Santander to Irun

[Julie & Greg]

Getting ferry from Portsmouth UK to Santander arrive 6:15pm Wed 8th June, want to get to Irun that evening and check into to an albergue or hotel. Intention is to pick up a credencial/stamp and start walking early the next morning to San Sebastián...some questions;
1. Are we kidding ourselves?
2. There is a bus/coach that leaves near the ferry port in Santander that gets into Irun at 11pm, what's the chances of getting a bed at this time?

Cheers Greg & Julz

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Greg and Jules,
The albergue in Irun closes at 10 pm. But booking.com lists a bunch of options in a range of prices. The easiest thing is probably to reserve a place in a hotel or pension and let them know you'll be arriving late.

I doubt you will want to wait till the albergue opens up in the afternoon to get the credenciales (unlikely to have staff there in early morning) so I think you'd be better off buying them ahead of time, either from Ivar here on the forum in his "store" or from your home country Camino Association.
Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Julie & Greg]

Cheers Laurie,

We'll take your advice re booking a hotel/pension and letting them know we'll be arriving late. What do we need to do to get our credencials stamped, before we set off for San Sebastián?

G&J

 

[peregrina2000]

You can get stamps along the Camino (not only in Irun) in any establishment that has stamps. I think you'll find that nearly all businesses in Spain have some kind of stamp. They are frequently not decorative if they are not trying to promote Camino traffic, but hotels, pensiones, restaurants, bars, pharmacies, tourist offices, post offices, museums, etc. will have something to stamp your credencial with. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Julie & Greg]

Thanks Laurie,
I'm not a complete stamp freak but recently I found my YHA card from 1974...I loved looking back at the stamps...I've got stamping in my genes

 

[Tia Valeria]

Brittany Ferries (Plymouth) have a stamp and I am sure that Portsmouth will have too, if you ask as you get your boarding/cabin card. The Pont Aven also has a stamp. A pretty one if they can find it in the drawer or a plain one. If you want a stamp in Santander again the Brittany Ferries desk at the port probably has one, and they will be open as passengers will be booking in for the return to Plymouth.
You can get a credencial here form the forum or from CSJ (they now do a members and non-members one as well as the old members only style)
Buen Camino

 

[Julie & Greg]

Thanks TV, we are sailing on the Pont Aven, so I'll definitely ask. Regarding the credencial, we will get ours through the Sydney Camino group, I went to a meeting last month, nice bunch of people and very helpful.
Here goes first time saying...Buen Camino!

 

[Tia Valeria]

The bus station cafe in Santander is good and there is also a cafe at the FEVE station opposite if you need a meal/snack before you catch your bus. If you find you need a hotel in Santander for any reason we can recommend the Celuisma Alisas on Nicolás Salmeron - turning just along the main road past the FEVE. Not cheap but very good and breakfast included.

 

[WearyBoots]

We stayed at Pension Lizaso, a budget hotel close to the bus station. We arrived late in the evening and had previously advised the hotel that we would be late. No problems at all.

Getting ferry from Portsmouth UK to Santander arrive 6:15pm Wed 8th June, want to get to Irun that evening and check into to an albergue or hotel. Intention is to pick up a credencial/stamp and start walking early the next morning to San Sebastián...some questions;
1. Are we kidding ourselves?
2. There is a bus/coach that leaves near the ferry port in Santander that gets into Irun at 11pm, what's the chances of getting a bed at this time?

Cheers Greg & Julz

ed