biloute
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Chemin du Puy & Camino Francés (summer 2014), Chemin du Puy & Camino Francés (possible summer 2019)
I'm planning a through hike of both the Le Puy route and the Camino Francés, possibly for next year. We're hiking and biking more to try and get in shape ahead of time, and I've planned out the route (would take approximately 76 days, including rest days) but it doesn't leave a whole lot of wiggle room if something came up and we weren't able to keep up the pace. We also wouldn't have a lot of time for sight seeing before/after the Camino.
One thing I've thought of it perhaps signing up for a language program in France, getting the attestation for a long stay visa, and then checking in with the authorities in the city where the program is in order to get the permit stamp in our passports. But instead of paying for an expensive language program, we'd go on the Camino instead.
There are a couple of things I'm not sure about:
1. Do you have to have a permanent address in France before going to the authorities? When I studied in Strasbourg years ago it was a different process. The French government has since changed things to make it easier.
2. Is this actually illegal, instead of just sneaky? I wouldn't want to get that dreaded stamp in the passport at the end saying we couldn't return to Europe, or have to pay a big fine.
It would be nice to be able to start in Geneva, actually, but we would have absolutely no wiggle room if we did that. I'd also like to be able to see Cluny. I don't want to skip any stages because I did that before and my husband hasn't even been overseas. We'll probably bike the Meseta portion, renting bikes and panniers and/or sending the packs ahead. But that only saves about 5 days, max. I think other stretches of the Camino would be too hilly for us on bikes.
One thing I've thought of it perhaps signing up for a language program in France, getting the attestation for a long stay visa, and then checking in with the authorities in the city where the program is in order to get the permit stamp in our passports. But instead of paying for an expensive language program, we'd go on the Camino instead.
There are a couple of things I'm not sure about:
1. Do you have to have a permanent address in France before going to the authorities? When I studied in Strasbourg years ago it was a different process. The French government has since changed things to make it easier.
2. Is this actually illegal, instead of just sneaky? I wouldn't want to get that dreaded stamp in the passport at the end saying we couldn't return to Europe, or have to pay a big fine.
It would be nice to be able to start in Geneva, actually, but we would have absolutely no wiggle room if we did that. I'd also like to be able to see Cluny. I don't want to skip any stages because I did that before and my husband hasn't even been overseas. We'll probably bike the Meseta portion, renting bikes and panniers and/or sending the packs ahead. But that only saves about 5 days, max. I think other stretches of the Camino would be too hilly for us on bikes.