The Independent Parent: your questions answered
What are the best family walking holidays?
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Your support makes all the difference.Q We would like to take our children, aged eight and 11, on a walking holiday in France. We are not quite sure where to start and wondered if you might be able to make some suggestions
M Gallagher, Kent
A You need look no further than one of France's best-kept secrets: the Randonnées Pédestres. This is a collection of over 80 different long-distance hikes through wonderful swathes of French countryside from the peaks of the French Alps to chateaux of the Loire Valley.
Each hike is individually mapped, but it is worth bearing in mind that many of these hikes can be quite challenging and so unsuitable for smaller children. As a solution to this predicament, it has also produced some maps outlining gentler routes entitled "A Pied en Famille", targeted at families be they anything from small children to grandparents.
These 18 itineraries are located throughout various different regions, among them the Côte d'Opale, the Picardy coast and a national park in Lorraine. Each itinerary has several circuits, which can be completed at a leisurely pace and normally take around one to three hours.
Hikes have a special map detailing the routes, distances, places to stay along the way, wildlife points of interest, local folklore and what to eat in the region. These are incredibly user-friendly and also highlight specific themes such as local bird life, stone-age sites and animals, which should arouse the interest of even the most reluctant child.
Sadly, the guides are not available in the UK, but a number of the itineraries can be purchased online from the website of Le Centre d'Information de la Randonnée Pédestre in Paris (www.asp.ffrp.asso.fr). Guides cost EUR7.50 (£5.35) each and postage within the EU will cost an additional EUR3.50 (£2.50). It also publishes a practical guide covering all aspects of family walking, which might prove useful – should your French be up to the challenge.
If, on the other hand, you would rather have everything organised for you, UK-based tour operator Walks Worldwide (01524 262 255; www.walksworldwide.com) offers a family-friendly itinerary that might fit the bill. Its "Summer in the French Alps" is an eight-day accompanied itinerary based at the Alpine resort of Les Arcs. Walks can be tailored to the level of difficulty required and there are also additional activities on offer such as mountain biking and horse riding. The group size ranges from six to 20 and there are two departures this summer on 2-9 August. Adults cost £440, children (aged seven to 14) £265, children (aged two to six) £155 and infants (under 2) cost £30. Flights cost extra.
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