There are plenty of good journeys available, and unlike seeing little bits of a country or watching it roll past your window from a train or car, a walking holiday from a company like Orbis Way let you experience everything and you find you'll have a stronger connection to the land.
Good providers can fit a good walking holiday in with how much time you can devote to it, ensuring you walk no more than 25 kilometres in one day. This is manageable for most people.
With this in mind let’s look at some of the best walking holidays in Europe to get you in the mood.
1. Camino de Santiago
One of the best and most epic walking holidays is the Camino de Santiago. Good tour providers will give you the option to do part of the walk for a set number of days, and provide you with all you need in case you want to take on the full 36 day walk!
The Camino de Santiago is a World Heritage Tour and the most important pilgrimage in Europe. Thousands take on the walk with some brave souls going for the full 741 kilometre route trekking through northern Spain.
If the 36 day tour is not for you, you may want to consider a seven or eight day tour. The smaller tours allow you to start from Sarria or Portugal. This tour is a gem as you see things you don’t normally see holidaying in a different style. Along the way, you’ll meet fellow travellers who are either undertaking the tour for religious reasons or doing it because they want to.
If you want a historical walking tour that allows you to see some magnificent historical sites as well as quaint towns, charming villages, and hidden gems, they don’t come much better than the Camino de Santiago.
2. Scotland’s West Highland Way
The rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands has inspired generations of writers, artists, filmmakers, and indeed truck drivers. No matter your profession you can’t help but be awed by the land. This is where English and Scottish troops fought, and filmmakers have often used the location for historical reference and fantasy epics.
Taking a stroll through the West Highland Way takes you to gorgeous places such as the Loch Lomond National Park and depending on the length of your holiday other gems such as the ‘Devil’s Staircase’ which is an ancient military route through to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.
One place which is good to see is the Highland Boundary Fault. Here you can see the geological faultline that runs through Scotland, and the change in topography where the Highlands meets the Lowlands is profound and dramatic.
Good tour operators provide great routes depending on how many days you want to trek through the West Highland Way.
3. Italy's Amalfi Coast
For a completely different walking holiday experience, you may want to try Italy’s beautiful Amalfi Coast. The epic ‘Path of the Gods’ is carved into mountain rock and you’ll see picturesque hillside towns and villages.
This walking holiday takes you to the ruins of Pompeii and you can see Ravello and savour the colourful gardens. You can also visit the island of Capri and savour this amazing part of Italy.
The tour takes you through valleys, towns, and villages, and you’ll be able to savour everything you see. The seafood is to die for!
4. Montefiascone to Rome
Walking Montefiascone to Rome is a truly wonderful experience. After experiencing the beauty of Lake Bolsena you’ll start your holiday walking to Bagnaccio where you’ll find thermal pools and be able to relax and recharge ready for the next stage of your holiday.
The views travelling to Rome are quite spectacular as you find waterfalls, streams, rivers, and the wild horses of Sorbo Valley.
As well as natural beauty you’ll experience historical beauty which few travellers get to see. The Roman amphitheatre and the Mithraem in Sutri are good examples of this together with the medieval village of Viterbo.
Of course, once you arrive in Rome which you do through the Insugherata and Mount Mario parks, you can spend time exploring the city which is a fantastic experience in itself.
If you want a new kind of holiday, walking holidays are a hidden gem for a traveller. You get to see and experience more than most holidays, and you’ll encounter fellow travellers along the way. Sharing stories of experiences and adventurers and indeed travel tips with those that are also walking the same route is quite a fantastic experience.
Take a walking holiday as your next break, and see the world very differently.
