Make walking worth it in 2025

With a new year upon us, we thought we’d look at ways to get those worth-it moments when it comes to walking holidays.

And with 40 years of route finding, hotel picking, and itinerary crafting under our boots, we’ve been able to fine-tune the ingredients that turn a walking holiday into a great walking holiday.

Here's how to make walking truly worth it in 2025...

Discover differently

Our destination experts have studied the maps, visited the areas, and found the best and lesser-known routes. If you’ve already been to many European destinations, we’ll take you along the quieter paths where moments of calm, beauty, and intrigue are easy to come by: being able to sit and watch the sun’s rays beaming through the treetops, gazing out at waves lapping the shore, or even coming across tiny cafes only locals know about for your morning coffee.

We like to show you a different side to popular destinations. We’ll take you deep into rural Spain to discover the treasures of Aracena, for example, where gentle paths weave through timeless, relatively unknown, scenery, and where local produce is celebrated through its cuisine. And away from Mallorca’s resort towns, lies the quiet north-west corner where the Tramuntana Mountains provide a backdrop of secluded bays, honey-coloured villages, and ancient citrus groves to roam.

Walk with history

Walking in the footsteps of pilgrims, saints, or battle-weary soldiers, adds a layer of history and poignancy to the places you pass through. We’ve curated routes that seek out these inspiring landscapes, giving you all the time you need to take it in and visit museums and landmarks.

In Normandy, we’ve designed an itinerary that showcases all the key sites, including the Landing Beaches and time in historical Bayeux at the end. Being self-guided, you’re never rushed through anywhere and you’re free to see as much or as little as you’d like.

Meanwhile, you can walk the quieter ‘Old Way’ of the famed Camino de Santiago or in the footsteps of St Francis from Assisi to Spoleto in Tuscany. Follow Hadrian’s Wall from east to west (as it was designed) or venture to the Pont du Gard amid Roman relics.

Stay at independent hotels

Part of the joy in travelling comes from immersing yourself in local culture, and there’s no better way than doing so by staying at local guesthouses, inns, and hotels. We’ve hand-picked each and every one, working with some hosts for decades, where you’re guaranteed a warm welcome and a fountain of stories to bring the area to life.

One thing that unites them all is their passion for showing people the local area and heritage. In Snowdonia, the owners of Plas Coch Guesthouse in Llanberis, are mountain guides themselves and Eryri Gold Ambassadors, meaning they’re more than qualified to teach people about the landscape and its heritage.

Savour local gastronomy

Our holidays are all self-guided, giving you the freedom to set your own pace, stop for lunch or coffee wherever takes your fancy, and the space to enjoy every moment.

A highlight is being able to sample the local cuisine. We’ll point you in the right direction of tried-and-tested restaurants, mountain Hütte, Italian trattorias, seafood restaurants by the sea, and artisan producers. At certain hotels we include dinner - at Hotel le Grand Hard in Normandy, the menu is designed around seasonal produce all sourced from within a few miles - or while in Portugal’s Douro Valley, we include a wine tasting allowing you to savour each plateful and glassful.

Make the journey part of your holiday

We champion travel by rail wherever possible and often design our itineraries on being able to get there by public transport. Our rail experts thoroughly research the routes, so you can sit back and watch France’s meadows and mountains pass you by on your way to northern Spain, Switzerland, Austria, or Germany. There’s the option to add on city stays in Paris, Zurich, Munich amongst others, to break up a journey and see more of an area, too.

Our Journeys by rail are a relaxed way of sightseeing and walking. They include shorter walks and time to sightsee at your leisure. A Trail of Three Cities takes you between Seville, Córdoba, and Granada where, by day, you explore the cities’ beguiling mix of architecture and rich history, while by night you stay in stylish restored mansions. Meanwhile, further north in Norway, travel from the Fjells to the Fjords, experiencing the Flåm Railway and a boat trip through UNESCO-protected Naerøyfjord.

Make walking worth it in 2025

Book with an expert