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Early stage via frangenia planning: quickfire questions

Deepforest

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
2015 Camino Frances 2016 Camino Portuguese 2017 del Norte and Primitivo 2017 Via Francegina 2018.
If anybody can bear me asking questions that have already been answered before, I'm very grateful.

I'm looking to get an idea of the feasibility of walking from the top of Italy to Rome. I have July and a lot of August off work. I have walked the Camino Frances, Portuguese from Lisbon, del Norte from Irun and the primitivo. I think I'd like to walk in Italy now. Before I start doing huge research would anyone be good enough to answer the following questions:

Is walking in July possible? I assume I will have to start at dawn and walk til 11am. Then siesta for the hotter parts of the day. However, we walked 30km days regularly out of Lisbon to Porto. Liked the heat.

Will I survive with the most basic crash course in Italian? I have no Italian at the moment.

Will we get a bed somewhere each night? Hostel pension albergue etc? I have slept in some poor places on previous caminos.

Do I need to register somewhere? I read about people registering with a village priest in Dovadola?

Where can I get my credential?

Best guidebook? I hear mention of lightfoot and cicerone.

Alternatives to the francegina, if you don't recommend it.

Bedbugs and mosquitoes on the francegina? I got bedbugged on the del Norte and I'm trying to avoid a repeat. Mossies bite me...

Next steps....


I would like to thank anyone who replies. Sharing knowledge and getting tips makes everything better. Anyone recommend good blogs etc. I'm going to start research now. I hope to start walking on July 1st and walk to Rome. Not sure where to start though. I have about 5 weeks.

Many thanks guys!!!
 
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Oh, I love talking about the via Francigena! :)

First of all, here's a dedicated forum run by Ivar: https://www.viafrancigena.me/

Second, here's the official website: http://www.viefrancigene.org/en/
It contains detailed descriptions of all legs of the way, including accommodations and landmarks. There are fewer accommodations than on the Camino, and they may be more expensive, but you'll be able to find a bed for each night for sure!

The credential may be ordered online or bought in some cities - here's detailed information and a list of places where you can buy your credential: http://www.viefrancigene.org/en/credenziali/ (it's a very useful website!)

As for surviving with only the basic Italian, in my experience, the Italians are very friendly people and will always try to understand and help you! If you know some Italian, it'll make things easier. Use the remaining time to learn some Italian - with Duolingo and Busuu, and by reading the Facebook group in Italian, for example: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1532376317014068/ (there's also a group in English: https://www.facebook.com/groups/19899007360/ ).

The trickiest question is where to start, of course. I think the best way is to look on the stages of the via Francigena and calculate how many you can walk if you want to finish in Rome. People start from different cities - I have the impression that most people choose to walk from Tuscany. But those who have about a month for their walk and want to walk the entire Italian section usually start from Lausanne in Switzerland or Aosta in Italy. Switzerland has the unfortunate disadvantage of being ridiculously expensive, but you'll walk the Great Saint Bernard Pass, and this must be something!:)

I've never been in Italy in July, but June and late August in the northwest were okay. As for mosquitoes, from what I gathered from different discussions, they are to be met mostly in the rice fields around Vercelli, in eastern Piedmont.

I've walked a small portion of the via Francigena last autumn - from Bard to Pont St Martin - and in March, I'm planning to walk from Aosta to Chatillon.

Buon cammino! ;)
 
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Thank you Athena. I really appreciate your reply.
 
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Maybe you could start in Fidenza. I looked in the journal I kept while walking the via Francigena in 2013 and after Fidenza the best part of the via Francigena started. For me anyway. Starting in Fidenza would also mean not too much of the mosquito part of the Via Francigena, you would miss most of the rice fields. Pontremoli, just a couple of days after Fidenza, was amazing. There is a beautiful castle for pilgrims to spend the night. I saw a lot more places for pilgrims after that. But maybe things have changed since then. I hope you find your way.
 
Hello. There is also an excellent Facebook Group if you are on Facebook. Let me know and I can give you the link.
As of yesterday, I have had to change my plans and I now start walking from Great Saint Bernard Pass on Wednesday 8 August. I am picking up my credential from the hospice at GSBP

I have been warned that Italy goes on holidays over August and many places close down. I have been told that it is best to book all accommodation a couple of days ahead - even the pilgrim accom at the ostellos and monasteries. Like you I will be starting early in the morning as I don't enjoy the hot temperatures that much.

I have a copy of the ALison Raju guide but it gets a lot of negative reviews. I have also downloaded two apps - the Vie francigene one available from the official site, plus the Sloways one. Hopefully I won't get too lost! Take care, Mel
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Hi! I walked the Italian section of the VF in July and August last year. It was indeed VERY hot but obviously manageable as I'm here to tell the tale ;) There are long sections so it isn't (well, it wasn't for me!) possible to finish at 11 am. Most days I arrived at around 1 or 2 pm. The earliest I started was at around 6 am if others had woken me up early....There was one particular pilgrim I learnt to avoid as he started every day at 4am!!! Not good :oops:
The heat only increased in the afternoon and evening btw but then it may have been an unusually hot year (they called the heatwave Lucifer!).
Basic Italian is necessary to reserve accommodation, some ostellos do not have email, just enough to ask for a bed on such and such a night. Some places actually ask you to reserve ahead because there is not always someone there to let you in otherwise.
What else? I got my credentiale from the Hospice du Grand St Bernard but I am sure there are other places...
The most helpful guide, imo, is the Via Francigena from Terre di Mezzo but that is very subjective. I also used the Slo-ways App. and this year there is a new one out. The previous poster already gave you the useful websites to use.
Ask away if there is something still unanswered.
Happy planning! :)
 
Forgot to say I used the Alison Raju guide for the first stretch a few years ago (from Canterbury to Besançon) and it was already totally out of date then.... I didn't find it very useful.

Oh and there ARE mosquitoes in the rice plains, plenty of them so get yourself some deterrent spray. It is a must.
I didn't encounter any bed bugs though nor heard of anyone who had.
 
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Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I haven't walked the Francigena, but I've been doing a lot of research on it! If it helps, here are the stages that I found on the official website. I didn't write down the distances, but it did seem like some of the stages were longer than what I personally like.

Maybe you could start in Fidenza. I looked in the journal I kept while walking the via Francigena in 2013 and after Fidenza the best part of the via Francigena started. For me anyway. Starting in Fidenza would also mean not too much of the mosquito part of the Via Francigena, you would miss most of the rice fields.

I like the idea of starting in Fidenza, as it's about one-month out from Rome, but I read on the facebook group that this might be challenging, as you would start right off with some challenging hills for a couple days. Any thoughts on this?

  1. Great Saint Bernard Pass
  2. Echevennoz
  3. Aosta
  4. Châtillon
  5. Verrès
  6. Pont-Saint-Martin
  7. Ivrea
  8. Viverone
  9. Santhià
  10. Vercelli
  11. Robbio
  12. Mortara
  13. Garlasco
  14. Pavia
  15. Santa Cristina
  16. Orio
  17. Litta
  18. Piacenza
  19. Fidenza
  20. Fornovo
  21. Cassio
  22. Passo della Cisa
  23. Pontremoli
  24. Aulla
  25. Sarzana
  26. Massa
  27. Camaiore
  28. Lucca
  29. Altopasico
  30. San Miniato
  31. Gambassi Terme
  32. San Gimignano
  33. Monteriggioni
  34. Siena
  35. Ponte d'Arbia
  36. San Quirico d'Orcia
  37. Radicofani
  38. Acquapendente
  39. Bolsena
  40. Montefiascone
  41. Viterbo
  42. Vetralla
  43. Sutri
  44. Campagnano di Roma
  45. La Storta
  46. Rome
 
The credential may be ordered online or bought in some cities - here's detailed information and a list of places where you can buy your credential: http://www.viefrancigene.org/en/credenziali/ (it's a very useful website!)
Some important info about the credentials: if you cannot or don't wish to order a credential from the website, contact the seller in the city where you intend to buy it in advance to ensure that they have it on sale. I've just contacted the hostel in Milan, and they told me they've run out of credentials! It's not a big problem - we'll get our credentials in Chivasso where they do have them, but it's a good thing I decided to ask in advance :)
 
Hello @Deepforest

Italy in July + August:

…for a foretaste of purgatory, the Via Francigena : Walking in the searing heat beside roads and on flat surfaces; airless nights; Mosquitoes attacking day and night ; walking in a sauna as steam rises from the feilds along the Po Valley…

… for a little piece of heaven, Il cammino di San Francesco : hiking on trails + paths, refreshing mountain air, panoramic splendour + ancient villages.

Cheers
Lovingkindness
 
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The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Hello @Deepforest

Italy in July + August:

…for a foretaste of purgatory, the Via Francigena : Walking in the searing heat beside roads and on flat surfaces; airless nights; Mosquitoes attacking day and night ; walking in a sauna as steam rises from the feilds along the Po Valley…

… for a little piece of heaven, Il cammino di San Francesco : hiking on trails + paths, refreshing mountain air, panoramic splendour + ancient villages.

Cheers
Lovingkindness
Hi Lovingkindness! Your post made me laugh! Yes, I agree with the sauna and the mosquitoes....but only during the day. Somehow there weren't any at night. (Except very dead ones falling out of my clothes! :oops:)
I don't know when you walked the VF but last year in Italy there was a new path, avoiding most roads and following trails (definitively not flat and adding kms, unfortunately. You can't have it all!). ;)

I haven't walked the Cammino di San Francesco but... It does appeal! :cool: Thanks for that.
 
I like the idea of starting in Fidenza, as it's about one-month out from Rome, but I read on the facebook group that this might be challenging, as you would start right off with some challenging hills for a couple days. Any thoughts on this?

I really don't get it why are people so afraid of some hills. I crossed the apeninnes on via francigena as part of my home - santiago route some years ago and I don't remember any difficult climbs. quite the opposite, the climb to paso della cisa was beautiful. in my opinion, the steep descents were more of a problem, especially in the rain. and there was a wobbling plank across a torrent I didn't dare to cross (I saw a picture of this being replaced by a four-steel-cable-crossing now :eek:!).
 
I really don't get it why are people so afraid of some hills. ).
Lack of fitness? Suffering in the heat? I agree, the paso de la Cisa wasn't hard, there were much harder (steeper) climbs, I recall.... Or maybe my memory plays up.... :rolleyes:
 
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Yeah, there's a difference between a climb on the first day versus a climb once you're in trail-shape! I thought the crossing of the Pyrenees was pleasant on the C.F. ... but for me it was day #38. People who had to cross on their first day had a much rougher time of it.
 
...I don't know when you walked the VF but last year in Italy there was a new path, avoiding most roads and following trails (definitively not flat and adding kms, unfortunately. You can't have it all!). ;)...

Hi there, Domigee + @Deepforest

When I walked the VF in 2013 the trail had already been rerouted. I think the VF has been a trail in progress for quite some time now. To give you an idea of what it was like for me hiking in July + August 2013 see the attachment below....

cheers
LK
 

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Hi there, Domigee

When I walked the VF in 2013 the trail had already been rerouted. I think the VF has been a trail in progress for quite some time now. To give you an idea of what it was like for me hiking in July + August 2013 see below....

cheers
LK
Wow! Thank you very much for the link, sounds like you had a really harsh time! I really sympathise. I found the heat very trying I must admit but I can only walk in Summer, sooooo....
People told me it was mostly 40 deg + which might explain why I suffered climbing up AND had blisters (which I seldom get).
I am thinking of walking it again but ... you made me think, lol.
Cheers,
D
PS: may I ask what walk you are planning next? :)
 
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Hi there, Domigee
When I walked the VF in 2013 the trail had already been rerouted. I think the VF has been a trail in progress for quite some time now. To give you an idea of what it was like for me hiking in July + August 2013 see below....
I appreciate it so much and I consider you a hero!
Walking on Via Francigena under the late morning/early noon sun of July/August is a true ordeal and you need to be well trained, well equipped and to keep on drinking water. Thanks Heaven Italy is not a desert and locals are always very helpful and they are happy to refill your bottle(s). Just ring the bell and ask...

P.S.
1 From 2013 many changes on the Via were made to avoid as much asphalt as possible, especially from Montgenèvre to Vercelli.
2 I read you walked though Torino, that is my town. I agree, it's awful to walk from Rivoli and cross downtown Torino until you reach the green quietness of the Po river...
3 Pity you stopped at San Quirico, you didn't have the chance of enjoying the mythical 8 Km climb to Radicofani! :)
 
Lack of fitness? Suffering in the heat? I agree, the paso de la Cisa wasn't hard, there were much harder (steeper) climbs, I recall.... Or maybe my memory plays up.... :rolleyes:
Yeah, there's a difference between a climb on the first day versus a climb once you're in trail-shape! I thought the crossing of the Pyrenees was pleasant on the C.F. ... but for me it was day #38. People who had to cross on their first day had a much rougher time of it.

certainly. but you need to include all that in the planning, go nicely and slowly(ish), drink plenty, admire the scenery, rest when needed, and most importantly, trying to enjoy it and not keep thinking how long remains to the top. I think the main problem is that most pilgrims I encountered almost throw themselves into the climb, actually trying walking faster uphill then on the level terrain - perhaps thinking that the fastest up the fastes behind. of course they arrive up all tired and out of breath and think they have no fitness at all. and that affects their overall performance and mood and thinking. I usually fill a bit sorry for them as they breeze by me puffing. I actually automatically slow down when going uphill, I've no idea why. I'm just weird that way, I guess...

I remember on my first camino reading in the brierley guide of the fabled climb up to the mostelares plateau. when I got up I thought: that was it? o-k, let's go down then. now, that's a different story...
 
I appreciate it so much and I consider you a hero!
Walking on Via Francigena under the late morning/early noon sun of July/August is a true ordeal and you need to be well trained, well equipped and to keep on drinking water. Thanks Heaven Italy is not a desert and locals are always very helpful and they are happy to refill your bottle(s). Just ring the bell and ask...

P.S.
1 From 2013 many changes on the Via were made to avoid as much asphalt as possible, especially from Montgenèvre to Vercelli.
2 I read you walked though Torino, that is my town. I agree, it's awful to walk from Rivoli and cross downtown Torino until you reach the green quietness of the Po river...
3 Pity you stopped at San Quirico, you didn't have the chance of enjoying the mythical 8 Km climb to Radicofani! :)

Grazie mille, @Piero Frustascarpe

1 : That’s good news. I thought that the VF might improve. In Feb, 2014 I met a former mountain guide on my way to La Verna, He said he was instrumental in the signing and rerouting of the VF. He was also involved in the Cammino di SF, perhaps you know him. We had a great discussion about the history and establishment of both trails. We met at an Agritourism place where there are milch donkeys, not far from Rifugio La Spinella...

2 : Turino : I had a lovely moment in Turino, playing Bach and Teleman beneath the arches of a covered passageway between Piazetta Reale and Piazza S. Giovanni. The acoustic was very fine.

3 : As for missing the mythical 8 km climb to Radicofani, I am sure that the extra 1000 kms hiked along i sentieri di San Francesco made up for it…perhaps I shall return !

Cheers
Lovingkindness
 
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A selection of Camino Jewellery
If anybody can bear me asking questions that have already been answered before, I'm very grateful.

I'm looking to get an idea of the feasibility of walking from the top of Italy to Rome. I have July and a lot of August off work. I have walked the Camino Frances, Portuguese from Lisbon, del Norte from Irun and the primitivo. I think I'd like to walk in Italy now. Before I start doing huge research would anyone be good enough to answer the following questions:

Is walking in July possible? I assume I will have to start at dawn and walk til 11am. Then siesta for the hotter parts of the day. However, we walked 30km days regularly out of Lisbon to Porto. Liked the heat.

Will I survive with the most basic crash course in Italian? I have no Italian at the moment.

Will we get a bed somewhere each night? Hostel pension albergue etc? I have slept in some poor places on previous caminos.

Do I need to register somewhere? I read about people registering with a village priest in Dovadola?

Where can I get my credential?

Best guidebook? I hear mention of lightfoot and cicerone.

Alternatives to the francegina, if you don't recommend it.

Bedbugs and mosquitoes on the francegina? I got bedbugged on the del Norte and I'm trying to avoid a repeat. Mossies bite me...

Next steps....


I would like to thank anyone who replies. Sharing knowledge and getting tips makes everything better. Anyone recommend good blogs etc. I'm going to start research now. I hope to start walking on July 1st and walk to Rome. Not sure where to start though. I have about 5 weeks.

Many thanks guys!!!
Also check out the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome website
 
Will I survive with the most basic crash course in Italian? I have no Italian at the moment.

For an excellent, and free, overview of Italian check out Language Transfer's Introduction to Italian. It will give you a great overview of the language, and even if you don't take it further than this course you'll at least have a solid foundation.
 
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Thanks for the recommendation Michael. I'll get started.
 
Hello @Deepforest

Italy in July + August:

…for a foretaste of purgatory, the Via Francigena : Walking in the searing heat beside roads and on flat surfaces; airless nights; Mosquitoes attacking day and night ; walking in a sauna as steam rises from the feilds along the Po Valley…

… for a little piece of heaven, Il cammino di San Francesco : hiking on trails + paths, refreshing mountain air, panoramic splendour + ancient villages.

Cheers
Lovingkindness


God that's such a worrying reply. I was told the meseta in August was hot, but I loved it. Arriving in castrojeriz, hot and tired, but feeling great. I was told walking out of Lisbon in July was going to be hot. I was told from Lisbon to Porto was all roads. I was told there are almost no albergues on the del Norte. I was told the primitivo is all hills and very tough. I found the primitivo relatively easy and a little monotonous. I always appreciate everyone's replies and advice. But sometimes I get told something's not an option, or it's going to be horrible, only to find I love it or it's relatively straightforward, this has been the case quite a lot.

If the via francegina is so uncomfortable, sauna like, then why is it increasing in popularity and not the other way? Now I'm really confused. The via de Francesco sounds amazing, but few pilgrims, poor signage?


Is there a good start point on the francegina that will avoid the wetlands with all the mossies?

Would walking the francegina be hotter than walking out of Lisbon in July? We had about 36 C I think.

Thanks again to all the respondents, I'm very grateful, and thank you to loving kindness for taking the time to reply.
 
Hi Lovingkindness! Your post made me laugh! Yes, I agree with the sauna and the mosquitoes....but only during the day. Somehow there weren't any at night. (Except very dead ones falling out of my clothes! :oops:)
I don't know when you walked the VF but last year in Italy there was a new path, avoiding most roads and following trails (definitively not flat and adding kms, unfortunately. You can't have it all!). ;)

I haven't walked the Cammino di San Francesco but... It does appeal! :cool: Thanks for that.


Thank you for this. How were the mornings?
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Hi! I walked the Italian section of the VF in July and August last year. It was indeed VERY hot but obviously manageable as I'm here to tell the tale ;) There are long sections so it isn't (well, it wasn't for me!) possible to finish at 11 am. Most days I arrived at around 1 or 2 pm. The earliest I started was at around 6 am if others had woken me up early....There was one particular pilgrim I learnt to avoid as he started every day at 4am!!! Not good :oops:
The heat only increased in the afternoon and evening btw but then it may have been an unusually hot year (they called the heatwave Lucifer!).
Basic Italian is necessary to reserve accommodation, some ostellos do not have email, just enough to ask for a bed on such and such a night. Some places actually ask you to reserve ahead because there is not always someone there to let you in otherwise.
What else? I got my credentiale from the Hospice du Grand St Bernard but I am sure there are other places...
The most helpful guide, imo, is the Via Francigena from Terre di Mezzo but that is very subjective. I also used the Slo-ways App. and this year there is a new one out. The previous poster already gave you the useful websites to use.
Ask away if there is something still unanswered.
Happy planning! :)


Very hot? If we roll out at 6 and walk til noon, about 25-30km days I reckon. Would you recommend the francegina having done it? Or would do you look back and think maybe another option would have been better? For instance I was told walking Lisbon to Porto was not great, but I thoroughly recommend it.
 
Very hot? If we roll out at 6 and walk til noon, about 25-30km days I reckon. Would you recommend the francegina having done it? Or would do you look back and think maybe another option would have been better? For instance I was told walking Lisbon to Porto was not great, but I thoroughly recommend it.
Yes I would recommend the Via Francigena, I'm even thinking of walking it again this Summer! :) The only reason I am hesitating is that there are soooo many new Caminos to choose from, the ones I don't know yet! But my mind always comes back to the VF.
I loved it. It just isn't 'a walk in the park' at times but then, what is? ;) Even the mosquito-ridden areas were manageable with a good repellent, the only problem was not being able to stop at all. But it's only a few days...
And I am hoping this year there won't be a heatwave! :)
 
certainly. but you need to include all that in the planning, go nicely and slowly(ish), drink plenty, admire the scenery, rest when needed, and most importantly, trying to enjoy it and not keep thinking how long remains to the top. I think the main problem is that most pilgrims I encountered almost throw themselves into the climb, actually trying walking faster uphill then on the level terrain - perhaps thinking that the fastest up the fastes behind. of course they arrive up all tired and out of breath and think they have no fitness at all. and that affects their overall performance and mood and thinking. I usually fill a bit sorry for them as they breeze by me puffing. I actually automatically slow down when going uphill, I've no idea why. I'm just weird that way, I guess...

I remember on my first camino reading in the brierley guide of the fabled climb up to the mostelares plateau. when I got up I thought: that was it? o-k, let's go down then. now, that's a different story...

I like your approach! ;)
 
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Is walking in July possible?
Yes it is. We walked from Grand Saint Bernard pass to Rome in August and beginning of September. Of course, the afternoons were hot, but remained feasible.

Will I survive with the most basic crash course in Italian? I have no Italian at the moment.
Some Italian will be needed. English is not spoken in "deep Italy" and you will have to call ahead for accommodation, order food etc.

Will we get a bed somewhere each night? Hostel pension albergue etc? I have slept in some poor places on previous caminos.
Yes, but from time to time you will have to use more upscale accommodation (hotels...)

Do I need to register somewhere? I read about people registering with a village priest in Dovadola?
Registering is needed for the Via of Assisi. For the VF, just get a credencial.

Best guidebook? I hear mention of lightfoot and cicerone.
I used the Lightfoot one and liked it. Makes sense especially if you use their GPS waypoints.

Bedbugs and mosquitoes on the francegina? I got bedbugged on the del Norte and I'm trying to avoid a repeat. Mossies bite me...
Did'nt see any bedbugs (but they may exist). Mosquitoes (locally "zanzare"), yes. I wore my mosquito headnet (Irish style) in the Po ricefields to keep those critters out of my ears...
 
If anybody can bear me asking questions that have already been answered before, I'm very grateful.

I'm looking to get an idea of the feasibility of walking from the top of Italy to Rome. I have July and a lot of August off work. I have walked the Camino Frances, Portuguese from Lisbon, del Norte from Irun and the primitivo. I think I'd like to walk in Italy now. Before I start doing huge research would anyone be good enough to answer the following questions:

Is walking in July possible? I assume I will have to start at dawn and walk til 11am. Then siesta for the hotter parts of the day. However, we walked 30km days regularly out of Lisbon to Porto. Liked the heat.

Will I survive with the most basic crash course in Italian? I have no Italian at the moment.

Will we get a bed somewhere each night? Hostel pension albergue etc? I have slept in some poor places on previous caminos.

Do I need to register somewhere? I read about people registering with a village priest in Dovadola?

Where can I get my credential?

Best guidebook? I hear mention of lightfoot and cicerone.

Alternatives to the francegina, if you don't recommend it.

Bedbugs and mosquitoes on the francegina? I got bedbugged on the del Norte and I'm trying to avoid a repeat. Mossies bite me...

Next steps....


I would like to thank anyone who replies. Sharing knowledge and getting tips makes everything better. Anyone recommend good blogs etc. I'm going to start research now. I hope to start walking on July 1st and walk to Rome. Not sure where to start though. I have about 5 weeks.

Many thanks guys!!!
I have walked over three years from Canterbury to Sienna, suggest you look at website the slo walker, its a full account of a canadian doctor who walked the the entire trek ,good luck ,interesting trek
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
...If the via francegina is so uncomfortable, sauna like, then why is it increasing in popularity and not the other way? Now I'm really confused. The via de Francesco sounds amazing, but few pilgrims, poor signage?

Hello @Deepforest
The VF can support a larger numbers of pilgrims than Il Cammino di San Francesco (Il Cammino di Assisi). So, it’s my guess that there is a deliberate bias in government funding and promotion contributing to increased numbers along the VF.

Re : Il Cammino di Assisi (Dovadola to Assisi). Since it's inception controls have been in place to limit the number of foot pilgrims hiking to Assisi. The number of beds in rifugios are limited and to obtain a place pilgrims must register for the entire pilgrimmage well in advance. The pilgrim season is restricted as well. In winter 2014, hiking from Perugia to La Verna, I found all but one rifugio closed.

Re : signage. In 2014 more than one set of signs existed along the route between La Verna and Assisi. I enjoyed the challenge. It is now 2018. Perhaps signing has been updated.

In 2013 signing from Assisi via Rieti to Rome (Via Francigena di San Francesco) was sun scorched and in need of attention...

Cheers
LK

Il Cammino di Assisi : Montepaolo Dovadola – Assisi
Unlike the Santiago Trail where, once the pilgrim receives the credential, he/she can autonomously decide the starting date of his/her pilgrimage, on the Assisi Trail this is not possible due to the limited number of available places along the way. Therefore,in order to avoid any probable inconvenience, departure dates are monitored so to guarantee to all pilgrims the certainty to be welcomed at the end of each leg of the trail. Access to the Refuges is available only to those holding the credential.’
 
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If anybody can bear me asking questions that have already been answered before, I'm very grateful.

I'm looking to get an idea of the feasibility of walking from the top of Italy to Rome. I have July and a lot of August off work. I have walked the Camino Frances, Portuguese from Lisbon, del Norte from Irun and the primitivo. I think I'd like to walk in Italy now. Before I start doing huge research would anyone be good enough to answer the following questions:

Is walking in July possible? I assume I will have to start at dawn and walk til 11am. Then siesta for the hotter parts of the day. However, we walked 30km days regularly out of Lisbon to Porto. Liked the heat.

Will I survive with the most basic crash course in Italian? I have no Italian at the moment.

Will we get a bed somewhere each night? Hostel pension albergue etc? I have slept in some poor places on previous caminos.

Do I need to register somewhere? I read about people registering with a village priest in Dovadola?

Where can I get my credential?

Best guidebook? I hear mention of lightfoot and cicerone.

Alternatives to the francegina, if you don't recommend it.

Bedbugs and mosquitoes on the francegina? I got bedbugged on the del Norte and I'm trying to avoid a repeat. Mossies bite me...

Next steps....


I would like to thank anyone who replies. Sharing knowledge and getting tips makes everything better. Anyone recommend good blogs etc. I'm going to start research now. I hope to start walking on July 1st and walk to Rome. Not sure where to start though. I have about 5 weeks.

Many thanks guys!!!
Hi. We walked from Canterbury to Rome last year. July and August were very hot but we were in by lunchtime every day. Lots of accommodation of every variety along the way. You could start at St Bernards Pass or at Aosta and walk down the valley. You could also start at Lake Geneva. Spectacular. Alternatively Parvia is only a 20 min train ride from Milan. No bed bugs but lots of mosquitos in the rice paddies near Pavia. The Lightfoot guides are excellent but we mainly used the maps.me app with the Lightfoot waypoints loaded onto it for track, accommodation etc. Works offline.We don't speak any Italian but use Google Translate. Italians are very warm and tolerant. This is a fantastic walk. May be best to get a Credencial before you leave.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Hello. There is also an excellent Facebook Group if you are on Facebook. Let me know and I can give you the link.
As of yesterday, I have had to change my plans and I now start walking from Great Saint Bernard Pass on Wednesday 8 August. I am picking up my credential from the hospice at GSBP

I have been warned that Italy goes on holidays over August and many places close down. I have been told that it is best to book all accommodation a couple of days ahead - even the pilgrim accom at the ostellos and monasteries. Like you I will be starting early in the morning as I don't enjoy the hot temperatures that much.

I have a copy of the ALison Raju guide but it gets a lot of negative reviews. I have also downloaded two apps - the Vie francigene one available from the official site, plus the Sloways one. Hopefully I won't get too lost! Take care, Mel
Can I get that link please?
 
Hi. We walked from Canterbury to Rome last year. July and August were very hot but we were in by lunchtime every day. Lots of accommodation of every variety along the way. You could start at St Bernards Pass or at Aosta and walk down the valley. You could also start at Lake Geneva. Spectacular. Alternatively Parvia is only a 20 min train ride from Milan. No bed bugs but lots of mosquitos in the rice paddies near Pavia. The Lightfoot guides are excellent but we mainly used the maps.me app with the Lightfoot waypoints loaded onto it for track, accommodation etc. Works offline.We don't speak any Italian but use Google Translate. Italians are very warm and tolerant. This is a fantastic walk. May be best to get a Credencial before you leave.
Cheers Caroled.

Just back from my Camino to Fatima and we've started serious prep into our July francegina.

Looks like starting in Fidenza. Sound ok?
Is there anywhere I can get the credential before I arrive? Looks like we'll arrive into Fidenza about 7pm on a saturday evening. Then hike out the next morning. I see credentials are available from Fidenza tourist office but that doesn't open til 9 am. We would like to get out early and miss some of the high temps.

I assume Fidenza misses the mossie heaven of the rice fields?

Has anyone any alternatives to Fidenza? Are we missing anything special before here?

And accommodation in Fidenza? Will I just use a booking site as a start point for here?

Many thanks to everyone who has replied. Liked reading lovingkindnness file. Has me dreaming of 38C, just like the hotter days in previous trips. . Thanks everyone.
 
Just to say I'm walking VF at present but if will be some weeks before I get to Italy. I'll happily answer practical questions then. I'm blogging at www.walkingtim.com
Watching with interest Tim. Good luck.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Cheers Caroled.

Just back from my Camino to Fatima and we've started serious prep into our July francegina.

Looks like starting in Fidenza. Sound ok?
Is there anywhere I can get the credential before I arrive? Looks like we'll arrive into Fidenza about 7pm on a saturday evening. Then hike out the next morning. I see credentials are available from Fidenza tourist office but that doesn't open til 9 am. We would like to get out early and miss some of the high temps.

I assume Fidenza misses the mossie heaven of the rice fields?

Has anyone any alternatives to Fidenza? Are we missing anything special before here?

And accommodation in Fidenza? Will I just use a booking site as a start point for here?

Many thanks to everyone who has replied. Liked reading lovingkindnness file. Has me dreaming of 38C, just like the hotter days in previous trips. . Thanks everyone.

I've just posted links to a downloadable credencial here, kindly supplied by the urcamino staff: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/via-francigena-credenzial.51919/post-611287.

well, you are missing the whole of the aosta valley ;). don't miss the pilgrims on the fidenza cathedral's facade.

pilgrim accommodation in fidenza:
- Hotel s Donnino (13r, pilgrim price BB €25-30), via Berenini 134, 0524/071 438, 329/212 3890, 328/317 2914, wifi, BB s/d €40-50/60, all year.
- afitacammere Al Duomo (pilgrim price €20-25), via Brescia 2, 0524/523 930, incl. wm, kitchen, wifi, d €40, ®!, 15h-20h.
- Cenacolo Diocesi Fidenza (4b, D, pilgrim specific), via Micheli 19, 0524/524 591, no hot water?, Caritas, dinner nearby restau, all year 15h-17h30.
- ospitale s Donnino (10b, €10, pilgrim specific), via Rossi 4, 0524/83 377 TO, wm, kitchen, patio, check-in M-F 11-19 in Comune on p.za Garibaldi 1 & S-Su 11-12.30+15-17.30 in TO on p.za Duomo 16, Feb- M-F 11h-19h, S-Su 11h-12h30+15h-17h30.
 
Good for you! We walked the VF in August of 2016 -- celebrating the Jubilee of Mercy in Rome. Lucca to Rome.

It is a beautiful walk -- but we missed the camaraderie of other pilgrims along the way....we probably saw 6 (and I thought it would be a flood due to the Holy Year).

Our most important tool was GPS and the Via Francigena app -- we found the markers hard to find sometimes and often got lost. (And there's some sort of dispute between two VF supporting organizations so sometimes there are conflicting markers).

Also, Italy isn't used to pilgrims -- much of the VF was along small roads and it seemed the drivers were aiming at us! A little stressful.

We also missed the infrastructure of the Camino Frances. Along the VF there are not many cafes or rest stops so the walks seem longer.

But on the plus side -- it is beautiful! And wonderful food -- no pilgrim meals.

We were blessed to have our trip planned and organized by Camino Ways so we always had a room (basic). It was also fun to be the only tourists in these little towns -- you feel like a local.

If you want to read about our walk (we found that much of the information about VF was in Italian) our blog is: wiebmer.blogspot.com (it goes backwards into the trip).
 
Hello. There is also an excellent Facebook Group if you are on Facebook. Let me know and I can give you the link.
As of yesterday, I have had to change my plans and I now start walking from Great Saint Bernard Pass on Wednesday 8 August. I am picking up my credential from the hospice at GSBP

I have been warned that Italy goes on holidays over August and many places close down. I have been told that it is best to book all accommodation a couple of days ahead - even the pilgrim accom at the ostellos and monasteries. Like you I will be starting early in the morning as I don't enjoy the hot temperatures that much.

I have a copy of the ALison Raju guide but it gets a lot of negative reviews. I have also downloaded two apps - the Vie francigene one available from the official site, plus the Sloways one. Hopefully I won't get too lost! Take care, Mel
Can I get that link please?
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Italy in July + August:

…for a foretaste of purgatory, the Via Francigena : Walking in the searing heat beside roads and on flat surfaces; airless nights; Mosquitoes attacking day and night ; walking in a sauna as steam rises from the feilds along the Po Valley…
Thanks for all the helpful info in this thread!

So many warnings about heat and mosquitoes in summer... what is the Francigena like in May, especially in the plains?
 
For an excellent, and free, overview of Italian check out Language Transfer's Introduction to Italian. It will give you a great overview of the language, and even if you don't take it further than this course you'll at least have a solid foundation.
Thanks for this! I just listened to a sample and plan to return to it. I’m excited by LT’s analytical “thinking” approach, as I believe it suits my learning style. But I’m a bit worried by the technique of having another learner model the pronunciation. Right from the get-go I could hear the learner make repeated errors that the instructor didn’t correct (“natchurale” instead of a straight unpatalized “naturale”, for instance). I fear that I will internalize those errors.

Probably this calls for its own thread - I will look for one. Thanks again.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
IMO the best language learning "system" is the Pimsleur series which I have used to study Spanish and to improve my intermediate level French. The Cds are usually available in libraries, so there is no cost. They start at ground zero, then your library can get the next series, etc.

The difference between Pimsleur and other language programs is that language is learned in useful phrases. You listen to a phrase several times and then repeat it. Then again. Vocabulary is often added to phrases already learned, so you are re-enforcing the phrasing previously used. This method improves fluency because the learner is always repeating sentences, not just vocabulary. You can listen to a lesson on your way to/from work or, if you are retired, anytime that is convenient.

You can supplement what you have learned by carrying a phrasebook with you with all the transactional language for reserving a room, buying something in a store, obtaining train/bus tickets, etc. But if you worked with the Pimsleur series in advance, your pronunciation of something in the phrasebook is going to be way better than someone who has just started with the phrasebook.

Tom
 
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...blossoms + wild flowers in May, spring rains (lots) and pleasant températures? Just guessing..
Correct! :cool:
And very few (still clumsy) mosquitoes.
And the wonderful experience of walking through the "checkered sea" of the paddy fields.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Hello. There is also an excellent Facebook Group if you are on Facebook. Let me know and I can give you the link.
As of yesterday, I have had to change my plans and I now start walking from Great Saint Bernard Pass on Wednesday 8 August. I am picking up my credential from the hospice at GSBP

I have been warned that Italy goes on holidays over August and many places close down. I have been told that it is best to book all accommodation a couple of days ahead - even the pilgrim accom at the ostellos and monasteries. Like you I will be starting early in the morning as I don't enjoy the hot temperatures that much.

I have a copy of the ALison Raju guide but it gets a lot of negative reviews. I have also downloaded two apps - the Vie francigene one available from the official site, plus the Sloways one. Hopefully I won't get too lost! Take care, Mel

That's good info about Italy closing down over August - thanks!
 
That's good info about Italy closing down over August - thanks!

Hi,

I have not noticed it along the way, for what I was interested in (hotels, pilgrim accommodation, restaurants, food stores...). Even the dreaded "Ferragosto" (15th of August), a date with everything allegedly closed and everybody having picnic in the open, was manageable.

But yes, it's recommended to call one or two days ahead, for booking a room (think of some cities crowded with tourists such as Sienna or San Giminiano), or simply for informing your hosts, knowing where to get the keys etc.
 
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