Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hiking, Walking & Other Activities
England and Wales alone have some 100,000 miles of trails and footpaths. The
Ram-
blers' Association,
Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, 2nd Floor,
London SE1 7TW (
&
020/7339-8500,
or 029/2064-4308 in Wales; www.ramblers.
org.uk), has several topics and maps on hiking and walking in Great Britain. Prices
range from free to £15.
Visit Wales
has a comprehensive file of active options on www.visitwales.com/
active, from fishing to climbing, caving to repelling (abseiling), plus alternative
activities such as bushcraft and archery. In Wales there are many companies offering
activities, such as
Black Mountain Adventure
(
&
01497/84897;
www.black
mountain.co.uk) in Brecon Beacons National Park, with whitewater rafting, white-
water kayaking, and wet and dry gorge adventure walking.
There are many companies across England and Wales with tours focused on an
individual area. For the mountain terrain of Wales's Snowdonia National Park,
Path-
finder,
Clynnog Fawr, Tan-yr-allt, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 5NS, in North Wales
(
&
01286/660202;
www.pathfindersnowdonia.co.uk), offers walks of the summits,
as well as rock climbing, kayaking, and rafting, among other activities.
Walking Holidays
(
&
01761/233807;
www.bathwestwalks.com) has guided
tours through the West Country and the Cotswolds, taking in such attractions as the
Wiltshire Downs and the Mendip Hills, as well as the coastal scenery of Exmoor.
One of Britain's leading specialist companies,
Headwater
(
&
01606/720199;
www.headwater.com) has several self-guided tours, with classy accommodations:
There's Wye Valley cycling, which includes bikes and baggage transfers between
hotels (including a Regency coaching inn in Hay-on-Wye) for 5 nights, while you
make your own way, crisscrossing between England and Wales. There are also 5-night
independent walking tours, in the Cotswolds and from Oxford to Stratford-upon-
Avon, which again include luggage transfers and luxury hotels and inns. The tours
cost about £500.
Discovery Travel
(
&
01904/632226;
www.discoverytravel.co.uk) has a number
of self-guided walking holidays in England and Wales.
Wilderness Travel
(
&
800/368-2794
or 510/558-2488; www.wildernesstravel.
com) has treks and inn-to-inn hiking tours, including a 2-week coast-to-coast ramble
across England.
English Lakeland Ramblers
(
&
800/724-8801
or 703/680-4276; www.
ramblers.com) offers 7- or 8-day walking tours for the average active person in places
such as the Lake District. A minibus takes hikers and sightseers daily to trails and
sightseeing points. Experts tell you about the area's culture and history and highlight
its natural wonders. There are also tours of the Cotswolds, as well as inn-to-inn tours
and privately guided tours.
Country Walkers
(
&
800/464-9255
or 802/244-1387; www.countrywalkers.
com) has “walking vacations” that last 7 days in the Cotswolds and the Lake District.
For a refreshingly different take on hiking the countryside, the website
www.
walkinganddrinkingbeer.blogspot.com
, by American writer Rich Grant, features
engaging features for walkers who hope to encounter good English beer around every
corner.
The
British Activity Holiday Association
(
&
01244/301342;
www.baha.org.
uk) has details of activity camps, family holidays, day camps, and adult breaks.
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