Collecting Sellos in France?

[Sue M]

Does the Credential apply only from St. Jean Pied de Port, or are sellos collected as far back as Le Puy? If so, are credentials issued there too?

 

[Kitsambler]

You can pick up a credential at the Le Puy cathedral shop, or from your national pilgrim association. It's not a requirement in France, however - except possibly in the gites municipal. Almost all lodgings will have a stamp; some churches (especially the ones dedicated to St Roch or St Jacques, or the cathedrals in larger towns); generally not restaurants unless they also have a lodging. The word for stamp in French is le tampon: Je voudrais un tampon s'il vous plaît.

 

[scruffy1]

The credencial sold at the Cathedral is especially beautiful but the shop does keep some strange hours-you will be raring to go out and hit the Chemin and would be sorry to spend another day in Le Puy only because the shop was closed you had not been able to purchase there your credencial-get one before leaving. The French credencial will be full well before arriving in Santiago so you will need two in any case, together they make a grand impression whenever shown. You will also own a sort of souvenir book recording when and where you were often just as nice as a picture album or Picasa also easier to enjoy.

 

[JabbaPapa]

It's not a requirement in France, however

Untrue, even though from a certain point of view only the sellos over the final 100 KM from Sarria or thereabouts are a "requirement".

They are an absolute necessity if you're walking anywhere far away from the principal routes to be be able to justify yourself as a pilgrim (unless your finances are such that this is no big deal) ; and as the French Camino gets more and more populated they're starting to become a necessity to obtain assistance in some places where some have started to abuse the system, as they do in Spain.

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Bottom line : There is NO reason NOT to collect sellos on the French routes. Do it. If you're worried about not enough space on your credencial, just buy 2 or 3 instead of just 1, and use some glue to stick them together to make a single, larger credencial.

 

[David]

all above is true - and, I found that tourist offices always had a stamp.

Incidentally - walking in France is quite wonderful!

Buen Camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am casual about stamps in France (five pilgrimages), and no one has asked about where I have stayed previous nights. Gîtes have required the creancial for admittance. I would say there is no requirement for the tampons. They are a great souvenir! you will get some strange looks when you ask for a stamp in bars and restaurants, and even hotels, but they usually will dig through a drawer for the mail return address stamp!