Short Scenic Walking Holiday Advice please

n15h

In 2023 I went to Dubrovnik, Croatia for 4 days/3 nights in late September (i appreciate the OP wants to go in October) and stayed in Old Town Dubrovnik (inside the fort walls). Total round trip cost around £750pp inc. return flights, taxis, accommodation, and excursions. Lots to see and walk around especially if you like Game of Thrones which was filmed there.

There are excursions to nearby islands which are scenic and nice to walk around on the beaches and local towns. Temperatures at the time was in the range of 18-24c with mainly sunny weather (it rained heavily on 1 day at 8am and then cleared up by 11am with temps around 20c for the rest of the day).

There are also free tours which take you on a walk to explore Old Town and learn about its history. Or you can go on your own exploring inside and outside the fort / Old Town, consider going to Mount Srd - which has cable cars, hiking trails and walking paths - and hire boats to visit/explore some of the surrounding islands. Some excursions will take you to 2-3 islands in a trip where you can swim in the sea, walk around and explore some of the small towns, and enjoy local food/drink (or have a meal on the boat).

Only downside is a lot of tourists in Old Town (again due to Game of Thrones popularity) which makes it crowded - I guess its busier in the summer months and peak holiday/tourist season (and therefore likely to be more pricier than off-peak times). Do some research on local spots outside the fort walls and you'll find less tourists and some decent places for food/drink and nice views of the sea, the fort, and the city - all within walking distances.

Eldi_Dos

@bex88

Weather plays a big part in walking holidays and October can be so changeable, I would recommend Maderia and the Levada Walks, scenery is beautiful and walking not too strenuous. Public transport is plentiful and cheap so you can set your own itinerary.

Our preference is a small hotel in central Funchal rather than the bigger hotels up around Lido area as central Funchal is a nice town to walk around and a good selection of local restaurants to choose from at night.Also better for getting buses if you are wanting to do your own thing.

Lake Garda is lovely with nice lakeside walks, but if you go further north than Garda Town the weather changes because of the Mountains, and lakeside walks are not as pleasent up there as you are very close to heavy traffic. Any of the resorts From Garda Town southwards, on both sides of the lake have very enjoyable lakeside walks that are not too trying.One of the delights there is using the lake ferries to visit other resorts and we quite often use them to do the return journey after a nice day of lakeside walking.

Someone mentioned Sorrento, we did not find it good for walking as there is no prom and when walking there are always buildings between you and the view, plus you are right beside traffic which is always noisy, so I would have to say if walking is a part of your holiday give that a miss.

Wherever you go make sure you have your walking shoes / boots well broke in before you go, nothing worse than blisters on holiday.

middlewife

I (63) went with my daughter (32) to Aix Les Bains, an old style spa town on Frances biggest lake. We also took the train to Annecy, which is a beautiful medieval lakeside town. We did the whole trip by train, although you could fly to Lyon or Geneva and transfer from there. However that is half term usually, so prices likely to increase. The weather is also iffy. My son and daughter recently went to Madeira as I couldn't travel and had a great time. Weather averaged 18 degrees, beautiful walking but use a guide as some of the routes can be treacherous if you don't know where you are going, good luck!

sunnyflower

Does it need to be abroad? The Peak District & Yorkshire are lovely. You can sort your own routes out as well.The Ramblers have holidays home & abroad & HF have accommodation & walks from their own accommodation.

bex88

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81917918#Comment_81917918

It doesn't, but me and mum do a walking holiday with our dogs every Easter Holiday now in recent years, we've done some Lake District, Peak District, North Wales, West Scotland (Trossachs area) and this year heading to Cornwall. We haven't been abroad in around 25 years and so just thought what a special surprise it would be.
I kind of torn currently between Riva - worried though about the weather a little, it would be a real shame if it was really windy and rainy and grey the whole time. I guess it's a gamble.

I have also liked the look of Majorca/Mallorca as the North East looks quite pretty near the mountains, people suggesting to base in Port de Sóller. However - temps could be hotter which is the killer for me, (I want the sun but not too much heat haha).

daveyjp

Ibiza is also an option, lots of walking options, but again you need to check flights as it is end of season. We were there mid October last year and temperatures were very pleasant, about 21 degrees.

JosephK

How about Sierra Nevada in Andalucia? Also has Alhambra, etc. nearby if want to see any tourist sites

bex88

So still on the decision making train lol
But currently where I'm at is

1. Madeira, base in Funchal and maybe do walks, a jeep tour of the mountains and visit botanical gardens. The only thing that's really caused some doubt in my mind is on the Madeira tripadv. forum where I've asked about it, couple of people have warned me that the flights could be cancelled or delayed because the airport there is prone to strong winds. But from what I've found, it shows October is one of the lower chance months for disruption. If anyone can give any personal experiences/opinions of their travels there, I'd really appreciate it as it's a contender. There are still package holiday flights available for the dates I had in mind for Madeira, for 4/5 days.

2. I'm still loving the idea of Italy, but maybe looking a little further south - maybe around Tuscany or somewhere like that that's still quite scenic. Are there similar coach/jeep etc.. experiences available that would take you to see the north mountains / dolomites? That would be nice. I'd also be excited for the Italian cuisine :)

(I would love to go to Corsica, but there aren't packages available for end of Oct, and apparently public transport is not really an option there to get around so really need to hire a car)

I've looked at Montenegro also, The bay of Kotor looks beautiful. I've not heard people recommend it though. Not sure if there would be enough walks from the door type of thing there.
I've been discouraged from Lake Bled, people have said they were a bit disappointed with it. A bit underwhelming. There are also not many package holiday choices on EJ, Tui, Jet2 for my dates in the cooler places like Austria, Slovenia etc…

What do you think? Votes welcome haha

silvercar

I’ve been to Madeira, there are plenty of walks available from Funchal, without having to travel miles to get to them. Also the botanical gardens. There is a train to take you to the top, if you don’t want to walk up. Also the town is compact, so easy to get around.

JosephK

Try Inghams for Slovenia, Kranjska Gora area is beautiful. Bay of Kotor is also scenic but don't know how accessible any walks are.