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Parrochial Albergues - will they accept transported bags?

julia-t

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances 2015-17
Kumano Kodo March 2018
Camino Portuguese Valenca-SdC April 2018
Due to back and foot issues, I have my backpack transported each day, so far always to private albergues.

(I'm walking the Camino in short stages, a few days at a time. So far I have got to Navarrete, and will be walking some more in early October.)

I know not to send my pack to municipal albergues as they are locked up in the mornings so the bag would be left outside or maybe in a nearby bar.

But what about Parrochial albergues? Is there someone there in the mornings to take a bag in, and even so will they accept a transported bag? Even if they take it in, will they let me stay that night?

I'm asking about Granon in particular (I'd love to stay there though I do have reservations about sleeping on a mat on the floor; I shall have to see how my back is feeling the evening before).

If it comes to it, I reckon I could walk with my pack from Santo Domingo, but then I might be too uncomfortable to sleep on the floor...
 
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Yes, many albergues accept the bag, but will not assign a bed place until the Pilgrim gets there. In addition, there are drop-off points in almost every village and town, from where you can just pick-it up and head out to the albergue of choice. It is a popular choice to use a transport the first day SJPDP-Roncesvalles. The bags are dropped-off at Albergue La Posada whether you are staying there or not. The company will provide you with a small day pack that you return upon picking up your bag. In the ancient days, churches along the Camino used to provide transport help with young lads who will then walked back helping other pilgrims (remember pilgrims used to walked to Santiago and then WALKED their way back home!).

Every transport company has a website and there they list the places they deliver to/from in every town and village along the Camino(s). I used transport services many times, no complaints whatsoever with Jacotrans.
 
Some do, some don't. It's best to call ahead and make sure before you send a bag anywhere. We had bags arrive at Albergue San Anton, and we had to send them on ahead to a safe place at Castrojeriz. The bag owners arrived later, and were very unhappy.
But volunteers in a busy, wide-0pen place have enough responsibility without having to secure peoples' luggage.
 
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The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
As others have said, some do and some don't and so it's best to phone ahead. It even depends on the hospitalero in some cases. When I was hospitalero at Parochial at Estella last year, I was willing to accept bags but my fellow hospitalero was dead set against it. I don't know about Granon but suspect they don't. Certainly at Gaucelmo Albergue at Rabanal does not accept Pilgrims who do not carry their own packs. Don't have information on any more unfortunately
 

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