How Much to Budget for the Camino de Santiago (The French Way)
In this travel guide for walking the Camino de Santiago, I will tell you how much things cost along the Camino Frances (The French Way) and how much you can expect to budget for your 800km trek across Northern Spain.
Most travel blogs about budgeting for the Camino de Santiago are in fact out-of-date, as the prices have risen quite dramatically in recent years. The prices below are current as of when I walked the Camino in May 2024.
As a low-budget backpacker, I am always trying to find the cheapest way to do things but my aim is never to freeload from locals – but rather, to spend my money in the right places.
Many people attempt to walk the Camino on practically nothing, camp illegally, take food from the Donativos and shower with rainwater. This guide is NOT that.
If you do take food from a Donativo offering, you SHOULD leave a donation - and wild camping is not allowed in Spain.
If you'd like to know everything I packed for my Camino, head over to my article: An Ultra-Light Packing List for the Camino de Santiago (The French Way)
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 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 main Camino routes, but some people may start their Camino from their front door in let's say, Belgium, and some people start just 100km from Santiago de Compostela in the town of Sarria (this last 5 days 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) is 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) – 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.
How Much to Budget for Walking the Camino de Santiago ( The Camino Frances)
ACCOMMODATION
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 euros 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 all of the Caminos converge and it can get very busy.
Types of Accommodation on The Camino de Santiago (The French Way) and Prices in May 2024:
Donativos = Free. You should leave a donation, and this should be at least what you would pay for a Municipal Albergue. Donativos often include food and drink, so you should pay for this with your conscience. We even stayed at one Donativo that offered unlimited wine and beer!
Municipal Albergues = €8-12 per night. Sometimes with an extra charge of €2 for sheets and blankets.
Private Albergues = €10-18 per night
B+B's and Hotels = Starting at €40 per night for a double room
So let's say you're walking the Camino de Santiago for the recommended 40 days and you want to split your time between Municipal and Private Albergues, with a couple of hotel treats.
19 Days in Municipal Albergues @ €10 average = €190
19 Days in Private Albergues @ €15 average = €285
2 Days in Hotels @ €50 pn = €100
Total Price of Accommodation for walking the Camino de Santiago (The French Way):
€575
FOOD + DRINKS
It is worth checking the Google reviews before you rock up to an Albergue, as the standard is very varied. Some Albergues have fully-equipped kitchens, beer gardens, laundry services, and are immaculately kept - and some are very basic with no cooking facilities.
Drinking water is free and clean and available at fountains in almost every village you pass through.
We tried our very best to only book Albergues that had kitchens for Pilgrims to use, however, that gets increasingly difficult the closer you get to Santiago de Compostela. Especially in Galicia, local restaurants give Albergues a really hard time if they allow Pilgrims to cook, as it takes away potential trade from them.
If there is no kitchen and you want a hot meal you would need 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.
Groceries are fairly affordable in Spain, and you can quite easily buy enough lovely fresh produce for a hungry hiker for breakfast and lunch for €5. This would include something like – a baguette, a can of tuna steak, tomatoes, avocado, Jamon, fruit and cake (this is typically what we ate when walking the Camino Frances).
Typical daily food costs when walking the Camino de Santiago (The French Way):
Coffee from a cafe = €1-2
Wine and beer = €1-2 (I KNOW!)
Groceries for breakfast, lunch and dinner for one person = €10
So if you're walking the Camino de Santiago for the recommended 40 days:
€15 per day for groceries, coffee, and a wine or two
€15 x 40 = €600
Let's say you have a Pilgrim's Meal here and there and a nice meal out at the end to celebrate + €100
Total price for food and drinks when walking the Camino Frances:
= €700
OTHER STUFF
You are going to need to have a little bit of extra cash for incidentals (most likely in the form of foot medication), as well as paying for laundry services if you want to have a day off from hand washing your clothes. It is normal to pay €5 each for the washing machine and tumble dryer.
So let's round up our total spending money for the little treats and the 'just in cases' by €125.
This brings our total budget for walking the Camino de Santiago to €1400 (£1200 or $1500)
= €35 per day
This is based on the idea that you are giving yourself 40 days to walk the Camino Frances, and you are allowing yourself some nice food, some Private Albergues and the occasional treat!
If you only stay in Municipal Albergues and Donativos and eat very basic meals (sandwiches and pot noodles) you can probably inch this down to €25 per day (but that wouldn't be as much fun!)
OTHER EXPENSES not included in this Camino de Santiago (The French Way) budget:
Flights to and from Spain
Insurance - Personally, I have always found amazing deals on Travel Supermarket - Joe and I got worldwide coverage for an entire year for both of us for less than £400!
Shoes and a Backpack (if you do not have them already)
Pharmaceuticals (you WILL need to keep stocking up on 'foot medicine' – no matter how much you train, walking 30-40 days in a row will cause some issues) Check out my Ultra-Light Packing List for the Camino de Santiago to see what types of things you may need.
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Other Useful Advice for Walking the Camino
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).
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.)
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!
Packing some cutlery and condiments comes 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 how much to budget for walking the Camino de Santiago!
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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