Walking Tours of France

France on Foot (in English), based on the book of the same name, offers info about trails in France, plus other trail resources and links. Besides our site, this is the place to start if you have never hiked in France. Although some of the info is outdated as it has not been updated since July 2003, it still offers a wealth of tips for hiking in France.

The French Government Tourist Office offers a wealth of information about France, some free, other at a slight fee.

The Trail Database is purportedly the world's largest database of trail information with links for most of the countries in the world. Links vary from personal hiker pages to tourist office info to commercial sites.

Long Distance Hiking in Europe is primarily a listing of web links for trail and related information for hiking in France and other European countries with an emphasis on long distance routes. Its author, Ton de Maagt of the Netherlands, also has articles about the hiking trips he has taken in Europe.

Au Vieux Campeur is the largest outdoor equipment dealer in France. They have several stores in the rue des Ecole area of Paris (5th arrondissement) and branches in Lyon, Thonon-les-Bains, and a few other areas of France. So, if you forgot something, have some equipment/clothes damaged, have a tent blown off the mountainside, etc., then this is the place to go for a replacement.

To get to the trailhead, you will probably utilize the SNCF or French National Railroad, one of the most efficient rail systems in the world. You can get timetables and other information from their multi-lingual web site, as well as buy tickets there.

Joie de Vivre, a California-based company, is one of our favorite mail-order companies as it sells food products from France that are hard to find here in the states. It also sells a small selection of books, calendars, print products, kitchenware, clothing, jewelry/watches, home decor, and soaps.

We look forward every day to see what french word we have received (via e-mail) from the French Word-A-Day web site. To expand your French vocabulary, sign up at this site to learn a new and exciting French word, phrase and quote each day! Versus some sites that just give you the word, this one from American Kristi Espinasse (married to a Frenchman) offers pronunciation tips in English and breaks down the word in the various ways it can be used. She also shows how the word is practically applied by giving glimpses into her family life in France.