Hi--Just received HF Holidays brochure on their Classic Walks in Britian for 2000 and I feel a bit overwhelmed. Can anyone give me any advice or experiences they have had with their walks. They seem to be a good value, are they? They offer over 19 locations for walks in England, Wales and Scotland, which would you recommend? I've done a search on HF and came up with a little info but if anyone has any recent comments or advice it would be much appreciated. <BR> Thanks!

I have their brochure, too, and I know how you feel. As it turned out, I've made other plans for my next trip, but I'd still like to do one of their holidays in the future. <BR> <BR>I don't know whether this will be any help, but here's what I did. First, I sat down with my maps and guidebooks -- okay, I have a lot of them, but you can try the library and the British Tourist Agency for free info if you're not a guidebook hoarder like me -- to see exactly where their centres are and what the areas are like. I already had an idea at the outset of which areas I was most interested in, so at least I didn't have to mess with all of them! <BR> <BR>Then I went to their website (http://www.hfholidays.co.uk/) and printed the sample walks for the locations that interested me most (click on Classic Walks Programme). Then I made up a little chart comparing typical walking conditions (as described in the brochure), average elevation gains (I'm kind of a wimp about big hills), whether the accomodations seemed appealing, and whether there was a town accessible to visit on the "day off." <BR> <BR>Or you could flip a coin. <BR> <BR>Be aware that some of their locations are in areas that are very highly visited in summer. If that matters to you, I've found that guidebooks aimed toward walkers are better than general guidebooks at pointing that out.

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There was a recent post from me and another person on HF walks - - do a search under HF Holidays. I've been to their Cornwall and Cotswold houses, and both locations are diffent but wonderful locations. I strongly recommend them. We've also done 2 HF sites in France. My wife and I are out-of-shape 50 year olds, and we like walking but not hiking or climbing. So we've stayed at southern,"easy walking" houses (although Cornwall has lots of stiles and scrambles). Many of the UK sites further north have a reputation for strenuous hikes even for the short walks. A friend went to one of the Lake District houses, and after a day or two playing mule, she gave up and stayed at the house (or did local sight-seeing) while her husband hiked is fill. I've also heard that the northern sites have generally younger particpants but can't confirm it.

First, Thanks for the responses and yes Joe, I did find your recent post. Was looking at either a 3 or 4 day HF holiday as part of our 14 day trip to the UK. The Cotswolds, Wales, Cornwall, Devon, Isle of Wight and the Yorkshire Dales, all look great, which makes it's hard choosing one. I'm also a bit of a wimp when it comes to hills but love to walk, and see the hills. Was leaning toward the Cotswolds, (sceen on a day trip last year) or Wales (where I haven't been) but don't want walks that are too strenuous. Also don't want to use a car to get there if I can help it. Any Suggestions? Thanks!