walking & adventure holidays

Getting there  Who our clients are  How to book  What you'll need  Insurance  Precautions  Activity Grades  Package Basics  F.A.Q.'s

How we work

We are a small business and therefore can be super flexible with our clients. We have set up the website, featuring holiday pages with specific dates, however if you do not see the date that you want, you are welcome to suggest your own preferred dates and we′ll do our best to create a small group around your needs.

It is also usually possible to add an activity to a holiday – say a day down hill skiing during a winter walking week, come for a short break within the dates of a set holiday, organise a stay on the Riviera before joining us in the Mercantour.

We can also arrange tailor made breaks for a small group of friends or walking clubs. Most of our guests do something out of the ordinary!!! All you have to do is ask!

Our Accommodation Options

For our "activity" trips here in the Mercantour National Park, we have three accommodation options that you can choose from.

 • Gîte Full Board

 • Hotel or Chambre d'Hôte Full Board

For all our other "activity" trips to our other destinations our accommodation is always full board with all food included in the price (drinks at own cost), unless otherwise stated.

If you are looking to come and stay here at Berthemont les Bains and just do your own thing, then our self catering gîte accommodation may be just what you're looking for. You can get all the details on our Holiday Accommodation "la Zoucière" page.

Definitions :

  • Gîte Full Board - One of the best value deals around! Check out our price comparison page.

All transfers to and from Nice airport or main line station, and all transport to and from venues is included, as is a full menu of meals for your stay including drinks. It's a full board option, so that you don't have the hassle of car hire, or mega shopping for the full term of your trip. We do it all for you.

So, how does this work?

    »  You'll be staying in one of our gîtes at la Zourcière (gîte Ibex or Chamois). Both holiday apartments are situated here on our         premises, and both are fully self contained.

    »  On booking, we send you a full menu list, and you choose your meals for the full length of your stay.**

    »  Normally, you have the option of eating with us on two evenings (on a full week's package, otherwise as stated, and normally on         the first evening of your arrival, and one other evening during your stay).

    »  The rest of the week, your preparation will be limited to breakfasts, packed lunches, and vegetables/rice/pasta/salads with your         main meal. Your chosen main meals will be pre-cooked, so that all you need do is re-heat them. Your kitchen will be fully supplied         with all the food you'd expect - cooking oils/condiments/tea/coffee/various sauces etc etc.

    »  Where possible we will source your food locally, some of which will be organically produced.

    »  It goes without saying, that should you have special dietary requirements, we will do our very utmost to accommodate this.

    »  So... come and enjoy this amazing area, with the minimum of fuss, and the mininum of effort.

     ** Just one thing! We do operate an early bird system - literally! The first person/couple/group to book, get first choice of menu -         after that, ensuing guests must fall in line - unless of course, there's a dish that you just can't stomach, or you really do have         special requirements.

 • Hotel or Chambre d'Hôte Full Board - If you choose this option, then you will be staying at a local venue specially chosen by us because of the excellent service and welcome that you'll be given. They are all within 30 to 40 minutes from the start of all of the daily activities, as is our gîte here, and so if we have a mix of clients staying both in our gîtes and in local accommodation, it doesn't present a problem.

    »  Our prefered venue will always be le Grand Chalet, a chambre d'hôte run by Luc & Christine. Over the years, we've forged a great         relationship, and we know that you'll always come away wishing you didn't have to go home!

    »  Full board means breakfast, packed lunch and evening meals (incluiding wine with the meal).

    »  All tranfers to and from Nice airport or main line station, and all transport to and from venues ae included in the price.

 

Walking. Summer, Spring and Autumn:

Day sack with plastic liner.
Lightweight water-proofs.
Walking pants and shorts.
Base layer and fleece.
Hat and gloves.
Walking boots and spare inner socks.
Water carrier.
Flask for hot drink.
Sun block.
Lipsalve.

In addition for Winter Walking/Snow shoeing:

A slightly larger day sack - 30 litres is adequate.
Trekking poles, with snow baskets.
Three season boots.
A one or two season sleeping bag - if your holiday includes a hut stay.
Torch or Head torch.
Sunglasses.

Canyoning:

Old training shoes.
Swimming costume.
T shirt.

Horse trips:

Stout shoes, preferably with slight heel.
Other equipment will be provided.

Other activities:

The individual package pages will detail what we provide, and we will tell you in your dossier what you will need to bring for particular activities. Most technical gear is provided.





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Insurance

Please read our terms and conditions on the reverse side of the booking form. Even if you're not partaking in any activities and purely booking our gite for accommodation, we recommend that you take out adequate travel insurance that includes medical expenses, loss or damage of personal property, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment.

You should be aware that medical and emergency services are financed and organised differently to that in the UK.
European citizens travelling within the EEA are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which simplifies the procedure when receiving medical assistance during their stay in a member state.

The EHIC entitles the holder to the same treatment at the same cost as a national of that country, and presentation of the EHIC guarantees reimbursement of the medical costs on the spot. or soon after returning home. In the event of treatment being required, present the card at the earliest opportunity. The card is only valid for state provided services, not for private hospital and treatments.

The EHIC card replaces forms E111, E111B, E110 and E128.

Other services such as mountain rescue are not covered by the EHIC, and are not free. Therefore it is a prerequisite of all our activity holidays that each guest takes out a travel insurance policy for the entire duration of the tour.

This must include at least medical expenses, loss or damage of personal property, rescue, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment. You must ensure that there are no exclusion clauses which limit your cover for the type of activities included in your tour.

We can require you to show proof of this cover as part of the booking procedure and/or when you arrive, and reserve the right to limit some activities if we feel that your cover is inadequate.

The BMC offer a number of insurance products, which are tailored specifically for members partaking in outdoor activities. Visit their website at www.thebmc.co.uk.

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Precautions

Activity Holidays.

By their very nature, activity holidays, hold an element of danger. The mountain environment can at times be unpredictable. We endeavour to take all reasonable precautions to ensure your safety and enjoyment in the mountains. However, no matter how professional or experienced our guides may be, they cannot predict unavoidable events, which may present hitherto unforseeing elements of risk.

You should not partake in any of the activities that we offer if you feel at all uncomfortable about them.

Group Activities.

For your enjoyment, we deliberately keep the groups small, with an experienced leader. Should you choose to leave the group at any time we will not be able to provide an alternative leader's services free of charge.

Medical.

You may have medical conditions, which may not inhibit your activities in the hills, or indeed hamper your general level of aerobic fitness. E.g. mild forms of diabetes. The decision to partake in one of our trips must be yours alone. If you have any doubts pleased consult your doctor. We should also be made aware of any such conditions upon arrival. Please see our Booking form and conditions.

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Walking & Activity Grades

All of Spacebetween’s holidays are ranked to give guests the best opportunity to select the right level of activity.

All holidays carry an

ibex ranking from 1-3.

	Between 3-4 hours a day's activity and if walking, an average ascent/descent of 300-600m.
	Between 5-6 hours a day's activity, and if walking, an average ascent/descent of 600-800m.
	Between 7-8 hours a day's activity, and if walking an average ascent/descent of 800-1100m.

Walking in the high Mercantour and Italy covers Alpine type terrain which can involve narrow paths and steep gradients, with the occasional need to cross scree and boulder fields. Scrambling sections which require the use of hands and feet will only be encountered on "3 ibex" trips.

In Provence and the lower areas of the Mercantour, the terrain is softer, and walking routes follow well defined paths with little or no requirement to negotiate screes, boulder fields or sections requiring scrambling.

Furthermore, to help you get the most out of your holiday, we categorise each trip from 1-3, based on the following attributes. For example :

attributes	1	2	3
physical fitness	x	x	x
confidence with heights	x	x	x
technical ability	x	x	x
mountain experience	x	x	x

Where an attribute is left blank, this indicates that no previous experience is needed.

If you want to opt for one of our “tailor made” solutions, then we'll talk to you about your requirements to ensure that any actvities that you choose are within your expectations.

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Basics

Minimum numbers.

Unless otherwise stated, we stipulate minimum numbers on all our standard and "go as you please" packages. These are : Hotel based, half board with packed lunch and hotel or chambre d'hôte based bed and breakfast - minimum 5 persons. Gîte based at La Zourciere - minimum 4 persons.

Single supplements.

Hotel based holidays are based on twin rooms sharing. Where a single room is requested, then a single supplement will apply.

This will be dependant on the accommodation and package, and will be quoted on a case by case basis. In this instance, the supplement will not be part of the deposit, and will not be payable until the balance is due.

Where there are odd numbers in a group, then the extra bedroom will be allocated on the basic package price. In this instance, we cannot pre-allocate, this will depend on the mix of persons within the group. Should you have booked and paid your deposit, and we do not obtain the minimum number for the package, the terms and conditions on the back of your booking form explain the options that we can offer you. We try our best to accommodate bookings, even for numbers that are less than the minimum, but on some packages, this may not be financially feasable.

We operate a policy of small groups, and our maximum numbers are normally between 7 and 10.

What's included.

The individual package page will stipulate what's included over and above the accommodation elements explained above :

Unless otherwise stated, all prices quoted are on a per person basis and for the duration explained in the individual package itinerary.

Where a package includes a mountain hut or gîte d'etape stay, then this will include evening meal, breakfast and packed lunch. This applies to all packages.

If customers are not able to meet the pick up time, we will endeavour to make alternative arrangements, but we cannot guarantee the first night's evening meal.

Arriving by air.

All of our packages are land based, and unless otherwise stipulated, our pick up point is at Nice airport, terminal 2. We can drop off at the end of your stay at both terminal 1 and 2.

Normal pick up time is 05:00 p.m., and we drop off at the end of the stay at 11:00 a.m. Therefore, we ask customers to arrange their flights accordingly.

However, there may be times when we have to change these, and we will send you final details of pick up and drop off times well in advance of your departure. For those arriving early, we recommend that you leave your luggage at the "left luggage" in terminal 1 or 2 of the airport, and take a bus into Nice, where you can take a look around this very pleasant city, and take in some lunch. Bus transfers to and from the airport are frequent. We will send you details well in advance of your departure.

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FAQ's

If the Mercantour is so great - why haven't I heard of it?

The region appears to have missed out on mass tourism as tourists have flooded to the "honeypots" of the Riviera and to the more northerly Alpine massif - and with 800 square miles of unspoilt National Park - with peaks up to 3.3K metres appeals - you'll enjoy it here.

What maps should I buy before I come over?

We would recommend that you buy 3741 OT - VALLEE DE LA VESUBIE - Institut Geographic National - www.ign.fr. Cordee have a great selection of maps and guide books - www.cordee.co.uk

I live in the Riviera already - what can you do for me??

You are welcome to join in the programmes of course and we will also be offering out weekend trips - through Angloinfo/Network Riviera - just contact us for more information.

Where is the nearest airport?

Nice is just an hour away - and very accessible from UK airports.

How fit do I need to be?

The area is mountainous, and the strenuousness of the walking can vary. An indication of the average daily ascents and overall difficulty of the walking is given in the holiday details. Also, all of the actvities require a degree of fitness. To enjoy your holiday we would recommend that you have a reasonable level of fitness and are used to regular exercise. Any concerns - just talk to us.

Which car rental company would you recommend?

Most of the big agencies are similarly priced. However with Europcar being Easyjet's partner - we have found that there are long queues for pick ups and returns in the summer. We would therefore recommend a smaller agency like say Sixt, who are based at the airport, or ADA. who will pick you up and take you to their office in Cagnes sur Mer. See our useful links page.

How do we find you in the Vésubie valley?

Coming out of the airport, pick up the D6202 (fomerly the N202) to Digne/Grenoble. Travel up the D6202 until Plan du Var. After Plan du Var take a right into the Vésubie valley. Continue up the valley until Old Roquebillière - remaining on the right hand side of the river, carry on through Old Roquebillière, and turn right to Berthemont les Bains. Take4 hairpin bends, c 600 metres. La Zourcière is the second house on the left after a blue bottle bank.

How many people can you accommodate in the gîtes?

Both gîtes are separate self contained apartments, and are ideal for groups of friends or families, in which instance we can accommodate up to 10 people. In the case of groups of individuals who don't know each other before they arrive, then due to the bathroom configuration of the ground floor apartment, the maximum is 4. This will change during 2012/13, with the addition of one more bathroom and bedroom in both apartments, which will take this capacity up to 8 individuals. They both have private, covered terraces with a BarBQ, and 6 acres to camp/romp in.

What do we need to bring with us for the gîte?

Bedding, towels, CD player, TV are provided. We suggest you bring some CDs. The kitchen has all the facilities you require, plus some basic foodstuffs.

Where can I get provisions?

As we are c 5 kilometres from the nearest shops, it is useful to stock up with French goodies at the Carrefour coming north up the D6202. Also, there are a number of small supermarkets in Roquebilliere and St Martin Vesubie.

Are you able to hire out gear?

We have snowshoes and VTT bikes for hire from La Zourcière - other items can be hired locally.

How's the weather?

We are blessed with about 320 days of sunshine. July and August can be hot, May, June, September and October are generally very good for all activities. During the winter snow only lies occasionaly at our gite, but above about 1200 metres snow lies form mid December to mid March. Winter days are generally clear and crisp. Of course, being in the mountains - the weather can change very quickly.

I really fancy the Wolf week but it doesn't fit with my holiday dates - can you help?

We have found that a high percentage of guests have required tailor made holidays that we are more than happy to to cater for. Please just contact us and we can propose an itinerary to suit you.

I'd love to come but my partner isn't very sporty?

We have had small groups where the men folk have come to the mountains and the ladies have stayed on the coast, or vice versa. There is a lot to do on the Riviera - such as companies which offering painting courses, French lessons and so forth.

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