[Closed] European Walking Destination

Geneva airport to Chamonix is probably the easiest transfer and real mountains, next up Portes du Soleil should be easy on a transfer with a bunch of sweaty mountain bikers.

We got cheap flights to Munich then the train out to Ruhpolding. Transport was really easy train from airport U-S Bahns were really efficient. Ruhpolding had an Xcard this was part of the B&B which allowed free local bus around the valley and train to traunstien which is the local hub. can then go to Lake Chiemsee,Munich,Salzburg and everything inbetween.
The Xcard bused us to places in the Ruhpolding valley area to start walks(even got a discounted bus trip to Saltzberg with the xcard only 5euros each). Add in a few ski lifts plenty to get at. We walked about 58 miles in 10 days including some good walks around Munich.
One of the things about a really good holiday was the ease off getting around. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't comment on tent usage though.

How about the GR20 in Corsica, very accessible, great mountain scenery, and great places to relax for a day either side of the walking. You'd probably need a fortnight to do the whole route but there's no reason not to do a smaller section if you can't spare that amount of time.

Wildcard: Tatras in southern Poland or northern Slovakia: http://www.discoverzakopane.com/hiking.html

something a bit diferent . but could fly very cheap to Rodez with Ryanair and walk on the Plateau D Aubrac .

it is not big mountains , but very nice scenery .

Flight to Nice, half-hour train journey to Sospel or beyond in the mountains on the Italian-French border, start walking on the massive numbers of GRs around there.

Madeira.

Cairngorms.

GR20'is a very good shout, hard work but well worth it.
Also the Alpine Pass Route is another winner...

Don't be fooled into thinking you need to be up the highest mountains, for walking better to be peaking on the more achievable ones and looking at the monsters. Around Wengen is ace for that (eiger and jungfrau) but a train from Geneva. Ace walking to be had an hour or so south of Salzburg, (filzmoos area) one of the easiest airports to get to hills from as well.

Go to Iceland. I've been to loads of places in Europe but the scenery in Iceland is like nothing else I've ever seen.

Get a budget flight with Wow air and stay in the campsite in Reykjavik. There's a hiking bus that can take you out to the trails.

Back in 2000 a small group of friends & I did most of GR55 in the Vanoise region of the Western Alps.
We flew into Geneva, based from Pralognan-La-Vanoise & had a hire car. Was epic, still look back on it & want to do similar again! We had good weather on all but the last day. Hard going but beautiful scenery, especially walking above the clouds in a valley down below...

polo - how fit, experienced and well equipped are you?
Some of the suggestions above have pretty tricky terrain. For example, there are parts of the GR20 that are slippy, vertiginous and have chains to get across. Not everyone is comfy in situations like that

Ecrin National Park.

St. James' Way in north Spain is a option if you fancy a more historic and easier route.

45min on a train from central Madrid will have you up in the mountains - camping isn't allowed, but bivvy bags are, and you're pretty much guaranteed good weather from June on.

Other options would be the Pyrenees (obviously!), the Picos de Europa, Gredos range, Sierra Nevada...

Thanks very much for all the suggestions folks!

Geneva is still looking like a good choice, with a transfer or public transport to somewhere local and going from there!

@ElShal.. Both of us are experienced walkers, but we are only looking at going for a few days and as such limits how far we can go!

More suggestions always welcome!

Cheers,

P

Going on the Geneva thing...

There are summer transfers to Morzine/Montriond. About an hour or so for transfer. Public transport isnt an easy option, but might be doable with some research.
http://www.morznet.com/transfers

http://www.chaletmontana.eu/ has good value B&B rooms for those days you need a base.

there are plenty of route guides around morzine. Im planning on doing a few of these this coming Half term and then the summer holidays with some multi day sections.

http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/boutique/topo-guide.aspx?ref=ST03

a scan from the front page:
[img] [/img]

There's also a lot of lower level, shorter "Balades" if the weather isnt suitable for bigger walks. And of course with lifts running in summer you can get a helping hand 🙂

Swiss railways take you pretty much anywhere you want to go including up the mountain plus there is the postbus network. Trains run from Geneva and Zurich airports. Not sure about camping though, more a focus there on the mountain huts but they won't be open for the summer season yet. Should be a few good deals on small hotels as its very much mid season summer/winter at the moment

Seen pictures of a walk on the Amalfi coast, no idea how long it is but I love that bit of coast line. Could be good for a few days.

2nd the Ecrin national park. There'll be an airport in Grenoble I expect. Can't give you any specific walking routes unless you've got some mountaineering experience, but lots of the hut to hut routes will be really nice. Ailefroide is the place to be, but a bit out on a limb without a car. bourg De oisans is also a good base, la berade being at the head of the road.

Another area I like, but have only done a few walks there yet, is the Cevennes/Mont Lozere.

http://en.cevennes-montlozere.com/region/hiking-in-the-cevennes-and-on-the-mont-lozere.html

A git to get to on public transport though, let alone to fly into anywhere nearby.

Fly to Friedrichshafen, coach or train to Bludenz. Bus and cable car to Lünersee. Walk thru Rätikon Alps doing hut to hut then back and on bus, train and plane
Austrian transport is fab and in the Montafon is pretty cheap