Shipping items for the start of the Camino in SJPDP

[Cari T]

I'm not sure where I should post this initial question but seeing how my camino will start in SJPDP I will start here.

There is frequent talk about being able to send items ahead to SdC so that they are there for you at the end of your camino... My questions is: is there somewhere in SJPDP where I could ship items to? ahead of my arrival so that they are there for the start of my camino?

Specifically, I really want to have a pair of pacerpoles and I live in Canada and having them shipped from the UK to here and then have to worry about getting them through security or being lost is causing me a little bit of anxiety. I've got information overload on the horrors of others' experiences of having valuable items missing due to lost luggage or theft that I'm thinking it would be great and make perfect sense if I could just have the one item I really want shipped to the starting point before I even get there myself.

Thoughts? Suggestions ? ~ Thanking you in advance ! ~ Cari

 

[Al the optimist]

I always stop at and enjoy what was Esprit du Chemin (now Albergue Beilari). The new people are very pilgrim friendly. Why not email them to ask if they will receive the poles for you?

 

[Bajaracer]

I'm not sure where I should post this initial question but seeing how my camino will start in SJPDP I will start here.

There is frequent talk about being able to send items ahead to SdC so that they are there for you at the end of your camino... My questions is: is there somewhere in SJPDP where I could ship items to? ahead of my arrival so that they are there for the start of my camino?

Specifically, I really want to have a pair of pacerpoles and I live in Canada and having them shipped from the UK to here and then have to worry about getting them through security or being lost is causing me a little bit of anxiety. I've got information overload on the horrors of others' experiences of having valuable items missing due to lost luggage or theft that I'm thinking it would be great and make perfect sense if I could just have the one item I really want shipped to the starting point before I even get there myself.

Thoughts? Suggestions ? ~ Thanking you in advance ! ~ Cari

Customs and duties need to be paid to receive your items when it's gets to France and I doubt the place you ship it to will pay the duties on it. Honestly, it would be cheaper to check them in for the flight over, you're allowed one check in item up to 23kg which is included with your plane ticket anyways.

 

[Cari T]

Thanks for the input Lise T, Al & Bajaracer.

Never even thought that there may be taxes/duties and having the poles to practice beforehand is a smart thing

I've gotten myself paranoid over other peoples travel woes... I'll stay optimistic that things will travel smoothly thru airport security..... ok... now to order the poles !

 

[Cari T]

Cari...

I was worried too about loosing things. My local Camino guru (Kay) gave me some good advice regarding my walking shoes.
She suggested taking them on the plane with me in a shoe box. That way. ..if the worst happened and I lost my pack I would still have my shoes. ....and the shoebox became an excellent footrest in economy.

I really wasn't worried about losing anything until the stories on here scared me. I had planned to wear my walking shoes onto the plane... never thought otherwise actually... and I've decided that my travel points are going to buy me an extra bit of legroom in premium economy. Although.. walking onto the plane with a shoebox would certainly be a conversation starter I'm sure !!

 

[cinimod]

Hi Cari,

Reading your post you say you would be ordering the poles from somewhere in the UK?
If this is the case, then there would not be any duty to pay on them going to France as they are both inside the EU and there is a free trade agreement in place.
You may well have to pay tax and duty on them coming into Canada though.

It is if you ship things from outside the EU to inside the EU that there may be duty and VAT - though there are companies who specialise in shipping baggage for personal use who I think have agreements around this. For example - https://www.sendmybag.com/baggage-shipping-destinations/france (Though I think they only ship from the US, not Canada)

Hope this helps you

 

[whariwharangi]

I'm not sure where I should post this initial question but seeing how my camino will start in SJPDP I will start here.

There is frequent talk about being able to send items ahead to SdC so that they are there for you at the end of your camino... My questions is: is there somewhere in SJPDP where I could ship items to? ahead of my arrival so that they are there for the start of my camino?

Specifically, I really want to have a pair of pacerpoles and I live in Canada and having them shipped from the UK to here and then have to worry about getting them through security or being lost is causing me a little bit of anxiety. I've got information overload on the horrors of others' experiences of having valuable items missing due to lost luggage or theft that I'm thinking it would be great and make perfect sense if I could just have the one item I really want shipped to the starting point before I even get there myself.

Thoughts? Suggestions ? ~ Thanking you in advance ! ~ Cari

Collapse the poles. Put them in your pack. Check your bags at the airport. Make sure you check in with lots of time in advance so your baggage gets to the plane. No problem.

Oh yeah ... pacer poles are not valuable items. Boots that fit are valuable. Everything else can be replaced easily at low cost.

 

[Cari T]

Collapse the poles. Put them in your pack. Check your bags at the airport. Make sure you check in with lots of time in advance so your baggage gets to the plane. No problem.

Oh yeah ... pacer poles are not valuable items. Boots that fit are valuable. Everything else can be replaced easily at low cost.

Agreed... my boots are most important. I really didn't want to check my bag going though, but if that's what it takes, then so be it. ~ Thanks for all the great wisdom ~

 

[Felipe]

The rule of thumb is...if you think and worry too much about a "what if....", it will not happen. But there will be many, many other unexpected problems.
A modest suggestion from a confessed overplanner: be sure about the very basic (boots!), don't make complicated arrangements, and hope for the best. There is not such a thing as a perfect travel. You can deal with issues when they come up.
Buen camino!

 

[CaptBuddy]

All of these things are pieces of the fear that you will take with you as you begin the Camino. Lost trekking poles, blisters, where will I sleep, is there vegan food, etc.
These are the reasons you are going on a pilgrimage. To live outside of your comfort zone, to live a life you would otherwise never experience.
Do the best you can, some things will work out, and some things will not.
Have a great adventure. Relax. Buen Camino.