How long is the Via Francigena?

Via Francigena

How long is the Via Francigena? The Via Francigena, or Camino to Rome, covers over 2000kms from Canterbury in the UK to Rome in Italy.

map via francigena in italy
map via Francigena in Italy

This epic trail, following the pilgrimage route taken by Sigeric the Serious, Archbishop of Canterbury, back in the 10th century, crosses regions of spectacular beauty, such as the Alps and Tuscany, as well as cultural and historical landmarks such as the Champagne region and Great War battlefields of Northern France. But how long does it take to complete the Camino to Rome?

You can either walk or cycle the Via Francigena.

lucca-walking-tuscany-via-francigena-francigenawaysWalking the Via Francigena

If you want to walk to Rome, following in Sigeric’s footsteps, it will take you 100 days (99 nights – 98 walking days) to complete the 16 sections with no rest days, walking between 14 and 30kms per day. You also have an option to ‘split’ the longest walking days in two in certain sections, taking you 106 days to complete. For such an epic journey, we recommend taking a rest day at regular intervals (for instance, once per week or at the end of each section).

Cycling the Via Francigena

Cycling will get you to Rome a bit faster. However, we only recommend taking up the challenge if you are a keen cyclist. You can complete the Via Francigena from Canterbury to Rome over 44 days (43 nights – 42 cycling days), cycling between 27 and 73kms per day. At Camino Ways, we have divided the Via Francigena route into eight cycling sections. Some cycling days can also be merged if you feel your cycling skills can handle longer distances, so talk to the team.

The Via Francigena with limited timesan-quirico-dorcia-tuscany-cycling-via-francigena-ways

While you might not be able to walk for 100 days, it doesn’t mean you can’t experience the Via Francigena. We have divided the Camino to Rome into 16 walking sections that can be completed in five to ten days; and eight cycling sections from 6 to 11 days. You can also pick your starting and finishing points and adapt the itinerary to your available time.

Contact our travel specialists for more information about the Via Francigena route or to plan and book your Camino to Rome trip.

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