France Hiking

France, hiking in the French Alps

Picture, hiking in the French Alps.

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France has a staggering number of spectacular hiking trails, known locally as randonnées, taking you through almost any kind of landscape you could want except for a full-on desert or tropical jungle.
Long hiking routes [Sentiers de Grande Randonnée - GR] are many and generally well posted with red and white markings, and littered with strategically placed campsites and emergency refuges.
Shorter distance walks [Sentiers de Petit Randonnée-PR] are marked in either red and yellow denoting a regional route or only yellow indicating a local path.

One of the longest French trails is the 1,400 miles of Grande Randonee 5 from the Hook of Holland [far north] to Nice [far south], though few attempt to walk so far.
A popular section is the stunning Grance Traversée des Alpes which takes around five weeks.
Alternatively, the best shortish Alpine bit is probably the 7 day route from Les Houches south to Pralognan, moving from spectacular snowy peaks, past glaciers and through flowering meadows, with plenty of wildlife [including ibex and chamois] and mountain refuges serving hot meals. Get to Les Houches by bus from Chamonix, then take the cable car to Bellevue from where GR5 is clearly marked. On arrival in Pralognan, hop a bus to the TGV station at Moutiers Salins.

Get a guide book, book your mountain refuges or see more GR5 tips.

Restonica gorges, Corsica, France

Picture, the early stages of Corsica's Restonica Gorges hike.

Corsica Hiking | Corsica Pictures | Corsica Travel Guide

Corsica offers hundreds of stunning and well marked walking routes, from short but perfectly formed trails through the red rocks of Calanches de Piana to the gorge walks around Porto and Corte and the challenging 200 km [125 miles], cross-island Grand Randonée of GR20.

If you prefer to travel using both hands and feet then plenty of challenging climbs are available in the Alps, Corsica, Massif Central and Pyrenees, Verdon Gorge, Chamonix being especially popular as a base for Mont Blanc uphill struggles.
Detailed routemaps are available in bookshops and local tourist offices, while organized treks and guides are well-established in mountain areas.

Explore! hiking holidays in France:

Footsteps of the Cathars:
Hike to a remarkable string of Cathar castles over 8 days, walk through meadows, forests, gorges and mountains and enjoy the famously picturesque city of Carcassonne.
Walking between the Cathar castles which abound in this unspoilt corner of France, we stay in gîtes, small hotels, an auberge and a bergerie (shepherd's hut).

Mont Blanc Trek over 8 days:
Trekking through forests and open Alpine ground we should see marmots, chamois and birds of prey en-route to Lac Blanc at 2350m. This high Alpine lake has the backdrop of the spectacular granite spires of the Chamonix Aiguilles and the great glaciers of the Mont Blanc massif.
Travelling through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Italy we begin a 3-day trek. Starting at Val Veny (1650m) we climb through open country with spectacular views of the steep south-face of Mont BlancWe cross the Col de la Seigne (2516m) back into France and descend to the remote hamlet of Les Chapieux (1549m). A steep ascent takes us over another high pass - the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2479m) - through rugged scenery full of colourful Alpine flowers. After a night at Les Contamines (1165m) we complete our trek by crossing the Col du Tricot (2120m) and take a cable-car back down to the Chamonix Valley. The last day is free for you to relax in Chamonix or take part in optional activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking and swimming.
A mainly chalet based trip, this trek is graded strenuous - and is suitable for walkers who enjoy the challenge of hikes with plenty of ascent and descent - about 1000m each day.