Just in case - Credencial question...

[Mark R]

Hola! I'm planning a mid-May start. I have just purchased a Credencial from the camino forum shop - however, in case that does not arrive by May 15th - where can I obtain a Credencial in Ferrol? Or do I get one from A Coruna? Many thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Dutch]

Not to worry Mark, your credential has plenty of time to travel round the world 3 times before your camino starts.

It will be there on time. Last time i ordered something from Ivar (dvd six ways....) it got here in 4 days, from Spain to Holland.

Where are you from?

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hola! I'm planning a mid-May start. I have just purchased a Credencial from the camino forum shop - however, in case that does not arrive by May 15th - where can I obtain a Credencial in Ferrol? Or do I get one from A Coruna? Many thanks in advance for your help.

Hi Mark
We got ours last year from the tourist office in Ferrol, and it is specific to the Camino Ingles. It is of thinner material than most and it would not be a good idea to let it get wet! The tourist bureau were also very helpful in finding suitable accommodation for us, and in pointing out where the pilgrimage starts down at the waterfront.
Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[dougfitz]

I stayed the first night in the albergue at Covas. The hospitalero organised a credential. If you are staying there, just let them know beforehand that you will need a credential when you arrive.

 

[Mark R]

Not to worry Mark, your credential has plenty of time to travel round the world 3 times before your camino starts.

It will be there on time. Last time i ordered something from Ivar (dvd six ways....) it got here in 4 days, from Spain to Holland.

Where are you from?

That's reassuring information. Not a million miles from you - UK - so I'm figuring our postal times will be very similar...
Thank you!

 

[Mark R]

Hi Mark
We got ours last year from the tourist office in Ferrol, and it is specific to the Camino Ingles. It is of thinner material than most and it would not be a good idea to let it get wet! The tourist bureau were also very helpful in finding suitable accommodation for us, and in pointing out where the pilgrimage starts down at the waterfront.
Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

Thanks Alan - I did read that the tourist office is only open at weekends? Any truth to that, i.e., should I be planning a weekend arrival?

 

[Mark R]

I stayed the first night in the albergue at Covas. The hospitalero organised a credential. If you are staying there, just let them know beforehand that you will need a credential when you arrive.

This is useful additional information - thank you. Looking at flights into A Coruna from London, it would appear I'll be getting into Spain fairly late in the day - possibly too late to travel by bus to Ferrol on day one. Looks like Covas is near Santiago? Did you fly into Santiago Doug?

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thanks Alan - I did read that the tourist office is only open at weekends? Any truth to that, i.e., should I be planning a weekend arrival?

I thought that it was closed at week-ends until July, although things do change. When we were there on a Friday afternoon in May 2011 for a Saturday start they stamped our credenciales for the Saturday as they would be closed.

 

[dougfitz]

Looks like Covas is near Santiago? Did you fly into Santiago Doug?

Google maps finds several Covas or Cobas variants. The albergue is in the village about 10 km north of Ferrol. I was in London for other reasons, and flew from there to Santiago, took the airport bus into the bus station, a bus to Ferrol bus station and taxi from there to Covas. While it was a little time consuming waiting for each of the buses, none of it was particularly difficult.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Doug, can we ask which bus you took from Santiago to Ferrol. We need to do this at the end of our Camino and are looking for the most direct bus possible. Thanks.

 

[HPalola]

Hola! I'm planning a mid-May start. I have just purchased a Credencial from the camino forum shop - however, in case that does not arrive by May 15th - where can I obtain a Credencial in Ferrol? Or do I get one from A Coruna? Many thanks in advance for your help.

Don't worry. . . you'll get your Credencial in time. I ordered one to be sent to me in Saudi Arabia (notorious for losing snail mail) and it arrived within two weeks. Buen Camino!

 

[dougfitz]

Doug, can we ask which bus you took from Santiago to Ferrol. We need to do this at the end of our Camino and are looking for the most direct bus possible. Thanks.

I cannot recall the details, just that when I went to the bus station ticket counter I asked for the next bus and was directed to one of the stands and a bus number. The service went via Pontedeume and then terminated at the Ferrol bus station.

 

[Ekelund]

There is a bus from Santiago Busstation to Ferrol, it departs four times a day and it is an hours ride to Ferrol.

 

[dougfitz]

There is a bus from Santiago Busstation to Ferrol, it departs four times a day and it is an hours ride to Ferrol.

It might advertise an hour, but the service via Pontedeume took about 75 minutes. A direct service might take less time.

 

[miguel_gp]

This is useful additional information - thank you. Looking at flights into A Coruna from London, it would appear I'll be getting into Spain fairly late in the day - possibly too late to travel by bus to Ferrol on day one. Looks like Covas is near Santiago? Did you fly into Santiago Doug?

Hi, I caught the LHR - Coruna flight last October. Provided that the flight arrives on time, there is ample time to catch the airport bus towards Coruna and get either the last bus or the last train to Ferrol. Just let the airport bus driver know that you want the bus/train station (they are the same stop) and he will let you know where to jump off. In the map below, Airport bus stop is marked with green arrow. Coruna bus station is to the right and the train station is to the left across the Pedestrian Bridge.



The train and bus stations are virtually next to each other on arrival in Ferrol as well. There is a relatively cheap hotel (the Almendra marked as "A" on the map below) nearby if you didn't want to venture too far on arrival.

 

[miguel_gp]

Hi Mark
We got ours last year from the tourist office in Ferrol, and it is specific to the Camino Ingles......

Me too. Quite a nice memento from the walk as it contains maps, elevation profiles, stage information but space for Sellos is quite limited!