Do you want to go on a walking holiday in France? Perhaps you want to go hiking in the French Alps or the South of France? Here we’ve provided useful facts & information about walking holidays in France.
France is one of the best places in Europe to come for a walking holiday. The varied geography of France and its large size provide an excellent variety of choice to suit all walking holiday needs. In total, France has more than 120,000 km of specifically designated walking paths that are scattered all across the surface of France. From mountain walking trails to wooded areas to walking trails near the beaches of southern France there is a walking holiday to suit everybody’s needs.
France has no specific laws or restrictions on walking. There’s no need for a hiking permit to embark on a walking holiday in France; however, there are strict laws about camping. Unauthorized camping is prohibited in France, especially in the national parks in France, which is where many of the walking paths run through. If you intend to go on a walking holiday in France that involves camping, you need to plan your route out in detail with a map to ensure you can camp in an authorized camping ground in France each night.
Long Distance Walking Holiday in France
France has three main categories of walking paths that are used for walking holidays in France. All walking paths are assigned an alphanumeric code. The Long distance walking trails in France all begin with the letters GR. GR walking paths in France are marked with red and white stripes along the side of the entirety of the path, usually on trees or rocks. These walking paths in France are usually linear and run for many hundreds of kilometers. The following are some of the most popular paths used by people on walking holidays in France:
GR1: Circumnavigates the Paris Metropolitan Area.
GR3: This walking pass passes through the Loire Valley.
GR4: Zig Zags through the Massif Central mountain range.
GR5: starts in the Netherlands, runs through Belgium, Luxemburg and runs along the Alpine region of eastern France. This path is particularly popular for walking holidays in France.
GR10: Runs along the Pyrenees Mountains in France, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
GR20: This unusual walking path goes through the highlands of the island of Corsica.
Medium Distance Walking Holidays in France
