How much should we carry on us?

[sunflower]

Hi,

I was wondering how much euros we should be carrying on us at a time for food/albergues.

If we were to stay in one of the private albergues, do they accept credit cards?

thanks
SF

[Covey]

The normal method of obtaining cash on the Camino is to use a bank ATM.

Banks charge varying amounts to use their cards in overseas ATM's and the bank in Spain will also make a charge. In addition, you have the exchange rate between your currency and the Euro.

As a general principle, debit cards are cheaper to use overall than credit cards, so check with your bank what the charges will be to draw say €200 from an ATM in Spain.

My UK bank, Lloyds TSB, do not charge for using my debit card and their exchange rates are quite good, but the local Spanish bank will still charge.

Another more recent innovation is the Travel Money Card. In the UK you can get them from your bank or the Post Office. You get one in either Euros or US Dollars and pre load your card before you go on holiday. this way you know exactly what your exchange rate is in advance and the Lloyds TSB card works in any Visa ATM.

If you are traveling from outside the EEC, especially from the USA, then tell your card company where you are going and for how long. Every year I come across pilgrims from the States who are having problems having their cards accepted in Spanish ATM. This is not a credit issue, but is due to the fact that people from the States do not travel internationally as much as Europeans.

Therefore when a card is used for the past 5 years in say New York, and then 24hrs later suddenly pops up in an ATM in Spain asking for a cash withdrawal, there is a very good chance the automated software that prevents card fraud by looking for unusual spending patterns will kick in and refuse payment.

The Camino is a cash society so don't plan on waving your cards around much. In order to keep the bank charges at a minimum, draw €250 a time from an ATM which should last you 7 days on average. Start off at St Jean with €250 and replenish at Pamplona, Burgos, Leon and Santiago.

Albergues do not normally take credit cards as the cost of a nights stay is €6(ish)

[mosesmew]

Hello everyone!I'm walking in September, I too have been wondering about the amount of $$ to bring,as well as in what "form". Being from Canada,I'll no doubt end up spending twice the amount to convert to Euros. Hum..guess I'd better start looking for extra work!

[renegade_pilgrim]

I was planning on 30 Euro a day for the camino. This is taking into consideration I will be staying in the hostels, not hotels and doing a combo of restaurants/bars/cafes and the occasional grocery store stop for food.

[Covey]

€30 used to be the luxury end of the Camino scale, but times are changing.

On average your bed in an albergue will cost €5. Sometimes it is "donativo" but most will donate around €5.

Breakfast of a bun and coffee will cost €4. A bocadillo (bread stick with cheese etc) and soft drink for lunch will cost €5.

The average cost of the Pilgrim Menu in a bar is €8 -11.

A beer is €2 and the same for a coke(minimum).

That's your €30 gone!!

When I started walking the Camino 5 years ago, you met those doing it on €15 a day. Not any more! The Camino is getting more expensive by the year.

For a minimal Camino, budget on €30/day. For those like me who enjoy life a little, budget on €50. You will not spend €50 but as an overall daily cost you won't go far wrong.

A trip to the pharmacy can prove expensive. 50 x 600mg Ibruprofen are only €2 but an elasticated knee bandage will cost €50. A small tube of sunburn cream is €15.

A lot of pilgrims take a days rest in Burgos and Leon which means two nights in a small hotel at a cost of €35/night in each city. To arrive in either Burgos or Leon in mid afternoon and leave at dawn the following morning is a waste of two fascinating cities. Well worth the stay.

[logrono pilgrim]

Hey Renegade.


30 euros should see you fine. I walked in 2006 with 400 euros and a lost atm card I could not get replaced..... I ended up just hooking up with other pilgrims and cooking a meal in the albergue. (my being a chef by trade did help somewhat.) I can send you one pot recipes if you want, using stuff on sale in all of the small shops on the camino. 4 person for around 10 euros, including wine, bread and salad. desert, mostly yoghurts, or fruit......let me know.... The restaurant charge 12 euros, but the actual food cost is around 3 to 4 euros. ANd with everyone helping, it is easy to cook and clean up, and, from a personal point of view, makes for very fun evenings, strange multi language conversations, and more than one long lasting relationship. ( I got married to a mexican pilgrim I met in 2006. We live in Logrono now, selling wine on the camino. )

[Covey]

The evenings when we cooked together were probably the best fun and were certainly cheaper than sitting down in a bar awaiting the delights, or otherwise! of the Pilgrim Menu.

However, cooking together depends on where you are and the facilities in the albergue. Some albergues have excellent kitchens with pots and pans, cutlery & plates etc. Some have very little. For the past two years the large albergue at the top of Cebriero had a very large kitchen, two hobs and no cooking utensils, pots or plates. And no food shop!!

Some albergues have oil, salt, pepper, vinegar left over from the previous days pilgrims, some have nothing. If you have to start carrying oil etc, it is additional weight.

Cooking as a group is fine, but cooking if you are walking alone is difficult because of the pack sizes in the shops. If you want to cook on the Camino, find a recipe book with 50 ways to cook pasta!!

[Gazza]

Sunflower

You might be interested to know that the ANZ Bank offers a travel card that can be bought in Euros. So its already converted & you know exactly how much you have.
You could buy the Euros at todays rate & hold it till you go. Rate at moment abt .64Euro seems pretty good historically

Gazza

[renegade_pilgrim]

I would be interested in some of these one pot recipes, logrono_pilgrim you speak of! I will be traveling solo, but imagine I will be meeting up with people on occasion along the way. I don't mind group meals and being creative. Feel free to PM me with info!

I also plan to couchsurf (couchsurfing.com) in some places, especially the bigger cities, along the way to conserve funds. My budget is very tight for the camino, as this is just the beginning of a five month adventure I am embarking on.

[Gazza]

Logrono_pilgrim

One pot recipes sound gr8. Why don't you just post some on the site, you will be inundated otherwise

Gazza