New Day By Day Baggage Transport on Via Francigena

[andycohn]

While walking on the Via Francigena last week in Italy, we discovered that Bags Free now offers day by day baggage transport on the section from Lucca to Rome, and -- like in Spain -- it can be booked on an ad hoc basis whenever you need it. All you need to do is notify them the night before where you're heading the next day, and they'll pick up your bag in the morning and deliver it to your destination -- including hostels. Charge is 20 Euros per bag per transfer, but if you ship more than one bag, the price goes down.

Previously, Bags Free only did baggage transport if you booked your entire trip in advance with them, but now, you can use them when and if you want.

This should make the Via Francigena a lot more accessible to pilgrims who need this assistance. In our case, my wife wrenched her back, and we wouldn't have been able to continue if we hadn't -- by a chance encounter with other pilgrims -- discovered this new service. Turned out to be very easy to use. The Camino provides!

Here's their web site: https://www.walkingonfrancigena.com/luggage-transport-via-francigena/. Email address is: booking@bags-free.com.

According to their website, they also do bag transport on the Way of St. Frances, but only from Assisi to Rome.

 

[bks]

I understand your wife's predicament but pilgrims should look at carrying just what they need as one part of doing a pilgrimage!!

Challenge yourselves and carry just what you need!! That shouldn't prove to be too difficult but if it is walk a few less kms. per day.

Gook Luck!!

 

[andycohn]

I understand your wife's predicament but pilgrims should look at carrying just what they need as one part of doing a pilgrimage!!

Challenge yourselves and carry just what you need!! That shouldn't prove to be too difficult but if it is walk a few less kms. per day.

Gook Luck!!

Give it a break, @bks! Who are you to judge how anybody else walks? Everyone has his / her own way.

And btw, my wife is 73 years old. She had just run the Boston Marathon, placing in the top 10 in her age division. The day after the race, we flew to Sicily, where we walked the Magna Via Francigena, which I would imagine is on an order of difficulty beyond anything you've walked. When we completed that -- without any help -- we joined some friends for four days on the Via Francigena, and on the second day, she took an awkward fall and wrenched her back. Although she was bent over like a pretzel, she insisted on continuing (because that's the way she is; most other people would have given up).

I'll stack my wife's stamina and perserverance against yours and anyone's any day.

I'm not even Christian, but I do share one credo: Judge not lest you be judged.

 

[C clearly]

I understand your wife's predicament

I doubt that you have any particular knowledge that allows you to understand her predicament and tell her what she should do.

 

[dick bird]

I understand your wife's predicament but pilgrims should look at carrying just what they need as one part of doing a pilgrimage!!

Challenge yourselves and carry just what you need!! That shouldn't prove to be too difficult but if it is walk a few less kms. per day.

Gook Luck!!

That’s very unsympathetic as well as being lecturing. If someone gets injured on Camino, bag transfer is a useful option, as are public transport and giving up. Carrying ‘only what you need’ when you have a back injury would be silly.

 

[bks]

Give it a break, @bks! Who are you to judge how anybody else walks? Everyone has his / her own way.

And btw, my wife is 73 years old. She had just run the Boston Marathon, placing in the top 10 in her age division. The day after the race, we flew to Sicily, where we walked the Magna Via Francigena, which I would imagine is on an order of difficulty beyond anything you've walked. When we completed that -- without any help -- we joined some friends for four days on the Via Francigena, and on the second day, she took an awkward fall and wrenched her back. Although she was bent over like a pretzel, she insisted on continuing (because that's the way she is; most other people would have given up).

I'll stack my wife's stamina and perserverance against yours and anyone's any day.

I'm not even Christian, but I do share one credo: Judge not lest you be judged.

My apologies for the misunderstanding and, perhaps, my poor choice of words!! With that in mind look for the positive in what I said, not the negative!!

You posted a link for pilgrims who were interested in using a "baggage transfer service" and my comments were related to that. I believe that that is appropriate or should I only give a thumbs up to whatever anyone says?

 

[andycohn]

My apologies for the misunderstanding and, perhaps, my poor choice of words!! With that in mind look for the positive in what I said, not the negative!!

You posted a link for pilgrims who were interested in using a "baggage transfer service" and my comments were related to that. I believe that that is appropriate or should I only give a thumbs up to whatever anyone says?

There was no misunderstanding, @bks. You were perfectly clear in what you said, and others beyond me have appropriately reproved you. The fact that you feel that there was something "positive" in your remarks, however, reveals your continuing blindness.

If you would like to apologize for being wrong, patronizing, judgmental, narrow-minded, condescending, and un-charitable, you are free to do so. Just don't pretend there was any "misunderstanding."

 

[bks]

There was no misunderstanding, @bks. You were perfectly clear in what you said, and others beyond me have appropriately reproved you. The fact that you feel that there was something "positive" in your remarks, however, reveals your continuing blindness.

If you would like to apologize for being wrong, patronizing, judgmental, narrow-minded, condescending, and un-charitable, you are free to do so. Just don't pretend there was any "misunderstanding."

I must have touched a nerve here and it's unfortunate that your unable to accept my apologies.
I won't comment on your characterization of me.

The positive in my remarks (challenge yourselves) were addressed to other pilgrims who might read your advertisement for a "baggage transfer service" and consider using it. I believe that's appropriate!!

At any rate I hope that your wife gets better soon!! Good Luck!!

 

[Corned Beef]

For those wanting to know about Pilgrimages in Italy, there is helpful information on the Sloways site for those that may not have been there. The overwhelming majority of pilgrims on this route are Italian. There are even signposts for car routes for the nonnas (and non-nonnas) that find walking too much.

Italian Pilgrimages: all you need to know

Sloways

www.sloways.eu

Also the Bags-Free office is close to the main train station in Rome. Down a few stairs in a basement. Staff and helpful and speak English (or they did a few weeks ago)

 

[dick bird]

Can we all from here on address our responses to the original question? Thank you.

 

[peregrina2000]

It’s too bad that this thread spiralled into negativity and misunderstandings. Let’s close it and hope that those who need or want to make use of this service will see the good info that’s posted here.