The Crux of the Camino

[jungleboy]

An ad in the Sydney Morning Herald today that my Dad sent me. You too can walk the camino for just AUD$25,000 (US$16,800~, €15,500~) for 19 nights!

 

[Dani7]

 

[wayfarer]

I'll take 2.

 

[Bradypus]

Something of a trend for upmarket packages at the moment. A couple of months ago I saw a US company advertising 10 day packages on the Frances that worked out at $700+ per night (not including flights of course). They did throw in a free massage every night though But my favourite was offered by a UK Catholic newspaper. 7 days on the Via Francigena ending in Rome. Upmarket B&B accommodation. And led by an Arctic survival expert who was a great-nephew of Ian Fleming and therefore very well qualified to lead you safely through the icy wastes of Lazio in mid-October. A snip at £2000 per head. Unsurprisingly it seems there were "several multimillionaires" in the party for the first version of the tour... Which an article in The Times described using words like "spartan", "endurance" and "suffering"

 

[OzAnnie]

Well I guess they are not trying to exploit the poor.
Only the rich would have that sort of money to spend.
Always someone out there to catch I guess; they would feel like they are taking part in a ‘survivor ‘ group ; after reading the comments in post by @Bradypus

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Heck, I'll do it for only $5k. With my special coupon, you can even get 5% off of our special sale price.

 

[nycwalking]

National Geographic has a pkg for $6,000 for eleven nights on the CF.

Comes with historical guide as well.

No Compostela though, too much stage skipping.

A highlight of “The Way” type tour.

Saw on FB a few weeks back.

 

[dougfitz]

This is the same company that offer a 23-day private jet tour of South America (from Australia) for a tad under 100,000 AUD! Well out of my league, but they have been around for some time, so someone is out there with the wherewithal to contemplate paying for this level of 'luxury'.

As an aside, this follows the general line of the Camino Frances, not the Norte. It looks like participants will quality for a compostela by walking into SDC from Sarria.

 

[dougfitz]

Heck, I'll do it for only $5k. With my special coupon, you can even get 5% off of our special sale price.

My wife's thoughts as well, although she didn't take up my offer to drive the 'well stocked private courtesy vehicle'.

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Wow, haven't spent close to that walking 6 Camino's. I never really understood Camino tours. I mean you just fly to Spain, bus or train to your jump off point and walk. About as simple as it gets.

 

[koilife]

If one were to ride a bike or a horse or a donkey or a lama into Santiago, he could still receive the compostela. But what if he rides a Lear jet for 100K AUD?

 

[Anniesantiago]

Makes me not feel so bad about my prices.

 

[VNwalking]

Holey moley.
Looking for a few high-end suckers...

 

[Theatregal]

The mind boggles

 

[Delphinoula]

Hihi if you want to spent money here’s a Studiosus tour without flight for 2700 Euros. You Evan will go to Santiago. I encounter a study tour group in France at the tomb of the Richard they called lion heart in Fontevraud Abbey they had a translator for French all he had to translate there was now the tour guide made a little joke. Sure worth all that money.
But comparison to yours it a bit pedestrian.

 

[gschmidl]

But my favourite was offered by a UK Catholic newspaper. 7 days on the Via Francigena ending in Rome. Upmarket B&B accommodation. And led by an Arctic survival expert who was a great-nephew of Ian Fleming and therefore very well qualified to lead you safely through the icy wastes of Lazio in mid-October. A snip at £2000 per head. Unsurprisingly it seems there were "several multimillionaires" in the party for the first version of the tour... Which an article in The Times described using words like "spartan", "endurance" and "suffering"

I was ready to scoff when I found this and it says "Costs: £150 registration fee, £2000 minimum sponsorship"!

But it looks like they're fundraising for the Thames Hospice (at least in 2020)? In Spain, not in Italy, so it may be a different thing.

Thames Hospice El Camino de Santiago Trek. Spain 2020

A 7-day spectacular trek in northern Spain along one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in the the world. A fantastic European challenge! Register today!

www.ultimatechallenges.co.uk

If that is true then at least the outcome is good, even if the intentions may not be pure...

 

[SYates]

I tried to access their site and it seems to be down because of too much traffic
BC SY

 

[Kathor1]

I tried to access their site and it seems to be down because of too much traffic

Due to too much global online indignation about what people spend but never about what people earn? Anyone who wants to know what they are talking about can look at their online brochure here: http://brochures.captainschoice.com.au/books/vsaq/#p=21. They had this trip in their offer last year when it was discussed on this forum and it is already in their offer for 2021.

 

[lt56ny]

I was ready to scoff when I found this and it says "Costs: £150 registration fee, £2000 minimum sponsorship"!

But it looks like they're fundraising for the Thames Hospice (at least in 2020)? In Spain, not in Italy, so it may be a different thing.

Thames Hospice El Camino de Santiago Trek. Spain 2020

A 7-day spectacular trek in northern Spain along one of the oldest pilgrimage routes in the the world. A fantastic European challenge! Register today!

www.ultimatechallenges.co.uk

If that is true then at least the outcome is good, even if the intentions may not be pure...

I hope the bulk of that money is going to the hospital, not to "administrative fees".

 

[PK Smit]

With an exchange rate of nearly 17 to 1 to the Euro, I will still do as I did on the previous 9 Caminos and walk on my own, carry my own pack and sleap in albergues.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Slightly off topic but still dealing with money is this weirdness on airfares. I saw an ad for Level Airline this morning and having flown them cheaply last year I was curious and so clicked on it and I found a BIG difference in fares for Barcelona to Boston between March 3rd, 5th and 7th. €89, €89 and €714!

 

[Pinker to]

My favourite was offered by a UK Catholic newspaper. 7 days on the Via Francigena ending in Rome. Upmarket B&B accommodation. And led by an Arctic survival expert who was a great-nephew of Ian Fleming and therefore very well qualified to lead you safely through the icy wastes of Lazio in mid-October. A snip at £2000 per head.

So variable and unexpected the climate these days that well worth £2000.
Good value for money.