The walking journal
Where can you refill your bottle after St Peter’s? Which way do you turn at Triacastela? Find ideas for your next walk, from the first train to the last mile.
From the walking journal
Heritage and hospitality
Luggage storage near Santiago Cathedral
Find the Correos luggage storage office near Santiago Cathedral, plan around winter collection hours and keep the right receipt to get your pack back.
Pilgrimage history
The rooster and hen of Santo Domingo
Why does Santo Domingo de la Calzada keep chickens in its cathedral? The Camino Francés legend begins with a silver cup and ends at the judge’s table.
Pilgrimage history
Roland at Roncesvalles: history and legend
Who attacked Charlemagne’s army in 778, and where does Roland’s horn enter the story? Read the evidence behind the Camino Francés crossing.
Pilgrimage history
Via Francigena: Sigeric’s 79 stops
Why does Sigeric’s itinerary start in Rome if he set out from Canterbury? Read the manuscript behind the Via Francigena and its curious missing number.
Pilgrimage history
Why is it called the Via degli Dei?
Read the names on the Bologna–Florence walking map, meet the hikers who joined them up and see why the identification of the Roman paving is debated.
Pilgrimage history
Why does the English Way begin in Galicia?
Two Galician ports, a lost hospital on a bridge and a gift from the Isle of Wight explain the maritime history of the Camino Inglés.
Camino de Santiago
The winter way to Roncesvalles via Valcarlos
Walking from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles this winter? Find the Valcarlos route, see where the climb starts and decide where to spend the night.
Maps and navigation
Don Guanella: where does stage one end?
Walking from Campodolcino to Gallivaggio or San Giacomo Filippo? Match the route map to your first night's stop before you book.
Maps and navigation
Itri–Gaeta and Gaeta–Minturno: map and km
The route association gives 15.8 km from Itri to Gaeta and 28.1 km from Gaeta via Formia to Minturnae. See where each day ends on the map.
Maps and navigation
Via del Mare: the track from Lecce to San Foca
Walk the 25 km Via del Mare stage from Lecce to San Foca via Merine and Acaya. Find the stage map in AppyPilgrim and follow the right branch out of Lecce.
Kit and life on the trail
How to pack out picnic waste in Gran Paradiso
What happens to the banana skin after a picnic in Gran Paradiso? Leave a little room in your pack for the walk back down.
Camino de Santiago
Triacastela to Sarria via San Xil or Samos?
San Xil is the shorter walk to Sarria. Samos takes you past a monastery. Here’s what each choice means for your day.
Kit and life on the trail
Where to refill your water bottle in Rome
Walking from St Peter’s towards Castel Sant’Angelo? Look for the curved spout of a Roman drinking fountain to refill your bottle.
Maps and navigation
Reading elevation on the Swiss Via Francigena
Would you rather walk 22 km by the lake or climb for 14? Two Swiss Via Francigena stages make the choice surprisingly clear.
Rail and accessible travel
From Pisa Airport to the train for Lucca
Flying into Pisa to walk from Lucca? Change at Pisa Centrale, with a little time between the airport shuttle and your train.
Heritage and hospitality
Siena’s Pilgrims’ Hall on the Via Francigena
Across from Siena Cathedral, the frescoes in the Pilgrims’ Hall tell the story of the people who fed and sheltered travellers.
Camino de Santiago
English Way: start in Ferrol or A Coruña?
Ferrol or A Coruña? Both branches of the Camino Inglés meet at Bruma, but they give you quite different first days.
Kit and life on the trail
Which shoes for the Cinque Terre trails?
Will the shoes you wore on the train work for the Cinque Terre trails? Turn one over before you set off.
Maps and navigation
How to read a British grid reference
“Meet you at the bridge” works better if you both know which end. Here’s how to share a British grid reference on a walk.
Rail and accessible travel
Trenitalia: changing your regional train time
Still on the trail with a regional train to catch? Your ticket type and its scheduled departure tell you how long you have to change it.
Heritage and hospitality
Oropa: the basilicas or the Sacro Monte?
At Oropa, spend time in the basilicas or walk on to the twelve chapels. Your bus back to Biella can help you choose.
Camino de Santiago
Where the Portuguese Ways meet in Redondela
One friend wants the coast, the other wants to walk through Tui. Redondela is where the two Portuguese Ways meet.
Kit and life on the trail
What to pack for Galicia’s pilgrim hostels
Sheets, saucepans and somewhere to dry your socks. A few details about Galicia’s public albergues make packing much easier.
Maps and navigation
Via Francigena at Sutri: stage or 7A variant?
The walk from Sutri to Campagnano is 23.8 km. If your phone shows just seven, take a closer look at the end of the 7A track.
Rail and accessible travel
Florence SMN: an accessible train change
Changing trains at Firenze Santa Maria Novella? Have both train numbers handy when you ask about step-free access or boarding assistance.
Heritage and hospitality
Donation-based hostels on the Via Francigena
A pilgrim house, a bed for the night and a donation. Here’s what to ask your host before a stop on the Via Francigena.
Camino de Santiago
Camino stamps when walking in sections
Coming back to the Camino after a break? The first stamp of your next trip matters just as much as the last one you collected.
Kit and life on the trail
Testing your backpack before the Camino
Try your Santiago pack on a walk close to home. Bring lunch and a full water bottle, then see how easily you can reach your jacket.
Maps and navigation
Offline maps for the Swiss Via Francigena
Your trail is saved, but can you find tonight’s front door? Try this offline map check before a Swiss Via Francigena stage.
Rail and accessible travel
Lucca to Altopascio on foot and back by train
Walk 18.6 km from Lucca to Altopascio, with a station at each end for a day on the Tuscan Via Francigena.
Heritage and hospitality
Santiago: visiting the Pórtico de la Gloria
Arriving on Obradoiro with your pack? A visit to the Pórtico de la Gloria has its own entrance and time slot.
Camino de Santiago
Sarria to Portomarín on your first day
From Sarria it’s 22 km, a bridge over the Miño and one last flight of steps. Here’s where to catch your breath along the way.
Plan your walking trip
How to choose a walking route: stages, days and ascent
How many days can you actually spend walking? Start there, then choose stages that leave you time to stop along the way.
How to plan a walking trip by train and bus
Two different stations, a last bus and a backpack. Fit the journeys out and home around the days you want to spend walking.
Oropa without a car: Santhià and Biella
Step off the train in Santhià, walk four stages to Oropa and head home through Biella. Leave a little time for the sanctuary, too.
Trenitalia to Assisi: the station and the trail
Where to change from the regional train to the Assisi Link bus and when to search for Assisi Centro.
Italo: returning to Bologna after the Via degli Dei
Plan the train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Bologna Centrale after the last walking stage.
Itabus between Bologna and Florence: which stop?
Compare Villa Costanza, Montelungo and Guidoni before choosing a coach for your walking trip.
Terravision: Rome Termini to Fiumicino after the walk
Find the airport coach at Roma Termini and allow for the transfer from the end of the Via Francigena.