Forwarding your backpack to your next Albergue?

[Gareth Griffith]

I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year with a couple of ladies who forwarded their backpacks ahead to their next albergue every day. This meant they only had to carry a little, light daypack and could leave the albergue early in the morning as their heavy backpack was ready to go to it's next destination before they went sleep the night before. I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am. Will be lady friends have to carry their packs with them this time on the Portuguese routes or is there a similar backpack forwarding service available to them? If there is such a service I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue....

 

[Grousedoctor]

There are several transport companies that move packs along the CP. When we last did the Coastal Route we used TOP Santiago. Worked like a charm. No problems at all with morning pickups or afternoon deliveries. Bom Caminho!

Support for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago | Carrying Backpacks on the Camino de Santiago | Luggage transfer for the Camino de Santiago | Transport your backpack on the Camino de Santiago from stage to stage, from accommodation to accommodation,

Support for pilgrims | Backpack transport | Luggage transfer | We transport your backpack on the Camino de Santiago from stage to stage, from accommodation to accommodation. Store your luggage for as long as you need during your pilgrimage. | TopSantiago, Walk with us, walk weightlessly. Book...

www.topsantiago.com

 

[Frankybaby66]

I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year with a couple of ladies who forwarded their backpacks ahead to their next albergue every day. This meant they only had to carry a little, light daypack and could leave the albergue early in the morning as their heavy backpack was ready to go to it's next destination before they went sleep the night before. I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am. Will be lady friends have to carry their packs with them this time on the Portuguese routes or is there a similar backpack forwarding service available to them? If there is such a service I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue....

Just so you are aware, you can use bag transfers from hotels, hostels etc, not just albergues. So your wife can avoid the snorers AND transfer her pack if she needs to . .
Bom caminho

 

[Gareth Griffith]

Just so you are aware, you can use bag transfers from hotels, hostels etc, not just albergues. So your wife can avoid the snorers AND transfer her pack if she needs to . .
Bom caminho

Thanks for that! Much appreciated.

 

[Flog]

I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue.

..hopefully she won't bother others trying to sleep either, works both ways.

Plenty of suitcases and backpacks getting shipped along the Portuguese, if that's your thing.. widespread practice nowadays, it seems.

 

[Robo]

I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year with a couple of ladies who forwarded their backpacks ahead to their next albergue every day. This meant they only had to carry a little, light daypack and could leave the albergue early in the morning as their heavy backpack was ready to go to it's next destination before they went sleep the night before. I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am. Will be lady friends have to carry their packs with them this time on the Portuguese routes or is there a similar backpack forwarding service available to them? If there is such a service I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue....

The bit highlighted in bold intrigued me, sorry.

So they had their backpacks packed up and ready to be collected the night before.

That means they 'retained' with them.

Their walking gear for the next day.
Their sleeping gear.
Their washing/bathroom stuff.

What was left to go into the backpack?
A spare set of clothes.......... and?

Sorry to ask. But there might be some interesting insights for others, if for example they were carrying additional stuff / equipment that others might need to as well.

 

[dfox]

Tuitran, https://tuitrans.com/?lang=en, provided great services in 2019.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

I too have found tuitrans.com excellent. They are based in Tui. I usually book with them in advance. Lydia

 

[lt56ny]

The bit highlighted in bold intrigued me, sorry.

So they had their backpacks packed up and ready to be collected the night before.

That means they 'retained' with them.

Their walking gear for the next day.
Their sleeping gear.
Their washing/bathroom stuff.

What was left to go into the backpack?
A spare set of clothes.......... and?

Sorry to ask. But there might be some interesting insights for others, if for example they were carrying additional stuff / equipment that others might need to as well.

good question.

I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am.

Just asking but if you were leaving so late why didn't you get up earlier and also pack most everything away the night before. We all carry what we think we need but was there a reason you had a 10 kilo pack?

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

Just asking but if you were leaving so late why didn't you get up earlier and also pack most everything away the night before. We all carry what we think we need but was there a reason you had a 10 kilo pack?

This was my thought. The only thing I need to do in the morning is brush my teeth, use the loo, scrunch my sleeping bag back into my pack. I sleep in my set of clean clothes--maybe the only thing I need to do is add a pullover and hat...and I'm off.

 

[nickyvee]

Did the variant from Vigo to SDC May 28-June 1, 2024. Just 101 km. My wife and I carried our packs from Vigo to Redondela. At the Albergue we stayed at I saw an envelope for backpack service...used it to the next stage and all the way to SDC. 6 euros LUIS Mochilas. Small business 2 man, 2 driver operation.
I messaged them via WhatsApp for the pickup and destination details before 6pm and when I recieved confirmation I just put the money in the envelope and left it at the reception desk before 8AM. Worked great.

I wished we did transfer service 2 weeks earlier when we did the Camino Ingles May 16-22, 2024. Would have been easier on our backs and knees.

 

[Keyser]

Be aware that to the best of my knowledge luggage transport companies will not transport bags between routes e.g. if switching from Coastal to Central.

 

[trecile]

Be aware that to the best of my knowledge luggage transport companies will not transport bags between routes e.g. if switching from Coastal to Central.

I believe that Top Santiago will.

 

[KeyserSoza]

Good to know. Last Sept I tried 2 companies who wouldn’t. Caminofacil & Tuitrans.

 

[AnneO]

I used Caminofacil last month and they took my bag from the Coastal to the Central, and along the Spiritual Variant as well.

 

[CWBuff]

good question.

Just asking but if you were leaving so late why didn't you get up earlier and also pack most everything away the night before. We all carry what we think we need but was there a reason you had a 10 kilo pack?

This was my thought. The only thing I need to do in the morning is brush my teeth, use the loo, scrunch my sleeping bag back into my pack. I sleep in my set of clean clothes--maybe the only thing I need to do is add a pullover and hat...and I'm off.

Ditto
10kg or not - the best way to get yourself organized in the morning is to pack pretty much everything the night before. It is conceivable that you may still need couple of small things to go into the pack after you wake up but nothing that should take you more than 10 mins.

 

[auburnfive]

I used Caminofacil last month and they took my bag from the Coastal to the Central, and along the Spiritual Variant as well.

Caminofacil will also move luggage from Central to Coastal.

 

[dbeatriceb]

I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year with a couple of ladies who forwarded their backpacks ahead to their next albergue every day. This meant they only had to carry a little, light daypack and could leave the albergue early in the morning as their heavy backpack was ready to go to it's next destination before they went sleep the night before. I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am. Will be lady friends have to carry their packs with them this time on the Portuguese routes or is there a similar backpack forwarding service available to them? If there is such a service I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue....

You don’t have to sleep with snorers or in an albergue to have your pack transported. There are services that will pick up at private hostels, hotels, etc. You just have to know (no matter where you stay that night) where you’ll be staying the following night so the transport service knows where to deliver the pack.

 

[David Tallan]

The bit highlighted in bold intrigued me, sorry.

So they had their backpacks packed up and ready to be collected the night before.

That means they 'retained' with them.

Their walking gear for the next day.
Their sleeping gear.
Their washing/bathroom stuff.

What was left to go into the backpack?
A spare set of clothes.......... and?

Sorry to ask. But there might be some interesting insights for others, if for example they were carrying additional stuff / equipment that others might need to as well.

I also tend to pack my bag before going to sleep (although I carry it with me), so I don't make too much noise and fuss in the morning, in case I am off to an early start. For me, my sleeping clothes are my walking clothes for next day. I do my washing/bathroom stuff before going to bed so I can pack my toiletries. All I need to take with me outside the backpack in the morning is the sleep sack and phone charger. A toothbrush and toothpaste aren't too much weight to add to that in a daypack (presumably also water bottle, snacks, etc.).

 

[dkiser]

My wife and I will start walking the Camino on September 12th. We want to use a baggage transfer company (or companies). Do we need to arrange those pickups prior to leaving the US, a couple of days ahead of any particular destination, or the night before we leave to walk/hike to our next town? Thanks for your help

 

[trecile]

My wife and I will start walking the Camino on September 12th. We want to use a baggage transfer company (or companies). Do we need to arrange those pickups prior to leaving the US, a couple of days ahead of any particular destination, or the night before we leave to walk/hike to our next town? Thanks for your help

You can do it on a day by day basis. The albergues and other accommodations along the Camino have envelopes that you can use to indicate where the bag is to be delivered and put the correct fee into. They usually want you to let them know by 8 pm the evening before where to pick up your bag.

 

[mickypix]

I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year with a couple of ladies who forwarded their backpacks ahead to their next albergue every day. This meant they only had to carry a little, light daypack and could leave the albergue early in the morning as their heavy backpack was ready to go to it's next destination before they went sleep the night before. I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am. Will be lady friends have to carry their packs with them this time on the Portuguese routes or is there a similar backpack forwarding service available to them? If there is such a service I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue....

You can stay anywhere you want with a reception area. You can stay at five star Hotel’s and have the bag delivered. Pilbio is one of many services.

 

[Jodean]

Whether I am sending a bag for transport the next day or carrying my pack, I always pack in the evening, as soon as my clothes are dry. If they do need to dry all night, or it feels like they might be damp, they will go in my transport bag. This is a small, light, zipped bag, large enough for 3kg. of stuff, then my back pack is only 3kg. There are days when it is fine to carry everything, so the transport bag is extra light. The last 2 years, have found beach freezer bags to be perfect. They only weigh about 140gr.
Have used Jacotrans on the Camino Frances but used Top Santiago on the Portuguese this year. A bit more expensive, but once I put in my CC details, it made it easier. No scrambling around looking for small bills and change.

 

[Gallagherb4]

I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year with a couple of ladies who forwarded their backpacks ahead to their next albergue every day. This meant they only had to carry a little, light daypack and could leave the albergue early in the morning as their heavy backpack was ready to go to it's next destination before they went sleep the night before. I meanwhile was carrying my 10kg backpack with me and packing it up in the morning which meant I was usually last out of the albergue at 8am. Will be lady friends have to carry their packs with them this time on the Portuguese routes or is there a similar backpack forwarding service available to them? If there is such a service I can see my wife taking advantage of this service too (that's if she can bear to sleep with the snorers in an albergue....

I used Pilbeo last month on the Camino Portuguese (Senda Litoral) and it worked like a charm! I also used it from Muxia to Finisterre. I think they cover all routes! https://www.pilbeo.com/es

 

[KariC]

I only used this one day, but they were great! Helped another lady use a service from Padron to Santiago. DNR if it was the same service or not.

 

[JenCook]

Just so you are aware, you can use bag transfers from hotels, hostels etc, not just albergues. So your wife can avoid the snorers AND transfer her pack if she needs to . .
Bom caminho

Hi I'm walking from Sarria next year what companies do the bag transfers please, thanks in advance

 

[trecile]

Hi I'm walking from Sarria next year what companies do the bag transfers please, thanks in advance

You'll find most of the bag transport companies in this thread:
Bag transport companies on the Camino - a list

 

[Lisa HS]

One thing to note is that, IF you have all your accommodation set up and booked ahead, you can make one reservation for the entire trip, to pick up and deliver daily. This saves you having to contact them daily, and some will give a bit of a discount off what would be the daily rate. BTW communicating through WhatsApp text works great as it's easy to translate and helps with any language barrier. Plus, you have a record of the transaction.

 

[ThatIrishGuy]

On my trips where I share with a small group I use the forwarding services so as our journey experience is the same. I make up a printed list headed with the service providers name .eg Caminofacil, my name and international phone number ,covering each days destination addresses. Put in a protective plastic envelope and cable tie to handle of case. The inclusion of my contact details has come to the rescue when on the single occasion it was left behind by the pickup folks. Caminofacil phoned me (English speaker their end) while I was on the trail , all sorted.
As to the question what makes up the case contents outside of daily needs,
a lot of extra clothes mostly. No need to be constrained by pack weight, holiday time off camino, no daily washing. (Even on my solo trips with one pack I will try to avoid this) One slightly larger case will fly in the hold as it will carry everyone’s poles and any excess purchases.