Guidebook or accommodation PDF

[vleadbe]

Hi,

I'm starting in Geneva in July and I'm struggling to find a guidebook or accommodation list for the route. Everything on gronze is expensive hotels, is this what the situation will be in Switzerland? Is there not much pilgrim accommodation? I tried the VF app but I'm not finding it very user friendly. Any tips will be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping it isn't as expensive as what I'm seeing on Gronze or I may go the other way on the GR65 instead

 

[timr]

Hello @vleadbe

I think most people visiting Switzerland are surprised to find just how expensive it really is. I don’t know whether you have been before? Everything is expensive.

Not sure which way you are going. Geneva to Lausanne will be expensive. I actually stayed with friends as it happens in each of those places.

There is a youth hostel in Montreux which is expensive.

Abbey in Saint Maurice. And I can’t remember the price but it was more than I was expecting!

There is parish accomm in Martigny and Orsieres. Both parishes cared for by canons from the hospice at GSB. Orsieres is pretty basic, next to the church. Both good though.

I stayed in hotel in Bourg St Pierre and it was snowing so I stayed two nights. Again not cheap.

There is no way around it I think unless you want to try camping. I never do.

You will breathe a sigh of relief when you walk around the lake at GSB. The border is a few hundred metres further on and prices tumble!

Sorry not to be more encouraging. It really does come as a surprise.

I met a Swiss guy walking in northern Italy, and he was marvelling at how cheap everything was.

OTOH the scenery is wonderful.

 

[timr]

Oh and i should have mentioned the famous livret. You can get it from

Booklet of Accommodation and Services - Canterbury to Rome – Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

Booklet of Accommodation and Facilities in France New 2024 edition Paperback, A5 size 90 pages, black & white Printed in France "This is made of paper, but is pure gold" - Sandy Brown

pilgrimstorome.org.uk

And much other invaluable information on Pilgrims to Rome site.

That book only exists in printed form, deliberately, as it includes private accommodation. It’s updated every year. Do not leave without it. It used to be for France only but has expanded to whole path this year.

 

[caminka]

Hi,

I'm starting in Geneva in July and I'm struggling to find a guidebook or accommodation list for the route. Everything on gronze is expensive hotels, is this what the situation will be in Switzerland? Is there not much pilgrim accommodation? I tried the VF app but I'm not finding it very user friendly. Any tips will be greatly appreciated. I'm hoping it isn't as expensive as what I'm seeing on Gronze or I may go the other way on the GR65 instead

For the section Geneve - Lausanne check the Via Jacobi section of this forum. Quite some useful recent posts about accommodation.

There is one proper pilgrim gite d'etape in Gland for €10 and four or five families that host pilgrims.
I slept twice in Gland because towards Geneva all three families were full and I took the train back, by prior arrangement with hospitalera in Gland.
The day after Lausanne I stayed at a wonderful family in Ecublens.
These should all feature here: https://viajacobi4.ch/informations-pratiques/les-hebergements/.

 

[Paul-CH]

Hi, you are right, Switzerland is expensive.
Have a look at Pilgrims to Rome Website or check CAMMINANDO SULLA VIA FRANCIGENA
After the Grand Saint Bernard check FORWALK a great website with a lot of informations
I will start my second part at September 19th from Saint Maurice to Rome.

 

[caminka]

Note that youth hostel in Lausanne is at the very start of the city near the camping, the olympic building and the remains of the roman town.
That is from your direction going east.

North of the old Lausanne and the cathedal - possibly about 25-30min walk - is a parish that hosts pilgrims for about chf25?

 

[vleadbe]

Thanks so much for these useful replies!

 

[jungleboy]

I think most people visiting Switzerland are surprised to find just how expensive it really is. I don’t know whether you have been before? Everything is expensive.

I met a Swiss guy walking in northern Italy, and he was marvelling at how cheap everything was.

Oh yes! I used to live in Switzerland (Geneva) and it was so expensive that when I went to London for a weekend, I thought London was cheap.

 

[vleadbe]

Hello @vleadbe

I think most people visiting Switzerland are surprised to find just how expensive it really is. I don’t know whether you have been before? Everything is expensive.

Not sure which way you are going. Geneva to Lausanne will be expensive. I actually stayed with friends as it happens in each of those places.

There is a youth hostel in Montreux which is expensive.

Abbey in Saint Maurice. And I can’t remember the price but it was more than I was expecting!

There is parish accomm in Martigny and Orsieres. Both parishes cared for by canons from the hospice at GSB. Orsieres is pretty basic, next to the church. Both good though.

I stayed in hotel in Bourg St Pierre and it was snowing so I stayed two nights. Again not cheap.

There is no way around it I think unless you want to try camping. I never do.

You will breathe a sigh of relief when you walk around the lake at GSB. The border is a few hundred metres further on and prices tumble!

Sorry not to be more encouraging. It really does come as a surprise.

I met a Swiss guy walking in northern Italy, and he was marvelling at how cheap everything was.

OTOH the scenery is wonderful.

This is great, thank you so much! A relief to know when I get to Italy it won't be so financially painful. I will just make sure I enjoy Switzerland to the max!

 

[vleadbe]

Hi, you are right, Switzerland is expensive.
Have a look at Pilgrims to Rome Website or check CAMMINANDO SULLA VIA FRANCIGENA
After the Grand Saint Bernard check FORWALK a great website with a lot of informations
I will start my second part at September 19th from Saint Maurice to Rome.

Thanks so much!

 

[vleadbe]

Tha

Oh and i should have mentioned the famous livret. You can get it from

Booklet of Accommodation and Services - Canterbury to Rome – Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

Booklet of Accommodation and Facilities in France New 2024 edition Paperback, A5 size 90 pages, black & white Printed in France "This is made of paper, but is pure gold" - Sandy Brown

pilgrimstorome.org.uk

And much other invaluable information on Pilgrims to Rome site.

That book only exists in printed form, deliberately, as it includes private accommodation. It’s updated every year. Do not leave without it. It used to be for France only but has expanded to whole path this year.

Thanks

 

[Rex]

Hello @vleadbe

I think most people visiting Switzerland are surprised to find just how expensive it really is. I don’t know whether you have been before? Everything is expensive.

Not sure which way you are going. Geneva to Lausanne will be expensive. I actually stayed with friends as it happens in each of those places.

There is a youth hostel in Montreux which is expensive.

Abbey in Saint Maurice. And I can’t remember the price but it was more than I was expecting!

There is parish accomm in Martigny and Orsieres. Both parishes cared for by canons from the hospice at GSB. Orsieres is pretty basic, next to the church. Both good though.

I stayed in hotel in Bourg St Pierre and it was snowing so I stayed two nights. Again not cheap.

There is no way around it I think unless you want to try camping. I never do.

You will breathe a sigh of relief when you walk around the lake at GSB. The border is a few hundred metres further on and prices tumble!

Sorry not to be more encouraging. It really does come as a surprise.

I met a Swiss guy walking in northern Italy, and he was marvelling at how cheap everything was.

OTOH the scenery is wonderful.

The St Maurice Abbey was 35 Euros in 2023, included breakfast served by one of the monks.

 

[Rex]

Edit. 35 CHF at Saint Maurice, not Euros.

 

[Rex]

Also, be sure to book ahead at the hostel up on Great St Bernard Pass. It was completely full when I crossed the pass in late Sept 2023, not least due to their hospitality extending to all hikers and travelers. As “timr” noted above, the scenery is priceless and made the extra expense well worth the trek. And Italy is noticeably less expensive, particularly outside the large cities.

 

[timr]

Also, be sure to book ahead at the hostel up on Great St Bernard Pass. It was completely full when I crossed the pass in late Sept 2023, not least due to their hospitality extending to all hikers and travelers. As “timr” noted above, the scenery is priceless and made the extra expense well worth the trek. And Italy is noticeably less expensive, particularly outside the large cities.

Yes just to endorse what @Rex says about the necessity to book at the hospice. I was advising someone a few weeks back. If you look even now you will see a significant amount of completo. Especially at weekends. And yes it’s not always easy to know your date if you are starting way back.

And indeed, though pilgrim-oriented, they are not pilgrim-exclusive. School trips and scouts and the like use it. And just ‘walkers’ and skiers.

And it is a very popular tourist destination during high summer. Having failed to cross in early May I went back up from Rome arriving 1st July (2018). It wasn’t full, but there were loads of tourists, in coaches, cars, motorbikes and cycles.

If it’s full, they have their own hotel, linked by a bridge - twin room £114. The Italian hotel a few hundred metres around the lake is £64 for a single.

I can’t tell you the price of the hospice , because….er….. I benefited from the 100% discount for priests. Sorry about that.

*******And it cannot be said often enough - if there is any doubt about weather, at any time of year, RING the hospice and ask for advice. It snowed while I was their in July.****

@vleadbe you shouldn’t have weather trouble in July but you might want to read this thread.

Thread 'GSB: A guide to crossing the Great St Bernard Pass'
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...-to-crossing-the-great-st-bernard-pass.59812/

 

[Corned Beef]

It snowed while I was their in July.****

If you go to the Windy.com site, there is an option to show the webcams in the area. You can check the weather further along the route. Will be using these webcams in a few weeks while completing a section I was not able to do a few years ago.

Used the Martigny Tourist Office to book the accommodation for my daughter and I.

Professional weather forecast

50+ weather layers, weather radar and satellite

www.windy.com

 

[vleadbe]

Oh and i should have mentioned the famous livret. You can get it from

Booklet of Accommodation and Services - Canterbury to Rome – Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

Booklet of Accommodation and Facilities in France New 2024 edition Paperback, A5 size 90 pages, black & white Printed in France "This is made of paper, but is pure gold" - Sandy Brown

pilgrimstorome.org.uk

And much other invaluable information on Pilgrims to Rome site.

That book only exists in printed form, deliberately, as it includes private accommodation. It’s updated every year. Do not leave without it. It used to be for France only but has expanded to whole path this year.

I've just bought this, it was exactly what I was looking for so thanks again. I just wanted to ask, is it necessary to have a pilgrim credential on this route to access services, the same as the Camino? I will order one if so, otherwise I will wait and get one when I do the full route to collect my stamps as a keep sake.

 

[Paul-CH]

If you want to stay a monastery or some other places, YES you will need one. And collecting stamps you can remember later, is something I like too.

 

[timr]

I've just bought this, it was exactly what I was looking for so thanks again. I just wanted to ask, is it necessary to have a pilgrim credential on this route to access services, the same as the Camino? I will order one if so, otherwise I will wait and get one when I do the full route to collect my stamps as a keep sake.

If you joined Pilgrims to Rome (aka Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome), you would get a badge, credential, and print newsletter. I think it is worthwhile. Generally very good for information, and friendly too.

You should get a credential certainly

Join Us – Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

Pick your membership type to sign up Our Memberships Membership Type Length Price Individual 1 year £27 Individual 3 Years £54 Joint * 1 year £38 Joint * 3 Years £76 * Two people at the same address About Our Membership The Confraternity is a membership organisation, it depends on the...

pilgrimstorome.org.uk

 

[Rex]

If you joined Pilgrims to Rome (aka Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome), you would get a badge, credential, and print newsletter. I think it is worthwhile. Generally very good for information, and friendly too.

You should get a credential certainly

Join Us – Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

Pick your membership type to sign up Our Memberships Membership Type Length Price Individual 1 year £27 Individual 3 Years £54 Joint * 1 year £38 Joint * 3 Years £76 * Two people at the same address About Our Membership The Confraternity is a membership organisation, it depends on the...

pilgrimstorome.org.uk

A second vote for getting the package from Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome. Their group is totally volunteer run and exists to help VF pilgrims. The membership stipend is quite reasonable and they delivered my credential, backpack badge and other information to my lodging in Canterbury where I began the trek. Also, you do need a credential to stay in certain hostel/allergies along the way. They are indicated in the CPR listing of accommodations. Buon Cammino