The E2 European Long Distance Path or E-path officially extends from Stranraer in Scotland to Nice in the South of France, with a planned alternate start (or end) point at John o'Groats at the far north east of Scotland. There is also an unofficial route through Ireland to Galway, which may one day be formally adopted. European Long Distance Paths are created, wherever possible, by joining together existing national trails. The E2 for example includes parts of the Southern Upland Way and Pennine Way in Great Britain and all of the GR5 in France. While there are no published guidebooks covering for the complete E2, guides available for these individual paths which are detailed on this page. In addition the European Ramblers Association (the ERA), now called the European Hiking Federation, has details of the E2 in each country through which it passes. The ERA is the coordinating body for the E-paths.
Having walked the length of the E2 on the eastern variant, I thought it useful to create this guide to draw together available information for its total length. I will add to it periodically as I come across new information.
First some facts about the complete trail. Crossing Scotland, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France and (unofficially) Ireland it is truly an International Route. The first part of the route from the North Sea to the Mediterranean was opened in 1973, one of the first E-paths to be created, the British section was added in 1999. From Stranraer to Nice the E2 is about 3600 kilometres (2250 miles) long and takes about 160 days (or 23 weeks) to walk. Walking to the alternate ending of John o'Groats increases the length of the walk to 4020 kilometres (2510 miles) needing about 181 days. Alternatively, if you start from Galway in Ireland the distance is 4500 kilometres (2800 miles) requiring 197 days. The distance is large, and is most easily walked section by section over a period of years. No great technical difficulty is involved, you just need time, motivation and money. The day by day account of my own trip is in the associated blog johnpone2.blogspot.com and I have a book awaiting publication with Pegasus. I have described the route from north to south, although it can be walked in either direction.
Note that with any long distance walk there are hazards which the hiker is responsible for assessing. Key risks include road traffic accidents; slips, trips and falls; illness such as diarrhea, dehydration, hypothermia or heat stroke; and criminality such as mugging. While the risks of serious problems are small, suitable precautions should be taken.
Navigation
Although many people still insist you should carry detailed paper maps and a compass, for such a long route, you would need a whole rucksack full of maps on a scale detailed enough for navigating along footpaths. Instead I navigated using a handheld, Garmin GPS loaded with "gpx" tracks of my route and one of Garmin's UK or European digital maps (handheld GPS devices are also available from other companies). A GPS will tell you where you are, a compass will not, only which direction you are pointed. If you do not wish to buy a dedicated GPS device such as those sold by Garmin, you can use a modern smartphone with the gpx files of the path you are following loaded on a suitable App. I use OutdoorActive or Wikiloc but there are several Apps for walkers such Hiiker, Komoot, Alltrails etc., the best App is the one you know how to use. To view maps of a suitable scale for walking with these Apps, a subscription may be payable. A handheld GPS is ideal as it is only designed for navigation and does not use power to look for mobile signals etc.. It will also be waterproof which is not true of all smartphones and does not require an Internet connection. However if your dedicated GPS fails, your smartphone is a suitable backup. As you cannot always obtain an Internet signal, make sure the App, your route and the associated map is available on your phone offline. Spare batteries for your GPS and/or a powerpack for your device or phone should always be carried. You will generally need to load a gpx file of your route onto your GPS or Smartphone App. I have given details in this guide where relevant gpx files can be found on the Internet. In addition to these, gpx files of the route can also be found on traildino and waymarkedtrails, although if obtained from the later, they may need a lot of editing. Whatever you use to plan your route, spending time at this stage will avoid problems later.
In the following I have described the route from North to South but it can be equally walked in the opposite direction.
Accommodation and Food
Most of the E2 does not venture far into remote areas and shops for food, or restaurants, cafes or huts serving food can normally be reached each day, although maybe closed just when you happen to pass by. Google Maps is useful for finding out where shops and places serving food are located, often giving opening times. Sometimes it maybe necessary to carry food in places where overnight wild camping is required, and you should always carry an emergency supply and snacks for lunch and rest stops. Likewise water is normally available at least once a day, but in remote parts of Ireland and Scotland it is wise to carry enough for 24 hours (say 3 litres) and/or carry water purification tablets or a sterilising filter.
Various types of accommodation can be found on route using Apps such as Booking.com and AirBnB. Camping sites can be found on Google or websites such as PitchUp. Guidebooks and websites for long distance paths may also have details of places to stay. In some areas lodgings are difficult to find and either wild camping is necessary, or lifts will need to be arranged to places with accommodation. Some companies can organise this. Luggage transfer companies may also be operating on some of the Long Distance Paths which the E2 follows.
Where you stay and how you eat will have an enormous effect on your budget. Camping, especially wild camping, and buying food from shops will make your costs little more than they would be at home. Staying in hotels and eating in restaurants costs considerably more, although trying the local food and drink greatly enhances the experience.
Irish section
General
The E2 route (proposed by myself) follows four of the National Trails of the Republic of Ireland marked by a yellow walking person symbol, on a black post or against a black background. Although reasonably common these waymarks should not be relied upon for navigation. Western Ireland has a reputation for midges in the summer, making spring and autumn preferable for walking. From December to March you could find temperatures below zero at night. As the route is through Western Ireland, rain can fall for much of the year. It is difficult to walk through Ireland without picking up something of the historical conflict between Ireland and England.
Although there are hotels, country inns and bed & breakfast establishments in many places on the E2 across Ireland, accommodation is absent over some long sections making wild camping desirable to avoid complex taxi pick ups. As in many places, wild camping technically requires permission from the land owner, however discreet, overnight camping on moorland or in forests should cause no issues. Nevertheless, although parts are remote, this is not wilderness areas, and shops are rarely more than two days walk apart.
Galway to Oughterard
Galway in Ireland was intended as the original start point of the E2, however Mountaineering Ireland, the member of the European Ramblers Association for the country, has not yet proposed a route. The unofficial route starts at the city of Galway which can easily be reached by train from Dublin, where there are regular flights to its International Airport. From Galway the first challenge is to reach the town of Oughterard. I tried to follow the sadly abandoned Connemara Way, however, progress is being made to complete the Connemara Greenway which will bridge this section. Until then you can try to follow my route, the gpx file is in wikiloc, hopefully the construction project in the forests is now complete.
The Western Way
The 244 kilometre Western Way is described on Internet sites such as Sport Ireland's website which splits the route into the County Galway Section and the County Mayo section. There is a guidebook for the first half of the route in English, and one for the whole route in German. "Tough Soles" also has a guide on the internet to the Galway and Mayo sections and Youtube videos of the Galway and Mayo routes.
I have put a GPX files on wikiloc for the the Oughterard to Newport section and the Newport to Ox Mountains section.
Sligo Way
The 81 kilometre Sligo Way starts a little down the road from where the Western Way ends. It is described on Sport Ireland's Website, Sligo walks and the Tough Soles website. Tough Soles also have a video. I could find no paper guide. I have put a GPX track of my route on wikiloc.
Miners Way
As the Sligo Way ends in Dromahair, a road walk is needed to reach part of the next National Trail the Miners Way and Historical Way at Drumkeeran. I chose a 16 kilometre route along quiet roads which I loaded as a GPX file on wikiloc. From Drumkeeran a 13 kilometre section of the Miners Way takes you in a straight line to Dowra, where you the Cavan Way starts.
Cavan Way
The 25 kilometre Cavan Way is a day's walk over limestone country which takes you to Blacklion and the border with Northern Ireland. It is described on the Sport Ireland website and the Tough Soles website, who have also produced a video. My GPX file is loaded on wikiloc.
Ulster Way
The Ulster Way takes the unofficial E2 from Blacklion to Belfast. Although the Ulster Way is a circular route around Northern Ireland the E2 follows the northern half, in order to pick up sites on the northern coast such as the Giants Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a length of 475 kilometres it will take around 21 days to complete. Although there are no current guidebooks, details of the route can be found on the WalkNI website. "The Edge: Walking the Ulster Way with My Angels and Demons" by Dermot Breen is a book about its author's walk around the Ulster Way to raise money for cancer research in memory of his wife, which may be of interest to people following his steps. I have loaded GPX files onto Wikiloc for the Ulster Way in four parts: Belcoo to Mellon Country Inn, Mellon Country Inn to Coleraine, the Causeway Coast Path, and Hills and Mountains of County Antrim. The Ulster Way is waymarked with a yellow fern on a blue background, but as always do not rely on waymarks for navigation. From Belfast a ferry can be caught to Stranraer. Nowadays the ferry stops at Cairnryan, a few miles from Stranraer.
Great Britain
For all the long distance paths in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including the E-paths) gpx files can be downloaded from the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) website, however it is necessary to be a member, fortunately this costs very little. If you want to use a map, the Ordnance Survey Explorer Series covers the British Isles at a scale useful for hiking. Less bulky is their App called OSMaps. Digital OS Maps are also available from Outdoor Active and other Apps subject to a subscription charge.
In Britain, footpaths are waymarked with a yellow arrow, or a blue arrow if it is a bridle path which horse riders and cyclists can use. National Trails have central funding and can cross multiple counties, in England they are also marked with an acorn symbol. Important routes in Scotland are called Scotland's Great Trails and are marked with a stylised thistle. Other long distance paths also have their own waymarks.
Alternate route from John o'Groats
John o'Groats Trail
The 230 kilometre long John o'Groats trail runs from John o'Groats to Inverness, mainly along the coast, in some places very close to the cliff edge. Cicerone has published a guidebook on the route. Purchase also gives access to gpx files of the route. Although I do not normally take paper maps, if you are going to use one then Harvey publishes a single map of the whole trail. There is also a comprehensive website for the trail and another by "Walk Highlands" also with gpx files to download.
Great Glen Way
The 125 kilometre Great Glen Way starts from the end of the John o'Groats trail at Inverness and runs down a fault-line to Fort William. Cicerone has published a guidebook, as have Rucksack Readers and Trailblazer, there is also a Harvey Map. There are a number of websites including the official one and the "Walk Highlands" site. It is one of "Scotland's Great Trails".
West Highland Way
The E2 leaves the Great Glen Way at Fort William and continues down the West Highland Way for 145 kilometres to its junction with the John Muir Way. The West Highland Way, is another of Scotland's Great Trails, and its most popular. Guidebooks include ones by Cicerone, Trailblazer, Rucksack Readers and Knife Edge. Websites include the official one, and the Walk Highlands site. Harvey offers a map.
John Muir Way
Less well known is another of Scotland's Great Trails, the John Muir Way. This runs across the Central Lowlands of Scotland from the west to east coast. The E2 follows it for 100 kilometres from its junction with the West Highland Way to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. There is a dedicated website for this path and it is also on the walkhighlands site, from which gpx files can be downloaded, again waymarked by the thistle symbol. Rucksack Readers publish a guidebook for this Long Distance Path. For part of the way, the John Muir Way follows the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals, but makes deviations off it in places to visit the Antonine Wall for example. If preferred, following the canal gives a shorter, if less interesting, route.
Water of Leith and E2 link along Pentlands Way
Edinburgh is well worth a rest day to view the sights, and is a convenient transport hub for splitting the E2 into multiple stages with rail, plane and bus connections. The E2 leaves the John Muir Way in the suburbs of the city and continues south west on the Water of Leith Walkway, which follows the river of the same name. Youtube has at least one video of the route, however the E2 only follows it as far as the exit for Poets Glen. From Poets Glen the route climbs up to Glencorse Reservoir. At the reservoir the E2 joins the Pentland Way crossing ridges and following a Roman Road to West Linton. Friends of the Pentlands have a website on the Pentland Way and also produce a guidebook. The 32 kilometres from the John Muir Way in Edinburgh to the junction with the Cross Borders Drove Road can just about be completed in a day, which makes for easier accommodation options.
Cross Borders Drove Road
From the junction of the Cross Borders Drove Road and the Pentland Way just north of West Linton, the E2 heads south for 36 kilometres to the junction of the Cross Borders Drove Road and the Southern Upland Way by Traquair, with its famous fortified mansion, the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. At this latter point the E2 joins the original route from Stranraer to Nice. There are websites with details of the Cross Borders Drove Road such as here, this website includes a gpx file. One of Scotland's Great Trails, this long distance path was originally designed as an equestrian route, although waymarked it lacks a guidebook.
Scottish Borders - original route
Although the E2 officially starts at Stranraer, the ferry from Belfast docks at Cairnryan, from which a walk along the Loch Ryan Coastal path takes you to Stranraer.
Southern Upland Way
This is a rugged path across the Southern Uplands of Scotland which the E2 follows from Stranraer to Melrose. As it crosses remote areas it will either be necessary to wild camp (legal in Scotland) or arrange pick ups to reach accommodation in nearby towns and villages. Companies do offer an accommodation booking and luggage transfer service, collecting you where needed from remote locations where nearby lodging is not available. Cicerone publish a guidebook which comes with a gpx file, there is a website and it is also covered by the walkhighlands website which also has gpx files of the route.
St Cuthberts Way
From Melrose, famous for its ruined abbey, the E2 continues on St Cuthberts Way, a pilgrimage route starting from where the saint was born and finishing at where he died on Lindisfarne. However, the E2 leaves St Cuthberts Way at Kirk Yetholm, the start of the Pennine Way. There is a website and a guidebook. It is featured on the Walkhighlands Website which has gpx files. Cicerone also publish a guide and has gpx files, while Harvey publishes a map of the route.
Pennine Way
The Pennine Way was the first official long distance path in Britain running from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. Most people walk this popular route from south to north. The E2 follows it from Kirk Yetholm to Middleton-in-Teesdale where it splits. An eastern alternative takes you to the ferry port of Harwich then through the Netherlands to Belgium, a western alternative goes to Dover and then on to France and Belgium. Many guidebooks are available for the Pennine Way including by Cicerone and Trailblazer. The National Trails website is also useful.
England East
Teesdale Way
The easterly variant leaves the Pennine Way at Middleton-in-Teesdale to follow the Teesdale Way. As the name implies it follows the River Tees to the industrial city of Middlesborough. There are often routes on both the north and south side of the river that can be followed. More information and a guidebook is available from the Durham Cow Website.
Tees Link
A special path has been created to link the Teeside Way to the Cleveland Way. More information here and on the LDWA website.
Cleveland Way
Joining the Cleveland Way National Trail high on a ridge, there is an extensive view of the urban sprawl around the mouth of the Tees. After a short inland section the Cleveland Way reaches the coast. From Saltburn south, the Cleveland Way, and the E2, stays close to the sea, on cliff tops and over beaches, through popular tourist towns and villages, such as Scarborough, Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay. Ending in Filey, the E2 immediately jumps to the Yorkshire Wolds Way. There are a number of guidebooks available such as from Knife Edge, Trailblazer and Cicerone.
Yorkshire Wolds Way
In contrast to the Cleveland Way, the 127 kilometre Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail is all inland, crossing chalk hills known as the Wolds. The landscape of grass covered, curved hillsides and dry valleys in which small villages nestle is distinctive. Ending at the River Humber the E2 crosses the Humber Bridge, a long suspension bridge to Lincolnshire and the Viking Way. A guidebook is available from Cicerone and an Official Trail Guide, there is also a Harvey's map.
Viking Way
The northern section of the Viking Way is also over chalk wolds, although less pronounced than those in Yorkshire. As the path approaches the ancient city of Lincoln the ground becomes extremely flat. After Lincoln and a few more hills the Viking Way follows ancient byways. Unfortunately these are also legal for 4 x 4 vehicles and so are often churned up and muddy. Details of the route are on the Visit Lincolnshire Website.
Hereward Way
The E2 leaves the Viking Way at Rutland Water, jumping onto the Hereward Way. After visiting Stamford and Peterborough this long distance path crosses the Fens, an area of flat, fertile farmland created by draining the marshes in which Hereward the Wake fought the Norman invaders. The path leads to Ely with its glorious cathedral. There are no good guidebooks for the route but some website information such as here as well as the LDWA website.
Fen Rivers Way
From Ely the E2 follows the Fen Rivers Way for a day to reach Cambridge, an ancient university town. Details of the Fen Rivers Way can be found on the Norfolk County Council Website. Its easy to navigate merely follow the Great Ouse River then the River Cam.
Roman Road and Icknield Way
The route of the E2 through Cambridge is not marked so your will need a map or gpx track. If in doubt aim for the Addenbrookes Hospital campus, the Roman Road branches off the A1037 just after, initially beside a road (Wort's Causeway) then along a quiet track. The E2 follows the Roman Road path for a short way until it reaches a junction with the Icknield Way for a similarly short duration. More at the Friends of the Roman Road and Fleam Dyke Website where a guidebook is also available.
Stour Valley Path
Where the Icknield Way meets the Stour Valley Path the E2 joins the latter, heading south and east for a few days. The path passes through cow containing river meadows that inspired the artists Constable and Gainsborough. A guidebook is available and information is at Discover Suffolk Website and the Dedham Vale website.
Essex Way and Harwich Ferry Terminal
At Stratford St Mary the E2 swaps the Stour Valley Path for the Essex Way for the final trek to Harwich. A guidebook by Cicerone covers the Essex Way and there is also a guide available online. Before reaching the town the E2 branches off (see Ordnance Survey map or gpx track) to the Ferry Terminal where boats leave for the Hook of Holland.
England West
Pennine Way
The western variant of the E2 continues south on the Pennine Way to Standedge, then crosses to the Oldham Way. The Oldham Way is one of a series of tracks followed by the E2 between the industrial areas of Lancashire and the mountains of the Pennines and Peak District
Oldham Way
The E2 follows the Oldham Way for 16 kilometres around the town. Some details of this path can be found here and here.
Tameside Trail
The next 16 kilometres of the E2 are on the Tameside Trail. A route description can be found here.
Etherow - Goyt Valley Way
After Broadbottom the E2 switches to the Etherow-Goyt Way for 4.5 kilometres to Compstall.
Goyt Way
From Compstall the E2 follows the Goyt Way until just after Marple where it joins the Peak Forest Canal. There is little information on this trail which the E2 only follows for four kilometres but there is a blog.
Peak Forest Canal
The canal takes the E2 a short distance down to Disley where it joins the Gritstone Trail.
Gritstone Trail
There is a website for the Gritstone Trail here. The E2 follows this Long Distance path until a little before the village of Rushton Spencer where it continues south on the Staffordshire Way.
Staffordshire Way
After following the Staffordshire Way to Cannock Chase, an area of sandy heath and birch trees. the E2 moves to the Heart of England Way. There is a website for the Staffordshire Way and blogs and vlogs such as this one on YouTube.
Heart of England Way
The Heart of England Way circles the major city of Birmingham passing through the cathedral city of Lichfield. A comprehensive website is published by the Heart of England Way Association and there is a guidebook for this long distance path which the E2 follows from Cannock Chase to Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswold hills.
Oxfordshire Way
From Bourton-on-the-Water to Kirklington north of Oxford the E2 follows the Oxfordshire Way through villages of honey coloured stone. There is a guidebook, a route description online and a YouTube video.
Oxford Canal
From Kirklington the E2 follows the Oxford Canal to the River Thames, skirting the centre of the ancient university town of Oxford.
Thames Path
On reaching the River Thames the E2 follows it downstream along the Thames Path National Trail to Weybridge, passing by Henley upon Thames and Windsor. Guidebooks include ones from Cicerone, Trailblazer and the official guide, maps of the path are also available, including one from Harvey maps. There are several blogs by people walking the Thames Path.
Wey Navigations
The Wey Navigations are a mixture of river and canal sections created in the 17th century to link London and Guildford. After following the banks of the Navigations a little beyond Guildford the E2 switches to the North Downs Way.
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way National Trail takes the E2 over a line of chalk hills to Dover, the main ferry port for crossing the Channel to France. There are guidebooks published by Cicerone, Trailblazer and an official guide.
E2 in Europe
In Europe the E2 is commonly referred to as the GR5, which it follows in Belgium and France. Much of the route is followed in the book "Walk to the Water" and an earlier travelogue, "A Journey through Europe". The Dutch website Gr5.info, has photos of each day on the route and GRfive.com has information of the GR5, the European Section of the E2. There are also YouTube Videos.
Eastern Route
Netherlands
The E2 through the Netherlands runs from the Hook of Holland to the border of Belgium by the town of Bergen op Zoom, covering 140 kilometres. Crossing the wide delta of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt, the E2 visits impressive barriers built to prevent a flood similar to the deadly incursion of 1953. It is covered by a Cicerone Guidebook. Although this guidebook refers to it as the GR5, this designation is only valid in Belgium and France, however red and white stripes are used as waymarks, just like GR routes. The route followed by the E2 is actually the LAW 5-1 or the Nederlands Kustpad Deel 1. To the south, the LAW 5-1 branches into two, the E2 follows the variant leading to Bergen op Zoom. A blog by exRayRay covers the Dutch section of the E2 and at least one YouTube video describes the route.
Belgium
The E2 follows the GR5 in Belgium and falls into two sections. Dutch speaking Flanders, with its woods, abbeys and flat landscape, forms the first half. I found the Abbey beers particularly flavoursome. Towns such as Diest and Scherpenheuval have religious connections. The 224 kilometres through Flanders ends at Maastricht, a Dutch town in a narrow arm of the Netherlands that punches south. After a brief visit to Maastricht the second half the E2 in Belgium runs for 157 kilometres through Wallonia, the French speaking region of the country. The GR5 country climbs into the Ardennes, wooded hills with reminders of Second World War battles that took place in the area. A German speaking area of Belgium around Burg-Reuland is crossed. A Cicerone guidebook covers this route as does a Dutch guidebook in Flanders and a French guide in Wallonia. There is more than one YouTube video such as this one through Flanders and another through Wallonia.
Western Route
France
From Dover in England a ferry across the Channel takes the E2 to Calais in France. (In the past Ostend in Belgium was proposed as an arrival point for the E2 from Dover, however ferries no long operate between the two ports). From Calais the E2 follows the GR 120 Coastal Trail (and the E9) up the coast to Belgium. There is a YouTube video of the hike.
Belgium
In Belgium the western route of the E2 splits into two additional variants: one following the GR5A up the coast and then around Bruges, the other following the GR5A inland. The GR5A is actually a circular path around Flanders, whether you choose the northern or southern half you leave this Long Distance Path south of Antwerp where the E2 crosses the River Shelde. A guidebook (in Dutch) is available and at least one blog. The Grote Routepaden website gives details of the route and a gpx file can be downloaded. A little way after the River Shelde the E2 joins the "Antwerpen Rondom" a circular route around Antwerp, a gpx file of the route can be downloaded from this site. There is a blog of this route which the E2 leaves on the west side of Antwerp where it switches to the GR 565 (the Sniederspad). The GR 565 is followed heading east to join the Eastern route of the E2 a little after Halle. There is a hiking guide (in Dutch) and a video covering the GR 565.
Combined Route
Belgium
The GR5 through Belgium is described above, it takes you to Ouren at the border with Luxembourg.
Luxembourg
In Luxembourg the E2 follows four paths covering 175 kilometres. Much of the route is along the river valleys, their sides lined with trees in the north and vineyards in the south. The familiar red and white waymarks used in the Netherlands and Belgium are replaced by yellow circles north of the town of Echternach and yellow rectangles to the south. Details are found in the book published by Cicerone guide or a French language guide. Note that buses are free in Luxembourg, giving the option of staying multiple nights at one place and using buses to shuttle you to different parts of the walk.
France
In France the E2 follows the GR5, for general details the website "le-GR5" may be useful. This site also lists the French language Topo-guides that cover the GR5 through France. There are a number of blogs in French such as this one. Blue series maps at a scale of 1:25,000 suitable for walking are published by the Institut Geographique National, however it is not practical to carry the number needed to cover all the E2 in France. A gpx file of the route can be downloaded from GR-Infos.
Lorraine
The GR5 crosses fields to reach the city of Metz, climbs through the wooded hills west of the Moselle for a few days and then turns eastward. This area of France, with its woods, lakes and fields is not widely visited. In the small, scattered settlements there are a few historical buildings; a salt museum, an old money exchange. A canal crosses a lake hidden by embankments each side of the waterway. In the distance the Vosges mountains gradually become bigger, turning from a thin blue line to forested green.
Included in a Cicerone guidebook there were several deviations from the published route and that on gpx files I collected, fortunately the path and its deviations were generally well waymarked with the white and red stripes and easy to follow.
Vosges
The forested Vosges mountains are popular with walkers and the GR5 is marked with red rectangles by the Club Vosgien unlike elsewhere in France. Periodically it drops down to pretty Alsace towns on the east side of the range. There are castle ruins, bald mountain summits and the reminders of two World Wars.
There is a Cicerone guide of the route and also a Topoguide in French.
Jura and Switzerland
Between the Vosges and Jura mountains the GR5 drops down to the lower ground of the Belfort gap, defended by a series of forts. Then the path climbs over mountains before following the narrow valley of the River Doubs for a few days. After Villers-le-Lac the GR5 climbs into the mountains of the Haut-Doubs. For much of the time in the Jura the GR5 is close to or directly on the France - Swiss border, marked by a series of boundary stones. Finally it takes the plunge and drops down through Switzerland to Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva as it is known in English. In Switzerland, the E2 (and GR5) are not waymarked. Instead the E2 follows yellow diamonds and signs marked to Nyon (or La Cure if heading north). The distance from Belfort to Nyon is 268 kilometres.
There is a Cicerone guide of the route and a Topoguide (in French). There are also YouTube videos such as this one.
Alps
This is the most famous part of GR5, crossing the French Alps from Lake Geneva to Nice with a considerable amount of climbing up to passes (Cols) and down the other side. Over its 645 kilometres the route is well provided with mountain huts for accommodation and food (myrtle tart and omelettes are ubiquitous), and you are likely to meet the same people again and again, especially if walking south. Due to the height of the trail (often over 2000 metres) snow can be an issue, July and August are the best months to walk it. Information is available on various websites such as here and here, and there are many YouTube videos such as this one. This stretch is covered by a Cicerone guidebook, and a number of Topoguides in French; here, here, here and here.
Nice has an International Airport with frequent flights and presents few problems for one's return home.
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