Shipping backpack from home to Spain

[tjasa]

Hey,
I will be doing my first camino in May of 2019. I will be flying to Barcelona and then I plan to take the plane to San Sebastian in the same day and start my pilgrim from there the next day. But for that conecting flight it's not adviced to take checked baggage as it's only 1 hour inbetween the flights.
So I got an idea to send my backpack with most of my stuff to San Sebastian (post office open till 20.30) and collect it as soon as I arrive there. I saw alot of discusions about sending backpacks back home or when doing Camino just to the next town.
My question is Did anybody do it from europe before going? How much do they charge for backpack sitting in post offfice for few days (better send it sooner than later right?) and to what to I address it and how to make sure they dont send it back to return address?

Thank you in advance for any information on it!

 

[KinkyOne]

Hey,
I will be doing my first camino in May of 2019. I will be flying to Barcelona and then I plan to take the plane to San Sebastian in the same day and start my pilgrim from there the next day. But for that conecting flight it's not adviced to take checked baggage as it's only 1 hour inbetween the flights.
So I got an idea to send my backpack with most of my stuff to San Sebastian (post office open till 20.30) and collect it as soon as I arrive there. I saw alot of discusions about sending backpacks back home or when doing Camino just to the next town.
My question is Did anybody do it from europe before going? How much do they charge for backpack sitting in post offfice for few days (better send it sooner than later right?) and to what to I address it and how to make sure they dont send it back to return address?

Thank you in advance for any information on it!

Hi, tjasa,

That might be quite expensive option but I do understand your concern. What about leaving some gear at home and buy it in San Sebastian? There's Decathlon store in SS.

But if you want to stick to your plan then you should label your backpack as:
Lista de Correos
Your Name (add "peregrina" in brackets as it might help with Post Office staff)
Address of the post office (you can find it here: https://www.correos.es/ss/Satellite...herramientas_y_apps/detalle_app-sidioma=en_GB)
Post office number and San Sebastian
Spain

On the same link I posted about PO location you can also track your package. PO will hold it for at least two weeks as I know.

All the best with your plans!

 

[Jan_D]

At risk of stating the obvious, why don't you just pack enough stuff to take as carry-on? Even the budget airlines allow around 10kg carry-on (free with Easyjet, €6 with Ryanair. If you're travelling on a more fancy airline it will definitely be free). For things you can't take as carry-on (like walking poles), it'll probably be cheaper to buy them at Decathlon once you arrive, as KinkyOne says.

Really don't mean to judge (and not sure of your plans - I mean, are you going to be camping?) - but if your pack is over 10kg you might want to reconsider what you're taking with you!

 

[CdnDreamer]

Ivar mentions to never send anything to him from outside the EU as it will get stuck in customs. I'm not sure where you are coming from, so I don't know if this applies to you.

On my last trip I just took my backpack onboard the plane and then bought poles in Malaga. I think they cost less than 15 euros (compared to $100 in Canada!)

 

[KinkyOne]

Ivar mentions to never send anything to him from outside the EU as it will get stuck in customs. I'm not sure where you are coming from, so I don't know if this applies to you.

On my last trip I just took my backpack onboard the plane and then bought poles in Malaga. I think they cost less than 15 euros (compared to $100 in Canada!)

The OP doesn't want to send the backpack to Ivar but to San Sebastian. You have to read the OP again more carefully

 

[domigee]

The OP doesn't want to send the backpack to Ivar but to San Sebastian. You have to read the OP again more carefully

Yes but the same logic would apply to a place in San Sebastian, wouldn’t it?

 

[KinkyOne]

Yes but the same logic would apply to a place in San Sebastian, wouldn’t it?

Maybe but I doubt that very much because within EU there is no customs. I think Ivar warned about sending stuff from outside EU. Also I sent the largest Correos cardboard box package from Madrid to my home without any hassle. And my mom regularly sent me smaller packets while I was on Camino and all went through without problems.

PS (The OP is asking about sending the package from Europe, Iceland, Reykjavik to be exact.)

 

[domigee]

Maybe but I doubt that very much because within EU there is no customs. I think Ivar warned about sending stuff from outside EU. Also I sent the largest Correos cardboard box package from Madrid to my home without any hassle. And my mom regularly sent me smaller packets while I was on Camino and all went through without problems.

PS (The OP is asking about sending the package from Europe, Island, Reykjavik to be exact.)

You’re right, I assumed if was from outside Europe. Oops.

 

[CdnDreamer]

Sorry if I have confused people with my reply. The OP asked about mailing the backpack to Spain before arriving and I wanted to point out that Ivar mentions that mail can get stuck in customs if it is coming from outside the EU. I did say I don't know where the OP is mailing the backpack from. The question in the OP is "did anybody do it from Europe before going?" - I wasn't sure if that meant the OP was mailing the backpack from Europe, or if it was an English mistranslation meaning did we mail it to Europe before going.

 

[KinkyOne]

Sorry if I have confused people with my reply. The OP asked about mailing the backpack to Spain before arriving and I wanted to point out that Ivar mentions that mail can get stuck in customs if it is coming from outside the EU. I did say I don't know where the OP is mailing the backpack from. The question in the OP is "did anybody do it from Europe before going?" - I wasn't sure if that meant the OP was mailing the backpack from Europe, or if it was an English mistranslation meaning did we mail it to Europe before going.

I think it's quite simple. The OP asked if anybody did it "from" Europe. That's it. Wherever you come from (and she's from EU) the same applies for sending mail within EU. You can be Chinese sending mail from Munich to Paris or German sending it from Madrid to Bucharest. Doesn't make any difference because nobody at the Correos will ask you of your nationality.

 

[ranthr]

I would never rely on that. I have sent things from France that never showed up.Take your backpack with you with what you cannot loose, and send the rest.

 

[Texas Walker]

Hey,
I will be doing my first camino in May of 2019. I will be flying to Barcelona and then I plan to take the plane to San Sebastian in the same day and start my pilgrim from there the next day. But for that conecting flight it's not adviced to take checked baggage as it's only 1 hour inbetween the flights.
So I got an idea to send my backpack with most of my stuff to San Sebastian (post office open till 20.30) and collect it as soon as I arrive there. I saw alot of discusions about sending backpacks back home or when doing Camino just to the next town.
My question is Did anybody do it from europe before going? How much do they charge for backpack sitting in post offfice for few days (better send it sooner than later right?) and to what to I address it and how to make sure they dont send it back to return address?

Thank you in advance for any information on it!

There are other options possibly. Have you considered: pick up your luggage in Barcelona, find a pension, and fly over the next day on earliest flight? Pick up luggage in Barcelona, go to train station, and take that? (There might be a sleeper option.) If you settle on this, rates are cheaper in advance, just like airplanes are. Or, pick up luggage as before, go to bus station, take that. (I've never done that long a ride on the bus, perhaps someone else on the board will have a pertinent observation about it.)

The thought to not have a tight connection is good, but there are other ways to deal with it. Just how much and how long to travel with a 10kg + packing item in EU post? Especially with the long distance involved for you. They might put your pack on the slow freighter that makes 20 stops on the way and then unloads in who knows where for a land leg to S Sebastian! (Just kidding I hope.)

If you fly into S Sebastian and take the bus from the airport, you will get to the city in like I think it was about an hour ride (was last year for us, and we weren't acclimated to the chilly May weather yet) and if it's not late in the day like after 1 pm you could walk to the next place down the route and sleep there that night. It might not be one of the guidebook-listed day's end points but it might still be a place to sleep and then you're on the Way and moving.

It's good to consider things ahead and think of various ways to deal with them. You have time before it becomes immediate. St. James looks out for his visitors.

Buen camino.

 

[calmeg]

We have travelled with very short connections and on caminos we always take our packs in the plane with us. That way we can run from one gate to the other. It would scare me to check my pack when everything I will need for the next month will be out of my control! That gives us more reason to keep the pack small and light!

 

[KinkyOne]

There are other options possibly. Have you considered: pick up your luggage in Barcelona, find a pension, and fly over the next day on earliest flight? Pick up luggage in Barcelona, go to train station, and take that? ...

Maybe I missed something but why would you pick up your luggage twice in Barcelona? And where? At the post office, airport, train station, somewhere else???


"...Just how much and how long to travel with a 10kg + packing item in EU post?... "
No problem. 27 kilos package came in 5 days from Madrid to minor village in Slovenia

 

[KinkyOne]

After observation of our Oz member (I think he would want to stay annonymous) I have to correct myself quite a lot.
Iceland is in Europe but it isn't in EU!!!

So the customs regulations applies the same as for something sending from USA for example. A link:

SAD import customs information | Correos.es

Get customs information and answer your questions about international shipments at Correos. Find everything you need to know about customs formalities.

www.correos.es

But I would say that your packet wouldn't be as thouroughly inspected as something that you would be "importing" for selling on i.e. making business, although your personal stuff would go through scanners definitely I think). So maybe check with either Icelandic PO or Spanish authorities. But I still think it's the best you leave some things at home, take your backpack onboard and buy (for much less money than on Iceland I'm sure) missing stuff in San Sebastian. If you would still find them adequate to use after finishing your Camino you can send them to Reykjavik (easier to deal with Icelandic custom then with Spanish I'd say, for you) or leave them in any donativo box in albergues.

 

[KinkyOne]

Ivar mentions to never send anything to him from outside the EU as it will get stuck in customs. I'm not sure where you are coming from, so I don't know if this applies to you.

On my last trip I just took my backpack onboard the plane and then bought poles in Malaga. I think they cost less than 15 euros (compared to $100 in Canada!)

Sorry, you were right. See my above post please

 

[KinkyOne]

You’re right, I assumed if was from outside Europe. Oops.

Sorry, I was wrong. It's inside Europe but from outside EU...

 

[alaskadiver]

Take it as carryon. That’s what we would all the way from Alaska to Madrid. Doesn’t get any easier.

 

[halfbask]

(SS airport is in Hondaribia/Irun)
If your schedule lines up with one of the more direct trains (via Pamplona?) I would:
- (always) bring as carry-on to Barcelona
- take the Barcelona Metro (subway) from airport to train station. Metro entrance is a few hundred yards from airport international exit with an obvious pathway.
- ride train to San Sebastian in town center (comfortable 6? hour ride).

Download the Renfe App. Buy ticket at train station.