Europe

Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:

• less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)

• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

For the latest details on visiting countries within the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA), please check the UK Government website

The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Vaccinations

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations.

GHIC / Medical cover

UK residents should carry a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment when you're visiting an EU country or Switzerland. This is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is vital when travelling overseas.

The currency for part or all of this holiday is the Euro.

The unit of currency in Switzerland is the Swiss Franc.

It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on a walking holiday getting some additional exercise. Even very fit youngsters will benefit and it can be great fun as you head towards the holiday. Running, cycling and swimming are good for developing better stamina.

Generally, the temperatures that we can expect to encounter during the day will be reasonably warm, ranging from around 18 to 28°C. At the cols, mountain passes, the temperatures can be much colder, between 5 - 15°C. At night we can expect the temperature to drop to between 10 and 15°C. The weather is usually stable at this time of year, but mountainous areas do generate their own weather systems and occasional rain and even stormy weather cannot be ruled out.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

• Travel With Children. Maureen Wheeler (Lonely Planet).

• Chamonix / Mont Blanc, a walking guide. Martin Collins.

• Around Mont Blanc. Helmut Eberlein.

• Mont Blanc Trails. (Editions Sentiers du Mont Blanc).

• Chamonix Valley. Terry Marsh.

IGN (Institut Geographique National) 1:50,000 scale.

It is not a requirement for your trip as you will be with a guide for the duration.

However, The IGN also produce a 1:25,000 series but the 1:50,000 walking maps series provides a detailed topographic map with a useful contour interval of 20m. This is still a good scale for following the route on the ground without having to buy too many different sheets. To cover the Tour du Mont Blanc you will need two sheets as follows: A1 Mont Blanc. & A2 Beaufortain

We welcome all family dynamics and we will try to accommodate you in the roomings of your choice. The only stipulation for joining a family group holiday is that 1 party member is 17yrs or under, and they are accompanied by an adult. An average group size is around 10 members in total. Further general information and FAQ's are available here: KE Family Adventure Holidays general information.

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

You should bring the following items:

• Hiking boots

• Hiking/trekking socks

• Underwear

• Trekking trousers

• Thermal baselayer shirts (1 short sleeve, 1 long sleeve)

• T-shirts and/or casual shirts

• Waterproof overtrousers

• Waterproof jacket

• Thin fleece mid-layer

• Thicker fleece or insulated outer-layer

• Warm fleece gloves or mittens

• Sunhat

• Warm hat

• Sunglasses

• Sleeping bag (for the night in the mountain hut)

• Selection of dry bags (to keep trek bag contents dry)

• Daypack 30 - 40 litres (depending on how much of the kids’ stuff you are carrying)

• Head torch and spare batteries

• Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)

• Water bottles 1 litre (x2) (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)

• Water purification tablets

• Washbag and toiletries

• Antibacterial handwash

• Small travel towel (no towels are provided at the hut, but you can hire one for a few euros)

• Basic First Aid Kit - You should bring your own personal first aid kit consisting of the following: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium) painkillers, plasters, blister treatment, insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite). Glucose tablets are a good idea. Please note that there are excellent medical facilities in Chamonix.

The following items are optional:

• Trainers (for evening use)

• Ear plugs (for the mountain hut dormitories)

• Shorts

• Gaiters

• Trekking poles (highly recommended for adults and children)

• Camera

• Travel clothes

• Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

NOTE:

When overnighting at the hut you will not have access to your main luggage. You will all need to carry your toothbrush and PJ's with you. Bedding is provided at the huts. 

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.