A walking holiday exploring the hilltop villages and dramatic coastline of the Cote D Azur Stay in picturesque "perched" villages above the Mediterranean Sea Enjoy charming hotel accommodation and delicious French cuisine Varied Riviera day walks in the foothills of the Maritime Alps and on the coast The romance and glamour of Nice, Cap Ferrat and Monte Carlo HOLIDAY CODE RTF France, Trek & Walk, 7 Days 7 nights hotel, 6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 6 dinners, max group size: 15, 5 days walking, max. altitude - 1266 metres VIEW DATES, PRICES & BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY HERE
PAGE 2 Introduction Rising up from the Mediterranean Sea, the Maritime Alps form the backdrop to one of the most famous and beautiful coastlines in the world, the French Riviera. Accessed by way of Nice, this area offers the incomparable variety of mountains, forests, medieval villages, metropolitan cities and the azure blue waters of the Med. The coastline remains dramatic and without travelling too far inland it is possible to get off the beaten track on foot to explore the area s famous perched villages and gain amazing views of the surrounding mountains and sea from the rocky lower peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes. Starting in the attractive seaside town of Menton close to the border with Italy we begin our series of walks heading inland to the perched villages of Castellar and Saint Agnes. After an overnight stay in this lovely medieval village we take a day walk to the summit of Mont Baudon (1266m) from where there are incredible 360 panoramic views of the Maritime Alps and the Mediterranean. Returning on foot to Menton, we spend the next 3 days following coastal paths and forested trails as we make our way west through Monaco to Beaulieu-sur-Mer and via glamorous Cap Ferrat to Nice, the unofficial capital of the Cote d Azur where we stay on our final evening. With daily walks of 4 6 hours and accommodation throughout at comfortable hotels, this walking holiday offers a blast of Mediterranean warmth and colour with a side-order of French chic. Is this holiday for you? This holiday is a series of scenic day hikes and walks along Mediterranean coastal paths and the mountain trails of the foothills of the Maritime Alps. The walks themselves are on good trails and generally each day's walk will be from 4-6 hours allowing plenty of time for sightseeing and photography. Some of the walks are optional. The most challenging day will be the ascent of Mont Baudon where the final approach to the summit is at a steep gradient, although the summit views are worth the additional effort. Our accommodation each night is in comfortable and characterful French hotels and evenings will be spent enjoying the good food with of course, the option to sample the multitude of local French wines. Holiday Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Nice, the unofficial capital of the French Riviera. Transfer to Menton. KE land only package services begin with dinner at the group hotel in Menton. On arrival at the airport in Nice, you can take advantage of the regular local bus service to Menton. Full instructions will be given with your booking confirmation. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to explore Nice, the capital of the Alpes Maritime region. The bus trip to Menton with Nice Airport Express takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Menton is a beautiful town on the Cote D'Azur close to the Italian border. Boasting an average of 316 days of sunshine each year, Menton has the feel of an elegant Riviera resort with a medieval old town that has attracted many famous British visitors from Queen Victoria to Winston Churchill who loved the light for his favourite pastime, landscape painting. The town is famed for its lemons, which grow year round on account of the sunny micro-climate. Culturally Menton is an interesting place with a new museum celebrating the life of the artist, Jean Cocteau. Our hotel in Menton is centrally located, close to the gardens, the station and a short walk from the seafront making for easy independent exploration on foot. Your guide will meet the group at 6.30pm at the hotel in Menton for a briefing meeting before dinner in a local restaurant. MEALS D
PAGE 3 Day 2: Walk via the hilltop village of Castellar to Saint Agnes (760m) one of the most beautiful villages in France. Our first day of walking will take us up into the hills above Menton to the pretty hilltop village of Castellar and then on to Saint Agnes, one of "Les Plus Beaux Villages de France". As we leave Menton the path tracks through shady groves of lemons before reaching Castellar, from where there are magnificent views of the Mediterranean. This picturesque village truly is "perched" as it sits on a ridge surrounded by steep-sided valleys. Long, narrow streets run lengthwise along the ridge to the village church which dates back to the 16th century and is dedicated to Saint Pierre. We will be able to stop here for lunch. Through pine forests, we walk on to Saint Agnes, another delightful perched village, which sits at a higher altitude of around 800m. The village was a military site for many years and used to protect the Franco-Italian border on the Maginot Line. From the village the views out to sea and the surrounding mountains are quite dramatic. Many of the buildings in this attractive small town have been recently renovated and the medieval cobbled streets and vaulted passageways are lined with small artisanal shops. The town is popular with tourists, but less so than many other similar villages on the Cote D'Azur on account of the precipitous road rendering access more difficult. By far the best way to arrive is on foot! Our hotel here is a small, characterful establishment with a very good restaurant serving local specialities. Dinner will be at our hotel in Saint Agnes. ASCENT 900M MEALS BD DESCENT 540M TIME 5 HRS WALKING HOURS Day 3: Ascend to the summit of Mont Baudon (1266m) for views of the Mediterranean and Maritime Alps. Mont Baudon, or the Cime de Baudon, at 1266m above sea level is one of the highest mountains close to the Riviera Coast (6kms as the crow flies) and is famed for the panoramic views from the summit across the to the mountains of the Maritime Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. From St Agnes the trail ascends in a westerly/northwesterly direction to the Pas de la Piastre from where we begin our ascent via the northern ridge. The final section of the walk is a little more challenging as we negotiate the steeper and rocky terrain to reach the summit where we can enjoy the packed lunch prepared for us by our hosts in St Agnes. On a good day, the 360 degree view from the summit extends towards San Remo and Saint Tropez, and on a very clear day to Corsica. There are 2 options for the descent route to St Agnes where we can enjoy a well-earned aperitif before dinner at our hotel. Should the weather not be favourable, an alternative lower-level walk will be arranged for this day. ASCENT 600M MEALS BLD DESCENT 600M TIME 5 HRS WALKING HOURS Day 4: Return to Menton on foot via the pretty villages of Gorbio and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Today we return to Menton on foot, via olive groves and the hilltop villages of Gorbio and Roquebrune. Gorbio is located on a rocky outcrop at 354m above sea level in the Ray Valley. There is a central square with a large elm tree which is almost 300 years old surrounded by winding alleyways, staircases and is a very pleasant place to wander and soak up the atmosphere. Descending towards the coast on a small low-traffic road to la Croix de Muratore, we pick up the GR51 footpath towards Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, another pretty medieval village closer to the sea where we will enjoy our packed lunch. Descending on steps initially and then taking another footpath we arrive back on the coast following the seafront walk back to our hotel in Menton where we check into hotel with time to explore Menton or just enjoy another aperitif before dinner.
PAGE 4 ASCENT 300M MEALS BLD DESCENT 1000M TIME 5 HRS WALKING HOURS Day 5: Visit La Turbie, via the principality of Monaco, and take the train to Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Today we take the train from Menton to Monaco, the playground of the rich and famous. Situated on a prominent escarpment at the base of the Maritime Alps, the world-famous Place du Casino has made Monte Carlo famous as a destination for high-rollers. At just 2.8 square kms, Monaco is the world's second smallest country after the Vatican. The capital, Monte Carlo, is dominated by high-rise buildings while the older part of the city, Le Rocher, is home to the royal palace. From Monte Carlo, we will ascend on foot into the hills that skirt the sea to the medieval village of La Turbie. Aside from the beauty of the village and the stunning Mediterranean vistas, La Turbie is the site of the Trophee des Alpes (Victory Monument of the Alps), a Roman temple built in the 6th century BCE in honour of the Emperor Augustus to celebrate his subjugation of the Alpine tribes. Erected at the frontier of Ancient Gaul and Italy, it proclaimed the power of the Roman Empire. There are 2 options after our visit - we can either return to Monaco and visit Le Rocher or continue our walk to Cap Mala. From either Monaco or Cap Mala, we will take the short train journey to Beaulieu-sur-Mer, a seaside village, where we check into our hotel for dinner and the overnight stop. ASCENT 600M MEALS BD DESCENT 600M TIME 4-5 HRS WALKING HOURS Day 6: Take the St Jean-Cap-Ferrat coastal path to Nice. Cap Ferrat juts out into the Mediterranean Sea just beyond Beaulieu-sur-Mer and its lush green flora strongly contrasts the azure blue waters. This forested peninsula has long attracted the rich and famous drawn by the light, the sea views and the craggy coastline. David Niven, Somerset Maugham and Charlie Chaplin all once had homes here. The path around the promontory follows limestone cliffs along the wild coastline. Keep an eye out for divers in search of underwater wonders and fishermen out for the big catch out to sea. Following the coastline to the west we will walk alongside the beach to Villefranche-sur-Mer, another medieval village with a dramatic citadel, before arriving in Nice on foot where we check into our town centre hotel which is ideally placed for exploration of the capital of the French Riviera. We will enjoy our final evening on the Cote D'Azur taking in the sights of the Old Town and La Coulee Verte before enjoying a final celebratory dinner with our guide in a traditional French restaurant. ASCENT 350M MEALS BD DESCENT 350M TIME 4-5 HRS WALKING HOURS Day 7: Visit Nice before transferring to the airport. KE group package services end after breakfast. Depending on the timing of your return flight, you can enjoy some free time to explore the city. Nice is beautifully situated on the Cote d'azur alongside the Bay of Angels. Popularised by wealthy British visitors in the 19th century attracted by the coast and the climate, the medieval old town, Vieux Nice, is a maze of streets and alleys with picturesque houses and fruit and flower markets. Should you wish, you can extend your stay and we can reserve additional nights' accommodation for you at the group hotel;
PAGE 5 please contact our office for further details. For those departing today, it is very easy to take a public bus, or a taxi, to the airport. MEALS B Holiday Information What's Included An experienced English-speaking local guide All accommodation as described All meals as detailed in the meal plan All road transport required by the itinerary Train journeys on day 5 Baggage transfers between overnight stops What's Not Included Travel Insurance Airport transfers - it is easy to take the bus - instructions given Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc Meal Plan All meals are included from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 7 other than 3 lunches on days 2, 5 and 6. Breakfasts are continental and there will be a three-course meal each evening, usually taken at the small and friendly hotels we have chosen or local restaurants. Packed lunches will be provided by our hosts on days 3 and 4. Additional trail bars and snacks can be purchased at local supermarkets. Food As you would expect, the food available in French restaurants and hotels is generally of a high standard. Breakfasts are always continental, with a range of cereals, fruit juices, tea, coffee, bread and a variety of spreads including jam, honey and Nutella. At each of the overnight accommodations a full dinner will be served, usually a soup dish followed by some wholesome local speciality and a dessert. Simple packed lunches will be provided on days 3 and 4 and on the other days there is the opportunity to dine at local cafes and restaurants or purchase food and snacks at local shops and supermarkets. Joining Arrangements & Transfers You must join the group at the group's hotel in Menton on the evening of Day 1 of the trip itinerary. Due to the close proximity of the airport, wide range of flights arriving and ease of using public transport, airport transfers are not included in the holiday price. There is a regular shuttle service operated by Nice Airportxpress from Nice to Menton. The shuttle bus departs from the airport every 30 minutes and the journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. The cost (October 2016) is 22 per person and the timetable for the 110 Express can be viewed at http://uk.niceairportxpress.com/timetables.html. Tickets can also be purchased in advance via this website. On arrival in Menton, the hotel is just a short walk (5-10 mins) from the station and check-in is possible from 2pm.
PAGE 6 Exit the station onto the Avenue de la Gare, then take the 1 exit from Place des Victoires onto Avenue Edouard VII, the hotel is approximately 200m down this street on the Cours Geroges V. Taxis are available at the station should you need assistance to get to the hotel or to assist with luggage transport. It is also possible to take a taxi from the airport in Nice to the hotel in Menton and the cost of this will be between 85 and 90. The KE leader will meet the group in the hotel lobby at 6.30pm on day 1 for a pre-trip briefing and to join the group to dinner. During the week the leader will assist you in confirming bus departure times or in reserving taxis for your departure transfer from the Nice hotel to the airport. Check-out time on departure is 11am. Further details will be given with your booking confirmation. If you have any problems on arrival please contact our local agent on the following 24 hour emergency contact number 00 33 6 38 59 21 65. Accommodation During this holiday we will spend 2 nights in a hotel in Menton, 2 nights in a hotel in Saint Agnes, 1 night in a hotel in Beaulieu-sur-Mer and 1 night in a city hotel in Nice. Accommodation will range from characterful 2 stars to comfortable 3 stars. All rooms will be twin-sharing with en-suite facilities. Clients booking by themselves will be paired with other single travellers of the same sex for room share. Single rooms are available subject to availability and on request. Group Leader & Support Staff The group will be led by an experienced mountain leader. There will also be a support vehicle for baggage transfer. Altitude This holiday does not involve any significant ascent to altitude and we would not expect any altitude issues with this trip. Spending Money Approximately 200 should be sufficient to cover your personal expenses including the 3 non-included lunches, drinks, tips, souvenir purchases and miscellaneous expenses. There are many ATMs in Menton, Monte Carlo and Nice, including at the airport. Free KE Gift We give you a free gift as a way to thank all our clients who book a KE holiday. Choose from KE T-shirts, buffs, KE trek bags* (where applicable) plus many more. Alternatively you can choose to make a 10 donation to the Juniper Trust Charity. You can make your selection in your My KE account after booking. * A trek bag is not required for this holiday. You can however purchase a KE trek bag for 24.95. Delivery outside of the UK will be charged.
PAGE 7 Baggage Allowance For this holiday you should take one piece of luggage (maximum weight 15kg) and a daypack (of around 20-30 litres). Luggage with wheels is useful for this holiday. For international flights please check your baggage allowance with your airline. Group Size & Holiday Status For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. Once the minimum number is reached, the trip status will change from 'Available' to 'Guaranteed to run'. You can check the trip status for each departure in Dates and Prices table. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status and so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements. General Information Passport & Visas A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required for visits to countries outside the EU. The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for other nationalities. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice. If you are travelling outside the EU you should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit. Visa Europe UK and USA passport holders do not require a visa. Health & Vaccinations You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations. UK residents should obtain a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment, but is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is still vital when travelling overseas. Currency The unit of currency in Europe is the Euro. Electricity Supply & Plug We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at: http://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/ Preparing For Your Holiday It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on a walking holiday getting some additional exercise. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience. We would suggest that you adopt a weekly exercise regime leading up to your trip. Before departure, we suggest that you try to fit in a number of long walks in hilly country.
PAGE 8 Travel Aware As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign & Commonwealth Offices' Travel Aware campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that prior to travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips. KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe. Should the FCO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation. We receive regular updates direct from the FCO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground. If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office. Climate Generally, the temperatures that we can expect to encounter during the day will be reasonably warm, in the range of 18 to 28 degrees centigrade dropping slightly lower at night. The area is renowned for the high number of sunny days experienced each year, but mountainous areas do generate their own weather systems and occasional rain and even stormy weather cannot be ruled out. Books French Riviera Green Guide (Michelin) Insight Guides: Explore Nice and the French Riviera The French Riviera: A Literary Guide for Travellers Ted Jones Tender is the Night F Scott Fitzgerald Swimming Home Deborah Levy Queen Victoria and the Discovery of the Riviera Michael Nelson Maps IGN Carte de Randonnee, Nice Menton Cote D Azur 1:25,000 Flight Information Flight Inclusive Or Land Only? On our website we display a UK Flight inclusive package price and Land only package price for the majority of our holidays. Land Only Notes We sell this holiday on a Land Only basis, joining at the group hotel in Nice. The nearest airport is Nice. Please refer to Joining Arrangements and Transfers in the trip notes for further details. Flights SHOULD NOT be booked until you have received your booking confirmation and the trip is showing
PAGE 9 'Guaranteed to Run' or 'Limited'. There are a variety of low cost flights from the UK arriving in the late morning. These include Easyjet from London, Liverpool, Bristol and Edinburgh, Jet 2 from Manchester & Leeds. Alternatively if you would prefer to book a 'flight inclusive package' using scheduled airlines from the UK please contact our flights department for a quote. Whilst flight prices are likely to be more expensive you will benefit from full financial protection. Why Choose KE Adventure Travel? Why Choose KE Adventure Travel? Experience KE has 34 years experience of adventure travel worldwide. All of our holidays are accompanied by an experienced leader, some of whom have worked with KE groups for many years. Many are professional guides and instructors with an unrivalled knowledge of the areas in which they work. In many parts of the world, we recruit local guides with appropriate training and experience. In addition to having the technical skills to ensure your safety, KE expects its leaders to be active members of the group. A leader should be fun to travel with and ready to share with you their enthusiasm for adventure travel and their knowledge of the area. Alongside the group leader, there will be a local support crew, which could be just a driver, or a complete team of guides, drivers, porters, muleherders and cooks. The hard work of our support crews, along with the fascinating insight they can offer into their local culture, is integral to providing you with the very best adventure travel experience. The team of KE office staff is amongst the most experienced in the business, with the proven ability to set up and operate a worldwide programme of adventures. Every one has adventure travel at heart and joins at least one trip a year. It is this depth of experience that makes KE stand out from other adventure travel operators. When you contact KE, by phone or e-mail, or visit our office, you will find the help and advice you need, from someone who has actually done the trip and can give you the benefit of their first-hand experience. KE can guarantee the very best in trek support, excellent food, a good standard of hotel and camp accommodation, plus the back up of one of the most respected companies in the business. Client satisfaction is at the top of our agenda and almost 50% of our bookings each year come from repeat business. If you are looking for adventure then look no further than KE. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AND AWARDS Responsible Tourism has always fitted naturally with KEs travel ethic. It is important to us that our clients are not the only beneficiaries of the travel experience, but that we share a two-way relationship with the areas that we visit. We make sure that our local staff are well treated and well paid, we respect indigenous cultures, take care to protect the environment and make the most of every opportunity to make a positive contribution wherever we travel. In addition to holding an AITO 5-star Sustainable Tourism rating, we are recipients of AITO s Achievement in Sustainable Tourism Award in recognition of the work carried out over the past 20 years, giving back to the communities and areas we visit. We have been awarded Highly Commended status in the Best Tour Operator category of the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards, and were named Best Trekking Operator on Earth by National Geographic Magazine, whose criteria included commitment to responsible tourism. We continue to travel responsibly, and more information on our policy, practice, and specific projects can be found
PAGE 10 at www.keadventure.com, and on the website of our partner charity the Juniper Trust: www.junipertrust.co.uk. KEs Mountain Code is issued to our staff, trek leaders and overseas agents, and we recommend it to our clients, too! Your Complete Financial Protection KE Adventure Travel is a fully licensed and bonded tour operator. We are a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), bonded with the CAA (ATOL 2808) and ABTA licensed (W4341). You can book your trip with KE Adventure Travel in complete confidence that all monies you pay for a trip are fully protected. BOOKING YOUR HOLIDAY Making a Booking The easiest way to make your booking is online. You will need to pay a deposit at the time of booking. This is normally 200 but for some holidays with special permit fees or internal flights, this may be more. The amount of deposit required for an individual holiday is given on the dates and prices page of the holiday. Late bookings will require full payment. We cannot confirm any booking until we receive your fully completed booking form. Adventure Travel Insurance IMPORTANT - It is a condition of joining any of our trips that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks (to include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue services). We also strongly recommend that you take out holiday cancellation insurance, as all deposits paid are non-refundable. Please ensure that your insurer is aware of your KE Adventure itinerary and can agree to cover the activities being undertaken. You will then need to advise us of your policy details and complete an Insurance Declaration Form. CAMPBELL IRVINE DIRECT travel insurance is available to EU residents and will cover the majority of KE Adventure holidays. It has been designed to provide cover for activities normally excluded by other insurers such as trekking, mountain biking and climbing. Please note that certain activities may attract a higher premium. In addition Campbell Irvine Direct cannot provide cover for KE climbing trips above 6000m. Cover for these can be obtained through either the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) or Snowcard. TRAVELEX is a USA based insurer offering travel insurance, which can be used by US citizens and US residents only. KE recommends the "Travelex Select" package for our holidays. If your holiday involves using mountaineering equipment (ropes, harness or crampons), for climbing or glacial travel, you should consider the "Adventure Plus Pak" optional upgrade on the Travelex Select Plan. Please refer to the 'Description of Coverage' for a summary of the terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations of the applicable Protection Plan. This policy will also cover KE climbing trips above 6000m. We hope that this trip notes has answered most of your questions. Please feel free to contact us and speak to one of our experts.
PAGE 11 Equipment List The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. You Must Bring The Following Items: Light hiking boots/shoes Trainers or sandals Socks Underwear Trekking trousers/shorts Lightweight waterproof overtrousers Wicking baselayer shirts T-shirts and/or casual shirts (at least one with long sleeves and collar for sun protection) Fleece jacket or warm jumper Waterproof jacket Sunhat Sunglasses Daypack 20-30 litres Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.) Water bottles 1 litre (x2) Washbag and toiletries Antibacterial hand wash Basic First Aid Kit including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite). The Following Items Are Optional: Trekking poles Torch Camera Travel clothes Swimwear and beach towel Please note: This document was downloaded on 25 Jan 2018, and the trip is subject to change.