Siena to Rome in December/January?

[redbackpack]

Hello!
I'll be walking the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome with two friends, starting Dec 27th. I have no idea what to expect.

What can we expect about the weather? I'll check which accommodations work before we go. Would it be recommended to reserve in advance? Is New Year's (Bolsena) and Epiphany (Rome) a problem or do accommodations (I'm on a budget) work as usual? Can we expect to see other pilgrims too?

How much different is it from Camino Portugués (Porto-Santiago part, I walked in October)?
- markings? - are they easy to find? I'll be using a gps watch but if the battery dies do we need a map?
- places to stop for food or coffee? - are there enough or do we have to plan where to stop and buy food in advance?
- collecting stamps? are they everywhere like in Portugal/Spain? Sorry if this was already answered but I can't find the answer: how many a day do we need?

Any and every advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

 

[Jill81]

Have a good look through the Via Francigena section of this forum and you will probably find the answers to many of your questions. When walking the Francigena I used this free app to navigate along the route and found that it was adequate in combination with google earth/google maps so I didn’t carry paper maps. It shows your position on the app and doesn’t require WiFi once it is loaded.

http://www.viefrancigene.org/en/app/

It’s a very enjoyable and beautiful route with excellent food and wine to sample along the way. Quite a few more ups and downs than the Portuguese caminho — it sometimes seems that any place of consequence is on the top of a hill!

Enjoy . . .

 

[redbackpack]

Have a good look through the Via Francigena section of this forum and you will probably find the answers to many of your questions.

I did find some, but I'll have to go a bit more back into past, I don't know if I'm using 'search' wrong but haven't been able to find some of the answers yet.

When walking the Francigena I used this free app to navigate along the route and found that it was adequate in combination with google earth/google maps so I didn’t carry paper maps.

That sounds great! Do You remember if it eats up a lot of battery?

Quite a few more ups and downs than the Portuguese caminho — it sometimes seems that any place of consequence is on the top of a hill! Enjoy . . .

Sound like I have more reasons to look forward to the ups!
Thanks so much for Your answers Jill!

 

[domigee]

Hello!
I'll be walking the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome with two friends, starting Dec 27th. I have no idea what to expect.

What can we expect about the weather? I'll check which accommodations work before we go. Would it be recommended to reserve in advance? Is New Year's (Bolsena) and Epiphany (Rome) a problem or do accommodations (I'm on a budget) work as usual? Can we expect to see other pilgrims too?

How much different is it from Camino Portugués (Porto-Santiago part, I walked in October)?
- markings? - are they easy to find? I'll be using a gps watch but if the battery dies do we need a map?
- places to stop for food or coffee? - are there enough or do we have to plan where to stop and buy food in advance?
- collecting stamps? are they everywhere like in Portugal/Spain? Sorry if this was already answered but I can't find the answer: how many a day do we need?

Any and every advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

Hello! I haven't walked the Camino portugués so ... can't comment on that! Nor have I walked the Via Francigena in Winter ...

I walked it in Summer though.
Accommodation: I would advise phoning at least one day in advance, to make sure they are open and they know you are coming. Sometimes keys have to be collected from another place (the townhall,the police, a bar...).

Markings.... They are there and can usually be trusted (unlike on the French part when I walked it a few years back). I tend to get lost easily though so the 'Sloways' App was a godsend, it tells you where you are! (Or in my case, should be! )

Food: There are long stretches with nothing so I would set out with at least enough water and some snack if you're likely to get hungry during the day.

Stamps: I had my Credentiale stamped in albergues every evening, sometimes churches on the way.

I used the 'Via Francigena' guidebook by Roberta Ferraris. Useful for addresses/phone numbers of ostellos (although there are some mistakes). It also tells you where there are places to eat. (Or not).

The Via Francigena website, mentioned in an above post , is also a mine of information.

It is a beautiful walk, nothing like anything I walked in Spain (but then I only know the camino francés and the Via de la Plata).

It is fairly demanding but then I walked it in the heat of July/August....

Try this other website for more info https://www.viafrancigena.me
Check @Bradypus' blog , it is very informative.
Oh and there is also Facebook page 'via francigena' you can join.

Buon cammino

 

[JulieandPeter]

I hope you will post here about your experience. Buen Camino.

 

[Jill81]

“That sounds great! Do You remember if it eats up a lot of battery?”



It didn’t seem to use a lot of battery on my iPhone and it takes a lot of the guesswork out of navigating but I would recommend making an offline map of the section you are going to walk with Google maps. The option is in the settings, just make sure that you have a resolution that will show you the landscape at a detailed level.

I found that in springtime parts of the path were occasionally badly flooded requiring lengthy diversions and the Google map was very handy for finding an alternate route.

I would think about adding a (trekking) umbrella to your packing list. At that time of year you are bound to have a substantial amount of rain unless you happen to have the luck to get one of those perfect high pressure weather windows!

Wishing you some winter sunshine and a Buon cammino!

 

[GPeachy]

I have not done the VF, but I do live in central Italy. You can expect the weather to be cold and possibly wet. At high elevations there could be some snow. You can check the weather with ilmeteo.it. You can change the language to English. Some people have time off from work from Christmas Eve until the day after Epiphany. For the most part, people celebrate at home with their families. The exception could be New Year's Eve. Many people go out for a big dinner at restaurants or hotels. Some towns have fireworks at midnight. I would reserve ahead in Italy because published hours are not always reliable and on websites open hours are sometimes not listed or are not updated.

 

[Doogman]

A friend and I plan to do the section Siena-Rome in June this year. As suggested by @domigee, check out the Sloways app. It is free to download. They market themselves as the "official partner of the European Association of Vie Francigene". Once completed, I would love to hear how your journey went. Enjoy!

 

[Harington]

Hello!
I'll be walking the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome with two friends, starting Dec 27th. I have no idea what to expect.

What can we expect about the weather? I'll check which accommodations work before we go. Would it be recommended to reserve in advance? Is New Year's (Bolsena) and Epiphany (Rome) a problem or do accommodations (I'm on a budget) work as usual? Can we expect to see other pilgrims too?

How much different is it from Camino Portugués (Porto-Santiago part, I walked in October)?
- markings? - are they easy to find? I'll be using a gps watch but if the battery dies do we need a map?
- places to stop for food or coffee? - are there enough or do we have to plan where to stop and buy food in advance?
- collecting stamps? are they everywhere like in Portugal/Spain? Sorry if this was already answered but I can't find the answer: how many a day do we need?

Any and every advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

It can be pretty cold. Even in mid-October when I left Siena it was 3C. You are going quite high (Radicofani) and you could find snow. However the waymarking is very good and you would find it hard to get lost (though I did, once, but my own fault).

 

[domigee]

Even in mid-October when I left Siena it was 3C.

Oh that makes me so-ooooo envious! I think it was around 40C when I was there last August. And I had no sympathy from England either as the Summer there was ...quite cool?

 

[redbackpack]

Really great advice from everyone, thank you all so much!
I see Sloways is a "must" - I wasn't sure about apps because Camino de Santiago has so many different apps, they confused me enough not to use any and then forgot to check whats available for Francigena.

It sounds like it could be quite different from Portuguese in more ways than just the weather. My walking buddy was hoping for it to be a little warmer than here in Croatia, good to know we might expects snow so we can take warmer clothes... and better shoes for hopping around puddles.

I'll try to write something afterwards, but I'm a mess when it comes to writing and I instagramed my first camino two years after I walked it. Took me that long to find the words. But my buddy is a writer and I'll share her link.

 

[Marianne2011]

Hello!
I'll be walking the Via Francigena from Siena to Rome with two friends, starting Dec 27th. I have no idea what to expect.

What can we expect about the weather? I'll check which accommodations work before we go. Would it be recommended to reserve in advance? Is New Year's (Bolsena) and Epiphany (Rome) a problem or do accommodations (I'm on a budget) work as usual? Can we expect to see other pilgrims too?

How much different is it from Camino Portugués (Porto-Santiago part, I walked in October)?
- markings? - are they easy to find? I'll be using a gps watch but if the battery dies do we need a map?
- places to stop for food or coffee? - are there enough or do we have to plan where to stop and buy food in advance?
- collecting stamps? are they everywhere like in Portugal/Spain? Sorry if this was already answered but I can't find the answer: how many a day do we need?

Any and every advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

In Bolsena, you can stay with Sabrina in the converted nunnery at the very top of the hill On the same street that is in front of Santa Cristina's church. If you are looking at the church, go to the left. The view from there is fabulous, all of the lake plus individual sparse but adequate rooms with an internet and a library. Kitchen was being renovated when we stayed a few years ago,now it is functional I would think. They also did the laundry. Large deep stone steps - careful.

 

[Marianne2011]

The mud in Italy - Siena is red and sticky. It sucked off my shoes. Also 3 rivers are to be crossed along the journey.

Even though I wrote Pope Francis, the was marking is that of stickers many times on guardrails and not often. EASY to get lost. Parla Italiano is in order. (Speak Italian)

Posso aiutarme (can you help me) per favore (please) is in order many times.

Many highway walks. Cars just whiz by... prayed that I wouldn't get hit - it's Gods will is what I would say to myself.

 

[Harington]

Oh that makes me so-ooooo envious! I think it was around 40C when I was there last August. And I had no sympathy from England either as the Summer there was ...quite cool?

Ah, that was October 2016. I was dogged by heavy rain almost throughout the entire Canterbury to Rome. Summer here in East Anglia 2017 was pretty good apart from the regulation 5-6 weeks post-St Swithun!

 

[domigee]

I am not sure how you coped with heavy rain on some of those paths... You have my admiration. Admittedly I got lost and found I was going down ...waterfalls? Of course they were dry then but I was really complaining about the path , which was such hard going Doh.
I am sooooo thinking of doing it again... Time? Money? Argh...I'll try and find a way...We only live once

 

[redbackpack]

I am sooooo thinking of doing it again... Time? Money? Argh...I'll try and find a way...We only live once

This trip for me came at a completely wrong time & money combo. But who knows when another chance will present itself. I just can't miss it! I'm hoping everything will fall into place once I'm walking.

 

[Simon Shum]

We started from Lucca and just arrived Rome today. We had a few cold nights as some ostello don't have heat or turned on, so prepare to sleep with warm clothing. Phoning one day ahead is a very good idea, or even a must- the first thing the ostello ask is "did you phone ". My guide has many wrong phone numbers so don't be afraid to have more phone numbers for one place from different guidebooks. The VF is beautiful. Must learn to speak Italian ibecsuse you need to phone and make reservation! Buon Camino!
B

 

[Simon Shum]

Also the day light are getting shorter, 5:30 pm is almost dark in our walk!

 

[NavyBlue]

Markings.... They are there and can usually be trusted [...]. I tend to get lost easily though so the 'Sloways' App was a godsend, it tells you where you are!

Hi,

Yes, the markings are, as a rule, quite good. In some occasions, they may rise questions, such as this one :



Right or left ???

So a GPS (either a dedicated unit or a tablet) and pre-loaded maps and tracks (from LightFoot guide or others) can come in handy.

 

[domigee]

Hi,

Yes, the markings are, as a rule, quite good. In some occasions, they may rise questions, such as this one :

View attachment 37273

Right or left ???

So a GPS (either a dedicated unit or a tablet) and pre-loaded maps and tracks (from LightFoot guide or others) can come in handy.

Absolutely! I can guarantee I would never have reached Rome without the Sloways App.!

 

[redbackpack]

We started from Lucca and just arrived Rome today. We had a few cold nights as some ostello don't have heat or turned on, so prepare to sleep with warm clothing. Phoning one day ahead is a very good idea, or even a must- the first thing the ostello ask is "did you phone ". My guide has many wrong phone numbers so don't be afraid to have more phone numbers for one place from different guidebooks. The VF is beautiful. Must learn to speak Italian ibecsuse you need to phone and make reservation! Buon Camino!
B

Thanks Simon!
Can You tell me if ostellos provided blankets, I might need a new sleeping bag
I just can't run away from Italian language... I've learnt it in school and forgot everything. I've been learning Portuguese and Japanese for some months so this should get interesting. "Bom dia, hai un letto libero ください。Danke schön."
I'll be preparing a little notebook with the phone numbers and italian phrases.

Hope You had a great camino!

 

[redbackpack]

Hi,

Yes, the markings are, as a rule, quite good. In some occasions, they may rise questions, such as this one :

View attachment 37273

Right or left ???

So a GPS (either a dedicated unit or a tablet) and pre-loaded maps and tracks (from LightFoot guide or others) can come in handy.

No spoilers!
Kidding... so, which is the right answer here?

I've downloaded Slowaps and managed to delete the route. No idea how I did that! I've removed the app so I hope it will be reloaded again when I install it.

 

[NavyBlue]

I'll be preparing a little notebook with the phone numbers and italian phrases.

Sure, you will need some italian as soon as you leave the tourist areas. Italian phrases, your own phone number in italian, your name spelled with italian key-words, translation for "tomorrow", "the day after tomorrow"...

And a bit of luck for catching something in the rapid backfire at the phone .
Makeshift method : ask "Va bene ?" (OK?) and expect "Si".

 

[Simon Shum]

Hi Masa, yes we truly enjoyed VF and the Italian people most are so friendly to pilgrims! We found the SloWays app very useful, and after you download the app, don't forget to download the maps for the places you are going thru. Ostello are not consistent in providing blankets so bring warm sleeping bag and clothing! Learn more Italian it will help you gain lots of goodwills! Especially the phase "the key is under the rug by the door"
Buon Camino!

 

[Marianne2011]

Piacere
Pee a cherry

Got me a handshake many times
A pleasure to meet you

 

[Sainttam]

Like a lot of folk I can't get enough time off work to do the VF all at once, I'm walking from Pietrasanta to Siena in April and Siena to Rome in September. I'm looking at doing GSBP to Vercelli in September 2019. I get 2 weeks off at Christmas/New Year, so I'm thinking about doing part of the VF then. I had thought about Pontemelli to Pietrasanta, but there are a couple of hills that could be tricky in snow. So, I'm now looking at walking from Vercelli to Piacenza, this section is at worst 200m high and going by the profiles relatively flat.
So, does anyone know what I could expect snow wise in December on this section?

 

[Marietjie]

I plan to walk about 150km on the St Francis way in May next year. I have a few questions though: Is May a good time, as I don't like extreme heat; Is it safe enough to walk alone; does municipal ostellos exist; what is the average rate per night; if I want to visit , Rome, Siena and Florence, which part of this Camino should you recommend, and will it be easy for me to take a bus to the other places?