I know that there are a few casual observers from e-groups who haven't registered on this board, but I have another question, and I'd sure appreciate any input:

It looks like I've recruited my suegro to come with me in 2002 on the camino. One of his big questions is the cost of the trip. I believe we'll be on the trail for about 3 weeks. I was wondering if any of you who have done the trail (especially on bike) could give us any ballpark figures on total costs. I know that the albergues are fairly cheap...okay, DIRT cheap. But what are some of the hidden costs, like the entrances to chapels, churches, claustros and cathedrals? I'd welcome any tidbits on costs of bicycles and gear, too!

Thanks!

Oh, boy, CaliBasco, I see you've been punning it up here, too. Compostela heap is good! Now, when sleeping in those dirt cheap refugios/albergues, remember why they are called dirt cheap... yup, the dirt you are gunna sleep ontop of IS cheap! MM- do NOT fear, I promise not to put puns anywhere except up Sancho's punz thread.

Hola! Glad you pulled this back up. I've been feeling a little "fat" lately and perhaps this will inspire me to get back into shape. Any of you interested in knowing, the camino will put you into superb shape for about 2 years! No joke! (especially on the ascent to pun-ferrada, that's for rgf) Anyway, Calibasco, to give you some cost tips... the refugios were either free-500 pesetas a night. Food can be cooked in the refugio for a minimal cost. Many times you can get with other peregrinos and make a big meal (200 pesetas a person plus 100 pesetas for wine)! Gotta love Spain. If you don't buy anything except the necessities, you really can do it on 1000-1500 pts. a day. As for Cathedrals etc., they tended to be free to 250 pesetas. Not all charged a fee, some were just abandoned or semi-abandoned and part of the camino's history. Bigger cities such as Burgos, León, Astorga, and Santiago, charge a fee but I'm sure guidebooks could help you out with current costs. Put it this way, I spent more on café than I did on entrance fees.

I would allow for a night in a hostal/pension/hotel every so often. If you go during peak months, you may experience difficulties finding a spot in the refugios. In September this happened to us 2 times in 3 weeks. We also opted to stay in hostales/hoteles a couple of nights when we weren't (or shall I say I wasn't) quite up to staying in the available refugio. Santiago was one of those places. After three weeks of biking, finally reaching our destination, I had no desire to see another refugio! It was my treat, shall we say, to stay in a nice place!

Here's a tip- when you get to Santiago, go directly to the "Pilgrim’s office" to get your official Compostela. They will give you an official certificate for having completed the ruta. Go and get photocopies made and take them to the Parador de los Reyes Católicos. If you're one of the first 10 registered, you qualify for free meals in the worker's quarters. You can get hearty meals and you don't have to pay a dime. When we were there, there weren't even 10 people signed up. You can eat for three days if I'm not mistaken.

As for gear, here's a list of what I took:

*Two pairs biking shorts (padded) You can buy the underwear with a pad and just wear it under regular shorts. You'll have to wash it daily though! I took one pair of the padded shorts that weren't the stretch kind. They were nicer because I could just wear them around while sightseeing and didn't look as funny. But, everyone expects that you're doing the ruta so it really doesn't matter. I got mine at REI for about $35. They have an annual sale in August (I think) and you can get some great deals.
*One pair of long biking pants (lycra)
*tee-shirts
*biking gloves
*sunglasses
*biking shoes- I ended up wearing my biking shoes all the time. I thought they were more comfortable than regular shoes.
*shower shoes
*biking helmet
*wind and waterproof jacket (I took the Anorak type that fits nicely in the pouch- also from the REI sale).
*lip balm
*sunscreen
*First-aid kit Make sure you take something for sore muscles and for blisters!
*cotton socks
*towel
*Swiss army knife (with corkscrew and scissors)!
*something for cold nights such as a blanket or sleeping bag. Not all refugios provided blankets and it does get cold.
*Flashlight (I took the kind that fastens to the handlebar and is removable so it didn't take up space in my panniers).
*bike racks ($20-30 each)
*panniers- I spent the most money on these. I purchased them a couple of years before the trip and wanted to buy the best. I bought (what I thought were the best) the Jandd Panniers made in Santa Barbara. They were quite pricey at the time. I'm guessing on the prices as it was so long ago but...oh, you're in luck, I just found my receipt (it’s from 1995). I bought the handlebar pack ($50), two front panniers (the no-frills ones at $60/pr) and two of the Jandd mini mountain panniers at $72/pr. I highly recommend the handlebar pack because it conveniently holds your documents in a handy clear compartment on top, has mesh pockets on the sides for wet, gooey items, a front pocket for stuff, and then the large compartment for things you’ll need during the day. Once you pack those large panniers up for the day, you don’t want to have to go back and fish items out of them. You can remove the whole thing when visiting monuments and just leave the other rack panniers on the bike. The Jandd panniers conveniently snap together and have a leather “handle” so they can be carried together, which makes it nice when turning in for the night. I found that they were very “peregrino” friendly because you’ll be packing and unpacking daily. They are also water-resistant which is a plus in Galicia. I never had anything damp at the end of a rainy day. Also, they have reflective strips for easy visibility. Obviously you can find much cheaper panniers and it’s really up to you. Also, you don’t have to get both front and back panniers. Since I was unsure of how I would fare with the weight distribution, I decided to go with both front and back. My husband only used back panniers and he didn’t seem to have a problem. Just make sure you take some bungy cords along to strap things to the back rack. Another handy item is the stuff-sack. I used those for my clothes and just dropped them into the pannier. That way your not fishing around for loose items and you can really pack the stuff in. Also, you can strap one to the rack when you get overloaded. I recommend taking two.

Here are some more items you’ll need:

*spare innertubes
*spare spokes with spoke key
*spare break cables
*pump
*lock
*flat repair kit
*tools
*the usual clothes and toiletries.
*BIKE- any decent bike will do. As I stated earlier, my husband’s bike was a piece of junk and he survived. I’d take something sturdy but it doesn’t have to be fancy.
I hope I didn’t leave anything out.



[This message has been edited by nevado (edited 02-11-2001).]

Nevado, what a thorough and wonderful aid you've just given to all those (NOT ME!!) who want to bike the Camino. Now, you say you can get free meals in the Hostal. *I* always heard, from native gallegos, that you are entitled to 3 nights of a room (yeah, more like a refugio room) for sleeping, too. Do you know anything about that? As for me, I take my out-of-condition middle age self right into Santiago on a bus from La Corunya, head to the Hostal for a coffee in the lounge/lobby, then visit the Catedral and admire all the fit folks who got there some other way, then head to a good restaurant... you get the picture. Truth told, tho, I'd love to do a GENTLE camino tour. There's a company called PATHS TO SPAIN or something that organizes nice ones, but I think they are expensive.

WOW! I am totally impressed with this thread! Where else on the 'net can one find SO much useful firsthand info on Camino Francés??!! I'm adding to Calibasco's subect line "Camino de Santiago" to make this wonderful thread more complete.

There was a GREAT segment on The Travel Channel (USA cable TV) about El Camino de Santiago and the young woman made most of the trip. And wow! Some of those refugios were just as CaliBasco described them on his 11-13-00 posting, "...a lean-to with a thatch roof that barely keeps the cold out!" The woman on the program shared a "room" (term used loosely) with several others and the bedo was actually a cot and was very cold she said. She too stayed at a hostal/hostel every few nights just for warmth, warm showers, privacy, etcetera.

Thank you all, especially CaliBasco and Nevado, for making this thread ever so useful for EVERYONE thinking of making El Camino!

Saludos, MadridMan
(P.S. I moved this thread to from General Chatter to the "About Spain" forum - hope you don't mind CaliBasco)

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 02-11-2001).]

All hail Nevado!!! Thank you so much for posting that info! There is no post too long as far as I'm concerned. I was looking for practical info on the panniers, and you came through. I was also considering buying a new bike, and I may rethink that. At any rate, I'll be printing out your post and memorizing it for a while.

A note on the Reyes Católicos: You are correct with the meal thing. In the older days of the pilgrimage, you could get lodging too, but that has gone away with the advent of the modern pilgrimage, and its accompanying masses. No worry though, as we plan to pay the $$$ and treat ourselves to at least two nights at the hotel!!! We'll have earned it!

Please keep posting...anyone with info. I plan to keep a copious journal, and post liberally next year as I do this. I hope to inspire someone else to try something like this. Maybe we'll meet somewhere on the road...

Years ago, I visited Santiago de Compostela and saw pilgrims sleeping in the Cloister of the Basilica (on stones, in their sleeping bags). That's where pilgrims are provided a place to sleep, not in Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos (regardless of what Gallegos have told you). The stones are cold and hard; and everyone has to be out with all their things by early in the AM (9:00AM, I think). As for meals - no breakfast, continental or otherwise. It's according to an old Church rule requiring the Basilica to allow this if the people identify themselves as pilgrims. The plus side: you may be sleeping on the grave of a King or a Bishop.

I've stayed at Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos and at the Hostal Hogar San Francisco (about 200m away). At HHSF we had the Cotolay room, a 'special' room where the 'Provincial' stays when he is visiting. I found the latter to be a better value than the Parador (if it is adequate for you, of course - it has a large (Queen Size?) double bed and a small sofa/day-bed). And you can always walk to the Parador for their buffet breakfast (a 'big deal' for some people but about like a Marriott buffet breakfast here in the U.S.). I found the buffet breakfast at Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos very costly.
BTW
The last time I was there (July 25, 1999), King Juan Carlos I and Reina Sofia and their entourage had 'taken over' the Parador. It was Santiago in the Año Júbilar Xacobeo.
P.D.
When I visited Santiago in Feb '99 (for An Troido) there was a group of Camino guides staying at Hostal Hogar San Francisco. They were on a 'familiarization' trip. Most are mountain people from Bavaria & Austria and they appeared to me to be very fit. They are 'based' in Pamplona but I don't know the name of the group or company that handles their 'bookings.' I struck up conversation with a few, and they all seem to be fluent in English (probably more than Spanish). My own assessment: If I'm going to be lost on the Pilgrims' Trail in a strange country, these are the kind of people I would want to have with me. The ladies, like the men, are what one might expect to find on a mountain-side in the Austrian Tirol (definitely NOT the Maria Von Trapp type) herding or milking dairy cows - the Brunhilde-type, if you can relate to that.

[This message has been edited by Eddie (edited 02-14-2001).]

So, Nevado, did you buy your bikes in Spain or did you transport them from the U.S. This is my big question in a bike trip I would like to do in europe.

At one point I had brought my bike to Spain, but it was years before the camino. My husband already had his there. I had no problems whatsoever with it getting damaged although it was a bugger getting home from the airport in a taxi, in the rain, with other heavy pieces of luggage. Anyway, there are certain regulations on transporting a bicycle on an airplane. Some airlines allow you to check it in as a piece of luggage, others charge. I chose my airline according to their policy. You can pick up a bike box at your local bicycle shop and use that to pack it in. You have to take off the wheels (deflated) and turn the handlebars (loosen them first). I stuffed towels and clothes around the gears and delicate parts. The airline will tell you exactly what to do. Make sure you have tools and knowledge to do minor repairs or are able to find someone to help you. You've mentioned biking before so I'm sure you are able to take care of your bike in most situations.

I really envy of all you have done, I keep on telling myself that I will do it next year and you know,...

These are a couple of sites of the topic:
- Oficial site of la Xunta http://www.xacobeo.es , a bit too official.

- Asociación de Amigos del Camino de Santiago de Madrid,
www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/8972/
very practical but I'm afraid that this one doesn't have a full english version.

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 02-20-2001).]