A few of our favourite things

Occasionally we are asked “what are your favourite routes?”, a question which recently caused us to take a quick poll in the On Foot office. Interestingly, everyone came up with different answers, which hopefully is a credit to the diversity of our holidays!

This year we’re seeing lots of early interest in booking ahead for next year, and thought it timely to share just a few of our staff recommendations to help you consider where you’d like to walk in 2024.

Northern Portugal – Mary’s choice
Mary has a fondness for Portugal, having lived and worked there for a while. She says the Peneda-Geres National Park is particularly special – a place where you truly feel you are stepping back in time. Here the stone-built rural villages feel almost untouched by modern life, where oxen are still used to farm the green slopes.

The eclectic accommodation includes traditional B&Bs, a sympathetic modernisation of village houses with a remarkable restaurant, and a touch of grandeur at the final Pousada.

Slovenia – Debbie’s favourite
Our walk through the Karst landscapes and vineyards of Slovenia has been in the On Foot portfolio since its early days, and is still as good as ever.

It’s a favourite for Debbie, who has walked it and tweaked it many times, keeping it up-to-date for our clients.  She says this route makes a great introduction to self-guided walking holidays, with well-marked paths and nothing especially strenuous – perfect for those trying this type of vacation for the first time.

There are some fun farmhouse stays too, where you can’t refuse the local produce, especially the Prsut ham, honey and Teran wine.

Andros – Heather’s recommendation
If you’re looking for a Greek island where tourism still has a light touch, Heather recommends the green haven of Andros in the Cyclades. The only way to get there is by ferry, so don’t rush, and just enjoy the gentler way to arrive.

You’ll find friendly hosts in the picturesque little town of Chora, and flower-fringed mule tracks that have been painstakingly restored by local volunteers for hiking. Drop into the cool of a monastery courtyard along the way, and take advantage of the many opportunities for a swim.

This is a single-centre holiday, so you stay in the same accommodation throughout.  You have the flexibility to choose which walk to do each day, with the help of buses and our wonderful local family of taxi drivers to get you to the further reaches of the island.

Welsh Borders – Simon’s top walk
On Foot’s Director has walked more of our routes than anyone else, and covered many miles searching out the best hiking for you in all corners of Europe. Despite this, his top pick is quite near to home – he loves the hills and valleys along the Wales/England border.

Starting at the quirky little town of Bishop’s Castle with its imaginatively painted houses, the route winds southwards to bookish Hay-on-Wye. Offa’s Dyke Path forms much of the route, following the 8th century earthwork that defined the border.

The walk is quite a leg-stretcher, but never difficult, and you’re rewarded with expansive views and some hearty pub meals along the way.

But what about your favourites?

In 2023 it has been the perennially popular countries of Italy, Spain and France that have proved to be the big draw in the first year that we have been properly free of travel constraints. The Amalfi Coast has been extraordinarily busy, closely followed by Southern Tuscany and Galicia’s Lighthouse Way. The beautiful landscapes of Lake Maggiore and rural Dordogne complete the top five. So if you are considering these lovely walks for 2024, book early to secure your preferred dates. Or try our recommendations above for something a little different – as always, we’d love to talk to you and help you choose!

Would you like to hear more?

Would you like to receive more recommendations like this, and all the latest news hot-off-the-press from On Foot Holidays? Sign up to our email newsletter here, and you’ll be the first to hear about new routes, as well as getting gems of information about what makes our holidays special.  You’ll hear from us two or three times each month, and you can unsubscribe at any time (but we hope you won’t!).

Excitement is mounting, the clock is ticking down, and you want to be ready for your holiday!  What are the things you need to prepare before you go away, so you can enjoy your trip without stress?  Here are a few tips.

Walkers’ Pack – this is a comprehensive package of information for your holiday, including your personalised itinerary, detailed maps and route notes. There’s also lots of background information, suggestions of what you will need to take, places to eat, some basic help with language, transfer advice including timetables, luggage labels, a waterproof map holder, and sometimes a regional map or small guide book.

We will start to prepare your pack as soon as we’ve received your final payment and details of your intended travel plans. You should get it about a month before departure. We suggest you familiarise yourself with the contents in good time, as you may need to take action on some things.

Planning your journeys – you’ll have already discussed this with our bookings team, and we’ll send timetables in your pack relevant to your local transfers. There are some handy links on our website too, and do please ask if you need any help planning your journey.

Training – unless you are a regular hiker, you might want to take some longer walks than usual in the weeks before your holiday, not least so that you are aware of your stamina levels. Most importantly, wear the boots and backpack you’ll be travelling with, and make sure they’re comfortable!  Bear in mind that there is likely to be different weather and terrain on your holiday route too.

Set up GPS – we highly recommend using GPS tracks for your holiday, and we supply these by email at the time we send your Walkers’ Pack. Even if you don’t want to use them all the time for navigation, they are invaluable for checking your location when in doubt. We can talk you through the set-up process too, so you can practise before your holiday. We also suggest downloading the what3words app, for quick and easy locating while offline.

Packing – your Walkers’ Pack will suggest the items to bring, including everything from clothing to first aid. Check what sort of weather to expect before choosing what to pack!

One of the frequent questions asked by clients is about walking poles. They’re a standard part of the hiking kit and are useful uphill and downhill, in poor weather and to steady yourself when crossing streams. However, they can be problematic when travelling by air, and you will need to pack them in your hold luggage – do check with your airline. If in doubt, plan to buy poles when you arrive.

The dull stuff – check in good time that your passport is valid and whether a visa or visa waiver is required – see your home country’s government website and don’t forget that you may need some months of validity on your passport after your return date. You’ll need some cash in the local currency (airport exchanges are not the cheapest way to do this!), travel insurance (and an EHIC/GHIC card if you are a UK citizen). Your mobile phone should be enabled for use in Europe, and it’s helpful to save the number of your Local Contact on your phone before you travel.  And don’t forget to check the Covid regulations in the country you are visiting, as there may still be some entry requirements and rules for use of face masks.

See more useful links for UK citizens about travelling to the EU here.

But most of all, remember to take with you your sense of adventure, a mind that is open to new discoveries, and willingness to enjoy whatever happens along the way.

Walkers need fuel. The best fuel is to be found in the small bakeries and stores of the villages and towns where you’ll rest your weary feet. We’ll include picnic lunches where there are no shopping opportunities as you set out in the morning, but elsewhere you’ll enjoy searching out the local specialities and filling your backpack with goodies and treats for the day ahead.

We asked our local contacts to recommend some picnic essentials, and you’ll certainly have your own favourites too. Join the conversation on our Facebook and Instagram pages to tell us about your tastiest discoveries while travelling, or your lunch snack of choice when walking nearer to home.

In Mallorca these delicious spiral-shaped sweet buns known as ensaimadas are the perfect pick-me-up when walking. Our local contact Jesca also recommends an empanada – a meat-filled pastry originally made for Easter but now available all year round – or a cocarrois to keep you going, the latter bursting with seasonal vegetables, pine nuts and raisins.

You’ll find the little daisy-shaped biscuits known as Margheritine di Stresa in the pasticcerie of Stresa on our Lake Maggiore route. They were created in 1857 at Caffè Bolongaro in the elegant lakeside town to mark the first communion of Princess Margherita, the same lady for whom margherita pizza was later named. They’d make a perfect snack for your walk to the top of Mottarone.

The English counties of Cornwall and Devon disagree over the origins of the pasty, each claiming theirs to be the original. These pastry cases are traditionally filled with beef, potato, onion and swede, sealed with crimping along the top in Devon and on the side in Cornwall (vegetarian options now available too). Being easy to carry, they’re ideal for a walker’s lunch, wherever they are made!

Petr tells us that Czechs love visiting the bakeries of Bohemia. The wonderful aromas and huge variety of baked goods produce ‘decision paralysis’, he says, faced with chosing between goodies such as Hořice rolls (thin wafers rolled into tubes, and perfect dunked into hot chocolate) or Sejkory, a potato pancake local to the area. There’s a great array of biscuits, chocolate and gingerbread too.

Our man in Northern Portugal, Paul, sent us this picture from walker Merete, who was so impressed with the fishcakes made by our host Bia in Lindoso that she asked for the recipe. They’re now a firm favourite at home, and a happy reminder of her walk through the remote villages and hills of the Peneda-Gerês National Park.