Hiking poles with Ryanair

[siúlóirí MC]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[KenProudler]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

An ancillary question: Does it help if dismantled poles fit inside a carry-on bag? Checkin staff wouldn’t see the poles, but they would need to go through the security x-ray check. Would that security check cause problems? In other words, does the problem arise with the airline or with airport security?

 

[Pronetowander]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way☹. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Sorry to hear this and not sure I can offer any good advice at this stage. Can you not put them inside your backpacks if you are checking them in? I decided in advance to check in my backpack with poles and bought an airporter bag to put everything in as I was getting a Ryan Air flight from Santiago back to London 2 weeks ago at end of Camino. I was really pleased i did this. I thought there might be issues with Ryan Air and didn't want that hassle as well.

 

[wjohnk]

You could buy hiking poles in Biarritz or similar for a lot less than Ryanair charge for hold baggage! I would try a Decathlon store.

 

[Annette london]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way☹. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Are you flying BACK from Santiago?
If so, all airlines including Ryanair...allow poles to be put in the hold for free...just go to the desk of whatever airline you are flying with and they will check them in for you....this arrangement is only at Santiago airport though.
Best wishes
Annette

 

[jsalt]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way☹. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Leave your own hiking poles at home and pick some up after you have arrived in Puente la Reina. Ask in the albergues there if they have any that have been left behind, and offer a donation for them. Then leave them at another albergue in Santo Domingo before you return home.

 

[Panka]

An ancillary question: Does it help if dismantled poles fit inside a carry-on bag? Checkin staff wouldn’t see the poles, but they would need to go through the security x-ray check. Would that security check cause problems? In other words, does the problem arise with the airline or with airport security?

It is a global security rule that you can not carry hiking poles in the carry on baggage, it is considered because of the pointy end that basically you could use it as a weapon. And yes, security would spot it immediately and take it away or force you to check it in. That is an other thing that low cost flights, such as Ryanair charging a lot for this.

siúlóirí MC you have 2 choice: 1: pay the fee and check in the poles when you go to Spain, than when you go home it is cheaper to send them home by post.
2: leave them home and buy new ones after you arrived. Depends what kind of poles you are using, but buying in Spain would worth it only if the new poles would be cheaper as the check in baggage fee, on average you will pay 30 EUR for a pair of poles. Than again you can post them home or leave behind as a donation.

 

[Bradypus]

Post them to a hotel/albergue (after checking with them first!) or addressed to yourself at 'Lista de Correos' in Santo Domingo?

 

[trecile]

Are you flying BACK from Santiago?
If so, all airlines including Ryanair...allow poles to be put in the hold for free...just go to the desk of whatever airline you are flying with and they will check them in for you....this arrangement is only at Santiago airport though.
Best wishes
Annette

I have read this multiple times on the forum and elsewhere, but I'm wondering if there is an official statement to this effect somewhere on the Santiago airport website or??

 

[Annette london]

I have read this multiple times on the forum and elsewhere, but I'm wondering if there is an official statement to this effect somewhere on the Santiago airport website or??

I've never seen any official statement re this but when we were returning from Santiago this July we just went to the Ryanair check in desk and our poles were put in the hold for free.
I also asked one of the security personnel after we'd gone through security and she confirmed that this was the case for all airlines

I wish I'd known about this years ago as our poles were taken off of us on our first Camino...then, for years afterwards we paid to have then put in the hold
It was only last year when it was mentioned on this forum that we first knew of this service

 

[john newman]

Vueling put them in the hold for free at SDC too

 

[Camino Chrissy]

An ancillary question: Does it help if dismantled poles fit inside a carry-on bag? Checkin staff wouldn’t see the poles, but they would need to go through the security x-ray check. Would that security check cause problems? In other words, does the problem arise with the airline or with airport security?

I've had disassembled hiking poles removed from my backpack and told I could check them below. It was too late to backtrack to do that and was "so angry I could spit" as my mom used to say. I told them to take and toss them! Grrr!
Another time I had my poles taped together and laid on the trampoline back of my Osprey pack on the conveyer belt. They sailed through security with no problem and were not even checked out...and no, they were not Z-poles.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I've never seen any official statement re this but when we were returning from Santiago this July we just went to the Ryanair check in desk and our poles were put in the hold for free.
I also asked one of the security personnel after we'd gone through security and she confirmed that this was the case for all airlines

I wish I'd known about this years ago as our poles were taken off of us on our first Camino...then, for years afterwards we paid to have then put in the hold
It was only last year when it was mentioned on this forum that we first knew of this service

I have had my poles checked in the hold for free in Santiago, too, several times flying Ryanair back to Madrid.

 

[Dara H]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way☹. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I have flown from Dublin to Biarritz on Ryanair with my poles disassembled and put inside my carry-on rucksack.

 

[siúlóirí MC]

That’s interesting - it’s really getting them through airport security that’s the problem as opposed to Ryanair itself. I suppose I could chance packing some old poles in my carry on pack and just keep my fingers crossed at security!!

 

[Dara H]

That’s interesting - it’s really getting them through airport security that’s the problem as opposed to Ryanair itself. I suppose I could chance packing some old poles in my carry on pack and just keep my fingers crossed at security!!

I don’t know what the policy is but I have brought them through Dublin Airport security three times without problem. I have had the rubber ends over the tips and the poles in pieces in my bag. I have also brought them through security in Madrid and Bilbao. I posted them home when I went from Santiago airport.

 

[Deleted member 73892]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way☹. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi siúlóiri MC
I'm packing two sets of poles into one carraige hold backpack, thus sharing the cost of one backpack between two people. Its my only hope (Iberia & Vueling), of a cheap way of getting the poles on board.
All airlines state in their on-line baggage guidlines/forbiden hand luggage guidlines that walking poles are not allowed in the cabin with hand baggage. Pre-booking a carraige hold backpack is the cheapest way.
Good luck. Buen Camino! Keith

 

[tigermike]

After a bit of experience of this, here is my advice:
Do not risk it with Airport Security - they can and will confiscate if you come up against a 'jobsworth'.
Same goes for RyanAir - although the worst that can happen is you get to pay extra for checked baggage.
For the last three Camino's I have stayed at Gite Bidean in StJpdP and they are happy to accept, and hold, my poles until I arrive. So I post them, along with scissors, Swiss Army Knife etc about 10 days in advance. Cost £8.50.
For peace of mind, and to cover for flight delays etc, it would be a good idea for you to book in advance for your first Camino night and message the Hostel/Hotel asking them to hold the package on your behalf.
In Puenta la Reina, having stayed there three times, I'd have no hesitation in recommending Hotel/Alb Jakue, they are super friendly and have an outstanding all-inclusive EU10 buffet each evening.
Sending them back home is easy from any Post Office (Correos) in Spain but slightly more expensive; from the Correos adjacent to the Compostella Office in SdC for example its usually about EU15 including a specially designed pole holder !!
Whatever you do, make a plan. Don't leave your poles behind - they are invaluable and will not only aid your walk but save you from falling - as they have for me on numerous occasions. Good luck !

 

[SioCamino]

We are 2 pilgrims walking from Puente la Reina to st Dominga del Calzada on Sept 24th. In our haste booking Ryanair flights from Dublin to Biarritz, we overlooked checking in hiking poles. I understand we cannot carry them on and if we check them in now there will be a charge of €40 each way☹. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I’ve flown several times from Dublin with both aer lingus and Ryanair with walking poles in my hand luggage. Had no problems with security or the ground staff of either airline. Unless they are really expensive I would just carry them

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'd just pick up sticks in Spain.
Returning with them will also be an issue.

 

[nidarosa]

@siúlóirí MC you have 2 choice

No, there is a third, which was mentioned by @tigermike above - send them by post if you still have the time, to the first accommodation you have booked or call or email the place you intend to stay and ask them nicely if you can ship them there. Send the two pairs together to save on postage. I have done this for years with no problems. Poles are specifically mentioned on the list of prohibited items on Ryanair flights and I have no idea why some people insist on trying it anyway. Also why buy and throw away cheap poles if you have a perfectly good pair? And can someone confirm the free pole check-in from Santiago? Buen camino!

 

[john newman]

Yes, I was sent back by security, had to go back out again and use the free check in for my poles.

 

[Deleted member 89957]

We are walking the Camino Ingles in 9 days time. We are flying Ryanair to SDC and then getting the bus to Ferrol. Our backpacks are going as cabin luggage so I didn't want to pay £40 for my poles to go in the hold. I emailed our hotel in Ferrol (the Almendra) and asked if I could post my poles to them. Got a reply a day later saying no problem at all and included their address details.

Royal Mail charge just under £8 to post them to Spain. I opted to send them international signed for delivery for £15 which included insurance (the poles cost £85 a couple of years ago so worth insuring for loss/damage) and delivery within 3-5 days. I created an additional label with my name, reservation date and description of contents ("bastones") so that whoever takes delivery at the hotel knows which guest they belong to. And £15 postage is considerably cheaper than Ryanair's hold baggage charge!

I had planned to post them back home from SDC at the end, but am heartened to see they can go in the hold free of charge on the return flight.

 

[siúlóirí MC]

Hi I posted 2 pair of poles to hotel in Puente la Reina last Friday and they arrived 4 days later. I checked with hotel first and they emailed me when they arrived. Cost €14.50 to post from Ireland. Thanks for all the advice.