The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
mercalia
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The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by mercalia »

Any one ridden it or walked it? seems like some do cycle it or parts


"Sections of the way, which can be enjoyed on foot, horseback or bicycle, remain popular with pilgrims (some 30,000 walked it in 2014) and nature enthusiasts."



http://www.thelocal.it/20170211/unesco-bid-for-italy-leg-of-canterbury-rome-pilgrims-path
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Sweep
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by Sweep »

Maps and books for it are available to browse in stanfords, not a million miles from you mercalia.

There is also a fair amount of stuff online, including gox trails.

Not ridden it myself.

Have plans to, though in practice I tbink I will end up adapting it, wifh Rome as the targst.
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mercalia
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by mercalia »

Sweep wrote:Maps and books for it are available to browse in stanfords, not a million miles from you mercalia.

There is also a fair amount of stuff online, including gox trails.

Not ridden it myself.

Have plans to, though in practice I tbink I will end up adapting it, wifh Rome as the targst.


what on earth are gox tails?
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meic
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by meic »

I am thinking of doing a bit of it at Easter. It carries on past Rome to Brindisi.
It will be Eurovelo5 or it is Eurovelo5 except large chunks are missing.
I will be lucky to reach Strasbourg before I have to turn around and come home.
I should reach Luxembourg easily enough.
I have spent some time trying to piece together the existing bits of EV5 to make a route starting in Calais.
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Sweep
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by Sweep »

mercalia wrote:
Sweep wrote:Maps and books for it are available to browse in stanfords, not a million miles from you mercalia.

There is also a fair amount of stuff online, including gox trails.

Not ridden it myself.

Have plans to, though in practice I tbink I will end up adapting it, wifh Rome as the targst.


what on earth are gox tails?


Sorry mercalia, a typo, but you put another one in your response when quoting me :)

Gpx trails.
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nirakaro
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by nirakaro »

Yes, I rode it – approximately, sticking to the nearest bit of tarmac – in 2006, not religiously, but just as the shortest way from England to Rome. Nice enough, but I found the line from Calais to Besancon to be one of the less inspiring parts of France. In Switzerland I needed to detour over the Simplon pass as the Great St Bernard was still closed (end of May). It's certainly got a lot more popular if 30,000 people a year are using it – I think I spotted two, maybe three 'pilgrims' the whole way.
mercalia
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by mercalia »

wow I wasnt expecting any asnwer to this :shock:
nez
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by nez »

id love to do this. Maybe have a read of hilaire belloc?


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papjordan
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by papjordan »

My wife and I did this in Aug Sept of 2014 after we retired. It was a great experience. I recommend that you join the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome so that you are able to stay in pilgrim accommodation such as monasteries etc. The route I followed was based on the walking route with a few modifications. At the time we did it we the route was certainly not crowded with perhaps just a dozen ending their journey in Rome on the day we arrived. We were able to stay as guests in a convent near the Vatican for 2 nights upon our arrival which was a great privilege. Meeting interesting characters on such a journey is unavoidable. I recommend it.

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Sweep
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by Sweep »

mercalia wrote:wow I wasnt expecting any asnwer to this :shock:

It's increasingly popular mercalia.

A bunch of folk who have walked it/plan to walk it used to meet a couple of times a year at St James Church on Picadilly, London.

There's an email group for it as well - can post details if you are interested - though it is heavily walker focussed.
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foxyrider
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by foxyrider »

TBH only heard of it this week, in a book I was reading!
Sounds like a good basis for a trip :D
Convention? what's that then?
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honesty
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by honesty »

My parents used to drive to Italy every year when we were kids and to reduce motorway tolls we ended up pretty much following this route across France to Switzerland. Always wanted to give cycling it a go as I have very fond memories of the Marne river and the towns we used to drive through. There does seem to be an offroad cycle track along most of the river there as well.
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by lgstrickland »

Hello.. I am new to this forum. I am from the US, planning to travel to England to begin the Via Francigena in Canterbury. I will be cycling the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Lausanne, and there I hope to continue to foot. Does anyone know of any companies or shops that rent bikes for a one way trek such as mine? If not, can anyone recommend where I could buy a good used bike in Canterbury (hopefully from a shop who can make sure it will make it?) Or, perhaps recommend a good place where I could buy a new bike that is not too expensive. If I have to purchase a bike, new or used, I will donate it when I get to Lausanne.

Any ideas would be helpful. Planning on making this trek beginning in August.

Linda
mercalia
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by mercalia »

My comment is would it be too hot at that time of year?
nirakaro
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Re: The Francigena Way :Canterbury-Rome pilgrim's path

Post by nirakaro »

I don't think it'll be really hot until he gets down into Italy. By then he'll have cycled five or six hundred miles, and walked a hundred and fifty, so it might be getting into September – nice time of year.
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