When I began planning my spring 2025 trek on the Via Francigena, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect.
Was this European pilgrimage going to be like the Camino de Santiago routes in Spain? Could I stop wherever I got tired each day, or was I limited to certain towns? Were there ample pilgrim amenities along the route? Should I make reservations for each night, and if so, how far in advance?
In the end, I stuck fairly close to the pre-set stages in my guidebook (Walking the Via Francigena Part 3: Lucca to Rome by Cicerone Guides). I began in Lucca and ended in Rome 17 days later. This allowed me to hike at a manageable pace of 25.3 kilometers (15.7 miles) per day, but I also had several days that were much shorter or longer, too.
The table below contains my mileage for each day of this hike, the locations where I stopped each night, and some basic information about my lodging. Further below, I’ve also added a few fun metrics about my walk.
| Day | End Point | Distance hiked (km) | Distance hiked (mi) | Lodging Type | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Altopascio | 18.5 km | 11.5 miles | Hotel | €66 |
| 2 | San Miniato | 32.1 km | 20.1 miles | Pilgrim hostel | €20 |
| 3 | Gambassi Terme | 24.6 km | 15.6 miles | Guesthouse | €25 |
| 4 | Colle di Val D’Elsa | 28.8 km | 17.9 miles | Local Inn | €60 |
| 5 | Sienna | 37.4 km | 23.2 miles | Guesthouse | €63 |
| 6 | Ponte d’Arbia | 27.2 km | 17 miles | Pilgrim Hostel | €20 |
| 7 | San Quirico de Orcia | 27 km | 16.9 miles | Pilgrim Hostel | €22 |
| 8 | Radicofani | 34.7 km | 21.5 miles | Cottage | €66 |
| 9 | Acquapendente | 15.3 km | 9.3 miles | Guesthouse | €66 |
| 10 | Bolsena | 23.6 km | 14.6 miles | Hotel | €78 |
| 11 | Montefiascone | 18.4 km | 11.5 miles | Monastery | €32 |
| 12 | Viterbo | 20.3 km | 12.6 miles | Pilgrim Hostel | €25 |
| 13 | Ventralla | 21.3 km | 13.2 miles | Monstery | €36 |
| 14 | Sutri | 25.3 km | 15.8 miles | Guesthouse | €76 |
| 15 | Campagnano di Roma | 32,2 km | 18.9 miles | Pilgrim Hostel | €20 |
| 16 | La Storta | 24.5 km | 15.3 miles | Guesthouse | €65 |
| 17 | Rome | 23.5 km | 14.5 mile | Apartment | €66 |
Odds & Ends
As you look at my 17-day itinerary on the Via Francigena, you’ll notice several interesting trends about how I hiked through this part of Italy.
My daily distances on the Via Francigena were all over the map:
- My overall mileage average was 15.7 miles/day.
- However, my mileage dropped significantly during the second half of my trek. This occurred because I deliberately slowed my pace after the Pope’s death to avoid arriving in Rome on the same day as this funeral.
- I walked 23.2 miles on my longest day (Day 5) heading into Siena.
- Day 5 was also my second consecutive day of super heavy rain. The combination of my ambitious distance goal and the rain resulted in some ugly blisters forming on my feet, too.
- Day 9 was my shortest day, where I only walked 9.3 miles. I took the bus the remaining distance to Acquapendente (as recommended) to avoid walking on a busy highway without any shoulder for pedestrians.
- I hiked 20+ miles on 3 different days – or 18% of my hike.
- I hiked 15-20 miles on 8 days of my hike – or 44% of my hike.
- I have to make two detours for closed sections of the Via Frangicena – once for construction that demolished the pedestrian route, and the second time for a bridge that washed out on the Elsa River.
- I also missed out on the epic outdoor funicular elevator into San Miniato because it was out of order.
Lodging on the Via Francigena was roughly 2.5 to 3 times the cost of my typical walk on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Italy’s network of pilgrim hostels is far less robust than Spain’s, which meant I often incurred the cost of staying in a private room in a local accommodation.
- My most expensive night of lodging cost €78 (a hotel in Bolsena on Easter)
- My most affordable night cost €20.
- I stayed 5 nights in dorm-style hostels (ostelli or hospitales) and 2 nights in Benedictine monasteries.
- The remaining 10 nights included 6 nights in a guesthouse or cottage, 3 nights in small hotels/inns, and 1 night in an apartment in Rome (AirBnB style).
- I accidentally got locked inside one bathroom at the monastery in Montefiascione, and then had to be rescued by a fellow pilgrim and an Ecuadorian nun.
- I found my lodging using a combination of methods: my guidebook, the accommodation lists on the Via Francigena website, and Booking.com.
- I made reservations for 100% of my stays, though this coordination was often just an email or text on WhatsApp to the hostel or monastery.
Other items unique to my Italian pilgrimage include the following:
- My trek coincided with three official holidays: Easter, Easter Monday (bank holiday), and Italian Liberation Day.
- I was in Italy for two major religious events: Easter and the Pope’s funeral.
- I was also hiking to Rome during the Jubileo 2025 (holy year)
- My favorite towns to explore on the Via Francigena were Siena and Lake Bolsena.
- I met pilgrims from 8 different nations, with the vast majority hailing from Italy or France.
- I met a French couple (Andreas & Catherine) on day 6 of my trek, and then continued to meet up to share a meal or coffee with them each day for the next 11 days.
