Walk Via Francigena guides

The 90 stage pages describe each day. These guides answer the questions that come before you pick a day — which part of 2,200 km to walk, how long it takes, what the credential is for, and when to go — and they link you to the exact stages they mean.

Planning

Best Time to Walk the Via Francigena, Section by SectionWhen to walk each part of the Via Francigena from the best-months data on 90 stages: April–October overall, June–September for the Alps, spring and autumn in Italy.Updated 2026-10-18 What the Via Francigena Costs — Lodging, Food and TransportVia Francigena costs by lodging type — ostello, donativo, gîte, B&B, hotel — with the Confraternity's bands by country, food and transport habits, and what is free.Updated 2026-10-18 The Via Francigena Credential and the TestimoniumWhat the pilgrim credential is, where to get and stamp it, how St Peter's issues the Testimonium, and which stage the last 100 km starts on — from the stage data.Updated 2026-10-18 How Long Does the Via Francigena Take to Walk?Canterbury to Rome takes about three months at 24 km a day on average. Distances, walking hours and day counts for the whole route and each section, from the stage data.Updated 2026-10-18 Which Section of the Via Francigena Should You Walk?The nine sections of the Via Francigena compared from the stage data — distance, climb, days, character, rail — and which to pick for one week, two weeks or a month.Updated 2026-10-18 Questions pilgrims askThe questions pilgrims and walkers ask most often about the Via Francigena — the route, the seasons, and how to plan it.

Route & stages

Canterbury to Dover on the Via Francigena — A Weekend WalkThe Via Francigena's two English stages as a weekend: Canterbury Cathedral to Shepherdswell to Dover, 31 km from the stage data, with trains and the Calais ferry.Updated 2026-09-06 Cycling the Via Francigena — EuroVelo 5 and the CicloViaCycling the Via Francigena: EuroVelo 5, the 1,000 km CicloVia from the Great St Bernard to Rome, its asphalt share, which bike suits which section, the 200 km rule.Updated 2026-10-18 Crossing the Great St Bernard Pass on the Via FrancigenaThe Via Francigena's Alpine crossing: stages Martigny to Aosta, the hospice at 2,469 m, when the pass road opens and closes, the tunnel bus alternative and what to carry.Updated 2026-10-18 The Hardest Stages of the Via Francigena, Ranked by the DataThe Via Francigena's hardest stages ranked from the stage data by ascent per km and total ascent, why each is hard, and the ten flattest stages for beginners.Updated 2026-10-18 Lucca to Siena on the Via Francigena — Seven Stages, 133 kmThe most-walked week of the Via Francigena: stages 70–76 from Lucca to Siena with distance, climb and hours from the stage data, the towns, water and shade, and trains.Updated 2026-10-18 Siena to Rome on the Via Francigena — 14 Stages to St Peter'sSiena to St Peter's Square is stages 77–90, 278 km, about 72 walking hours: the stage table, where the last 100 km starts, the towns of Tuscia, and trains at both ends.Updated 2026-10-18 All 90 stagesExplore all 90 stages of the Via Francigena — Europe's famous 2,200 km pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. Distance, difficulty, elevation, waypoints, and trail maps.Heritage sites along the wayExplore medieval pilgrimage, Roman and Byzantine archaeological sites along the Via Francigena trail. San Gimignano, Siena, Viterbo, Bolsena, and more.

Where to stay

Ostelli, pilgrim hostels and hotelsWhere pilgrims sleep on the Via Francigena: ostelli, convents, donativo houses and gîtes from Canterbury to Rome — what a credenziale gets you, and the curfews that come with it.Updated 2026-07-27

Safety & conditions

Via Francigena Waymarking and Navigation, Country by CountryHow the Via Francigena is signed in England, France (GR 145), Switzerland and Italy, the official app and the GPX and KML tracks, and where the waymarking is weakest.Updated 2026-10-18

Gear & packing

What to packEssential packing checklist for the Via Francigena — clothing, gear, electronics, first aid, and more organised by category.

Comparisons

Via Francigena or Camino de Santiago? An Honest ComparisonThe Via Francigena and the Camino Francés compared on length, crowds, pilgrim infrastructure, credential rules, cost, seasons, waymarking and solitude.Updated 2026-10-18

How these guides are written

Every guide on Walk Via Francigena is written by our editorial team from the trail database behind this site: the GPX-measured distance, ascent and timings you see on each stage page, the accommodation, transport and heritage records we publish, and the public sources each guide lists. We do not publish entrance fees or ticket prices, because they change too often to be trusted, and we do not invent experiences we have not had.

Each guide shows when it was first published and when it was last reviewed. If you find something that has changed on the ground, tell us — corrections are the most useful thing a reader can send.