A centre-based walking holiday that allows you to explore the beautiful Beaujolais region at your own pace, whilst relaxing at wonderful guest houses.
Accommodation & Meals
You will stay in two high-quality guest houses/hotels located in historic buildings offering very different styles. Both the guest houses offer great French cuisine. A great mix of comfort and authenticity.
When to Travel
Our self-guided walking tour of the Beaujolais is available from the beginning of April to the end of October. From April to October the Beaujolais is generally warm, although it can be hot during the months of July and August. However, relative humidity is often low (except during unstable thundery weather.) Ideal walking temperatures (ie late teens to the low twenties centigrade) are generally experienced from late April to early June and from mid-September to mid-October. Rainfall becomes more and more sporadic and linked to thunderstorms as you move from spring to summer, and this continues into the Autumn. On average there is rain on one in every three days, but this is often for relatively short periods. Autumn is often characterised by warm sunny days. Sunshine totals are characteristic of its southerly position in France and the sun’s strength means that you must protect yourself against the sun even on overcast days.
Other things to consider are the fact that the leaves are often not the trees or the vines until at least mid-April. The grape picking season is often during the first couple of weeks of September and although this provides added activity to the countryside, it also means that some of our first choice guest houses are not available. In October the Beaujolais takes on a different character with autumn colours.
Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps
Most of this walking holiday follows local trails waymarked in yellow. There are also a number of other waymarkings including the red and white of the GR76, a long-distance trail that follows some of the ridgelines in the Beaujolais. You’ll follow this trail for small parts of your walks on three of the days. With the exception of your walk on day 3, there is a fairly dense network of signposts with place names and directions. The walking follows clear paths, tracks, and minor roads for its entire duration. Our walking notes are very detailed (more information here) and include intermediate distances for sections of the trail. They also include information about the sites which can be explored along the route. We supply one walking guide per person on this holiday. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produced by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000. Your walking trails are highlighted on the maps.
Transfers
On this walking holiday, you’ll be provided with transfers to some of the walks, whilst on other days your walking circuit leaves directly from your accommodation. You’ll also be provided with a transfer between your two guest houses along with your main luggage. During your walk, you only have to carry a day rucksack with a picnic lunch (supplied by the guest houses and included in the holiday price), water and spare clothes, waterproofs, a camera etc.
Travel Options
Pick-up and transfer from Lyon airport or train stations are included in the price of the walking holiday.
Flights:
The airlines Easy jet, Flybe and British Airways have scheduled flights from the UK – Luton, Gatwick, Edingburgh and Heathrow – to Lyon St Exupery airport.
Train:
Eurostar and the TGV run trains from London to Lyon Part Dieu direct and change at Lille or Paris.
Self-Drive:
Cross-channel crossing are available with P&O and DFDS ferries, as well as Eurotunnel. Once in France, the journey from Calais to the Beaujolais area takes about 7 hours (excluding long breaks). Tolls amount to about 60 euros each way.
Note: Please check concerning the availability of a holiday before booking any flights. If you need further information or would like to discuss any aspect of your travel arrangements, please contact us, we’re here to help you. We would be happy to book travel arrangements to Lyon, France on your behalf.
Extra Nights
Extra nights are possible at any of the stopovers during the holiday. We can provide you with additional walking notes in your guide book to be able to do more walks. However, not all the walks are accessible from the accommodation. If you are planning on doing several additional nights, then for additional flexibility and to avoid extra expense we would recommend having a car.
City Breaks
The nearby city of Lyon is a great destination for a city break and can be easily combined with this walking holiday, as you’ll be picked up and dropped off in the city. Lyon, France’s second city and gastronomic capital, is a lively historic city ideal for those in search of lots to see and do. Classed as a world heritage site, Lyon has it all; Roman amphitheaters, medieval streets, renaissance architecture, and modern art. See more of our page dedicated to Lyon. We can book a city break for you and provide you with all the information you need for a great stay.
Please consult us for a price on any of the above options.
Combining walking holidays
Our Beaujolais walking holidays can be combined with several of our other walking holidays in the Beaujolais and Burgundy area, all of which also include transfers to Lyon at the end of the walking holiday. Why not head south by train from Lyon and do one of our walking holidays in Provence such as our unique walking holiday crossing the Drome: Hilltop Villages of Drome Provencale.
Tailor-made trips
If you want to learn more about the region’s culture through tailor-made activities and visits, check out those trips that include a few days in the Beaujolais region. Contact us to add them to your hike.
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