Pilgrims Moving in France

[Mark L]

I was a bit surprised over the last few weeks to see pilgrims moving past my front door in Cajarc, france. to be honest, given the current restriction, I didn’t even think they’d have found places to stay ... especially given they would be around 350+km in if starting the Le Puy route And even camping is just beginning to open.
In one way though it’s nice to see things like this, in another, it’s odd and unexpected. I imagine they are hoping things will change enough by the time they hit Spain though I doubt that .... or maybe they are just doing a section in France ... I don’t like to stop people and ask but will do so when I can sit at a bar terrace and just talk.
Before anyone asks ... yes they were pilgrims (unless they lied when asked and were carrying shells for fun)
i will admit to hoping for a resumption of my own journey in some form from SJPP by September ...but if not, well it’ll be later then.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I live in Spain, I have talked to three pilgrims in the past week who walked from France. They crossed borders without a problem. One said there were police stopping people and cars going into France from Spain, but not coming in on foot from France. He had his paperwork and PCR test results ready, but no one has ever asked to see them.

Mysteries of law enforcement.

 

[georges]

yesterday, at least 20 pilgrims cross the pyrenee from Saint Jean! it restarts

 

[Kathar1na]

yesterday, at least 20 pilgrims cross the pyrenee from Saint Jean! it restarts

I saw on FB that the new small Borda albergue, about 1 km after Orisson, welcomed their first pilgrims a few days ago.

 

[victor hooftman]

Can we enter France now from Belgium? Walking offcours.

 

[Kathar1na]

Can we enter France now from Belgium? Walking offcours.

See the list of recommendations by the moderators:
[Post-Covid] Is the Camino open? Will I be able to walk at whatever future date?

The last link on the list - https://reopen.europa.eu/en - may be the most useful in this case. You can check the conditions for every combination - BE-FR, NL-BE, FR-ES, NL-ES, NL-FR ... by air, by land, and where applicable by sea.

Click on the various icons. Plenty of information there and quite up to date.

 

[Suefield]

I was a bit surprised over the last few weeks to see pilgrims moving past my front door in Cajarc, france. to be honest, given the current restriction, I didn’t even think they’d have found places to stay ... especially given they would be around 350+km in if starting the Le Puy route And even camping is just beginning to open.
In one way though it’s nice to see things like this, in another, it’s odd and unexpected. I imagine they are hoping things will change enough by the time they hit Spain though I doubt that .... or maybe they are just doing a section in France ... I don’t like to stop people and ask but will do so when I can sit at a bar terrace and just talk.
Before anyone asks ... yes they were pilgrims (unless they lied when asked and were carrying shells for fun)
i will admit to hoping for a resumption of my own journey in some form from SJPP by September ...but if not, well it’ll be later then.

My friend and I were thinking about the Le Puy route in September, and would love further information.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I was a bit surprised over the last few weeks to see pilgrims moving past my front door in Cajarc, france. to be honest, given the current restriction, I didn’t even think they’d have found places to stay ... especially given they would be around 350+km in if starting the Le Puy route And even camping is just beginning to open.

Travel within France has been unrestricted for two weeks (apart from the curfew), to which in their case can be added the couple days needed to get from Le Puy to the edge of the Haute-Loire département.

It's about 290K from Le Puy to there on the Camino, 250 from the edge of the département. That's easily enough time for them to have done it legally.

And the hotels, and even a few gîtes, have been open for a while now ; camping sites haven't though ; and as for pilgrim accommodation, others than myself will know the current situation better for this route.

I live in Spain, I have talked to three pilgrims in the past week who walked from France. They crossed borders without a problem. One said there were police stopping people and cars going into France from Spain, but not coming in on foot from France. He had his paperwork and PCR test results ready, but no one has ever asked to see them.

Mysteries of law enforcement.

Well, the great majority of people crossing into Spain on foot will be those living within walking distance of the border ; and if you live within 30K of the Spanish border, you don't need a negative PCR, which may explain their not checking walkers.

But it may be that they are simply being tolerant towards foot pilgrims in particular.