Baggage Transport on Camino Portugues

[dustylee]

I am trying to plan a Camino walk for a group of 5 or 6 people for the spring (May or June) and we really want to get our backpacks transferred between albergues. So far, I have only been able to find companies that provide this service along with making reservations in hotels/inns, etc., but we definitely want to stay in pilgrim hostels, both for the experience & to make trip affordable. I am sure I could arrange a day-to-day way of transporting luggage via taxi, etc. (I did this on the Camino Frances when I had terrible blisters, but there were some problems: e.g. lost luggage one day!), but I was hoping to find something a bit more reliable. If anyone knows of any companies that do this, I would really appreciate the referral since there are a couple of people who probably would not choose to do the walk if they had to carry everything & I want to avoid getting the kind of blisters I had on the previous walk.
Thanks in advance for any help I can get.

 

[peregrina2000]

I've never used one of these companies, but a quick google search turned up a few for the Portugues:

http://www.transportedemochilas.com/
http://www.caminodesantiago2010.com.es/camino portugues/ttmochCP.html

 

[Camembert]

Directly I thought about an advertisement/sticker I saw at a lamppost and some leaflets in a bar somewhere, from an organisation TUITRANS.

Checking Laurie's answer I opened one of the links she mentioned in her answer on your question and this was about Tuitrans.

I don not know if they offer services from where you start , Lisbon or Porto or maybe only Valenca/Tui.

I can't remember I saw the advertisements/ stickers of Tuitrans in Porto or direct environs so if you start in Porto,check if they collect your luggage there,.

I personally prefer to carry my own backpack as a part of the caminho, but this is my opinion
It belongs to the "sacrifying" and also avoids the risk of loosing my belongings.
About the argument people do not want to go because..... Blisters etc... I would say
Man suffers most from what he fears. On this forum you can read about avoiding blisters and other threatnings.
F.ex. wearing pantysocks as first layer between your skin and your socks. With this solution I walked the 600 kms from Lisbon to Santiago without hardly any blisters. Costs.. € 2,00 in a local supermercado. I do not think Tuitrans offers you the service for that amount and even if they should do, they don't give you the guarantee of avoiding blisters.

Bom caminho

 

[Diogo92]

Hello @dustylee

The first question is about where you want to start. Are you going from Lisbon, or from Porto, and how many days do you have to do the Caminho?

The second thing is that getting that service here in Portugal will be very, but very expensive. And then you have another problem, which is that probably most of the national transportations companies, won't take the service over the border. So imagine that in one day, you have to start in Valença do Minho. You would still to walk 5km to other side of the border and arrange a meeting with the company (this is a supposition, probably you will find a company that could go out from the border, but once again, they will charge extra, and you some sort said that you have a low budget to fulfill).

I'm with the opinion from my good friend @Albertinho that you should take your backpacks with you. For the Caminho Português, 7 to 9kg it's ok. And his advice about anti-blister ways work (I also use them ).

If you still intend to have a service to carry your backpacks, you could also do it in another way. When you reach Portugal, why don't one of you rent a car with a big luggage and go has a support vehicle? Its better, and probably cheaper, just don’t forget to warn the Rent-a-Car company that you will get out from Portugal with the car, so that they can put the international insurance to work.

And last, but not least, don't forget that if you use a support vehicle, probably you will be the last ones to have access to the Albergue. You are in the bottom part of the priorities. And they control that very well on the Caminho Português.

Best Regards
Diogo

P.S: Blisters, we all had at least one. No pain, no gain

 

[naplesdon]

I walked from Porto to Santiago in July 2013 and I found the baggage services is not nearly as organized as it is on the CF. I used Tuitrans from Valenca to Porrino (bag arrived at a bar near the albergue b/c the albergue will not accept packs and I found the next day that the service does not operate on Sundays) also from Padron to Teo and then Teo to Santiago. I was walking with a brace on my ankle due to sciatica in my right foot, I'd trade that pain for blisters any day.
I walked several stretches for a few days with two ladies from Ireland and they were walking with just day packs, I asked how they had managed to find a baggage service and they told me it was part of a tour package they had purchased which included upscale lodging and meals as well.