- Time of past OR future Camino
- Roncesvalles-SdC Apr-Jun 2015
Roncesvalles-Sarria Sep-Oct 2017
C. Frances sections Apr-Jun 2019
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Due to major spinal reconstruction surgery last September my husband cannot carry a full backpack so he is having a small bag transported each day. I went through the Jacotrans website to make enquiries and then booked online. They will only take online bookings for accommodation actually booked and confirmed. Jacotrans reply came back through Hike Tech - you will see their add on the Forum page. Their email address isWell, it has certainly been an interesting journey since my mother and I decided over a year ago that we would walk the Camino Frances from St Jean this September. Apart from all the usual planning and intermittent panic, we have both been plagued by the most amazing array of (mostly) minor health issues. None of which are serious enough to stop us, but it's been one thing after another and it kinda gets you down after a while! Whoever said the camino starts from the moment you decide to do it was so right! This forum has been the most amazing source of encouragement and reassurance over the past year.
Anyway, the string of minor stuff culminated a couple of months ago in my fit and strong 78-year-old mother falling and sustaining a compression fracture to one of her thoracic vertebrae. She has recovered well, and the injury didn't stop her continuing with our practice walks, although we shortened them for a while. Carrying weights is another matter, however. She has been told she's fine to carry a pack, but is still getting sore after carrying one for only a few km. We're now less than four weeks from departure, and I've realised that we are probably looking at having to get her pack transported. We were already planning on staying in hostales and casas rurales etc rather than albergues, so had already started booking accommodation and will continue with that as we go. We're now looking at using Jacotrans or similar services as well - something we hadn't previously considered at all. This is disappointing for my mother, but there's no way we can risk further injury (more than might normally be expected in walking 800km that is!) so I'm assuring her it's no problem to organise, which I hope is true. I'm having one of the above-mentioned panics I think.
I've read lots of helpful threads on this forum about baggage transportation services, so I know it's possible to do. One thing I'm not sure about though, is places where Jacotrans will pick up and collect bags. I've read in other threads that they don't pick up from everywhere, and from looking through the lists of accommodation on Jacotrans website I can see this is the case - a few places we have planned to stay are not listed (in at least one case the village itself is not listed).
Does anyone know what happens when the accommodation (or the village itself) are not on their list? Are they flexible about this? And - this sounds pathetic I know, but my Spanish is not great despite attempts to learn - how much Spanish is needed to communicate with them?
Thank you in advance for any advice, wonderful forum members!
You don't need to translate as the Jacotrans page should come up translated. If not there should be an icon to choose a language.Thanks so much for these very helpful and reassuring replies. I'm going to start by e-mailing Jacotrans as suggested, as my Spanish can cope with that if I've got time and a dictionary or Google Translate to hand!
Sriyantra, how wonderful that your husband is able to walk the camino - and that he'll have you with him! We'll be leaving St Jean on the 3rd September, going via Valcarlos and stopping there the first night. We'll be taking it fairly slowly, so you will probably catch us up!
Did not use them but most of the Light Weight backpackers put their heavy stuff in their vans/taxis. My novia did try to use them once and that specific albergue refused to call them. My understanding is that they will pick up your gear anywhere and deliver it to wherever you choose. You do NOT have to have reservations at the place they deliver your gear as all albergues or hotels will hold it for you. You do not need Spanish to arrange for their services. People seemed to be very happy with their services in May and June.
Oh, Jacotrans is NOT the only game in town--lot of locals also transport gear between hotels/towns for a few Euros. Lot of wise hikers use taxis to hump their rucks--as the very wise young woman told me, "I only get one Compostella and it is not for the pack being carried to Santiago". Not being very wise, I carried my pack from SJPDP to Santiago.
Pertinent reason? Now don't tell me I have to take the xrays showing 8 by 2.1/2 inch x 3/8 inch coach screws screwed into my husband's vertebrae along with a series of plates tying his spine together, and to that add cages on the discs to stop bulging - just to prove why he is having his "luggage brought forward" and why we should be given a bed - A$44,000 worth of titanium in fact! I think I would cry after all he has been through not to be allowed a bed!Re "All albergues will hold it for you". This is not so for the Confraternity of St James albergues in Rabanal del Camino [Frances] and Miraz[del Norte]. They will refuse to accept delivery of bags and if directed there they are sent on to another delivery point. They are also unable to offer accommodation to walkers who have had their luggage brought forward in this manner without a pertinent reason. Please do not ask me what comstitutes a pertinent reason - the hospitaleros in charge at the time will make that decision.
...We'll be leaving St Jean on the 3rd September, going via Valcarlos and stopping there the first night. We'll be taking it fairly slowly, so you will probably catch us up!
We're planning to stay at Hostal Maitena, as for various reasons we've decided to stay in places we can have our own room. Thank you so much for those helpful tips, Margaret. It was your comments in particular about the Valcarlos route on various other threads which influenced me in choosing to go that way.Will you be staying in the municipal albergue or private accommodation?
I did the Frances last year and had my backpack transported. Did the Norte/Primitivo this year and had my backpack transported. On the CF, the transport companies spoke English, you can text/email them also. When an alberque is closed (in November) they would leave the pack at a nearest bar or another alberque. Although rare, some municipal alberques will not accept pack delivery. Always have the alberque you are staying in call the company to confirm your transfer destination. If the pack could not be delivered the company will know and tell you where it will be redirected. This happened to me at Burgos municipal. On the norte/primitivo you need to speak Spanish enough to communicate with those taxi's that do the transport. And most municipal alberques won't accept luggage because they are not open until around 4pm. I had to choose private alberques.Does anyone know what happens when the accommodation (or the village itself) are not on their list? Are they flexible about this? And - this sounds pathetic I know, but my Spanish is not great despite attempts to learn - how much Spanish is needed to communicate with them?!
Re "All albergues will hold it for you". This is not so for the Confraternity of St James albergues in Rabanal del Camino [Frances] and Miraz[del Norte]. They will refuse to accept delivery of bags and if directed there they are sent on to another delivery point. They are also unable to offer accommodation to walkers who have had their luggage brought forward in this manner without a pertinent reason. Please do not ask me what comstitutes a pertinent reason - the hospitaleros in charge at the time will make that decision.
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