luggage transfer to accommodation

[KayfromUK]

I am planning to use luggage transfer by Tuitrans for Camino Portuguese route. They told me they deliver between 8am and 3pm to booked accommodations with the reception during these hours. Has anybody used the service? I realise I can't have it delivered to apartments. When I looked at the details for booking, I only see check-in time and check -out time, and there are some gaps between. Do they accept deliveries during the gap hours?

 

[J Willhaus]

I have not used this company specifically, but with other companies there is a list in each town where you can have your bag shipped. It can't be shipped to others that don't have bag reception. I would make reservations where the service says they deliver.

If it says they deliver there, it should be there when you arrive or by 3 pm.

 

[Anamya]

I have used Tuitrans but not for stage-to-stage delivery, I used them to collect my bag in Porto and drop by my arrival hotel in Santiago. They were quite responsive via email while I was sorting everything with them.

As said above, if you need the luggage transport to each stage, I would only book places that have the reception open during the delivery hours. More for the safety of your belongings than anything else - you know it will be delivered to a person.

 

[KayfromUK]

I am struggling to confirm the reception hours before I book, as they normally say something like checkout by 11am check in from 3pm. If the company has a list, it would be much simpler. J Willhaus, do you have the name of the company?

 

[J Willhaus]

I have not walked the Portuguese, but in Spain I have used Correos and Jacotrans.

In my experience, depending on the hotel or albergue facility, your bag may be dropped off in a large open that may be more or less secure (similar to an airport baggage claim) , or it may be placed by the hotel in a secure location or even in your reserved room to await your arrival. I don't think you will find any way to determine which way your bag will be stored. Many people now transfer their bags and trust that it will arrive in some fashion. I carry medical equipment, medications, and valuables on my person and only ship things I could replace if needed.

 

[mlabar]

I am planning to use luggage transfer by Tuitrans for Camino Portuguese route. They told me they deliver between 8am and 3pm to booked accommodations with the reception during these hours. Has anybody used the service? I realise I can't have it delivered to apartments. When I looked at the details for booking, I only see check-in time and check -out time, and there are some gaps between. Do they accept deliveries during the gap hours?

Don’t know this service - used Pilbeo on the Portuguese in April. Highly recommend. Delivered on time to all my chosen stops along the route. Price was good.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Here is a photo of a person's backpack that was transported forward to an albergue that does not accept responsibility for bags.

It stood outside the albergue for at least six hours.

 

[Plume]

I am struggling to confirm the reception hours before I book, as they normally say something like checkout by 11am check in from 3pm. If the company has a list, it would be much simpler. J Willhaus, do you have the name of the company?

I think you are overthinking it. I used a variety of baggage delivery services on the Camino. Never occurred to me to check that the receiving accommodations reception was ’open’. If you have booked at a private hostal, B&B or hotel I really don’t think you have to worry. We left our luggage in the morning at the hotel we were leaving. It was always waiting for us at our next accommodation. Don’t forget both the transporter and the accommodations make their living at this. They do it daily for 100’s of camino walker’s! Some places very clearly say they will not receive luggage. In that case I would not ship or I would find different accommodations!

 

[trecile]

Don’t forget both the transporter and the accommodations make their living at this

The transport companies make their living at this. The accommodations receive no part of the money paid for luggage transport.

 

[Plume]

The transport companies make their living at this. The accommodations receive no part of the money paid for luggage transport.

I meant, as in servicing folks on a daily basis who walk the Camino. I was not intending to suggest that accommodations made money from the transportation of your bag, rather they are used to working daily with these companies.

 

[Planet Janet]

I recently walked the Camino Portuguese from Porto with a friend - and we pre-booked all private rooms ahead including 2 apartments. I also pre-booked the transport with TuiTrans. They were able to accommodate all our lodging, including the 2 apts except for one place in Conde do Lima with whom they did not have an arrangement, so I needed to book a different hotel that night. For the two apartments - they had the front door codes, so they could leave the bags inside anytime. I had NO issues with Tuitrans. Bags were always at our lodging upon our arrival (and often waiting in our rooms- by lodging staff!). One time, in Padron we arrived at 1:45pm and bags were not there yet. But they did arrive before 3pm, which is the promised time. Tuitrans staff were very responsive by email (in the planning process) and by phone that day in Padron. So, you might ask them about whether they service the apartments you're interested in. This was my first time really using a transport service & I was pleased. Good Luck!

 

[KayfromUK]

Yes, I probably was thinking too much. But the reason which made me think was their response to my enquiry. I only asked if they service through the year. In their response they emphasized prebooked accom. with the reception hours 8-15, and listed a kind of accom. they don't deliver, ' In B&B , Private Apartments, Airbnb, public albergues...' Why B&B??? I still don't know.
However, encouraged by the responses of the members with the experience on the ground, I went ahead and booked all accom. now. While only one responded to my Q before I booked, they said OK after I booked and sent another Q in English and Spanish. I paid extra for free canx as I didn't know the answer in advance. I avoided the places I already knew they don't take delivery, incl the one which said they accept luggage transfer 8-12. That wasn't good enough. The member's photo of the lone rucksack in the post..that was at a municipal albergue!
Thank you for the advices, everyone. Without them I might have resigned to carry my backpack.

 

[Planet Janet]

Yes, I probably was thinking too much. But the reason which made me think was their response to my enquiry. I only asked if they service through the year. In their response they emphasized prebooked accom. with the reception hours 8-15, and listed a kind of accom. they don't deliver, ' In B&B , Private Apartments, Airbnb, public albergues...' Why B&B??? I still don't know.
However, encouraged by the responses of the members with the experience on the ground, I went ahead and booked all accom. now. While only one responded to my Q before I booked, they said OK after I booked and sent another Q in English and Spanish. I paid extra for free canx as I didn't know the answer in advance. I avoided the places I already knew they don't take delivery, incl the one which said they accept luggage transfer 8-12. That wasn't good enough. The member's photo of the lone rucksack in the post..that was at a municipal albergue!
Thank you for the advices, everyone. Without them I might have resigned to carry my backpack.

Glad our different replies were helpful! Have a great Camino!

 

[Sue Hedden]

Here is a photo of a person's backpack that was transported forward to an albergue that does not accept responsibility for bags.

It stood outside the albergue for at least six hours.

View attachment 153992

Thats bad, that Albergue could not extend themselves a little!

 

[trecile]

Thats bad, that Albergue could not extend themselves a little!

That albergue is staffed by volunteers who already have plenty to do. They are not responsible for left luggage.

 

[doggedly]

I used Tuitrans in 2022.
I think they are generally considered to be reliable and trustworthy.
I used them for 3 deliveries along the Camino Portugues, starting in Pontevedra and ending in SDC, with stops in between in Caldas de Reis and Padrón.
They were a little late in the delivery to Padrón but it all went smoothly and I was always able to reach someone by phone.

They can tell you whether or not they can deliver to each lodging of your choice. I don't know what arrangement they had with each place, but they were able to get inside each building where my bag was waiting for them, and deliver my bag to an area designated for luggage inside each place.
I stayed at a few listings I found on airbnb and a hotel.
The only place they didn't deliver to was an airbnb apartment in SDC, so they had an arrangement with a gift shop in town where they left the bag for me to pick up there. I had to pay an extra small fee to them but it worked out great.
I hope that's helpful.

 

[KayfromUK]

It's reassuring to know that they go extra miles to deliver the luggage, despite their warning that they won't deliver to airbnb. One of the accomm confirmed they'd accept Tuitrans 8-15 before I booked. So, for this one, I made non canx booking. Afterwards, they messaged me to say they don't have reception but I'd receive a code for the door. I asked what would happen to the delivery and they said they have the key code.
They seemed quite firm about what kind of accommodations they deliver. It put me off. Without asking on this thread, I might have given up, And so, for that matter, they are not doing themselves a favour to get customers.

 

[doggedly]

Here's one point to keep in mind that I think will be super helpful for you:

Just because something is listed on airbnb doesn't mean that Tuitrans won't deliver to it.
Many places are listed on airbnb just to extend their marketing reach.
Tuitrans may make that general statement about "no deliveries to airbnb," but here's how it works:

It's only certain kinds of airbnb places, where Tuitrans can't get in on their own, or where there isn't someone at a reception area to be there. And the airbnb places also know if they have an arrangement with Tuitrans or not.

So all you have to do is check with Tuitrans for each lodging and find out what they say. They'll know.

Cheers

 

[AZperegrino]

From the thread title I gather that you are walking from Lisbon to SdC. We walked the Portugues from Lisbon last year, and found that there are no transportation services before Porto. By the time we got to Porto we were so used to carrying out packs that we didn't feel the need for transportation anymore for the remainder of the walk to SdC.
There are relatively few pilgrims on the Lisbon-Porto stretch, so there is probably not enough demand. Maybe the local experts like @jungleboy know some tricks for transport services in this area, but we couldn't find any.

 

[KayfromUK]

Yes, I am doing from Porto to SDC. I thought about mix and match of the transfer depending on the day, but they also said it should be a lockable luggage. It makes sense as they compensate if the luggage is lost/ damaged or anything stolen. I don't feel comfortable to check in my rucksack on the flight either as I can't lock it. If I'm carrying, it should be a backpack, but if I am using a luggage transfer, it should be a suitcase.
Anyway, I have booked them all, sent Tuitrans my itinerary of 13 stages and about to send them the fee.

 

[dick bird]

Thats bad, that Albergue could not extend themselves a little!

Most volunteer hospis count themselves lucky to get more than 2 hours to themselves between 6.00 am and 10.00 pm. And that 2 hours is, exactly when transport companies deliver. If a pilgrim sends their luggage to a place that has explicitly stated they do not accept transported luggage, that pilgrim has to accept responsibility for what happens to it.