WHAT
TO TAKE
As little as possible goes without saying.
Packs somehow seem to weigh more at the
end of the day than the beginning. Try and
stash non-essentials in a place you can
return to at the end of the trip.
FOOD
AND WATER
Check your route before you leave. If clean
water and essential food supplies are not
available on-route then you need to hike
them in. There are enough packet foods around
now that make quick and easy meals. Fruit
is great but it is heavy as are tins. Take
a trail mix for nibbles along the way. This
can be made up of anything (nuts, chocolates,
sweets, dried fruit etc).
ACCOMMODATION
Bring your own tent for the most budget
of walking trips, otherwise investigate
on options along the way – there may
be small villages, refuges or cheap places
to stay. We recommend the Lonely Planet’s
“Walking In…” series available
through www.amazon.co.uk We have a list of other accommodation
that you can book online through our
online engine
TOUR
OPERATORS
Feature tours throughout Europe including
Italy, France, Spain.
Tel: +44 (0)1252 760000 Booking/Tour Enquiries
Tel: +44 (0)1252 760100 Brochure/Dossier
Requests Fax: +44 (0)1252 760001.
email:
info@exploreworldwide.com General Inquiries
email: res@exploreworldwide.com
Booking/Tour Enquiries.
Euro-Bike and Walking Tours - www.eurobike.com
- offers cycling and walking tours.
Go to their website for more details or
contact them at info@eurobike.com.
Their postal address is PO Box 990, DeKalb,
IL 60115 - USA.
FranceOnFoot.com - offers a variety of information
about the French trail system. http://www.franceonfoot.com/
DiscoverFrance.com - offers walking and
biking tours focusing on the cultural, historical,
and other unique characteristics of France.
Some areas they cover include Paris, Alsace
Lorraine, Brittany, Burgundy, Normandy,
Brittany, Champagne, Provence, the Loire
Valley, Lyon, Marseille, Normandy, Orleans,
Cannes or any other destination in France.
http://www.discoverfrance.com/
Off the Beaten Path - specializes in active,
small group, cultural, specialty, and walking
tours to the Loire Valley, Dordogne, Provence,
Burgundy, Bordeaux, the French Riviera,
and Paris, France.
http://www.traveloffthebeatenpath.com/
Bicycle and Walking Tours in Italy, France,
Spain, Ireland.
Tour de france, Bicycle tours, walking tours,
and adventure tours with ExperiencePlus!
- the experts in active vacations to Italy.
http://www.experienceplus.com/
Specialty Travel : biking France, walking
Europe, walking Britain
Looking for "something different"
in a vacation? Whether you're interested
in antiques or bicycle touring, cooking
schools or safaris
http://www.actionsites.com/sti
INDEPENDENT
WALKERS
If you are planning an independent walking
holiday trip through France you need to
be prepared. Here are some handy hints and
absolute essentials:
- comfortable, well cusioned footwear suitable
for the terrain you will be walking on and
that you have walked in before over some
distance (don't bring new shoes!)
- extra snack food and water (it can be
a long way between towns in some parts,
particularly if you get marooned with an
injury or lost).
- pack light! You can buy extra food as
you go and you really only need basic walking
gear and a change of clothes for evenings
in town.
- maps (detailed for side roads and routes
that you might take)
- itinerary - give someone a copy of your
itinerary and check in with them every few
days so they know you are okay.
- learn a little French for essential use
in small towns.
- helpful hints - there are lots of people
that have walked through France and a lot
of them have put up details on websites.
Check the useful links below for some stories
and advice.
MAPS
A range of maps are available through stores
like www.amazon.co.uk in the Lonely Planet series for example. Take a good map
with you and make sure you know how to read
it.
Read below for some walking holiday suggestions.
Please email your walking tips, stories
and tales to france@backpackglobe.com
Some of the most popular areas for walking
in France include the Loire Valley, Provence
and the wine regions around Bordeaux. The
following brief itineraries were taken from
www.discoverfrance.com
Alsace
Vvisit the medieval city of Barr (capital
of the wines of the Bas-Rhin), local chateaus
and monasteries, follow the panoramic path
of the famous Pagan Wall - one of the most
important historical monuments in Europe,
wander through vineyards and visit picturesque
villages with 12th centry abbeys and famous
gastronomy,
Brittany
Highlights here in southern Brittany include
coastal exploration with sand dunes, wetlands,
cliffs and villages that make up the landscape
of the Cornouaille. There are picturesque
harbour villages, beaches, natural sites
of the Pointe de la Torche and the Pointe
du Raz, lighthouses, markets, seafood, island
of Sein and Celtic culture.
Dordogne
This region is famous for its grottos, has
hundreds of chateaux and the gastronomy
is excellent including duck specialities,
meals with truffles and Bergerac wine.
Loire Valley
The countryside here is dotted with magnificent
castles, vineyards and charming villages
and makes it ideal as a walking destination.
The terrain is flat or rolling and there
is Gothic and Renaissance architecture of
the 15th & 16th centuries, exquisite
gardens, beautiful rivers and the last home
of Leonardo da Vinci.
Provence
A culinary walk through small villages enjoying
local traditions and crafts. The towns vary
from medieval bastions to typical villages
with red roofed houses and narrow streets.
Culinary delights to enjoy after a day walking
include fresh goat cheese, fresh grilled
sardines and La Bouillabaisse (fisherman
soup flavored with saffron).
The following links provide information
for itineraries:
http://www.thefrenchguide.com/FranceWalking.asp
Discovery Travel - walking holidays in France
http://www.discoverytravel.co.uk/france.htm
Walking in the Pyrenees - provides some
information that a hiker planning a trip
to the French Pyrenees, will need before
leaving.
perso.wanadoo.fr/fevre/html/pyren_en.htm
Cross Country International Walking Vacations
offers walking trips in the UK and Europe.
http://www.walkingvacations.com/
Trail Database - offers a searchable database
of trails and mountain regions in most countries
of the world.
http://www.hejoly.demon.nl/
Breakaway Adventures - offers walking, cycling,
kayaking, trekking, wilderness, nature tours,
and adventure travel throughout the world.
http://www.breakaway-adventures.com/
