So you're planning a surf trip to Hossegor. Smart choice. But here's the question nobody really answers upfront: what's it actually going to cost?

Hossegor isn't the cheapest place in Europe, but it's not Monaco either. It sits somewhere in that sweet spot where quality meets accessibility. The waves are world-class, the vibe is laid-back, and the pine forests don't charge admission.

But between accommodation, food, gear, and getting around, costs can add up quickly if you're not paying attention. Or, if you plan it right, you can get incredible value without breaking the bank.

This guide breaks down what a week in Hossegor really costs, looking at different approaches, different budgets, and what you actually get for your money. No agenda, just real numbers and honest advice to help you plan the trip that makes sense for you.

Let's dive in.

Accommodation: Where You Rest Your Head

This is your biggest variable. Hossegor has options ranging from pine-scented campsites to boutique hotels, and your choice here sets the tone for everything else.

Budget Options: Camping & Camper Vans

Camping is the classic surfer move. There are several campsites around Seignosse and Hossegor where you can pitch a tent for €18-30 per night. That's roughly €125-210 for the week. You'll be close to nature, close to the beach, and living that laid-back surf life. If you've got a camper van, there's an aire de camping-car in Seignosse for around €7/night (€50/week), though wild camping is strictly enforced against in the area.

Camping gives you flexibility and keeps costs low, but you're dealing with shared facilities and basic amenities. It's perfect if you're young, energetic, and don't mind roughing it a bit.

Hostel Life

Hostels in the area run about €30-50 per night for a dorm bed (€210-350 for the week). You'll have a roof, social spaces, and usually a kitchen. The trade-off is sharing rooms and dealing with the typical hostel dynamics. Great for solo travelers who want to meet people without committing to a full package deal.

Mid-Range: Airbnb & Guesthouses

Private rooms or small apartments on Airbnb typically cost €80-150 per night (€560-1,050 for the week). You get your own space, often a kitchen, and the freedom to come and go as you please. It's comfortable and gives you control over your schedule.

Hotels

A decent 3-star hotel in Hossegor will run €120-200 per night (€840-1,400 for the week). You get daily housekeeping, reception services, and typically a good location. Hotels are great if you want amenities and don't need a kitchen.

Boutique Surf Houses

There's a growing category of all-inclusive surf guest houses in the area. These typically cost €760-950 per person for the week and include accommodation, meals, equipment, and guidance. They're designed specifically for surfers and offer a community vibe. We'll break down the full costs of this option later.

What Most Basic Accommodation Doesn't Include

Whether you're camping, hosteling, or renting an Airbnb, remember that accommodation is just accommodation. You're still responsible for:

Every meal (or groceries to cook them)
All equipment (boards, wetsuits, bikes)
Transport around the area
Figuring out where and when to surf

These costs add up, so let's break them down.

Food: Fueling the Sessions

You're going to be hungry. Surfing burns serious energy, and Hossegor has plenty of ways to feed yourself, from supermarket shopping to beachside restaurants.

Self-Catering

Shopping at local supermarkets like Carrefour or Intermarché, you can feed yourself for €90-130 per week. That covers breakfast staples, lunch makings, dinner ingredients, and snacks. It requires planning and cooking time, but it's doable and keeps costs manageable.

The Reality of Eating Out

Even if you're planning to cook, you'll inevitably eat out. A coffee and croissant is €5-8. Lunch at a beach cabana runs €15-25. Dinner out is €25-40 per person. These add up fast if you're eating out daily.

Realistic Weekly Food Budgets

Mostly self-catering with occasional treats: €170-230
Mix of cooking and eating out: €320-450
Eating out most days: €550+

Most people land somewhere in the €300-350 range, cooking breakfasts and some dinners, grabbing lunch out, and treating themselves a few times during the week.

Surf Equipment: The Essentials

Unless you're bringing your own gear, you'll need to rent.

Surfboards

Daily rentals: €20-30
Weekly packages: €90-140

The advantage of weekly packages is flexibility, many shops let you swap boards as conditions change. Some delivery services (like Marty Surf) will bring equipment to you, which is convenient if you don't have transport.

Wetsuits

Daily: €10-15
Weekly: €50-80

Water temperature varies by season. Summer might only need a 3/2mm spring suit, while late autumn demands a full 4/3mm. Make sure the shop has your size when you need it.

Combined Equipment for a Week

Realistically, budget €140-220 for board and wetsuit rental for the week. Some shops offer package deals that work out slightly cheaper.

Getting Around: Bikes, Cars, and Logistics

Hossegor is spread out. The beaches, town center, Capbreton, and forest trails are all connected but not walkable if you want to explore.

Bikes

Essential for getting around. Rental costs:

Daily: €9-15
Weekly: €50-80

Multiple shops (Joe Bike, Jerry Bike) offer standard bikes, and you can also rent electric bikes or fat bikes if you want something different. Bikes are honestly the best way to experience the area, parking is a nightmare in summer and the cycle paths are excellent.

Cars

If you want to explore beyond Hossegor (Biarritz, San Sebastián, Bayonne), a rental car costs €200-400 for the week plus fuel. It's nice to have but not essential for a surf-focused week.

Surf Guiding and Lessons: Investing in Knowledge

This is where things get interesting and where your experience can vary dramatically.

Going Solo

You can absolutely figure it out yourself. Rent a board, check the conditions, and paddle out. It's free (beyond equipment rental) and gives you total freedom. The downside is you're guessing; which beach, which bank, what tide? You'll probably waste some sessions and miss some good ones until you learn the area.

Surf Lessons

If you're a beginner or want structured coaching:

Single 90-minute lesson: €35-50
5-day package: €180-280

Lessons give you fundamentals and safety knowledge. Most beaches will have a surf school operating at the correct tide times. After your lesson ends, you're back to figuring things out on your own.

Private Coaching

Some instructors offer private sessions for €60-100 per hour. Great for working on specific techniques, but it adds up quickly over a week.

Local Knowledge

The value of knowing where to go and when is hard to quantify. A local who can read the banks, understand the tide, and get you to the right spot at the right time can be the difference between an average week and an incredible one. This kind of guidance is either hard to find or comes included with certain accommodation packages.

Activities and Extras: The Little Things

Beyond surfing, there are costs that make a trip feel complete:

Yoga classes: €15-20 each
Gym day pass: €15-20
Ice cream runs: €5 each (you'll want these)
Nights out: €30-60
Coffee habit: €25-35/week

Budget €150-250 for activities and extras, depending on how active you are.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About

Beyond euros and cents, there are real costs that affect your experience:

Time
Hours spent researching spots, checking forecasts, coordinating rentals, driving around looking for waves. Some people love this. Others find it eats into actual surf time.

Missed Sessions
That perfect morning you slept through because you didn't realize the tide was ideal. The bank that was firing while you were surfing the wrong beach.

Energy and Mental Load
Managing everything yourself; meals, logistics, equipment, decisions, can be tiring when you're supposed to be on holiday.

These aren't line items on a budget, but they're real. Consider what matters more to you: total control and flexibility, or having things handled so you can focus on surfing.

Putting It All Together: Four Real Budget Scenarios

Let's look at four different approaches to a week in Hossegor and what they actually cost.

Expense	Budget Camper	Hostel Traveler	Independent Airbnb	Boutique Guest House
Accommodation	€140 (tent camping)	€280 (hostel dorm)	€700 (private Airbnb)	Included in package
Camper Van Rental	Optional: €600	N/A	N/A	N/A
Breakfast	Self-catering	Self-catering	Self-catering or €5-8/day	Included (7 mornings)
Dinner	Self-catering	Mix of cooking & eating out	Mix of cooking & eating out	Included (6 dinners)
Lunch	Self-catering	Beach cafés occasionally	Beach cafés occasionally	€100 (lunches)
Dinners Out	Included in food budget	Included in food budget	Included in food budget	€25 (1 night out)
Total Food	€180	€280	€350	€125
Surfboard Rental	€110	€110	€110	Included (unlimited)
Wetsuit Rental	€65	€65	€65	Included (unlimited)
Bike Rental	€70	€70	€70	Included (unlimited)
Surf Guiding	Optional (€50-80/session)	Optional (€50-80/session)	Optional (€50-80/session)	Included (daily)
Coffee & Ice Cream	€60	€60	€60	€60
TOTAL COST	€625	€905	€1,475	€1,035
With Camper Van	€1,225	N/A	N/A	N/A
Per Day	€89/day (€175-Van)	€129/day	€211/day	€148/day
Best For	Budget-conscious travelers who enjoy camping life	Solo travelers wanting to meet people on moderate budget	Groups or couples wanting privacy and independence	Surfers wanting all-inclusive experience with community

Budget Camper - €625/week

This is the most economical route. You're camping or using a camper van, cooking all your meals, and managing everything yourself. It works well if you're experienced with the area, don't mind basic facilities, and enjoy the freedom of a true DIY approach.

Hostel Traveler - €905/week

A step up in comfort with a roof over your head and the chance to meet other traveler’s. You're still cooking most meals and organizing your own surf sessions, but you've added a few surf lessons to learn the basics and occasionally eat out.

Independent Airbnb - €1,475/week

Maximum privacy and independence. You have your own space, can cook when you want and eat out when you don't, and you've added some lessons and yoga classes to round out the week. You're paying for comfort and flexibility but managing all the logistics yourself.

Boutique Guest House - €1,035/week

An all-inclusive experience designed for surfers. Accommodation, most meals, all equipment, daily surf guiding, and yoga are included. You're paying for convenience, local knowledge, and community. The total cost depends on the season and whether you choose shared or private accommodation.

Curious about this option? Places like Southwest Surf House operate on this model, offering the kind of week where you show up, everything's handled, and you just surf.

Breaking Down the Value

Looking at the numbers side by side reveals something interesting:

The Independent Airbnb option costs significantly more (€1,475) than the Boutique Guest House (€1,035), yet includes fewer services. You're paying for privacy and total control, but you're also managing everything yourself; shopping, cooking, coordinating rentals, figuring out where to surf.

The Budget Camper route is genuinely economical at €625, but requires the most work and works best if you already know the area or thrive on figuring things out.

The Hostel option sits in the middle at €905. Its more comfortable than camping, less expensive than private accommodation, with a social element built in.

The Boutique Guest House offers the most services and guidance for a price that's actually less than independent mid-range options. The trade-off? You're part of a group experience rather than totally independent.

What the Numbers Don't Show

Local Knowledge
Knowing which bank is working, what the tide is doing, when to paddle out, this kind of expertise takes years to develop or comes from locals who live here. It's the difference between good sessions and incredible ones.

Community
Some people want total independence. Others love sharing meals, trading surf stories, and making friends with people from around the world. There's no right answer, just what works for you.

Energy
Managing logistics takes time and mental energy. Some people find that energizing. Others prefer to save that energy for surfing and being present.

The Food Factor
Cooking for yourself gives you control over what you eat and saves money. But there's something special about sitting down to a home-cooked meal you didn't have to shop for or prepare, especially after a long day of surfing.

So What's the Right Choice?

It genuinely depends on what you value:

Choose camping/van life if: You're on a tight budget, love the camping lifestyle, are experienced enough to handle everything yourself, and enjoy the freedom of total independence.

Choose a hostel if: You're traveling solo, want to meet people, need a moderate budget option, and are comfortable with shared spaces.

Choose Airbnb if: You're traveling as a couple or group, value privacy and your own space above all else, don't mind spending more, and enjoy organizing your own adventure.

Choose a boutique guest house if: You want to maximize surf time, value local guidance, prefer an all-inclusive approach, and enjoy the community aspect of traveling with like-minded people.

There's no "best" option, just the best option for you and what you're looking for from your week in Hossegor.

Final Thoughts

Hossegor is special. The waves, the forest, the culture, the beaches, it's genuinely one of the best places in Europe to surf. How you experience it comes down to personal preference and what matters most to you.

Some people want to explore independently, figure everything out themselves, and have total control. That's a valid and rewarding way to travel.

Others prefer to show up, have everything dialed in, and just focus on surfing and being present. That's equally valid.

The key is being honest with yourself about what kind of trip you want, then choosing the option that aligns with that vision.

Now you know what it costs. The rest is up to you.