Walking trips of Loire Valley?

Has anyone done walking trips of the Loire Valley? I%26#39;d love to know which company you%26#39;ve used and tips to make the trip a success. Thanks!

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I have walked in the Loire Valley with HF, which is an English company --www.hfholidays.co.uk. HF does 7-night walks based in Tours in May, June and September (and maybe October). I have also walked with them in a couple of locations in England and on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. I think HF is a really good value -- much less expensive than American companies. The accommodations aren%26#39;t as luxurious and there%26#39;s not as much hand holding as with the higher-end American companies, but the walks are great, as are the fellow walkers. Each day there are two walks: a shorter, less challenging walk (around 5-6 miles in the Loire Valley) and a longer more challenging walk (about 7-9 miles). You can switch back and forth between walks, depending on how you%26#39;re feeling on any day. And you don%26#39;t have to walk at all if that%26#39;s your preference. The Loire Valley walks are some of the easiest they do, as the terrain is quite flat. Unfortunately, when I was there (late May) there was a heat wave (mid to upper 80s), which I didn%26#39;t like as I prefer walking in much cooler weather. The Wayfarers also does a Loire Valley trip in some years, although they only do it once or twice a year. It%26#39;s a more expensive trip, but they stay at several more expensive places (chateaux, etc.). Backroads does a lot of bike trips there, but I can%26#39;t remember if they do walks.

The English group the Ramblers may also do Loire Valley walks.

I think a successful trip involves preparation -- reading up on the area, thinking about what you want to do and see, looking at trips available and finding the best match for you, including making sure you%26#39;re fit enough to do the walks and making sure you have the right gear (hiking boots, right clothes for the weather, etc.).

I have found a greater likelihood that inexperienced people will be on walks run by the American companies (I have also walked with Country Walkers in the Italian lakes and the Wayfarers in the U.S.). And I mean really inexperienced. Like no hiking boots, or boots they bought yesterday. Although these pricey American trips generally have multiple guides and a vehicle, the group still generally moves no faster than its slowest member, and such people, I%26#39;m sorry to say, can be a drag. This sometimes happens on the English trips (it%26#39;s usually an American), but not nearly as often. If you aren%26#39;t an experienced walker, you can and should prepare for your trip by doing weekend day hikes with a local walking group, like the Appalachian Mountain Club, which I know has a chapter in Boston, or the Sierra Club.

I also saw your post on the Italy forum. I walked with Country Walkers in the lakes because their walk covered a lot of the territory I wanted to see and fit my schedule. It%26#39;s a much more expensive trip, with fancier hotels, meals and guides; however, if HF had offered a trip in the same area, I probably would have gone with them. HF does a walk in the lakes, but it%26#39;s based on Lake Garda. I%26#39;d like to do that one as well, but I wanted to see Como, Lugano, Maggiore, etc. first. Walking in the lakes is more challenging, because of the hilly terrain.

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Thanks, QQ2, for your very helpful information. I%26#39;ll be sure to check into those UK companies you recommend.