Walking Holidays
France

GR 5 Trek

This is an alternative final leg of our Alpine Adventure following the entire length of the French Alps. This walking holiday takes a longer trail via the GR52 (rather than the GR5) going via the heart of the Mercantour National Park before finishing in Menton. Discover beautiful lakes surrounded by rocky summits & the famous Vallee des Merveilles.

We have split the trek through the French Alps into several self-guided walking holidays, although it would be possible to combine them. The traverse of the French Alps is a truly unforgettable experience as you head south passing by the majestic summits of the Mont Blanc range before passing through the Vanoise and Mercantour National Parks. Your wonderful trail passes through a variety of landscapes, wildlife habitats and historic sites including the green alpine pastures of the Savoy, rocky deserts in the Queyras, beautiful perched villages of the Roya, snowy peaks of the Mont Blanc and ibex in the Mercantour. Our holidays include luggage transfers where possible (if you wish) so that you can enjoy the amazing scenery with only a light day pack.

This alternative ending is a must-do for those wishing to explore the majestic and wild Mercantour National Park. The Mercantour is the last high mountain range of the Alps before it plunges directly into the Mediterranean. Acclaimed for being one of the wildest and most unspoiled parts of the French Alps, Mercantour has a contrasting range of landscapes. The Mercantour National Park has 7 summits of 3000m, a rich and diverse wildlife, as well as over 100 high altitude lakes. In addition, the proximity of the Mercantour region to the south coast of France gives these alpine mountains a Mediterranean touch with a large diversity of wildlife including ibex, marmots and a large number of wildflowers. You will also have the opportunity to have a guided visit to the Vallee des Merveilles to discover the stunning pre-historic engravings.

Holiday Profile

9 nights/10 days: 9 days independent walking moving between accommodation

Dates

Everyday (subject to availability) from 15 June to 30 September

(Only early morning buses from Nice to St Etienne de Tinee on Fridays during school time and on Sundays and bank holidays). On other days there is a morning service. This may impact on the day you wish to start.

Walking Profile & Grade

9 days self-guided walking between accommodations. Walking per day amounts to an average of 5 - 8hrs walking, over 15-20km and 925m of ascent and descent. Maximum altitude gain: 1450m. The walk follows the GR52 for the most part. The walks take place on way-marked paths, although they are mountainous and rocky in nature with some more difficult rocky passages, which would be made more difficult in snow or ice. The 9-day walking holiday is a strenuous undertaking due to the sustained nature of the walking, especially over the first 4 days. There are also a couple of long days. You should have a reasonable level of fitness and be experienced in walking on mountainous terrain with a good head for heights.

This walking holiday is graded strenuous. See more information about walking grades.

Accommodation & Meals

You’ll be staying in private rooms for 2 in gites, simple hotels and mountain refuges, except 4 nights in dormitories. You’ll be served wholesome local cuisine. All evening meals are included in your holiday price

When to Travel

Our self-guided trek between Roya and Menton along the GR52 trail is available from 15 June to 30 September. The trek goes over several high passes above 2500m on the first half of the trek. You are already sufficiently far south that this is usually clear of snow by late June. However, depending on the spring weather conditions, there is a risk that several snowfields remain on the high passes making conditions more difficult. The risk diminishes as you go into July. The weather is fairly similar in July and August. For the most part, it is stable and dry with the risk of afternoon storms, so setting off early is advisable. The busiest period in terms of fellow walkers is from mid-July to mid-August. It can also be hot at this time of year, especially on the last couple of days. Early in the season is best for the wonderful alpine flowers and meadows. September also has good weather, although there is a greater risk of storms and there is a small risk of encountering some cold conditions at night and even some early fresh snow from mid-September onwards.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

The vast majority of this walking holiday follows the GR52 (Grande Randonnee) long-distance trail which is well, way-marked with red and white markings. There are also several signposts along the trail. The walking follows clear paths for its entire duration, although they are often rocky and difficult to approach the high passes. Some small sections follow local or unmarked trails, to access accommodation for example, but these are easy to follow. Our walking notes are 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 walking maps. You'll be provided with a large-scale map usually of 1:50,000 for the whole trail and more detailed 1:25,000 maps within your guidebook.

Luggage Transfers

On this walking holiday, you can choose to have your main luggage transferred between accommodations so you only have to carry a day rucksack with picnic lunch (supplied by the guest houses and included in the holiday price), water and spare clothes, waterproofs, camera etc. There are three nights in a row (nights 5 - 7) where you won't have access to your luggage so you'll need to carry extra overnight gear, as well as one additional night. On this holiday several local taxi companies are responsible for transporting your main luggage. The contact details for the taxis are included in your walking notes. Please limit the weight of your bags where possible to about 15kg.

Travel Info

Make your own way to St Etienne de Tinee at the start of the holiday.

Bus 740 goes from Nice to St Etienne de Tinee twice daily throughout the summer months, except Fridays (term time), Sundays and Bank Holidays. The bus goes via Nice airport and Nice train station. Scheduled times at Nice station are 9.10 & 16.40 and at Nice Airport are 9.25 and 16.55.

By Train

From the UK, changes between the Eurostar and TGV are at Lille or Paris. TGV's runs from Paris to Nice directly or via Lyon or Toulon. Bus direct to St Etienne de Tinee from airport.

By Air

There are flights from French and UK airports to Nice Cote d'Azur airport. Operators from UK airports include Easyjet and British Airways. Aéroport International Nice-Côte d'Azur is located 7km from the city centre. Bus direct to St Etienne de Tinee from airport.

Please contact us for assistance in organising your travel arrangements

Further Information & Advice

For useful advice about independent walking trips and preparing for your self-guided holiday please take a look at the articles in our top-tips section. Learn more about how to prepare your walking trip or what to carry on your rucksack. Once you have booked this independent walking or trekking holiday, further information about the walking, the region and what to bring, will be sent to you. 

9 nights / 9 days walking

WITH luggage transfers

• €1620

WITHOUT luggage transfers

• €1195
• Prices per person based on 2 sharing a room (except 4 nights)
• Price of luggage transfers reduces with the number in the party. Please contact us for a quote.
• Possibility to book an extra night in Menton.