Week long trips in Europe?

I live in Belgium, so could help you further. September is perhaps the best time: schools have started and summer is – most often – still around.

Will you have a car, or will you have to rely on public transportation? And do you have a preference landscape wise? e.g. if you're into glaciers, Alps it is (and easily accessible from France use the TGV-high speed train network). Pyrenees is a better choice if you like it wilder (but: fewer public transporation options and further away from Paris).

Wim

Wim,

Not sure if we would have a car or not. Probably we could go either way depending on what seems like the best option. My wife and I love glaciers but if the Pyrenees are wilder that might be preferable. Backpacker magazine mentioned an 82 mile section of the GR 10. I'm not sure if that would be huts and hostels or tenting though. I guess I'd have to get a guidebook to get more details. Do you have any favorite week long trips in either the Alps of Pyrenees?

"The best week long section is the 82 miles from Ste.-Engrâce, straddling the Basque provinces of Soule and Bearn, east to Cauterets"

Thanks

My preferance is for the Pyrenees, I think they are less busy than the main Alps. It is fairly easy to get from Paris to the Pyrenees by train – Luchon, L'Hospitalet or Lourdes then bus to Gavarnie for example.

The GR10 goes through the mountains and villages where you can stay in hostels or campsites. An alternative is sections of the HRP which tends to stay higher in the mountains where you can stay in huts or camp. Several peaks are graded Facile (Easy) i.e. scrambling, if you fancy that. I have some photos from last summer here: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=86615

I'd go to the Alps as they are pretty close – but rather than recommend places or routes would suggest you try searching for what you fancy here:

http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/idees-rando/recherche.aspx

I was in the Alps for a week a short while ago; much fun.

http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=13824

…I appear to have recommended myself :-)

ed

The Pyrenees are indeed a notch wilder, especially the central part. But September will be fairly quiet in the Alps. If you’re planning to hike during the second part of September, certainly consider the circular ‘Tour du Mont Blanc’: Chamonix is easily accessible from Paris (a plus if you're not proficient in French and Murphy's law strikes) – check http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/ for train times and online ticket purchases (train tickets are normally released three months before departure).
The route has some superb balcony walks. It would be a stress free, enyoyable one week hike during the second half of September, but do check opening times of the huts – most close down during the second half of September. A good website: http://www.autourdumontblanc.com/en/index.cfm/tour-mont-blanc-accomodations.html

Keep in mind that the Pyrenees has no wilderness status like in North America. But some sections certainly feel wilders than e.g. the SEKI national parks. During season, hut based walking is possible. A lot of huts in the Pyrenees go into winter modus during the second half of September, so double check before setting out without a tent.
I would advice bringing a lightweight tent – you’ll encounter many first class camping sites. A lot of huts in the Pyrenees allow pitching tents close by. In short: a tent will give you more flexibility.
Be prepared snow occasional snowfall during September, both in the Pyrenees and the Alps.

The GR10 is nice, but there are better options. Chance of clouds are also higher on the French side of the Pyrenees (the Spanish side statistically sees more sun, confirmed through consistent anecdotal evidence, including my own).
I would rather focus on the central part of the ‘Haute Route Pyrenees’ (HRP), an unofficial route seeking out the highest parts of the Pyrenees. BPL-member Amy Lauterbach has written an excellent trip report on this forum. Plenty of gps logs on Wikiloc.com
Accessing trailheads in the Pyrenees is a bit more complex than accessing Chamonix. Some possible exit/entry points in the central Pyrenees (entry/exit from the French side):
– Col de Somport (SNCF bus from to Oloron-Sainte-Marie train station)
– Cauterets (SNCF bus from/to Lourdes train station)
– Bagnères de Luchon (SNCF bus or SNCF train from/to Montréjeau train station)
– Arinsal, Andorra (Andorrabybus.com from/to Toulouse train station or Toulouse Airport)
The train stations mentioned are on or close by the main Toulouse-Bordeaux line.

If you’re interested in a circular route in the Pyrenees, the ‘Carros de Foc’, on the Spanish side is apparently a superb trail. Camping is however prohibited on large sections as it runs through a national park with camping restrictions). I have no experience with this route.

RE guidebooks: Cicerone.co.uk is IMHO the best publisher of English guidebooks regarding both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Many of their publications can be purchased as Adobe ebooks (read: immediate access and weight saving on the trail).

Andy Howell has good info about Pyrenees on his site, including transit options.
http://www.andyhowell.info/trek-blog/first-steps-in-the-pyrenees/

In particular, look at this page for a suggested route:
http://www.andyhowell.info/trek-blog/2011/03/14/a-great-walk-along-the-hrp-in-the-high-pyrenees/

And he's got a Pyrenees forum where you could ask more questions.

Our trip report is here:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=37414

We haven't been to the Alps, so can't compare it. But we did love the Pyrenees and recommend them without hesitation.

Thanks for the ideas, folks. For the sake of simplicity we are going to do the Tour du Mont Blanc, or some variation of it depending on time. Looking forward to it.