An Ultra-Light Packing List for The Camino de Santiago (The French Way)
Updated: Oct 11
In this travel guide for walking the Camino de Santiago, I will share everything I packed for walking the Camino Frances or 'The French Way'.
This ultra-light packing list features all the essentials you'll need for this iconic 800km trek from France to Spain.
I will be honest with you guys, I did not prepare or train at all for the Camino de Santiago, as many people normally do. Rather, it was a last-minute addition to my 2-year trip around the world, and if you want to know how I funded such prolonged travel, check out my article: How to Travel for Longer.
To see everything I packed for this extended adventure, see my post: The Only Female Backpacking Packing List You'll Ever Need.
So, after the last-minute decision to walk The Camino de Santiago, I dumped my bags in Barcelona, stocked up on Compeed and hoped for the best.
Here's what I packed for walking the Camino Frances, how it went, and what I would have done differently...
CONTENTS
About the Camino de Santiago (The Way of St James)
The Camino de Santiago, or The Way of St James, is a network of pilgrimages that start from various places in Europe (or even worldwide) and end at the town of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, in Spain's rainy northwest. This is the burial place of the apostle Saint James, who was allegedly one of Jesus' closest buddies.
People have been making this pilgrimage for over 1000 years. While originally it was always Christians walking 'The Way' for religious purposes, nowadays people hike the Camino from all spiritual backgrounds and for various reasons, whether it be for reflection, self-discovery, or even purely a physical challenge.
There are 7 official Camino routes, but some people may start their Camino from their front door in let's say, Belgium, and some people start just 5 days from Santiago de Compostela in the town of Sarria (this last 100km is the minimum you can hike to get your Pilgrim's Certificate.)
Much of the walk takes you through stunning Spanish countryside, and you do not need maps or GPS on your phone to direct you, as the trail is well-marked with little shells pointing the way to Santiago de Compostela.
400,000 people walked the Way in 2024, and almost 50% of those walked 'The French Way.'
About The Camino Frances (The French Way)
The Camino Frances is the most traditional route of the 7 main Caminos and involves an 800km hike from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. This walk takes an average of 33 days, but I would advise you to allow yourself at least 40 days.
Towards the second half of our walk, we were pushing for 35km a day, and it really took its toll on us. For me, walking 25km per day (about 5 hours) was the sweet spot, plus a few days off or half days here and there to enjoy some nice spots (we would have loved to spend more time in both Pamplona and Astorga or tagged on an extra 3 days to continue walking to Finisterre on the Atlantic Ocean).
If you've been brought here by watching the Martin Sheen movie 'The Way' (like 100% of North American hikers we met had) – then you may be interested to know that they walked the Camino Frances in that movie.
The Camino Frances is mostly flat-ish, apart from the first few days going through the Pyrenees and another couple of big climbs and descents around O Cebreiro. You'll find yourself walking through forests, vineyards, wheat fields, rolling meadows, and alongside the occasional motorway. The route is truly stunning, dotted with quaint Spanish villages where you'll always find hot coffee and cold beer.
FOR TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spain, I use Safety Wing. I am on a rolling 4-week insurance policy for a little over $50 each month, and they have been pretty amazing so far.
Where to Stay along the Camino Frances
Along The French Way, budget travellers sleep in Albergues, which are hostels for pilgrims (in Spanish: Peregrinos), and in many Albergues, you must show your Pilgrim's Credentials to get a bed. Albergues often have curfews (between 8 – 10pm) and they always have a kick-out time (normally 7 – 8am).
Municipal Albergues are the cheapest option, but they rarely take reservations, and you can always only ever stay one night. This is why sometimes having half-days rather than full days off works out better if you need a rest because you're going to have to vacate the Albergue very early anyway.
Check-in for Municipal Albergues is either 12 or 1pm and in the busier months if you arrive much later than this you will likely be turned away as they do fill up. We started off our Camino by staying only in Municipal Albergues, but got a little bit put off by the 'bed chasing' aspect, so towards the second half of our trek we started booking Private Albergues 3 days ahead, so we could relax and take our time walking into the afternoon.
The average price for a Municipal Albergue in 2024 is €8-12 per person per night. Some Municipal Albergues are donativos (pay as you feel) – and we always give €10 in these situations.
Your nightly fee should include disposable bed sheets and pillowcases (sometimes there is an extra €2 charge for these) -and since COVID-19, blankets are not always available.
You can expect anywhere from 2 beds per room to 150 beds for a Municipal Albergue. If you walk the Camino at the end of the summer, you can probably expect bed bugs too.
It is worth checking the Google reviews before you rock up to an Albergue, as the standard is varied. Some Albergues have fully-equipped kitchens, beer gardens, laundry services, and are immaculately kept - and some are very basic with no cooking facilities.
If there is no kitchen, you have the option to buy a pilgrim's meal from the Albergue or a local restaurant. These are normally great value, and the average price is €15 for starter, main, dessert and wine.
Private Albergues can be booked over the phone or by WhatsApp (in Spanish). Not many people speak English in these parts - so to walk the Camino Frances you should AT LEAST be able to order coffee, ask if there are beds available and be able to say thank you in Español!
Private Albergues are normally priced at around €12-18 per bed per night, and you could expect something like 10 beds per room. They will give you disposable sheets and a pillow case and in almost all cases offer blankets for free too.
Most people walking the Camino are retirement age, and many snore like hogs. If you want a break from the snoring (this was the most challenging part of the Camino for me, more so than the walking) you can book a hotel or Airbnb here and there to get a good night's sleep. This will set you back around €50-100 depending, and there are lots of options on booking.com
I would recommend booking your accommodation in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port ahead of time, as a small village that is the starting point of the Camino it is always booked up. The same goes for Santiago de Compostela, as this is where 7 Caminos converge and it can get very busy.
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An Ultra-Light Packing List for the Camino de Santiago (The French Way)
When packing for walking the Camino de Santiago, they say you should not be carrying more than 10% of your body weight (including your water and packed lunch) - so this packing list is ultra-light!
If for whatever reason you cannot carry much weight on your back at all, have no fear, there is a luggage transfer service the entire way. All you need to do is put €5 in an envelope attached to your bag and write the name of your destined Albergue - it is really that simple! You'll find these little envelopes in almost every Albergue reception (apart from donativos, who normally do not offer the service.)
An Ultra-Light Packing List for the Camino Frances
*We did not use walking poles, but about 90% of other Pilgrims did*
The Bag - Since I put my trust in Osprey I have never looked back - for this hike The Fairview 55 is the ideal size (for women). The shape of the bags are incredibly comfortable, and even though they are pricey they will last for years and years.
The Shoes - Hiking Trainers or Boots? My preference is hiking trainers, and I wear the HOKA Goatspeed, which are perfect for this walk (in fact, Hoka seemed to be the most popular choice for most pilgrims!) For multi-day trekking, you should buy ONE SIZE UP - as your feet will swell when walking for hours and hours every day.
Compeed - These are expensive, but an amazing product. One Compeed can be left on for 3 days, and they are great for particularly bad blisters.
Pilgrims Credential - This can be purchased from your starting point for around €2. You can normally find them in Municipal Albergues or Tourist Information Offices. Your credential will be stamped each night by your Albergue, and then you present it to the Pilgrim's office in Santiago de Compostela to get your certificate.
Passport (if you are not Spanish)
Plasters + Bandages
Hot/Cold Pack
Vaseline - You should get into the habit of vaseline-ing your feet every morning to stop your socks from rubbing.
Kula Cloth - Ladies, no more dripping after a wild-wee, this anti-microbial cloth can be used instead of tissue, it holds odour and hangs on the outside of your bag, it is AWESOME.
Soap
Painkillers
Small Shampoo and Conditioner
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Razor & Hairbrush (if needed)
Small Bag of Laundry Powder for the machine
Laundry Soap (Fells Naptha) for hand washing
Scrubba - This is great if you do not want to queue up to hand-wash your clothes, its an amazing product that acts as a mini-washing machine and a laundry bag, and it weighs only 150g!
Quick Drying Towel
Retractable Clothesline - There are normally laundry racks in the Albergues but there is often not enough space. I use this retractable clothesline everywhere I travel, it is a great product.
Ear Plugs or Noise-Cancelling headphones - ESSENTIAL
Waterproof Neck Pouch for cash and passports. I use this one by Pacsafe.
Sunglasses, Sun Hat & Sunscreen
3 x Socks
3 x Underwear
2 x Sports Bra
1 x Pjs
Leggings (or other hiking trousers)
Shorts (or a second pair of trousers)
2 x T-shirts
Long-Sleeved Top
Sundress - or similar, for evenings
Sandals or Flip-Flops - I love my Birks. I even walked in them for a few days when it was especially hot and my feet were swollen.
Fleece - North Face has never let me down
Poncho or Light Rain Jacket
Refillable Water Bottle - Filtered is best, check out Lifestraw.
Sleeping Bag Liner or Sleeping Bag (depending on season) - For June to September I would suggest just a sleeping bag liner, for all other months a sleeping bag is better suited.
Book/Kindle
Phone + Charger + International Adapter
Wallet (and Euros, you will need cash for many places)
Salt, Pepper, Allioli, Knife, & Spoon- These few things came in really handy for picnics!
Other Useful Advice for Walking the Camino
There are pharmacies everywhere! So you can stock up on plasters and other creams and betadines e.t.c as you go. Some of the smaller villages even have pharmaceutical vending machines full of Compeed!
The cutlery and condiments that we brought came in very handy towards the end of the Camino Frances. This is because many Albergues closer to Santiago de Compostela do not provide kitchen facilities, as the local restaurants want the trade. We would often buy baguettes and fillings and make our own breakfast and lunch and eat on the way.
It helps with ultra-light packing if you get into the habit of hand-washing your clothes every day when you arrive at your Albergue, and if it has been a really rainy/muddy/stinky day you can use a washing machine (it was €5 for each washing and drying in 2024, not including detergent).
To save you from queueing in the evenings, shower as soon as you arrive.
There are water fountains with clean drinking water in most villages, so you only need one bottle of water with you for your daily hike along the Camino Frances, and you can keep refilling it throughout the day (you can also use this for the wine fountain!)
The high season for walking the Camino de Santiago is May to September, and there can be many people on the trail during these months. Most people start walking at around 7:30 – 8:00am, so if you want to enjoy the serenity of the Spanish countryside and some gorgeous sunrises, it would be worth hitting the road by 6am. This means packing the night before, slipping out of the dorm while everyone is asleep, and taking your coffee in another village a little later.
Wine and food are cheap in Spain, like €1 for a large glass of wine cheap! Be sure to explore the exploits of some of the country's best wine regions along the Camino Frances like La Rioja, El Bierzo, and Rías Baixas.
Thank you for reading my travel guide for an ultra-light packing list for walking the Camino Frances!
Walking the Camino was one of my favourite travel experiences EVER - alongside diving with Manta Rays in Komodo and sleeping in the bush with the Maasai tribe. I would love to go back and walk a different route, and high up on my list is the Camino starting from Lisbon: The Camino Portugués.
I hope this guide filled with travel tips for walking The Camino de Santiago has been useful, If you have any questions or feedback, please leave me a comment - and if you enjoyed the read, consider subscribing to my blog where I post travel guides every couple of weeks based on my current adventures around the world.
Happy Travels
xx
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Hi there,
I loved this review. I leave next week with my mother ( I am 24) and it's helped so much. I am taking a sleeping bag, do you think it's best I take a liner instead?
Thanks:)