maybe the via francigena???

[karennewzealand]

It is a year since I was last on the forum just before setting out from SJPP (26 April 2012) - I have been thinking of the Camino a lot lately and wondering how all my Camino amigos are, and also wondering what next.

Unfortunately I have now "discovered" the Via Francigena - unfortunately because it is too long, too difficult, too expensive but I fear that I am hooked anyway.

However, it is one thing to walk the Camino as a lone woman but quite another to try the VF the same way. I think I will need to find a companion/group and I think I may need to camp.

Any advice from people who have walked this route would be most welcome.

karen

 

[jp2speeds57]

Hello Karen,

I have done a few caminos to Santiago and Fisterra. It was all beautiful experiences. I am now moving to Via Francigena next september. I will start in Switzerland to Rome, in 5-6 weeks . I have gather some information and a lot of them come from the VF forum on yahoo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/via-francigena/. You should try it. People are friendly.
There is an australian woman who walk the whole VF by herself and also an italian woman. Both have blogs of their caminos and the Italian woman is also a moderator of a site supporting the VF.

http://www.viefrancigene.it/
Cristina Menghini is very friendly and helpful. She and some friends help put signalisation through all the Italian VF in 2010. You get your pilgrim passport free from her association.

There is also the CPR (Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome).
http://www.pilgrimstorome.org.uk/thecpr.html
http://www.movimentolento.it/it/resourc ... rancigena/

I am thinking of sleeping under a tarp ( with poles it is like a tent) along the way. On the next site you could listen to the experience of 2 Dutch people who tent most of the way:
http://www.thedutchadventurist.com/vide ... d-to-rome/

Feel free to contact me if you need it.

JPierre

 

[newfydog]

We start in Canterbury next week, on mountain bikes, headed to Switzerland.

Last year we did the Italian section.

Lonely route, not that easy to find cheap places. We like that part of it, but I think a St James route would be more fun for most people.

 

[codecables]

You might also want to have a look at the website of the confraternity of San Jacopo, which has a dedicated section to the Via Francigena.

http://www.confraternitadisanjacopo.it/ ... a/home.php

Buon cammino!

 

[AJ]

I walked the VF in 2011. It is completely different from the Camino Frances. I met my first fellow pilgrims at the refuge at St. Bernard's Pass, about the half way mark.

You will not need to camp, however accommodation can be expensive. If you join the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome, you will be able to use their accommodation list and also my itinerary which is in the member's section of their website.

Good luck

 

[karennewzealand]

thanks everyone for your comments and advice.

thanks for the varius links Jpierre - really appreciate your help.
will check out those links.

Im thinking about mid-late next year so a bit of time yet.

karen

 

[backiej]

it is a year since I was last on the forum just before setting out from SJPP (26 April 2012) - I have been thinking of the camino a lot lately and wondering how all my camino amigos are, and also wondering what next.
unfortunately I have now "discovered" the via francigena - unfortunately because it is too long, too difficult, too expensive but I fear that I am hooked anyway.
however, it is one thing to walk the camino as a lone woman but quite another to try the VF the same way. I think I will need to find a companion/group and I think I may need to camp.
any advice from people who have walked this route would be most welcome.
karen

We walked from our front door in London and finished in Geneva. The route, if you follow Alison Raju's book like we did is dull and boring and nearly all on asphalt. However, there is an alternative marked in red and white. It is an expensive and lonely Camino in comparison to Spain but we stayed at a couple of monasteries and a convent and we had each other for company. You should carry food at all times and remember that the villages are often not open from Saturday afternoon until Tuesday morning. The camping site at Guines is one of the nicest places to stay, not in a tent but in a beautiful self-contained converted barn. Then you have champagne and some beautiful rivers as well.

 

[William Marques]

You may also want to look at the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome
http://www.pilgrimstorome.org.uk/index.html
Oops I see Jean Pierre has already mentioned it.

Also Ivar's new forum
https://www.viafrancigena.me/

 

[Kiwi-family]

I'm taking in all the info presented here.....everyone talks about the infrastructure on this route being in its infancy......does anyone know if there have been big changes now in 2015? Is anyone walking now (or recently) and could comment? Also, if I were to carry a tent, what kind of cost would be incurred at a campsite?

 

[efdoucette]

I walked the VF last year with 3 Camino friends, all males. We walked from northern Italy to Rome so I can only speak for the Italian portion.
The "trail" has 2 routes, the original by some Sergeac fellow, and one for safety.
The original route has become highway, are you familiar with Italian drivers?
The safe route follows the original route but is on available backroads and paths. The unfortunate part of this route is it doesn't head directly south, there is some east west walking because of the availability of the path. You could easily walk 32 kms per day taking the safe route but less so if you chance the highways.

The routes are well signed and are maintained by community hiking groups, so the signs although good may have a different look based on the area you are in.

Lastly, it is a tough but beautiful walk. The towns are absolutely spectacular. We stayed most nights in convents, reduced the costs and run by lovely ladies.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I walked the VF last year with 3 Camino friends, all males. We walked from northern Italy to Rome so I can only speak for the Italian portion.
The "trail" has 2 routes, the original by some Sergeac fellow, and one for safety.
The original route has become highway, are you familiar with Italian drivers?
The safe route follows the original route but is on available backroads and paths. The unfortunate part of this route is it doesn't head directly south, there is some east west walking because of the availability of the path. You could easily walk 32 kms per day taking the safe route but less so if you chance the highways.

The routes are well signed and are maintained by community hiking groups, so the signs although good may have a different look based on the area you are in.

Lastly, it is a tough but beautiful walk. The towns are absolutely spectacular. We stayed most nights in convents, reduced the costs and run by lovely ladies.

Yes, I have driven in Italy and would happily stick to the safe route! Are both in the guides?
What is the range of costs for staying in convents? And do they provide meals or is there usually/sometimes/ever a kitchen that can be used?
Our library has just ordered the Cicerone guides so perhaps they will have answers for me and I should just be patient!

 

[efdoucette]

Yes, I have driven in Italy and would happily stick to the safe route! Are both in the guides?
What is the range of costs for staying in convents? And do they provide meals or is there usually/sometimes/ever a kitchen that can be used?
Our library has just ordered the Cicerone guides so perhaps they will have answers for me and I should just be patient!

Hi Rachael, I used the Cicerone guide and it does show all the routes although the maps are very small, hard to read. We combined these maps with a phone app map. Most convents don't offer up their kitchen or provide meals and their opinion is pilgrims that walk Camino's are not poor so they charge a competitive rate with hostels. They are a wise bunch, are beautiful people and I like supporting them.