I enjoyed my walk along the Stevenson Trail very much. All the arrangements put in place worked out well and apart from a few showers on the first day and a deluge on the last day the weather was great.
The Way of St. James, Southern France, Le Puy-en-Velay, St Jean De Gard, Arlempdes, Pradelles, La Bastide Puy Laurent, Le Bleymard, Le Pont De Montvert, Florac, St Germain De Calberte
My itinerary was well planned and I think the experience was of good value for money. The variety of accommodations were welcoming and clean. I especially liked the GPX/GPS files on the daily routes. The communications were impeccable. My only request is that the trip package be provided a month prior to the start of the walk. I usually travel to the starting point about a week prior to the commencement of the walk to get over jet lag, etc.
We had a good time despite some rain for which I don't blame them! The hotels were all very different but nice and that was interesting. There was a good variety in the walks and things to see.
Very well organised. The transfers and connections were seamless. The accommodation was excellent, the hosts were welcoming and the meals, when included, were of high quality. Benoit, at Chateau Camperos, was outstanding. The walk was enjoyable. The app was very helpful for navigation, except on the day when a variety of walking options were available and then it was confusing. There were parts of the track that were overgrown with vegetation and this made the walk unpleasant in places.
It was a wonderful walk with magnificent scenery and fantastic Medieval Villages many listed by UNESCO. We had no problems with local organisation, everything went like clockwork.We would definitely recommend the walk to anyone considering a sojourn in rural France.Thank you for organizing such a wonderful experience for us.
The Way of St. James, Le Puy-en-Velay, Golinhac, Conques, St Privat D’Allier, Saugues, Les Faux, Aumont, Nasbinals, St Chely D’Aubrac, St Come, Estaing
French Camino went smoothly. The baggage transport and accommodation could not be faulted. The owners of each house we stayed in were great hosts, not to mention excellent chefs. The walk itself was well marked and the app that they provided was very accurate. Would use them again!!!!
The walk was very satisfying. It was tougher than we expected however. Especially the Le Monastier to Le Bouchet. The app worked well for the most part. I would say all accommodation was good with the exception of one where the hotel room was very small and the staff not that helpful.
A charming walk off the beaten track in the Massif Central in France. Facing the Alps across the broad valley of the Rhone lies a walker’s paradise of hills where the Ardeche, Loire and Haute Loire regions meet. This is a watershed for some of France’s great rivers, a land of steeply terraced slopes, half-hidden valleys and tumbling streams, largely absent from the guidebooks. Massive ruined farmhouses seem to have grown from the landscape and the bleat of goats and call of a wild bird are often the only sounds you will hear.
From the first walk at Le Crestet take an ancient drove road, partly through orchards, to the market town of Lamastre, set amongst hills covered with ancient chestnut trees of enormous girth. Turn north now and climb to the old spa-town of Lalouvesc, perched at 1100m above the Rhone valley, with views East as far as the snow-covered Alps on a clear day. Skirting the Haut-Vivarais, looking down on tiny red-roofed hamlets clinging to steep grassy slopes, continue to the hill-village of St. Bonnet le Froid; then south through fields yellow with wild daffodils in late spring and orchids in early summer, skirting the Lac de Devesset (good for a possible dip on a warm day) to St Agreve. Set against the backdrop of Mt. Mezenc & Mt. Gerbier de Jonc, the source of the mighty Loire River, this small market town is a centre for cross-country skiing in winter. Its narrow main street is crammed with old-fashioned shops, selling Le Puy lentils and Rhone wine from the barrel. This 8-day circular walk then goes south past the mighty, ruined Chateau de Rochebonne overlooking the River Eyrieux. Continue to the narrow valley town of St. Martin de Valamas and then back to St. Agreve. On the way back to Lamastre, the circuit goes west along an ancient mule-road, the “Voie des Marchands”, with breathtaking views of the meticulously terraced slopes of the Haut Vivarais to the north.
Cross the rolling hills of the Tarn et Garonne region between the historic towns of Cahors and Lectoure. Traverse the centuries of time and the borders of Europe on the medieval pilgrim trail. In the 9th century, the tomb of the apostle St James was unearthed in Compostela. The site became the focus of a pilgrim trail beginning in France, and crossing northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. This journey, along the Via Podensis, the French Way of St James, takes pilgrims from Le Puy en Velay to the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied de Port. The route passes a multitude of churches and monasteries, resembling a travelling museum of Romanesque art. Six stages of this historic trail are included in our self-guided walking program in France.
This part of the journey takes you across limestone plateaus cut by small valleys, then on to the plain of the Garonne. The trail is lined with ancient stone walls. After Moissac the landscape changes to rolling hills and lush valleys where fields of corn and sunflower are intermingled with plum orchards.
Discover the highlights of the Mont Blanc region on this self guided walk through France, Switzerland and Italy. A trek around the highest peak in the European Alps where spectacular alpine scenery combines with the charm of French, Swiss and Italian mountain villages. This historic itinerary takes you across passes, around enormous glaciers and via stunning lakes to take in some of the best viewpoints in the Alps. Meadows crossed by clear melt water streams lead you downwards to green pastures where shepherds will sell their Beaufort cheese to you fresh! Mountain refuges and hotels provide a relaxing respite at the end of your day's trek. This journey is for experienced alpine walkers - providing an enthralling alpine experience with unsurpassed views around each bend.
This tour will open up your appetite and invite you to sensory pleasures. The vines may provide a beautiful setting, but they also produce an excellent wine that can be enjoyed all along this trip.
From Dijon to Beaune the walks provide a wonderful balance of quiet country lanes, vineyard tracks and woodland trails taking in sleepy, unspoilt villages, and majestic vine-clad hills. Sample fine wines in 13th century cellars and enjoy lunch in a selection of medieval towns including world-renowned Nuits-St-Georges. Walk the historic streets of Dijon and Beaune, hunt for truffles, taste local cheese in a rural manufactory, learn about blackcurrant liquor and enjoy a wine tasting at the majestic wine estate Chateau Clos Vougeot.
In this region known for its epicurean finesse, you can really enjoy fine dining. There will be excellent local dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, Oeufs en Meurette, Poulet de Bresse a la Creme, Perche aux Noix and of course exquisite cheeses like the pungent Epoisses de Bourgogne, to pair with the region's incredible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.
This tour will stimulate all your senses.
This tour will open up your appetite and invite you to sensory pleasures. The vines may provide a beautiful setting, but they also produce an excellent wine that can be enjoyed all along this trip.
From Dijon to Beaune the walks provide a wonderful balance of quiet country lanes, vineyard tracks and woodland trails taking in sleepy, unspoilt villages, and majestic vine-clad hills. Sample fine wines in 13th century cellars and enjoy lunch in a selection of medieval towns including world-renowned Nuits-St-Georges. Walk the historic streets of Dijon and Beaune, hunt for truffles, taste local cheese in a rural manufactory, learn about blackcurrant liquor and enjoy a wine tasting at the majestic wine estate Chateau Clos Vougeot.
In this region known for its epicurean finesse, you can really enjoy fine dining. There will be excellent local dishes such as Beef Bourguignon, Oeufs en Meurette, Poulet de Bresse a la Creme, Perche aux Noix and of course exquisite cheeses like the pungent Epoisses de Bourgogne, to pair with the region's incredible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.
This tour will stimulate all your senses.
