Hiking France: Plan a village walk on France's national trail system: Hiking Europe, #1

By Rory Moulton

Ditch the tourist trail, hit the hiking trail and experience the REAL France!

Ever felt the urge to shoulder a backpack and explore fairytale villages? Do your travel daydreams involve eating picnic lunches beside lavender fields? And feasting on freshly prepared classic French dinners? Have you dreamed of hiking in France among vineyards and stone villages, enjoying the leisurely pace of rural life at the languid pace of foot travel?

You've come to the right place.

Anyone can walk France's long-distance hiking trails.

• Hiking takes all types. Hiking France covers the intricacies of walking from village to village, along lavender fields, farm pastures, riverside towpaths and mellow forest trails. Anyone in decent shape can hike France's best trails.
• You don't need to know French. Some French phrases help, but with modern translation apps and an adventurous spirit, English speakers get on fine in rural France.
• You don't need a trust fund. Hiking rural France is one of Western Europe's great bargains, and the most-affordable way to explore the French countryside.
• You needn't have planned an overseas hiking trip before. Hiking France will arm you with all the tools, resources and inspiration to set you on the path of planning your dream hiking trip in France.

In Hiking France, you'll learn:

• How to find villages linked by well-signed footpaths.
• Where to buy and how to decipher French maps and hiking guides.
• Which websites, books and apps to use.
• How to book lodging and transportation.
• What to pack and wear.
• Eating tips and tricks for dining like a local (and a hiker!).

After reading Hiking France, you'll have the knowledge and wherewithal to go out and plan your self-sustained hiking trip to France. You won't need expensive tour companies or private guides. Just this book, maps or GPS, and a sense of adventure.

There's never been a better time to ditch Europe's tourist crowds and strike out on a village hiking vacation in France, Europe's ultimate hiking playground.

Start planning your dream trip to France — click BUY on this page!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rory Moulton
• Release date: May 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781954778061

Book preview

Rory Moulton

Hiking France

Plan a village walk on France’s national trail system

First published by Rory Moulton 2021

Copyright © 2021 by Rory Moulton

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Rory Moulton asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Rory Moulton has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

The GR® GRP® PR® acronyms, as well as the corresponding markings (white / red, yellow and yellow / red), are trademarks registered by the French Federation of Hiking. They cannot be reproduced without their authorization. The FFRP, recognized as being of public utility, brings together associations that create and maintain hiking routes on the GR® GRP® PR®. It publishes topo-guides of these hiking routes. More info at www.ffrandonnee.fr.

First edition

ISBN: 978-1-954778-06-1

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

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Contents

Also by Rory Moulton

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Introduction

1. Why Hike?

The Joys of Hiking

Slackpacking = Village Walking

The Tradeoff

2. Why France?

Tradition & Culture

Crossroads of History

Population Concentration

Terrain

Climate

Food & Wine

Village Clusters

Sticky Infrastructure

3. Hiking Superhighways

History

Trail Types

Trail Grades

4. Tools of Enlightenment

French Regions & Departments

IGN Maps & Georoom

FFRandonnée® TopoGuides & Mongr.fr

GPS App

Hiking Clubs & Tourist Boards

Books & Websites

DIY Planning

Daily Time Control Plan

Custom Hiking Consultation

5. Trail Craft

Route Finding

Safety

Private Land & Forest Closures

6. The Walking Lifestyle

Laundry & Hygiene

French Etiquette & Language

7. Sleeping

Hôtels / Hotels

Chambre d’Hôtes / B&Bs & Guesthouses

Gîte d’étape / Stopover Shelter

Gîte Rural / Country Cottage

Gîte Communale / Community Shelter

Le Camping / Campgrounds

Auberge de Jeunesse / Hostel

Le Airbnb / Airbnb

8. Eating & Drinking

Eat Like a Hiker

Eat Like a Local

Wine Like a Local

The Almighty Baguette

Eateries Definition Guide

9. Gear & Packing

Clothing

Gear

Toiletries

Buy in France

Porters & Luggage Storage

Cash is King

10. Getting Around

Trains

Buses

Car Rentals

11. Suggested Routes

Custom Hiking Guides Available/Coming Soon:

Popular Hikes with TopoGuides®

12. Resources List

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Introduction

As I descend from the fairytale hill town of Oppedette, a stone village perched atop a honeycombed escarpment in Provence’s Luberon region, the March afternoon sun glints off the limestone homes. Once on the flat plain below, I reach a lavender field, still months away from blooming its iconic purple buds. Across a gravel country road, I spy the white-over-red waymark pointing me toward a wooded track marking my exit from the farmland surrounding the hill town and into a scrub-oak forest. I double-check my GPS to make sure I’m on the right path. (I am.)

Before I reach the forest canopy, I glance back and realize I’m standing at the nexus of everything I had been dreaming about while planning this hike: a medieval stone village surrounded by lavender fields with an ancient footpath leading into pristine forest. My backpack holds an unopened 2012 bottle of red from Chateau de Mille, a Luberon winery dating to the early 1200s, a still-warm baguette, a wedge of soft goat cheese and an unopened jar of duck pâté. I skip into the wood with one goal in mind: Find a spot to devour my picnic lunch and a sunny forest stream to dip my toes.

* * *

Ever felt the urge to shoulder a backpack and explore Europe’s hinterlands? Does the thought of walking from village to village in rural France excite you? How about eating baguette-picnic lunches beside lavender fields and feasting on freshly prepared classic French dinners? Ever dreamt of hiking among vineyards and stone villages, enjoying the leisurely pace of rural life at the languid pace of foot travel?

Then you’ve come to the right place. After reading this book, you’ll have the knowledge and wherewithal to go out and plan your self-sustained hiking trip to France. You won’t need expensive tour companies or private guides. Just this book, maps or GPS, and a sense of adventure.

Hiking France means more than miles and trails, putting one foot in front of the other and following waymarks. It’s about rediscovering an ancient rhythm to life, unlocked by the pace of foot travel. Hiking France charts a travel path far from the maddening crowds into peaceful rural France, where time moves slower and the simple pleasures of fresh food and healthy air prevail.

Hiking France dives into the wonderful spider web of France’s extensive trail system that crisscrosses the country. I’ll convince you that hiking is not just a workable option, but the best choice for exploring rural France. I’ll explain what makes this country so special for walkers, and why it bests other hiking destinations. While the trail system is massive, it’s easy to use and I’ll show you how. I’ve also got chapters on hiking and trail skills, planning and packing, sleeping and eating, and what you can expect day-in and day-out on France’s spectacular footpaths.

In this book, here’s what