Baggage Carrying services between Porto and Santiago de Compostelle

[Old_Soles]

Hello, there appears to be a number of companies offering a baggage carrying service for the various 'northern caminos' but I'm having difficulty finding companies which will provide this service from stop to stop on the Portugese Coastal route. Can anyone please advise us whether this service exists on this particular camino ie Porto to Santiago? Thanks in advance.

 

[JWNewell]

I’m walking Porto to Santiago in May and have contacted. https://tuitrans.com/contract/?lang=en you can provide them with your itinerary and they will provide a quote for the entire walk. You can adjust your pick up and drop off points as you go. Bon Camina

 

[Sheena]

There are also Pilbeo and Camino Facil in Portugal. We found Camino Facil to be less expensive for our trip this May, so it definitely pays to shop around. I have recently seen a service advertised on the Camino Portuguese page on Facebook. I think they’re called BackPacksUp. I don’t know much about them though.
In Spain of course there is also the Correos Service. I think the latter is the most cost effective in Spain. It’s such a shame the Portuguese Post Office don’t offer the same service. Bom Caminho!

 

[Former member 22438]

There are also Pilbeo and Camino Facil in Portugal. We found Camino Facil to be less expensive for our trip this May, so it definitely pays to shop around. I have recently seen a service advertised on the Camino Portuguese page on Facebook. I think they’re called BackPacksUp. I don’t know much about them though.
In Spain of course there is also the Correos Service. I think the latter is the most cost effective in Spain. It’s such a shame the Portuguese Post Office don’t offer the same service. Bom Caminho!

Why a shame ? In Portugal the caminho de Santiago does not appeal to most of the Portuguese . Only the caminho de Fátima counts.so why should the Portuguese Post offer this service ? There are enough privat parties who offer this service.

 

[Sheena]

Hi Albertinho.
I feel it's a shame because it is more expensive to use the private companies.

 

[Tincatinker]

It is not more expensive to use the only services available: the cost is the cost. Correos in Spain have found a way to generate revenue and therefore sustain employment by providing the pac mochilla service. As they already had staff, vehicles and associated infrastructure in place and were under obligation to deliver mail the addition of a revenue generating service utilising the same resource was a 'no brainer' in this age of email and twitting. I suspect the Portuguese postal service will have considered offering a similar facility and calculated that the cost to revenue ratio is adverse at present because the potential market is so much smaller. There simply is not sufficient pilgrim volumes on the multiple caminho routes to make the offer viable after set-up costs. The private companies that currently offer luggage transport services in Portugal will have made the same calculations; assessed the viability risks and priced their services appropriately.

 

[Former member 22438]

Hi Albertinho.
I feel it's a shame because it is more expensive to use the private companies.

I agree with @Tincatinker. It can be the marketvolume that limits the interest of the Correios Português. Portuguese do not want to spend money for such a service and choose to do their pilgrimage in a different way. They walk light with small daypacks, wear trainers and walk the shortest way to their goal..most of the time to Fátima.
Most pilgrims are foreigners , most walking from Porto so from there is a broad offer of suppliers.
Once in Spain it is a different matter. Many many Spaniards walk the last 100 kms of the various caminos-from. Sarria , Tui, Ferrol etc-is good for their CV- so there will be a bigger market for services like backpack transport and the Correos offer that service...I am afraid you have to accept you have to deal with those privat parties who estimate their own tariffs.
Last time I was hospitaleiro in 2016 at Casa da Fernanda I remember Tuitrans charged 5€ per backpack to the next destination.