France

France offers alpine mountain landscapes, historic pilgrimage trails and dramatic Mediterranean coastlines, with the best regions to explore including the French Alps, the Pyrenees, Provence, Corsica and the Camino routes.

French Alps: The French Alps offer spectacular trekking through alpine valleys, high mountain passes and dramatic peaks including Mont Blanc.

Pyrenees Mountains: The Pyrenees form a rugged natural border with Spain where long-distance trekking routes cross wild mountain landscapes and remote villages.

Provence & Southern France: Provence’s limestone hills, vineyards and historic villages create rewarding walking and cycling landscapes beneath the Mediterranean sun.

Corsica: Corsica’s rugged mountains and coastal cliffs provide challenging trekking along legendary routes such as the GR20.

Camino Routes in France: Historic pilgrimage routes such as the Camino Le Puy cross rolling countryside and medieval villages on the journey toward Santiago de Compostela.

The best time to travel to France for hiking, trekking and adventure touring is generally during spring and autumn ,May–Jun and Sep–Oct, when temperatures are mild and landscapes are vibrant.

France has a varied temperate climate with warm summers and cooler winters. Temperatures typically range between 5°C and 30°C (41°F–86°F) depending on the region.

Summer often brings long daylight hours and green countryside, while winter can offer crisp air and quieter destinations for travellers exploring natural and cultural landscapes.

France is GMT +1 hour, GMT +2 hours during daylight saving (the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October).

French (official)

In most areas some English will be spoken

Euro

USD and GBP are easily changed

ATM's are widely available except in mountain regions.

Credit Cards are widely accepted

+33

Electricity in France is 230 Volts, at 50 hertz. The most common pin type is C. (2 round prong).

**IMPORTANT NOTE**

ETIAS will be introduced in the last quarter of 2026. No action is required from travellers at this point.

The European Union will inform about the specific date for the start of ETIAS several months prior to its launch.

see https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en

Until then, visas not required for citizens of Australia, Canada, USA and New Zealand for up to 90 days in a period of 180 days for all Schengen countries (see https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/visa-policy_en . Please ensure your passport is stamped on arrival in the Schengen area. For all other nationalities and for longer stays in countries covered by the Schengen Agreement (Australian New Zealand, Canadian and US passport holders), please contact the relevant embassy. Stays of longer than 90 days in the Schengen area require a long stay visa for the country you are spending most time in. However long stay visas are unlikely to be issued unless there is a valid reason (eg. studying in country). Unfortunately we cannot assist in obtaining visas for long stays due to individual country visa requirements.

Your safety is our number one concern. Our safety track record is exemplary thanks to careful management and thorough consultation with local partners. Our industry leading risk management procedures have become a skill that we continue to refine. Our leaders in the field are highly trained and have safety as their number one priority. Expert leaders, risk assessments, quality inclusions and your financial security all come standard when you travel with us.

Please refer to our Travel Advisory page for updates on recent events, travel warnings and advice.

We strongly recommend that all clients take out travel insurance at the time of booking to cover against sickness, accident, loss of baggage, unexpected alterations to travel arrangements and travel disruption, emergency evacuation, cancellations, etc. Insurance information is enclosed with your pre-departure information. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a quote for your trip duration.

We suggest that you consult your doctor, local government inoculation centre or a travel medical specialist in order to get the most current advice regarding vaccination requirements.

Money and valuables should always be stored safely when travelling. Keep your passport with you at all times and do not leave it in your main luggage. You will need it to change money and check into hotels. Where safety deposit boxes are available, we recommend that you use them. Keep jewellery and valuables to a minimum.