Month: February 2023

The well-established collaboration between the European Association of the Via Francigena ways and FlixBus was created to offer pilgrims of the Via Francigena the possibility of travelling in a simple and green manner, facilitating their trip before and after the walk or cycle. Thanks to our partner, you can ask for a 10% discount on all journeys operated by FlixBus, and thus reach the beginning of the trail at the most strategic point for you to undertake the pilgrimage on foot or by bicycle.

How to take advantage of this discount? You only need to be in possession of the official credential of the Via Francigena, the ‘pilgrim’s passport’, an essential document with which you may access all facilities along the route.

The discount is also valid during the winter season: together with partner FlixBus, we promote a ‘4-season slow tourism‘ that has no limitations due to timing and so-called tourist seasons.

Click here to discover all the advantages (and our tips) for exploring the Via Francigena even in winter.

An increasingly sustainable journey for new travelers

The results from year 2022, collected by EAVF through the purchased credentials during the year, highlight some important growth trends for the Via Francigena. It is very interesting to note that the average age of pilgrims setting out on the route is getting younger and younger, with a sharp increase in ramblers aged between 25 and 34 (22%). There is also an increasing number of people coming from all over the world, reaching the Via Francigena from 40 different nationalities.

See all 2022 data

FlixBus, in cooperation with EAVF, therefore plays a key role in the creation of a comprehensive service that satisfies travelers and tourists from all continents. The company has a special focus on those travelling on foot or by bicycle, and is increasingly highlighting slow, responsible and sustainable tourism. Offering an integrated solution for moving along the trail in all seasons, the popular green buses support tourism in all the territories crossed by the itinerary, making them easily accessible. This is a great solution to reach the first stage of your route or to return home at the end of your trip, even when carrying your bike!

Find out more about the partnership by clicking here

The European Association of the Via Francigena ways engaged in a partnership with AllTrails, the application launched in 2010 entirely dedicated to outdoor enthusiasts.

Thanks to the App, hikers and cyclists of all kinds can safely consult the Via Francigena route on Android or iOS: all trails are verified by experts and reviewed by the global community!

Click here to download AllTrails on Android or iOS

AllTrails and Via Francigena united by their passion for outdoor activity and sustainability

In AllTrails there are more than 300,000 trails located in over 100 countries, accompanied by hand-curated maps in which every detail is fine-tuned to provide you with all the information you need to undertake your route. Maps are generated via GPS thanks to user input and then verified by the company’s team. From the ‘Explore’ section, you can take a look at places and trails in the area where you live, as well as destinations to visit. All this is accompanied by photos, information on altitude difference and road surface, weather, and many comments from users who have travelled on the same route. In addition, selected options make it possible to take your choices and understand whether the routes are suitable in terms of time, length, presence of natural or cultural points of interest such as lakes or waterfalls, as well as their accessibility, as this short video shows.

AllTrails and AEVF share the desire to make the Via Francigena an inclusive and truly sustainable route: the App, besides being an inclusive tool, has an environmentalist vocation. As stated on the homepage, AllTrails is a member of One Percent for the Planet with which it donates 1% of its annual revenue to benefit organisations working for sustainability.

AllTrails personalises and shares your trip along the Via Francigena!

Within the AllTrails App, you can record and download the Via Francigena route even in offline mode, entering details on modes and timing, publishing photos, and mapping routes and their variants. In addition, you can insert customised alerts which are useful, for example, for birdwatchers or cyclists.

A community of over 45 million users interacts in real time through the App, exchanging tips and updates on the route, weather conditions and, why not, arranging to walk parts of the route together!

The path tracks are available directly in the AllTrails application. Alternatively, in the ‘Route’ section of our website, you can download GPX tracks which can then be imported into the AllTrails platform for viewing.

Click here to download AllTrails on Android or iOS

The EAVF relaunches the “International Via Francigena Award“, which collects and provides value to the best practices for the development of this Cultural Route of the Council of Europe along the territories it crosses.

Members and Friends of EAVF are invited to submit their candidature by 10 March 2023 concerning various themes enhancing the development of the Via Francigena: from slow tourism and sustainable development, to accessibility, the enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, art and entertainment, youth and culture.

The 3 winning best practices will be awarded and publicly presented at the next AEVF General Assembly scheduled in Calais, Hauts-de-France (France), next Friday 26 May.

To participate, simply fill the form by clicking here.

A maximum of one application can be sent for each of the 5 proposed themes, relating to activities carried out on participant’s competent territory in the period from 1.01.2021 to 31.12.2022. A maximum of 5 forms can therefore be sent.

The collection of best practices will constitute an important international database available to all Members and Friends of the Via Francigena, as well as available on this website in a special section under construction.