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Francetrek
was established in 1991 by Patrick and Christiane Heffron
and can
offer you outstanding
value walking, cycling, touring and adventure holidays in the Provence and Alps
region. You’ll
also enjoy:
-
a comfortable self contained Provencal styled Gite,
providing privacy for 4 adults, each with their own bathroom facilities.
-
our
large swimming pool which is refreshing and relaxing at anytime,
but especially after the day’s activities!
We have a
superb range of easy to moderate guided walks,
offering complete flexibility at the most
reasonable rates. We can also combine a mix of chauffered
visits
and tours for non walkers, incorporating the life of those around us, from
olive, lavender and truffle farms to vineyards and the
many historical villages and towns. We want you to learn
about, and enjoy the best of Provence. Accommodation can
be in our gite, hotels or in local guesthouses.
OUR GPS Location is
44.18.59N..5.3.34E.
  
VIEW THE NEW
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES FOR 2012
. We were at the FRANCE Exhibition from 13 to 15 January
at Earls Court and met many new clients and some old
friends. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OUR WALKING HOLIDAYS ARE NOW BEING
OFFERED ON A SELF GUIDING BASIS.
€400
to
€550.
Minibus Tours
Cycling for Softies
Secrets of Provence
St Tropez
Coastal Walk
The
Luberon
Colours of Provence
We can offer a great range of
customised holidays (walking, cycling or simply touring)
throughout Provence and the Cote d'Azur.
The holidays are 7
nights with 6 days of activities in length. We offer
varying meals packages depending on the holiday. Transfers to
and from Avignon are included.
Self guided walking holidays
are available
throughout the year based in our Gite, includes bed, breakfast for
minimum of 2 persons. Some evening meals can be arranged. Please
contact us for further details.
Please refer to the links on the left for details of the other
holidays.
Contact us for further details.
Francetrek is based
just outside VINSOBRES, (7kms from NYONS, and 30kms NE of ORANGE)
surrounded by vineyards, olives groves and lavender fields. It is
the most traditional part of Provence, France, with all the advantages
of the Provencal climate, history and vegetation, coupled with close
proximity to the lovely mountains and peaks of the pre Alps and
the Alps themselves. Francetrek can provide multi activity specialist
holidays, or superb mountain trek holidays for small groups.
Pat is a highly
qualified mountain leader, European Mountain Leader and Mountain
Instructor with 35 years experience of mountaineering, rock climbing,
skiing and trekking - all incident free!
Our private guided
holidays include visits to famous sites such as Les Baux, St Remy,
Avignon, Pont du Gard, Arles, Nimes, Ardeche Gorge, Gordes, Roussillon
and many more. Within minutes from our base you can be walking and
climbing on the local hills, or cycling the quiet minor roads and
tracks. Mont Ventoux, on the doorstep, at 6000ft provides superb
walking, biking, and in winter, access to snow activities. The Ardeche
Gorge is a must for summer canoeists, along with many similar gorges
in the area.
Simply select
your itinerary and we make it happen.
HOW TO GET TO
US
If you are driving,
easy access is via the French Autoroute A6 and A7 system to Bollene,
where we are 30 minutes to the east on the Gap road.
Transfers can also
be arranged from Avignon TGV or Central rail stations, or Avignon
and Nimes airports. There is an excellent train service direct from
Marseille Airport to Avignon Central rail station
Please
note that we are now partners with Responsible Travel. Full details
of our commitment to the environment are attached below.
For bookings
or enquiries phone us on
0033 475
276 829 or mobile 0033 678 554 023
Email:
Francetrek@aol.com
www.Francetrek.com
See us on facebook...
Francetrek OR Apartment rental in Provence..
Another
happy client after a Secrets of Provence Holiday…
'Patrick…
A quick note to thank you for a wonderful visit, Jane and I could
not have enjoyed our selves more. Your professionalism, engaging
nature and sense of humour were greatly appreciated by all members
of our tour. I will be most pleased to recommend your trips to friends
and colleagues’. Chris Hanlon, Ottawa, Canada.
Responsible travel policy.
Francetrek is a small independent private
company based in Provence since 1991. Our aim is to provide holidays
which really show the true Provence. We do this by providing very
flexible holidays for a maximum of 8 clients . We never cancel our
Provence based holidays due to reduced numbers . On our tours we
always use small French family run guesthouses and hotels as part
of our policy to ensure that the local economy benefits the most.
Our extensive knowledge of Provence and
the Alps enables us to offer original tour itineraries that provide
a balance between the well known tourist ‘must sees’
and the hidden off the beaten –track best kept secrets. Francetrek
provides a real insight into the true Provence, its culture, history,
landscapes and natural world.
We ensure that there is maximum contact
with the people of Provence whether they are farmers, vineyard owners,
hunters or just characters so that there is a real inter-relationship
between the tourist and the locals.
Please note that our groups range from 2
to 8 maximum. Groups are accompanied always by a French speaking
guide. We feel that our discreet group sizes help to avoid the mass
tourism that often destroys the very objective that clients seek,
that is an original and genuine feeling for the country visited.
We suggest to our clients that by purchasing
locally produced goods and services they are contributing to the
income of the local artisan or farmer directly. We have many such
contacts. For example a farmer in a remote valley who produces honey
and fruits who never uses pesticides. He loves our visits and they
provide a valuable source of income.
Environmentally we do not now produce brochures,
always use recycled paper in the office and actively encourage our
clients to protect the environment, avoiding waste or pollution.
Our guides and drivers are all local. For
example Francoise is our expert on herbs who really brings to life
the natural environment. She links herbs to our lives in terms
of scent, health and, of course, food preparation.
All the hotels and guesthouses used during
our holidays are small family based ones and the owners French.
In that way we ensure that we are supporting the local economy in
terms of employment and direct financial input.
Francetrek is actively involved in various
environmental issues. We are members of the LPO, league for the
protection of birds, and actively pursue a campaign against the
illegal hunting of song birds here. We are also members of an organization
which is trying to protect the local river from being over exploited
for gravel extraction. We support a system which is deliberately
trying to protect the local environment from the effects of urbanization
in the villages.
Our aim here is to provide holidays that
have a minimal impact on the environment but which provide the clients
with a genuine feel for the region , its customs, its people and
its environment, By supporting the local community we hope to ensure
that all that is the true Provence remains an uplifting experience
for all our clients,
Patrick Heffron
Vinsobres 18th January 2011.
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