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Lucca to Rome June 2019 - Dogs, Mosquitos, Other Walkers?

Parksville

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Tui to Santiago (2011), SJPP to Najera (2016) Najera to Finisterre (2017), Lucca to Rome (June 2019)
Hi, All - My husband and I will be walking from Lucca to Rome at the beginning of June. We have done 3 Spanish Caminos previously, but have never walked on this route.
• For those experienced with this route, are wild dogs an issue on any of the paths from Lucca to Rome?
• What about mosquitoes?
* Is anyone else on the Forum walking this area of the VF at this time?
We greatly appreciate your advice.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I don't recall any dogs. Mosquitoes were horrendous in one part of France...I was dreading the rice fields in Italy said to be havens for mozzies but I didn't meet any.
 
I walked this section in September last year. No wild dogs, but plenty of angry domesticated dogs! Make sure you have walking poles or a bloody big stick! No mozzies once I hit Tuscany or certainly not on the same realm as the rice fields of Vercelli. Enjoy, Mel
 
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Hi, All - My husband and I will be walking from Lucca to Rome at the beginning of June. We have done 3 Spanish Caminos previously, but have never walked on this route.
• For those experienced with this route, are wild dogs an issue on any of the paths from Lucca to Rome?
• What about mosquitoes?
* Is anyone else on the Forum walking this area of the VF at this time?
We greatly appreciate your advice.
Hi Parksville,
I'm currently on the VF...actually in Calais, France at this very moment having already walked from London. Although it feels a lonnnggg way away (& it is!), if all goes to plan I will be around/near Lucca early June. Feel free to contact me by PM or through the public forum about anything, anytime. I have no concerns about dogs or mozzies...all you can really do is deal with what happens, when it happens. Good luck with your planning & maybe I'll see you on the trail.
Sempre avanti (always forward). 👣🌏
 
Last edited:
Hi Parksville,

Mosquitoes should not a real problem in Tuscany and beyond.

Yes, there are dogs, in the gardens and occasionaly on the way. More on dogs in this page (posts #11-12), along with my comments about other - confirmed or not - hazards.
 
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We did the same route in Sept last year. We did encounter aggressive dogs a few times but it was only when the path came close to the sheep herd.
 
Hi Parksville,

Mosquitoes should not a real problem in Tuscany and beyond.

Yes, there are dogs, in the gardens and occasionaly on the way. More on dogs in this page (posts #11-12), along with my comments about other - confirmed or not - hazards.
Thanks, Navy Blue - This is excellent information. I appreciate it greatly!
 
Hi Parksville, I walked from Lucca to Rome in 2015, April and early May. I have no memories of problems with dogs.....and I am not a lover of dogs.
No mosquitoes at that time of year.
You might encounter festival in hazel nut orchards 1st of May.

Sempre avanti (Thank you Kazrobbo)
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
We did the same route in Sept last year. We did encounter aggressive dogs a few times but it was only when the path came close to the sheep herd.
Thank you, I will be extra careful in those sections!
Hi Parksville, I walked from Lucca to Rome in 2015, April and early May. I have no memories of problems with dogs.....and I am not a lover of dogs.
No mosquitoes at that time of year.
You might encounter festival in hazel nut orchards 1st of May.

Sempre avanti (Thank you Kazrobbo)
Thank you for adding this info. We begin walking June 1 so will likely miss the festival that you mention. I greatly appreciate you commenting.
 
Hi Parksville,
I'm currently on the VF...actually in Calais, France at this very moment having already walked from London. Although it feels a lonnnggg way away (& it is!), if all goes to plan I will be around/near Lucca early June. Feel free to contact me by PM or through the public forum about anything, anytime. I have no concerns about dogs or mozzies...all you can really do is deal with what happens, when it happens. Good luck with your planning & maybe I'll see you on the trail.
Sempre avanti (always forward). 👣🌏
I'm jealous that you are doing the full walk.
We will begin walking from Lucca on June 1. I hope to run in to you on the trail. Feel free to contact me as well through this forum or through my blog (www.retirementreflections.com). Safe travels!
 
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I walked this section in September last year. No wild dogs, but plenty of angry domesticated dogs! Make sure you have walking poles or a bloody big stick! No mozzies once I hit Tuscany or certainly not on the same realm as the rice fields of Vercelli. Enjoy, Mel
Thanks, Mel - I follow your site. Your posts regarding the VF have been extremely helpful!
 
I don't recall any dogs. Mosquitoes were horrendous in one part of France...I was dreading the rice fields in Italy said to be havens for mozzies but I didn't meet any.
That's great news that you didn't encounter many mosquitoes in Tuscany. Fingers crossed that it will be the same for us!
 
I'm jealous that you are doing the full walk.
We will begin walking from Lucca on June 1. I hope to run in to you on the trail. Feel free to contact me as well through this forum or through my blog (www.retirementreflections.com). Safe travels!
Thanks for your good wishes & website link Parksville...I will check it out.
How long are you planning on taking to reach Rome? I'll probably be a few days behind you but may 'catch up' depending on your timeframe. I'm anticipating 18-ish days from Lucca to Rome. I'm subject to the Schengen visa so by that stage it'll be about how many days I've used & how many I've got left! 😁
👣 🌏
 
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Thanks for your good wishes & website link Parksville...I will check it out.
How long are you planning on taking to reach Rome? I'll probably be a few days behind you but may 'catch up' depending on your timeframe. I'm anticipating 18-ish days from Lucca to Rome. I'm subject to the Schengen visa so by that stage it'll be about how many days I've used & how many I've got left! 😁
👣🌏
I just sent you a private message. You will very likely catch up to us (and pass us). I look forward to meeting you!
 
Thank you for commenting. I hope that this happens for me too! :)
 
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Are you bringing your dog? Certain preventive meds they need to have for Italy like heart worm medics in the US. If a dog warns me heal it’s warning and know proper doggy etiquette. Avon body lotion the blue one repels the little biters. Tick shots updated for you?
 
Thanks for coming. I don't have a dog of my own but had heard about "angry dogs" on the trail and wondered what others thought. Thanks for the tips on the body lotion....and the tick shot reminder.
 
I never had a loose dog confrontation on the VF. All the dogs were locked behind fences/in gardens and bark at you. Of course it's always worth keeping clear of any sheep! Lots of biting/stinging flies in Tuscany last August plus clouds of non biting knats so bring repellent and After Bite and keep covered - long sleeve tops and trousers. A buff to cover your face. And enjoy...
 
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Congrats on your trek. I hope to complete the Lucca to Rome segment this coming Fall after the foot traffic and housing competition declines. Two years ago, I unwisely began the VF at the top of the Aosta Valley at San Bernardo. The views that are breathtaking are often the most challenging segments. On the 1,000 miles from the Swiss border to Rome, that segment is the steepest and was hardest on my old basketball knees.
Having completed a few Caminos, I was over confident and injured one leg on the first day. There was a heat wave in Europe at the time, so after a night in Aosta, I took a bus back to Milan and spent a few days before returning home to the US. You will be better conditioned than I was but know the path can be narrow, sloped, and occasionally slippery.
I’ll look forward to your comments on the last 200 miles, Lucca to Rome.0C5346A4-E484-40E3-801B-28C502F35496.jpeg59D3901D-8A1E-4E1E-A5A0-B8B1FC6F6415.jpeg
 
Hi, All - My husband and I will be walking from Lucca to Rome at the beginning of June. We have done 3 Spanish Caminos previously, but have never walked on this route.
• For those experienced with this route, are wild dogs an issue on any of the paths from Lucca to Rome?
• What about mosquitoes?
* Is anyone else on the Forum walking this area of the VF at this time?
We greatly appreciate your advice.
I walked Canterbury to Rome, Aug-Oct 2017. Dogs were not a problem in Italy; law says they need to be behind a fence or on a leash, which I found to be the case. Dogs in France can be a serious menace; I had several hair-raising encounters. I learned to use the carbide tips on my poles; they are great self-defense weapons. I had no problems with mosquitoes.
 
I never had a loose dog confrontation on the VF. All the dogs were locked behind fences/in gardens and bark at you. Of course it's always worth keeping clear of any sheep! Lots of biting/stinging flies in Tuscany last August plus clouds of non biting knats so bring repellent and After Bite and keep covered - long sleeve tops and trousers. A buff to cover your face. And enjoy...
Good news about the dogs, bad news about the mosquitos. Thank you for the warning -- I will try to be extra prepared!
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Congrats on your trek. I hope to complete the Lucca to Rome segment this coming Fall after the foot traffic and housing competition declines. Two years ago, I unwisely began the VF at the top of the Aosta Valley at San Bernardo. The views that are breathtaking are often the most challenging segments. On the 1,000 miles from the Swiss border to Rome, that segment is the steepest and was hardest on my old basketball knees.
Having completed a few Caminos, I was over confident and injured one leg on the first day. There was a heat wave in Europe at the time, so after a night in Aosta, I took a bus back to Milan and spent a few days before returning home to the US. You will be better conditioned than I was but know the path can be narrow, sloped, and occasionally slippery.
I’ll look forward to your comments on the last 200 miles, Lucca to Rome.View attachment 54465View attachment 54466
Thank you for sharing this information. You are so right! Overconfidence can be a double-edged sword. My husband will be doing this Camino just prior to knee surgery, so we won't be traveling super quickly. We did our first Camino together (2010) just before his first knee surgery (on the other leg). I will blog about this Camino (actually, I've already begun doing that), so I'll keep you posted.
 
I walked Canterbury to Rome, Aug-Oct 2017. Dogs were not a problem in Italy; law says they need to be behind a fence or on a leash, which I found to be the case. Dogs in France can be a serious menace; I had several hair-raising encounters. I learned to use the carbide tips on my poles; they are great self-defense weapons. I had no problems with mosquitoes.
Thank you for sharing this. It's funny how some August walkers found no problems with mosquitos and others did. Here's hoping that my husband and I fall into the first group! :)
 
I'm jealous that you are doing the full walk.
We will begin walking from Lucca on June 1. I hope to run in to you on the trail. Feel free to contact me as well through this forum or through my blog (www.retirementreflections.com). Safe travels!

Don't be jeaous at all!

Lucca is a wonderful town, perfect as a starting point; maybe the first stage to Altopascio is not so nice (the trail goes across a very populated and industrialized area) but, further on, you're going to have a 14 day full immersion in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy: from San Miniato Alto to the 2 stages after Viterbo you're going to pass across a stunning countryside, precious towns (Siena, above all), delightful villages and, if you are lucky enough, you can have the opportunity to sleep as a pilgrim/hiker in wonderful but cheap places.
 
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.
Don't be jeaous at all!

Lucca is a wonderful town, perfect as a starting point; maybe the first stage to Altopascio is not so nice (the trail goes across a very populated and industrialized area) but, further on, you're going to have a 14 day full immersion in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy: from San Miniato Alto to the 2 stages after Viterbo you're going to pass across a stunning countryside, precious towns (Siena, above all), delightful villages and, if you are lucky enough, you can have the opportunity to sleep as a pilgrim/hiker in wonderful but cheap places.
Thank you for this wonderful advice. I am greatly looking forward to this trip and am excited to be able to experience Tuscany in this way.
 

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