• All accommodation as described

• Meals as described in the Meal Plan

• Self-guided information pack containing your map and route notes

• Luggage transfers

• Tourist taxes

• Travel insurance

• Travel to/from Hinterzarten

• Visas (if applicable)

• Some meals as described in the Meal Plan

• Personal equipment

• Local transfers if required

• Entrance fees

• Any additional activities/excursions indicated as optional

Each self-guided holiday comes with comprehensive route notes and a map or pocket guidebook of the area you are exploring. The route notes contain information about the places you will visit, about the local transport you might need, along with the detailed route notes for your daily walks or cycle rides. We even include some tips for the best places to stop for lunch.

You can expect to receive your Self-Guided Pack containing your route notes, a map or guidebook and all your relevant documents no later than 3 weeks before your holiday start date. We will send your documents using a signed for courier so that you can track your package and know that they are safely on their way to you. For bookings of more than 4 people we will send an additional Self-Guided Pack. If you do not need this additional pack please inform our sales team. Your pack will be sent to the lead booker so please remind them to pack it before you set off.

Should your self-guided trip be part of a longer adventure requiring you to leave home more than three weeks before your holiday start date, please do inform our sales team so that we can make alternative delivery arrangements.

Our Self-Guided Holidays are perfect for your next family holiday and are suitable for children of all ages.

Our partner hotels and accommodations are able to provide cots for young children, and some offer family rooms. We can also arrange hire of children’s bikes and tag along bikes for most of our self-guided cycling trips and with trips such as Lake Constance and the Danube offering routes on designated cycle paths you can rest assured in keeping your family safe.

As a parent we trust that you know your own child’s capabilities, so please read the itinerary details to ensure the distances covered each day are suitable for your family. If this is a first time walking holiday for your family, a centre based trip is a fantastic option as it allows you to easily opt out of a days walking if a day of building sand castles, swimming in the pool or visiting museums is calling instead.

Please discuss this further with our sales team who will be happy to assist in picking the best trip for your family.

The trip starts and ends at Hinterzarten. All of our self-guided holidays are sold on a Land Only basis allowing you the flexibility to choose the travel method which best suits you. The nearest airport for this trip is Basel Airport with a number of departures from regional UK airports.

From Basel Airport, take the airport shuttle to Basel Bahnhof train station (approx. 20 minutes), from where you can take the train to Freiburg (approx. 40 minutes) then change to Hinterzarten (approx. 30 minutes).

You can also fly to Frankfurt Airport which is well-served with many direct connections from regional UK airports; the quickest train journey from Frankfurt to Hinterzarten is via Freiburg and takes just under 3 hours.

It is also possible to travel flight-free from the UK to Germany, making use of the Eurostar. From Paris you can take the direct train to Strasbourg, from where you can pick up onward connections to Hinterzarten.

The trip is arranged on a bed & breakfast basis for the 3 nights in Hinterzarten, and half board (dinner, bed and breakfast) for the 4 nights in Menzenschwand and Todtnau.

Water is drinkable from the taps on this holiday. Please fill your personal bottles for your day in the morning. We do not encourage the purchasing of single use plastic bottles.

Located within the fertile Upper Rhine Plains and in close proximity to France and Switzerland, this region of Germany makes use of a wide selection of local produce and has long cultivated a reputation for culinary excellence. With the influences of its neighbouring countries, you can find cuisine familiar to that of the Alsace and of Switzerland, with dishes such as flammkuchen (somewhat akin to pizza), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), baeckeoffe (a flavoursome meat and potato casserole), schnitzel and knopfle (soft pasta-like noodles).

The region’s specialty Black Forest ham is made of prime pork, hand-cured with salt or brine then dried and smoked to produce its distinctive flavour. You can also be sure to enjoy the freshest produce based on the seasons, such as asparagus, chestnuts and fruit.

Of course, you must partake in the delicious Black Forest gateau, a mouth-watering chocolate and cream cake with a rich cherry filling that is said to originate from this region famed for its cherry trees.

In addition to “kirsch”, the cherry brandy that flavours the world famous Black Forest gateau, the region of Baden also produces beer as well as many wines that pair well with your traditional meals.

For this holiday you will stay in carefully-selected family run 3* hotels and traditional country Gasthaus, chosen for their ideal locations in the charming villages and proximity to the walking trails of the Black Forest. The traditions of the area abound in each establishment, from the warm welcome you will be sure to receive, to the delicious house specialties served up in their excellent restaurants. Some even have wellness facilities, perfect for relaxing after a day on your feet. Please note any fees for accessing the facilities or for treatments are payable locally.

The accommodations all offer a great breakfast buffet to fuel you for the day ahead and rooms are on a double or twin basis, usually with Austrian-style twin beds as is traditional in this area (two beds within one bed frame and separate bedding).

It is possible to arrange additional nights accommodation if you would like to enjoy this beautiful region a little longer. Please speak with one of our sales team for further details.

Your main luggage will be transferred between each of your hotels while you are out on your hike. We ask that you please ensure your luggage is limited to one piece under 15kg per person, and that your luggage is ready for collection in the morning. You will also need a daypack to carry your daily essentials with you.