Walking Party Tours in France (& beyond)
James Tamlyn created The Walking Party In 1996 to specialise in fully escorted, all-inclusive, small group walking holidays.
He is passionate about good food & wine, and thinks a good holiday should combine gentle walks with talking, eating and drinking, as one would do with old friends. He loves to share his intimate knowledge of the remote walking trails and the flora, fauna, history, cuisine, wine and culture of France.
Individual walkers and groups of up to fourteen are welcome and the walks are designed for mixed abilities with unthreatening terrain and distances. The back up minibus, with lunch and refreshments, can rescue weary walkers and ensures that no-one is left behind.
For many years we have worked with James and have walked and stayed at his home in the Quercy-Lot region. His attention to detail is exceptional and he gets rave reviews - see below. Contact us for his schedule and the daily itineraries, and learn how we can build his walks into your France holiday programme.
The Walking Party season starts in south-west France in February with a Truffle Hop in Haut Quercy and ends in October with the Basque Pyrenees walk, which includes a visit to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. In between he explores Catalunya, starting in Barcelona, the Dordogne, Lot and Quercy regions and the St James Way from Le Puy to Cahors. He also squeezes in a couple of walks in England and, in July, he leads two walks into the wilds of Georgia .....
“Robert, I can’t say enough how I enjoyed the walking tour. James is full of personality, very genuine and great fun. It was like travelling with friends. At 46 I was the youngest on the tour. However it was a small group (8 of us – 2 couples, 4 independents) and so we talked amongst ourselves a lot. I got the impression that the tour can appeal to fun-loving people in their 50’s through to 70’s, as much as it did to me. It really was a wonderful trip for a single traveller because I never felt alone, or like I was a third wheel. James has it so everyone eats together at one table, and he mixes the seating plan up every night. When we were walking, people drifted at different paces and found themselves walking at different times with different people. It was so inclusive. Thanks, Gina"
"Hi Robert, Well, if you ever want ringing endorsements and loads of superlative laden reviews of our Quercy walking tour, then come to us! It has been one of the best holidays we’ve ever had. Everything James and Diana have done has been impeccable - the accommodation, the food, the wine and the surprises. James makes every moment special and has a knack of including everyone and involving everyone in his enthusiasm. Thank you very much for finding this wonderful week for us! The Meeks feel the same. Sue"
"Afternoon Robert, my apologies for not getting back to you. The walk and everything in it was just perfect, the accommodation was lovely, the food, the wine and company were all superb. James is just the right person to do this type of work; he is extremely knowledgeable, he's funny and friendly, he's educated and erudite (as one of the Brits called him). Everyone liked him. I loved France so much that I am saving to return next year to take part in one of his other tours - I suited France and France suited me. Heather"
