costs

[Monty]

I am walking the camino in late August. It seems that general advice is that 30 euros per day on the camino is enough, is this advice current?

[Leslie]

I am walking the camino in late August. It seems that general advice is that 30 euros per day on the camino is enough, is this advice current?

I think you will get by on 30 per day, but a lot depends on your personal habits.

7 -10 per night to sleep somewhere.

The rest is eating. As a student I was able to live on this quite easily - I don't know if I would manage it now.

7 - 10 for your evening meal if you eat out - you can buy food and cook in the hostels generally, and if you meet others it can be good to cook with them.

Coffee and snacks during the day. I would generally buy from shops and make my own lunch - it can get quite dull after a while.

I drink about 5 coffees a day - 7 - 10 again.

In the countryside it is fairly easy to stick below 30 per day - the problems come if you want to go out in Leon for example, great food...

Also it is best to budget for staying in a pension at least one night during your journey.

The simple answer - it can be done.

[Covey]

Having just returned yesterday from the Camino Frances, you need ?30 a day!!

The costs of walking the Camino are escalating rapidly as the cost of living in Spain is going up rapidly. I was surprised to discover this year that the costs of food in the Spanish supermarkets were now the same as in the UK, and in many cases more expensive. Fruit is cheaper than the UK, but many shopkeepers along the way have increased their prices considerably to offset the high unemployment rate in northern Spain and to take advantage of the fact that the pilgrims have to eat somewhere.

There were more people cooking for themselves or in small groups because the pilgrim menu has increased to over ?10 and the quality is not as good as in previous years.

[redrat]

thanks Covey, I will be adding a few pots to the list. Another half of kilogram but will not kill my wallet.

Marcel

[Covey]

The private albergues are better for cooking than the official ones in general.

The private ones tend to leave the unused bits and pieces ie: oil, salt, vinegar for pilgrims to use, but most official albergues tend to clear out all the food items each day. Some shops will sell sachets of oil etc instead of you having to buy a bottle which you will NOT want to carry!!!

If you are walking with a "group" then buying and cooking for 4 or 5 people tends to make sense as ?6 each will buy all you need for a filling pasta meal with salad plus wine etc. Cooking for one is difficult as most ingredients are sold in family packs so you have to carry the surplus or throw it away.

The kitchen at El Cebriero still only had two pots and no plates, cutlery or glasses and that is an albergue which sleeps 100. You need to carry a sharp small kitchen knife and a fork and spoon. Also carry a small pot of ground black pepper and some salt. We tended to buy bread, tomatoes and ham each evening to make up a sandwich roll for tomorrows lunch.