Hiking

Games of thrones in Antrim

A spectacular coast, locations from Game of Thrones, and the Giant’s Causeway await you in the north of Northern Ireland. You walk 3 to 5 hours a day, or 5…

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Travel smart

A collection of websites, apps and tips for travelers

A collection of websites, apps and tips. Suggestions welcome, send them to hendrik [at] modestine.org.

Learn about your destination

Wikitravel
The wikipedia for and by travelers. 3000+ destinations. Sometimes extended with a lot of practical information. Sometimes it pays to switch to a different language. If it’s a language you’re not familiar with, well, there’s always Google Translate to help you out.
Wikitravel in English
Wikitravel in German
Wikitravel in French
Wikitravel in Dutch

How to get there

Overland and by ferry
The Train Line offers timetables and prices from 200 train and bus companies throughout Europe. Buy tickets with credit card or online payment method. Price forecasts and price comparisons. Info about airport transfers. In some cases one ticket for train and ferry.
Trainline in English
Trainline in German
Trainline in French
Trainline in Dutch
And also …
Flixbus: more than 2000 bus connections, select your language at the top right
Omio (formerly GoEuro): tickets for buses, trains and flights, select your language at the top right
Aferry: many ferry connections in Europe, 1000 worldwide, online booking in dozens of languages
BlaBlaCar (link to .fr site, select your language at the bottom right): car sharing in dozens countries

Find flights
Skyscanner: select your language at the very bottom; have alerts mailed t you about flights that interest you
And also …
Google Flights: select your language below; have alerts mailed to you

Understand the local language
Google Translate: web service and app for Android and iOS. Dozens of languages. With the app you take a photo (for example from a menu) and you will see the translation. Interestingly, you can use the app offline; this works with dozens of languages.

Exchange rates
Oanda: all currencies, 9 languages, web, Android and iOS

When you’re ready to go
Scan important documents and mail them to yourself. In the event of loss or theft, that can make a big difference.

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Blog

How we divided Europe

Europe is a patchwork of more than 50 countries. We defined 12 holiday areas.

Headache guaranteed if you try to simplify the patchwork of more than 50 countries that is Europe. Below is how we defined 12 holiday areas for our tags.

  1. Balkans (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia)
  2. Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)
  3. British Isles (Ireland, UK)
  4. Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Switzerland)
  5. Germany
  6. France
  7. Italy (and San Marino)
  8. Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia)
  9. Mediterranean (Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Turkey)
  10. Eastern Europe and Baltic countries (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus Russia / Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)
  11. Spain and Portugal (and Andorra)
  12. Scandinavia (Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden)
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Special

Paddling from hotel to hotel

An active holiday in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, the famous lake area north of Berlin. You can paddle from one comfortable hotel to another with a canoe or a kayak.

An active holiday in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, the famous lake area north of Berlin. You can paddle from one comfortable hotel to another with a canoe or a kayak.

This is a quiet trip that does not have high sporting requirements. Can be booked from 1 person. When booking online, choose a canoe or a kayak. Highlights include so-called “tunnel valleys” from the ice age covered with water lilies, many idyllic water surfaces with natural shores, the “Hüttenkanal” that connects two lake areas, and the baroque town of Rheinsberg with a beautiful castle of Frederick the Great. With a bit of luck you can see kingfishers and osprey among other birds.

Prices 2019 From 565 euros per person
Included Luggage transport on certain days, the canoe or the kayak, 5 nights with breakfast in waterfront hotels, evening meals and packed lunches, GPS tracks, return transfer on the last day
Website Im Kanu und Kajak von See zu See
Access The starting point is approximately 140 km north of Berlin and 250 km east of Hamburg. You can also use public transport, see explanation on the website. You will be informed of the location of the first hotel when booking
View the location on the map 53.349399, 12.823707

NationalparkTours (DE) is an excursion company from Waren (Müritz), in the Mecklenburg Lake District. Website in German. Use translation software such as Google Translate if needed.

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Special

Kayaking in the land of 1000 lakes

For a week your kayak glides over the tranquil Krutynia, in Masuria, “the land of 1000 lakes” in northeastern Poland

KAYAK – POLAND For a week you glide over the tranquil Krutynia and the lakes that it connects. You spend the night in simple hostels, where your luggage will be waiting.

This tour brings you into close contact with Masuria, “the land of 1000 lakes” in northeastern Poland that was once part of Prussia. In the primeval forests live wisents (European bison), moose, wolves and other large mammals. Around 350 bird species have been observed in this sparsely populated area.
The 100-kilometer-long Krutynia is considered one of the most beautiful rivers that you can explore in Europe with a kayak. The local company Kayaki offers multi-day trips, including a one-week trip in the months of June, July and August. You paddle about 15 kilometers a day. The first day you get a short training, and the rest of the week there is an instructor and guide nearby. Along the way you can visit interesting places. You stay in hostels on the waterfront. Sometimes these are rustic cottages with outdoor toilets. Sometimes you sleep with 4 in a room. You can also opt for a tent.

Kajaki.pl (PL) rents kayaks on most rivers and lakes in northern Poland. Mariusz Panek and Tomasz Plitnik started on a small scale 30 years ago. Today their organization owns more than 300 kayaks and they organize trips. Website in Polish, German and English.

Prices 2019: check website. The price in 2018 was 1060 zlotys per person. That corresponded to around 260 euros or 230 pounds sterling.
Included: luggage transport to the next accommodation, the use of a 2-person kayak, accommodation in hostels, all meals, advice and assistance by a guide, return by minibus to the start
When: June July, August
Website: Krutynia the lux 2018-8 days – Sorkwity – Nowy Most
Access
Sorkwity, the starting place, can be reached by bus and train. The town is located 220 kilometers north of Warsaw and 660 kilometers east of Berlin. You can leave your car in a secure parking.
Map [Sorkwity 53.840701, 21.143062]

Photo: JolEnka

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Special

On horseback through the Belgian Ardennes

Experienced riders and their own horse can cross the most beautiful parts of the Belgian Ardennes in 5 days. Luggage will be waiting at the overnight stop. The tour follows…

Experienced riders and their own horse can cross the most beautiful parts of the Belgian Ardennes in 5 days. Luggage will be waiting at the overnight stop.

The tour follows a variant of the GTA hiking trail, in full Grande Traversée des Ardennes. This variant is not signposted.

The start is in the renowned tourist town of La Roche-en-Ardenne. From there it goes in daily stages of 25 to 45 kilometers over Saint-Hubert, Awenne, Daverdisse and Mon Idée to Bouillon. Transport, back to La Roche-en-Ardenne, is included in the price.

You stay on a half board basis in hotels and guest rooms. Your four-legged friend spends the nights in a riding school or in an other form of horse lodgings nearby.

  • 695 euros per person (and her horse) if you share a room with 2. Check the organizer’s website for the most up-to-date price information.
  • The price includes the 4 nights with half board, the luggage transport and the transport from Bouillon back to La Roche.
  • From January to September. Then the hunting season begins.
  • La Transardennaise à cheval (summary information in English).

Europ’Aventure was founded years ago by two outdoor sportsmen from the charming Ardennes town of Sainte-Ode. They specialize in walking and cycling trips. They also offer Nordic walking and whitewater sport, among other things. Website in 4 languages.

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Biking

Enduro in the Pyrenees

Multi-day trip for experienced mountain bikers in two world-famous enduro areas. Many altitude meters, very technical. All meals, luggage transport, transfer back to departure point. The trek goes in 4…

Multi-day trip for experienced mountain bikers in two world-famous enduro areas. Many altitude meters, very technical. All meals, luggage transport, transfer back to departure point.

The trek goes in 4 stages from Castejon de Sos via Bielsa and Escalona to Ainsa. It is possible to add an extra enduro day to Bielsa and in Ainsa. Stages with 1500 to 2300 meters of altitude, partly on tracks where world championships took place.

You stay in hotels and guesthouses. Breakfast, packed lunches and dinner, including wine, every day.

For 70 euros a day you can rent an enduro full suspension bike.

Luggage transport: all  days included.

Prices 2019: 640 euros pp, 750 euros in July and August, minimum 4 participants.

When: The best months are April, May, June, September and October. Take an early start in July and August to avoid the midday heat.

Website:  Enduro trek Puro Pirineo & Zona Zero

Chill Outdoor is run by a sporty Dutch family that lives in the Spanish Pyrenees. They have a varied and attractive range of active vacations, including cycling, hiking, rock climbing, paragliding, rafting, canyoning, kayaking, e-biking and mountain biking. Website in Dutch and partly in English and Spanish.

Map

How do you get there?

You are approximately halfway between Barcelona and San Sebastian. If possible, come by car. Or fly to Barcelona, ​​Girona, Reus or Zaragoza and take a rental car there. Details on this page.

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Hiking

To the Côte d’Azur with your own tent

Without a heavy backpack but still low budget on the GR5 direction Côte d’Azur? You can do it with the “camping walking weeks” of Op Stoute Schoenen. Every year, Op…

Without a heavy backpack but still low budget on the GR5 direction Côte d’Azur? You can do it with the “camping walking weeks” of Op Stoute Schoenen.

Every year, Op Stoute Schoenen organizes long walks on the mythical GR5 that runs from Maastricht to Nice. Check the site for the 2019 program.

 

If you sign up for the newsletter, you can be among the first to book. The number of participants is limited to 24 per week. Factoid: half of the participants are single women.

You sleep in your own tent. While you are walking, the van will take your stuff to the next campsite. You are free to walk on your own or to join a group of participants.

There is a large tent with benches, chairs and tables on the overnight stay.

Breakfast is ready every morning. Included are the packed lunches.

For 7.50 euros per day you can rent a tent. A sleeping mat is 4.50 euros per day.

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