Porto portage

[dean defir]

Hi. I’m travelling to portugal in a few days and I might try to extend my time by walking Porto to Santiago. Is there a way I can transfer my luggage to Santiago from Porto and have it safe there for a week or two while I make my ill-prepared way there with just the essentials?
It’ll be in a few weeks but not a fixed time and I don’t have a place booked in Santiago yet to stay the night. Budget options preferred.
Appreciate any response and also that I have’t even introduced my self or posted before. Could do with going for a long walk though in fairness.

James

 

[trecile]

I used a company called Luggage Driver to send a suitcase from Lisbon to Santiago. They also have service from Porto.

Transporte Direto - Luggage Driver | Transfer Bagagens Passageiros Bicicletas

luggagedriver.com

Another option is Tuitrans. In addition to daily luggage transfer they can send a bag directly from Porto to Santiago.

Taxi, bus and minibus service on the Pilgrims´walk to Santiago

Tuitrans transports luggage quickly and safely, stage by stage and directly to Santiago de Compostela

tuitrans.com

Or you can use the Portuguese post office to mail your luggage to Casa Ivar

Send your luggage to Santiago, we will store it for you (2024)

Send your luggage to me in Santiago de Compostela

casaivar.com

 

[dean defir]

Thanks so much. And also….. for not pointing out the first rule about forums is use the search function before asking.

 

[dougfitz]

Thanks so much. And also….. for not pointing out the first rule about forums is use the search function before asking.

Believe me, it is sometimes tempting to give a gentle reminder, but now I take the view that if you are prepared to accept what might be the unrepresentative views of some of the more strident afficionados of various extreme positions who just happen to respond quickly, in preference to exploring the broader range of views available by searching and doing some deeper reading, that is your lookout.

ps, where is irekand?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Or you can use the Portuguese post office to mail your luggage to Casa Ivar

@t2andreo does not recommend this. He gives his reasons in the following post of his.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sending-to-ivar-from-portugal.58944/#post-680968

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks so much. And also….. for not pointing out the first rule about forums is use the search function before asking.

Hi James, (or are you Dean)?
Welcome here and for starting your first thread/post! You must have been a lurker on the forum for quite awhile before signing up.
I hope you have a wonderful Camino!

 

[auburnfive]

Caminofacil also offers the the you are looking for.

They are often full, but the Hospideria San Martin de Pinaro is the best place to stay in Santiago, a private Pilgrim room with breakfast for 25€ . You would need to send an email to them.

 

[Former member 49149]

Believe me, it is sometimes tempting to give a gentle reminder, but now I take the view that if you are prepared to accept what might be the unrepresentative views of some of the more strident afficionados of various extreme positions who just happen to respond quickly, in preference to exploring the broader range of views available by searching and doing some deeper reading, that is your lookout.

ps, where is irekand?

Across the Irish Sea from Enhland

 

[dean defir]

Hi James, (or are you Dean)?
Welcome here and for starting your first thread/post! You must have been a lurker on the forum for quite awhile before signing up.
I hope you have a wonderful Camino!

I confess I have not lurked at all but thought often about walking the Camino. If not this time then soon enough. ‘Dean defir’ actually means ‘hurry up’ in irish
Ps. Many years ago someone told me they walked from France into Spain for 1000k on an old walking route I really thought they were just a bit mad. ‘Why’?’ ’Sort of like a holiday’ …’Oh. Ok’.
Planted the seed though

 

[trecile]

@t2andreo does not recommend this. He gives his reasons in the following post of his.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sending-to-ivar-from-portugal.58944/#post-680968

I think that Ted's experience may be an outlier. I have a couple of (real life) friends who have done this, and have read several accounts from other pilgrims on the forum who have successfully used the Portuguese post office to mail to Ivar. Like this one.

yes - i used the Portuguese postal service (CIT) to send some clothes and other things from Lisbon to Ivar in Santiago in 2019.

I packaged up my things, walked into a post office not far from the cathedral, bought a cardboard box of the right size from their stock, put my stuff in it and addressed it to Ivar. Post office staff taped and sealed the box.

I received emails advising of progress…. Box sent from Lisbon, box delivered to Ivar.

And, of course, the box (and contents) was waiting for me in Santiago 5 weeks later - no damage…

Cost of the box and postage - around 17 Euro, from memory….

Good service and no problems… i especially appreciated the post office staff doing the taping and sealing of the box.

That said, I was really happy with the service from Luggage Driver.
Not only did they deliver my suitcase to Santiago, when I wrote to them that I had broken my arm just outside of Porto and wasn't able to finish my Camino, they retrieved my suitcase from storage in Santiago and delivered it to the apartment where I was staying in Matosinhos. (for an extra fee of course)

 

[dougfitz]

@t2andreo does not recommend this. He gives his reasons in the following post of his.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sending-to-ivar-from-portugal.58944/#post-680968

I used the CTT and Casa Ivar for two parcels. One I posted from Lisbon, the other was posted to Casa Ivar after I left Porto. I collected both when I got to Santiago.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

@t2andreo does not recommend this. He gives his reasons in the following post of his.

Some posts have mentioned that there were no problems encountered by them or others when posting parcels through government postal systems to Spain from outside Spain. I just wanted to notify members that there is a risk to that. Similar to members posting not to check their packs in airline baggage. Most times things work well but other times not.

The problems @t2andreo had aren't likely to happen with private shipping companies.

 

[dean defir]

Caminofacil also offers the the you are looking for.

They are often full, but the Hospideria San Martin de Pinaro is the best place to stay in Santiago, a private Pilgrim room with breakfast for 25€ . You would need to send an email to them.

That’s super info. Thanks

 

[dougfitz]

The problems @t2andreo had aren't likely to happen with private shipping companies.

Is there a reason you say that?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Is there a reason you say that?

Because I doubt they will spend the money to ship to distant intermediary cities as @t2andreo described:

This means, for example, that a parcel mailed from anywhere in Portugal will go to Lisbon first, then into their export scheme, then to Madrid, where the Spanish Correos will process this as an import item, despite the fact that there are no actual customs controls. It is just how the process is organized. From Madrid, the imported item goes into the Spanish distribution network.​

 

[dougfitz]

Because I doubt they will spend the money to ship to distant intermediary cities as @t2andreo described:

This means, for example, that a parcel mailed from anywhere in Portugal will go to Lisbon first, then into their export scheme, then to Madrid, where the Spanish Correos will process this as an import item, despite the fact that there are no actual customs controls. It is just how the process is organized. From Madrid, the imported item goes into the Spanish distribution network.​

I get that, but what makes you think that commercial carriers don't also use some form of hub and spoke distribution model. Certainly here in Australia, the major commercial carriers are doing just that. In country, their hub locations might vary from those used by CTT and Correos, but I expect they all have basically the same logistics model. The differences, where there are any, used to be in the efficiency with which those operated and how visible progress was to the person receiving an item. Here, these have been substantially eroded over time, and many companies are returning to the postal system for parcels.

 

[LesR]

I think that Ted's experience may be an outlier. I have a couple of (real life) friends who have done this, and have read several accounts from other pilgrims on the forum who have successfully used the Portuguese post office to mail to Ivar. Like this one.

I would agree...

We in Australia have a similar 'hub and spoke' model of parcel transport and delivery, albeit it within the one country - central sorting and distribution hubs in each state, and parcels can get sidelined at any stage for a few days (sometimes even weeks in pandemic times).

However, if time is not of the essence (you are leaving Lisbon and do not expect to want to recover the parcel unitl you get into Satiago in another 5 weeks), then my experience was that is was a very efficient and cost-effective service.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I get that, but what makes you think that commercial carriers don't also use some form of hub and spoke distribution model.

I guess I have to say that I have faith that the previously mentioned services, Tuitrans, Caminofacil and Luggage Driver, don't do that or don't to the extend that the post offices do for a two and a half hour drive from Porto to Santiago.

I don't feel that I have to go further with this topic. I passed on a warning by a well educated and respected forum member that gave reasons for his opinion. There are other services recommended here that have less or no backup for how good they are other than stuff ended up getting to Santiago before the pilgrim. The postal systems can manage that too, except when they can't.

 

[Anamya]

I used Tuitrans to do exactly what you asked (Porto-Santiago) and they were super easy to deal with. They left the suitcase at the hotel I was booked for when I arrived in santiago

I had pre-booked my santiago hotel so I could deliver the suitcase, but it was a flexible booking that I could change dates if my camino took longer than expected.

 

[Richard Smith]

while I make my ill-prepared way there with just the essentials?

Sounds perfect!

 

[dougfitz]

I guess I have to say that I have faith that the previously mentioned services, Tuitrans, Caminofacil and Luggage Driver, don't do that or don't to the extend that the post offices do for a two and a half hour drive from Porto to Santiago.

That would be completely understandable. These companies are optimising their logistics models along specific routes, and not providing a more general, ubiquitous, service across Spain or Portugal. A far easier problem than that faced by the general range of private shipping companies.

 

[Rmarkob]

Hi. I’m travelling to portugal in a few days and I might try to extend my time by walking Porto to Santiago. Is there a way I can transfer my luggage to Santiago from Porto and have it safe there for a week or two while I make my ill-prepared way there with just the essentials?
It’ll be in a few weeks but not a fixed time and I don’t have a place booked in Santiago yet to stay the night. Budget options preferred.
Appreciate any response and also that I have’t even introduced my self or posted before. Could do with going for a long walk though in fairness.

James

Others have mentioned Luggage Driver. I used them in June/July this year for a carry-on size roller bag from Porto to Santiago and was quite happy with the service. Cost was 30 euros for up to 10kg. I think it was 40 euros for over 10kg, but I forget if there was an upper limit. I hid an apple AirTag in the bag and it was stored somewhere near Povoa for several days before being transported the rest of the way to Santiago. I had arranged for my hotel to hold it for me in Santiago.

 

[Madamjoy]

Hi. I’m travelling to portugal in a few days and I might try to extend my time by walking Porto to Santiago. Is there a way I can transfer my luggage to Santiago from Porto and have it safe there for a week or two while I make my ill-prepared way there with just the essentials?
It’ll be in a few weeks but not a fixed time and I don’t have a place booked in Santiago yet to stay the night. Budget options preferred.
Appreciate any response and also that I have’t even introduced my self or posted before. Could do with going for a long walk though in fairness.

James

Good for you for recognizing you need a long walk … don’t worry about a thing!! Just go!! Theres lots of options for accommodation in Santiago. And there’s lots of options between porto and Santiago. I booked just one day ahead and it was perfect. Have an awesome Camino!!