Pick up credencial before leaving, or in Ponferrada?

[Neon84]

Hi folks,

Looking for peoples' advice on the matter of the credencial. We start our Camino in Ponferrada next weekend, but won't arrive there till about 10pm (we have a hotel booked for that night), so the main albergue will surely be closed by then. We plan to start walking the following morning.

What I'm wondering is whether to try to get a credencial here in Dublin before we leave (we may be able to get a last minute one), or to go to the main albergue in Ponferrada early the next morning to get one? We don't want to waste time, but I guess it could be done quite quickly.

The other thing I'm wondering is:

If we do pick one up in Dublin and start walking (from Ponferrada to our first stop), will the albergue that we stop at allow us to stay, if we have no stamps in our credencial yet? Even though we will have walked from Ponferrada for that day?

Basically I would like the stamp to say we have started from Ponferrada, but wondering if there's any other way to get around it.

Thanks!

 

[mspath]

Hi folks,

Looking for peoples' advice on the matter of the credencial. We start our Camino in Ponferrada next weekend, but won't arrive there till about 10pm (we have a hotel booked for that night), so the main albergue will surely be closed by then. We plan to start walking the following morning.

What I'm wondering is whether to try to get a credencial here in Dublin before we leave (we may be able to get a last minute one), or to go to the main albergue in Ponferrada early the next morning to get one? We don't want to waste time, but I guess it could be done quite quickly.

The other thing I'm wondering is:

If we do pick one up in Dublin and start walking (from Ponferrada to our first stop), will the albergue that we stop at allow us to stay, if we have no stamps in our credencial yet? Even though we will have walked from Ponferrada for that day?

Basically I would like the stamp to say we have started from Ponferrada, but wondering if there's any other way to get around it.

Thanks!

Hello Neon,

It would probably simpler for you to get your Credential in Dublin before you leave at the Irish Society of the Friends of St.James http://www.stjamesirl.com/?page_id=9. That way you would not need to backtrack from your hotel to the Ponferrada albergue before walking the Camino the next morning.

Your Ponferrada hotel should also be able to stamp your Credential for you. As you walk the first day stop in a bar or two for coffee along the way for example in Fuentes Nuevas or Camponaraya to get stamps showing that you are walking the route.

Where are you planning to stop first on the Camino? Villafranca del Bierzo? if so the restaurant La Puerta del Perdon opposite the castle does a wonderful Pilgrims' menu every day but Monday.

Buen Camino,

Margaret

 

[Neon84]

Hi Margaret,

Thank you very much for the reply! I will try to get our credencials in Dublin next week, in that case.

I'm afraid our preparation has been very last minute, so we haven't even mapped out a route yet! We have 9 days to get to SdC, and were planning on just winging it, in terms of distances per day - some longer, some shorter. I am going to get the Brierley guidebook tomorrow and hopefully that will give me a better sense of what distances we should be walking. I'm feeling excited, but also a bit nervous... I hope it works out!

 

[zammy]

9 days seems tight.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You will have this territory to cover (211 km):

Localities Partial (km) Cumulative (km)
1) Ponferrada 0 0
2) Compostilla 2.6 2.6
3) Columbrianos 2.1 4.7
4) Fuentes Nuevas 2.3 7
5) Camponaraya 2.4 9.4
6) Cacabelos 5.7 15.1
7) Pieros 2.1 17.2
8) Villafranca del Bierzo 5.1 22.3
9) Pereje 5.5 27.8
10) Trabadelo 4.5 32.3
11) La Portela de Valcarce 4.1 36.4
12) Ambasmestas 1.1 37.5
13) Vega de Valcarce 1.6 39.1
14) Ruitelán 2.2 41.3
15) Las Herrerías 1.4 42.7
16) Hospital 0.7 43.4
17) La Faba 2.7 46.1
18) Laguna de Castilla 2.6 48.7
19) O Cebreiro 2.2 50.9
20) Liñares 3.1 54
21) Hospital da Condesa 2.6 56.6
22) Padornelo 2.3 58.9
23) Alto do Poio 0.5 59.4
24) Fonfría 3.4 62.8
25) Biduedo 2.4 65.2
26) Filloval 2.9 68.1
27) Pasantes 1.5 69.6
28) Ramil 1.4 71
29) Triacastela 0.7 71.7
30) Variante por Samos 0.3 72
31) San Cristovo do Real 3.6 75.6
32) Lusío (FR 300 m) 0.4 76
33) Renche 1.3 77.3
34) Lastres 0.5 77.8
35) Freituxe 1.1 78.9
36) San Martiño do Real 1.1 80
37) Samos 1.6 81.6
38) Foxos 1.5 83.1
39) Teiguín 0.4 83.5
40) Pascáis 1.2 84.7
41) Sivil 5.1 89.8
42) Perros 1.4 91.2
43) Aguiada 0.6 91.8
44) San Mamed do Camiño 1.2 93
45) Carballal 1.1 94.1
46) San Pedro do Camiño 0.6 94.7
47) Vigo de Sarria 0.7 95.4
48) Sarria 0.9 96.3
49) Vilei 3.7 100
50) Barbadelo 0.6 100.6
51) Rente 1 101.6
52) Mercado da Serra 0.8 102.4
53) Leimán 2.3 104.7
54) Peruscallo 0.9 105.6
55) Cortiñas 0.8 106.4
56) Lavandeira 0.2 106.6
57) Casal 0.2 106.8
58) Brea 1 107.8
59) Morgade 0.6 108.4
60) Ferreiros 1.3 109.7
61) Mirallos 0.3 110
62) Pena 0.6 110.6
63) Rozas 0.7 111.3
64) Moimentos 1.4 112.7
65) Mercadoiro 0.4 113.1
66) Moutras 0.3 113.4
67) Parrocha 1.6 115
68) Vilachá 1.3 116.3
69) Portomarín 2.5 118.8
70) Toxibo 4.9 123.7
71) Gonzar 3.2 126.9
72) Castromaior 1.2 128.1
73) Hospital da Cruz 2.4 130.5
74) Ventas de Narón 1.5 132
75) A Prebisa 2 134
76) Ligonde 1.2 135.2
77) Airexe 1 136.2
78) Portos 1.9 138.1
79) Lestedo 0.7 138.8
80) Os Valos 0.8 139.6
81) Mamurria 0.6 140.2
82) Brea 0.6 140.8
83) Abenostre 0.3 141.1
84) Rosario 0.9 142
85) Palas de Rei 1.6 143.6
86) Carballal 1.6 145.2
87) San Xulian 1.9 147.1
88) Ponte Campaña 1 148.1
89) Casanova 1.3 149.4
90) Vilar de Remonde (FR 1.5 km) 0.2 149.6
91) Campanilla 1.9 151.5
92) Coto 0.6 152.1
93) Leboreiro 0.8 152.9
94) Furelos 3.9 156.8
95) Melide 1.4 158.2
96) Raído 3.3 161.5
97) A Peroxa 2.2 163.7
98) Boente 0.4 164.1
99) A Fraga Alta 2.3 166.4
100) Castañeda 0.6 167
101) Ribadiso da Baixo 2.4 169.4
102) Ribadiso da Riba 0.2 169.6
103) Ribadiso da Carretera 0.7 170.3
104) Arzúa 2.2 172.5
105) Pregontoño 2.3 174.8
106) A Peroxa 1 175.8
107) Pereiriña 1.7 177.5
108) Calzada 0.8 178.3
109) Calle 1.9 180.2
110) Boavista 1.5 181.7
111) O Castro 1.4 183.1
112) Salceda 0.4 183.5
113) Brea 2.5 186
114) Empalme 1.6 187.6
115) Santa Irene 1.3 188.9
116) Rúa 1.4 190.3
117) O Pedrouzo (FR 500 m) 0.7 191
118) San Antón 1.5 192.5
119) Amenal 2 194.5
120) Cimadevila 0.5 195
121) San Paio 3.7 198.7
122) Lavacolla 2.1 200.8
123) Vilamaior 1.3 202.1
124) San Marcos 3.6 205.7
125) Monte del Gozo 0.9 206.6
126) Puerta del Camino 3.8 210.4
127) Santiago de Compostela 0.6 211

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Margaret,

Thank you very much for the reply! I will try to get our credencials in Dublin next week, in that case.

I'm afraid our preparation has been very last minute, so we haven't even mapped out a route yet! We have 9 days to get to SdC, and were planning on just winging it, in terms of distances per day - some longer, some shorter. I am going to get the Brierley guidebook tomorrow and hopefully that will give me a better sense of what distances we should be walking. I'm feeling excited, but also a bit nervous... I hope it works out!

Hi Neon84.
Nine days is what Brierley suggests for that stretch, and the average distances are perfectly reasonable. I disagree with him about ending that 30km stretch at O Cebreiro, though, because 30km is quite long for many people, even without the major climb at the end. This year we did:
Ponferrada - Villafranca
Villafranca - Vega de Valcarce
Vega de Valcarce - Alto do Poio
Alto de Poio - San Mamed del Camino
San Mamed - Portomarin
Portomarin - Palas de Rei
Palas de Rei - Arzua
Arzua - Lavacolla
Lavacolla - Santiago (a short 2-3 hour walk to arrive fresh and early so you can get your Compostela etc)

Buen Camino!

 

[Neon84]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your input and advice!

Tyrrek, that sounds like a good plan and one we will most likely follow.

A bit nervous about my first camino, but starting to get very excited too :mrgreen:

 

[tyrrek]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your input and advice!

Tyrrek, that sounds like a good plan and one we will most likely follow.

A bit nervous about my first camino, but starting to get very excited too :mrgreen:

It might be slightly stressful getting to the start, but once there you will quickly pick up how it all works, meet great people and get into the Camino spirit. Have a wonderful Camino!