BaltoTraveler

We're thinking of being a little more energetic for our next vacation next summer and doing a guided hiking trip somewhere in Europe. Although we're active folks, we're in our 50s and looking for something "moderate" on the strenuous-level scale. The kind of inn-to-inn trip where the group's luggage is transported to the next night's inn would be great!

We're partial to alpine landscapes (having been in the American Rockies a number of times) so the obvious choice would be Switzerland. But a little research has also turned up enticing options in Austria, Italy (the Dolomites), Norway, Slovenia, the Pyrenees, and several Eastern European countries. In fact, even some non-mountainous places look excellent for hiking - Ireland, France, Iceland, Northern Italy, the Azores.

Could anyone who has been on such a trip give us a recommendation - both place and tour company?

grosenb

Try Backroads or Butterfield and Robinson. I done a couple of trips with Backroads and enjoyed it immensely.

BaltoTraveler

Thanks, Grosenb.

Nice, but rather pricey (e.g. a 1-week walking tour on the Amalfi Coast in Italy for $9,300 p/p, not including air.)

JudyC

If traveling with group,you might like to look into:
www:ramblersholidays.co.uk
http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/

If independent, www.inntravel.co.uk

JudyC

sorry, should be: http://www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/

kleeblatt

Another very popular thing to do with groups are bike tours. Lots of good bike tours available especially along the Donau and Main.

rjsol

In Norway website http://www.turistforeningen.no/english/

molker

Have a look at the offers found on the following site

www.wanderdoefer.at

janyceh

We have done 7 hiking trips with The Wayfarers--England, Ireland and France. They do many more countries. Not the cheapest, but not too expensive either.

rjsol

I missed you wanting luggage transport, then my suggestion would be out, in Norway we carry our own backpacked when mountain hiking

enzian

If you want to go with a group, REI Adventures, Country Walkers, and Mountain Travel Sobek all offer moderately-priced hiking tours in the Alps, Dolomites, and Pyrenees. Some are village-based, but the Tour de Mont Blanc and Walker's Haute Route (from Mont Blanc to Zermatt) are inn to inn These would be in the "moderate to strenuous" category.

We hike indenpendently, but I have looked at the itineraries offered by these 3 companies and they all look nice.

If you want to go independently but with luggage transport, several tourist bureaus in Switzerland will organize it for you. Such as this on in the Valais region:

http://www.sierre-anniviers.ch/en/Ac...Summer-Hiking/

LLindaC, who often posts here, did this with her husband 2 summers ago (or was it 3?), and wrote a great trip report on it.

P_M

Several companies are represented by Adventure Center.

www.adventurecenter.com

chewy1

We just did Bovec, Slovenia and thought it was great. Its 100 percent an outdoor town. The Soca River valley is beautiful. Went rafting with our kids 10 and 12, so you could easily do that. The gorges are incredible and the countryside. Triglav National Park is right above Bovec. We drove down from Austria, its also not too far from Venice. Food is pretty good, fresh trout and some Italian fare. You can head over to Bled and hike around there as well. Vintgar gorge is pretty.
We stayed at a little b and b in town called Starey Kovac, it was great and the outfitters there in town all speak english and use the web.

Chelsey

I'm looking to do something similar next summer. I found this company, Ryder-Walker, but it looks rather pricey. However, you can do self-guided or guided tours and get your luggage transferred either way.

http://www.ryderwalker.com/

NorwayFan

Norway is a stunning alpine option, especially with the midnight sun allowing for hiking genuinely all day long. The Lyngen Alps are phenomenal and alpine.

The below website shows you the type of day-hikes you can do around the country. Very alpine. Easiest to do independently (with car), and then stay at various nearby cabins.

Norway fjords hiking -
http://thenorwayfjords.com/Hiking.html

Lyngen Alps, Norway -
http://thenorwayfjords.com/Lyngen-Alps.html

KathyWood

Our family of three has done seven self-guided walking trips in Europe: the Cotwolds, Alsace, Coast-to-Coast in Northern England, the Alpine Pass in Switzerland, Kerry Way in Ireland, Robert Louis Stevenson trail in France, and the Dordogne and Lot in France. This is a great way to see the countryside and experience more remote areas that most tourists don't see.

We have booked trips through Cotswolds Walking Holidays, Sherpa Walking Holidays, and Sentiers de France. I'd recommend all three. The first two are British companies and the last is French. We've been very pleased with our accommodations. On some trips dinner is included in the price all or most nights.

http://www.cotswoldwalks.com/
http://www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk
http://www.sentiersdefrance.com/

The self-guided approach works really well for us. We like having someone else organize our accommodations and luggage transfer, but we prefer to be independent. We do like the routes that are more standard, where with you have a chance to interact with other walkers. After doing a couple of longer trips, we now find that a one week walk is too short for us.

Kathy

RobertR

I have never hired a guide we always do it ourselves. But I do a lot of research so I know what to look for, some of the recommended companies cost about 3000-4000/person for 10 days or so that is EXPENSIVE. Our budget is 3000 for the 2 of us for the upcoming Haute route next summer.

In between are companies that provide reservations,itinerary, maps and usually porter bags check these two out for the Haute route which I highly recommend.We alos have done the tour of Mt Blanc and the alta Via 1 in the Dolomites.

http://www.distantjourneys.com/trave.../sg_haute.html

http://www.ryderwalker.com/self_hauteroute.html

Eiger

A professional tour operator in Switzerland is:

http://www.swisstrails.ch/

They organize everything for you, transport your luggage and you can chose whether you want hotel or budget accommodation. They will be glad to help you with your plans, as they have in their programme all the regional and national hiking treks.

annhig

www.headwater.co.uk do walking and cycling holidays.

when I've looked, they've seemed on the pricey side.

there was a recent thread about a cycling trip through austria where the participants had organised it all through the official tourist office for the region; it seemed to work very well and was very reasonably priced.

OleS

This Tour Operator do luggage transport in Norway:
http://www.norske-bygdeopplevelser.no/reiser/UK/.html