Frequently Asked Questions - F.A.Q.

The signposting on the walking itinerary from the Great St. Bernard Pass or from Montgenèvre Pass and Mont Cenis to Rome is good but not always perfect. For example, on stretches between fields in the Po Valley, the signs can be accidentally removed by farmers during agricultural work. Other critical sections are the crossings of cities, where the markers are sometimes periodically removed from the pylons during cleaning operations. We therefore recommend that you use the official App or the printed guide to help you find your way in case of difficulty.

Signposting is bi-directional only in a few short sections. In Italy only from the Great St. Bernard Pass to Piverone.

Even the official guidebook only describes the route in a north-south direction. If you have to walk the Via Francigena in a northerly direction, we recommend that you use the App for orientation. 

Yes, you just need to choose your departure and arrival points appropriately among the stages best served by public transport. Visit the section dedicated to this topic.

The pedestrian route is very complex, consisting of a mixture of minor roads, dirt roads and paths. As far as accessibility by persons with reduced mobility in wheelchairs is concerned, the pedestrian route is not accessible except for a few stretches. The CicloVia Francigena, with some modifications to the route in the more uneven stretches, can be travelled for the most part with an off-road wheelchair, but it is necessary to check the accessibility of the individual accommodations since there is no organised list of accessible structures. As far as visual handicaps are concerned, the route is accessible for blind or visually impaired people with an experienced guide. For other disabilities, the route and the characteristics of the accommodation must be carefully assessed.

The route is rather complex: in some sections it involves crossing busy roads, in others you have to walk on the edge of the road, although generally on minor roads; these sections are therefore not recommended as they are risky for children, especially if they are in large groups. It is therefore advisable to study the route well in order to choose stretches on country roads or paths. We therefore refer you to the section of the website with maps of the entire route, organised stage by stage.

The route, which is largely immersed in a natural landscape, would lend itself to travelling with your trusty friends, but not all accommodation facilities allow dogs. We recommend that you contact the managers in advance to find out about the accessibility constraints of each facility.

It is not easy to travel on horseback along the route, mainly due to the lack of equipped facilities. It is therefore necessary to plan the trip carefully, to ensure the animal’s well-being along the way, checking the services available from tour operators. An invaluable testimony for lovers of travel on horseback is the story by Arianna Corradi, “Quel sogno di partire a cavallo” (Equitare edizioni), in which the author recounts the journey she made on horseback in 2009, starting from the Susa Valley and arriving in Canterbury.

Winter is not the most advisable season, both for the climatic conditions and the itinerary practicability and the availability of services along the way. It is therefore necessary to carefully plan your travel, informing yourself about the viability of the path and the opening times of accommodation. Ask about the structure heating system: most of the refuges are not heated. It is advisable to contact the structures in advance to get this kind of information. We also remind you that the Great San Bernard pass is only open in Summer, from the beginning of June to the beginning of September.

From mid-October to the end of May, it is not possible to walk over the Great St Bernard Pass, which is only accessible in the summer months (generally from the beginning of June to the beginning of October). We recommend that you contact the Great St. Bernard Hospice for information on accessibility and overnight accommodation.