Walking the Via Francigena from the Gt St Bernard's Pass Sep 23

[Wrinklychick]

Hi there!

I'm a 72yr old lady preparing for the Via Francigena and would love some comprehensive advice about walking the route alone. I've walked the Frances, Portuguese (inland & coastal), Norte/Primitivo, Norte (Oviedo to S'go) & Ingles and the Via de la Plata alone, but clearly there were others on the route. I'm well aware that it may be very isolatory on the VF, but I was lead to believe it was a reasonably popular route in Sep/Oct. I'd like to be reasonably assured that there may be someone else on the same route that day, even if they're a kilometre or two in front or behind!
I know I need to learn some basic Italian to book accommodation etc but I'd love to be referred to a website/personal journal that will explain much more about the day-to-day issues, cheaper accommodation options, GPS & phone signal opportunities etc and if it's possible to combine some of the lesser mileage days into one.
I'm a very sensible lady who would really appreciate more in-depth information that my guidebooks don't really detail. Sadly, I'm not so technologically savvy as I'd like to be, so any help would be appreciated!
Many thanks!

Wrinkly chick

 

[roving_rufus]

Gronze has added the VF (Swiss and Italian sections) which is worth looking on for accomodation.

Vía Francígena | Gronze.com

La Vía Francígena es un camino histórico de peregrinación —declarado Itinerario Cultural Europeo en 1994— que une la catedral de la ciudad inglesa de Canterbury con la plaza de San Pedro de Roma. Su origen es la peregrinación de Sigerico, arzobispo de Canterbury, en el año 990. Actualmente está...

www.gronze.com

There is a YouTube series by Efren of sa daily log (lots and lots to watch!)

There have been a few blogs but it's been years since I had read any on the VF so can't make any great recommendations of more recent ones.

 

[Paul-CH]

Hi Wrinkly chick, there is a website https://www.viefrancigene.org/ an the Via Francigena App. They show some accommodations but not to many.
On the Swiss website https://www.wandersite.ch/Francigena.html you will find some B&B Hotels and Restaurants

 

[Purky]

Walked Lucca to Rome in August 2022. The Via Francigena guides by Cicerone Press, volumes 2 and 3, of which I've used nr. 3, have good info to find cheaper accommodation options. I haven't seen other guides, so don't know about those. When in a pickle, I used Booking.com or AirBNB on my phone to find something.

The app on https://www.viefrancigene.org/ that @Paul-CH already linked was a nice backup for the guide. It was not too hard to figure out how to use. Apart from all this, the waymarking on the VF itself is more than adequate.

I speak no Italian myself, so I used google translate on my phone to compose messages and emails so I could book ahead. Or I asked the person checking me in to make a phonecall for the day(s) to come, which they were always happy to do.

I was reluctant at first to make reservations for multiple days, but it turns out that was necessary, especially for the ostelli, convents and monasteries. I kept a margin of two to three days of reservations ahead, which worked out quite well.

As for company on the road, there should be plenty about in Sep/Oct. I heard that Dutch and German pilgrims prefer those months over August, to avoid the heat.

Happy trails!

 

[Former member 92300]

From my research - it is the UK and France that are more isolative hikes. Once you reach Switzerland and Italy - you run into pilgrims more frequently. I am hiking Canterbury to Aosta this year and I don't expect to run into other pilgrims very often for most of it. But - my daughter decided to join me so I won't be solo afterall.

In the UK and France - I was originally planning on not reserving more than a week in advance - but the more research I did the more I realized it is more necessary for me if I don't want to get stuck in more expensive accommodations all the time. I ended up reserving almost the entire way - I have about 6 or so nights without a reservation and of those - 2 I will most likely stealth camp and the others I have a place in mind that I couldn't reserve ahead of time - but might end up stealth camping.

In Italy - I see plenty of affordable accommodations available - so when I return next summer for Italy - I will try not to reserve too far in advance. Groze.com has lots of listings for Switzerland and Italy - I used them on the Frances and Norte/Primitivo all the time.

For making reservation - I try to use the accommodations web site, booking sites, and email whenever possible to avoid the difficulties with potential language barrier over the phone. Of the places I still need to reserve - I might ask a local to call for me a couple days in advance.

 

[Stripey Socks]

Hi. I walked from GSBP to Rome in August/Sept 2018 solo. I found it a very quiet affair and could walk all day and not meet a soul including most cafes etc closed for annual holidays. I did run into a few walkers every now and then, but it was only a small group of 3-4 people and we would pass each other infrequently.
Here is a link to my blog: https://lifeonebigadventure.com/category/two-feet-walking/via-francigena-2018/
If you scroll down you will find where I posted daily and included where I stayed and the terrain.

I also have done a number of Caminos in Spain/Portugal and am lining up again in May. I decided to do the Via as I wanted something different from a camino. The Via has a VERY different vibe and is much quieter and tougher climbs etc. It is still wonderful and am keen to do the del Sud one day.

Good luck, Mel (fellow wrinkly chick)

 

[timr]

Hi. I walked from GSBP to Rome in August/Sept 2018 solo. I found it a very quiet affair and could walk all day and not meet a soul including most cafes etc closed for annual holidays. I did run into a few walkers every now and then, but it was only a small group of 3-4 people and we would pass each other infrequently.
Here is a link to my blog: https://lifeonebigadventure.com/category/two-feet-walking/via-francigena-2018/
If you scroll down you will find where I posted daily and included where I stayed and the terrain.

I also have done a number of Caminos in Spain/Portugal and am lining up again in May. I decided to do the Via as I wanted something different from a camino. The Via has a VERY different vibe and is much quieter and tougher climbs etc. It is still wonderful and am keen to do the del Sud one day.

Good luck, Mel (fellow wrinkly chick)

Great to hear this.
When you do the Sud, you will think that the (almost empty) VF to Rome was busy!

 

[Levi]

@Wrinklychick - I'm planning to walk from Aosta in September. Very much at the planning stage at the moment and, while I would like to get to Rome, that will depend on how the budget goes.
But I'm enjoying the planning...

 

[Vince Rollason]

Hi there!

I'm a 72yr old lady preparing for the Via Francigena and would love some comprehensive advice about walking the route alone. I've walked the Frances, Portuguese (inland & coastal), Norte/Primitivo, Norte (Oviedo to S'go) & Ingles and the Via de la Plata alone, but clearly there were others on the route. I'm well aware that it may be very isolatory on the VF, but I was lead to believe it was a reasonably popular route in Sep/Oct. I'd like to be reasonably assured that there may be someone else on the same route that day, even if they're a kilometre or two in front or behind!
I know I need to learn some basic Italian to book accommodation etc but I'd love to be referred to a website/personal journal that will explain much more about the day-to-day issues, cheaper accommodation options, GPS & phone signal opportunities etc and if it's possible to combine some of the lesser mileage days into one.
I'm a very sensible lady who would really appreciate more in-depth information that my guidebooks don't really detail. Sadly, I'm not so technologically savvy as I'd like to be, so any help would be appreciated!
Many thanks!

Wrinkly chick

Hello
Can I suggest you join The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome. There is a wealth of information and support here. I am 70 years old and am planning to leave Canterbury at the end of June this year and hoping that my wife will meet me in Rome sometime in October. Who knows our paths may cross.
Buen Camino
Vince

Pilgrims to Rome | The Via Francigena

Pilgrims to Rome is a registered charity that aims to encourage and inform those making a pilgrimage to Rome along the Via Francigena.

pilgrimstorome.org.uk

 

[Rex]

Walked the VF (1st Half to the Alps) in June/July 2022. Met only 12 other pilgrims in 39 days of walking! The stretches across France from Reims to Besancon were lovely, but without many fellow hikers.
Next Summer (depending on weather and family commitments), will start at Martigny and head over the Great St. Bernard Pass and onward to Rome.
I can say only good things about the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome and all the information and guides and lists of accommodations, etc... they provided. They were exceptionally helpful, even delivering my credential and several other documents to my hotel in Canterbury the day I arrived in the UK. The Cicerone guidebooks have also been very useful.
Maybe I will see you on the road along the way.
Buen Camino and Bonne Chance.

 

[High Endeavours]

Hi Wrinklychick. I walked much of the Via Francigena last August-October and loved it! I met several independent women of various ages (including your own) who were really enjoying their experience. There weren't many other pilgrims, but after Lucca you will meet a few more. The good news is that there are numerous small towns along the way and the Italian people are lovely and most willing to help. I don't think you need to be too concerned about the number of pilgrims as you look to already be an experienced walker. There's just more solitude (the Plata was also very quiet in 2014), but if you are ok with that then you should be fine.

The office website (below) is very good and will assist you with just about every element of the route. Together with the other sources detailed above, you should have more than enough information. Downloading the GPX tracks onto a smart phone on an app such as Gaia app would help, but if you aren't comfortable with that then using the official Via Francigena app will accomplish the same thing and provide you with lots of other resources as well. I carried both of Sandy Brown's Cicerone guides, but on reflection I probably didn't need to and that would have lightened my pack a bit. That said, they would be very good reference material to read before leaving home. Have fun planning!!

Via Francigena | Homepage

The Via Francigena is one of the oldest and most popular pilgrim itineraries in Europe. With its 3200km from Canterbury to Rome and onwards to Santa Maria di Leuca in Southern Italy, it crosses 5 different European countries.

www.viefrancigene.org

 

[Marianne Hansen]

Hi there!

I'm a 72yr old lady preparing for the Via Francigena and would love some comprehensive advice about walking the route alone. I've walked the Frances, Portuguese (inland & coastal), Norte/Primitivo, Norte (Oviedo to S'go) & Ingles and the Via de la Plata alone, but clearly there were others on the route. I'm well aware that it may be very isolatory on the VF, but I was lead to believe it was a reasonably popular route in Sep/Oct. I'd like to be reasonably assured that there may be someone else on the same route that day, even if they're a kilometre or two in front or behind!
I know I need to learn some basic Italian to book accommodation etc but I'd love to be referred to a website/personal journal that will explain much more about the day-to-day issues, cheaper accommodation options, GPS & phone signal opportunities etc and if it's possible to combine some of the lesser mileage days into one.
I'm a very sensible lady who would really appreciate more in-depth information that my guidebooks don't really detail. Sadly, I'm not so technologically savvy as I'd like to be, so any help would be appreciated!
Many thanks!

Wrinkly chick

I would love to do that but have been told by a friends (married couple) some of the days they wouldn't like to see me walk on my own. I'm 74 and done 2 Caminos

 

[Harington]

Hi there!

I'm a 72yr old lady preparing for the Via Francigena and would love some comprehensive advice about walking the route alone. I've walked the Frances, Portuguese (inland & coastal), Norte/Primitivo, Norte (Oviedo to S'go) & Ingles and the Via de la Plata alone, but clearly there were others on the route. I'm well aware that it may be very isolatory on the VF, but I was lead to believe it was a reasonably popular route in Sep/Oct. I'd like to be reasonably assured that there may be someone else on the same route that day, even if they're a kilometre or two in front or behind!
I know I need to learn some basic Italian to book accommodation etc but I'd love to be referred to a website/personal journal that will explain much more about the day-to-day issues, cheaper accommodation options, GPS & phone signal opportunities etc and if it's possible to combine some of the lesser mileage days into one.
I'm a very sensible lady who would really appreciate more in-depth information that my guidebooks don't really detail. Sadly, I'm not so technologically savvy as I'd like to be, so any help would be appreciated!
Many thanks!

Wrinkly chick

You can ask any question you like by emailing info@pilgrimstorome.org.uk, where your questions will be answered by experienced VF pilgrims. The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome have a website with a special downloadable planning pdf: https://pilgrimstorome.org.uk/planning/. If you join you will get a free credential and badge. One thing to point out is that towards the end of September the Pass may be under snow - not always; it just depends on the weather that year.

 

[BillW]

Can I suggest you join The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome. There is a wealth of information and support here.

I didn't know this group existed. Just joined. Thanks.

 

[Bowmanfamily36]

Hello Wrinklychick
My husband & I (from Australia in our early 60s) walked from Besancon to Rome last year. We timed our walk to arrive in GSB Pass on the 9th Sept as we were advised to be there by "mid Sept" to minimise the risk of snow.
We met very few pilgrims up to Orsieres but from staying at the Bourg St Pierre hostel we met a lot more and then walked with many of these through to Piacenza. This was a real highlight and meant we thoroughly enjoyed the section through to the ricefields of the Po valley and onwards.
We have no Italian but accomm was pretty easy. We mainly used Gronze and then emails translated by Google. Half the time we stayed in hostels/churches/convents etc , and half in hotels/B&Bs. Overall we paid on average 55e (total for the two of us) over the 56 nights in Italy.

A question though - are you restricted to Sept 23 for GSB? This is getting quite late in the season.
As it happened there was a big dump of snow 1 week after we went through and we heard that some pilgrims had to stay there for another night before the icy conditions improved on the steep descent into the Aosta Valley.
Obviously the weather can change at any time but I suspect there will be fewer pilgrims on the route for your dates which are 14 days later than ours were last year. So if you can go earlier , I would recommend this for both weather and company of others.
Another issue we found was that the (cheaper) hostel option at GSB was fully booked for the 3 days immediately prior to our stay. We knew this by looking at their web site and when we phoned them they said they had a big school group. It was also fully booked for 3 days in the week beforehand as well (coinciding with school resuming and school camps?).
Without knowing your situation, if you can extend your walk, we can certainly recommend the section from Lausanne to GSB for the beautiful scenery.
FYI - we received an amazing array of conflicted and uninformed advice about phone coverage. In the end we used a cheap pay as you go plan from the UK from EE and it worked perfectly.
Also we ditched the official VF app as it was too slow and cumbersome and instead used the almost identical Sloways app which worked much better especially in downloaded offline mode in order to save on battery. It worked really well and kept us on track the whole way. Be careful of battery use with these apps and be sure to switch your phone to a battery saver mode at the beginning of the day.
Hoping you have a wonderful journey as we did, but be prepared for possibly shorter daily distances compared to Spain as the topography is more difficult.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

I agree the Confraternity is very good. I emailed them several times with several questions and each time I received replies within 48 hours.

 

[KYPolloFrito]

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/2023-roll-call-for-via-francigena.76177/unread

You may wish to monitor this thread on the Forum; lots of people posting their 2023 plan for the VF.

 

[Wrinklychick]

Hello Wrinklychick
My husband & I (from Australia in our early 60s) walked from Besancon to Rome last year. We timed our walk to arrive in GSB Pass on the 9th Sept as we were advised to be there by "mid Sept" to minimise the risk of snow.
We met very few pilgrims up to Orsieres but from staying at the Bourg St Pierre hostel we met a lot more and then walked with many of these through to Piacenza. This was a real highlight and meant we thoroughly enjoyed the section through to the ricefields of the Po valley and onwards.
We have no Italian but accomm was pretty easy. We mainly used Gronze and then emails translated by Google. Half the time we stayed in hostels/churches/convents etc , and half in hotels/B&Bs. Overall we paid on average 55e (total for the two of us) over the 56 nights in Italy.

A question though - are you restricted to Sept 23 for GSB? This is getting quite late in the season.
As it happened there was a big dump of snow 1 week after we went through and we heard that some pilgrims had to stay there for another night before the icy conditions improved on the steep descent into the Aosta Valley.
Obviously the weather can change at any time but I suspect there will be fewer pilgrims on the route for your dates which are 14 days later than ours were last year. So if you can go earlier , I would recommend this for both weather and company of others.
Another issue we found was that the (cheaper) hostel option at GSB was fully booked for the 3 days immediately prior to our stay. We knew this by looking at their web site and when we phoned them they said they had a big school group. It was also fully booked for 3 days in the week beforehand as well (coinciding with school resuming and school camps?).
Without knowing your situation, if you can extend your walk, we can certainly recommend the section from Lausanne to GSB for the beautiful scenery.
FYI - we received an amazing array of conflicted and uninformed advice about phone coverage. In the end we used a cheap pay as you go plan from the UK from EE and it worked perfectly.
Also we ditched the official VF app as it was too slow and cumbersome and instead used the almost identical Sloways app which worked much better especially in downloaded offline mode in order to save on battery. It worked really well and kept us on track the whole way. Be careful of battery use with these apps and be sure to switch your phone to a battery saver mode at the beginning of the day.
Hoping you have a wonderful journey as we did, but be prepared for possibly shorter daily distances compared to Spain as the topography is more difficult.

Thank you so much for all your info! I'm booked to start around 1 Sep, so hope to avoid snowfalls. I'll also look at the options of getting to Lausanne to start from there, as I've heard it's really stunning! The real work for me is identifying and booking the cheapest accommodation options, along with being as phone-savvy as I can to help with everything on the way. Of course, I didn't need any of that on the other walks at all!!! Fingers crossed!

 

[KYPolloFrito]

Hello Wrinklychick
My husband & I (from Australia in our early 60s) walked from Besancon to Rome last year. We timed our walk to arrive in GSB Pass on the 9th Sept as we were advised to be there by "mid Sept" to minimise the risk of snow.
We met very few pilgrims up to Orsieres but from staying at the Bourg St Pierre hostel we met a lot more and then walked with many of these through to Piacenza. This was a real highlight and meant we thoroughly enjoyed the section through to the ricefields of the Po valley and onwards.
We have no Italian but accomm was pretty easy. We mainly used Gronze and then emails translated by Google. Half the time we stayed in hostels/churches/convents etc , and half in hotels/B&Bs. Overall we paid on average 55e (total for the two of us) over the 56 nights in Italy.

A question though - are you restricted to Sept 23 for GSB? This is getting quite late in the season.
As it happened there was a big dump of snow 1 week after we went through and we heard that some pilgrims had to stay there for another night before the icy conditions improved on the steep descent into the Aosta Valley.
Obviously the weather can change at any time but I suspect there will be fewer pilgrims on the route for your dates which are 14 days later than ours were last year. So if you can go earlier , I would recommend this for both weather and company of others.
Another issue we found was that the (cheaper) hostel option at GSB was fully booked for the 3 days immediately prior to our stay. We knew this by looking at their web site and when we phoned them they said they had a big school group. It was also fully booked for 3 days in the week beforehand as well (coinciding with school resuming and school camps?).
Without knowing your situation, if you can extend your walk, we can certainly recommend the section from Lausanne to GSB for the beautiful scenery.
FYI - we received an amazing array of conflicted and uninformed advice about phone coverage. In the end we used a cheap pay as you go plan from the UK from EE and it worked perfectly.
Also we ditched the official VF app as it was too slow and cumbersome and instead used the almost identical Sloways app which worked much better especially in downloaded offline mode in order to save on battery. It worked really well and kept us on track the whole way. Be careful of battery use with these apps and be sure to switch your phone to a battery saver mode at the beginning of the day.
Hoping you have a wonderful journey as we did, but be prepared for possibly shorter daily distances compared to Spain as the topography is more difficult.

Interesting comment on Sloways vs Via Francigena Official App as they share the same developer Itineraria S.r.l. ; www.intineraria.eu . Go figure.....