Traveller's Favourites in Europe

I enjoy touring through Europe. I especially enjoy trekking my way through Europe because I see village life up close and personal. I can feel the restoration of my mind and body, with each next step. But of all the treks with Explore I have enjoyed (10 now), Camino de Santiago ranks as #1. Eleven months on, and I keep thinking about this trek. Which Explore trek should I book next to capture a similar bit of magic?

I think this was my 2nd trip with Explore and it managed to live up to my expectations following the first trip. All accommodation was lovely, with the 2 nights in the Monastery being a particular highlight. Each walk managed to be quite distinct from the others as we travelled east to Pollenca and we usually managed to have a good look round each town.

Only an hour away from the tourist mecca of the Costa del Sol lies the beautiful Axarquia region of Andalucia and our base for a wonderful weeks' walking, the sleepy village of Canillas de Albaida. Staying at the family owned Posada La Plaza, Gustavo and his family welcomed us warmly to their guest house. We would set off on our walks around the area, which not only had great variety but also offered different degrees of difficulty, usually because of the terrain. All walks had one thing in common though, stunning views at every turn.

The trip had an excellent start with the Eurostar - what a fantastic way to travel, much less hassle than checking in at the airport. France is such an amazing country - great food, great wine and great backroads for cycling. There’s nothing better than stopping at a local patisserie in the morning to pick up your packed lunch. You've really deserved those pastries after all that cycling - my mouth is watering at the mere memory of it!

I loved the stress free train journey, puts you in the holiday mind set from the start. Our tour leader Brian was superb; approachable, knowledgeable and an all round nice guy. The French countryside was more beautiful than I remember from past holidays as a child and the food is what makes this a holiday to remember. You don’t need to be an advanced cyclist to love this trip, just enjoy the outdoors and the relaxed French way of life.

One of my favourite things about this tour was the town we stayed in - I could happily return to Castellina for a relaxing break purely for the views across the area. Also great was the food – both in the restaurants and the picnics our tour leader put together for our walks. Although I guess this is Italy, I shouldn’t really be surprised! Another unexpected highlight for me was Siena, it was really beautiful – the wine-tasting was great too. Really enjoyed the whole tour and would recommend it to anyone.

I would thoroughly recommend this trip to people who want to experience the real Italy. A wonderful blend of diverse walks, wholesome and traditional Italian food prepared by our host family, along with their own wine, and great accommodation on a real farm in San Lazzaro. The walk through the Ferriere National Park with beautiful mountains, forests and waterfalls rates as one of the best day walks in southern Italy and the walk on the famous Pathway of the Gods down to Positano is also fabulous.

I would definitely recommend this trip! Paklencia National Park was great for walking. The tour leader worked hard to meet everyone's needs and even put on an extra walk on his free day! Trogir and Split were fascinating. In both places the variety of architecture was amazing. It was like walking through a history book!

The walks are amazing, our guides were really hard working and fantastically knowledgeable about all aspects of Scandinavia. The food that is provided was of a good quality and always plentiful. Highlights were the wooden church in Finland, the fishing in the fjord (the best fish I have ever eaten) and mainly just the scenery. It's fascinating to see the change from dramatic fjords to simple (yet just as beautiful) lakes and forests in Finland

This trip is an opportunity to see natural wonders you cannot see anywhere else in the world. Drive through the harsh rugged volcanic landscape; be awed by the jets of water blasted into the sky by the geysers; have your heart skip a beat as your Superjeep powers into, and then out of, fast glacial rivers; feel the bitterly cold spray of a waterfall against your cheek; have your body and soul warmed by the thermal waters at the Blue Lagoon.