Walking Holidays
France

Correze

On the edge of the Massif Central in France lies beautiful undulating countryside of green pasture, forest, walnut trees and vines where pretty villages adorn the ridges and hilltops. The Correze is not as well known as the more frequented parts of Dordogne, but the villages have a varied character and charm, set in a countryside which changes with the geology, as limestone gives way to sandstone and then granite. Your self-guided walking holiday starts near the local centre of Brive-la-Gaillarde and heads southeast towards Beaulieu sur Dordogne, on the Dordogne River passing through the historic villages of Turenne, Collonges-la-Rouge and Curement all of which are classed as some of the prettiest villages in France.

Holiday Profile

5 nights/6 days: 4 days independent walking moving between guest houses

Dates

Everday of week subject to availability from 1 April - 31 October

Walking Profile & Grade

4 days of self-guided walking. The walking is mixed with several moderate ascents up and down valleys and hills. On the first day, it is possible to greatly vary the amount of walking which means that the holiday can be made into an easier or moderate walk. Most days average 4-6 hrs walking. Paths are generally good, although occasionally stony with the odd steep section.

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

Accommodation & Meals

A mixture of small B&B's and small independent family-run hotels offering a high quality level of friendly service (3 star rating or equivalent). Many are in historic properties, set in medieval village locations.

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking tour in the Correze is available from April to the end of October. This walking holiday is available in the summer but please book early to ensure we can secure our top choice accommodation. In spring, you are likely to experience some rainy days, but some years can be very dry whilst others can be unsettled. Cold periods are also possible in late April and early May but generally, the temperatures range from 16 degrees in April and climbing to 20°C in May. By mid-June, temperatures generally reach the mid-twenties.

Summers are hot in the Dordogne Valley and the temperature often rises above 30 degrees Celsius. It rarely climbs beyond the mid-30s for any substantial length of time. In general, July is slightly hotter than August, and the average temperature in summer hovers around the upper ‘20s. The summer is generally dry with several fine days interspersed by the odd shower often in the form of heat-of-the-day storms.

September highs average 25°C. October is still a good month for walking on average with maximum temperatures of 20°C and lower rainfall than those experienced further south and east in the south of France. The wettest month during the walking season in Correze is May, whilst September is the driest month. The region is slightly sunnier than the national French average.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

This walking holiday partly follows GR (Grande Randonnee) long distance trails which are well way-marked with red and white markings. There are also a number of signposts along the trail. The walking follows clear paths for its entire duration. The remaining sections follow local trails waymarked in yellow. 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 the IGN at a scale of 1:25,000. Your trail is highlighted on the maps.

Luggage Transfers

On this walking holiday, your main luggage is transferred between guest houses 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. Please limit the weight of your bags to 20kg. We generally use small guest houses in historic buildings and some of the rooms are accessible only by stairs.

Travel Info

Train

Eurostar, the TGV & local TER trains run services from London St Pancras to Souillac, France. Take the Eurostar to Paris where you need to change station. Take the TGV from Paris Austerlitz direction Toulouse. Brive la Gaillard is the 6th station on the line. This train runs regularly during the day and takes about 4 hours.

Flights:

Ryan Air & Flybe have scheduled flights from several UK airports to Limoges, France. From there take a taxi to Limoges train station and catch the Paris to Toulouse to Brive la Gaillard. Journey time from Limoges to Brive is about 1 hour. Ryan Air & Flybe also have scheduled flights from several UK airports to Bergerac, France. Taxi or hire car for the transfer. A greater choice of operators fly to Toulouse from where there is a shuttle bus to Toulouse train station. Then catch the train towards Paris.

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.

Self Drive from UK

Channel ferry crossings from Dover are provided by a number of operators including P&O Ferries & DFDS seaways. Crossings are also provided by train with Eurotunnel.

Once in France, the journey from Calais to your first guest house takes about 7 hours (excluding long breaks).

Further Information & Advice

For useful advice about independent walking and preparing for your self guided holiday please take a look at the articles in our top-tips section. Once you have booked on this independent walking or trekking holiday, further information about the walking, the region and what to bring, will be sent to you. We do have a web page dedicated to what clothes and equipment you should bring. Please contact us if you need any further information.

5 nights / 4 days walking

• From €1060 per person based on 2 sharing a room
• Please consult us for single supplements