Walking holidays - what have your experiences been?

We have done hiking trips in the Alps, Dolomites, and the UK. My first one was a hiking tripin Switzerland with my local alpine club ( Seattle Mountaineers). After that I organized several more trips tomSwitzerland and to the Dolomites myself, taking friends and family along.

For walking in the UK we have used Celtic Trails for self-guided walking in Wales and Shropshire, and they were very good. The same company offers walks in Scotland (West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, Rob Roy Way, etc.).

Last May we went walking in the Lake District with HF Holidays. This is a member-owned co-op but non-members can go as well. They own country houses in various scenic areas of the UK and use these as bases for walking holidays. They also do trips outside the UK, staying in hotels and mountain huts. We are looking at them for the Tour de Mont Blanc in the future.

We currently have a guided walking trip in Patagonia booked with Mountain Travel Sobek. They are an American company ( based in Berekley, CA) but use local guides. I know theybare well-regarded by cannot comment on them as we have not taken the trip!

Another company with which I have some experience is Mac's Adventures, in the UK. They do self-guided walking trips all over the world. We were corresponding with them about a trip in France and they were very responsive to my questions. In the end we decided on the UK trip instead.

I think the best place for walking I've ever been is the Lake District in England. We didn't do a walking tour, per se, just used 2 bases (north and south part of LD) and walked each day. This was many years ago, and I'm not sure there were many, if any, walking tour companies. We would have liked to have been able to walk from one place to another and have our belongings brought to the next place, but instead we just walked from village to village and then either walked back or took a bus. But now I'm sure there are plenty of tour options.

I've done several walking holidays in Scotland. I've done it with a group that is no longer leading tours, but it's a wonderful place to walk. We were usually based around Inverness which gave us flexibility in terms of the weather. In Scotland you have to be prepared for rain, of course. But, there is rain, and then there is a downpour from a very black cloud! So, if the weather was bad in the west we could nip down to the Cairngorms and get in a good walk.

I liked walking with a UK based group as the group walking was very diverse. We had English, Dutch, Belgian, Germans, Swiss, and a Palestinian and then me, the American. I had a friend who did an REI trip in the Highlands it was all Americans.

I have done any of the long walks, but the areas that we've walked were so wonderful. We walked in Torridon, the Ullapool Hills, Stac Polly area, Glen Affric, Cairngorms, a drover road and beach walks north of Inverness off the North Sea, leisurely walks in Culbin Sands along the Moray Firth were all wonderful. We also did a trip Harris and Lewis one year and those beach and cliff walks were beautiful.

Pam

I totally agree with Pamela about the advantage of U.K. walking companies. On our Lake District trip we had English, Scottish, French.-, and Dutch participants. I part of the fun was meeting and walking with a diverse group.

Self-guided but packaged UK inn to inn walking holidays have been a joy -- Coast to coast England, West Highland Way, Lake District Loop. We booked through Contours Walking Holiday and can recommend their services. Contours does everything but walk with you.

Further north, the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) offers guided hut to hut mountain tours. I have only done winter ski tours with the DNT but they offer summer hiking tours covering similar mountain routes. Norwegian huts or hytte have evolved to mountain lodges but showers may be coin operated (to save hot water). The DNT English speaking guide tours have a international flavor including Norwegians.

The difference between a DNT tour and a Contours walk is the DNT tours are guided and you carry your own kit while the Contours walks are self-guided but provide luggage transfer service. DNT tours include full board while Contours lodging prices only include breakfast.

When checking out guided classic long distance walks take care to note that some providers don't let you walk the whole way. They will bus you across some stretches to fit the walk into a block of time. For example, the National Geographic Coast to Coast walk only covers 137 miles of the 192 miles of the Wainwright Coast to Coast.

I have done circular walks I planned myself with a home base. I have also used Cotswold Walks. They arranged my lodging/luggage transfer and provided detailed maps and directions. This was a self-guided walk, very easy to do. They also have guided walks.

If you check this Camino forum, there are walks for just about anywhere in Europe and forums where you can ask questions. Routes, etc.
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/

We've done four self-guided UK walks booked through Mickledore Travel: the Cotswold Way, the Coast to Coast Walk, the West Highland Way, and the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. We enjoyed them all and are planning on Cornwall next summer.

We just finished a self guided hiking trip in Alsace France using MacAdventure. Our trip was good enough that I just booked The Great Glen Way in Scotland for Sept 2017.

Self guided trips are NOT supported, but rather the company arranges all the transfer of your luggage to the next location, supply you the maps and support materials for the trip, and book all the hotels for you. You simply get up in the morning, have breakfast, get a lunch if needed, put on your daypack and go hike to the next town/hotel. There is no group, no leader, my husband and i love the freedom of going it by ourselves, at our own pace, with no demands on our time.

We have also used Nichols Expeditions for a hike in Italy in the Umbria region. They sub out from Italian tour companies, and have a great relationship with these companies.

Used Nichols also for Peru to hike the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu- a trip of a lifetime.

Both of these tour companies will customize your tour for you. Nichols added a cooking class for us, and MacAdventure has added a rest day for us in the middle of our 10 day 79 mile hike for next year.

I love that I can pick up the phone and speak with someone with either company to answer any questions I have, and they are both great an replying to email as well. MacAdventure is located in Glasgow-so there is a time delay. Nichols is in Moab, UT, and Judy Nichols is on top of her business, even when they are out guiding a biking or adventure trip!

http://www.macsadventure.com/us/

https://www.nicholexpeditions.com/

https://www.ramblersholidays.co.uk/home
I have used ramblers Holidays quite a few times, though UK based you can arrange to meet up with them in the various countries they offer holidays ,their holidays are also graded to the severity of the walks.

->Lola
->Robert
->Pamela
->Edgar
->Debra
->Ms. Jo
->Jone
->Ellen
->Unclegus

Thanks for your responses and suggestions, I'm certain that they will be invaluable in planning many adventures in years to come. Wishing everyone happy & healthy travels.