Footscape Holidays

Family Walking Holidays

Many parents are looking for less traditional, more active family holidays. For some, this may be because of a growing consciousness about healthier lifestyles; for others it may just be because they want to try something new. That is why we are pleased to offer special services for families with children, who are booking walking holidays with us in growing numbers, and finding it a fun experience.

Sometimes even very young children have had less difficulty walking 8 or more miles a day than their parents. We have therefore dropped the minimum age on our hiking tours to 6.

To walk from one place to another along a trail, whether short or long, can provide children with a huge sense of achievement, as well as a load of surprises on the way. All children, therefore, who have been on one of our scheduled or custom walking holidays, are presented with a smart “Certificate of Achievement” at the end of their last day.

Our most family-friendly holidays

Whilst our scheduled walking holidays are the most popular choice for families because of the flexible services that we provide, most of our independent hiking tours are also very suitable for children. Those that include parts of the Jurassic Coast are of particular interest, because there are several safe and beautiful beaches along its length. So instead of just spending day after day on a beach, why not walk part or all of a Footscape trail, stopping off for a short swim at those beaches that you cannot resist? And you will usually be able to find some excellent Purbeck ice cream to reward yourselves.

Children who enjoy hiking will be happy on any of our self-guided walking tours. However, here is a list of those that we consider to be especially appropriate for children, the coastal trails being the most popular (have a look at our map to identify them):

Scheduled holidays:

Jurassic Coast and Inland Heritage – flexible walking distances (with our vehicle available all day) and child-friendly pubs at midday.

Independent holidays (centre-based), all including trails along the Jurassic Coast:

• Purbeck – beautiful area; some walks can be shortened; good beaches; plenty of things to do in the area
• Lyme Regis – a great seaside town for families with lots to do; most walks can be shortened; good beaches on two walking days; fossil-hunting
• Abbotsbury – a popular village for families for its Swannery and children’s farm; great coastal and inland walks
• Weymouth – a popular seaside resort and harbour with a variety of activities and attractions; good beaches; walks can be shortened.

Inn to inn walking holidays:

Jurassic Coast West and Inland Heritage – you can choose your average daily walking distance and your number of rest days, if any. Children enjoy the experience of discovering a new place to stay each evening.

You might be surprised at how well children can cope with a hiking holiday. Why not give it a try?