The Camino Frances begins in St Jean Pied de Port in France and extends across Spain to Santiago for a total of 799 km (487 miles). Our Camino2025 began in Pamplona and ended in Santiago, reducing our total potential to 712km (434 miles).
When we both struggled with bad colds, we skipped walking and used public transportation for 40 km (24 miles). We also skipped segments of the Camino that totaled 220 km (135 miles) that we have walked two or more times before and chose not to walk this time due to one of the following reasons: (1) required us to walk more than 10 miles in a given day,(2) contained difficult terrain that we didn’t care to repeat for safety reasons or (3) included walking through densely urban or industrial areas not characteristic of the typical Camino, especially the Camino experienced by Medieval Pilgrims. Consequently, Camino 2025 amounted to walking only 275 miles in 43 days for an average of 6.4 miles/day. Our longest walk was 9.0 miles and shortest was 4.1 miles.
We are frequently asked “What does it cost to do the Camino”. Because of our unique approach to walking the Camino Frances, our expenses would likely be considered on the high side of pilgrims walking the Camino in a more traditional fashion. So, an analysis of our costs follows, to give you a frame of reference should you be planning your Camino:
Total cost for Camino2025 (Total days=56, walking=43) was $12,750. Air travel to Pamplona was $3615 ($3239: GSP to MAD, $376: MAD to PNA). The train returning from Santiago to Madrid cost $113. Our average cost per day for lodging was 70.24€ ($81.50) and 55.24€ ($64.07) for meals and snacks. Transporting our backpacks cost $428 and taxi/bus fares were 487€ ($565). In retrospect, it was an extraordinary adventure vacation experience for less than $230/day for 2 adults.
Camino2025, our 7th Camino, in several ways was our best. Walking in the spring vs summer/fall eliminated our need to begin each day walking in the dark and reduced significantly the time waiting to checkin at our next destination. It was nice to see more greens vs browns in the scenery around us, more flowers of different colors and less dried up streams/rivers. Conversely, we missed seeing, walking through and sampling the fruit filled vineyards and orchards.
Dealing with a bad cold for over a week was a bummer, but manageable and on hindsight, confirmed the healing environment of the Camino. We lost several days of walking when sick, but we still made progress via taxi or bus. In the end, after 43 days of walking over 6 miles per, carrying a daypack, we felt healthier and stronger, confirming that our advanced chronological age is still not a deterrent.
Interesting pilgrims, local citizens and hostelers enriched our experiences along the way and previous relationships were renewed, appreciated and strengthened. The cuisine and culture of Northern Spain reminded us of the value of simplicity in our lives and reinforced practices and lifestyles to be continued upon our return home. The simplicity of the Camino became even more apparent as we rejoined the complexity and stress of the world on our way back home.
Walking and living on the Camino Frances has had a profound impact on our lives and who we are. Our physical, mental and spiritual condition has been influenced and strengthened by it. It has positively influenced our relationship and our appreciation of each other as we have shared the challenges and satisfactions associated with experiencing the Camino Frances together.
The perennial question is “will we do it again” and the answer, as before, is “we’ll see”.
Jimandi 