There are thousands of miles of scenic walking trails criss crossing Europe. Walking one of these historic paths makes for a fun, healthy and affordable vacation – one that allows you to experience a culture intimately and at a leisurely pace.
Many of these European walking trails are thousands of years old, so the little villages you stay in often have a delightful medieval appeal. Villages tended to sprout up about a walking day apart, which lends itself to walking holidays.
What is a Walking Holiday
A walking holiday is when you take a vacation where you literally walk each day from point to another, staying in cute historic villages along the way. In a week, most walking holidays will have you walking around 50-100 miles, depending on the landscape and how much you wish to hike each day on average.
Walking holidays are a fantastic way to have a truly authentic cultural experience. You get a chance to meet locals in their own setting, see places most tourists miss, and at this slow pace, get a true feel for the country you are visiting. Unlike most touring, with a walking holiday, your interactions with the locals are genuine and chatting with you become part of their day’s events that they might talk about when they get home: YOU are part of the scenery, not outside looking in as if looking at a fishbowl.
Here’s the Good News:
There are companies that have figured out the best way for you to have a walking holiday. I recommend my affiliate, One Foot Abroad (OFA). Once you know which country you want to walk in, you can work with OFA to choose the best pace for you. They can help you choose and arrange for rest days, and even help coordinate getting you to and from the start and end village. Best of all, all you need to carry is your daypack – they will arrange to move your luggage to your next night’s accommodations! Here’s what they provide:
- Itinerary and maps
- Expert advice on travel and transfers
- 24/7 Support on the ground during your walking holiday
- Comfortable and often quite charming accommodations, mostly 3 star. Work with them if you want more luxury (although often it’s not available in tiny villages)
- Breakfast, and sometimes lunch and/or dinner
- Luggage transfers to your lodging each day
- Airport or train transfers (when required)
All you have to do is train, show up, and then walk! Use Promo Code ATA5 to get 5% off of ANY One Foot Abroad walking tour!
How Far Do You Hike Each Day on a Walking Holiday
Most days, you will hike around five hours or so. REMEMBER: you have ALL DAY to get to your lodging. So take your time! Stop for a cappuchino. Relax and watch the cows going about their business. Grab a snack in a cafe and chat with the locals.
Most walking holiday tours have recommended milage for certain segments, based on their years of experience. But you can often modify a trip (faster or slower) by working with your tour operator. I recommend SLOWING DOWN! For example, I tease that I have 13 mile feet: they start screaming when I hit that threshold. So for me, I prefer to walk an average of 8-12 miles daily so I have some energy left to explore the charming villages when I get there. So what if it takes you an extra night or two: you’re on vacation! Note that in some remote areas, you may not have the option to do less miles.
When this is the case, here is where your tour operator’s expertise comes in handy. They can tell you your options: either hike a longer day or at some point, take public transport (and they’ll tell you how to do so).
I once had a case where the ONLY lodging at the end of my longest day was closed for renovations. My tour company arranged for me to be picked up and transfered to a lovely lodge ten miles away, and in the morning, took me back to where I left the trail. It would’ve been super complicated for me to arrange all that, particularly since I wouldn’t have cell coverage in that remote area!
One Foot Abroad
One Foot Abroad is my preferred self-guided tour operator in Europe. They’ve offered ATA followers an exclusive Promo Discount Code, ATA5, to get 5% off of any of their active tours! This code also works for their sister company, Follow the Camino, which arranges El Camino tours for you. At no additional cost to you, you’ll also be helping to support the show and this website – thanks!
Famous Walking Routes of Europe
The walking holidays of Europe are for ordinary folks – not mountaineers. As our guest, Margaret, notes, “The paths take the EASY way to get there…people didn’t try to go from one place to the other by taking the most difficult route.”
These historic paths are former trade routes, drover’s path and even old military trails.
Who are Walking Holidays Good For?
Walking holidays can make a great vacation for couples, friends, solo travelers and on some trails, depending on ages, for families, too! Margaret walked the Via Algarviana with her adult daughter, and has done many walking holidays with her son. I met a mother hiking the West Highland Way with her ten year old son.
Couples * Friends * Solo * Families
Walking Holidays Solo
I’ve done two walking holidays solo, and know of many others who have as well. Even if you plan your walking holiday solo, unless you choose to go in the off season, you won’t often be alone unless that is your choice!
You will meet and walk with fellow hikers regularly, and often make lifetime friends. You will also get a chance to meet locals out walking their dog, or moving the sheep, etc. They will be out just going about their daily lives. These paths were created by locals FOR locals, so they use them as well.
Most of the trails are very well marked. You will have detailed maps and instructions, plus locals can help point you in the right direction if you are unsure. [If you do get sidetracked, walk back the way you came until you see a blaze, one of the trail markers and then look to see what you might have missed by daydreaming or chatting.]
Here are some earlier Walking Holiday shows and webpages that might be of interest:
What to Pack in Your Daypack for a Walking Holiday
While you want to keep your pack as light as possible, there are still some basic necesities I wouldn’t walk without. These include water and snacks (plus lunch if there is no village to buy from), sunscreen and SPF lip balm, wide brimmed hat, rain jacket or poncho (and if really hot and sunny, an ultralight hiking umbrella makes a nice parasol!), puffy jacket, emergency kit, map and instructions (plus your 24/7 contact info), your cell phone (keep in airplane mode to save battery juice).
When to Take a Walking Holiday
Somewhere in Europe it is the right month to walk one of the European Walking Trails. In general, there are less crowds and cooler weather in the Spring and Fall. Summers can be busy, hot and crowded, but if you choose one of the lesser known trails or go where there are more mountains, you can find cooler, less crowded paths.
If you want to go during the winter, Portugal can be a great choice! The temperatures can be delightful, but you will have a chance of rain (but it doesn’t rain much in most parts of the country). Since even though the weather is good, it is still off season in Portugal, so some restaurants will be closed.
If you know which month you want to hike, but are open to ‘where’, you can use the search bar on the Active Travel Adventures website to find trips that are appropriate for the month you can go. If you want to go to a specific country or on a specific trail, then I would head to the One Foot Abroad website as they clearly designate what to expect in a given month (and you can tell at a glance about the difficulty, the lodging, number of days, distance and pricing).
Here’s what you’ll find on the OFA website. Remember, if you book, use Promo Code ATA5 to get 5% OFF!
Helpful Walking Holiday Tips from Margaret
If you don’t know the language, in additional to the polite phrases, learn the directional words such as ‘right, left, where is, etc’. It’s ok to speak like a caveman: “Town XYZ right?”
Flat paths can be tougher on your feet than having the change with an undulating landscape, so keep that in mind when planning your trip.
Build in a rest day at least once a week. Ask your tour operator for suggestions.
How long are you comfortable hiking? Subtract at least an hour from that so you aren’t too tired when you get to the village.
While I’ve never had an issue, dogs in rural areas may harrass you so it’s a good idea to use hiking sticks. Hiking poles also help you to keep a rhythm, and can help knees on descents and for balance if you need to cross a stream.
Make sure you have enough small currency and don’t count on ATM working in small villages. Most places in Europe use chip credit cards, but you can’t count on it. Use bank ATMs to get cash when you are in larger towns.
PRO TIP: Bring an extra pair of socks and change them out mid-hike. Your feet will be thrilled! I also like to wear liner socks to reduce friction and chances of a blister. ALWAYS STOP and treat a hot spot the very second your foot starts to ‘hurt’. I use Injinji Toe Socks as my liner and then quality Smart Wool socks as my main sock (they stay warm even when wet!).
Training for a Walking Holiday
Even if you walk everyday, there’s something different about a walking holiday. Ideally, you’ll want to start training three months in advance of your hike. If you need help setting up a regimen, I recommend my friend and affiliate Becki at Trailblazer Wellness. Mention Kit sent you to get an exclusive 10% Discount on your custom (yet affordable!) online training program.
For one thing, you’ll be carrying a daypack which can weigh 10-20 lbs, so you should train in advance for that and make sure you are happy with your pack [I am happy with my Osprey daypack]. Start training with a weight that you can just ‘feel’ and then add 10% more weight each week until you reach your goal. I always try to train for 10% heavier than I plan to need so that my pack feels light while I’m hiking.
Then look at the average AND longest miles of your hike. You want to work up to being comfortable hiking the average, no problem. Then make sure you are also getting in some of the longer mile days into your training. And this is KEY: Make sure that you get several sessions of hiking your average milage several days in a row! To me, this is the hardest thing. I can do anything once, but I need to condition my feet to realize that everyday, they are going to be required to get up and do it again.
You want to make sure that you have tested all of your gear – especially shoes! – and nothing bugs or rubs you irritatingly. You want to make sure there is enough life left in your gear, again, especially your shoes. Ask your tour operator, but for most walking holidays, you can probably get away with wearing Trail Runners: they give you the grip and support, but weigh much less than hiking shoes. Here are my favorites.
It is much more enjoyable to go on a walking holiday and discover that you over trained rather than under. Not only will you be proud of yourself, but you will be thanking your disciplinced soul that you made the effort to properly prepare for your adventure. It’s so much better to arrive at your endpoint and still have the energy and desire to wander around and get lost in a new village!
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Links Mentioned on Today’s Show
Galapagos Via Algarviana Walking Holiday UK’s Best Walking Holidays Wilderness First Aid Language Learning for Travel
Links Mentioned on Today’s Show
Galapagos Via Algarviana Walking Holiday UK’s Best Walking Holidays Wilderness First Aid Language Learning for Travel
