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Cost - Frances vs. Portuguese?

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bkkboy

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2021
Hi.
I plan to walk either the French or Portuguese caminos next year with family members and am working out a budget. Since I want to keep costs to a minimum, is the Portuguese camino cheaper than the French route for food and accommodation? On average, how much did people pay, per day, this year?
Thanks in advance
 
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Perfect memento/gift in a presentation box. Engraving available, 25 character max.
There are at least two other threads started in the past week asking about costs on the CP. You can find my contribution to them here and here. Note that the data was collected when I walked the CP from Valenca, so collected in Spain. My experience is that costs in Spain are generally slightly higher than those in Portugal, but I haven't walked the CF recently enough to give you current daily cost information.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I found the costs to be pretty much the same between the two routes. That being said, I found more options to be available on the Frances, simply, I suspect, because it is more popular. The friendliness and helpfulness was equal on both.
I wish I could give you the numbers you want/need for your planning. However, I did not keep track! My overall budget on the CP, which I did last October, was on the low side, and I never ran out of money.
On the other hand, I am a cheapskate.
 
Based on a lot of recent posts of the same nature - plan on €50-60/day. If it winds up being less, be pleasantly surprised and perhaps treat yourself to a private room, a massage or both
Good luck and Buen Camino
 
I walked CF in 2019 and CP (from Porto) 2023. I think the costs are about the same with the CF a bit lower. I think CF is a bit lower because there are more choices as far as food & lodging. Especially with the lodging - more of the less expensive albergues available.
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
With all Respect Due IMHO anything pre COVID is gone into the annals of yesteryear.
CF in may-june/22 averaged me €40/day and as I stated above more recent posts suggest that the prices did go up even more, however slightly
 
Hi,
I have walked both, the French almost 10 years ago and the Portuguese, starting in Lisbon in 2019, so I cannot speak to recent costs on the French. That being said, when looking in the current guide book, the prices do not look too expensive for the albergues on the French. I think that there are many more choices for accommodation and food on the French, which could ultimately save some money. It was much more difficult to find reasonable accommodation on the Portuguese. I am headed back to do the French Camino in April and very excited to walk that Camino again. I am sure that you will make the right decision for you and your family. Buen Camino
 
I walked the CF 4 years ago and had daily average cost of ~23€ (excl. transportation to and from start and goal). Walked the CP from Porto this July and had average cost of ~27€ per day.

Slightly increased in the past 4 years. Mix of private and mostly municipal albergues (11€ in average per night). Food, coffee and drinks were a bit cheaper in Portugal, but not much. Most evenings pilgrims meal, only 3 times self catering/communal meal.

If you stay in municipal albergues (used the list of the forum) you'll have an inexpensive and very impressive walk, either if you are on the CF or the CP.
Used Donativos 2 times on each Camino and had very much fun and good experience on all occasions.

HTH
 
More 2024 Camino Guides available
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
You’re traveling from a long way from Iberia. The rest of the cost and the local difference in cost will be marginal. As you’ve not said how many days you are planning for or what type of accommodation you are planning to use your question is unanswerable in any meaningful way. Portugal, food cheap accommodation expensive: Spain otherwise. None of this may be true
 
estorildon said:
If there is a difference it is a very, very small amount.
Click to expand...
True. There was probably more variation in the costs of meals or accommodation in any particular place I stayed than the small differences in the cost of a decent coffee between Spain and Portugal.
 
As one crosses the bridge into Spain, the price of a beer goes up about 20%. The effect on your cost will depend on the personal ‘basket of goods’ which comprises your daily spend. In my case it went up by 20%.

There are more supermarkets on the Portuguese side of the border than the local population could support, indicating a degree of cross-border trade.
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
A real factor could well be what airport you fly to. Some airports are served by budget airlines others are not, plus the cost of internal transport to reach starting point of either Frances or Portuguese. Apologies if I am stating the obvious.
 
The travel cost difference btwn Spain and Portugal, may be more than the Camino cost difference.
 
2024 edition: The Brierley Camino Frances Guide
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Realize that when most people say they are walking the Cami I Portugues, they are still walking a majority of the route (if not all of it) in Spain. It’s like the Camino Frances, which is mostly in Spain, too. So prices in Spain vs prices in Spain are, not surprisingly, relatively the same with some variation on the CF because of the amount of food and accommodation choices giving you more of a range.

As others have said, the greatest cost may well be where you are flying into and out of, plus ground transportation to/from the airport.
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19
Refer to Gronze or to Eroski and you will find current costs. Try StingyNomads, they are creative! Keep saving. No matter how much you have, you need a buffer. Buen camino, however you travel to Santiago!
 
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