what does Gronze use for stages in the Via Francigena

[motero99]

I would like to walk the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Aosta in 2024. I looked at Gronze and it begins with stage 48 leaving from Lausanne. Does anyone know what they used for the stages. I am interested in stages 1 thru 47 to see how they are laid out so that I can plan on those stages or see which ones may be combined as I did on the Camino Frances and Portugues. I have not ordered a gudiebook yet, as I am just trying to get a feel for this Camino. It seems to me I saw a list or spreadsheet of stages a few years ago, but did not notice it when I went to the VF website. Thank you

 

[Harington]

I would like to walk the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Aosta in 2024. I looked at Gronze and it begins with stage 48 leaving from Lausanne. Does anyone know what they used for the stages. I am interested in stages 1 thru 47 to see how they are laid out so that I can plan on those stages or see which ones may be combined as I did on the Camino Frances and Portugues. I have not ordered a gudiebook yet, as I am just trying to get a feel for this Camino. It seems to me I saw a list or spreadsheet of stages a few years ago, but did not notice it when I went to the VF website. Thank you

I would emphatically recommend the Lightfoot Guide by Paul Chinn. It gives route variants which can save time and energy over the 'official' route which zigzags all over the place in France.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

Look up Efren Gonzalez on Youtube. Then look for his Via Francigena trip. He provides directions, costs per day, maps and video of most important topics.

 

[Kitsambler]

You might also check hereabouts for VF blog links; that would give not only that person's route, but also how it went and whether an alternative would be preferable.

 

[Vince Rollason]

I would like to walk the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Aosta in 2024. I looked at Gronze and it begins with stage 48 leaving from Lausanne. Does anyone know what they used for the stages. I am interested in stages 1 thru 47 to see how they are laid out so that I can plan on those stages or see which ones may be combined as I did on the Camino Frances and Portugues. I have not ordered a gudiebook yet, as I am just trying to get a feel for this Camino. It seems to me I saw a list or spreadsheet of stages a few years ago, but did not notice it when I went to the VF website. Thank you

Hello
I don't know if you are aware of The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome so I will attach a link to our website. I hope this will be of use to you.

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

Buen Camino
Vince

 

[Camino Chrissy]

You might also send @Bob from L.A. ! a PM to alert him of this thread if he doesn't happen to see it here. He walked the Via Francigena from Canterbury last summer, all the way to Rome. He posted on the forum often about his experience.

 

[High Endeavours]

I walked the route last year and there is an official website and an official app with all the stages. The app is all you will really need on the walk as the GPX tracks are mapped and work without cell coverage.

Sandy Brown through Cicerone has 3 guides from Canterbury to Rome (I used them) and Terre publishes a guide in English for just the Italian section. It’s also well done. There is also a group page on Facebook with current and up dated information.

Here is an interactive map which will provide you with the ‘official’ stages.

Modern via Francigena - Google My Maps

Canterbury to Rome

www.google.com

Hope this helps. You don’t need to over plan this walk as it’s fairly well signed. You won’t meet many other walkers until after Lucca. I met only about 10 other walkers until there. If you like walking alone then you will have lots of fun! There are ostellos to stay in and booking.com and Airbnb fill in the rest.

A wonderful walk! One of the best of the routes I’ve walked. Have fun!

 

[High Endeavours]

I’d be remiss in pointing out that much of the route through France is basically cobbled together, is pretty flat (until further south) and often follows roads. It also wanders all over the place. You can considerably shorten down the French portion by planning your own route through many areas. You can walk along side canals instead of on roads in this way. Others have done this too. Just takes a bit of work and you can map what you figure out on many of the mapping apps available.

 

[Tandem Graham]

I would like to walk the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Aosta in 2024. I looked at Gronze and it begins with stage 48 leaving from Lausanne. Does anyone know what they used for the stages.

It seems to me I saw a list or spreadsheet of stages a few years ago, but did not notice it when I went to the VF website. Thank you

There is an official VF App, available for Apple or Android, which has all the official route stages listed. It has a GPS track too, though I observed that it worked more effectively on Apple than on my Android phone.
As others have noted, the official route is sometimes irrationally circuitous, particularly so in France. Best to consult Paul Chinn's excellent Lightfoot Guide to do what many of us have done: choose when to take a straight (and often authentic) path rather than a zigzag one.
It's a great adventure, but one which requires more initiative and self reliance than the more established Spanish Caminos.
Enjoy your planning and your walking!

 

[Rex]

Walked from Canterbury to Martigny in 2022 and Martigny to Lucca in 2023. As noted by others, the path across France wanders around, particularly in the Western parts of the country. A host explained to me that the French folks who use these paths for weekend and day hikes do NOT want to walk on tarmac roads, so the GR route in France "will gladly add 10K in the forest to avoid 400 meters of asphalt!" To wit: my route across France, following as closely to Sigeric's route as I could, but using a combination of Paul Chinn's excellent book, TimR's notes from the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome and an app called Organic Maps, all combined to eliminate almost 150 KM from the official route as far as Lausanne.
Note: once I arrived in Switzerland, the route became much more clearly marked (and prices of everything were 15-20% higher than in France). And once I crested the top of the Great Saint Bernard Pass (about where I started to consult Gronze), there was a lot less wandering around. Of course, the Val d'Aosta had some changes to the route due to flood damage and a couple of trail washouts, but they were reasonably well marked and I had no trouble walking through to Lucca.
I plan to resume and finish the route to Rome in late April/early May of 2024. Also, as noted above, you will meet few other pilgrims from Canterbury to Great Saint Bernard Pass (I met a total of 15 to that point in my walk), but met dozens more after I left Aosta, Vercelli, Piacenza and Pontremoli.
Sandy Brown's book was a bit out of date on the part from Lausanne to Lucca, and when I noted route changes to the good folks at Cicerone, they said an updated book was in the works. Not the author's fault about some of the route changes, as local society members and the occasional farmer will close or alter a portion of the official route with little notice (although they do occasionally post little "VF" or "Pilgrim" icons with a small arrow on fence posts or utility poles). A compass and map app are helpful in such situations.
Bom Cammino.

 

[motero99]

Thank you all. One of my hopes is to visit some of the WWI battlefields on the walk, as I believe that the route borders some. A year or two ago I bookmarked a website about the battlefields and the Via Francigena, but the last time I tried it, it would not open. I did look more into the Gronze stages and it appears its stages are based on the price of lodging. Most of the starting and end points have the cheapest lodging of the stage. I did look at some of the other sites and none seem to match the Gronze's starting at stage 48 in Lausanne, which is why I was wondering what they had used as a base. Looking at the prices of lodging on Gronze, I guess that cost will be a bigger determinant of my daily stages than distance which was the primary factor on the Frances and Portugues. I hope not to have too many 100E nights.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

@motero99 - I just sent you a pm

 

[Rex]

Bob from L.A. ! -- Happy New Year and thanks for all the posts on your epic trek this past Spring/Summer. I got to Lucca and stopped, but will finish in May or early June from Lucca to Rome. Your posts were inspirational and gave me some great ideas and tips. Hope 2024 is healthy and happy for you.

 

[timr]

Thank you all. One of my hopes is to visit some of the WWI battlefields on the walk, as I believe that the route borders some. A year or two ago I bookmarked a website about the battlefields and the Via Francigena, but the last time I tried it, it would not open. I did look more into the Gronze stages and it appears its stages are based on the price of lodging. Most of the starting and end points have the cheapest lodging of the stage. I did look at some of the other sites and none seem to match the Gronze's starting at stage 48 in Lausanne, which is why I was wondering what they had used as a base. Looking at the prices of lodging on Gronze, I guess that cost will be a bigger determinant of my daily stages than distance which was the primary factor on the Frances and Portugues. I hope not to have too many 100E nights.

The first two weeks or so, before and after Arras, are relatively straightforward and the route is well-defined (though still not without some meandering on the official route!)

You will have no problem finding battlefield cemeteries along the path sometimes three or four per day. Arras is a good place for an early break and has much additional interest (both in terms of war graves and gastronomy and culture) if you have time. Good cheap accommodation at the Diocesan Offices.
https://arras.catholique.fr/accueil-hotellerie. there is a range of prices.

The Commonwealth Graves Commission has a very comprehensive and interesting site https://www.cwgc.org/ [That site seems VERY slow for me today, but it is not usually the case.] I think the smaller cemeteries along the way, say less than 50-100 graves, are generally at the sites of field hospitals.

There are also German cemeteries along the way, rather low key, but equally sad.

The Commonwealth cemeteries are invariably very well maintained, and always have an interpretive sign and usually a book in a small 'safe' listing who is buried and some other details.

And obviously there are French memorials as well.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Bob from L.A. ! -- Happy New Year and thanks for all the posts on your epic trek this past Spring/Summer. I got to Lucca and stopped, but will finish in May or early June from Lucca to Rome. Your posts were inspirational and gave me some great ideas and tips. Hope 2024 is healthy and happy for you.

Thank you and the same to you and yours as well. If you want a copy of my itinerary, let me know and send me a PM with your Email address.