The Question of Money ~ How much to take ?

A Pilgrims comment from 2011:

Some pilgrim shelters are 'donativo' which means 'dontaion'. None are free (gratis) unless you are truly a mendicant pilgrim.

"Donativo" does mean free if you are broke, so stay in the municipal and parochial albergues that list their charge as donation. Both Mundicamino and Eroski websites do a good job of identifying these places. Do not feel guilty about not donating unless you really could be donating. There are expenses to be paid even in the free places, so help out if you can.

Others charge between €5 and €15 per night depending on the type of room you choose to sleep in. (They average €6 per night).

If you decide to stay at a small B & B you might have to pay for a room which, as a single person, could cost between €20 and €40.

Only remote pilgrim shelters offer a pilgrim meal - again for a donation. A few might offer bread and coffee for breakfast, but not many, so you will have to buy food along the way.

You can budget around (bear in mind 2011 prices)

€3 for a breakfast in a cafe-bar

€5 for a bocadillo sandwich and a cup of coffee

Make your own packed lunch. A baguette from village/market around  70 cents will make a lunch sandwich, and bread at dinner or breakfast & lunch, depends how greedy you are !

Most are stale by the second day, so do not buy them in advance (if you want fresh bread).

€10 for a pilgrim menu which consists of three course, bread and wine. It is often cheaper to buy from the 'carte' rather than pay for the menu.

In order of cost in bars, soft drinks are the most expensive. Beer is next. Coffee is next. Wine is the cheapest. Wine is even cheaper in the markets. A litre box of Eroski red wine is about 90 cents (Euro) (and weighs a kilogram).

If an albergue has a kitchen, it is cheaper still to buy food from a supermecado and prepare it yourself. Many albergue kitchens have a short supply of cooking utensils though, so you could find no pots and pans etc.

The larger cities have chain stores with low prices. If you buy a few days supply of food there, you can save money compared to shopping in the supermercados in the villages. Pasta, cheese, canned meats, and sausage all travel well. Buying perishables in the local market is a good idea. There are markets in town squares on a regular schedule, but the prices are not noticeably low.

Drink water, and not the bottled kind. It is free and clean (from public municipal sources, not animal troughs in the countryside).

Many budget on thirty Euro per day  if you eat entirely in restaurants/bars. You can feed yourself for 6 Euro per day, plus any albergue charges.

Rather than take a lot of money with you it may be better to use ATM machines to get cash as you need it. Be aware there will be a bank charge. The charge is fixed regardless of the sum withdrawn, so it may be wise to take out a larger amount rather than lots of smaller amounts. Check with your bank on this. Only the smallest villages do not have them.

Another Pilgrim adds:

“I tend to take largish amounts of cash in a pouch round my neck. It never leaves my sight and it is stuffed down the sleeping bag at night. If I get up to go to the toilet it goes with me. Ditto the shower. Don't be fooled, not everyone is as honest as you are.

Make sure you have money in a bank account that you can get to in an emergency.” ~

Please, please make sure you have proper medical and travel insurance. It can be a temptation to skimp this but an accident or an illness could be financially disastrous.”

Take note Mr It Will Be Alright Knowlton !!

Saint Jean Pied de Port the traditional starting point for the Camino de Santiago. It is a quaint old town, and normally fairly busy. There are a few outdoor markets around the town, a good place to get anything that you have forgotten to bring, e.g. a hat. Most important Pilgrims Office to pick up your passport.

Roncesvalles is not a town, more a tiny village. There is no shop, two bars and the church. Book your evening meal at one of the bars before the evening service in the church. The bars get very busy so if you don’t book you will wait sometime or not get a meal at all.

Buen camino!.