How can I save money on the Camino?

Many Pilgrims are on a tight budget, the Camino Frances will take you around 30 days to finish and if you live like there’s no tomorrow this can quickly add up. Save money with these tips!

How much money do you spend on the Camino?

This is of course different for every Pilgrim and their choices, but you are going to spend around 30 to 50 euros a day on the Camino Frances. So, for the Camino Frances, which takes around 30 days, the total will often be anywhere from 900 to 1500 euros.

On the Camino Portuguese you can save money since Portugal is a bit cheaper then Spain.

It can be broken down into three groups where you spend the money on. (Which are quite similar to normal life)

• Albergue / Place to sleep
• Food
• Coffee breaks and miscellaneous

Limiting or keeping a close eye on your daily spending with those three will make sure you do not go over budget. Being in debt after your Camino with friends, family, or banks is not something that would be nice to come back to. Save up for your Camino, and keep an eye on your total budget for the Walk.

Coffees and baked goods

Even in Spain a coffee and a baked good like a croissant or tortilla can still be a 3 to 8 euro’s in the more fancy places. If you do this multiple times a day, this can quickly add up. So be aware of the amount of coffee breaks you take, and the amount of pricey snacks you wolf down. There are cafés and rest stops all over the place on the Camino, and sitting down at each one will make any Pilgrim broke.

*Cat company was included in the Café con Leche price

Municipal Albergues

One of the big ways that you can save money on a Camino is to try and sleep at as many Municipal Albergues as possible, these are government funded, and often run by Church communities or volunteers. And are therefore your cheapest bet for a nights sleep, some are donativo, or donate what you can spare. Or around 7 to 15 euro’s a night.

In the Municipal ones you can not reserve a bed, and it runs by the first come first serve model. So leave early in the morning, and arrive before 2 o’clock in the afternoon to have the best change of finding a bunk bed for the night.

Supermarket Meals

Food is a factor in all budgeting, and that is true on the Camino as well. It is easy to always sit down at a café or restaurant for lunch, and do the same for dinner. However, if you do this everyday this can also add up. For lunch my tramily and I often made or prepared our own, and we saved a bunch of money that way.

Sitting down in a random field, busstop, or any other oppertuniy and making a sandwhich with the awesome bread from the bakery will also provide a nice experience. And is often also a bit more relaxed, some of my favorite memories from my Camino’s are just those lunch breaks. Even where we were sitting next to a road on the asfalt. With the overnight oats my tramily made, and for me a nice piece of baquette with some of the most amazing Spanish cured meats.

Dinner can be had the same way in an Albergue, but often there is only minimal cooking gear available. Still, a pasta and pesto from a jar can stretch a long way. Most Albergues rather have you either going out for food, or to eat at their often family style meals for a small fee.

Stick to the Menu del Dia at restaurants

Many restaurants in the towns and cities that you pass along the way will have a Menu del Dia, or daily meny on offer. Which includes a starter, main, dessert, and even a bottle of wine for 10 euros. Try to look out for those when walking around in your Albergue clothes, you will often see it advertised on boards outside the restaurant.

If you stick to that menu your getting a great deal for the evening, and oftentimes you can even ask for more wine when your dinner table is feeling thirsty. When ordering different or fancy drinks however this will often be not included, and will make the bill a bit larger. Nearly all times though, this is nothing compared to other European prices.

Let everybody know in the comments what your budget was, and how you managed to stick to it!

Happy Hiking and Hike for Purpose!

Buen Camino