The most common question we’ve been asked is if we carried everything on our back for each days hike. The answer is no. We carried only our valuables – passport, money, mobile phones, ipad, massage gun (yes, this was absolutely essential) hydroflasks and a waterproof poncho. Everything else was sent ahead with Jacotrans, a Spanish company who will pick up your bag around 8am each morning (30lb limit) in their van and transport it to your next top. You simply text them the night before via Whatsapp and leave 6-8 Euros, depending in the region, in an envelope attached to their bags. Most albergues and hotels will have the envelopes at reception. Easy-peasy. (jacotrans.es)
We spent several days in Madrid before returning home so we had extra bag of clothes sent from our starting point in St Jean Pied de Port via the French equivalent of Jacotrans, Express Bourricot (expressbouricot.com), who for 70 Euros will take your bag 500 miles across the Camino Frances and store it for up to three months in Santiago. We considered it money very well spent.
