How Much Does the Via Podiensis Cost?
A detailed breakdown of every expense on the Le Puy Camino (2023)
In This Article
On August 7th, 2023, we began our 1,500 km journey on the Via Podiensis route to Santiago de Compostela from Le Puy-en-Velay in France. Over the next 28 days, we walked over 750 km, staying on the main GR 65 route until we reached the end of the Le Puy Camino (and the start of the Camino Frances) in St. Jean-pied-de-Port.
Along the way, we tracked how much we spent on every single meal, baguette, glass of wine, souvenir, and night of accommodation. Then we organized our spending into ten categories so we could see where all our money went!
In this article, we’re going to share how much we spent on the Le Puy Camino in France, where our budget went (75% of our spending was in just two categories!), and a few ways you can save some money on the Via Podiensis.
So let’s dive in, pilgrims!
How much does the Via Podiensis cost?
We each spent €1,502.70 for 28 days of hiking on the Via Podiensis, including a day in Le Puy-en-Velay and a night in St. Jean Pied-de-Port — which breaks down to €51.82 per day for each of us.
I prefer the per-person total because it’s a better way to budget for the Camino. A flat number is great, but if you walk at a different pace than us, it’s not as useful.
Here’s the full breakdown of our Le Puy Camino expenses from most money spent to least:
Gîtes & Accommodation - €627.07 each (€21.63 per person, per day)
Dining - €501.65 each (€17.30 per person, per day)
Groceries - €110.25 each (€3.80 per person, per day)
Alcohol - €94.95 each (€3.27 per person, per day)
Coffee - €50.07 each (€1.73 per person, per day)
Health - €36.64 each (€1.27 per person, per day)
Junk - €30.26 (€1.05 per person, per day)
Fun - €25.75 each (€0.89 per person, per day)
Stuff - €17.45 each (€0.60 per person, per day)
Fees - €5 each (for our pilgrim passport!)
Gifts - €3.60 each (for postcards!)
€51 a day (each) is a tad higher than we wanted to spend, but that’s way cheaper than a lot of other vacations! And we walked through stunning towns like Conques, Saint Come d'olt, and Cahors.
And remember, our €50/day total is accurate for solo travelers despite us walking together since you have to pay for most accommodations and meals on a per-person basis (no couple discount on the Camino!).
How much do gîtes cost on the Via Podiensis?
On average, accommodation in a gîtes costs between €18-20, but can be as high as €25 or €30 depending on the time of year and the quality of the gîtes. That price doesn’t include dinner (more on that below).
Our average cost for accommodation on the Le Puy Camino was €21.63 per day (each). We stayed at mostly nice (but not fancy) gîtes, during August and September 2023 on the Via Podiensis, and while we also stayed at a few communals and donativos the price was usually around €18 without food.
One of the biggest differences between the Camino and the Via Podiensis (besides the language) is the quality, style, and price of accommodation. In Spain, it’s common to share a room with dozens of people in bunk beds.
That type of sleeping arrangement almost never happens in France..
Our €21 euros per day budget for accommodation got us comfortable single beds in most places, and the largest room we shared on the Via Podiensis was a room of six. And we occupied four of those beds.
Gîtes are more expensive than albergues in Spain, but they’re also less crowded, more comfortable, and better value for your dollar in almost every way.
How expensive is food (demi-pension) on the Via Podiensis?
Eating French food is one of the best reasons to hike the Via Podiensis, and it was definitely a highlight of our trip.
The way it works is that most gîtes offer room and board — typically a communal dinner and breakfast in the morning — for an extra rate on top of the price of the bed. This is called “demi-pension” or half-board, and in our experience, the cost of a gîtes dinner was between €18-20 depending on the price of the bed.
The easiest way to budget the price of gîtes dinners is to double the price of accommodation. So if a bed costs €18, the dinner (and hopefully breakfast) will usually cost another €18.
Are demi-pension meals worth the price?
The simple answer is … absolutely!
Not every meal will blow your mind (we ate a lot of rice!), but I would still recommend 90% of the gîte dinners we enjoyed to fellow pilgrims planning their walk. The French cuisine along the Le Puy Camino usually featured local specialties made from local ingredients by local cooks — which was a great way to experience a place and connect with your host and fellow pilgrims.
However, if you’re on a tight budget, eating a lot of “gîte dinners” can add up quickly. Unfortunately, there aren’t always other options on the Via Podiensis.
In many smaller French cities along the Chemin du Puy, you might only have a few options for places to eat once you get to town (if that). It’s also important to remember that you won’t always have access to the kitchen at some gîtes. Several gîtes we stayed at didn’t allow pilgrims to use the cooking facilities. And many small towns only have one or two restaurants and markets that might be closed, especially on Sunday and Monday, leaving you with few alternatives to the pricey gîte meals.
I don’t want to discourage you from buying the demi-pension. It was usually delicious. But, I will say that the breakfast was rarely worth the extra price (often €6 per person for one cup of coffee and toast). So keep that in mind.
You can save a lot of money by eating a light meal out, or cooking a few times along the way, but in the end, cooking and dining out will only save you a few euros a day, so enjoy the gîte meals when you can!
How to save money on the Via Podiensis
The easiest way to save money on the Camino (any Camino!) is to grocery shop.
It’s almost impossible to spend less than €50 a day on the Via Podiensis if you eat every meal at a restaurant or demi-pension.
Luckily, it’s easy to eat well in France, even if you’re cooking and making picnic lunches.
We found lovely produce, cheese, sandwiches, and plenty of snacks and picnic supplies for very reasonable prices in most towns we walked through, whether that’s at the local store, boulangerie, or Carrefour.
How much did you spend on coffee and wine?
It’s also important to point out that you don’t need to scrimp on drinks or coffee while hiking the Via Podiensis.
We each spent about €3 per day on alcohol and less than €2 a day on coffee over the whole hike, and we never felt like we were depriving ourselves. In fact, that price includes one of the best Armagnac tastings I’ve ever had in my life and multiple coffees per day.
If you look at our price breakdown up top, you’ll see that 75% of our total budget was spent on accommodation and dining. So if you want a beer, coffee, or pastry, go nuts. You deserve it.
Honestly, my biggest regret from the Via Podiensis is not eating at more boulangeries (bakeries). They were all amazing, affordable, fresh, and delicious.
Nothing picks you up on a long walk like a fresh-made eclair.
How much does the Le Puy Camino Cost?
We each spent €1500 for our 28-day walk from Le Puy-en-Velay to St. Jean Pied-de-Port, and it was worth every single penny.
We slept in one-of-a-kind gîtes, ate delicious food, enjoyed picnics in the sun with friends, and toasted to our crazy 1500 km journey to Santiago de Compostela every night. If you budget for around €50/day you can have an excellent walk on the Via Podiensis.
And with a little effort, you can hike it for even less.
Hope this helps, and bon chemin, pèlerins!
Check out our video, How Much Does the Podiensis Cost? to learn more about the remaining spending categories. And sign up for our newsletter for all the Camino content you can handle.
