How to Budget on the Camino de Santiago

So you want to walk the Camino de Santiago, and you want to do it on a budget. The good news is, you’re not alone! Here are some tips and tricks we picked up along the way.

Stay in Albergues

Albergues are traditional hostel accommodation, intended for the use of pilgrims while walking the Camino de Santiago. These are split into three groups: private albergues, municipal albergues, and donativo albergues. 

• Private Albergues

  • Privately owned and run

  • Sometimes include meals

  • Mostly come with bedding and towels

  • Can book in advance

  • €25-€60 per night

• Municipal Albergues

  • Sponsored by local governments and run by volunteers

  • Don’t include meals

  • Must bring your own bedding and towels

  • Cannot book in advance (you must arrive as soon as possible and begin queuing for a 2-3 pm opening)

  • €5-€10 per night

• Donativo Albergues

  • Run by volunteers

  • Sometimes include communal meals

  • Must bring your own bedding and towels

  • Cannot book in advance (you must arrive as soon as possible and begin queuing for a 2-3 pm opening)

  • Donation-based fees: if you cannot afford to donate, then you do not have to, but if you can, then please do!

There is accommodation for everyone’s budget; you just have to be willing to ‘work for it’. For example, we met people who were staying in municipal or donativo albergues, who were having to walk with great pace to reach their hostel by 12 pm. Even then, you were not always guaranteed a spot. At one of our albergues that we were able to book ahead for (via email), people were being turned away at the door and had to keep walking. Consider using apps like Camino Ninja to locate albergues while on your route, and sometimes you may be able to contact them ahead of time to see if there are beds available that night. 

Cook Your Own Food

This is one of the easiest ways to keep your daily costs down. There are plenty of supermarkets and corner stores when you walk through villages and towns. Again, this is where an app like Camino Ninja comes in handy, as you can see what amenities are in approaching towns/villages. There were plenty of cooking facilities in the albergues we stayed in, which made cooking dinner or preparing lunches very easy. We would stock up on fruit, yogurt, and pastries at the supermarkets for a quick breakfast in the morning.

An alternative to cooking if you run out of time is the pilgrim menus that cafes/restaurants offer to those walking the Camino. These ranged from € 8 to € 15 per meal and would consist of an entrée, main, dessert, and drink from a set menu. 

Buy Second Hand Gear

Sure, having a flash new backpack or hiking poles is becoming the new normal, but if you’re on a budget or conscious of the environment, then opt to purchase second-hand gear! We were fortunate to have most of the gear ahead of our Camino, but we needed waterproof clothing, so we jumped on Vinted and found a North Face coat and some waterproof pants. There was so much available that if you needed anything else, you would be able to find it! The Camino Pilgrim offices also had second-hand walking poles available that would be great if you didn’t want to travel with them; you could also then donate them at the end for the next person to use. 

Also, don’t forget to ask around your community at home; people are always eager to lend gear. I’m sure most of it ends up sitting in storage for the majority of the year anyway!

Utilise Donativo Stands en Route

We came across a few magical donativo stands while walking, and they were a Godsend! On those long hot days, or cold wet ones, stumbling upon a volunteer-run stand was amazing. Laden with drinks, fruit, snacks, and usually full of good vibes, these were moments of joy amongst the long 30km + days. As usual, these were donate what you can!

The beauty of the Camino de Santiago is that it is still a religious pilgrimage at its core. Yes, there are more and more people walking it every year, influencers, bloggers (guilty), you name it, they are walking, but the spirit is very much still alive. Therefore, it doesn’t have to cost the same as an all-inclusive Ibiza resort; there are still many ways you can walk on a budget, and you won’t be the only one!