Internationale groepsreis Mountains & Villages of Corsica

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Excellent holiday - spectacular scenery, good company, friendly welcoming hotel with good food, skilled group leader.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The view from the top of the hill on the last day - and sense of achievement in getting there !  Being able to manage a couple of walks that were beyond our comfort zone.

What did you think of your group leader?

Very skilled and knowledgeable, taught us a lot about walking in difficult terrain and using walking poles.  Adjusted to poor weather in first few days and offered an alternative additional walk on rest day because one walk had to be discontinued.   He inspired confidence and was generally friendly, helpful and informative, using his language skills well with the group and local people.   If there was one minor issue, occasionally he could come across as a bit brusque.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Bring walking poles - we found them very useful on the steeper terrain. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We enjoyed the holiday rather more than a self guided one we have done in the past - having a guide enabled use to explore terrain we probably would have avoided otherwise and it was great to meet new people.

Corsica Mountains

This trip exceeded my expectations. We were fortunate to have a wonderful guide who had an eye on everyone and their capabilities so that we all had a fabulous time. Our group was excellent and the village we stayed in was great. The hotel was rustic but in a lovely position - you don't go on a walking holiday to sit in your room!

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Walking the one day on the GR20. We were lucky to have a clear day with amazing views when we made the summit of Bocca Palmentu and the use of the wonderful train to access the start and finish of the walks.

What did you think of your group leader?

Alexis was an excellent guide, very quickly evaluated all our capabilities and adapted the walks to suit. He made the tour great fun with his wonderful sense of humour. Would very much like to have him guide on another trip.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

It can be wet but we were lucky to only have a torrential downpour leaving a bar to walk back to the hotel. So wet gear could be needed. Some of the walks are rough and steep.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

The staff in the hotel were excellent and nothing was too much trouble. There was a reasonable variety of dinner meals and our lunches were more than sufficient. My comment would be breakfast - to head out walking some protein would have been good, perhaps cheese or a boiled egg.

Hidden Gem

Everything went smoothly! Though the hotel was basic, it was clean and comfortable! The chef was fantastic, with a different 3 course meal every night. The walks were challenging... though very beautiful, I think I would have preferred them to be a bit shorter in length to give us more time at the end of the day to wind down and enjoy the hotel surroundings.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Hanging out by the beautiful cascades! Not a bad place to have spent my birthday!

What did you think of your group leader?

It was Alexis first time leading a group in Corsica, he was very well organised and didn't make any mistakes! Considering he is not a local (which worries me sometimes!), his knowledge about the place was great and you could see he genuinely was interested learning about this island. Fun and friendly, you'd be lucky to have him as your leader!

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Corsica mountains and villages

Guide was excellent. Good company and provided fantastic walks. Hotel was ok but staff were excellent. They did their best for vegetarian food and it was different each night not just pasta and pizza. Would not recommend sharing room with someone you didn't know as the rooms were small. The group was lovely.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Walking the mountains. Beautiful scenery.

What did you think of your group leader?

Excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Take a hat and walking sticks.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Corsoca is a beautiful island with superb scenery , well organised , well led holday , weather was very good. The group worked well , supportive of people of different speeds of walking , some fun characters & good stories.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Several times we walked from the woodland into high open areas with superb views. My wife & I and I are keen to do the GR20 at some stage.

What did you think of your group leader?

Very knowledgable of the routes - never any doubt. He led at an appropriate speed for all and knew about local history , flora & fauna. He was flexible e.g. the train service on Corsica is a variable feast & he was able to adapt to alternatives  when appropriate.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Corsica isn't high on awareness as a destination , but well worth a trip. Good beaches on the day off walking , but would bother with the bus tour of Ajaccio.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Corsica is a beautiful island. Well worth a visit.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The last day walk around the mountains of Bocagno. Great views and lovely scenery. The swims in the mountain pools were good too, if a little breathtaking!

What did you think of your group leader?

Rudi was a good leader. Organised, sociable, and takes a special prize for getting the group into Ajaccio on our (and his) day off because of a lack of public treansport. A really nice guy.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The walks are not aleways in the mountains, so be prepared for some low level forest walks as well. However, Corsica is a great place either up or down. The hotel was friendly and provided a goos variety of food-even for the vegetarians.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This trip is a good early summer break, and the smell of the wild herbs and lavender as you walk adds to the appeal.

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Gentlee walking in fantastic scenery, great taste of corsica. I suspect we will all return. Walks are lacking in a focus but scenery compensates.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Tour guide trying to convince us to swim in ice cold water.

What did you think of your group leader?

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

my first trip was led by a thin tall french guide who marched us up hills for 12 hours at a time. The food in the hut was a meagre sausage and peas. He carried a small stove to malke himself coffee and always gave us the impresson we were not save in the hills without him. For this trip we had a portly swiss guide, whcih was a sign than the walking was not too severe and that the food in the hotel was good. He hid beers in the streams for us to find and had the key to a shepards hut to arrange a picnic with english tea for all. What joy to see a swiss guide trying to cope with the french trains and buses. Never on time and often on strike.Thats corsica where time runs at a different time.

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

A friendly small hotel in a pictureque village, laid back walking through unspoilt forests, wildflowers and clean air.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Swimming in pristine mountain pools. Sipping beers cooled in mountain streams.

What did you think of your group leader?

Rudy was very thoughtful and looked after all the guests very well. Walks were well planned to suit all guests and to see as much of the area as possible, An excellent leader.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Trip notes accurate about the vegetarian food, may be a good idea to take some snacks.. Starters and desserts (and house wine) generally very good but mains could be a bit sparse.

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

It was absolutely fantastic. The Island is gorgoeous, the hotel was nice, the hikings was great. The only dissapointment was the average age and maybe exodus can be on their website the average age of the group?

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The last hiking day where the hiking was on a high mountain

What did you think of your group leader?

He's fun and very experienced

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

It's great fun...

Is there anything else you would like to add?

No

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Apart from the heavy rain on the first day the weather was hot. The scenery has expected spectacular. The walking was more mentally demanding due to narrow trials and loose stones. Corsica is rather laid back so expect the trains to be late and full. Food is not as good as mainland France but plenty of it.  

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The scenery!

What did you think of your group leader?

Good. No navigation errors. He had prewalked and marked paths in advance. Good preparation! Would have been good to have a local to know more about Corsica.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The walking requires concentration as they are mainly on loose stones and narrow.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Corsican like meat so vegeterians be warned!

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

Superb weather,cloud less blue skies all week.The hotel was basic but adequate,good food & friendly staff. 

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Nothing particularly outstanding,each day was just enjoyable.

What did you think of your group leader?

Alex was a lovely man, calm, unruffled & looked after the group very well.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Go for it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This trip  really needs a dedicated mini bus for the group. The Corsican transport system is somewhat unreliable & generally over crowded.

CORSICAN MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES

We stayed in a friendly family run guest house overlooking the village and mountains.  The mornings and evenings were filled with the heady perfume of lime blossom.  Immediate relaxation!  The mountain scenery was stunning and the people warm and friendly, appreciating us trying to speak French or Italian with them!Some days involved quite a bit of country lane walking or had periods of hanging around waiting for the public bus to turn up at the end of the day, which I found frustrating as I wanted to be walking in the mountains that surrounded us.  However the last 2 days of walking were in the mountains.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The walks that included parts of the GR20 and the refreshing mountain streams where we could paddle, dabble or swim dependant on how brave (or hot) we felt! The food in our guest house was excellent but with a typical breakfast of freshly baked croissants and bread with jam plus coffee and orange juice,  we felt the need to supplement this with fruit bought in the village.

What did you think of your group leader?

Rich was an excellent leader with bags of personality, enthusiasm and energy.  He taught us quite a lot from how to correctly use walking poles to spotting and following the required waymark signs....etc.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The temperatures were 32-36degs C so take a hat but don't bother with swimwear or a travel towel as we just went into the streams as we were - very liberating!  Zip-offs were useful to wear in the macquis areas to prevent scratches and, if you're prone to bites, have insect repellent / after bite, etc with you.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Although the plan to 'build us up' to longer or harder walks was a good one and it was interesting to use the local 'Michelin' train,  it was frustrating not to access more 'hills & mountains' trails and to hang around (one day in the full heat of the sun) waiting for the public bus. Could Exodus not provide local transport on some of the days to maximise the walking time and even expand on the range of walks made available?

Mountains & Villages of Corsica - 6 September

The travel arrangements were excellent but the hotel was poor. Although very clean, the rooms were shabby, particularly the bathrooms. The food was uninspiring - it would have been good to have had some local dishes with fresh vegetables and fruit. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the trip and meeting our fellow travellers.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The views from the mountain tops were stunning and just kept coming.

What did you think of your group leader?

Emily was amazing! She looked after us all really well from start to finish, including setting alarm clocks, train travel and suggestions for our day off to emergency repairs to damaged hiking boots high up in the mountains. A true ambassador for Exodus.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

We were lucky with the weather with most days about 25'c but it can change quickly so wet weather gear is a must.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

This was our first Exodus experience - we shall certainly travel with them again.

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

This was well up there with the best walking holidays I have been on. There really was nothing to criticise and even the weather was as close to perfect as you are ever likely to get in the mountains.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Just walking amongst the spectacular mountains of Corsica in good company, and still managing to get up and down some quite challenging hills and back to the Bar des Amis in the evening, without undue pain and distress, was all the inspiration I was seeking.

What did you think of your group leader?

Rude was an excellent leader and guide. He knew the routes well, judged our abilities accurately and was always efficient and helpful, whilst exhibiting a good sense of humour. Could not have wished for a better leader.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Follow the Exodus trip advice and equipment list and you won't go far wrong. Read the description of the grade of walking carefully before booking. "Moderate" in this case is about equivalent to Ramblers grade D+, at least in my experience.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

It was just a great trip.

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Excellent hotel with great food. Atmospheric village in a remote spot. Great scenery. Very friendly people in the group, we all got on well.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The beautiful woods and views from the mountains sides. Seeing the semi wild pigs was somehow very interesting. Swimming in a mountain river pool was perhaps the best thing.

What did you think of your group leader?

Good sense of safty and well organised.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The walking is easy. There are a lots of woods, so you will love it if woods are your thing. They really look undisturbed by mankind or industry. Do not go in big boots to the seaside, you will look like a being from another planet ( as I did! I also persuaded my mate that boots would be needed for the coast walking.There were many curses). Go with icecream and beach in mind.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

It rained over 2 or more days, so that was a bit of a bore: I had hoped for all out heat, but there you go. But we still did interesting things on the rainy days.

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

An excellent walking holiday the tone of which was set on the first afternoon when we all went for 'trial' walk to assess our abilities - a sound idea.  We got to know the group from the very start which set the scene for the rest of the week.  

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

There was no single moment.  The entire week was so varied with the use of the local railway to get to & from the walks, the villages and magnificent mountain scenery.  Hugely enjoyable.    

What did you think of your group leader?

Richie, our leader, encouraged us all so that even those of us who doubted our abilities did manage to achieve all the walks.  He gave good advice without 'pushing it' and enabled us to really enjoy the week.  The best leader I have come across on this type of adventure holiday.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Is there anything else you would like to add?

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

Satisfies the desire to climb mountains on an island with a colourful history of bandits especially before the rule of its most famous son, Napoleon, without sacrificing the comforts of a family run hotel or the pleasures of the local village bar and bakery.  Energy expenditure well balanced with time for relaxation and enjoying the pace of village life plus time to explore Ajaccio on day off.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

Opening the window of my room onto the view of the mountains in brilliant sunshine and blue skies on day 1 creating the feeling "it doesn't get any better than this" .....but it did!  Finding so many "glass half full" like minded people in the group

What did you think of your group leader?

Rudi was an excellent leader- friendly, helpful, patient and balanced his time across the group very well. 

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Pack your swimmers as it was still very warm in September 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

A most enjoyable holiday: wonderful scenery, good variety of walks, excellent leader, great company and lovely sunny hot weather most of the time.  Comfortable hotel, within easy walking distance of the village bakery and a good bar, as well as being close to the railway station. 

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

There were many of them, throughout the holiday, including the great view of mountains from the balcony of the hotel,  superb views during our walks (particularly those in the mountains), and from the train on our various railway journeys  (i.e. on 3 of the 5 walking days, and on our day off, when most of us went to Ajaccio).      I loved the fact that we never had to travel by mini-bus at the start or end of the walks.  If we weren't using the train, we started the walk from the hotel.     The group was full of interesting people, and we got on very well  (and gave the bar in the village plenty of business),  so that was another big plus point about the holiday. 

What did you think of your group leader?

Rudy was very well-organised, knowledgeable, reliable, considerate, patient, and helpful at all times, but with a good sense of humour too.  He always tried to ensure that we were all able to go at a pace that suited us:  for anyone who wished to go ahead he would explain the route in advance (including any points where there was a danger of going the wrong way).   He was very good at giving us the opportunity of visiting bars in any villages that we passed through (and even, on the final day, carrying provisions so that he could brew teas / coffees for us in a shepherd's hut for which he had the key).  

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

The trip notes are pretty accurate, so if you like the sound of it, go ahead and book it!  The quality of the food and drink at the hotel was excellent but don't expect many vegetables with the evening meal (I understand that this is typical, rather than a feature of this particular hotel).   Also don't expect a big variety of choice at breakfast.  It consisted of fruit juice, croissants, bread, jam and tea/coffee.  But the bread was always fresh and plentiful.   The hotel owners, and staff. were always friendly and helpful. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I was very pleasantly surprised to find that the trains were very modern and comfortable, and (in our experience at least) mostly on time, or only slightly late. (I understand that the new trains were introduced only in the past year or two, and initial "teething" problems in the transition period are now resolved).     So I suggest that you shouldn't be put off by reports from earlier years about the trains being unreliable. 

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

A very good week of walking on a beautiful, and to us, surprisingly green, island.

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The views of the snow-capped peaks and rocky outcrops, sometimes glimpsed through trees, the beautiful natural rock gardens and flower meadows, and the walks up the river gorges.

What did you think of your group leader?

Ruedi was excellent, especially at dealing with a group of very mixed abilities, so that no-one felt they were being held back or pushed too hard.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

As long as you are prepared for a hotel in the rustic style - which is made plain in the Trip Notes - you will enjoy it. If you expect a modern hotel with a TV in every room and a bar, you will be disappointed. We enjoyed our stay and the food was wholesome and delicious. (There is a bar nearby in the village.)

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Exodus support after booking was excellent. We were warned in good time of an air fare hike and offered alternative dates, which saved us several hundred pounds. 

MOUNTAINS & VILLAGES OF CORSICA

A good week of walking in a mountain landscape using the scenic mountain railway to access most walks. 

What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

The view from my hotel window and from the train windows. Walking in the mountains and river gorges and cooling off at the end of the day with a local beer flavoured with chestnut flowers in the Bar des Amis .    

What did you think of your group leader?

Rudi was an excellent, considerate and thoughtful leader with an impish sense of humour. He allowed those of greater ability to walk on ahead  to a meeting point at their own pace  and most walks provided a shorter circuit for those who felt it necessary. We seemed to stumble across a bar most days and he even had the keys of an old shepherd's hut where we could brew up.  On one walk he had gone there earlier and hidden cans of drink for us in a cold mountain stream - - - a kind thought.

Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

Bocognano was ideally situated and by-passed by the main road traffic. There were a couple of restaurants, a small shop, the Bar des Amis and a good artisan bakery. Guessing when the shops/restaurants would open was a skill that would take more than a week to acquire.  The station was only a short walk from the hotel.    The hotel was as implied in the Trip Notes - - - a bit old and quirky but with friendly and helpful staff and a laid back cat. Much more fun than an impersonal modern one.  Rudi's advice that Corte would not provide enough interest for a full day's visit was well founded. We all went to Ajaccio on the rest day. Our thanks to John, an ex French teacher who got our tickets !   

Is there anything else you would like to add?

There were old shepherd's huts in the mountains and most had a clear spring of drinking water close by to save  us carrying  too much. I would have liked some harder/higher mountain walking on a couple of days but all such holidays are a compromise unless you want to go for the full GR20.