Walking in France guide

...You don’t want to get wet. In the mountains, in particular, weather conditions change quickly, so you need to be prepared. ...You are a fastidious time keeper. Walking vacations are for taking your watch off and switching off. ...You are more into Michelin Stars than star gazing on a remote mountainside. ...Long lie-ins and lazing by the pool are what you crave.

We have categorised our walking vacations on Responsible Travel just to make your search a little easier. On most walking vacations, a basic level of fitness is required but there are many different options available.

If you are just stepping out for the first time, you will want an introductory walking vacation, such as in the Poitou-Charentes region, Dordogne or Loire Valley. If you have pushed yourself up a few hills of a Sunday, then a moderate walking vacation will push you just a bit more, with 5-8 hours walking per day, and some days stretching those calves more than others, but leaving you a bit of rest in between, so you can take in the sights. Such as taking on a section of the Tour de Mont Blanc, or being guided along the gorgeous gorges of the Parc Naturel Regional du Verdon in Provence. Or the Pyrenees, where you can choose between ascents of 300-3,000 metres.

If you are a well-seasoned walker then our strenuous walking vacations, such as trekking on the Pyrenean Haute Route will appeal, or of course, or winter walking and snowshoeing through the Alps. Also in the Alps, we have a number of summer alpine hut to hut treks which will take you up to heights of 3,000m, scrambling on scree and climbing to impressive plateaus and ridges. Even tougher, and falling into our very challenging trekking vacations or climbing vacations (ie. when you start to add in all the gadgets, such as ropes, crampons and ice picks) category, are the ascent of Mont Blanc, and also climbing the famous Dome des Ecrins or Barre des Ecrins, also in the Alps.

You could probably sleep anywhere after an eight hour hike; however, there are lots of different accommodations available on walking vacations in France, to suit your budget or, simply, if you are walking from one bed to another every night, to fit in with your route. The high trekking routes of the Alps and Pyrenees have a network of hostels called mountain refuges or mountain huts. Built originally for hunters and hikers, today they are run like most hostels: there is a community atmosphere, an eco-ethos, with shared dorms, meals at fixed times, and clearing up done together. Sleeping bags and pillows are provided, but you should bring a sleeping sheet with you. Always in extraordinary locations, such as the famous Gouter Refuge on the final ascent to the summit of Mont Blanc. Or the The Moëde-Anterne mountain hut near Chamonix, which was first opened in 1898.

Family-run chalets are also a feature of walking vacations in France, usually with mountain guides and experts as hosts, who have crafted a series of idyllic itineraries for you during your stay, as well as plenty of fine fare to fill those hollow legs when you get back. Some even have pools or hot tubs to ease the mountain muscles. You will find traditional maison d’hôtes , or family run guesthouses, in areas like Provence or the Dordogne, catering for slightly more luxurious needs such as aperitifs and appetites for the finer sides of French cuisine. Look out for walking vacations that also offer cooking lessons. And for the full on white robes and spa treatment after a day on the hills, there are hotel to hotel walking vacations in the likes of the luscious Loire valley where, surrounded by chateaux, one expects some sort of mansion to mosey into at the end of the day. Et pourquoi pas?