LIVE from the Camino Paq Peregrino - our experience

[George Vancouver]

We're travelling long-term so needed to ship suitcases from Madrid to await us in Santiago. Here's a few things we learned for next time.

1. Madrid airport post office is temporarily closed. We had to go to a small post office near our hotel. They had never shipped pilgrims' luggage before and had no idea what to do. After much discussion among the staff and searching on their computer system, I brought up the website on my phone and explained everything, including the price and address. Next time I will have that all printed out in Spanish ahead of time.

2. About a week into the camino we started getting emails saying the bags had not been collected so would be returned to Madrid. A frantic visit to the local post office and attempted calls to the post office got nowhere. I finally connected by email. I was told that the emails were mistakenly computer-generated and to ignore them and not worry. It remained a worry to the end!

3. A couple of weeks in we mailed more stuff ahead. Our lack of return address was a source of great consternation for the clerk. Canada? Our previous night's albergue? The supervisor solved the problem. She suggested putting Rua do Franco 4 as the return address. That way there is nowhere else the package can go.

4. We arrived in Santiago on Saturday. The clerk told us we could only pick up our bags Monday to Friday (still not sure that's true). Didn't matter. When I told her that would be impossible because we were leaving she cheerfully agreed to get our bags from the back anyway.

It all worked out in the end. Great system, very reasonable price, friendly Correos staff.

 

[malingerer]

We're travelling long-term so needed to ship suitcases from Madrid to await us in Santiago. Here's a few things we learned for next time.

1. Madrid airport post office is temporarily closed. We had to go to a small post office near our hotel. They had never shipped pilgrims' luggage before and had no idea what to do. After much discussion among the staff and searching on their computer system, I brought up the website on my phone and explained everything, including the price and address. Next time I will have that all printed out in Spanish ahead of time.

2. About a week into the camino we started getting emails saying the bags had not been collected so would be returned to Madrid. A frantic visit to the local post office and attempted calls to the post office got nowhere. I finally connected by email. I was told that the emails were mistakenly computer-generated and to ignore them and not worry. It remained a worry to the end!

3. A couple of weeks in we mailed more stuff ahead. Our lack of return address was a source of great consternation for the clerk. Canada? Our previous night's albergue? The supervisor solved the problem. She suggested putting Rua do Franco 4 as the return address. That way there is nowhere else the package can go.

4. We arrived in Santiago on Saturday. The clerk told us we could only pick up our bags Monday to Friday (still not sure that's true). Didn't matter. When I told her that would be impossible because we were leaving she cheerfully agreed to get our bags from the back anyway.

It all worked out in the end. Great system, very reasonable price, friendly Correos staff.

Dear God, this gives me the screaming horrors! I have NEVER forwarded anything before but am having to consider this for next year due to age and health matters. Techie I am not and still have trouble answering the phone on WHAT'S APP!! Abbot the only way I can cope with sending my ruck ahead is to throw the bloody thing over the hedge!! My Guardian Angel is yet again considering a career change

Buen Camino

Samarkand

 

[keith duke scott]

Dear God, this gives me the screaming horrors! I have NEVER forwarded anything before but am having to consider this for next year due to age and health matters. Techie I am not and still have trouble answering the phone on WHAT'S APP!! Abbot the only way I can cope with sending my ruck ahead is to throw the bloody thing over the hedge!! My Guardian Angel is yet again considering a career change

Buen Camino

Samarkand

I had one experience sending items ahead to santiago from the Norte camino. I was shocked at how easy and affordable it was.
I did have my Spanish friend assist me at the post office but the items where there waiting for me when I arrived in santiago. The secret is don't bring so much stuff

 

[bergmannfamily]

We have never forwarded our stuff but we are using the Correos paq mochila service to move our bags. They have been exceptional. This morning they arrived at our albuerge too early and came to our private room to ask if they could collect our bags a bit early. They were quite apologetic. Finding our bags inside our next room has been wonderful. We are in Los Arcos for the night tonight.

 

[MikeyC]

Three years ago as the weather turned warmer we shipped our down sleeping bags ahead from Astorga to Santiago using the Correos. Astorga post office was fully up to speed on the procedure.

 

[Marbe2]

We're travelling long-term so needed to ship suitcases from Madrid to await us in Santiago. Here's a few things we learned for next time.

1. Madrid airport post office is temporarily closed. We had to go to a small post office near our hotel. They had never shipped pilgrims' luggage before and had no idea what to do. After much discussion among the staff and searching on their computer system, I brought up the website on my phone and explained everything, including the price and address. Next time I will have that all printed out in Spanish ahead of time.

2. About a week into the camino we started getting emails saying the bags had not been collected so would be returned to Madrid. A frantic visit to the local post office and attempted calls to the post office got nowhere. I finally connected by email. I was told that the emails were mistakenly computer-generated and to ignore them and not worry. It remained a worry to the end!

3. A couple of weeks in we mailed more stuff ahead. Our lack of return address was a source of great consternation for the clerk. Canada? Our previous night's albergue? The supervisor solved the problem. She suggested putting Rua do Franco 4 as the return address. That way there is nowhere else the package can go.

4. We arrived in Santiago on Saturday. The clerk told us we could only pick up our bags Monday to Friday (still not sure that's true). Didn't matter. When I told her that would be impossible because we were leaving she cheerfully agreed to get our bags from the back anyway.

It all worked out in the end. Great system, very reasonable price, friendly Correos staff.

Actually, the clerks in both Pamplona and Leon were confused as well in 2018. I too brought along a paper copy, which they referenced. One of them complained I should have had the bag wrapped in plastic. Then the supervisor came in and they wrapped the bag with a hand-role of plastic? It was before paq Mochilla went into seasonal operation. We shipped between major cities, Pamplona, Burgos and Leon.