Transporting bags along the route

[abundell]

My wife and I want to hike the complete Camino Frances over the course of about a month. She can handle the hiking part, but because of an issue with her back, she cannot carry a heavy backpack. We know there are tour companies that transport bags on a daily basis, but we would prefer to hike on our own and also to avoid the huge expense of a tour (I could not find any month long trips for less than $5000 per person). Does anyone know of a way to have our bags transported ahead on a daily basis? Or is there some inexpensive group way to do this?

Thanks.

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi,

I'm afraid I don't have any personal knowledge but there are a number of suggestions in a previous thread el-camino-frances/topic8309.html.

Regards
Mig

 

[grayland]

It is actually quite easy. It need not be planned ahead of time. Every albergue and pilgrim office has advertisements posted by local taxi and others offering to carry packs to the next stage. They are locals and happy to have the business.
I do not know personally how it works...but know that it is widely used by many people with the same concern as you.
Just wait until you get there and it will be easily done. I am not aware of the cost..but much cheaper than contracting with a "tour" complany ahead of time.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

In 2008 I met an Australian man who dislocated his shoulder early on the Camino, and who then needed to get his pack transported. I think it mostly cost him about 7 Euro a day, and it was easy enough to organise. However, it did limit the albergues he could stay in, as they would only deliver to the albergues that accepted such deliveries- which meant he often had to choose private places rather than municipal/church ones. (In some towns though I think he could have it delivered to a bar, and then just had to get it from a bar to an albergue of his choice.)
Margaret

 

[sillydoll]

I used baggage transfers for our two group walks in June and in September.
Jacotrans - Jacotrans@jacotrans.com - is the one company that seems to have the Camino Frances covered from Roncesvalles all the way to Galicia after which there is some competition with Xacotrans. info@xacotrans.com

There are individual taxi owners who pick up and deliver bags in their areas so the drivers change along the route.

Jacotrans charge €7 per bag per stage for up to 6 bags and then on a sliding scale €1 less per bag up to 12 bags. What we did was carry our normal backpacks with raingear, a jacket, blister kits and medication, food and water for the day. We then packed all extra stuff like sandals, washing bags, toiletries, guidebooks etc into a daypack. Our group got together and two people shared one large shopping bag with two daypacks in each bag and shared the cost. Jacotrans have special envelopes that you put your money into and tie onto the bag.

If you send baggage ahead you need to have booked accommodation so that they know where to deliver your bags. If you have all accommodation booked (as we did) you can pay upfront and give them a list of where you'll be staying each day. Then all you do is tie a luggage label onto the bag each day with your name and the next place you'll be staying.

We had absolutely no problems with baggage transfers. The bags are usually collected just after 8am and are delivered by 2pm each day.

The amaWalkers Camino walks cover three sections of the Camino Frances over three weeks. I can help you with suggestions for accommodation on those three sections if you like and I'm sure with the help of the others on the forum we can find you places to stay in the other villages and towns.
(Our three week walks cost €930 from St Jean and a little less if you start at Roncesvalles).

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Baggage service is advertised in the albergues, hotels, tourist offices, and trees/posts all along the route. You will not have any problem finding a service. It is generally done by taxis except in the bigger cities. The hospitalero can hook you up with a reliable service.

 

[renegadepilgrim]

Jacotrans is one of the services that picks up bags here in Santo Domingo de la Calzada where I am serving (Oct 15-31) as a hospìtalera. It's pretty simple. People leave their bags with payment inside a special envelope and the guy comes every morning and picks them up.