Combined activity vacations in Europe

[HighFlight]

We are looking at a family vacation to Europe next year. Need some advice. DD is very active and would be happy with a 7-10 day hiking experience in the mountains somewhere. I can keep up with her (to a point, about 80-90%). My DW, however, is a more sedate (read non-technical trails) hiker, and would not be able to go the entire time. Looking for options to combine a hiking/biking trip with some museum/coffeehouse/winery type events to make it a truly family vacation. TIA.

 

[Blue Poles]

I've read about some hiking tours that go from town to town, with a shuttle service that takes your luggage from one hotel to the next while you hike with just a day pack. I wonder if any of those offer to shuttle people as well, so you and DD can hike while DW takes the shuttle. DW can then do what she wants to in town, and perhaps hike a little bit to meet you on the trail when you get closer later in the day?

 

[braumeister]

Europe is a big place. Can you narrow your preferred destination down a bit?

 

[YB88]

I've read about some hiking tours that go from town to town, with a shuttle service that takes your luggage from one hotel to the next while you hike with just a day pack. I wonder if any of those offer to shuttle people as well, so you and DD can hike while DW takes the shuttle. DW can then do what she wants to in town, and perhaps hike a little bit to meet you on the trail when you get closer later in the day?

My wife and I have done a couple of those on pilgrim trails, one a couple months ago in Bavaria and another in France, plus we've hiked pilgrim and other routes in Europe where others were booking a service to shuttle luggage, sometimes combined with also booking lodgings. I think that none of these shuttle people as well, or at least I've not heard of that being done.


That said, when we were hiking in France my wife had a foot issue, and for a few days was figuring out different ways each day to get part or all of the way to the next hotel, and in one case she was able to arrange a ride with the luggage shuttle person, but I think that was sort of one-off.


One thing I could suggest is that we did a "bike and barge" trip in the Netherlands and Belgium, with the bikes and guides included, a soup-to-nuts sort of support setup. Each day our boat offered either a shorter or a longer bike route to the next boat stop, always with the option of just staying on the boat and taking it easy on any given day. I had some sort of issue (forget the detail now) where I did that once; a bit boring actually with other guests off biking, but restful, I could watch the world go by on the boat or read or take a nap!

 

[gutterman]

We have been looking at the Lauterbrunnen Switzerland area. Seems to be a lot of trails have a parallel cable car. So your wife could take the cable car up, and hike back down with your daughter who hiked up on foot

 

[target2019]

Füssen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Füssen

The views of nature are most beautiful there. You can see the Austrian alps, walk to castles, etc.

The town itself has enough attractions to keep everyone busy.

 

[Taco]

A section of the Tour du Mont Blanc?
With mom (and perhaps dad sometimes) shuttling to the next town.

 

[DrRoy]

My sister does travel planning like this. Check out Eurotravelcoach.com.

 

[grasshopper]

Look at Country Walkers. We used CW for 2 trips Italy Naples and the Amalfi Coast, and Greece Corinth to Delphi.

Enough hiking to take that 2nd dessert at dinner. Plus throw in a Naples or Athens 4 hour walking food tour for another experience.

 

[COcheesehead]

Backroads has numerous multi sport trips.
https://www.backroads.com/

 

[COcheesehead]

Look at Country Walkers. We used CW for 2 trips Italy Naples and the Amalfi Coast, and Greece Corinth to Delphi.

Enough hiking to take that 2nd dessert at dinner. Plus throw in a Naples or Athens 4 hour walking food tour for another experience.

We’ve used Country Walkers with great success. They also a sister company called Xanterra.


https://www.xanterra.com/

 

[HighFlight]

Europe is a big place. Can you narrow your preferred destination down a bit?

Great point-my wife has ancestry in Sweden, and DD looks like she could be a native. So we are thinking Sweden/Denmark/Norway region. Seems that the company Backroads may offer a little bit of what we are looking to accomplish.

 

[HighFlight]

Backroads has numerous multi sport trips.
https://www.backroads.com/

Appreciate the point out-Backroads may have what we are interested in.

 

[sparky08]

A section of the Tour du Mont Blanc?
With mom (and perhaps dad sometimes) shuttling to the next town.

I was just going to suggest this area. Or base out of Chamonix/Courmeyer and do day hikes. Geneva is just a short drive/train away.

We were there last year. Can't wait to go back.