Pilgrim passport for Camino Finisterre

[Martin Moorman]

In early August 6-8 members of my family are walking the Camino Finisterre from Santiago in memory of my sister who died tragically last November.
We want to stay in hostels. So 4 quick fire questions which I’d appreciate ANY help on
1) will we need Camino Finisterre stamp credencials in order to stay in any alburgue on route? If so, where is the best place to get these?could we get them in Santiago for instance or are we best getting advance from the Confraternity of St James in London?
2) will we need sleeping bags in August or will a sheet sleeping bag liner suffice? I should imagine it will be hot.
3) 2 of my sisters will be driving back to Toulouse in France where they live. Will they be able to stay overnight in a hostel in Burgos or will they need an official Pilgrim credential in order to do so?
4) are we going to struggle to secure hostel accommodation in August, or is it considered ‘lower season’ as it will likely be hot?

Thanks for any help. I really appreciate it!
Martin

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It will be hot in August, and quite busy. You need a credential to stay in most albergues including the private ones. It is hard to guess if hoteles will be booked in August. I suspect there always will be rooms in the larger cities, but there are not a lot of those on the way to Fisterra. You will not get the completion certificate in Fisterra unless you have complied with their rules. You can get a credential at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago. Ask at the exit desk rather than wait in the two hour line...

 

[Martin Moorman]

It will be hot in August, and quite busy. You need a credential to stay in most albergues including the private ones. It is hard to guess if hoteles will be booked in August. I suspect there always will be rooms in the larger cities, but there are not a lot of those on the way to Fisterra. You will not get the completion certificate in Fisterra unless you have complied with their rules. You can get a credential at the Pilgrim Office in Santiago. Ask at the exit desk rather than wait in the two hour line...

That’s a help. Thanks. Sounds like we can sort credentials when we get there. Good stuff

 

[natefaith]

Hi Martin, you can get the standard credential at the Pilgrim's Office as falcon says above, and at Pilgrim House we have special Finisterre credentials issued by SOLPOR, the association of businesses along the Camino Finisterre and Muxia. If your group wanted to stop by between 11am - 6pm on that Monday or Tuesday, you could pick some up for your walk. Either the credential issued by the Pilgrim's Office, or the one issued by SOLPOR will work.

Enjoy all the planning and Buen Camino!
Faith

 

[Deleted member 67185]

3) 2 of my sisters will be driving back to Toulouse in France where they live. Will they be able to stay overnight in a hostel in Burgos or will they need an official Pilgrim credential in order to do so?

Martin

In my mind, the concern is using the albergues -- intended for those needing a place to stay while on pilgrimage on the Camino -- as a travel hotel. Please give consideration to not doing this, as it removes bed space during a time when bed space may be limited for pilgrims.

I apologize if I misunderstood your post, but I hope this plan is reconsidered if that is the intent.

 

[Rich1]

Hi Martin, you can get the standard credential at the Pilgrim's Office as falcon says above, and at Pilgrim House we have special Finisterre credentials issued by SOLPOR, the association of businesses along the Camino Finisterre and Muxia. If your group wanted to stop by between 11am - 6pm on that Monday or Tuesday, you could pick some up for your walk. Either the credential issued by the Pilgrim's Office, or the one issued by SOLPOR will work.

Enjoy all the planning and Buen Camino!
Faith

And worth visiting Pilgrim House if only for a cup of tea and a chat

 

[trecile]

The Camino between Santiago and Finisterre is no where near as busy as the Camino to Santiago, even in August. And there are plenty of non pilgrim hostels in Burgos.

 

[Tom Vickers]

You can get a credencial for the Fisterra route from the Galicia Tourist Information Office in Rua Vilar. This is not the town Information Office next to Café Suso but the one on the other side of the street closer to the cathedral. This credencial also includes a decent map of the route and much other information.

 

[bbates225]

In my mind, the concern is using the albergues -- intended for those needing a place to stay while on pilgrimage on the Camino -- as a travel hotel. Please give consideration to not doing this, as it removes bed space during a time when bed space may be limited for pilgrims.

I apologize if I misunderstood your post, but I hope this plan is reconsidered if that is the intent.

--------------------------------
He said they were walking and was inquiring about passports... wouldn't that make them pilgrims?

 

[Martin Moorman]

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He said they were walking and was inquiring about passports... wouldn't that make them pilgrims?

Just to confirm both my sisters are walking and will be Pilgrims. As such I would have thought that staying in Burgos overnight as they go back to Toulouse would make them eligible to use a Pilgrim hostel. They will have just completed their first Camino on the same day!

Thanks for the various answers. I’ll purchase out In Santiago as advised

 

[Deleted member 67185]

--------------------------------
He said they were walking and was inquiring about passports... wouldn't that make them pilgrims?

This is the part to which I was responding:

"3) 2 of my sisters will be driving back to Toulouse in France where they live. Will they be able to stay overnight in a hostel in Burgos or will they need an official Pilgrim credential in order to do so? "

To me, it looks like the sisters, while driving home, are looking for an albergue/hostel for overnight accomodation. So, no, I would consider this to be a road trip home.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Just to confirm both my sisters are walking and will be Pilgrims. As such I would have thought that staying in Burgos overnight as they go back to Toulouse would make them eligible to use a Pilgrim hostel. They will have just completed their first Camino on the same day!

I would agree that if one reaches their final Camino destination and at that destination needs a pilgrim albergue to spend the night, then that is still part of the pilgrimage and I see no issue. But, after having reached that destination, if you are getting into a car and driving off for home, then I think that the pilgrimage is over and it is unfair to use facilities that current pilgrims really need after a long day of actively walking or bicycling.

I am not the 'pilgrim police' by any means. This is a forum, and the respectful exchange of a viewpoint is all that I am doing.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I think a fair way of staying in Burgos would be to pick a private albergue that caters to both pilgrims and non-pilgrims. Check Gronze.com.

 

[bbates225]

This is the part to which I was responding:

"3) 2 of my sisters will be driving back to Toulouse in France where they live. Will they be able to stay overnight in a hostel in Burgos or will they need an official Pilgrim credential in order to do so? "

To me, it looks like the sisters, while driving home, are looking for an albergue/hostel for overnight accomodation. So, no, I would consider this to be a road trip home.

You are right... I was thinking of the trip to Finisterre, not the return trip home. My apologies.

 

[Via2010]

Hi,

Question 1: You can obtain the Credencial for the Fisterra-Route at the information desk which is in the same building as the pilgrims office. It ist the one edited by SOLPOR.

Question 2: A Sleeping-Bag-Liner or even a linen blanket will do.

Question 3: As I remember in Burgos they are even reluctant to accomodate pilgrims who want to continue there after having interrupted their journey the previous year. So I would not expect the albergues to offer accomodation to pilgrims returning home by car/train/bus. As you plan your journey back home you can already look for and book cheap accomodation. So there is no need to enter in competition with pilgrims by foot struggling to reach Santiago.

Question 4:
August is rather busy, as most people in southern Europe are on holyday. So in a aroup of 4 it is better to book accomodation (private albergues) in advance. Hotels may be occupied because of weddings and local festivities (St. Mary Ascension, San Rocque ...).

BC
Alexandra

 

[Pedalling Pensioner]

Hi Martin,
Yes, you can get a credencial in the Pilgrim Office in Santiago. You will need it to check into albergues along the way, where you can also get it stamped. You will then be able to show it and collect your Compostelas in both Muxia and Finisterre.
I noticed that you are doing the Camino in memory of your late sister. Here is a suggestion. I have completed the Camino to Muxia five times. One one of those, I also got a credencial in my late daughter Helen’s name. (Helen died when she was nineteen). I got her credencial, together with my own stamped all along the way and collected her Muxiana in Muxia and her Fisterrana in Finisterre to acknowledge that she had been with me along the way. You should do the same for your late sister. When you collect her Compostelas the feeling is just great. Enjoy your Camino.

 

[Pafayac]

Notice that you can get a specific credential for Fisterra/Muxia, e.g. in Seminario Menor.
It is nice because it has drawings of main monuments to see on this Camino:

 

[David Tallan]

Notice that you can get a specific credential for Fisterra/Muxia, e.g. in Seminario Menor.
It is nice because it has drawings of main monuments to see on this Camino:
View attachment 169416

You can also get it in the tourist office in Santiago. I got one on my lsst Camino because I had filled up my regular credenciales. I was trying to get a stamp in each of the places shown, but there was no place with a stamp in Ponte Maceira that was open when I walked through.