Author Topic: Hiking in France or Europe for the first time? Which hike?  (Read 2163 times)

gunwharfman

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I was in the pub last night and was speaking to a young barmaid who's a student in London, studying to be a Vet. She was told by a customer that I hike so she sought me out because she and her boyfriend want to hike in France next year. It would be their first time ever and she asked me for a few suggestions. I had a very pleasant evening!

I suggested the first thing that they should consider is the ease of travel and then its cost. They want to fly because of their time constraints.

My suggestions were based on, easy to get to and not so easy to get to, was -
1 - Catch a ferry from here in Portsmouth to Caen, then hike on the GR36 route to Thury Harcourt following the right-hand track along the River L'horne, then cross the river and follow the left-hand GR36 (Variant) route back to Caen. This route will take them on a tour of the Suisse Normand area. If they study the free App map I suggested 'Geopotail' and once studied they could vary the route at will. As they live here this could be their obvious try-out one.

2 - The Tour du Mont Blanc. Planes to Geneva are usually keenly priced, then catch a bus to Chamonix, walk to Les Houches and then start the walk proper anti-clockwise from there. Ideal I think for a couple of young people, the Tour du Mont Blanc is such an international circuit. They would meet everyone from everywhere.

3 - The Stevenson Way (the GR70) from Le Puy en Velay to St. Jean du Gard. A bit more difficult to get to and perhaps less chance of getting a cheap fare? Fly to Clermont Ferrand or Lyon then catch a bus or train to the start point. Download (its free) 'Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes' by Robert Louis Stevenson, read the book and then do the walk.

If you had been asked where would you suggest? Any good ones and I personally will be interested as well.


ninthace

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Head for Bagneres de Luchon and day hike from there.
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GordonHorwich

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I am planning to do the RLS (GR70) in June and get there by train (from the North of England, probably with an overnight stop in Lyon) so if you are already much nearer to London that should be relatively easy with virtually no CO2 emissions.
GR36 - train to Portsmouth, overnight ferry to Ouistreham, then you can start walking down the path to the side of the Orne. My plan was to make Thury-Harcourt in the first day but that was a bit of a stretch so I  ended catching a bus for the last stretch. I then continued to about 8km south of Francheville before heading to Argentan and then back by train to Caen. My strava logs are available if they wish to have a look.

gunwharfman

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When I hiked the GR64 from Le Puy en Velay to Figeac (a very attractive little town) I got there by coach from London to Lyon, hated it, took such a long time even though it was cheap. I caught the train from Lyon to Le Puy (one change) and this was a great way to travel, this French railway was so good and not expensive either. I've never flown to Lyon but in hindsight I wish I had.

GordonHorwich

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I am trying to avoid flying wherever possible. As lovers of the outdoors shouldn't we all try to do our bit. Sometimes we may have to fly if we want to go somewhere where it is not practical to use less environmental means of travel, but let's try and reduce if possible. I also find airports quite stressful.

gunwharfman

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I think that to ask 'us' to 'do our bit' will have no impact on the situation at all, we the people of the world are unreliable, we may stop using something for a while but will we continue in this way? I don't believe it for one second! In my view its the world wide aircraft companies and the governments that support them that have to change the situation! It's like that other 'solution', persuading people to use fewer straws will solve nothing, the world manufacturers have to stop making them. To me its all or nothing!

 

gunwharfman

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I agree with you about airports, gruesome places!

gunwharfman

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To lay my cards on the table, I even think that all the marketing thats going on about 'green cities' is just tinkering at the edges. If there is a forthcoming catastrophe then the whole of capitalism will have to be controlled. Do I think that's possible, NO, not at all!!! If we ever get to that one second before midnight, there will aLWAYS be the 'Donald Trump's' of this world just trying to make their last dollar before dying off with the rest of us. So for me, the only way to solve the problem is for capitalism itself to solve it and this I belive they they will NEVER do!

ninthace

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I agree with you about airports, gruesome places!
Clearly you haven't been to Singapore Airport.  Lots of diverse places to eat, plenty of different sitting areas, carp ponds, butterfly garden.  A great place for a stop over.
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ninthace

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To lay my cards on the table, I even think that all the marketing thats going on about 'green cities' is just tinkering at the edges. If there is a forthcoming catastrophe then the whole of capitalism will have to be controlled. Do I think that's possible, NO, not at all!!! If we ever get to that one second before midnight, there will aLWAYS be the 'Donald Trump's' of this world just trying to make their last dollar before dying off with the rest of us. So for me, the only way to solve the problem is for capitalism itself to solve it and this I belive they they will NEVER do!
Oh tish.  Capitalists act in their own interests - make it profitable for them to clean up the planet and they will do it.  Create a carbon economy and they will trade it; persuade people not to use plastic straws and they will sell you reusable or biodegradable straws; make internal combustion engines prohibitively expensive and they will sell you electric or hydrogen power; outlaw plastic bags and they will sell you an old fashioned shopping bag as a "bag for life".  It is basically a question of presentation, nudging and pulling the right levers.
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myxpyr

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Clearly you haven't been to Singapore Airport.  Lots of diverse places to eat, plenty of different sitting areas, carp ponds, butterfly garden.  A great place for a stop over.
I enjoyed a stop over in Delhi on the way back from Kathmandu. For many years I've had an executive lounge pass and, being hot, sweaty and hungry, I made the most of the facilities.Plenty of food and drink and a very welcome shower.

gunwharfman

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If it is a question of presentation, nudging and pulling the right levers I'm sure I will be long gone if that ever happens. I obviously do not have faith in how capitalism will respond, how does a whole world mobilise to work together, are there capitalist countries who will do the 'right thing' in time? Just can't see that myself. I can accept the idea that if it's made profitable for capitalism to clean up the planet there will be some attempt to do it, but I believe whatever effort is made it will never be enough. And will the voters of the world's countries allow it if they think they will lose out in some way, I can't believe that either?

Bigfoot_Mike

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When I hiked the GR64 from Le Puy en Velay to Figeac (a very attractive little town) I got there by coach from London to Lyon, hated it, took such a long time even though it was cheap. I caught the train from Lyon to Le Puy (one change) and this was a great way to travel, this French railway was so good and not expensive either. I've never flown to Lyon but in hindsight I wish I had.
You can fly to Paris and then get the TGV to Lyon. There might be more flight options to Paris than to Lyon.

 

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