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Emergencies on the Camino de Santiago: 112

112 is free and works in Spain, Portugal, France and the whole EU, without credit and on any operator’s network. When to call, what to say and what to do until help arrives.

Updated on · 2 min read

A stone Camino marker with the scallop shell
Photo: Simon Burchell, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.
In this guide
  1. When to call
  2. How to call
  3. Giving your location
  4. Before you set off
  5. FAQ

Serious things rarely happen on the Camino, but it is worth knowing what to do if they do. The number is always the same: 112, free across the European Union, callable without credit and on another operator’s network if yours has no signal there. Operators speak several languages, English included.

When to call

  • Chest pain, difficulty breathing or fainting.
  • Bleeding that won’t stop with pressure.
  • A hard blow to the head, confusion or drowsiness after a fall.
  • A fall with severe pain or a suspected fracture, especially somewhere isolated.
  • Signs of heatstroke or hypothermia.
  • Swelling of the face or throat or difficulty breathing after a sting.
  • Someone who cannot go on, far from a village.

For anything not urgent, the local health centre or pharmacy.

How to call

  1. Dial 112 and say what is happening, where you are and how many people are involved.
  2. Give your location: nearest village, stage and, if possible, your coordinates.
  3. Don’t hang up until told to: they will guide you by phone.
  4. If the person doesn’t respond but is breathing, put them on their side and keep them warm.
  5. If they don’t respond and aren’t breathing normally, 112 will tell you how to do chest compressions, hard and fast in the centre of the chest.
  6. If there are several of you, send someone to the path or road to meet the ambulance.

Giving your location

It saves the most time. Note the last village, whether you are on the Camino or off it, and in Galicia the number on the last stone marker. Your phone’s coordinates are the most precise.

Before you set off

  • Write down an emergency contact and, if you know them, your blood group and allergies.
  • Keep your phone charged and carry a power bank.
  • Tell someone where you are walking on quiet stretches.

FAQ

Does 112 work without signal?

It works without credit and on any operator’s network. With no network at all, it doesn’t; go to higher ground or back to the last village.

Will they speak English?

Yes, 112 operators handle calls in several languages.

Do I pay for an ambulance?

Emergency care is covered by the public system for residents and, with the European Health Insurance Card, for EU citizens. From outside the EU, have travel insurance.

Keep reading

On the CaminoFirst aidWhat to do on the Camino about blisters, tendinitis, a sprained ankle, heatstroke, cold, ticks or dogs, and when to call 112. Careful, general advice. On the CaminoHeat and heatstrokeWalking the Camino in the heat: how much water to carry, the signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and what to do (shade, cooling and calling 112). Planning your CaminoFAQAnswers to the most common Camino de Santiago questions: distance, days, cost, the Compostela, albergues, best time, safety, apps and signal.