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Slow Lane Magazine, May 2019
Insights and stories from across Europe and beyond
  • favourite (but oft-forgotten) festivals
  • Nepal's secret valley
  • boutique beauty in Drôme Provençale
  • carving out a future in southern Italy
  • Inntravellers' Tales – our new writing competition
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The Long Trail to Rocamadour

Romanesque Dordogne
 
Travel back in time with self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking (with luggage transfers) to discover enchanting landscapes, pretty villages and explore ancient Rocamadour. On this delightful trip, you’ll also indulge in two Michelin-starred dinners.
 
The Long Trail to Rocamadour. 12 nights
The Long Trail to Rocamadour. 12 nights
 

Holiday information

 

A walking holiday in the Dordogne Valley to Rocamadour

The picturesque villages and rural landscape of this region have changed little since the end of the Hundred Years’ War in the 15th century. Your path follows the River Dordogne and its pretty tributary, the Ouysse, through forest and gentle green hills, in the shade of soaring cliffs, amidst green copses and golden hay fields. There are no cities and there is virtually no industry – other than the production of wine, walnut oil, truffles and foie gras, all of which you can sample as you progress downriver.
So, by day you can feast your eyes on the glorious landscapes and ever-changing panoramas, and each evening feast on the distinctive, rich gastronomy of south-west France. Your destination is the famed ‘hanging’ village of Rocamadour, the destination of pilgrims since the 12th century. The walks are leisurely, with some short but steep ascents to the limestone plateaux for splendid views over the river and the fairy-tale châteaux that stand sentinel along its banks.
 
Gallery
 

Itinerary

The key to Inntravel holidays is flexibility. You have a choice of start dates, and are free to add extra nights.
  • The average maximum daytime temperatures and monthly rainfall relate to the nearest weather station and are intended as a guide only.
    Average temperatures and rainfall
      Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
    °C 9 11 13 16 20 23 26 26 23 19 13 9
    mm 87 79 70 71 80 68 50 67 77 74 89 94
  • Arrival in Beaulieu
    Night 1: at Hotel Les Flots Bleus or Hotel Le Turenne (where you stay one night).
    As your first night’s accommodation is on the day of travel, Day 1 is your first day of walking.
  • Beaulieu to Port de Gagnac: 10km, 3hrs
    You cross the Dordogne via a small island to begin today’s gentle walk southwards towards the Cère, one of its tributaries. Wide, often shady, paths link a succession of tiny rural hamlets, across traditional farmland and through woodland and forest. On the way you gain glorious views back and forth over the river valleys and villages. In the quiet forest, you may spot deer in a clearing. Your destination is the village of Port de Gagnac and the Auberge du Vieux Port. If availability requires, we can also offer the nearby Hostellerie Belle Rive, which too enjoys a peaceful riverside setting.
    The Dordogne at Beaulieu
  • Port de Gagnac to Loubressac: 18.5km, 6hrs
    Today’s walk is more strenuous – but in our view undoubtedly one of the best of the holiday – with sweeping views over splendid countryside. A highlight on the walk is seeing one of France’s most spectacular medieval fortifications, the magnificent Château de Castelnau, on a promontory overlooking four valleys and three rivers. Your path takes you through meadows, between orchards and vineyards, and up steep stony paths through forest. You pass the region’s cheese factory – the Fromagerie de Rocamadour – before reaching Loubressac, a tiny, fortified village perched high on the hillside, with a 15th-century manor house and lovely views back towards the Château de Castelnau. Your hotel for your two nights here is the Relais de Castelnau.
    Medieval Château de Castelnau en route to Loubressac
  • Choice of walks from Loubressac: 10.5km or 14.5km

    Gouffre de Padirac option: 10.5km, 3.5hrs
    Our first option crosses a wild and uninhabited landscape to visit the vast caverns of the Gouffre de Padirac, one of the most impressive cave systems in Europe, where you can take a boat on the underground river. The caves extend for some 20 kilometres, with some caverns 100 metres high. (It is worth booking in advance; pay locally.)

    Circular walk via Autoire: 14.5km, 4hrs
    Alternatively, enjoy our circular walk along timeless, stone-edged paths and down through a gorge to the picturesque village of Autoire. There are several café-restaurants to offer sustenance before you take the steep route back to Loubressac.
    Gouffre de Padirac on the route around Loubressac © J C Lemee
  • Choice of walks from Loubressac to La Vaysse: 18km or 20km

    Carennac to La Vaysse: 18km, 5hrs
    There are two options to reach your next base, both of which begin with a short transfer to the delightful village of Carennac. This is another of the ‘most beautiful villages in France’, perched high above the Dordogne, with immaculately restored manor houses and ornate dovecotes typical of the region, clustering round the old Cluniac priory. The first option takes you along cobbled mule tracks, footpaths and country lanes through a quiet landscape, often bordered by old dry-stone walls, to Gluges, where you can visit a Middle Age fortress built into a cave. From Gluges it's a short walk to reach the tranquil setting of Le Domaine de la Vaysse, where you stay two nights.

    Longer option via Floirac: 20km, 6.5hrs
    Alternatively, choose a longer route which first visits the pretty riverside village of Floirac, before passing Gluges on your way to the guesthouse.

    Loubressac to Martel: 16km, 4hrs
    You also have the option of following a slightly different route to reach the charming town of Martel where you can upgrade to the Relais Sainte Anne.

     
    Gluges on the route from Loubressac to Domaine de La Vaysse
  • Free day in Martel
    For a restful final day, you could relax by the swimming pool at Le Domaine de la Vaysse, take another stroll into the countryside along the old apothecary’s path, or even hire canoes from nearby Gluges (5km away) and enjoy a leisurely paddle down the river.

    Circular walk from La Vaysse: 14km, 4hrs
    Alternatively, we provide notes for a circuit northwards to pretty Martel, known as ‘the town of seven towers’ and named after Charles Martel, one of the early and greatest Frankish kings of France, and the grandfather of Emperor Charlemagne. The excellent Wednesday and Saturday markets here are well worth exploring.

    Circular walk from Martel: 12km, 4hrs
    If staying at the Relais St Anne, spend time exploring Martel then follow a circuit to the village of Gluges nestled at the foot of the cliffs on the banks of the river Dordogne.

     
    Visit the pretty town of Martel on the route around Domaine de la Vaysse
  • La Vaysse/Martel to Meyronne: 10.5km, 3.5hrs
    Today you follow a gentle route to reach the pretty riverside village of Meyronne, which enjoys superb views up and down the Dordogne. You stay the night at the Hotel La Terrasse.
    The cliffs at Meyronne
  • Choice of walks from Meyronne to Lacave: 9.5km or 13.5km

    Linear walk via Le Limon and Mayrinhac: 13.5km, 4.5hrs
    For your first day, we recommend you follow this lovely route to Lacave. It explores the area to the south of the river and passes via the attractive hamlets of Le Limon and Mayrinhac le Francal.

    Linear walk via Pech del Raysse: 9.5km, 3hrs
    This shorter option also takes you south of the river, passing through woodland and farmland and leading over the panoramic Pech del Raysse. Your destination is the high-quality Hotel le Pont de l’Ouysse in Lacave, where you spend two nights.

     
    Leaving Meyronne
  • Free day in Lacave
    There are various options for your day in Lacave. For a relaxing day, visit the village’s impressive caves with their underground lakes, stalactites and stalagmites (pay locally), stroll to the château overlooking the confluence of the Dordogne and the Ouysse, then spend the afternoon relaxing by the hotel pool.

    Circular walk from Lacave: 19km, 6hrs; shorter option: 11km, 4hrs
    For more walking, follow our suggested route west of Lacave. This crosses the river and leads up through woodland to the top of the riverside cliff on the north bank, which you follow for some distance as it ascends and descends, enjoying good views of the valley from the various viewpoints. You can spend a whole day exploring these wonderful high river cliffs or take a taxi to the village of Blanzaguet and walk back from there.
    Visit the magnificent caves at Lacave
  • Lacave to Calès: 10km, 3hrs
    From Lacave, you head south along the idyllic Ouysse Valley. You pass many pleasant spots where you can rest by the river as well as a fortified working mill dating from the 14th century, which you can visit for a fascinating demonstration of milling. The last section takes you up through woodland away from the river and across fields to Calès and Le Petit Relais, where you spend one night.
    The route from Lacave to Calès
  • Calès to Hospitalet: 12km, 5hrs
    Today, you rejoin the River Ouysse and follow it eastwards, passing a watermill and several mill ponds where kingfishers can sometimes be spotted. You can take a detour past a viewpoint overlooking the Gouffre de Cabouy, where the Ouysse gushes from underground. On reaching Rocamadour, you can spend some time exploring this fascinating centre of pilgrimage, bearing in mind that you still need to make the steep ascent to Hospitalet! Hospitalet is thus named because it was once the site of a pilgrims’ hospital. Your hotel here, for the final two nights, is the Hotel le Troubadour.
    Entering Rocamadour on the route from Calès to Hospitalet
  • Free day in Hospitalet

    Circular walk from Hospitalet: 16km, 5hrs
    For more walking, there is a superb route that takes you across the plateau from the hotel and then along the dramatic Alzou valley to reach a spectacular mill set in the gorge. This is a marvellous scenic walk, with an easy climb to the mill and to the far side of the gorge, returning along the top of the cliff before descending to follow the gorge downstream and return to Rocamadour via a woodland path.

    Explore Rocamadour & the surrounding area
    Alternatively, spend your last day exploring the remarkable 'hanging village' of Rocamadour, which clambers up the hillside. Above the village itself is the ecclesiastical centre, which in turn is crowned by a castle offering a fantastic panorama. It is also worth visiting the Grottes des Merveilles near Hospitalet, where various prehistoric cave paintings have been discovered (pay locally).
    Explore the winding streets of Rocamadour
 

Accommodation

You stay in charming hotels and a chambre d'hôtes, all of which offer delicious regional cuisine.

Occasionally, due to availability, we may offer an alternative hotel, as shown below. You will be informed of any change to the usual hotel (along with any price implication) prior to us confirming your holiday to you.

We offer an upgrade option in Martel. Please indicate your preference at the time of booking.

Whichever hotels you stay in, we recommend extra nights in Beaulieu and Martel for more time to explore these pretty towns. In fact, it's also worth adding an extra night in Loubressac to enjoy both of our suggested walks from the village.
 

Options to extend or shorten your stay

 
Prices & travel options
All prices are in £ sterling (GBP). If you'd like to see what they equate to in your currency, use the converter.
Currency converter

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NB: this should be used as a guide only. Fluctuations in exchange rates could result in significant variation by the time you come to pay.

  • 12 nights: 14 April - 31 July 2019, 01 August - 31 August 2019 & 01 September - 21 October 2019

    Start varies according to season | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    14 April - 23 May £1725 £415
    24 May - 7 June £1810 £435
    8 - 26 June £1870 £440
    27 June - 28 August £1895 £445
    29 August - 8 September £1870 £440
    9 - 30 September £1810 £435
    1 - 9 October £1725 £415
    3rd & 4th person discount -£140
    Single traveller supplement £140

    Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.

    Add £70pp (£105 in a single room) if staying at Hotel Le Turenne in Beaulieu
    Deduct £30pp if stay at Les Flots Bleus falls on a Monday (hotel restaurant closed) except in Jul/Aug


     

    Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.

    12 nights: 14 April - 31 July 2019, 01 August - 31 August 2019 & 01 September - 21 October 2019

    Start varies according to season | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    14 April - 23 May £1975 £415
    24 May - 7 June £2060 £435
    8 - 26 June £2120 £440
    27 June - 28 August £2145 £445
    29 August - 8 September £2120 £440
    9 - 30 September £2060 £435
    1 - 9 October £1975 £415
    3rd & 4th person discount -£175
    Single traveller supplement £175

    Includes all elements in the 'walk price', plus standard-class travel by Eurostar from London St Pancras or Ebbsfleet International to Lille or Paris, with onward travel as described below.

    Add £70pp (£105 in a single room) if staying at Hotel Le Turenne in Beaulieu
    Deduct £30pp if stay at Les Flots Bleus falls on a Monday (hotel restaurant closed) except in Jul/Aug

    Included rail from the UK: UK–Paris (Eurostar), Paris–Brive (Intercité), approx. duration 7h40 plus 0h45 taxi transfer. Home, Souillac–Paris (Intercité), Paris–UK (Eurostar), approx. duration 9h plus 1h taxi transfer.

    If you book your holiday less than 3 months in advance of your travel date, seats may no longer be available at the tariffs on which our prices are based, but we may be able to offer you seats on the sames services at a supplement.

    12 nights: 14 April - 31 July 2019, 01 August - 31 August 2019 & 01 September - 21 October 2019

    Start varies according to season | End by latest date(s) shown above

    Starting Price Single room
    14 April - 23 May £1775 £415
    24 May - 7 June £1860 £435
    8 - 26 June £1920 £440
    27 June - 28 August £1945 £445
    29 August - 8 September £1920 £440
    9 - 30 September £1860 £435
    1 - 9 October £1775 £415
    3rd & 4th person discount -£190
    Single traveller supplement £190

    Includes all elements in the 'walk price', plus a return ferry crossing between Dover and Calais with P&O Ferries for your party and one car.

    Add £70pp (£105 in a single room) if staying at Hotel Le Turenne in Beaulieu
    Deduct £30pp if stay at Les Flots Bleus falls on a Monday (hotel restaurant closed) except in Jul/Aug

    We suggest you leave your car at the last hotel and include a transfer to the first hotel to begin your holiday.

    A supplement of £35 per car per single journey applies for outbound travel 5-7 Apr & 19-21 Apr, and for inbound travel 21-22 Apr 2019. A supplement of £45 per car per single journey applies outbound on Fridays & Saturdays 24-25 May & 12 Jul-17 Aug 2019 inclusive, and inbound on Saturdays & Sundays 1-2 Jun & 19 Jul-2 Sep 2019 inclusive.

  • Room upgrades (£ per person per night)

    Auberge du Vieux Port
    Suite: 14 Apr - 21 Oct 2019 £18
    Superior: 14 Apr - 21 Oct 2019 £12
    Hotel La Terrasse
    Junior suite: 14 Apr - 21 Oct 2019 £84

    Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room

    Hotel Les Flots Bleus (with dinner) Double room Single room
    14 Apr - 21 Oct 2019 £92 £130
    Relais de Castelnau (with dinner) Double room Single room
    14 Apr - 30 Jun 2019 £85 £129
    01 Jul - 31 Aug 2019 £95 £139
    01 Sep - 21 Oct 2019 £85 £129
    Le Domaine de la Vaysse (with dinner) Double room Single room
    14 Apr - 09 Jul 2019 £74 £88
    10 Jul - 20 Aug 2019 £77 £91
    21 Aug - 21 Oct 2019 £74 £88
    Hotel le Pont de l'Ouysse (with dinner) Double room Single room
    14 Apr - 15 Jun 2019 £148 £174
    16 Jun - 15 Sep 2019 £168 £194
    16 Sep - 21 Oct 2019 £148 £174
    Hotel le Troubadour (with dinner) Double room Single room
    14 Apr - 31 May 2019 £98 £136
    01 Jun - 30 Sep 2019 £110 £155
    01 Oct - 21 Oct 2019 £98 £136
  • RECOMMENDED AIRPORT(S):
    Brive, Limoges,Toulouse, Paris CDG

    Travelling from the UK

    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Paris CDG. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    Travelling from outside the UK
    We have many years' experience catering for customers who live outside the UK, and will be happy to make tailored arrangements to fit with your plans.

    You have two options:

    1) Book your own flights to London, from where we can book flights and onward connecting travel to your hotel.

    2) Book your own flights direct to an airport appropriate to your chosen holiday. You can either make your own way from the airport to the hotel, or we'll be happy to book onward connecting travel for you. Please consult with us before booking your flights, so that we can advise you on the suitability of your proposed route and timings.
    Outward route Airline
    Aberdeen - Paris CDG Air France,  KLM 
    Aberdeen - Toulouse (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast City - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Belfast City - Toulouse (with touchdown in Birmingham) Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Belfast Intl. - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Birmingham - Limoges Flybe 
    Birmingham - Paris CDG Air France,  Flybe 
    Birmingham - Toulouse Flybe 
    Birmingham - Toulouse (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Bristol - Limoges Ryanair 
    Bristol - Paris CDG Air France,  easyJet 
    Bristol - Toulouse easyJet,  Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Cardiff - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Doncaster Sheffield - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Durham Tees Valley - Toulouse (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Outward route Airline
    Nottingham East Midlands - Limoges Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Edinburgh - Paris CDG Air France,  easyJet,  Flybe 
    Edinburgh - Toulouse Ryanair 
    Edinburgh - Toulouse (via Amsterdam Schiphol) KLM 
    Edinburgh - Toulouse (via Amsterdam) Air France 
    Edinburgh - Toulouse (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Exeter - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Glasgow - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Leeds Bradford - Limoges Ryanair 
    Leeds Bradford - Paris CDG jet2 
    Outward route Airline
    Liverpool - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Liverpool - Toulouse easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London City - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Gatwick - Limoges Flybe 
    Gatwick - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Gatwick - Toulouse easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Heathrow - Paris CDG British Airways 
    Heathrow - Toulouse British Airways 
    Heathrow - Toulouse (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Luton - Toulouse easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    London Southend - Paris CDG easyJet 
    Outward route Airline
    Stansted - Brive Vallée de la Dordogne Ryanair 
    Stansted - Limoges Ryanair 
    Stansted - Toulouse Ryanair 
    Outward route Airline
    Manchester - Limoges Flybe,  Ryanair 
    Manchester - Paris CDG Air France,  easyJet,  Flybe 
    Manchester - Toulouse Flybe 
    Manchester - Toulouse (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Newcastle - Limoges Flybe 
    Newcastle - Paris CDG Air France,  KLM 
    Newcastle - Toulouse (via Paris) Air France 
    Outward route Airline
    Norwich - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Outward route Airline
    Southampton - Limoges Flybe 
    Southampton - Paris CDG Flybe 
    Southampton - Toulouse Flybe 
    Southampton - Toulouse (via Paris) Air France 
    Travelling from outside the UK

    If you are flying from outside Europe,  we recommend flying via Paris CDG. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.

    This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you. We charge £30 per person for our flight booking service (£50 for India and Nepal). Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.

  • Prices below are based on 2 people travelling together. If you are travelling solo or as a party of 3 or more and our arrangements include a taxi, please contact us for prices; additional passengers often pay less.

    Connecting travel options - flying via Brive

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    direct taxi Brive Vallée de la Dordogne airport to hotel (1h) £30 flexible
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    direct taxi hotel to Brive Vallée de la Dordogne airport (0h50) £20 flexible

    Connecting travel options - flying via Limoges

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Limoges Benedictins to Brive (1h-1h20), taxi Brive to hotel (0h45) £58 1700
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Brive (1h15), rail Brive to Limoges Benedictins (1h-1h20) £50 1200

    Connecting travel options - flying via Toulouse

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    rail Toulouse-Matabiau to Souillac (2h), taxi - Souillac to hotel (1h) £58 1500
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Souillac (1hr), rail Souillac to Toulouse (2h) £38 1300

    Connecting travel options - flying via Paris

    Outward route Price per person Latest flight
    arrival time
    Paris RER CDG airport to Paris Austerlitz (0h45), rail Paris Austerlitz to Brive (4h20), taxi Brive to hotel (0h45) £83 1045
    Homeward route Price per person Earliest flight
    departure time
    taxi hotel to Brive (1h15), rail Brive to Paris Austerlitz (4h20), Paris RER from Paris Austerlitz to CDG airport (0h45) £77 1530
What is included
  • 12 nights
  • 12 dinners (2 Michelin-starred)
    7 picnics
    12 breakfasts
  • luggage transported
  • route notes and maps
  • transfer on day 4
 
Reviews

If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?

We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >

All 4 reviews
  • Dr I Woodhouse
    Australia
    11 September 2018

    We all thoroughly enjoyed the holiday, service provided, guided notes, everything - you couldn't ask for better.

  • Mr D Craig
    Rochester
    14 August 2018

    This holiday was a wonderful mix of reasonably gentle but suitably lengthy walks combined with charming and charismatic hotels and, above all, truly outstanding meals.  The exercise to indulgence ratio was spot on as we managed to lose some weight as well as enjoying the most consistently excellent food we have ever had on a holiday. 

  • Mrs P Fahlman
    Canada
    22 May 2018

    We did the the Long Trail to  Rocamadour and Granite Coast of Brittany trips. They were both excellent with beautiful scenery and great food and accommodation.  This was our first trip with Inntravel and it will not be our last. We found Inntravel to be very professional and easy to work with. When our train was cancelled due to the strike they made alternate arrangements and were very helpful.
    When staying at Loubressac, we'd highly recommend visiting the caves at Gouffre de Padirac. We added an extra night at Loubressac so we could also do the Autoire circuit walk and it turned out to be one of our favorite walks.
    The walk to Cales is beautiful and we'd recommend stopping at the old mill.
    The Hotel le Troubadour had excellent dinners and offered some special choices. We chose the veal chop and the seafood gratin and would recommend this as they were both superb, well worth the small additional cost.
    In Brittany we highly recommend taking the boat trip to Sept Iles if the weather is good. Take the trip where you stop and can walk on one of the islands as the scenery is spectacular and there were many birds on the island. The lady at reception at Manoir de Spinx made the reservation for us as there is only one trip per day that stops at the island.

  • Bodners
    14 May 2018

    The trip exceeded all of our expectations.  Inntravel was easy to work with and the whole trip was seamless.  Their local expertise really allowed us to take excellent routes and enjoy staying at small local hotels...and the food!! The food was all amazing!  Thank you so much for such a lovely holiday. 
 

FAQs

If you have any questions relating to this or any other Inntravel holiday, our friendly travel experts will be happy to help. You might also find our General FAQs section helpful.
  • We’ll send you route notes and maps 2-3 weeks before your holiday. The route notes not only contain directions to get from hotel to hotel, but also include practical information about places of interest and eateries along each route, plus cultural information about the area. If/when you are moving between hotels, you leave your luggage in reception as you leave, and it will be transferred ahead to your next accommodation, meaning that all you need to take with you are a camera, sun cream, drinks, food and waterproofs.

    For more detailed information, see our walking holidays in Europe page.
  • We can book a wide range of airlines and routes from the UK. As well as being more convenient for you to book all elements of your holiday together, it also means that we’ll accept liability for your travel arrangements, so if things go wrong, such as the airline going bust, we’ll make suitable alternative arrangements for you. For Europe and Morocco, there’s a £30 booking fee per person (£15 for children aged 2-11). For India and Nepal, the booking fee is £50 per person. More information on flights >
  • We can’t book flights that originate outside the UK, but if you wanted book your own flights to London (or elsewhere in the UK), we can make all onward travel arrangements (including flights) from there. Alternatively, if you are booking your own flights to an airport in continental Europe that’s appropriate for your holiday, we can book onward rail travel and/or taxis. More information about how we can tailor holidays for customers outside the UK >
  • Since our holidays are self-guided, we recommend calling us for a chat about your plans before making a booking, especially if it’s the first time you’ve booked with us.
    The price panel shows the supplement for a single room and also the single traveller charge (this covers (luggage) transfers and other costs which are usually shared between two people).
  • Once you’ve decided on your exact itinerary (our travel experts will be happy to offer advice), you need to provide us with your party’s details, either by phone or via our booking form. At this point we also ask you to pay a deposit so that we can secure a room for you immediately on confirming availability with the hotel(s). If it turns out that we can’t secure the accommodation for the holiday you’ve requested, or offer an acceptable alternative, we’ll refund your deposit promptly and in full. After booking your accommodation and other key elements, we'll then book your travel (or you can do so if you’re making your own arrangements) and send you a Booking Confirmation and Invoice.
  • Yes, it’s something we insist on, even for holidays in the UK. The vast majority of holidays go smoothly, but when things go wrong, it can be expensive to put them right. Buying a new pair of walking boots after your suitcase is stolen mightn’t seem so bad, but the bill for being airlifted down from a mountain with a broken leg or flown home while still recovering from an illness or accident can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

    You don’t have to buy our policy (if you live outside Europe you’ll definitely need to make your own arrangements, as the policy is only for UK and EU residents), but you do need to make sure that you’re covered for medical emergencies and repatriation. We also recommend that you are covered for other eventualities, such as cancellation and loss of luggage and passports.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of the correct travel documents, with the correct validity. If you’re a UK citizen, you need a full British passport to travel to France, but not a visa (if you are travelling after 31 October 2019, see the Brexit question below for more information). If you are a citizen of another country, you’ll need to check requirements with the national embassy or your own consulate.

    Current information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found through the following NHS link: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/ You must make sure you have adequate insurance cover for illness, accidents and repatriation (see the insurance question). UK citizens should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) by applying at a Post Office or at www.ehic.org.uk. The EHIC allows reciprocal health care but should not be seen as a substitute for travel insurance. EHICs may cease to be valid in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
  • The official language is French. The currency is the Euro. French time is GMT/UTC + 1. It uses Daylight Saving Time, so in summer is on BST + 1.
  • Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it’s been confirmed that flights will continue as normal and that you won’t need a visa to go on holiday (the limit on stays is 90 days). What you will need if there’s no deal is a passport that is valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of your arrival (extra months added because you renewed your passport early do not count) and adequate travel insurance to cover you for accidents and illness in case reciprocal health deals are suspended. If you are driving while on holiday, you will probably need an International Driving Permit (plus a Green Card if you are taking your own car to Europe). More information >
  • The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides up-to-date, country-by-country travel advice, as well as information on security, local laws, passports and visas for UK citizens.
    If you live outside the UK, see our essential travel information page for a list of relevant websites.
Last fetch time is : 7/18/2019 4:06:05 PM