size of credencial at SJPP?

[Anitahk]

I´ll start the Camino from SJPP and get the credencial from the pilgrims´office there. What is the size of the credencial? I´m thinking of making a waterproof pocket for it. Any how many stamps can it hold?

 

[naplesdon]

It's 10x15.5 (or about 4" x 6") and fits easily in a small zip lock bag. If you don't go crazy trying to fill it with sellos at every cafe, bar, tiendra, albergue, church and stop along the way, your first one should last from SJPdP to around Sahagun or Leon.

 

[Magwood]

For the most part, I only obtained one stamp per day from SJPP to Sarria and then the obligatory two per day thereafter. One credencial was sufficient for this, with a few empty spaces at the end.

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

It is hard to stop collecting stamps though, as they are so beautiful and a great reminder of places visited!

 

[Anitahk]

thanks for the replies. I plan to keep a record of the places visited with the credencial. What do I do if I run out of spaces? Buy another credencial, or can I just stick some papers to it?

 

[naplesdon]

For the most part, I only obtained one stamp per day from SJPP to Sarria and then the obligatory two per day thereafter. One credencial was sufficient for this, with a few empty spaces at the end.

Okay, agreed but I think maybe I do not walk as fast as you, plus the one I used last year which I got at Roncesvalles (Pilgrim Office was closed when I arrived in SJPdP at noon) only had 48 places for sellos and some sellos take up 2 spaces. My second one started from Fromista.

 

[naplesdon]

thanks for the replies. I plan to keep a record of the places visited with the credencial. What do I do if I run out of spaces? Buy another credencial, or can I just stick some papers to it?

Many municipal albergues, churches and tourist offices can supply you with another one.

 

[Felipe]

Bring a little notebook, and use it to compile notes, e-mails from your friends and "non-essential" stamps.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is hard to stop collecting stamps though, as they are so beautiful and a great reminder of places visited!

That is very true, however in bars you may find it is just a return address stamp for envelopes! You may have to accept a few of these in the last 100km. You can see the variety from albergues and churches here:

http://www.lossellosdelcamino.com/index.php/espana/camino-frances-incluye-caminos-navarro-y-aragones

 

[Icacos]

Interesting that this subject has come up. The credential that I got from the pilgrim office in SJPP (a folding credential) had more than enough space to get me to Santiago. On the other hand, my cousin / walking companion, whom I met in Roncesvalles, and who got her credential there, received one in booklet form. I can't confirm this, as I didn't see it, but I have little doubt that she ran out of space before we got to Santiago and must have had to get another one somewhere along the line. Personally, and if possible, I would prefer to have all my sellos on one credential.

BTW, my understanding, after the fact, is that two sellos per day is necessary only if one starts the Camino at the 100 k. point. In any event, I often forgot to get the two sellos per day after Sarria, and it made no difference to my receiving my compostela.

I will post the exact dimensions of the folding credential later when I have time to find it, unless someone else beats me to it before then.

 

[Walter1407]

My credentials have size A6, which is convenient as they fit perfectly into some protective plastic thingies (no idea what they are called), available at most stationers.
The first had 90 spaces, exactly enough for my 90 day walk from Zurich (no stamps on rest days, of course), the second only had 30 spaces; so I glued two of them together which gave me more than enough spaces for my cycling trip of just over 6 weeks. On both occasions I got just one stamp per day and had no problems getting the Compostela. But maybe things have changed since.

 

[thomryng]

It is hard to stop collecting stamps though, as they are so beautiful and a great reminder of places visited!

Collecting different sellos is fun! By the time I got to Santiago, they stamped the last box... on my fourth credencial!

 

[t2andreo]

The typical pilgrim credencial (passport) is nominally the same size as a regular national passport. So, any protective plastic bag sized comfortably for your passport should also hold the credencial. However, SOME credencials can be taller, so allow enough space. And extra centimeter or so should do it.

Also, I have seen folks who were intent on collecting every sello they could as souvenirs, obtain an additional pasted in page at official pilgrim offices along the way. I believe they do this at Leon, if I recall correctly.

Anyway, this added in page was accordion-folded and the same size as the credencial. So, when installed correctly, it folds out, like a road map and provides spaces for dozens of additional stamps. I want to say the page was at least the same length as A3 paper held in landscape mode. But it was the same height as the credencial booklet.

In 2013, I walked with another fellow who was doing this as a project for his wife's fifth-grade class back home. He was maintaining a blog and getting every stamp that would submit to being appended to his collection along the way. He is the first person to show me the taped-in formal looking accordion-folded page.

If anyone has specific information about where to go to get the additional page(s) pasted into a credencial, please share it here.

Thanks, I hope this helps the dialog.

 

[jeffnd]

The Pilgrim's office in St. Jean gave me a zip top bag when I was there last year.

 

[yolanda Mejia]

Many municipal albergues, churches and tourist offices can supply you with another one.

How much is the passport?

 

[naplesdon]

Usually a 1 euro donation.
The one you get from the Pilgrim's Office will have spaces on the back and front, the one's that you can get along the way have maps on the back, so less spaces for sellos, you will find they are available in many but not all albergues and tourist offices.

 

[peregrina2000]

I´ll start the Camino from SJPP and get the credencial from the pilgrims´office there. What is the size of the credencial? I´m thinking of making a waterproof pocket for it. Any how many stamps can it hold?

Ivar's "store" sells a great little plastic envelope, in which the pilgrims' office credential fits beautifully. http://www.santiagodecompostela.me/...oducts/plastic-sleve-for-the-pilgrim-passport

I've used them now for several years -- they're smaller than the zip lock bags and easier to deal with, IMO.