Ardèche Adventure

Getting there and away

By air. Lyon Saint-Exupéry is the nearest major airport, with TGV trains from the airport station to Valence in about 40 minutes.

From further afield. From Australia, the USA and further afield, most long-haul flights land at Paris Charles de Gaulle, where TGV trains leave from the airport station for Valence; or connect to Lyon Saint-Exupéry.

By train. Take the TGV to Valence, then it’s under an hour by taxi to Lamastre.

By car. Calais to Lamastre is around 900 km, roughly 9 hours’ driving.

Going home. The walk ends in Lamastre after breakfast on day 8, under an hour by taxi from Valence. Your hotel can book a taxi for you.

Day 6. If you do the optional walk to St Martin-de-Valamas, a taxi meets you there at 4pm and takes you back to St Agrève; it’s included.

Day 2. A taxi picks you up at 9am and takes you to Le Crestet to start the walk; it’s included.

Route finding

Our detailed route notes come in digital form, so you always know where the next turn is.

We also email you GPX files, with simple instructions for using them on your phone, so you can see exactly where you are on the map.

It varies by route. Some sections are waymarked, and your route notes tell you where. The notes and GPS guide you the rest of the way.

Bring a smartphone with mobile data and a power bank. If you take a wrong turn, the GPX track shows you the way back, and we’re a call or WhatsApp away.

Our family walked this route when we created it, and it was re-walked and its GPS tracks updated in recent years, so our route notes are tried and tested.

Meals and dietary needs

Included: 7 breakfasts and 7 dinners. The day-by-day shows which nights include dinner. On 3 nights you can swap dinner for bed and breakfast.

Shops and cafés are few and far between on the high plateau, so buy picnic food where the day-by-day suggests, such as in Lalouvesc on day 4.

Some hotels can make you a packed lunch; details are in your route notes.

Breakfast is usually French-style: fresh bread and croissants with butter and jam, and coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Some hotels add yoghurt, fruit or cheese.

Lunch is up to you, and it’s one of the pleasures of the day: pick up a picnic from a village bakery or market, or stop at a café along the way. On some days there are few shops on the route, so it’s worth buying lunch before you set off.

Tell us about any dietary needs when you book and we’ll let every hotel know. Vegetarian meals are no problem. Other needs, such as gluten-free food or a serious allergy, are harder for small country kitchens, so please talk to Cassie before you book, and always carry any medication you need.

Drinks aren’t included: anything you enjoy with dinner is simply settled with the hotel before you leave.

Your luggage

Whenever you change hotel, your bags are taken on for you, so they’re waiting when you arrive. Please have them ready at reception by 9am.

During the day you only need a daypack: water, snacks, a waterproof, sun cream and a hat, plus anything you’ll want before evening, such as medication.

Many of our hotels are in old buildings and some have no lift, so expect the odd flight of stairs with your bags.

One bag per person, up to 20 kg.

Hotels and check-in

Rooms are usually ready from mid-afternoon, and check-out is usually by 10 or 11am. If you arrive early, the hotel will normally look after your bags while you explore.

Most rooms have a shower rather than a bath, as is usual in French country hotels.

The day-by-day above lists your hotels night by night, and we’ll send you full details with your booking confirmation.

Weather and when to go

Our season runs from April to October.

The route climbs to over 1,000 m, so it’s noticeably cooler than the river valleys, and evenings can be fresh even in summer: pack a warm layer.

May and June are lovely, with long days and meadows full of wildflowers; September brings clear, crisp days.

Weather changes quickly in the hills, so carry a waterproof every day, and in July and August be ready for afternoon thunderstorms.

Language

French is the language of the route. Most hotels speak some English, but in small villages, shops and cafés you’ll often find they don’t.

A few words go a long way and are always appreciated: bonjour as you walk into a shop, merci, and l’addition, s’il vous plaît when you’d like the bill.