Sending backpacks ahead to SJPdP

[Milinko]

Hi guys,
We've been looking for information if it's possible to send our backpacks ahead to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, but haven't been able to find any so far. We'll be flying Sofia (Bulgaria) - Milan, Milan - Bordeaux and changing 2 flights, and the backpack fee, each time for each of us, is higher than the plane tickets themselves.

We've booked flights to Bordeaux, as it seems as a lovely place to visit and do some cheese and wine tasting before we start the Camino, and carrying backpacks with us wouldn't be so convenient/comfortable.

Do you have any such experience, and/or do you know if that's possible?

Greetings,
S & E

 

[MinaKamina]

Hi guys,
We've been looking for information if it's possible to send our backpacks ahead to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, but haven't been able to find any so far. We'll be changing 2 flights and the backpack fee, each time for each of us, is higher than the plane tickets themselves.
We've also booked flights to Bordeaux, as it seems as a lovely place to visit and do some cheese and wine tasting before we start the Camino, and carrying backpacks with us wouldn't be so convenient/comfortable.

Do you have any such experience, and/or do you know if that's possible?

Greetings,
S & E

how about mentioning where you want to send the backpacks from? it will make a huge difference if this is from outside the EU or inside.

 

[JoEllen]

I have shipped my backpack numerous times within the U.S. and used UPS. They do deliver to France, if you're traveling from the U.S., but it could cost a bundle! Shipping from Florida to Oregon was about $125 last October.

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi guys,
We've been looking for information if it's possible to send our backpacks ahead to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, but haven't been able to find any so far. We'll be changing 2 flights and the backpack fee, each time for each of us, is higher than the plane tickets themselves.
We've also booked flights to Bordeaux, as it seems as a lovely place to visit and do some cheese and wine tasting before we start the Camino, and carrying backpacks with us wouldn't be so convenient/comfortable.

Do you have any such experience, and/or do you know if that's possible?

Greetings,
S & E

I am struggling with this question and I have a few of my own. Where are you flying from? Who are you flying with? What will you do for luggage while your backpacks are in transit?

I'll add a statement that is irrefutable in this modern age: the price of a plane ticket does not reflect how much it will cost you to get on the flight.

If your backpacks are inconvenient and uncomfortable before you even start your camino I would encourage you to look very critically at what is in your backpacks. There is no need to carry your pack on a cheese & wine tour of Bordeaux just leave them at your accommodation or with left-luggage at the rail station

 

[lt56ny]

If your backpacks are inconvenient and uncomfortable before you even start your camino I would encourage you to look very critically at what is in your backpacks.

I couldn't agree more. I ALWAYS take my backpack on the plane as my carry on. I would be petrified to lose it. Why do you need to ship your pack? It is free to carry your pack on the plane unless of course you are flying some of the budget airlines within Europe. By the time you are ready for your camino your backpack should be no bother at all. It should be your friend with everything you need to live and the reminder that all you need is so very little.

 

[trecile]

Why do you need to ship your pack? It is free to carry your pack on the plane unless of course you are flying some of the budget airlines within Europe.

Yes, it seems that they are flying on a budget airline that charges for space in the overhead bin.

the backpack fee, each time for each of us, is higher than the plane tickets themselves.

 

[trecile]

@Milinko - You need to give us more information. Where are you flying from/to and on what airline are these two flights?
Is it possible to pay for one hold bag for the two of you instead of two cabin bags? You should be able to put both backpacks into a cheap duffel or IKEA bag like this to check in.

 

[Felice]

I always check in my rucksack when I fly Ryanair from the UK to Spain, and every time I do so, it costs me more than my seat does. This May, I paid £17 for my seat (I think...) and about £25 for my backpack. I'm prepared to pay that much so that I have my own poles, pocket knife, scissors etc for my walk. Over the years, these items have cost me quite a packet. Ocassionally, I consider buying new poles etc at SJPP or wherever, but I never take the thought seriously.

 

[naplesdon]

Unless someone knows more than I do about Bordeaux, and I have visited there often, you can have the finest soft and hard cheeses and vintage wines in the world in SJPdP thanks to the fine cheesemakers in the Basque hills and the vineyards that produce Txakoli, wonderful reds and roses from Rioja and the smaller producers in the region. Add to that it is also home to the finest cured, aged jambon!

 

[Milinko]

Hi guys,
Thank you for your answers.

We'll be flying with my mom within the EU - first to Milan with Wizz Air, and then Milan - Bordeaux on Ryan Air.
Both budget flights and for 2 backpacks it would cost 70 euros each = 140 euros.
So, we decided to ship my bigger backpack to SJPdP (together with the poles), if possible (35 euros/bag to France). Priority is expensive, too.

On the way back, I've already found a SEUR/DPD office in Santiago DC, so there'll be no problem shipping the big backpack home from there.

PS: We've never been to Bordeaux before. From the videos we've seen so far, and the information about the city, it seems like a nice place to visit. It's not Colmar and the lovely small villages around it, but we would like to see it.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

As you said, shipping is not an issue, it's finding somewhere to accept it for you. You might need to book a hotel in SJPP and ask if you can send your bags there.

Whiz Air is just about the most expensive for baggage of all the airlines.