(First published June 2016, last updated July 2025)
Choosing whether to carry your possessions with you or have your luggage transferred ahead each day is a contentious issue for many walkers. Having done both, the convenience of setting out each morning carrying only a light daypack is something I appreciate.
Luggage transfers are available and easily organised through several companies in France (although not all walks are covered, unfortunately).
Bags will need to be clearly labelled and left in the foyer by 8am. They will be delivered to your next destination before 6pm (usually much earlier), but if you have a short day of walking planned, be aware that you may arrive well before your luggage.
The more popular walks are covered by several companies. Of those listed here, I have used La Malle Postale and Transports Claudine and can thoroughly recommend both. La Malle Postale (who I have used on the Chemin de Saint-Jacques, the Chemin de Stevenson and l’Échappée Jurassienne) have continued to expand their services and now cover parts of the coast of Brittany and many other walks throughout France.
Luggage transfer services along the Midi and Burgundy canals are typically aimed at cyclists and the cost, when applied to the shorter stages planned by walkers, can be high. If costs are prohibitive, it may be more economic to use a taxi (see note below).
For the walks covered on this website, luggage transfer is available from the following companies:
La Malle Postale (Le Puy-en-Velay to Aire-sur-l’Adour)
Transport du Levant (Le Puy-en-Velay to Figeac)
Taxi Lample (Le Puy-en-Velay to Moissac)
Transports Claudine (Figeac to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port)
Les Valises de Saint-Jacques (Moissac to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port)
La Malle Postale (Le Puy-en-Velay to Alès)
Balades Cévenoles (Le Puy-en-Velay to Alès)
La Malle Postale (Camaret-sur-Mer to Audierne)
Rêve de Vélo (Toulouse to Carcassonne)
Le Porte Baggages (Migennes to Saint-Jean-de-Losne)
Despite searching high and low, I have not been able to find a company that I feel comfortable recommending for this walk.
In areas where no transfer service has been available, I have sometimes used a taxi to have my luggage transferred. The cost for a stage of around twenty kilometres (or one day’s walk) was between 40 and 45 euros. If you are walking alone this can be prohibitive, but if shared among a few friends, the cost becomes more reasonable. (It is customary in France to spend Sunday with family, and taxis can be notoriously difficult to find and eye-wateringly expensive at this time.)
Important to note: If you are having your luggage transferred, you’ll need to know where you’d like your bags dropped. All transfer companies advise booking at least one day in advance which allows your schedule to remain fairly loose, but they also point out the transfer vans fill up fast during the peak summer months and on rainy days. They advise against leaving your booking until the last minute.
Luggage transfer companies generally do not collect and deliver to accommodation that does not provide a secure place to leave luggage. If you book accommodation through a hotel booking website that provides access remotely via a code, you may need to make arrangements to have your bags delivered elsewhere.
Many more practical tips for long-distance walking
