France is the perfect destination to choose for a walking holiday. Each region has its own charcteristics; from the rugged coastline of Brittany, through the Loire with its vineyards and châteaux, to the mountainous Pyrenees. There are a network of way-marked footpaths, that make for interesting walking whether you fancy a relaxing ramble or something more challenging.
Which walk to choose?
All the holidays are graded from easy through to moderate/hard. Not one of our holidays is classified as "hard"! If this is your first walking holiday or you're not sure how much energy you want to exert then look at the easier grades in Picardy, Normandy and the Loire. Distances involved are not more than 10 miles a day, which leaves you time to explore the villages and places of interest along the route. Why not try our Taster holiday in the Loire - an easy 3-night break where you walk for 6 miles one day and 7 the next; a perfect way to sample the Belle France experience.
With you all the way
Belle France provide you with comprehensive walking notes and IGN maps with our recommended routes highlighted. In many instances the routes follow established walking paths that are already way-marked, so you'll have no problems finding your way.
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, you'll set off armed with a few essentials - rucksack, water, camera and some spending money should suffice. Our carefully researched walking notes and maps will guide you every step of the way, pointing out places of interest to stop at en route. As you're walking independently, you can go at your own pace with the whole day stretching ahead of you.
Upon arrival at your next hotel your luggage will be awaiting you, having been transferred during the day whilst you've been walking. So you can freshen up before settling down in the hotel's restaurant for some appetising local food. Usually you eat from a 3 or 4 course menu with a good choice of dishes, so there's bound to be something to tempt you. Many of our customers complain that they come home weighing more than when they went away, thanks to the wonderful range of food on offer!
Many of our walking holidays are circular, so by the end of the holiday you'll end up back at the first hotel. Other holidays are linear, so if you've travelled by car we include a transfer to take you back to the first hotel to collect your car at the end. Another option is to try one of our fixed-base holidays, where you stay at just the one hotel for a whole week - the beauty of this being that if you fancy a day without walking, you can just relax by the hotel pool!
Whatever option you choose, our friendly team will be happy to advise you further to ensure your holiday experience will be perfect for you.
Walking Boots
Footwear is most important; you need to think what standard of gradients, mossy rocks, broken limestone mud and water the foot wear can handle. There is a perennial argument over which is best - trainers or boots. In our view it is always best to bring light walking boots for the terrain you are likely to encounter. Some people prefer to walk in trainers but you need to ensure they have a good grip - a disadvantage is that trainers lack ankle support. However, they can be lighter, cheaper and make you a bit more nimble.
A plea: If you buy new boots and they are too large, do not believe you can pack them out with socks. The socks will compress and you will slide about and blister. If they pinch, do not believe they will stretch. They will not! Ensure the boot is a comfortable fit in the shop because wearing a boot will not much improve the fit after purchase.
Socks are equally important and you'll need several pairs -- don't choose very thick walking socks as they tend to compress and become uncomfortable. If you plan to buy new boots please try to walk in them to test them, and wear them in before the holiday, even if the advert says you needn't! Wearing them around the house for six hours at a time will get you accustomed to the feel of the boot and ensure that the boot is moulded to your foot shape by the start of the holiday.
