Walking Holidays
France

GR 10 Trek

This self-guided walking holiday is the fourth part of a wonderful & dramatic 415km crossing of the Pyrenees Mountain chain between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean along the GR10 long distance trail. You'll amble through stunning scenery that varies enormously, with flower filled meadows, sparkling lakes, cirques and high summits. You’ll get a taste of many different cultures, from the Basque country by the Atlantic to Catalonia by the Mediterranean. Each valley you pass through has its own distinct flavour.

This section of the GR10 long distance trail goes from Cauterets to Bagneres-de-Luchon, and is made up of two parts. The first part of the itinerary takes place in an area called Toy. The word ‘Toy’, formerly Thoys, means child or small and refers to the youthfulness of the villages. You'll walk from Cauterets to Bareges, via the high valley of Luz-Saint-Sauveur and the col de Riou, where there is a splendid panoramic view, visiting villages renowned for the benefits of their thermal waters.

In the second part of this walking holiday, from the Gaubie bridge to Bagneres-de-Luchon, the itinerary makes its way through a succession of lakes, mountain passes, at more than 2000m in altitude, and mountain villages. You will cross the Natural Reserve in Neouvielle and its remarkable glacial lakes, before reaching the villages of Saint-Lary-Soulan and Germ, the famous Espingo lake refuge and finally Bagneres-de-Luchon, known as the "belle of the Pyrenees".

Holiday Profile

7 night/8 days: 6 or 7 days independent walking moving between accommodation

Dates

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

Walking Profile & Grade

6 days independent walking moving everyday between hotels and two mountain huts. It is graded strenuous, although the average days include 6 hours 30 - 7 hours walking and 1000m of ascent & descent. The hardest day, however, includes 1650m of ascent. Details are provided with the descriptions below. Paths are generally good and well defined, although they are often rocky and mountainous in character. You should have a good head for heights and be able to navigate.

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

Accommodation & Meals

• 6 nights in hotels, in double rooms
• 1 night in a shared dormitory in mountain refuge. Bring a sleeping bag liner (blankets provided)
• Half board

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking trail along part 4 of the GR10 long distance path is available from 15 June to 30 September. This third stage of the trek goes over mountain passes above 2000m and so before 15 June there is a high risk of snow on the trail and some of the accommodation is not open. During the rest of June and early July there is a greater risk of encountering snow fields on the trail than later. The summer months are the driest period in the central Pyrenees, but afternoon showers or storms are fairly common. From mid September night time temperatures tend to be fresher and there is a small risk of fresh snow at altitude. The busiest period in terms of fellow walkers is from Mid July to mid August.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

The vast majority of this walking holiday follows the GR10 (Grande Randonnee) long distance trail which is very 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. Some small sections follow local or unmarked trails, for example to access accommodation, but these are easy to follow. On this particular walking holiday we use the Cicerone guide books. As well as the walking notes we supply walking maps. You'll be provided with detailed 1:25,000 walking maps.

Luggage Transfers

On this walking holiday you can choose to have your main luggage transferred between accommodation 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. On this holiday several local taxi companies are responsible for transporting your main luggage. Please limit the weight of your bags where possible to 15kg.

Travel Info

How to arrive in Cauterets

- By air :
Lourdes-Tarbes airport (35km)
Pau-Pyrenees airport (80km)
Toulouse-Blagnac airport (204km). Flights from the UK to Toulouse with Easy Jet, Ryan Air, Flybe, BMI regional & British Airways.

- By train :
Train from Bordeaux or Toulouse to Lourdes.
Bus SNCF from Lourdes to Cauterets (departures from in front of Lourdes station) : Allow 1h travel time.
Cauterets bus station open from 9h to 12h30 and from 15h to 18h.
Return to bus station in Luz St Sauveur to Lourdes - arrival in Lourdes.

- By car :
From Tarbes follow Lourdes, Argeles- Gazost, then Cauterets.
Location : Paris 894km, Bordeaux 278km, Toulouse 204km, Nantes 602km.

PARKING :
Parking in Cauterets :
- Free : Bus station, Place de la gare, Thermes Cesar (town centre).
- Parking : Parking Municipal underground, Rue de Belfort - Tel : 0033 562925557, or 0033 562925034 (Mairie), or 0033 562925050 (tourist office)

Parking in Luchon :
Free : Behind the post office, from the phone box, in front of the train station, Luchon exit.

How to leave Luchon :
From Luchon train station by bus SNCF or TER direction Montrejeau ; then train conections to Toulouse or Pau, Bordeaux, Paris.

How to get to Cauterets from Luchon :
Train (or SNCF bus) from Luchon train station to Montrejeau ; then T.E.R train from Montrejeau to Lourdes, line Toulouse to Irun) ; from Lourdes, SNCF bus to Cauterets.
www.ter-sncf.com to confirm timetable.

We recommend arriving by train to avoid returns to Cauterets to recover your car, because the return journey is long by public transport and very expensive if you to take a taxi. If you have to come by car, we recommend that you leave your car in Cauterets on the first day and return

7 nights / 6 or 7 days walking

• From €1095
• without bag transfers: less £100 / €110 per booking
• All prices per person, based on 2 sharing a room, except where stated
• Please consult us about single occupancy prices