Suitcase

[Julie2017]

Hello few questions(villafranca to Santiago)
1. I am doing my first pilgrimage in July. I was thinking of traveling with a 20kg suitcase and sending it each day onto the next hostal or albergue. Do I need to book this in advance or can I do this at reception each day? Has anyone used http://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/transporte-mochilas.php
2. Is it easy to find directions once I am there?
3. If I am traveling solo is it very easy to join up with other walkers? Communal meals? If I would like to be sociable?
Thank you

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi Julie, welcome to the forum. It will be worth your while doing some research on the forum on gear, packing lists, accommodation tips and such. 20k is more than twice what most people carry. Correos is the Spanish post office, and reliable. Follow the yellow arrows, or in July, the Pilgrim in front. Yes.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

1. You can book each day when you have chosen your next destination. Correos and Jacotrans are both reliable.
2 Directions are easy, but a guidebook might be useful for planning the next day.
3. It is easy to meet others. Communal dinners occur regularly, particularly if you are the cook!

 

[Julie2017]

Hi Julie, welcome to the forum. It will be worth your while doing some research on the forum on gear, packing lists, accommodation tips and such. 20k is more than twice what most people carry. Correos is the Spanish post office, and reliable. Follow the yellow arrows, or in July, the Pilgrim in front. Yes.

Thank you! I am planning to stay in hostali and some albergue. I was hoping not to carry as I am not so fit but get correos to transport daily.

 

[Julie2017]

1. You can book each day when you have chosen your next destination. Correos and Jacotrans are both reliable.
2 Directions are easy, but a guidebook might be useful for planning the next day.
3. It is easy to meet others. Communal dinners occur regularly, particularly if you are the cook!

Thank you

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Hi Julie,

Others have responded to your initial questions so I wish to focus on one of your points which has propogated your desire to forward the suitcase daily.

1) Forwarding is going to at least double the cost of the trip compared to the cost of alberges / hostels. It may be a bit less than double but still substantial.

2) Fitness is the comment that most concerns me. As I write, I did damage to my leg on Aug 27/16 and though under the care of an orthopedic surgeon, still do not have a diagnosis or course of treatment. It is not from lack of determination to get well. I wish it were that easy.

Fitness level is something that does need to be addressed, especially on the longer Caminos. Sarria to SdC is the shortest This is where reality hits the road. The Camino is there for you. It does not move. We must move across it. If we are not experienced in walking 20 km or more a day, we do not fit into the standard camino plan. Now, before I get tons of responses to this, there is still more to say.

Julie, it is your pilgrimage. You take it at your pace. Walk until there is no energy to walk. Rest as long as you need. Eat when you are hungry and drink when you are thirsty. I have said this before but I did not hear it until I was walking the Camino myself. I wish I had heard this 5 years ago and I would have invested a lot more into being a physically stronger person before starting.

Ensure not to be overweight, like me, strong legs and capable lungs and most everything should go well. Wishing you success on your Camino.

 

[linkster]

We used jacotrans last month from Sarria to Santiago when we took the kids. I booked online, and emailed them if our destination was not on the website. It worked out great. It was ~5 euro per bag per day. We moved our suitcases because this camino was only 5 out of our 17 days in Spain. We carried a small day pack on the camino with rain jacket, snack, and water.

 

[Julie2017]

Thank you. Correos offered Villafranca – Santiago de Compostela is 32€/suitcase (all the stages are included). so all good

 

[SYates]

Thank you. Correos offered Villafranca – Santiago de Compostela is 32€/suitcase (all the stages are included). so all good

Before you commit to anything make sure that you have the advantages/disadvantages (basically security versus freedom) very clear in your mind and make sure that this is really the way you do want to do your pilgrimage. Buen Camino, SY

 

[GettingThere]

Thank you. Correos offered Villafranca – Santiago de Compostela is 32€/suitcase (all the stages are included). so all good

It's definitely possible to do this, and can make a huge difference for some who might otherwise not be able to walk the Camino. My only comment would be to think carefully about the weight of your suitcase. Although Correos will take them up to 20Kg (unlike other transport companies who have a limit of 12-15Kg), that is still very heavy for you. Remember that you will still need to lift that suitcase - on and off trains or buses on your way to and from the Camino, and up the stairs in your accommodation (Corres will deliver it to the reception area only). You will risk injury, to yourself and anyone who might try to help you lift it! You definitely won't need 20Kg of gear for a Camino from Villafranca to Santiago.

Alternatively, if you are carrying so much because you are going on to further travel after the Camino, consider packing up anything you won't require on the Camino and posting it on to Santiago when you arrive in Villafranca. Ivar who runs this forum has a great service for this (see links at top of the screen), or as you are already using the Correos Paq Mochila service, you can also use their other service to send your extra items direct to Santiago and have them waiting there for you. This way you may still have a suitcase to transport daily along the Camino, but it will be much more manageable for you to lift and carry up stairs etc. (and you may be able to manage with a smaller suitcase or other bag for that, and send your large suitcase with your unwanted items ahead to Santiago).

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Thank you. Correos offered Villafranca – Santiago de Compostela is 32€/suitcase (all the stages are included). so all good

That's the deal of the century.