Key Facts
Please click the headings below or scroll down. 1. Theme Trekking the Robert Louis Stevenson trail Part One retraces the steps hiked by The Scot from Le Puy to La Bastide Puylaurent across the volcanic Massif Central - a journey of 105 kilometres or around 70 miles. Stevenson chose to go hiking in France in order to get away from a female he thought he could never marry. En route, he found another in the shape of 'Modestine', a trusted female donkey. He loved his creature comforts and wrote of his experience, "to come down off this feather-bed of civilisation, and find the globe granite underfoot and strewn with cutting flints. Alas, as we get up in life, and are more preoccupied with our affairs, even a holiday is a thing that must be worked for." Stevenson often slept out under trees in a prototype sleeping bag; whereas you will enjoy good food in comfortable hotels en route as part of one of the top-ten walking tours in France. The walking in France that you do, across volcanic upland and down steep shale valley, is guaranteed to delight your senses and fits comfortably into a week’s holiday. If you have never walked a long distance path before, this is your ideal introduction. Click to read our background article on Robert Louis Stevenson To see the whole Stevenson Trail click here.
2. Model 6-night Trekking the Stevenson trail tour: Part One
Day 1. LE PUY. Arrival and hotel check-in. A visit to Puy merits a day's stay in itself, so much history is there here to enjoy - get there early! Day 2. LE PUY EN VELAY to LE BOUCHET ST NICOLAS.
Taxi transfer (20 kms) to LE MONASTIER and the start of the trail. After a short descent into the Loire Valley, you climb over 400 metres, through charming hamlets and across volcanic plateau before arriving at Stevenson's first overnight stop. Night in Le Bouchet. Day 3. LE BOUCHET ST NICOLAS to PRADELLES. 
It's more gradual and prolonged climbs or descents today as you walk the volcanic plateau en route to the granite 'City of High Prairies'. Night in Pradelles.
Day 4. PRADELLES to LANGOGNE. Day 5. LANGOGNE to CHEYLARD L’EVEQUE. You walk the volcanic plateau to the medieval village of Cheylard, repleat with church, chapel and abbey. Night in Cheylard. Day 6. CHEYLARD L’EVEQUE to LA BASTIDE. You climb through a forest and have lunch beside a lake, before descending to the fabulous ruins of Luc castle. Then you follow a variant of the medieval Regordane Way. Night in La Bastide. 
Day 7. End of your walking tour in France. A memorable trek has brought you to La Bastide. Return to your starting point by train. We hope you will also return to take Part two of this exciting walking tour! Note: we reserve the right to slighty alter the above, depending on availability, whilst maintaining the same general quality level of accommodation. 3. AccommodationYou will stay in six different places en route and a variety of comfortable and welcoming accommodation options to suite: hotels, auberges, chambres/tables d'hotes, gites d'etape that are of 'two-star standard.'These are your 6 overnight stops:
1. Le Puy; 2. Bouchet-St-Nicolas; 3. Pradelles; 4. Langogne;5. Cheylard;6. La Bastide.
¹ One piece of luggage per person up to 15 kgs. Supplements apply for more or heavier luggage. 5. Prices 2009Click to go to Booking and Costs 
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