ROUTE • TRAVEL • ACCOMMODATION • MEALS • WHAT TO BRING • COST • BOOKINGS
About the Walk
Route
Start: Briançon
The walk starts in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage listed alpine city of Briançon, Haute-Alpes, France.
Briançon dates back to the sixteenth century and has many historical sites of interest as well as natural wonders being a gateway to the National Park Les Ecrins.
Travelling to Briançon is most easily accessed from Turin, Milan, Lyon, Geneva or Marseille.
The closest airport is Turin in Italy: from Turin to Briançon by car it takes less than two hours and private shuttles can be arranged from the airport.
Finish: Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée
The tour finishes in the picturesque mountain town of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, Les-Alpes-Maritimes, France.
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée is in the heart of the Mercantour National Park, and only ninety kilometres from the mediterranean coastal city of Nice on the Côte D’Azur.
A bus, shared taxi or private shuttle can be arranged from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée to Nice, on request.
The Guide
Your guide is a nationally certified professional French (English-speaking) Mountain Guide (Accompagnateur en montagne) , with years of guiding experience internationally and within France. Trained at the National Centre of Nordic Skiing and Alps, France (Centre National de Ski Nordique et Moyenne Montagne, France).
Travel
International travel and flights within Europe
For assistance arranging travel please contact Independent Travel Agent at Global Wings Travel Solutions: Eva Virtue
P: 03 281 81 46
E: office@globalwingstravel.co.nz
How to get to Briançon
By air : to Turin (Italy) 153km, Lyon 261km, Marseille 258km
By road : RN85, RN75, RN94 and autoroute A51
By rail : to Montdauphin/Guillestre, TGV from Grenoble, Valence, Aix en Provence
Accommodation
The accommodation en route is in traditional French and Italian gîtes which are rural rustic, charming buildings managed by local people, offering much more than just shelter to tourists. They are found across the Alps in small mountain hamlets and villages. Staying in a gîte offers special insights into mountain life in France and Italy and are an integral part of the tour.
Shared accommodation
Please be prepared to share rooms each night, whilst we will endeavour to meet individual needs, we cannot guarantee single or double rooms for the advertised price. Please contact us if you are travelling in a small group or with a partner.
Meals
Evening meals, picnic lunches and breakfasts are provided most days, giving a unique opportunity to experience truly local cuisine. (Special dietary requirements can be catered for on request with advance notification). Where and when a meal is not provided for, there will be a restaurant and bakery where meals or food can be chosen and purchased independently, although still enjoyed and eaten together with the group.
What to bring
Essential
- A day pack (with rain cover) for items needed during the day such as camera, binoculars, lunch, snacks, and water.
- A backpack
- Pack liner and rain cover
- Comfortable walking clothes including icebreaker/merino/thermal top and bottoms for walking in cooler weather or early mornings and evenings.
- Comfortable and ideally not new walking shoes or boots of your preference.
- Socks
- Blister plasters
- Sunhat
- Sunglasses
- Facial tissues
- Neck warmer
- Warm merino hat for cooler weather, early mornings, and evenings.
- Sunscreen
- Lip balm
- Moisturiser
- Washbag
- Headtorch and spare batteries
- Down jacket
- Rain Jacket
- Thermals or lightweight evening clothes for the nights
- Survival blanket
- Water bottle
Non-essential
- Gloves for cooler weather, early mornings, and evenings.
- Book
- Silk liner
- Retractable walking poles
Total cost: € 2050 pp.
Included:
- Nine nights accommodation.
- All breakfasts.
- Seven evening meals.
- Seven picnic lunches.
- Professional, French mountain guide (English-speaking).
- Sherpa service for backpacks.
Not included:
- Insurance. Clients purchase their own comprehensive travel insurance prior to starting the walk.
- Transport to Briançon and from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée.
- Evening meals on the first and last nights.
- Lunch on the first and final days. Day 1: lunch can be bought in Saint Véran; and Day 9: you may travel on to your next destination or choose to stay in the region of Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée.
- Drinks and snacks.
Bookings
Please use the booking form on our Bookings page or email us directly.