Postal services and sending items ahead

Don’t forget the good old-fashioned postal service to send letters or postcards back home. Stamps are usually available from tobacconists in Spain, so you don’t need to go to the Post Office (Correos). The tobacconist (estanco) has a burgundy and yellow sign. Post boxes are yellow, marked Correos with the Spanish Postal Service emblem of a posthorn and crown.

You can also receive mail from home if you wish or send on heavy items that you decide not to carry, or to receive something that is unsuitable for airline hand luggage, like a Swiss army knife.

In France, items should be addressed to you Poste Restante, in Spain Lista de Correos. In each case, the surname should be first, in capitals. When you go to collect mail, take your passport as ID; and to be sure, ask them to check under your first name as well as your surname. In France, you'll be charged the cost of a standard stamp per item that you collect from Poste Restante. Collection in Spain is free.  Please note that items not collected within 2 weeks will be returned to sender.

Please see below for details of places along the le Puy route and the Camino Francés, with postal codes, 2 or three days apart.

Poste Restante	Lista de Correos
43000 le Puy-en-Velay	31080 Pamplona (Navarra)
48120 St Alban-sur Limagnole	31100 Puenta la Reina (Navarra)
48260 Nasbinals	26080 Logroño (Navarra)
12190 Estaing	09080 Burgos
12320 Conques	24080 León
46100 Figeac	24700 Astorga (León)
46160 Marcilhac-sur-Célé	24400 Ponferrada (León)
46000 Cahors	27600 Sarria (Lugo)
82200 Moissac	15780 Santiago de Compostela (A Coruña)*
32700 Lectoure
32100 Condom
40800 Aire-sur-l'Adour
64190 Navarrenx
64220 St Jean Pied-de-Port

Ivar Rekve in Santiago offers a parcel storage service for up to 60 days for €15 - €25, depending on size.