Bag transport on the Le Puy route

[Felice]

It's less than 3 weeks before we head off for 2 weeks walking from Le Puy and now my shoulder is playing up and my daughter's back injury is niggling again. So we are seriously thinking about lightening our load by sending a bag ahead. I've never needed to do this before so I'd love your help with the details of how to do it.

So for anyone who has sent a bag ahead, do all gîtes accept bags in advance, or is it like Spain where certain types of albergues will not accept bags?
Do we have to specify days in advance where we will be staying or can we request a transfer the evening before after we have booked our accommodation?
Do we need to notify the gîte that our bag will be arriving? I'd do it as a matter of courtesy, but there is a big chance that I might forget as I struggle with just making a booking!....
And any pointers as to which company to use?

Thanks for your help

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Most gites in France are private and set their own policies. The transporter will have a list of places they can/will pick up an drop off. You can do it on a daily basis. Your host can arrange it. Hosts do not sit around waiting for pilgrims, though there are enough in September that they probably will be open. Call ahead to be sure they are open, have a bed, and will accept your backpack. Backpack transport is less common in France than it has become in Spain. The French are avid backpackers and have a modicum of contempt for the pilgrims that don't carry their worldly possessions with them!

 

[Felice]

Thanks for that. I would dearly love not to have to send a bag ahead, as I know the sense of satisfaction and well being it gives you to carry everything - I always refer to it as 'my life in 6 kilos', but sometimes being sensible is necessary. I think we will see how we go, but at least we have the option if it gets too much. I don't want to prejudice future caminos with an avoidable injury.

 

[Lleslie]

This May/June my friend had her pack transported twice, both on particularly hilly sections. She used Transport Claudine which was the only company I remember seeing. Our hosts helped with the arrangements/ booking the evening before. I think it cost around €8. Quite a few people were using the bag transport system and just had day packs. They queried us as to why we carried our packs!

 

[OzAnnie]

It is usual on Le Puy route to book accommodation ahead., whether this is a Gite or Chambre d’hôte,
Thus you will know ‘where’ you are transporting your sac. Over the course from Le Puy to SJPDP., I saw a lot of bag transportation in 2016. In France it is also possible (on occasion) to pay to get a lift with the bags. My opinion changed about bag transport about 9 days before SJPDP by which time I had developed corns between toes and needed to carry much less weight. It was amazing the relief ! And I realise that sometimes it is necessary., although I haven’t had to use it since then.
There were two ladies I had been walking with that explained the ‘system’ to me and they booked it. They actually only sent one bag and the 2nd lady only added her sleep sac and a couple of heavier items to it.
Usually at the Gite there are supplies of cards/envelopes; that you attach to your backpack (with name of destination ) and then Gite owner tells you where to leave it. When you arrive at destination., you may have to ask where they would have been dropped off. Sometimes there are quite a number of them !!
You would have to ask the individual carrier, when you book how payment needs to be arranged. (You can set up multiple days as long as you’ve booked and know where to send.
With my final 7 days - they just requested the money to be in the envelope attached to the bag !! Yep —- a lot of trust there. Payment (on that occasion) had to be made on the 2nd last day so that ‘they ‘were sure of being paid.
I was told by pilgrims using the system earlier on the way that different carriers operated until a certain point and then another one would need to be contacted for the following zone. I know that friends somewhere in the middle used ‘La Malle Postale. ‘.
Your Gite owner will have info ., phone numbers etc.
you’ll find what you need I’m pretty certain

Bon chemin
Annie

 

[Glenshiro]

I have used La Malle Postale several times. They are the main, if not only, baggage/people carrier on the Le Puy route as far as Cahors, when Transports Claudine takes over (but can be booked through the same website.)
The website is in French, but you can open it in Google Chrome and use the "Translate to English" feature. A useful aspect is that it lists just about all the possible accommodation, of all types, for the whole route.
Each step now costs €8 per bag, but, personally, I found it invaluable (after carrying everything on my back the first time at an age when I should have known better.)

 

[Ellerine]

I have used La Malle Postale several times....
The website is in French, but you can open it in Google Chrome and use the "Translate to English" feature.

Although the La Malle Postale website is in French, I noted in a Le Puy tourist board guide that they (La Malle Postale) operate in several languages including English, so they also should be able to answer any questions you have. They have a shop in Le Puy too.

Cheers,

Ellie