What part of France?

First school: Climbing to a col in the Pyrénées
First school: Climbing to a col in the Pyrénées

Every part of France is covered with well-maintained walking tracks, so there is plenty of choice. We tend to walk in the south, because the weather is more reliable. It is a rare event for us to be caught in a rain storm during the day, but rain is quite common at night. We have never walked further north than Orléans.

There are two schools of thought on the matter of which areas to choose. On one side are the people who seek uninhabited wilderness walks, and on the other those who want to take in French culture and history.

We belong to the second school, although we have been known to walk in the Pyrénées and the Cévennes. Our view is that, if wilderness is what you want, Australia has far more of that than Europe. Also, serious expeditions in the Alpes or the Pyrénées require more clothing and equipment than we are willing to carry.

Walking in France: Second school: Approaching the comforts of a village
Second school: Approaching the comforts of a village

Because of the limited opening times of the smaller camping grounds, we usually start our walks in a popular tourist area, such as Burgundy or Provence, where there is always a flock of Dutch and British campers, before venturing into less popular areas at the height of the season.

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