a communal meal served or not. This should assist in calculating your accommodation cost.

I always had coffee and a pastry each morning 3 Euro's. Lunch about 5 Euro's. Dinner 10 Euro's if eating Pilgrim meals but this can be reduced if cooking for your self or with others.

I always kept some snacks with me fruit, nuts, chocolate depends on your preference.

Occasional other expenses along the way.

I still believe it can be done relatively easily on 30-35 euro's. It can be done on less and of course more dependent on your personal choices.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Jodipup]

Hi, I walked for 10 days from SJPP in Sept 2016. I think if you can budget 25 - 30 euros per day you will be comfortable.
You may find that on 20 euros per day you will be worrying about your budget and not able to be relaxed on your Camino.
I will be walking again in April. The way I do it is that I budget 25 euros per day, but I have an extra 5 euros per day as "emergency" money in my Camino account.
Buen Camino

 

[J Willhaus]

We found the first and last 100 km to be the most expensive. On average 10 euros for a bed, but ranged from 15 to 4 euros per night over the whole CF trip. Pilgrim meals were between 12 - 8 euros.

We often bought food in stores for breakfast or lunch. Fruit, bread, cheese, ham, nuts and that helped us keep our costs at between 25 - 35 euros each per day. We also bought coffee and or cold drinks so that increased the cost some what. I think you could subsist on an average of 20 euros, but in some locations you will spend more or less.

 

[Jan_89]

Thank you guys for the answers! I can see I'll be ok with max 35 EUR/day like 3 years ago..

 

[Curtis]

I walked the Frances late 2016 and spent an average of 12 euro/day

 

[Felipe]

I walked in late 2015. I think as @Jodipup in my estimation. Probably you can do with 20, but with careful planning and some self restraint. And there are always occasional and unavoidable extras.
I'd add that there is a kind of local inflation in the last 100 km, after Sarria, increasing noticeably as you approach Santiago; it is probably 15% costlier. It is the classical demand/offer situation.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Albergue: 10€ (some will be 12, once in Galicia Xunta albergues will be 6€).
2cafe con leches plus a slice of tortilla de patata for breakfast: 5€
Lunch of ensalada mixta:5€
Pilgrim menu or comunal meal: 10€
Then a beer in the afternoon once in a while, and Aquarius for electrolytes.

A heads up: I have seldom found that shopping for ingredients to prepare an evening meal reduces costs as you end up having to buy much larger quantities than are needed. It will work if there are two or three of you sharing. Also if you look at packaged frozen meals like lasagna, often 2€ for a huge portion. It's worth it to look into those large freezers.

 

[David]

Good question indeed .. and it really is how long is a piece of string. One good tip for a budget Camino is to give up caffeine a few weeks before you go .. you wouldn't believe how much a coffee here and there every day adds up!!
A simple Camino doesn't necessarily mean penury - if one carries dry pasta and some cheese and a couple of tomatoes as long as one carries salt, pepper, and olive oil, maybe a small tube of tomato paste .... one can make a fab meal in the evening - and what is wrong with having the same or similar meal every day?
The same with breakfast and lunch - there are shops (ask where they are before setting off each day) and one can buy cheap fresh bread and cheese and sausage and fruit and yoghurt .. you get to eat as and when you will - and if you don't have the concept in your head of "buying a meal" then ingredients are really cheap in the local shops (and they are glad to see you) .. one sausage, two tomatoes, three apples, 200gms of cheese, one yoghurt ...

....then if an invite comes up, or you fancy it, occasionally pop into a restaurant and have the pilgrim meal as you will be able to afford it (and it will be fun).

Good red wine - a digestif indeed - you can buy wine in the shops at a quarter or tenth of the price you will find it in a restaurant.
So - well, all I am saying is that one can be simple and self-sufficient and at the same time eat really well without paying restaurant & bar prices - so your budget can indeed be kept to a minimum without hardship, in fact, with a lot of pluses (and pulses, if you like them).

I think it really depends on whether you are doing a Camino or a Pilgrimage. Were you to book yourself into a monastery at home for five weeks, well, they would confiscate all your electronic gadgets, including your phone, at the door, and you would get very simple freshly cooked meals, with very little variety, with no snacking in between and no coffee, though there would most likely be wine! .. and the thing is about eating ... on Camino it can be about pleasure, but on Pilgrimage surely it is merely about not being hungry, don't you think?

Buen Camino!

p.s. these are merely personal opinions, no member was intentionally harmed in the making or reading of them.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

if one carries dry pasta and some cheese and a couple of tomatoes as long as one carries salt, pepper, and olive oil, maybe a small tube of tomato paste .... one can make a fab meal in the evening ...

The same with breakfast and lunch - there are shops (ask where they are before setting off each day) and one can buy cheap fresh bread and cheese and sausage and fruit and yoghurt .. you get to eat as and when you will - and if you don't have the concept in your head of "buying a meal" then ingredients are really cheap in the local shops (and they are glad to see you) .. one sausage, two tomatoes, three apples, 200gms of cheese, one yoghurt ...
p.s. these are merely personal opinions, no member was intentionally harmed in the making or reading of them.

Could not agree more on the dent cafe con leche makes on the budget. But what is a Camino without it? Oh, and that 3€ freshly squeezed orange juice.

"One sausage, two tomatoes, three apples, 200 grams of cheese and one yogurt" (good luck finding just one and not a pack of four) will cost you as much as a menu del dia or pilgrim menu. Hence my post about this not being much of a saving.

When we are spending a fortune for the lightest backpack, liner, super light and fast drying clothes, we are now going to carry 1 kg of oil, salt, pasta?

Not to say you shouldn't and it cannot be done, of course if pasta with oil is all you can afford in order to walk it is what it is, but once you start adding in a sausage, a yogourt, some fresh veggetables, you might as well give your € to a family owned restaurant with granny cooking in the kitchen than to a large chain.

 

[superleggera]

Good question indeed .. and it really is how long is a piece of string. One good tip for a budget Camino is to give up caffeine a few weeks before you go .. you wouldn't believe how much a coffee here and there every day adds up!!
A simple Camino doesn't necessarily mean penury - if one carries dry pasta and some cheese and a couple of tomatoes as long as one carries salt, pepper, and olive oil, maybe a small tube of tomato paste .... one can make a fab meal in the evening - and what is wrong with having the same or similar meal every day?
The same with breakfast and lunch - there are shops (ask where they are before setting off each day) and one can buy cheap fresh bread and cheese and sausage and fruit and yoghurt .. you get to eat as and when you will - and if you don't have the concept in your head of "buying a meal" then ingredients are really cheap in the local shops (and they are glad to see you) .. one sausage, two tomatoes, three apples, 200gms of cheese, one yoghurt ...

....then if an invite comes up, or you fancy it, occasionally pop into a restaurant and have the pilgrim meal as you will be able to afford it (and it will be fun).

Good red wine - a digestif indeed - you can buy wine in the shops at a quarter or tenth of the price you will find it in a restaurant.
So - well, all I am saying is that one can be simple and self-sufficient and at the same time eat really well without paying restaurant & bar prices - so your budget can indeed be kept to a minimum without hardship, in fact, with a lot of pluses (and pulses, if you like them).

I think it really depends on whether you are doing a Camino or a Pilgrimage. Were you to book yourself into a monastery at home for five weeks, well, they would confiscate all your electronic gadgets, including your phone, at the door, and you would get very simple freshly cooked meals, with very little variety, with no snacking in between and no coffee, though there would most likely be wine! .. and the thing is about eating ... on Camino it can be about pleasure, but on Pilgrimage surely it is merely about not being hungry, don't you think?

Buen Camino!

p.s. these are merely personal opinions, no member was intentionally harmed in the making or reading of them.

Good reply and as I mentioned, an example of the wide gamut of opinion. I don't buy a 3 quid cup of coffee everyday at home, but there are people who have already had 2 cups on their way to work and will probably buy another 2 or 3 before the end of the day and regard it as an essential purchase. I don't snack in between, I just eat main meals generally. What's normal to one is superfluous to another. I'm not religious but I do respect the ethos and purpose of the Camino as a pilgrimage and will attempt to conduct it as such whatever that means, not entirely sure myself. I'll just go with the flow but the humble, frugal and mildly abstinent approach will obviously dictate the direction of that flow.

On holiday or travelling for work, I often found myself buying a small block of cheese, a small piece of chorizo/salami, a bread roll or pitta, some fresh olives or a small salad etc and sitting on a park bench or next to a fountain with a bottle of water rather than eat the usual stuff that was available in the bars or cafes- I regard a small folding pocket knife as an essential piece of equipment to take to Spain because of that.

I've had some great meals in some beautiful restaurants in Spain and obviously pintxos/tapas can be amazing (especially in Bilbao) but on my budget I'm not expecting particularly great things food wise on my Camino pilgrimage and avoiding hunger will be my main aim, anything else is a bonus.

 

[trecile]

Could not agree more on the dent cafe con leche makes on the budget. But what is a Camino without it? Oh, and that 3€ freshly squeezed orange juice.

I'm not a regular coffee drinker at home, so I can go without, but that wonderful fresh squeezed orange juice? That's a budget buster for me!

 

[mvanert]

Hello friends!

I wonder what the current prices (albergues, peregrino menu, or some new expenses...) are on the Camino Francés.. I mean current budget for a day. I walked Camino almost 3 years ago and I would like to know if there are some changes or how to prepare for that..

Peregrinos who walked Camino Francés max last year - I would be grateful for your advices..

Thank you!

Last summer I average 35 euros a day staying at, mainly, private albergues, I could have done it for less, probably 25 but I wouldn't want to go under that.

 

[Brian&Deb J.]

I walked the Frances late 2016 and spent an average of 12 euro/day

That's impressive Curtis. What type of accommodation did you frequent? Where did you eat?

 

[J Willhaus]

I don't eat desert so usually saved my piece of fruit for breakfast or part of the next day's lunch. If we could buy eggs, we often hard boiled a couple for the next day's mid morning snack. Some of my best memories are of taking a break next to the Camino with bread, cheese, and a piece of fruit. It was not about saving money so much it was about enjoying the journey and soaking in the sights around us.

 

[WildPlace]

In 2015 I went along with two friends (a married couple) to "show them the ropes" I'd said to them that I would budget 30 euros a day - meaning for each of them (albergue/food & drinks during the day/meal in the evening) they took it as 30 euros between them! They actually got by on not much more than 30 euros a day between them from SJPdP to Santiago, they stayed mainly in albergues with the odd private room and the very occasional hotel (which with three/four people worked out roughly the same as an albergue bed).

For my 2017 planning i'm budgeting for a maximum of 30 euros a day for everything and don't think it'll be far off - I can only very rarely eat a pilgrims menu (because of dietary restrictions) but I like my coffee and zumo natural while walking during the day, prepare my own food for the evening and like to go and soak up the atmosphere with a vino or two in the evening.

 

[Saint Mike II]

That's a good question. My best guess is I averaged it out to about 40EUR/day but I spent 3 days around my birthday @ the Parador in Leon with dinner and drinks out etc + had 5 other hotels along the way + that includes walking to Muxia an Finesterra along with eating 'out' basically every day. My guess I could have done it for less than half if I really wanted to so the 20EUR/day thing isn't too far off IMO.

Hola I was going to suggest around E30 per day, again dependent upon using private V donativo albergues (but either way its at least E10 per night) plus food & drinks. Pooling funds and group cooking can reduce costs - but this requires staying in an albergue with cooking/kitchens and groups willing to get together.
BTW - I would ignore "special costs" like the Parador in Leon - as a birthday treat. Cheers

 

[Saint Mike II]

@David - thanks old friend - your post has just reminded me of a couple of extra tools to bring from home: sharp knife; plastic fork/spoon; cork-screw. I expect I can buy any other items that the lunch-time picnic requires eg plastic glass/mug to drink the vino tinto. (BTW don't worry about the knife & cork-screw - backpack goes in checked baggage already). Cheers

 

[J Willhaus]

@David - thanks old friend - your post has just reminded me of a couple of extra tools to bring from home: sharp knife; plastic fork/spoon; cork-screw. I expect I can buy any other items that the lunch-time picnic requires eg plastic glass/mug to drink the vino tinto. (BTW don't worry about the knife & cork-screw - backpack goes in checked baggage already). Cheers

We bought an Opinel #8 with a corkscrew in SJPPD and used it almost every day for bread, cheese, fruit, wine. Also nice to have in the albergue kitchen where the sharp knife is a rarity. Left it as a "gift" at Muxia to the common kitchen.

 

[marilyn van graan]

Good question indeed .. and it really is how long is a piece of string. One good tip for a budget Camino is to give up caffeine a few weeks before you go .. you wouldn't believe how much a coffee here and there every day adds up!!
A simple Camino doesn't necessarily mean penury - if one carries dry pasta and some cheese and a couple of tomatoes as long as one carries salt, pepper, and olive oil, maybe a small tube of tomato paste .... one can make a fab meal in the evening - and what is wrong with having the same or similar meal every day?
The same with breakfast and lunch - there are shops (ask where they are before setting off each day) and one can buy cheap fresh bread and cheese and sausage and fruit and yoghurt .. you get to eat as and when you will - and if you don't have the concept in your head of "buying a meal" then ingredients are really cheap in the local shops (and they are glad to see you) .. one sausage, two tomatoes, three apples, 200gms of cheese, one yoghurt ...

....then if an invite comes up, or you fancy it, occasionally pop into a restaurant and have the pilgrim meal as you will be able to afford it (and it will be fun).

Good red wine - a digestif indeed - you can buy wine in the shops at a quarter or tenth of the price you will find it in a restaurant.
So - well, all I am saying is that one can be simple and self-sufficient and at the same time eat really well without paying restaurant & bar prices - so your budget can indeed be kept to a minimum without hardship, in fact, with a lot of pluses (and pulses, if you like them).

I think it really depends on whether you are doing a Camino or a Pilgrimage. Were you to book yourself into a monastery at home for five weeks, well, they would confiscate all your electronic gadgets, including your phone, at the door, and you would get very simple freshly cooked meals, with very little variety, with no snacking in between and no coffee, though there would most likely be wine! .. and the thing is about eating ... on Camino it can be about pleasure, but on Pilgrimage surely it is merely about not being hungry, don't you think?

Buen Camino!

p.s. these are merely personal opinions, no member was intentionally harmed in the making or reading of them.

Well I do like your reply - I really manage well with so little on the camino as I am a vegetarian I find that the peregrino meals do not suit me so buy from the locals and eat what is on offer along the way. I do find the coffee in Spain is good and so that is one indulgence for me but if it is very hot then 2 cups a day do me well. We can make our camino as pricey as we wish but bearing in mind that 20 Euros a day is almost the minimum.
Buen camino and bon apetite

 

[J F Gregory]

We walked 33 days in March and April. We never went without anything and spent about $1700.00 total for 2 people of course minus airfare.

 

[ChloeRose]

I stayed in the big Albergues (€3-10 a night) and usually ate twice or three times a day for (€5-10). So at most I was spending about €30/day.

Of course, you should leave room in your budget for equipment changes just in case! Never know what those shoes will do until you start seriously using them.

 

[Jose J. Martinez]

My wife and I went March/April/May, 2016. I was budgeting an amount of 25 euros per person per day. I ended up averaging the 50 euros for both of us, but wound up ahead most of the time. Anyhow, the stay is a fixed expense and the meals are variable. We saved money buying at the supermarkets and by cooking at the albergues, but the reason was to just have some home cooked meals. Therefore, staying in public albergues and not indulging in very expensive meals, will most likely keep you at 25 euros per day.

 

[NolaVulling]

I'll be interested to know this as well, thanks for asking the question

I can see from the people on this forum that there is a wide gamut of expectation as to what is cheap, expensive, essential or elective depending on how you aim to conduct the Camino, I'm probably at the very low end of that spectrum and I expect most of your other respondents will disagree with my expectations.

From what I have determined is possible from my deliberately limited research, I'm aiming to do it on around an average of 20EUR per day, if I have to spend more some days that's fine and I'll try to pull it back by spending less on others.

I will qualify this by saying that I'm not doing the Camino with the intention of treating it like a holiday but at the same time I'm not seeking to inflict 6 weeks of penury on myself either. As far as I'm able, I'll try to travel and eat in a humble, abstinent manner which means sticking to municipal albergoes and eating pilgrim/albergo meals when they are available regardless of whether or not I like what's on the menu. It also means I'll be laying off booze as much as I can- I'll be thinkin' instead o'drinkin'... but I'm no party-pooper either, obviously wine aids the digestion of food so as a Health & Safety issue I won't turn down a glass with dinner and in general, I'm hoping to enjoy it as much as anyone else doing the Camino.

BC!

Pilgrim meals almost always include wine so you wont have to be in abstinence mode. LOL

 

[NolaVulling]

Hello friends!

I wonder what the current prices (albergues, peregrino menu, or some new expenses...) are on the Camino Francés.. I mean current budget for a day. I walked Camino almost 3 years ago and I would like to know if there are some changes or how to prepare for that..

Peregrinos who walked Camino Francés max last year - I would be grateful for your advices..

Thank you!

I am including here a quote about Donativo from the website of the beautiful pilgrim refuge L'esprit du Chemin, one day's walk out of Vezelay in France. They were formerly opposite the pilgrim office in St Jean Pied de Port.
In short: donativo does not mean “for free”, although (too) many pilgrims think so. Therefore, more and more hostels in Spain have stopped working on the basis of donativo and charge fixed, higher prices.

However, we at L'Esprit du Chemin want to continue working on the basis of donativo. In ordinary life money is so important that it seems like the whole world turns on it. This doesn't have to be true, does it? After all, money is still "only" a means, isn't it? Certainly a pilgrimage is the perfect time to (re)discover deeper values. We like to emphasize that by working on the basis of donativo. It means that money does not stand in the way between us, the hosts, and you, the pilgrim on the way to Santiago.

So you yourself decide how much you can and want to give. And of course it's great if you can and will consider what the hospitality costs us. That allows us to offer the same kind of hospitality to future pilgrims. To give you an idea, based on an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast:

• if you give between € 22 and € 26, it covers the expenses,
• if you give more than € 26, we can pay the extras which make our hostel a very special place,
• if you give less than € 22, then you will have a good reason for doing that.

 

[superleggera]

Pilgrim meals almost always include wine so you wont have to be in abstinence mode. LOL

Heh heh, well I have said the consumption of wine with food is an aid to digestion and in the interest of Health & Safety I would certainly never turn a bottle or two down...er, I mean glass or two.

BC!

 

[jgpryde]

...Who knows, maybe on 20EUR per day all I will find is hunger and loneliness....I guess I'll soon find out

SuperLeggera-Just based on your participation in this forum thus far, I can't imagine you will *ever* be "lonely" . I appreciate your common sense approach and will guide myself similarly. Keep Posting! -jgp

 

[superleggera]

SuperLeggera-Just based on your participation in this forum thus far, I can't imagine you will *ever* be "lonely" . I appreciate your common sense approach and will guide myself similarly. Keep Posting! -jgp

Thank you, what a kind thing to say

However, for every person who likes what I have to say, there is always someone who doesn't...'twas ever thus and I wouldn't have it any other way...

... although I'm hoping I bump into one type more than the other, that's for sure.

BC! my friend

 

[Kbierstube]

I walked the Frances late 2016 and spent an average of 12 euro/day

Omg, Curtis. How?

 

[Pawel]

During late 2015 from SJPdP to Santiago and then to Finisterre, Muxia and back to Santiato - altogether 36 days of walking I spent 1277€.

I used google sheets on my phone to keep track of _every_ expenditure - from ticket for a bus in Bilbao to daily spending during Camino, from water/chocolate at the airport to dinner here or there . That amount includes dozen+ of postcards, stamps, some of the tickets from and to airports at the beginning/end, some souvenirs etc.
Note that I always ate dinner outside, never cooked by myself and had at least one (mostly two) breakes for coffey, orange juice, tortilla etc during daily walk.
Dinners quality was not scaled with price . Some at 8€ were just more than I could expect from any dinner, while more expensive ones (like one in Leon that I was invited to) were not so good (to quote friend who invited us, fellow pilgrims for his birthday dinner).
Recently, thanks to notes in the spreadsheet I've made some statistics.

So to the numbers:
Total spending: 1277€; divided into five categories: sleeping, food, transportation, dinners and other.

Sleeping/Albuergues: 254€ (36 nights, not counting prepaid one in SJPdP; I stayed only in Municipal, Xunta, Donativo etc). Max: 20 (but dinner included); Min: 5; Avg: ~7,1.
Food: 514€ (lot of fruits and nuts, combined with tuna, salmon, yogurts for breakfast and snacks for a day).
Transportation: 14€ (some tickets from Bilbao airport to Bilbao, one from Santiago to the airport, for other I had paid before arrival).
Other: 158€ (postcards, stamps, tissues, soap and toiletries, washing/drying machine here and there, entrance fees, additional socks, some pharmacy stuff, souvenirs, offertory in a church).
Dinners: 337€ (including extra 35€ one in Santiago, one invited, and excluding two included in sleeping price etc). Max: 13,5 (not counting Santiago one); Min: 8; Avg: 11+€

IMO - writing it down the same day is the key. I prepared sample spreadsheet before departure (with basic functions as auto summation) and saved in the google drive.
Hope that will be of some help in planning.

--
Pawel

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I stayed in the big Albergues (€3-10 a night) and usually ate twice or three times a day for (€5-10).

3€? Who charges that these days? Because I'm assuming that if one can eat for 5-10€ three times a day one has money to cover the cost in a donativo.

 

[Mark Lee]

Who knows, maybe on 20EUR per day all I will find is hunger and loneliness

You should get by just fine on that. A lot of pilgrims budget less than that.
There are several albergues that are donativo option (I wonder if someone has a list of those?). Save you at least 5 euros each time you stay at those, and they are designed for pilgrims truly on a budget, but unfortunately a lot of pilgrims not on a budget take advantage of that and stiff the place.....cheap charlies #10
Not to mention how much you save by going to the grocers/market and prepping your own meals.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

So you yourself decide how much you can and want to give. And of course it's great if you can and will consider what the hospitality costs us. That allows us to offer the same kind of hospitality to future pilgrims. To give you an idea, based on an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast:

• if you give between € 22 and € 26, it covers the expenses,
• if you give more than € 26, we can pay the extras which make our hostel a very special place,
• if you give less than € 22, then you will have a good reason for doing that.

I really wish more albergue would put such signs up. In fact on he Primitivo there often was a "suggested donativo". It was then up to the person hoping not to pay it to verbalise this.

On the other hand, on the Portiguese, in Rates, the box is there and there is never a mantion of money, now even showing where the box is. I am not sure how I feel about this. One one hand, noone not able to pay a standard fee doesn't have to explain this. On the other it allows too many to get away with not covering their cost. I suppose they then walk in with the guilt of knowing they should have paid and did not, but is that a feeling a donativo wants to create in a walker?

I like it written up front: this is what you us, we don't want to turn away anyone who cannot cover their cost so don't feel bad, and many thanks to those who leave extra to make up for those who can't pay the full cost.

I believe most of us should look at a donativo as a place where you give more than you can so subsidise others. Or pop in, leave a few € on your way to a non-donativo and leave your bunk for someone for whom a full cost stay would be a stretch.

 

[superleggera]

You should get by just fine on that. A lot of pilgrims budget less than that.
There are several albergues that are donativo option (I wonder if someone has a list of those?). Save you at least 5 euros each time you stay at those, and they are designed for pilgrims truly on a budget, but unfortunately a lot of pilgrims not on a budget take advantage of that and stiff the place.....cheap charlies #10
Not to mention how much you save by going to the grocers/market and prepping your own meals.

Cheers Mark, useful to know, I'm paying close attention to what you say on these forums, you got some good advice there Bubbagump

 

[Dylan Price]

Hello friends!

I wonder what the current prices (albergues, peregrino menu, or some new expenses...) are on the Camino Francés.. I mean current budget for a day. I walked Camino almost 3 years ago and I would like to know if there are some changes or how to prepare for that..

Peregrinos who walked Camino Francés max last year - I would be grateful for your advices..

Thank you!

My wife and I walked the Camino Sept/Oct 2015. The best budget was around 25-30EUR a day each.

Albergues are $5-10euro on average a night. Even those with a donation we always paid the going rate especially if there was food as well.

Breakfast 2.50-4 Euro
Second breakfast (lol) normally 3eur
Lunch we normally sorted ourselves - bread and sauscison, cheese etc - say 2Euro
Dinner 8-12 eur.
There were days when we could do dinner, including wine, for around 5eur each or cheaper - this was if we cooked ourselves.

Beer and wine is super cheap - yay!

 

[ChloeRose]

3€? Who charges that these days? Because I'm assuming that if one can eat for 5-10€ three times a day one has money to cover the cost in a donativo.

What a presumption. I never, and would never, pay only €3 for a donativo. I paid that amount when staying at the 400+ Albergue in Burgos, where there is no wifi, no food, no laundry and no sheets provided. €3 was their posted amount. I got what I paid for.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

What a presumption. I never, and would never, pay only €3 for a donativo. I paid that amount when staying at the 400+ Albergue in Burgos, where there is no wifi, no food, no laundry and no sheets provided. €3 was their posted amount. I got what I paid for.

I remember that albergue, stayed there twice. Super modern and clean, but just cafeteria style tables, microwave ovens and vending machines. Did not remember it being 3€, still a heck of a deal to sleep and shower in an important European city.

 

[TangoMike]

In 2015 I went along with two friends (a married couple) to "show them the ropes" I'd said to them that I would budget 30 euros a day - meaning for each of them (albergue/food & drinks during the day/meal in the evening) they took it as 30 euros between them! They actually got by on not much more than 30 euros a day between them from SJPdP to Santiago, they stayed mainly in albergues with the odd private room and the very occasional hotel (which with three/four people worked out roughly the same as an albergue bed).

For my 2017 planning i'm budgeting for a maximum of 30 euros a day for everything and don't think it'll be far off - I can only very rarely eat a pilgrims menu (because of dietary restrictions) but I like my coffee and zumo natural while walking during the day, prepare my own food for the evening and like to go and soak up the atmosphere with a vino or two in the evening.

WildPlace, can you remember what type of food you purchased and how well it kept whilst you were walking? Do I need to bring a food container - already have packed zip lock bags in various sizes and a very small melamine plate to cut food on. I have already packed small salt & pepper shakers as well (read you needed them as none were found by the author of the book) Food is going to be a bit of a bug bear for me I feel. The simplier the better.

 

[WildPlace]

WildPlace, can you remember what type of food you purchased and how well it kept whilst you were walking? Do I need to bring a food container - already have packed zip lock bags in various sizes and a very small melamine plate to cut food on. I have already packed small salt & pepper shakers as well (read you needed them as none were found by the author of the book) Food is going to be a bit of a bug bear for me I feel. The simplier the better.

Hi, yes, I usually bought chorizo, cheese, nuts, jamón, paté, chicharrones, tinned tuna in oil, sardines in olive oil, olives, oranges, apples, dried fruit if I could get it and it didn't contain any additives that are on my "illegal" list. If I was staying somewhere with cooking facilities (not that frequently available) I would go out and buy some eggs to hard boil and see also if I could buy some salad to go along with whatever of the other items mentioned that I could eat. I never eat breakfast or lunch.

I had a couple of very small plastic containers with the clip tops to make them airtight (I brought them from home with me) and would keep the eggs in those for travelling over the new couple of days. A spork is one of my vital pieces of kit!

I didn't carry all that stuff at the same time, just a selection. I found everything kept pretty well and didn't worry too much for a couple of days - the chorizo once opened needed to be in a ziplock because it would go a bit "sweaty" ditto the cheese.

I remember getting to the albergue at Ventosa and having to wait for it to open. I sat with a French Canadian lady who I'd originally met at Orisson on the first night. She whipped out a chunk of cheese to eat for lunch - this was day 11 of walking for me - she said that she'd bought it from the stall/van we'd seen when crossing the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles on day 2

Is food going to be a bug bear in terms of cost or dietary requirements?

 

[TangoMike]

Hi, yes, I usually bought chorizo, cheese, nuts, jamón, paté, chicharrones, tinned tuna in oil, sardines in olive oil, olives, oranges, apples, dried fruit if I could get it and it didn't contain any additives that are on my "illegal" list. If I was staying somewhere with cooking facilities (not that frequently available) I would go out and buy some eggs to hard boil and see also if I could buy some salad to go along with whatever of the other items mentioned that I could eat. I never eat breakfast or lunch.

I had a couple of very small plastic containers with the clip tops to make them airtight (I brought them from home with me) and would keep the eggs in those for travelling over the new couple of days. A spork is one of my vital pieces of kit!

I didn't carry all that stuff at the same time, just a selection. I found everything kept pretty well and didn't worry too much for a couple of days - the chorizo once opened needed to be in a ziplock because it would go a bit "sweaty" ditto the cheese.

I remember getting to the albergue at Ventosa and having to wait for it to open. I sat with a French Canadian lady who I'd originally met at Orisson on the first night. She whipped out a chunk of cheese to eat for lunch - this was day 11 of walking for me - she said that she'd bought it from the stall/van we'd seen when crossing the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles on day 2

Is food going to be a bug bear in terms of cost or dietary requirements?

WildPlace only dietary unfortunately... I don't mind paying for food I just have to be careful with microbes, what they actually contain and especially fat content as that will bring on some severe vomiting/intestinal reactions. I cannot do soups unless it has been made that day or the vegetables ferment which most people don't realise. I need to have fresh stuff daily but I am prepared to do what it takes it is just good to have some idea on how things can work. Wow cheese 9 days old would have me running for Immodium stat I will buy, eat my share and then share out to those around me Pity about tuna in oil though You would think I would be skinny with these restrictions but alas it has had the opposite affect on me