France - Walking from Menton to San Remo
- Paths along the Ligurian Riviera -
In Italy, you will follow the ‘Sentiero Balcone’. When leaving from Menton on this walking holiday, you will walk along France’s famous ‘Balcony of the Côte d’Azur’.
At first glance, there is little difference to be found between the historical County of Nice and the former Republic of Genoa. They share the same type of beautiful architecture, villages set in to the steep coastline, the area also has a shared history which is evident when weaving from one valley to the next amongst the pines.
However, once you have crossed the border to Italy, the atmosphere quickly changes. Other walkers on the path become a rarer sight, and the markers become less frequent as you follow routes through more remote areas. The villages, however, become livelier. Vineyards and olive groves are plentiful. This really feels like a whole other world, it is better preserved than its French counterpart and it is a better kept secret.
Holiday Highligts
- You only carry a day pack
- No special difficulty
- GPS tracks for your hikes
- Hand-picked accommodation to fit the theme of the holiday
Itinerary See all daysClose all days
You arrive at the hotel in the afternoon, after which you can spend time as you please. There are excellent restaurants in the area.
Leaving in the early morning, a bus will take you to the small village of Castellar, which overlooks Menton bay from a height of 340m and will be the starting point of your hike. From there you can choose either the long or the short hike:
Short Hike: The route goes up the side of le Roc de l’Orméa, to reach Saint Bernard’s pass and chapel (769m) then continue climbing upwards until you reach the border, then cross the Passo della Corna (1045m). You will then head downhill on the Italian side of the border, enjoying a view over the sea. This path will lead you to the Passo dei Sette Camini (424 m). Then a track will take you down to a hamlet, Grimaldi (130m). A short transfer either by bus or taxi (on the weekend) to Ventimiglia. Visit to Ventimiglia’s Old Town (roman Cathedral and baptistery).
+ 700m, -800 m and 5 hours walk.
Long Hike: A steep climb will take you to the col du Berceau (1090m): here you will have beautiful views to the North and to the South. In a few minutes, you will reach la cime de Restaud (1190m) (the view from here is even more beautiful than the previous one!) Then go downhill through the forest on the mountains north face, before facing your final climb up to Passo de la Corna (1045m). Heading downhill from here, you will be on the Italian side of the border walking along an impressive ridge until you reach Passo dei Sette Camini, where you follow the same route as the ‘short hike’ to reach Grimaldi.
+850m, -900m and 6 hours 30 minutes’ walk. Short bus transfer to get to Ventimiglia.
Transfer in the morning by bus or taxi from Ventimiglia to Torri, in the Bévéra valley (95m). You will follow a beautiful path along the left riverbank of the Bévéra, to reach Collabassa (320m). The path leads downhill to cross la Roya and leads to the beautiful village of Airole (110m), where you can get lost in its winding narrow lanes. After a short break, you will begin to climb Sella dei Due Abelli (750m): a remote but magnificent route. On the other slope, after a few metres along the former Maginot Line, you will have a pleasant descent in to the Rochetta Nervina valley. You will pass one last olive grove and then the path leads you directly to your hotel (200m).
Shorter Alternative: If you don’t feel up to the full 6 hours it is possible to get to Airole either by bus or taxi.
You will start the day by visiting Rochetta-Nervina, nestled at the bottom of a valley at the narrow intersection of two streams. A small path goes alongside the steam, then leads you on a long climb through a remote area, following along the crest (735m). On the other side, you will head down to the village of Isolabona, and the Nervia valley (100m). After you have visited the village, you still have the hardest part of the walk ahead of you, you need to head up to the village of Apricale built on the side of the slope, and considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
After you take the time to explore Apricale, will you lead you upwards where you will find the village of Perinaldo: almost 600m high you will have an unrivaled view over the ocean! Continue downhill to Dolceacqua, along the path ‘pèlerinage à la Vierge de Douleurs’ (pilgrimage to Our Lady of Sorrows). You will walk under the old village and see the impressive castle, Dolceacqua is famous for its beautiful medieval jetty (as well as for its wine!).
Once you have taken a look around the village, you will take the bus to Pigna, in the Nervia valley. This beautiful village is home to a magnificent altarpiece as well as a chapel painted by the artist Canavesio. Canavesio was one of the region’s most important artists at the end of the 15th century
The path leaves from your hotel and leads you to the village of Castelvittorio (412m). You will pass through the village, using the staircases which connect the winding alleys, and contniue to climb until you reach San Sebastiano chapel (700m). After a short flat stretch, you will head downhill until the Bonda bridge (500m), before tackling a long climb through the forest which will take you to the highest village you will visit on the trip: Baiardo (900m).
From the village of Baiardo, you will climb up to a long wooded ridge which will lead you to the summit of Mont Bignone (1299m), where you will find the most impressive lookout point on the Ligurian Coast. (During La Belle Epoque, a cable-car brought tourists up to this spot).
From here, you'll descend through the nature park of San Romolo (760m) and are then driven by bus to San Remo.
We recommend that you spend at least half a day exploring San Remo, especially if you find yourself here on a Saturday, when there is the weekly market outside the cathedral. Take the train or trolleybus to Ventimiglia (frequent departures). When you reach Ventimiglia, you will be able to take the train to Menton or Nice.
Price includes
- 7 nights at handpicked 2- and 3-star hotels
- Breakfast every day
- Detailed route descriptions and maps
- Transportation of luggage from hotel to hotel
- 24-hour local and international service hotline for the duration of the tour
- This is a packaged holiday and is therefore covered by The Travel Guarantee Fund - See which benefits this means for you - click here
- Transportation to / from France
- Travel- and cancellation insurance
- Transportations described in the program
Practical info
The price is based upon two people sharing. It is also possible travel alone in a single room. The tour is not possible for solo travelers. Only bookings for min. 2 people.
On this tour you will be on your own supplied with maps, route descriptions and luggage transfers. That means that your time is your own and you have plenty of time to enjoy the stages in your own pace.
Check the price quickly
You can quickly check the price of your desired trip without having to fill in anything. Here's how:
- Choose your desired start date
- Click on the green button "See price and reserve your holiday" and go to the booking form
- Select number of people, add any optional extras and see the price at the bottom of the page (you don't have to fill in anything on the form).
Get a quote
For example, if you want a flight included or changes to the trip, you can order a quote for this using the "Get a quote" button. Remember to describe in detail what, if anything, you want changed.
The process of your booking
When you book, we will start booking hotels and arranging all the practical details of the trip. This process typically takes 2-5 working days, but some bookings may take longer. If you are arranging your own transport, we recommend that you wait until we have confirmed your booking before arranging this.
Dates
If you can select the date in the tour calendar at the top of this page, this is a possible start date. We continually update the tours with sold-out dates, after which those dates will turn red and cannot be selected.
The flights to/from Nice are not included in the price. You can easily find a suitable flight via a flight booking engine such as Momondo or Skyscanner.
Notice: we recommend that you book with us and wait for the confirmation before you book your flights.
Local Transportation
We recommend flying to Nice Airport, from where you have good connections to Menton. Find timetables and prices on Rome2Rio.
A Taxi from Nice to Menton costs about 95 euros per car, seating 1-5 people. It is not possible to prebook the taxi.
If you drive on your own
It is possible to leave your car at the first hotel in Menton. It costs about 80 euros to park there for the entire week.
Luggage transfer is included on this tour. Upon arrival at the first hotel you will be given luggage tags along with the rest of the welcome package. You fill out the luggage tags and put them on your bags where they will remain for the duration of the tour.
Your luggage is picked up from the hotel lobby around 9am every morning and will arrive at your next hotel at 6pm at the latest (often long before that). If there are any special exceptions to the luggage transfer you will be notified upon arrival.
Luggage transfer includes one bag per guest and the bags can weigh 15 kg each.
The basic price includes nights in 2*hotels and guesthouses. The places are handpicked to fit the theme of the tour.
When booking it is possible to upgrade to 3*hotels and guesthouses.
In the itinerary you can see some examples of the hotels we use on this tour. Notice that the hotels are examples and you may end up staying in different hotels. It depends on availability when you book the tour.
OBS: In France, more and more hotels and guest houses are refusing to take part in the star-rating system, even establishments which were classified a year or two ago are making this decision. This doesn’t mean that they are of a lesser quality, in fact far from it, a lot of these guest houses provide you with lovely rooms. If we indicate that an accommodation is ‘3-star or equivalent to’ this means that the establishment has chosen not to receive an official classification, but we believe the level of comfort provided is equal to a 3-star establishment.
Breakfast is included each day. Other meals are not included. It is, however, very easy to buy lunch boxes and dinner in the cities during the holiday.
This tour has difficulty grade 2.
Note, however, that the first two day hikes have several ascents and descents, which in isolation classifies these hiking days to a difficulty level of 2-3.
Grade 2
Easier walking at reasonable good paths. The walking time will be 4-6 hours usually in hilly terrain. Every one in good health and a normal physical fitness can participate. Luggage is mostly transported and you only go with a lighter backpack. Requires good footwear such as trekking shoes or hiking boots.
Read more about our Grading System
Here you can get an overview of the entire route and the elevation profile for each day. The data shows the data from the GPX-files related to the tour. Notice that the routes are sometimes updated, which means that there might be small variations.
Colors
Blue routes: The route as normal
Red routes: Variations/options (such as shortened or extended routes)
You will recieve the following documentation
Upon booking
You recieve practical information about the tour in a digital format
One month before arrival
You recieve your hotel list and your voucher (hotel list is often supplied upon booking)
Upon arrival
You recieve the welcome package which contains the printed version of the road book, luggage tags, local specific vouchers and if you have rented bikes then they will also be delivered and fitted at the first hotel.
It can be difficult to plan your trip according to the weather, but to give an idea of the local climate in the area, see data below. Statistics as seen on www.yr.no
We are members of the Travel Guarantee Fund (nr. 2529) and have all available insurances. Read more about that here.
Call our experts on weekdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Phone: +44 20 3936 1208
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