Poste Restante

jsalt

Jill

Time of past OR future Camino

Portugués, Francés, LePuy, Rota Vicentina, Norte, Madrid, C2C, Salvador, Primitivo, Aragonés, Inglés

• Jan 4, 2019

• #1

Once upon a time, a long long time ago, when I was very young, I left home to see the world. My mother watched me go with a tear in her eye, and my father, who never showed emotions, called after me “you know this is your home – you can come back anytime . . . .”

I sent a postcard home about once a week . . . and a letter about once a month.

They would write me news of the family, and post their letters to Poste Restante . . . to Marrakech . . . Cairo . . . Khartoum . . . Addis Abbaba . . . Nairobi . . . All their letters were waiting for me, in deepest darkest Africa.

So now my question is: does Poste Restante still work? Is it still possible to post something to “My Name, Poste Restante, Town, Country”, and it will be there waiting for me a few weeks later? I need to pick up something in a town on the camino, but I don’t know exactly when I will be there.
Jill

 

Magwood

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

See signature line for links to daily posts to blogs from many caminos

• Jan 4, 2019

• #2

This thread from 2015 might be useful I doubt things have changed in the meantime.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/poste-restante-in-spain.32512/

 

D

Deleted member 73526

Guest

• Jan 4, 2019

• #3

The thread that Magwood posted above states that post offices hold lista coreos packages for 30 days. I recall reading this somewhere else too. But when I used lista coreos in 2017, the post offices would only hold packages for two weeks. I was told that the package would be sent back to the sender's address if uncollected (or thrown away if there is no sender's address).

 

Bradypus

Migratory hermit

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Too many and too often!

• Jan 5, 2019

• #4

For my first Camino in 1990 I agreed with my wife that I would check the post offices in 3 towns along the Camino Frances for letters sent lista de Correos. I also made a couple of phone calls from public payphones. That was my entire connection with home for the journey. It now feels like ancient history when these days I can be in near-instant contact with my family and friends almost anywhere on the planet.

 

lissie45

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Planning to walk CF 2020 - once my partner recovers from cardiac surgery

• Jan 5, 2019

• #5

Raggy said:

The thread that Magwood posted above states that post offices hold lista coreos packages for 30 days. I recall reading this somewhere else too. But when I used lista coreos in 2017, the post offices would only hold packages for two weeks. I was told that the package would be sent back to the sender's address if uncollected (or thrown away if there is no sender's address).

Click to expand...

THat was a general thing worldwide places would hold letters for a min of 30 days but often for much longer . But parcels were different - I remember London only holding parcels for a very short time

 

KinkyOne

Veteran Member

Time of past OR future Camino

I'am not perfect, but I'm always myself!!!

• Jan 5, 2019

• #6

My experience is that Correos hold packages for two weeks. It might be few days longer if they are labeled as "Lista de Correos, @jsalt (peregrina de Santiago)" because they know that something might have happened and you were unable to pick up the package within that two weeks time frame. Anyway whenever I picked up my package addressed as mentioned I received a wide grin

 

S

sitges54

New Member

Time of past OR future Camino

2017

• Jan 6, 2019

• #7

Ah the memories, Poste restante 1973 the thrill of reconnecting with a fellow traveler when your paths were to cross again priceless thanks for jogging my memory