Boat trips after hiking

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Introduction

As a contrast, a delighful counterpoint to days of hiking, a ferry ride can be lovely.

The classic ride in our minds, that we took at the end of our Via Alpina, is the ride along the Lac Léman. It's the large lake extending East from Geneva, and including Montreux which is the Via Alpina finish town. The lake's crystal-clear waters are a sharp blue colour that is hard to believe. Here an old paddle-boat runs a regular ferry service on the lake, a daily link as is the railway along the lake shore.

We thought we would cast our minds further across Europe, to see what boat rides might fit into people's travel before and after a trip. Some routes even have ferries along part of their length, as does the Kungsleden.

Boat rides after your hike - the Alps

Route

Boat from ...

Boat to ...

Time

Description

Adlerweg

Romanshorn

Friedrichshafen

45 m

From St Anton, take trains to Romanshorn in Switzerland, and cross the Bodensee to Friedrichshafen in Germany. Friedrichshafen aiport being more for ski flights in Winter, take trains on to Munich.

Alta Via 1

Venice Marco Polo airport

Venice

1 hour

Arrive in Venice by water-taxi, from the easily-reached Venice airport. It's fabulous. The boat arrives at St Mark's square in the heart of Venice. Feel like James Bond, jetting over the water!

Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut

Bled

1 hour

The obvious thing to do in the Julian Alps is to take a tour on Lake Bled, the body of water just up the valley from Bohinj. As an out-and-back tour, the length is up to your choice.

Tour du Mont Blanc

Évian-les-Bains

Geneva

1 hour

From the TMB finish at Les Houches (or Chamonix), take trains North to Évian-les-Bains on the same Lac Léman on whose shores the Via Alpina arrives, but now on the Southern shore, and take the paddle steamer into Geneva. Or, travel via Martigny to Montreux for the ferry to Lausanne.

Via Alpina

Montreux

Lausanne

2 hours

Finishing the Via Alpina at Montrex, take the paddle-wheel ferry boat along the clear blue Lac Léman, the mountains now floating past above. Once at Lausanne, the train takes you easily to Geneva Airport.

Walker's Haute Route

Rapperswil

Zurich

1 hour

Travelling to Zurich from the Haute Route's end-point at Zermatt, you can of course take the train all the way, but another way would be to take the train to Rapperswil and continue by ferry into the centre of Zurich.

Lake Bled from its pleasant shores, Slovenia

Julian Alps Hut-to-Hut

Boat rides after your hike - Scandinavia

After the ... (route)

Boat from ...

Boat to ...

Time

Description

Jotunheimen Tour

Gjendesheim

Gjendebu (and back)

1 hour

If you didn't take this ferry on your hike, where it can help with the last 2 days, take it now on your last morning at Gjendesheim. Otherwise, look to the outskirts of Oslo for a ferry into the centre.

Kungsleden

Point near Kebnekaise hut

Point near Nikkaluokta

1 hour

Forming part of the Kungsleden route here, this ferry is great fun as it whisks you away from the mountains.

Lake Gjende, Norway, and its small ferry

Lake Gjende, Norway, and its ferry

Jotenheimen Tour

Boat rides after your hike - the UK and Ireland

After the ... (route)

Boat from ...

Boat to ...

Time

Description

Hebridean Way

Stornoway

Ullapool

3 hours

Instead of flying from Stornoway to Glasgow, take the ferry to Ullapool and then the bus to Inverness, which has its own airport. It's an exciting trip and it's fun to come into the mainland after an island adventure.

Lake District Tour

Keswick

Grange

2 hours

You might have been dreaming of an actual Lake as opposed to a Hill, and Derwent Water at Keswick has regular trips. From Ambleside itself, look South to Bowness for ferries on Lake Windermere.

West Highland Way

Mallaig

Various islands on Scotland's West Coast

2 hours

From Fort William take the Mallaig train, where ferries leave for Skye and other islands. Otherwise, look South where by the train to Glasgow you can get off at Tarbert and look to Loch Lomond for ferry rides.

Leaving Mallaig in the Scottish Highlands

West Highland Way

Thoughts about boats after walking

The joy of being on the water
What is it that is so sensational, about being on a boat on the water after a period of time largely on foot? Boats transport you quickly, unlike walking, and they bobble as opposed to you being on firm ground. You're on firm water, as long as the boat is sound. That floaty feeling of the water is new, exciting, ought not to be that way, but we know with a moment's thought that it is.

Practicalities as well as pleasures
Ferries from A to B can of course be good ways to reach your ultimate destination; especially if there's a big lake in the way. We think of the Bodensee at the North East of Switzerland, and Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) stretching East from Geneva. Combine trains with ferries to reach your goal. Of course, even if your ferry is useful in this way, you are still allowed to enjoy your time on the water!

Further information
If you'd like our help as you plan your trip to Europe, please ask us. If you find something that works well, please tell us afterwards! Thank you. This is very much how things work here with respect to anything, that we welcome your ideas and we love to help you plan the best approach to your trip. We spend, ourselves, countless hours on Google Maps and various timetables, and we want to encourage others to do so too.

Venice, a city on the water!

Alta Via 1

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