Via Appia Advice and Guide

[Karl Oz]

Hi,
I am walking from Lucca to Rome next month and expect to finish by late October.

I was considering continuing on the Via Appia to Brindisi, which I think will take about a month. I wanted opinions from pilgrims who had already undertaken the route as to whether this is feasible/recommended in November, specifically with respect to the likely weather and availability of pilgrim or similar accommodation.
Additionally, I would welcome suggestions concerning guide books or any other useful resources.
Thanks .
Karl

 

[andycohn]

Hi,
I am walking from Lucca to Rome next month and expect to finish by late October.

I was considering continuing on the Via Appia to Brindisi, which I think will take about a month. I wanted opinions from pilgrims who had already undertaken the route as to whether this is feasible/recommended in November, specifically with respect to the likely weather and availability of pilgrim or similar accommodation.
Additionally, I would welcome suggestions concerning guide books or any other useful resources.
Thanks .
Karl

Hi Karl,

You shouldn't have any problems weather-wise. I actually walked the southern part of the Via Francigena (up till Rome) in December and the weather was perfectly fine for walking. Highs in the '50's and '60's, and it should be even warmer as you head south. Weatherspark is a great site to give you average weather data, and it shows, for example, that the average high in Brindisi in November is 65F / 19C.

As to guidebooks, the Italian guidebook publisher, Terre di Mezzo, has just come out with an English edition of their guide to the Via Francigena del Sud (Rome to Brindisi. https://www.terre.it/prodotto/the-via-francigena-in-southern-italy/. I have used their guidebooks on the northern section of the Via Francigena, and also on other long-distance trails in Italy, and they are truly excellent.

Please post as you go along. Rome to Brindisi is high on my bucket list.

 

[Karl Oz]

That is great and reassuring advice Andy. Thanks.

 

[Corned Beef]

Do you mean Via Appia or the Via Francigena nel Sud? The Via Appia is more of a road now. Then there is the choice of using the original VA or using the "modern" Via Traiana through Bari.

Via Traiana - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The GPS tracks and information for the Via Francigena south of Rome are on the official VF site here

The Via Francigena in Italy - Via Francigena

The Via Francigena in Italy From the Great St. Bernard Pass to Rome Via Francigena in the Susa Valley From Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca The route to Monte […]

www.viefrancigene.org

Will be doing the Via Appia (and not the VFnS) next year so will be following any comments you make.

Edit: Seems I had put all the VFnS GPS tracks together then abandoned the idea, so here is the walking route if you want to download it.

VF Sud (Official walking)

478.0 mi, +32809 ft. Bike ride in Roma, LAZ

ridewithgps.com

 

[timr]

Hi Karl,

You shouldn't have any problems weather-wise. I actually walked the southern part of the Via Francigena (up till Rome) in December and the weather was perfectly fine for walking. Highs in the '50's and '60's, and it should be even warmer as you head south. Weatherspark is a great site to give you average weather data, and it shows, for example, that the average high in Brindisi in November is 65F / 19C.

Hello @Karl Oz

Yes I would agree completely with @andycohn , I walked from Rome to Brindisi in Ocotber 2018 on the VFdelSud (only a relatively small part of which is the Via Appia) and the weather was very nice. I arrivined in Brinidisi on 24 October. Very warm with occasional rain. Last year I walked from Matera back to Brindisi and then continued onward to Santa Maria di Leuca arriving 16 November and once again the weather was oerfect.

And I agree too, the new translation of the Terre de Mezzo guide is the best available. It wasn't available, nor was the Itlaian edition when i walked, but like Andy i used other books from the publisher and they are excellent. A little heavy to carry, because full of very fine photos. Long ago they had ebook versions which were actually an app (rather than a Kindle file) but sadly these have been discontinued.

Accommodation - no real difficulties. You are very unlikely to meet more than one or two other pilgrims.

 

[Karl Oz]

Do you mean Via Appia or the Via Francigena nel Sud? The Via Appia is more of a road now. Then there is the choice of using the original VA or using the "modern" Via Traiana through Bari.

Via Traiana - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The GPS tracks and information for the Via Francigena south of Rome are on the official VF site here

The Via Francigena in Italy - Via Francigena

The Via Francigena in Italy From the Great St. Bernard Pass to Rome Via Francigena in the Susa Valley From Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca The route to Monte […]

www.viefrancigene.org

Will be doing the Via Appia (and not the VFnS) next year so will be following any comments you make.

Edit: Seems I had put all the VFnS GPS tracks together then abandoned the idea, so here is the walking route if you want to download it.

VF Sud (Official walking)

478.0 mi, +32809 ft. Bike ride in Roma, LAZ

ridewithgps.com

Hi, I assumed there was little difference other than a few diversions, but as I see, that is not the case. Walking on cobblestones is no fun so it will be the VF Sud for me I think. Thanks for the information.

 

[Karl Oz]

Hello @Karl Oz

Yes I would agree completely with @andycohn , I walked from Rome to Brindisi in Ocotber 2018 on the VFdelSud (only a relatively small part of which is the Via Appia) and the weather was very nice. I arrivined in Brinidisi on 24 October. Very warm with occasional rain. Last year I walked from Matera back to Brindisi and then continued onward to Santa Maria di Leuca arriving 16 November and once again the weather was oerfect.

And I agree too, the new translation of the Terre de Mezzo guide is the best available. It wasn't available, nor was the Itlaian edition when i walked, but like Andy i used other books from the publisher and they are excellent. A little heavy to carry, because full of very fine photos. Long ago they had ebook versions which were actually an app (rather than a Kindle file) but sadly these have been discontinued.

Accommodation - no real difficulties. You are very unlikely to meet more than one or two other pilgrims.

I was hoping you would comment Tim! Thank you for the advice. One last question: is the VF Sud waymarked clearly, or at all?

 

[timr]

In 2018 waymarking was rather erratic. Certainly significantly less thant the stretch you are planning on the VF from Lucca to Rome. It depends to an extent on the enthusiasm of local volunteers. But the impression I get is that there is quite a lot of enthusiasm and that waymarking is improving. But while I think you could get from Lucca to Rome without resort to GPX I think you would need to use technology to get from Rome onwards.

I think the viefrancigene.org is probably the most up to date, as @Corned Beef mentions. They include plenty of variants as well.

The Via Francigena in Italy - Via Francigena

The Via Francigena in Italy From the Great St. Bernard Pass to Rome Via Francigena in the Susa Valley From Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca The route to Monte […]

www.viefrancigene.org

From Brindisi to Santa Maria there is an alternative route locally supported. The Cammino de Salento.
https://www.camminodelsalento.it/ It is slightly different to the "official" route. And I did it and enjoyed it, but I mixed and matched a bit in terms of the exact route.

From time to time on the route from Rome onward I found the official route to take what seemed like unnecessary 'diversions' - at the end of the day, or if i am tired, or if it is raining, I am not averse to a bit of re-routing using Google maps! I am not over bothered by walking on tarmac. You will see people commenting there is 'a lot of tarmac' on the Sud. I honestly don't pay any attention to this.
But overall I enjoyed it enormously. I love walking along the coast and you can choose how soon you hit the coast in Puglia.