Bainbridge
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- September 2022
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Somehow wheeled suitcases are not a big part of my Camino thoughts and experience.
It’s not the type of bag that these places object to, it is rather that they don’t want to have to be there to let the baggage forwarders in, and they don’t want the responsibility or hassle of having luggage sitting basically unattended in their facility.Hmmm, do the places that don’t allow suitcases let you know ahead of time? I have a fairly small soft sided wheeled duffle that I used last time without a problem, but I’d hate to find out the hard way if it would not be acceptable
That wasn't the issue that the @Bainbridge ran into - the albergue would accept backpacks, but not other types of luggage.It’s not the type of bag that these places object to, it is rather that they don’t want to have to be there to let the baggage forwarders in, and they don’t want the responsibility or hassle of having luggage sitting basically unattended in their facility.
Many municipal and donativo albergues fall into that category.
My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases.
Here is her post. It still does not answer the exact question of this thread, but it does give some related background.There was a notice about this recently from Reb.
This seems very odd. Thanks for highlighting the specific issue.That wasn't the issue that the @Bainbridge ran into - the albergue would accept backpacks, but not other types of luggage.
The underlying issue is that the pack transport services are not intended for luggage transport indiscriminately, and the Albergues are not luggage delivery points, although many of them are backpack delivery points.My first step would be to write/email the albergue. It could be that they have such a restriction, but it seems highly unlikely as all kinds of travelers/pilgrims from around the world use luggage transport services. If they do have this restriction, I think they’re the exception, not the rule. Contact them directly. I will bet that it might easily and quickly get straightened out.
Good idea!Or are there some fold-out wheel gizmos that would fit inside a backpack, but could be used to pull it along behind you ?
And even if you have a credencial, they don't have a stamp!The albergue in Granon accepts all pilgrims been if they don't have a blackpack or even a credencial
The problem is, in my personal experience with groups, the bag is never 'small." It is a giant affair full of everything but the kitchen sink.For someone who intends to have their bag transferred every day and has no plans to carry a large backpack it makes sense to me to bring the bag which will be easiest to transport during their travels - through airports, on trains, etc. If that means a small wheeled suitcase I don't see a problem with it.
Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June
After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases.
We have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Seconded.I haven’t seen this answer: Take a backpack packed as if you were going to walk with it. Max at 15 lbs. Pare down to the essentials and no more. And a small daypack. Carry your bag in the airport and wherever else you need to for only those short distances.
Is the camino about hiking? I thought it was a pilgrimage!As for the suitcase question? Suitcases don't have anything to do with hiking.
I don't understand the term "accept". In my experience items were simply tossed in a corner. If the drop off location was closed the transport service would drop off at another lodging location or bar. For €5 you are not getting concierge service.Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
I think the greater issue is that suitcases are heavy (mostly because those bringing them overpack) and are more difficult for the transport companies and albergues to deal with. It's not about judging someone for bringing one.Is the camino about hiking? I thought it was a pilgrimage!
I have a travel CPAP and I carry it in a stuff sack, not a hard sided or even the foam case that it came with. My pack weighs less than 6 kg. even with the CPAP. As a volunteer, I have never worked at an albergue where packs are delivered. As a pilgrim, I have often seen the packs left unattended and unsecured while awaiting transport or pickup. I have only shipped my pack once and worried about it the whole day. I just prefer to have my things with me. I do understand about people who have the inability to carry a pack, however, I don't think I would want to walk if I could not have my things with me.Ouch, I am smelling a lot of judgmental comments… at this very moment I am struggling with trying to fit things in my huge backpack for my spring Camino. There is simply not enough room for my giant CPAP. I was considering taking a small hard-side suitcase, to best protect it, and shipping that ahead. However, now it looks like I will need to come up with another idea. I have read how others have used their medical equipment on their pilgrimages, but it seems that either they had smaller units, or that times have changed. Maybe both.
Thanks for the idea, I will check into the possibility of renting a travel-size CPAP! Purchasing one is not in the budget.Gringazolana, no one is discriminating against CPAP machines.. although these are among the things most damaged in luggage transport, in my experience. Is it possible to rent a small unit for a month, something you can carry with you?
It's the people who abuse the albergue system who I am "judging." (Good judgement is part of being an adult, btw. When did judgement become a 4-letter word?) People who are perfectly fit, but just don't feel like carrying a pack... they can afford to send their heavy luggage ahead, but insist on taking a bed where they don't have to pay much to stay. People using a system designed for the poor to subsidize their cheap holidays.
Yes, it's about pilgrimage. Pilgrims walk. They strip down to their simplest self, because they have to carry their world on their back. They learn the liberty of doing without. If you are not ill or somehow disabled, shipping bags full of extra stuff is kinda defeating that purpose.
The transport companies do impose weight and size limits.I think the greater issue is that suitcases are heavy (mostly because those bringing them overpack) and are more difficult for the transport companies and albergues to deal with
I went back and reread the posts.Ouch, I am smelling a lot of judgmental comments…
So true. I will try to remember these words for future use!(Good judgement is part of being an adult, btw. When did judgement become a 4-letter word?)
This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
...
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
...
I am walking the Camino Frances for the fourth time just now - somewhat to my own surprise as after seeing the three-ring-circus in full swing in September 2016 I was fairly sure I would never return to the Frances. I chose the middle of winter precisely because I hoped the challenges of long stages and no luggage transport would go some way towards recalling an earlier type of Camino experience. Early days yet but I am finding much more common ground with my fellow pilgrims this time round while I had found the sense of entitlement and demanding behaviour of some individuals very distasteful on my 2016 CF walk. Although @Rebekah Scott has explained the reasoning behind accepting backpacks but not suitcases my own preference would be for more albergues to adopt an unambiguous yes/no policy on accepting luggage deliveries at all. I admire those places which make a principled decision not to participate in this particular game.We should be allowed to lament the loss of the Camino experience many of us enjoyed it in the past. To us the Camino was always a challenge and often a spiritual adventure.
I am walking the Camino Frances for the fourth time just now - somewhat to my own surprise as after seeing the three-ring-circus in full swing in September 2016 I was fairly sure I would never return to the Frances. I chose the middle of winter precisely because I hoped the challenges of long stages and no luggage transport would go some way towards recalling an earlier type of Camino experience. Early days yet but I am finding much more common ground with my fellow pilgrims this time round while I had found the sense of entitlement and demanding behaviour of some individuals very distasteful on my 2016 CF walk. Although @Rebekah Scott has explained the reasoning behind accepting backpacks but not suitcases my own preference would be for more albergues to adopt an unambiguous yes/no policy on accepting luggage deliveries at all. I admire those places which make a principled decision not to participate in this particular game.
Or perhaps; with no disrespect intended; they have chosen to do something else.Ouch, I am smelling a lot of judgmental comments… at this very moment I am struggling with trying to fit things in my huge backpack for my spring Camino. There is simply not enough room for my giant CPAP. I was considering taking a small hard-side suitcase, to best protect it, and shipping that ahead. However, now it looks like I will need to come up with another idea. I have read how others have used their medical equipment on their pilgrimages, but it seems that either they had smaller units, or that times have changed. Maybe both.
Here is some great advise from Rick Steves. He travel up to 3 months with a very light "backpack" and a small dayback.Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
I wasn't going to chime in on this one, but I had questions re the airport, and the reality of stairs.Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
I suspect they will start soon if the bags continue to grow.The transport companies do impose weight and size limits.
You are making a good point that is frequently overlooked, and those who are new to Camino walking may not yet be aware of it: there are albergues and then there are other albergues, they are not all the same.See Gronze (it is in a very simple Spanish, and you can use the translation opton of your browser). There is an item in albergue's description about "Exclusivo para peregrinos". If it says "No, pero orientado a los peregrinos", it means other kind of travellers (with luggage, I suppose) are accepted.
Somehow wheeled suitcases are not a big part of my Camino thoughts and experience.
The Caminos are backpacker trails and –as said in other posts– suitcases are heavy, unwieldy, and smack of tourism; they are simply out of place..I think the greater issue is that suitcases are heavy (mostly because those bringing them overpack) and are more difficult for the transport companies and albergues to deal with. It's not about judging someone for bringing one.
This is what I have done after arriving in Santiago. It feels good to finally wear something new and fresh after weeks in the same clothes. You don't have to spend a lot and it really perks me up.consider buying them in Santiago, where you find a wide variety of fashionable, very reasonably priced stores.
Yes, you can get a stamp at the bar up the roadAnd even if you have a credencial, they don't have a stamp!
Take your rucksack which can get moved on and buy a SeatoSummit Ultra-Sil Daypack which will fold into a little bag smaller than your fist and holds up to 22 litres of food wet weather gear and water etc .Ideal for the task if you do not want to carry a full rucksack.Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
I too am in a different place in my life and possibly overly sensitive. I have developed physical problems which preclude me from carrying 20 pounds. If this was year 1200 I’d have to use a donkey!! Never mind I am walking MY OWN way and use this forum for great information. And I use (thank God they now have such a service — baggage transfer services) That said I get angry when folks however slightly post “opinions” and not facts or information. Especially when you ask direct informational questions and get back “commentary.” That said I didn’t know that a rolling carry on suitcase isn’t accepted for baggage transfer. Also planning another Camino for March 21 (Sarria to Santiago) and this time thought of using roller bag because prior to Sarria will be in Spanish cities. Would appreciate knowing if indeed this is one off situation or policy of baggage transfer services. ?Everyone walks their own camino.
I have walked 3 very long pilgrimages and 2 shorter ones with everything on my back every inch of the way. My knees and to a lesser extent my hip joints were complaining on the last one. Last year (2022) it took three months for my knees to recover. I cannot do that again.
Whatever I had been trying to prove to myself has been proven.
If I do another pilgrimage I will not be carrying everything on my back. I will probably use a suitcase or a large duffel bag, sent forward each day by a daily luggage forwarding service, plus a very small daypack on my back.
Lodging places can make whatever policy decisions they want. Those which prohibit whatever type of luggage I decide to use will simply lose my business, and that is OK. There are lots of lodging places available.
Thank you for this reply. It helped calm meOne of the good things that foot-pilgrims frequently mention is the calming effect of the pilgrimage, and the opportunities it offers for contemplation, reflection, and self-improvement.
I sense in this thread an unfortunate deviation from that.
Here is a line of reasoning that might help.
My basic premise is that everyone is supposed to be free to walk their own Camino in their own way as long as they do not interfere with others.
Some pilgrims want or need to carry everything on their backs, and some want or need to have a transportation service provider move the heavy stuff forwards. Both are OK.
Technical compatibility of transported objects:
The technical characteristics (size, shape, mass, structural integrity, "snagginess" (i.e. "too many" dangling straps, buckles, and loops), cleanliness, ease-of-handling, safety, possible emissions of noxious fluids and odours, etc.) of objects that folks send from one location such as a lodging place to another location, affect and therefore must be compatible with the facilities and systems at both locations and also compatible with the facilities and systems of all of the the transportation service providers in the transportation chain.
Transport service providers and lodging places (including not-for-profit albergues and donativos) need to be able to operate safely, effectively, and in a reasonably repeatable manner. That requires that each one be free to decide for itself the technical characteristics of transported objects that will be acceptable to it.
Some transportation service providers and lodging places might decide that they will only accept backpacks - to avoid disagreements, the word "backpack" might need an unambiguous definition - and some might decide that luggage items that are of a more standardized shape and with more-standardised handles are easier and safer to handle, transport, stack, and store than are backpacks, and therefore they might permit suitcases. They might choose to also permit multiple large steamer trunks. Unlikely, but it could happen, and so what, as long as it does not interfere with others?
They will want people to comply with their required technical characteristics, therefore, potential customers will need to know in advance the required technical characteristics, to enable them to plan and to comply.
Establishing, maintaining, and publishing written specifications is a proven effective method to efficiently store and communicate to stakeholders, sets of technical requirements. Written specifications help to provide clarity and commonality of understandings, eliminate ambiguities, and reduce the occurrence of unexpected disagreements and strife. Stakeholders include e.g. management, internal staff members, cooperating organizations, and potential external customers.
All of this can be managed by the lodging places and transportation service providers, perhaps as part of their documented management systems. Some might decide to adopt some notional future Spanish-Camino-wide shared standard specification for transported objects, and some might want to go their own way. Both are OK, but to avoid unexpected disagreements and strife, their requirements need to be declared in advance of bookings.
The prescribed technical requirements for transported objects clearly affect the potential customers who want to have their objects transported from place to place, and that as it should be.
It is less clear to me how the prescribed technical requirements for transported objects affect people who are not customers of the transportation service providers or of the lodging places.
If something does not affect you, why get concerned about it?
Becoming judgmental about how others walk their camino, or how many changes of clothing they bring, or what type of luggage they use, or how many items of luggage they use, or why, is not a requirement for you to have a fulfilling pilgrimage, is not helpful to fhe community, and can interfere with the calming effect upon the judgemental person of their own pilgrimage, and the opportunities their own pilgrimage offers for contemplation, reflection, and self-improvement.
Perhaps it would be better for us all to just let it go, or, to phrase it more clearly, mind your own business.
The baggage transfer companies have pricing based on weight. You'd have to check their websites to see if there are any other constraints, I saw all types of luggage in their vans but things may have changed since 2019.I too am in a different place in my life and possibly overly sensitive. I have developed physical problems which preclude me from carrying 20 pounds. If this was year 1200 I’d have to use a donkey!! Never mind I am walking MY OWN way and use this forum for great information. And I use (thank God they now have such a service — baggage transfer services) That said I get angry when folks however slightly post “opinions” and not facts or information. Especially when you ask direct informational questions and get back “commentary.” That said I didn’t know that a rolling carry on suitcase isn’t accepted for baggage transfer. Also planning another Camino for March 21 (Sarria to Santiago) and this time thought of using roller bag because prior to Sarria will be in Spanish cities. Would appreciate knowing if indeed this is one off situation or policy of baggage transfer services. ?
This says it all for me.. I am still recovering from a bad fall pre-xmas. I will be using what I can, when I can, where I can. Private accommodation most of the time so me and my love dove ( AH !) at 69 and 84 WONT be using any place with restrictions as neither of us is getting any younger or fitter!Everyone walks their own camino.
I have walked 3 very long pilgrimages and 2 shorter ones with everything on my back every inch of the way. My knees and to a lesser extent my hip joints were complaining on the last one. Last year (2022) it took three months for my knees to recover. I cannot do that again.
Whatever I had been trying to prove to myself has been proven.
If I do another pilgrimage I will not be carrying everything on my back. I will probably use a suitcase or a large duffel bag, sent forward each day by a daily luggage forwarding service, plus a very small daypack on my back.
Lodging places can make whatever policy decisions they want. Those which prohibit whatever type of luggage I decide to use will simply lose my business, and that is OK. There are lots of lodging places available.
I would recommend that you Google “rolling backpacks for adults” or “the 10 best rolling backpacis for adults”. Be sure to look at the dimensions or liters then do some calculations to see how it compares to the dimensions/liters that you have in your suitcase. You may have to take a little less but these would likely get you in the albergues and still give you rolling help in airports, etc (though may not work quite as well), The ones I looked at quickly, for women, were from $99 to $300. It might be worth a higher cost to get a bag that rolls better and works better. Look at reviews when possible. You can also Google “rolling backpacks near me”. REI carries some (Osprey for women in 35 L, etc).Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
As far as I know, the luggage transfer companies do accept rolling carry on suitcases. In fact this is on the Correos site:That said I didn’t know that a rolling carry on suitcase isn’t accepted for baggage transfer
I think you. misread the post. The baggage companies DO impose weight limits.I suspect they will start soon if the bags continue to grow.
Yes, it doesn't make sense to me to bring two backpacks. If I were to send part of my gear ahead it would probably be in a duffel bag, and I would wear my well fitted backpack that transfers the load to my hips to carry what I need for the day (which sometimes can be considerable, depending on the weather) rather than carrying a flimsy backpack while my comfortable backpack rides in the back of the van.If I were to do so, I anticipate that I would still have a rucksack on my back. My excess I would seek to pack in something more compact and it’s unlikely that if would be a rucksack.
Not as annoying as the snoring that would occur without the CPAP!I don't know about CPAPS in an albergue.
Seems they'd be annoying but that's what earplugs are for.
@Pilgrim9, I don't think it is as simple as that. If you are walking the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, there is a framework, not just of the requirements set by the Cathedral, but also by the many voluntary organisations who support those undertaking that pilgrimage. Perhaps you could characterise complying with these requirements under your rubric 'do not interfere with others'.My basic premise is that everyone is supposed to be free to walk their own Camino in their own way as long as they do not interfere with others.
My credencial from Les Amis du Chemin de Saint-Jacques Pyrenees-Atlantiques is even more clear on this:
- Groups organised with support car or by bicycle are requested to seek alternative shelter to the pilgrim hostels.
Some might not think that they are walking in a group, but let me suggest that the organisations that provide pack transport services have created the group around you, even if you haven't put your mind to that. If you use their services you are clearly using a support vehicle to undertake your pilgrimage. I long ago decided that within this framework, it would be unconscionable to use both pack transport and albergues, at least those staffed by volunteers.Those making their Pilgrimage with the support of a car must seek accommodation separate from the Pilgrims' Refuges. (emphasis added)
If you are planning to use pack transport, my view is that you should also be planning to use private albergues, hostels, casa rural, hotels and the like. Anything but the albergues run by voluntary organisations and staffed by volunteers. That is the commitment you make by asking for and accepting the credencial for your journey.
I have carried and used my travel CPAP on the CF and CP. Testing conducted on travel machines indicates they make a little more noise than heavier machines designed for static use at home, but it appears to be just detectable, rather than much louder.I don't know about CPAPS in an albergue.
Seems they'd be annoying but that's what earplugs are for.
What happened in my case though is that I started walking with my pack, injured my knee a few days in, and had to buy a smaller day pack so I could continue. I hadn't intended to, nor even knew about pack transfer before travelling, and intended to carry my pack myself.Yes, it doesn't make sense to me to bring two backpacks. If I were to send part of my gear ahead it would probably be in a duffel bag, and I would wear my well fitted backpack that transfers the load to my hips to carry what I need for the day (which sometimes can be considerable, depending on the weather) rather than carrying a flimsy backpack while my comfortable backpack rides in the back of the van.
... if you are using pack transport I think that you should have a reservation at the private albergue/pensión/hotel where you intend to have your luggage delivered. It's beyond rude to expect an establishment to look after your belongings when you have not intention of giving them your business.
A small anecdote to provide some levity to the thread and demonstrate how things sometimes work ‘on the ground’ - albeit unintentionally. In 2018 we looked after a small private gite in Eauze on the Le Puy way - to give our friends, the owners,a week off. The gite had 12 places in 4 dormitories. Those sending their packs by Transport Claudine needed to have reservations. Other beds were for ‘walk ins’. We usually had a combination.And if you are using pack transport I think that you should have a reservation at the private albergue/pensión/hotel where you intend to have your luggage delivered. It's beyond rude to expect an establishment to look after your belongings when you have not intention of giving them your business.
@Pilgrim9, I don't think it is as simple as that. If you are walking the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, there is a framework, not just of the requirements set by the Cathedral, but also by the many voluntary organisations who support those undertaking that pilgrimage. Perhaps you could characterise complying with these requirements under your rubric 'do not interfere with others'.
If you think this is possible, I would suggest it would be worth reflecting on the several posts where there is a pretty clear indication that voluntary hospitaleros are being asked to become baggage handlers, along with the myriad other responsibilities they take on in their role. Certainly I would not have welcomed this imposition as a hospitalero.
As a pilgrim, I have met people in hostels and albergues who get upset by those of us who can afford the occasional stay in more expensive B&Bs and hotels.
... were I to [use a luggage forwarding service], I would have joined a large ... motorised support group. And if I am to honour the conditions of the credencial provided to me, and which I accept in my intention to meet the requirements to get the Compostela, then there are conditions about using the pilgrim hostels, ie albergues. The current text provided by the Pilgrim Office states:
- Groups organised with support car or by bicycle are requested to seek alternative shelter to the pilgrim hostels.
My credencial from Les Amis du Chemin de Saint-Jacques Pyrenees-Atlantiques is even more clear on this:
* Those making their Pilgrimage with the support of a car must seek accommodation separate from the Pilgrims' Refuges. (emphasis added)
Some might not think that they are walking in a group, but let me suggest that the organisations that provide pack transport services have created the group around you, even if you haven't put your mind to that. If you use their services you are clearly using a support vehicle to undertake your pilgrimage. I long ago decided that within this framework, it would be unconscionable to use both pack transport and albergues, at least those staffed by volunteers.
There have been some suggestion that frailty of some form is reasonable grounds for using pack transport.
[Those who] are planning to use pack transport ... should also be planning to use private albergues, hostels, casa rural, hotels and the like. Anything but the albergues run by voluntary organisations and staffed by volunteers. That is the commitment you make by asking for and accepting the credencial for your journey.
The OP's issue is not with the baggage transfer companies accepting his luggage but with the place he wants to stay not accepting the type of luggage he has planned.
I think you'll have to check when you book.
I can think of several ways. Guides like John Brierley's may include this in their listings. His certainly does. I use Gronze.com, and for albergues that site shows both ownership and management arrangements. Private albergues get shown as such.By what method is one to distinguish between the for-profit albergues and the albergues that are run by volunteers, and the pilgrim hostels mentioned on the Compostela published by the Santiago Pilgrim Office, and the Pilgrim's Refuges mentioned on fhe Compostela published by Les Amis du Chemin de Sant-Jacques Pyrenees-Atlantiques?
I don't understand what requirement you are talking about here. I suspect that the baggage transport companies themselves will tell you whether or not a particular albergue, hostel, etc is not going to accept a bag if you attempt to send it somewhere without a booking. If you have made a booking, it would be an appropriate question to ask at the time you do that. If you contact somewhere that doesn't accept bookings, you might also ask if your bag can be dropped there, noting that you are taking the risk of arriving and finding you have to walk on if the albergue is full. It seems to me that in all this, the responsibility is on the pilgrim to discover whether their plan to send a bag some place or other will work. I don't think it should be another requirement levied on the albergues themselves.Volunteer-staffed albergues fall within the general requirement, applicable to all types of lodging places, that potential overnight guests need some efficient and reliably-correct way to know in advance the lodging place's luggage handling policies, to enable them to plan and comply.
I disagree. You appear to be asking for standards of service appropriate to commercial hospitality delivery, not the management of the a service managed and staffed generally by unpaid volunteers to provide non-commercial accommodation for those pilgrims who need that support.I don't think the onus should be on the potential guest to ask about the lodging place's luggage handling policy. That is not efficient, not customer-focussed, and sets the stage for misunderstandings and errors.
Excellent reminder that it's not just a backpack/JacoTrans binary, but there's the hiking trailer option too !!This guy rolled his suitcase for at least half of the camino.
I first saw him in the meseta, but he may have rolled it
all the way from St Jean. Plus he had a backpack on.
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I find the sequence of events described in the first post actually quite strange:If a lodging place has established a luggage-handling policy, then they should publish it as part of their prospectus wherein they describe and offer lodgings
Up un checking through all the replies, I only saw one who mentioned trolleys in airports and stations.Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
If it is Albergue San Miguel, they are the nicest people. Just email them.Hello fellow Pilgrims. My wife and I reserved a double room in an Albergue in Hospital de Orbigo in June--we are walking from St. Jean to Santiago de Compostela. We will be using luggage transfer--we are each 72 this year with knee and back issues. After the reservation through Booking.com the albergue notified us that they only accept backpacks and not suitcases. This is an issue for us as we don't want to be carrying weight through aiports, etc. We thought of three possibilities:
(1) write the albergue and see if they will make an exception for us old pilgrims
(2) pack as light as possible and use a backpack for stuff we will not carry during the day (I have considered carrying a very light pack but 10% of body weight is too much for my knees)
(3) change reservations...if feasible
Any suggestions? Also, we have reserved double rooms in a few other Albergues and have not received any messages about this--should we contact them to find out if they have such restrictions?
Thanks for your help.
Well I guess that is very true! lol! I hadn't thought of it.Not as annoying as the snoring that would occur without the CPAP!
I wonder why this happens for some people. Most seem to not notice the white noise and it doesn't disrupt them, but it seems that isn't true for everyone.I have OTOH been kept awake at least once by one of those machines.
Sounds fair to me.charging pilgrims more to receive and hold them.
You have given a very good summary of the problem, which should help people understand why albergues are taking this position. There is a widespread misunderstanding of how the Camino is "organized" - or more accurately, not organized.In reality though the quickly brewing problem is their ability to drop off at certain establishments.... places which have, as @dougfitz mentions, become baggage handlers
Predictably, the forwarding of luggage is here to stay and to increase steadily, therefore the transport companies (actually they are not companies but free individual agents gathered under labels like Jacotrans) need to assume more responsibility by first of all getting properly constituted; it is up to them to organize "neutral" pick-up places in the stages. In small villages, this can be done in cooperation with an Albergue (who is paid for the work), elsewhere it can be a central storage run by the transporter or a designated associate. As a consequence, the cost of forwarding will increase, and thereby perhaps slow down the trend.This discussion seems weighted towards the companies offering the transport service, and there seems to be a lot of dialog about adhering to their policies.
In reality though the quickly brewing problem is their ability to drop off at certain establishments.... places which have, as @dougfitz mentions, become baggage handlers. Imagine receiving a dozen bags in the middle of your morning routines:
1. they get stacked in your lobby, or worse they get dropped off in front of your building.
2. you have not played any part in making the arrangements for the bags. the bag owners may or may not (see 3) be your overnight customer.
3. a pilgrim strolls in, light on their feet from not carrying a bag all day, and decided that they want to walk another 5km to the next town.
4. all the while, and into the afternoon, you field phone calls or address the worries of pilgrims who have no real way of knowing where their bags are.
I have spoken to many hospitaleros, particularly ones on international borders, who turn the transport companies away day after day; and for every bag that gets turned away you have an anxious pilgrim on your hands... They want to know where their bag is, and you have no idea because it is very much NOT your responsibility. You would think that the transport companies would get wise and put a notice that they do not deliver to certain places... but the truth is that they are not that well run.
Time and time again bags are left unattended, and in large quantities, in front of albergues whose unsuspecting hospitalero has simply snuck out for a morning coffee. Who moves them to a secure location, and who insures them when they get stolen?
In short, there is zero upside for an albergue owner to receive a bag. 2023 will absolutely continue the trend of owners turning bags away... or charging pilgrims more to receive and hold them. So much so that I have begun inquiring specifically about it in all of my communications with albergues.
@pepi, this seems like a pretty massive change for the individual agents to contemplate, and it seems to require a level of coordination that might be currently absent amongst these transport operators. I wonder what catalyst be needed to create sufficient momentum to move the operators away from their current practices towards this model you are proposing.Predictably, the forwarding of luggage is here to stay and to increase steadily, therefore the transport companies (actually they are not companies but free individual agents gathered under labels like Jacotrans) need to assume more responsibility by first of all getting properly constituted; it is up to them to organize "neutral" pick-up places in the stages. In small villages, this can be done in cooperation with an Albergue (who is paid for the work), elsewhere it can be a central storage run by the transporter or a designated associate. As a consequence, the cost of forwarding will increase, and thereby perhaps slow down the trend.
I suppose if the majority of accommodations decided to refuse luggage transport that might do it.@pepi, this seems like a pretty massive change for the individual agents to contemplate, and it seems to require a level of coordination that might be currently absent amongst these transport operators. I wonder what catalyst be needed to create sufficient momentum to move the operators away from their current practices towards this model you are proposing.
It seems to be heading that way.I suppose if the majority of accommodations decided to refuse luggage transport that might do it.
@dougfitz, You make a valid point. Here is what I think:@pepi, this seems like a pretty massive change for the individual agents to contemplate, and it seems to require a level of coordination that might be currently absent amongst these transport operators. I wonder what catalyst be needed to create sufficient momentum to move the operators away from their current practices towards this model you are proposing.
This sounds like a plausible solution.Predictably, the forwarding of luggage is here to stay and to increase steadily, therefore the transport companies (actually they are not companies but free individual agents gathered under labels like Jacotrans) need to assume more responsibility by first of all getting properly constituted; it is up to them to organize "neutral" pick-up places in the stages. In small villages, this can be done in cooperation with an Albergue (who is paid for the work), elsewhere it can be a central storage run by the transporter or a designated associate. As a consequence, the cost of forwarding will increase, and thereby perhaps slow down the trend.
Yes, it is as if "The Camino" has become the name of a luggage-forwarding service across Spain.This obsession with "luggage" has pretty much taken first place in subject matter.
It is not the intention and not the type of bag one uses?!Somehow wheeled suitcases are not a big part of my Camino thoughts and experience.
As it is said, people pack their fears.The number of posts inside those threads are huge. This obsession with "luggage" has pretty much taken first place in subject matter.
When did the Diocese of Santiago impose these strict requirements?Pilgrims walk. They strip down to their simplest self, because they have to carry their world on their back.
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