Sending luggage to Casa Ivar from St Jean

[Fortyforward]

Sorry if the answer is here and I’ve missed it.

We started our first Camino at La Laguna and we had sent luggage early on from Barcelona to Casa Ivar in Santiago with Correos. It was perfect.

We think we will start our next way at St Jean and will likely get there from within France. We recall posts that sending luggage to Casa Ivar from outside Spain is not ideal, but we were so impressed with our last experience.

What would work best from France to Casa Ivar, please?

Many thanks in advance

 

[trecile]

Actually, it's better to use Express Bourricot to send your luggage from SJPdP to avoid any issues that can arise when two different countries' post offices are involved.

The service really couldn't be easier. Just go to the Express Bourricot office near the Pilgrim's Office, pay their fee and give them basic information, including where you are staying in SJPdP. They will then give you a tag for your bag which you leave at reception of your accommodation in the morning when you set out on the Camino.

When you arrive in Santiago you can pick up your luggage at your convenience, since it's stored in a secure room at a hotel with 24 hr reception.

LUGGAGE TRANSPORT - Express Bourricot

www.expressbourricot.com

 

[Anamya]

The problem of sending it from outside Spain is that your package will be an international parcel and therefore checked by 2 sets of Post Office Service rules (getting out of France and getting into Spain). For reasons that only post office people from each country understand, your package may get held. No matter how good the service of Casa Ivar is, if the French or the Spanish sides decide your package has an issue, it will go to a depot or will be sent back to SJPP.

When you send from Barcelona, the parcel doesnt cross any international border. So the process is much smoother

Hence why, when outside of Spain, better use a transport service such as Express Burricot, as suggested above. I haven't used Bourricot myself, but many pilgrims do and it is easy to find in SJPP. I used another company when sending my suitcase from Portugal and it worked just as easily.

 

[Lindsay53]

The problem of sending it from outside Spain is that your package will be an international parcel and therefore checked by 2 sets of customs (getting out of France and getting into Spain). For reasons that only custom officers from each country understand, your package may get held. No matter how good the service of Casa Ivar is, if the French or the Spanish sides decide your package has an issue, it will go to a depot or will be sent back to SJPP.

When you send from Barcelona, the parcel doesnt cross any international border. So the process is much smoother

Hence why, when outside of Spain, better use a transport service such as Express Burricot, as suggested above. I haven't used Bourricot myself, but many pilgrims do and it is easy to find in SJPP. I used another company when sending my suitcase from Portugal and it worked just as easily.

As Spain and France are EU members there are no customs checks at the border. Any problem may be to do with the postal services themselves. Express Bourricot is still a good idea though.

 

[Anamya]

As Spain and France are EU members there are no customs checks at the border. Any problem may be to do with the postal services themselves.

Thanks for the heads up, I have edited my post to correct it

 

[ivar]

Hola!

If you would like to send it to me, here are the instructions:

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

Send your luggage to me in Santiago de Compostela

casaivar.com

That said, sometimes (my gut feeling, about 5% of shipments from France with the French post office) things get lost. This is since the parcel goes with the French post office, then handed over to SEUR in Spain (a private shipper). If there is a problem, customer service is close to zero once you are in Spain. It might get "lost" due to incorrect address or sometimes I think it might be due to spray/liquids/battery issues inside the parcel.

With Express Bourricot this is not an issues since they drive their own cars all the way to Santiago. So, if it was me, I would maybe just use them from SJPP... it is limiting the chances of problems for you...

That said, I get many many shipments from SJPP every year... so it is possible. I just wanted to explain the issues from France.

From Spain, sending to me works like a dream

Buen Camino!
Ivar

 

[Robo]

As Spain and France are EU members there are no customs checks at the border. Any problem may be to do with the postal services themselves. Express Bourricot is still a good idea though.

Have used EB. Great service!

 

[Monasp]

Actually, it's better to use Express Bourricot to send your luggage from SJPdP to avoid any issues that can arise when two different countries' post offices are involved.

The service really couldn't be easier. Just go to the Express Bourricot office near the Pilgrim's Office, pay their fee and give them basic information, including where you are staying in SJPdP. They will then give you a tag for your bag which you leave at reception of your accommodation in the morning when you set out on the Camino.

When you arrive in Santiago you can pick up your luggage at your convenience, since it's stored in a secure room at a hotel with 24 hr reception.

LUGGAGE TRANSPORT - Express Bourricot

www.expressbourricot.com

During the winter, Express Bourricot does not transport luggage to Santiago. The only way to send luggage to Santiago is by post. Postal services between France and Spain work well. Every day, pilgrims send their luggage without any problem. There can be postal problems when you send a parcel outside the EEC, as you have to make a customs declaration and pay customs duties.
Express Bourricot will not resume service until 15 March 2024.

 

[Nancy R.]

Actually, it's better to use Express Bourricot to send your luggage from SJPdP to avoid any issues that can arise when two different countries' post offices are involved.

The service really couldn't be easier. Just go to the Express Bourricot office near the Pilgrim's Office, pay their fee and give them basic information, including where you are staying in SJPdP. They will then give you a tag for your bag which you leave at reception of your accommodation in the morning when you set out on the Camino.

When you arrive in Santiago you can pick up your luggage at your convenience, since it's stored in a secure room at a hotel with 24 hr reception.

LUGGAGE TRANSPORT - Express Bourricot

www.expressbourricot.com

I did just that in Sept 2023 and it worked very well. up to 20KG cost 70 euros.

 

[ivar]

I did just that in Sept 2023 and it worked very well. up to 20KG cost 70 euros.

I got 2 big boxes from SJPP in today, so it does work..