In the same vein, if you know of any nice campgrounds where we can start our hike directly without needing a car, please share your suggestions!
Thanks :-)
Hi Mathieu,
for campsites during the first two weeks of August, I get why you’d prefer to avoid reservations.
In France, some campsites require booking well in advance with deposits, etc. Others take reservations over the phone just a few days before, simply noting your name. You could try calling 2 or 3 days before your planned arrival. Since you’ll be in a car (so very mobile) and there are plenty of campsites around, if it doesn’t work out, you can hope to find backup options nearby.
But if you want a specific spot on fixed dates, I still think it’s wise to book. In France, since COVID, the concentration of departures during the first two weeks of August (which was already high) has only increased.
Here are 3 hikes that fit your criteria:
- The Emparis plateau: start from Le Chazelet above La Grave for a loop (500–700 m elevation gain). Écrins-Oisans area.
- Le Brévent: from Chamonix, take the Plampraz cable car up to 2,000 m, then hike round-trip to the summit (500–700 m elevation gain). You can also take the cable car all the way up.
Common feature: both hikes offer balcony views facing the Meije massif (Mont Blanc range) on the other side of the valley.
- In Chartreuse, the Pinéa (or Charmant Som) from the Col de Porte or the road above the pass. You can combine both by starting from the road above the pass near Charmant Som.
Oh well! I should’ve written: these two hikes are balcony trails facing the Meije (for one) and the Mont Blanc massif (for the other).
Nobody’s perfect.
PS: Oisans is spelled with an "s" as the last letter.
Thanks Valmichel,
I was just thinking I might book a few days in advance for my next campsite. You’re confirming that’s possible—thanks for the detailed reply, and I’ll definitely note your hiking suggestions.
I’ll have to get used to the idea: we’ll probably need reservations for our first 2 or 3 campsites, then book the others a few days ahead. After August 15th, I imagine we’ll manage just fine without reservations. Like you said, with the car, worst case, we can just move to another campsite if one’s full.
And to everyone—thanks for all your suggestions, they’re really appreciated! If you’re reading this and have recommendations for nice campsites and beautiful day hikes (or shorter), I’m all ears! :)
Hi,
I’m a bit late to the party, but I’ll second Puma2A’s suggestion to check out the Queyras. Obviously, in discussions like this, everyone’s a bit biased toward their favorite spots—so since I know the Queyras really well, I’d definitely recommend this beautiful area!
Here’s a little link that might come in handy: Camping in the Guillestrois and Queyras – mountain camping in all seasons
If you decide to visit the Queyras, let me know—I’ll share some great hikes (especially around Molines, which I know well!)
Happy planning
I’m jumping in a bit "late to the party," but I’ll second Puma2A’s suggestion to check out the Queyras. Since I know the area really well, I’d definitely recommend this gorgeous corner of the world!
Hi Jean-Yves,
Thanks for reading my reply to the original post’s request.
If the author had paid attention, they would’ve seen the photos of the various hikes we did in this stunning region.
Just to clarify: there are *tons* of hikes starting from pretty much anywhere you can park a vehicle in the Queyras. It’s always very well-marked with little yellow signs on posts. The region really goes out of its way to help hikers.
You could easily spend 12–15 days there without getting bored.
Perfect for someone who "doesn’t want to travel too far."
Hi,
Anyway, if the person who started this thread doesn’t end up visiting the Queyras after reading your travel journal and seeing those gorgeous photos showcasing the area...
Huge props for your journal—it really makes you want to explore this beautiful part of France, where every valley offers tons of hiking possibilities!! (I don’t know the Northern Alps, so hard to compare! 😏
I’m a local from Lyon and I’ve put together a really comprehensive travel guide for Lyon, packed with addresses and insider tips you won’t find in the usual guidebooks. 😊
I’m currently working on a tourism project and I’d love to understand travelers’ habits better. I’ve created a quick 2-minute survey for this—could you help me out?
👉 https://tally.so/r/ob0rW1 👈
🎁 As a thank-you, the Lyon guide is yours for free at the end of the survey. 🎁
No sales, no pitches—just a few questions and an awesome guide in return! 😄
After Seoul, I’m back on the forum again 😏, to talk about Inwol in Jirisan. I’ve planned to stay there for 3 nights to hike the Jirisan Dulle-gil trail—two sections, partly... I’m really struggling to find accommodations in Inwol that are close to the trail. I know it’s early and not all options are listed yet, but even when I set dates closer together, it’s still not obvious... If you know the area, I’d love any tips! My whole itinerary depends on finding a place to stay...
I know there are plenty of discussions on VF about the Poon Hill trek, but most seem outdated and/or don’t provide info specific to February. That’s why I’m bringing this topic back up.
Here’s my plan:
- Spending about two weeks in Nepal in the first half of February.
- Maybe extending by a few days to a week if needed.
- Heading to Pokhara—first time for my partner, second for me (I was there in September/October 1982!).
- Doing a relatively easy 4- to 5-day trek. We’re not exactly spring chickens anymore (though we’re in pretty good shape for our age).
- We don’t want to go above 3,000–3,500 meters, deal with difficult sections if there’s too much snow, or face daytime temperatures below 10°C. No problem if it drops to 0–5°C at night since we’ll be sheltered somewhere.
So, I’m wondering if the Mardi Himal trek might be too demanding for us, and if we’d be better off sticking with Poon Hill.
What do the experts think?
I’m thinking of doing the O Circuit or the full W in Torres del Paine—I already did the W about ten years ago.
I’ve got a few questions:
- Do I really need to book everything well in advance?
- What’s the budget for overnight stays if I’ll have a tent and be on my own?
- What temperature rating should my sleeping bag have for comfort?
- Do I need any special gear for the hike? I’ve got low-cut shoes.
And finally, is there a place where I can leave my bike during the hike?
My partner, our daughter, and I are planning a walking trip to Madagascar in July-August 2027.
We’d love any tips or info you can share about this plan.
Which regions should we prioritize?
Is a local guide better than a well-established agency?
Where’s the best place to buy our flight tickets from Réunion?
Thanks for your input!
Following your recommendations, I’m starting this thread because I’m planning to do the Central Circuit in 5 days in the Rwenzori Mountains, aiming to reach Margherita Peak.
I’ve been in touch with Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, who’ve offered me a deal for $1300 with 2 guides, 1 cook, and 3 porters.
A bank transfer is required upfront.
I’d love to hear from anyone who’s done this trek or others in these mountains.
Hi everyone, we’re traveling by bike, but the same question comes up for hiking: what simple products can we find in towns or villages to eat/cook and get enough nutrition for physical effort, all while keeping costs affordable? Otherwise, where can we find inexpensive dietary supplements? Since I’m on cortisone, I have to be careful about what I eat. Thanks in advance, Aichatou
We're planning to go at the end of November/beginning of December to visit (with a rental car) and hike on La Palma and El Hierro for 15 full days, including 1 day for inter-island ferry transfers. What’s the best split between the two islands—8 days on La Palma and 6 on El Hierro, or even more time for La Palma? Should we have one or two home bases on La Palma? Thanks for your tips!
Annie
Hi there,
We’re planning an 8-day backpacking trip on the island of São Nicolau. We’re torn between taking the boat from São Vicente or an inter-island flight. I’ve heard the boats don’t always run?
We’d like to make three homestay stops to travel in a star pattern from each of the three points.
First stop around Juncalinho, second stop near Cachaco, and finally a third leg near Tarrafal. We’re looking for simple but authentic guesthouses (no hotels). Any suggestions?
Thanks
Hello,
In mid-November, we’ll be in Mindelo and Santo Antão.
We’ve booked transportation with Kapverden Tours.
One trip is from Porto Novo to Ponta do Sol, including the hike from Corda to Coculi.
What’s the trail like?
Then we’ll be staying in Ponta do Sol,
Here’s what we’re planning:
A hike to Fontainhas—what’s the best direction, considering we’re not great with climbs? No problem with flat terrain or descents.
Take an aluguer to Ribeira Grande and continue along the coastal road.
With the agency:
An excursion to Cruzinha with a short walk.
Return to Porto Novo via the path from Cova to… I’m not sure where yet, to pick up the car for Porto Novo, since we’ll be taking the ferry that evening.
We’ll have a guide for this hike.
We’d love to spend a day in Tarrafal, but getting back requires a boat or taxi, and it’s really expensive!
We’re a couple, 78 and 76 years old.
What do you think of this itinerary?
I’m planning to do the Mercantour crossing following the Randoxygène route in mid-July.
I’m used to hiking in the mountains, but I sometimes get vertigo, for example on ridges with drops on both sides. I wanted to check if there are any T4 or T3-T4 sections and find out if there are any very exposed passages—and if so, where—so I can plan an alternative route.
Can anyone give me some info on this?
Thanks!
hi how can I get internet when I arrive at Haneda? I mean in areas without free wifi. Is it more interesting to buy a SIM card? If so, at the airport? thanks for your help
Hi there,
I’m planning to cross the Gourgs Blancs Pass at the end of the month, from La Soula Refuge to Portillon Refuge. On this section near the pass, I don’t have any trail marked on my IGN map. Is the path well signposted, or should I use a compass?
Also, beyond the physical effort, are there any technical, exposed, or vertigo-inducing sections on this part?
Since I’m finding very little info, I’m being thorough with my questions.
I'm developing a free and open-source web app for planning walking and cycling trips (and even car trips). You can create a route by clicking directly on the map to add waypoints, and it can consist of multiple stages. The app provides tools to edit the stages and the overall route, and to display useful information (distances, altitudes, and elevation changes). A relief profile can be shown as a graph for a specific stage or the entire route.
Once the route is ready, it can be exported as a GPX file, which can then be used with a GPS or a mobile navigation app.
The app is built in JavaScript and runs entirely in the web browser. It uses the Leaflet library and several OpenStreetMap-based services. Initially developed for my personal needs (I enjoy hiking and cycle touring), I’d be happy to share it with anyone who might find it useful. It’s free to use, doesn’t require an account, and the source code is available.
Not very well known: Hokkaido Island has national parks that rival those in North America. Hiking there is free (even many mountain huts) and requires no formalities. These treks are described in the LP *Hiking in Japan* guide—you can just buy the Hokkaido PDF. It’s way better than Mount Fuji. Of course, everything depends on the weather, which is very unstable in the Japanese mountains (frequent strong winds). The trails are often obstacle courses.
The Daisetsu Zan traverse is a stunning hike through volcanic terrain with a remote section in the middle that requires at least one night of camping (there are basic huts for the rest, which is popular with Japanese hikers): 4 to 6 days.
The Shiretoko traverse takes 2 days with views including an island in Russia, but the ridge is brown bear territory—there are even more here than in Denali National Park in Alaska (brown bears and grizzlies are the same). I ran into 7 in just 6 hours of hiking!
Hi everyone,
I’m leaving on Monday, August 3rd for my very first long-distance trek: the GR223 from Coutances to Mont Saint-Michel, over 6-7 days (~11-14 miles/day), solo.
I’m looking for tips from people who know this section well (Coutances → Regnéville-sur-Mer → Hauteville-sur-Mer → Bréhal → Granville → Genêts → bay crossing):
Budget-friendly accommodations: I’m struggling to find affordable stopover lodgings (a lot of what I find online are expensive vacation rentals, not really suited for a solo hiker). If you have any great spots (hostels, hiker-friendly B&Bs, nice campgrounds), I’d love to hear them!
Bay crossing: Any feedback on guides/providers leaving from Genêts for the final crossing?
General tips for a first long-distance trek: What you wish you’d known before your first time, pitfalls to avoid, etc.
Hi,
We’re planning to do the 4-day trek from Mestia to Ushguli without an agency. The descriptions mention that there are accommodations at each stop, but we can’t find any details about them. Has anyone got info or feedback on this route?
New to this forum, I’m planning a pretty big project for 2028.
I’m heading to Nepal to do a trek from Kathmandu all the way to Everest Base Camp (a cool 5,300 m 😄).
This trek is a bit special because even though I’ll be part of a group, I’m going solo (so far, no problem—I’m used to it). But it’s my first real trek, and it’s also a humanitarian one: once I reach base camp, I’ll stay an extra week to help clean up the waste left by tens of thousands of climbers! Since I’m originally from South America, from two countries that share the Andes, I have a deep respect for mountains—they fascinate me. So Everest… it’s kind of the trip of a lifetime!
So, a little question for those who’ve done treks to Everest before… any tips for good mental preparation (I’m already working on the physical side)?
We're planning to trek in Peru and Bolivia and would love to find some local agencies.
If you know any, could you share details on prices and, of course, the names of the agencies?
Which trek would you recommend?
Elocine
I'm heading out on a fully self-sufficient trek in Morocco (10 days) from Imilchil to Aghbalou.
Can I find screw-on gas canisters (Coleman, Primus) in Marrakech (any addresses?) or in villages between Imilchil and Aghbalou?
If not, are Butagaz canisters for camping gas (small 230g size) available?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Hello, I’d like to embark on a little trip in my home country, Switzerland. I’ll start walking from La Cure, heading toward Le Noirmont first, then I’ll improvise my route—but it’ll probably follow the French border... at least as far as Lac de Joux.
I’ll decide day by day how much farther to go after that. My goal is to stay in nature as much as possible, wander around for as long as I can, and restock food in villages or towns along the way.
I’m thinking of mostly camping, but we’ll see if I end up in a hotel or another campsite depending on my route.
I’d love to reach La Chaux-de-Fonds on foot... maybe even Delémont.
The whole thing should take about a week, give or take.
I’ll be bringing my dog, and I’m preparing for this as soon as I’m ready.
Any tips to make sure everything goes smoothly for us? Things I should know—or avoid? What about shepherds with their flocks of sheep? And isn’t hunting season open right now?
I’m not sure if what I’m planning is even doable, which is why I’m asking around.
This’ll be my first time doing something like this—wandering in nature *and* with a dog. I’m really excited for this adventure... and I need it. Thanks!
We’re really keen on ecosystems and want to hike in "natural" ancient forests—not planted woods or areas heavily degraded by human activity. Travel guides (like Lonely Planet) don’t provide much info on this. Could you point us to the most interesting spots?
Thanks in advance for your tips.
We wish you happy holidays and a fantastic 2026, full of discoveries!
Claire and Albert
Hi, this might not be the right section, but I’d like to know if it’s possible to start mountaineering with another person without necessarily hiring a guide. We’ve done quite a bit of hiking but not mountaineering—we’ll just do a half-day glacier course. After that, we were thinking of starting with La Grande Motte and the Pointe de la Traversière, which were recommended to us. Honestly, for things like roping up and knots, I’ll learn at home with lots of videos and a book.
I’d love to know if anyone has done treks in the Rwenzori Mountains and how much it costs on average, what the infrastructure is like, the landscapes, and safety in the area. Thanks so much! I’m really looking forward to your replies.
We’re leaving in 9 days for a two-week trip to Madeira, mainly to hike.
From my research, I’ve found that since last year, access to most trails—and systematically for the most popular ones—is now paid. You have to pay an access fee of 4.50 € per person per classified hike in 2026, and even 10.50 € for the most iconic hike: Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. When paying, you also have to choose a day and a 30-minute time slot for your start time. Of course, this reservation is neither changeable nor refundable, even if the weather that day is terrible.
Personally, given the massive influx of tourists to the island in recent years, I don’t mind paying a fee to help maintain the trails. Similarly, setting a limit on the number of people who can hike them per day is certainly preferable to preserve this priceless heritage.
However, what’s much less fair is that in reality, most of the available spots are reserved: 1/ for Madeira residents (which is normal); 2/ for "economic operators" (meaning local tour operators). For example, if you’re a non-resident (independent tourist), no booking is possible for the Pico Arieiro hike for an early morning start before September! So, unfortunately, we’ll have to skip this hike.
It’s the same issue for Ponta de São Lourenço, the 25 Fontes, Pico Ruivo... in short, all the most popular hikes. Oh well, we’ll skip those too!
So my question is: which hikes do you recommend where we won’t face the huge crowds that the others get? And where we can book the day before for the next day, taking the weather into account?
Finally, a quick accommodation question: we’ve booked the first week in Funchal, but I haven’t decided yet for the second week. Do you have any advice on where to stay in the south or north, preferably avoiding overly concrete-heavy and touristy spots?
I’m reposting about the logistics for Samaria Gorge.
I’d love to get recent info, especially about whether it’s possible to park my car in Omalos, do the hike, and then catch a bus back to my vehicle.
In theory, it’s doable, but when you check the KTEL website, there aren’t any feasible schedules listed. If anyone has recently organized this with reliable, verified details, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I’m planning to go hiking on this island and would like to know the best time to do it. I visited for a few days in November 2018—not for hiking but just to explore—and the weather wasn’t great, especially in the mountains. So, is a star-shaped itinerary doable if I rent a car and maybe use two different accommodations?
I’m not planning to join an organized group—just traveling with one other person and organizing things ourselves—unless you’d recommend a local agency or guide. Finally, even though I’ll be getting maps, a topo guide, and a GPS, I’d really appreciate your top hiking recommendations.
Thanks so much for your tips!
I’m planning a trip around Cap Corse and the AGRIATES in 2026, from May 8th to 15th (there are still 2 spots left, by the way! Just DM me if you're interested).
I’d love to know which hikes are worth prioritizing in the AGRIATES. We’ll be staying in SALECCIA for two days as our base—what should we focus on from there?
A round trip to IGNHU beach? Any other suggestions?
For Ostricano, I think it’s too far for a round trip...
Thanks for your tips!
Have a great day,
Anie, Toulouse
