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Credential

Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Will arrive in Leon on Sept 7th and need to get my credential, can it be sent to my accommodation in Leon or where is one available?
You can order one from the Canadian Company of Pilgrims.

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In León you can pick one up at the Albergue del Convento de las Carbajalas

 
I have gotten a credential in Leon, several times, at the Benedictine Monasterio de Santa Maria de Carbajal, located in a nice square not far from the Cathedral.
I have also stayed several times at the Albergue San Francisco de Asis on avenue Alcate Miguel Castaños 4, which is a modern university dorm just outside the medieval walls that has private and small dorm rooms for pilgrims at a reasonable price. Very friendly staff.
 
Usually, the inside cover of the credencial has a place for you to neatly print your name as you want it to appear on the Compostela, the date that you start (which will also be printed on your first stamp), and if you are walking, bicycling, horse.

If you lose your credencial along the camino, having that information can sometimes help a finder return it to you. I also included a cell phone number in pencil, but many folks might be concerned about doing the same thing.

When you reach Santiago de Compostela, having that information already printed speeds things up for the volunteer helping you with your Compostela at the Pilgrim Office.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
When I finally get to walk my first camino, it's easy to imagine that I might get more stamps than required. Plus, I would only want to use one side of the credential in order to frame and hang it on the wall. How easy is it to get additional credentials along the camino francés? Do most churches and albergues carry them? Would it be better to use two credentials: one to use for the compostela and a separate one for souvenir stamps?
Thank you,
Bob
 
When I finally get to walk my first camino, it's easy to imagine that I might get more stamps than required. Plus, I would only want to use one side of the credential in order to frame and hang it on the wall. How easy is it to get additional credentials along the camino francés? Do most churches and albergues carry them? Would it be better to use two credentials: one to use for the compostela and a separate one for souvenir stamps?
Thank you,
Bob
I think in larger cities you could probably find them at churches or possibly alburges, I also know for a fact some smaller places won’t have them —I knew I would fill several credentials so bought several before I left and carried them all with me so I wouldn’t have to waste time trying to find one on the road,or hang around waiting for a church or albergue to open.

personally I wouldn’t keep one for the compostella and a separate one for souvenirs—if I did that I’d probably mix them up and get stamps in the wrong one—YMMV. They weren’t doing mileage certificates when I walked so the volunteer at the pilgrims office really only looked at the last 100 km on mine (essentially Lugo to SdC) but now with the mileage certificate I imagine they look at the start as well—

Buen Camino!
 
When I finally get to walk my first camino, it's easy to imagine that I might get more stamps than required. Plus, I would only want to use one side of the credential in order to frame and hang it on the wall. How easy is it to get additional credentials along the camino francés? Do most churches and albergues carry them? Would it be better to use two credentials: one to use for the compostela and a separate one for souvenir stamps?
Thank you,
Bob

There are various branches of ‘amigos’ of the Camino (Leon for example) who are always pleased to welcome peregrinos and often have their own credencial.

Larger albergues often have them, as do cathedrals en-route. I’ve also seen them in some bars.

you can extend the credencial yourself, or tape several together (one of my complete CF credencials is eight feet long).

you might collect souvenirs stamps in a journal?
 
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On my last Camino Frances, I needed to pick up a couple of second credencials in Leon for me and my son as it was becoming obvious that the ones we had started with were going to be full well before Santiago. I got them at the content of Santa Maria de Carbajal, where they also operated an albergue.
 
On my last Camino Frances, I needed to pick up a couple of second credencials in Leon for me and my son as it was becoming obvious that the ones we had started with were going to be full well before Santiago. I got them at the content of Santa Maria de Carbajal, where they also operated an albergue.
And for those who will do the Camino del Salvador they also have the special credentials for the Salvador at Santa María de Carbajal.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I think in larger cities you could probably find them at churches or possibly alburges, I also know for a fact some smaller places won’t have them —I knew I would fill several credentials so bought several before I left and carried them all with me so I wouldn’t have to waste time trying to find one on the road,or hang around waiting for a church or albergue to open.

personally I wouldn’t keep one for the compostella and a separate one for souvenirs—if I did that I’d probably mix them up and get stamps in the wrong one—YMMV. They weren’t doing mileage certificates when I walked so the volunteer at the pilgrims office really only looked at the last 100 km on mine (essentially Lugo to SdC) but now with the mileage certificate I imagine they look at the start as well—

Buen Camino!
Thank you, Smallest_Sparrow, for the strategy of purchasing several credencials at the beginning. I was afraid that pilgrims could only buy one at a time. I still hope to walk from SJPdP. It's nice to know that I could start with two or three credencials. I also liked your comment about mixing up a souvenir credencial with the official camino credencial. If there is any way to mix them up, I can assure you that I would be the one.
Bob
 
you can extend the credencial yourself, or tape several together (one of my complete CF credencials is eight feet long).
Thank you, henrythedog. Eight feet!!! I can't imagine getting something that long framed! Even if I could, I wouldn't be able to get it in the car to get it home! But if I could, it would look fabulous on the wall. What a conversation piece! But if not, splitting it into two four foot long items in one frame would also work, just not as cool as one document eight feet long! Did you frame that monster?
Bob
 
Thank you, henrythedog. Eight feet!!! I can't imagine getting something that long framed! Even if I could, I wouldn't be able to get it in the car to get it home! But if I could, it would look fabulous on the wall. What a conversation piece! But if not, splitting it into two four foot long items in one frame would also work, just not as cool as one document eight feet long! Did you frame that monster?
Bob
No! It’s just sat in a file along with a bunch of others. Having collected a few compostellas several years ago, the credentials are my favourite souvenir of various caminos, and partial caminos. I get a stamp pretty much everywhere I stop for a drink or snack, together with the churches, cathedrals, universities and (after much negotiation) an embassy.

When possible I get a duplicate stamp in the journal I keep for each trip which I annotate, illustrate and to which add ephemera such as receipts, tickets, wine labels and so on.

I did meet a chap in El Acebo in 2015 who basically lived on the Camino and had a truly massive continuous credential which he kept in a leather pouch.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
No! It’s just sat in a file along with a bunch of others. Having collected a few compostellas several years ago, the credentials are my favourite souvenir of various caminos, and partial caminos. I get a stamp pretty much everywhere I stop for a drink or snack, together with the churches, cathedrals, universities and (after much negotiation) an embassy.

When possible I get a duplicate stamp in the journal I keep for each trip which I annotate, illustrate and to which add ephemera such as receipts, tickets, wine labels and so on.

I did meet a chap in El Acebo in 2015 who basically lived on the Camino and had a truly massive continuous credential which he kept in a leather pouch.
The advantage of keeping the credencial in a file instead of framed on the wall is that it helps the sellos to last. On the wall, some can get sun bleached pretty quickly. After our 2016 Camino we had our credenciales framed and some of the stamps are now pretty much completely gone. If anyone is going to frame their credencial, I would recommend photographing it first.
 

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Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
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