Advice needed on Camino walk

[smokey32]

Hi all. I fully intend to do the camino walk this year. The question i wanted to ask is this. Am i better of to show up at my starting point and stay in hostels along the way or should i book the walk through one of Travel agents that have advertised the camino walk. I got a price from them for the full walk that includes accomodation and meals for 4200 euro which i think is a bit crazy.
Is it possible to show up at the starting point in france and get my pilgrims passport and just set of and stay in hostels along the way. I will be travelling alone and hope to do it in September. Any info would be greatly appreciated as i find the whole thing very confusing and dont want to be giving all that money to a travel agency if i can organise the whole thing myself and save money.
Thanks alot for reading this.
Niall

[nathan]

it seems to be that the travel company want in excess od 100 euro a day for food and lodgings?...though this may include pack transfer and insurance. May i suggest that you spend a good hour on a trawl through this forum....it would appear feasable to do the camino for less than half the amount they quote.if the amount is within budget and you are in need of the support they offer(garunteed accom,a hassle free walk,no pack to carry etc) go for it . if you fancy a wild and wooly adventure where you are dependant on your own wits and the help of other pilgrims try it independantly as thousands do every year. either way good luck and maybe we bump into each other on the way.

[gabrielleZA]

hi i am also looking into doing this particular route for september, but besides the nominal fees for the lodges, and food, i cant see how or why they would be charging you so much money? it makes absolutely no sense, unless im missing something?

[HuskyNerd]

Hi Smokey ~
There are lots of travel companies out there that pull together groups of pilgrims and guide them through the Camino Frances and the cost you quote seems about in line with their usual fees. Over three caminos I've met many people in package trips and have found there are some advantages and disadvantages to a package tour.

Advantages: It's nice to have someone else do all the planning work for you -- they'll send you a list of things to bring and you show up at the airport. They'll often give you a map of each day's travel plans and will have a cozy room for you and morning and evening meals with your group. You'll have the comfort of knowing that every contingency has been covered and you can focus yourself on the simple joy of walking. You'll have a tight knit group of fellow pilgrims with whom you'll dine and walk every day, so you'll make lifelong friends and have a total blast. You won't have to worry about snorers (unless you room with one, since most packages are ppdo and it sounds like you'll be single). And you never have to worry about not getting a bed at the end of a day's walk. In certain seasons that's a big deal.

Disadvantages: The cost, of course -- if you do the planning and entrust yourself to the camino you can manage food and lodging expenses of about 30€ per day. By doing it yourself you also share in albergue life, which means you'll meet people from all over the world, rather than be part of the same small group for the entire trip. And by planning and pulling off this walk on your own (with the help of Forums like this and a good guidebook like the Brierley guide) you'll earn a sense of accomplishment as you finish in style.

So, if you have the money and want the security of a pre-arranged trip, go for it. If you want a grittier (and perhaps more genuine) pilgrim experience there's no reason why you can't make it work -- thousands do every year.

Buen camino!

[smokey32]

it seems to be that the travel company want in excess od 100 euro a day for food and lodgings?...though this may include pack transfer and insurance. May i suggest that you spend a good hour on a trawl through this forum....it would appear feasable to do the camino for less than half the amount they quote.if the amount is within budget and you are in need of the support they offer(garunteed accom,a hassle free walk,no pack to carry etc) go for it . if you fancy a wild and wooly adventure where you are dependant on your own wits and the help of other pilgrims try it independantly as thousands do every year. either way good luck and maybe we bump into each other on the way.

Thanks for your info. I quite like the sound of an adventure. Ill spend time browsing the forums.
Thanks again

[rosie64]

Hi
I would really say that part of the camino is the adventure and the unknown - and being on an organised tour, costing a fortune, with someone picking up your bags and telling you where you will be staying every night - seems to lose the spirit of the walk.

I'd say - get yourself a good guide or two, work out how many km you think you can reasonably walk in a day -(15 - 25km), do your own planning. Travel light - every item in your back pack should have at least 2 if not 3 uses. Otherwise leave it at home. Girls, you can do with out makeup (well perhpas a mascara) and sun screen with replace moisturiser. Shampoo will wash your hair and body and your socks, You can wear the same clothes out each evening, if you see the same poeple you saw last night, they will also be wearing the same outfit!

If you leave early , say 7 or 7h30 and walk until about 14h you'll get a choice of accommodation wherever you arrive. A refuge will never turn you away - there will alswys be a matress somewhere on the floor.

The first stage (of 4 days) I walked with a friend, we booked in advance , but it's really not necessary. Part of the fun is seeing what you find when you arrive in a little town of village after 20 - 25km of walking. Having lunch, a shower, washing your smalls and putting your feet up for a couple of hours, an early dinner and off to the land of nod! UP with the lark and off again . . . good luck

[smokey32]

Hi
I would really say that part of the camino is the adventure and the unknown - and being on an organised tour, costing a fortune, with someone picking up your bags and telling you where you will be staying every night - seems to lose the spirit of the walk.

I'd say - get yourself a good guide or two, work out how many km you think you can reasonably walk in a day -(15 - 25km), do your own planning. Travel light - every item in your back pack should have at least 2 if not 3 uses. Otherwise leave it at home. Girls, you can do with out makeup (well perhpas a mascara) and sun screen with replace moisturiser. Shampoo will wash your hair and body and your socks, You can wear the same clothes out each evening, if you see the same poeple you saw last night, they will also be wearing the same outfit!

If you leave early , say 7 or 7h30 and walk until about 14h you'll get a choice of accommodation wherever you arrive. A refuge will never turn you away - there will alswys be a matress somewhere on the floor.

The first stage (of 4 days) I walked with a friend, we booked in advance , but it's really not necessary. Part of the fun is seeing what you find when you arrive in a little town of village after 20 - 25km of walking. Having lunch, a shower, washing your smalls and putting your feet up for a couple of hours, an early dinner and off to the land of nod! UP with the lark and off again . . . good luck

Hi. Thanks for your info. Could you give me an idea of how much money i would need for each day if i was to go it alone. I mean for food and accomodation. What kind of money to the Hostels or Hotels charge. Thanks again for the advice. I cant believe how helpful people are on this forum. Thank you all.

[rosie64]

Hi
From my guide book (2008) a refuge with a big or huge dormitory , mixed sexes and some where bathroom facilities - so the basic will be from 5€. You need your own sleeping bag. An upmarket auberge, 6 in a rooms like the Orisson as you leave SJPP is 30€ dinner B&B. An in the middle auberge with 6 in a room, bathrooms will be 8 - 15€ which will get you something decent. The municipal auberges are normally more basic and cheaper.

The casa rurals in Spain are very good. It's a bedroom in someone's house, no food but use of a bathroom. We stayed in one and it was fab. clean comfortable. The lady gave us a bucket for our washing and pegs to hang out. We paid 35€ for two in a twin room. And went into town for dinner.

There are also hotels along the way (30€ upwards) and I spotted Casa Rural at 200€ , I thought there was a typo - but NO! You will also pass some towns that have Paradores (Spanish heritage hotels) which will be 100 - 150€ per night.

Eating, in every town or village en route, the cafés and restaurants offer a pilgrim dinner, 3 courses and often a glass of wine. In one place we stopped there was only one resto and all the pilgrims went there at 7.30 and about 12 of us ate together, a copious and tasty meal and making new friends and exchanging experiences.
Count on 9 - 20€ for dinner.
Breakfast can be 2€ upwards, often a bread roll and coffee or croissant and coffee, either where you are staying on in a café once on the way. For lunches we bought provisions in the supermarkets so a couple of € for bread, cheese, ham, fruit and dried fruit etc etc.
We passed 2 places in the vineyard areas where ther is a wine tap as well as a water tap!

Last time we walked in October we picked the following along the wayside: blackberries, almonds, grapes and fabulous fresh figs!!!

So you can see that you can do it cheaply and still be comfortable and eat well. The book I have , you can buy in SJPP called Miam miam dodo (yum yum sleep) gives details and prices of all accommodation, really useful for planning and you will understand it even though it's in FRench.

Good luck
Rosie

[Roe]

For what it's worth - I'm getting ready to do my first camino in May. I'm doing this alone. I did go through a travel company, but I am walking with no group, and I am carrying my own backpack - no transfer of bags. I was quite unsure of myself and knew that i could panic quickly. So I wanted the security of having a place to stay each night. I have an itinerary and know how far I have to walk each day. But I still fully plan on meeting many other pilgrims - or at least I hope I do. Otherwise, I'll be doing this entire thing all by myself. I agree - there are advantages and disadvantages to doing it any way. After this camino, I may change my mind. I can't imagine not wanting to do it again! Buen camino.

[Leslie]

Hi smokey,

I have a friend who runs a travel company out of Glasgow, but web based and therefore worldwide, this is the link to his Camino tours the cost is £2185 so about 2,500€ - a lot less than you have been quoted, but I don't know if flights are included in that. http://www.macsadventure.com/Camino-...l/overview.php

Some people as Sandy has siad prefer the packages for certain reasons. For me however I just turn up and walk, it is really easy to do it that way on the Camino. If I was planing for the West Highland Way or something like that I would use a tour company.

[unadara]

Average Cost ?
Hi, I agree with HuskyNerd with €30 a day. Last Sept/Oct my hubbie and I walked from STJPDP to Santiago and stayed in Alberques. We treated ourselves 3 times ? to private rooms, stayed in some "private" hostels and mostly used the "Muni" or "second" one we came too!. A very varied experience and it is recommended to look at the guide book, talk to fellow walkers, "where do you plan to stay etc", we found some places this way, when we wanted to stay together, and other places we found by chance. The adventure is amazing, if you have to book ahead, you might not walk that extra 5kms you could, you might leave someone behind you's like to walk with a bit longer, one good saying we believed in the "camino" will provide. At the end of our walk I divided it all up and €30 was the daily spend. I would highly recommend booking the Seminario MAJOR for Santiago, right across from the Cathedral, you can do this a day or 2 in advance, a pilgrims room, not a hotel room (though we did take the hotel room the first night). No need to though, a good, good place, much better than a pension. You will find tips like this everywhere on this forum.

[robermarbe]

I would do it myself. You don´t need neither any organiser, nor any person who does the planning for you. I think that one of the attraction of this Camino is the adventure. The route is safe and is very well marked, you will find thousands of pelgrims. They can help you if needed. Furthermore you will have a great number of accommodationsm from Albergues to good hotels (depending on the place you overnight). I recommend you to saty in Albergues. In general terms, they are not fency but you will really feel the spirit of the camino more than being at a hotel. Besides they are very cheap. The private ones could cost no more than 12-15 € and the public ones vary from 0-7 euros more or less. You have in many places pilgrims menus for 6-8 €. You should not spend more than 30€ a day.
Another advantage of going on your own is that you will decide your pace. It might happen you find a nice group of people and you decide to walk with them, or maybe you like a place and want to stay there for couple of days.
Good luck

[Tanya Yaksich]

HI,
I walked with my Sister and some of her family and friends. We were frequently seperated but ended up in the same town at night. I had no map, no watch and no mobile phone. I ate when i was hungry and stopped to enjoy the scenery when i felt like it. The younger ones in the group forged ahead, but being over 60 i was a bit slower. When alone i just followed the arrows or the markers. If at a junction and no obvious signage i just walked a few hundred metres till i found a marker on one or the other path ! I met some lovely people. This Forum provided all the information i needed. ! Just enjoy. I had faith my needs would be met.
Cheers Tanya

[sandyaq]

We were considering a tour at 1 point for our walk in Sep this year. Yes the cost is pretty high but they take care of you. If you have any problem they solve it for you. On the other hand, being a part time home based travel agent, planning for a trip, specially this camino, is so much fun for me. Doing it on your own gives you more liberty & flexibility. I haven't done the camino yet but I know that no one is ever "alone" on the camino. You're on the camino with many travellers from different places plus those who have done this in the past & have moved on - hey, we're talking of over 1,000 yrs of travelers! And those travelers did it w/o a tour company!

Our little group of 15 classmates & friends is growing. We are all healthy but some are more fit than others. I imagine they will walk faster than the rest. I include myself in the rest. We've booked hotels & we'll plan to see each other at the hotel. I am ready for the refugios but the majority of the group (in our mid 50s) want the safety of the hotels. Maybe for my 2nd walk I'll get more into the spirit & use the refugios!