Picture this: you are shouldering your backpack, following yellow arrows or little pilgrim signs, and at the end of a long day you arrive at a humble place that opens its doors with a smile. There is no price list at the desk, only a small box that says donativo. How much is fair to give for accommodation, maybe dinner and breakfast too? If you are new to pilgrim life it can feel confusing, so let’s clear it up in a friendly, practical way.
First, a quick word on names. The Camino de Santiago is also called the Way of St James in English. In some languages, St James is rendered as St Jacob, which is why you might see different versions in guidebooks. Via Francigena is the other great pilgrimage route of Europe. It starts in Canterbury in England, then crosses France and Switzerland, and continues down through Italy to Rome.
Both journeys are beautiful and very human. You move at walking pace, you meet people from everywhere, and you learn to carry only what you need.
Why are these routes so popular with slow travellers right now?
Because they give us what many of us miss in fast, screen-heavy days. A clear path, simple goals, and a real connection. You wake up, you walk, you share a meal, you swap stories, you sleep. The rhythm is kind to the body and even kinder to the mind. On the Camino, waymarking is excellent, and the culture of albergues is strong. On the Via Francigena the infrastructure is growing each year, and many ospitali are held by parishes, associations, or families who love welcoming pilgrims. Both routes remind us that travel can be generous and community driven, not only transactional.
Etymology of “ospitale”
Ospitale comes from Latin hospitāle, the neuter noun of hospitalis “related to a guest or host,”
which itself derives from hospes. In Latin hospes referred both to the one who welcomes and the one who is welcomed, so the word carries an idea of reciprocity between host and guest.
In the Middle Ages hospitale or hospitalia named houses of welcome for pilgrims, the poor, and the sick, often run by monasteries and confraternities. From this root Italian gets ospedale, ospite, and ospitalità. From the same family come French hôtel/hostel, English hospital and hostel, Spanish hospital, and the word hospitalero along the Camino.
On pilgrimage routes such as the Via Francigena and the Camino de Santiago, “ospitale” survives in place names and in the names of simple houses of welcome, often supported by a donativo. Remembering this helps keep the original idea alive: an open home sustained by the generosity of those who arrive and those who host.
So what exactly is a donativo?
It is a contribution that helps sustain the place you stayed in and keeps the door open for the next person. It should never feel like paying for a service. Hosts clean rooms and bathrooms after each pilgrim, wash sheets and blankets, keep showers running, buy cleaning products, fix things when they break, and often cook shared meals. Your donation covers these real costs and supports a tradition of hospitality that depends on trust.
Here is a simple, fair guide.
Give at least 10€ when a simple accommodation is offered. If meals are included or laundry is available, 15€ or more is appropriate. If you can, 30 to 35€ per person is generous and close to what you would spend elsewhere for a bed and a meal. That level of giving helps cover pilgrims who cannot give as much in a particular week. Leaving less than 10€ means the cost of your trip is being pushed onto local people, which goes against the spirit of the pilgrimage.
Short FAQ: Donativo
- What is a donativo?
- A donativo is a voluntary contribution that keeps pilgrim hospitality running. It is not a price. Your gift helps cover cleaning, sheets, hot water, electricity, repairs, and often a shared meal, so the next walker finds the same welcome.
- How much should I give?
- At least 10€ for a simple bed. If dinner, breakfast, or laundry are included, 15€ or more is appropriate. If you can, 30–35€ per person is generous and close to what you would spend elsewhere, and it helps cover those who cannot give as much.
- Is there a fixed price?
- No, a donativo house does not set a price, although some hosts mention a “typical” amount to show real costs. Give per person and within your means.
- Is 5€ ok?
- Generally it is too low because it does not cover basic costs, which shifts your travel expenses onto local people and goes against the spirit of the pilgrimage. If you are short on cash for a night, be honest with the host, lend a hand with chores, and plan to give more at your next stop.
Some practical tips help a lot.
- Carry small bills and coins so you can give the amount you feel is right without awkwardness.
- Donate per person, not per group.
- If a dinner is shared, consider your donation in light of what you would pay for a simple meal and drink in the area.
- If laundry soap is provided or the host runs a machine for you, add a few euros.
- If you are genuinely short on cash for a night, be honest and offer help with dishes, sweeping, or bathroom cleaning.
Many hospitaleros appreciate the gesture, and you can return with a larger donation when you are able.
Remember that not every place along these routes is donativo. Many albergues and guesthouses have a fixed price. If there is a set price, respect it. If there is a donation box, be generous within your means. When in doubt, ask the host what typical donations look like in that town. A quick chat over the check-in table often clears things up and builds a nice connection.
Most of all, keep the heart of the journey in mind.
Pilgrimage is not cheap tourism.
Pilgrimage is a culture of care, where everyone gives what they can so that everyone can keep walking. Your donation is part of that culture. It says thank you for the bed, the hot shower, the shared pasta, the clean towel, and the kindness that cannot be priced. It also pays forward the same welcome to the person who arrives tomorrow with sore feet and a hopeful smile.
Give with gratitude, write a short note in the guest book if there is one, and keep moving. Your generosity keeps these routes alive for all of us.
St James or St Jacob? Names and origins
Yes, they refer to the same apostle, known in Italian as Giacomo. The name travels through languages:
Hebrew Yaʿaqov, Greek Iákōbos, and Latin Iacobus or Iacomus. From this root come the
modern forms James in English, Jacques in French, Jakob in German, Giacomo in Italian, Santiago in Spanish,
Jaume in Catalan, and Xacobeo in Galician.
This is why you see Camino de Santiago in Spanish, Way of St James in English, Cammino di San Giacomo in Italian,
Chemin de Saint-Jacques in French, and Sankt Jakob in German. Saying “St Jacob” in English is not incorrect
etymologically, but today the standard is St James. If you write in Italian, San Giacomo is perfect. For an
international audience, Camino de Santiago (Way of St James) is the clearest phrasing.
The saint here is James the Greater, associated with Compostela. Do not confuse him with James the Less. For context,
the Via Francigena begins in Canterbury in England, crosses France and Switzerland, and leads to Rome.