Ireland          

Connemara Fairhill House Hotel, Clonbur, run by the Lynch family is located on the narrow peninsula separating Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, the gateway to the Connemara region.
There is excellent hill walking on the Maamturks, Mount Gable, the Twelve Bens and Croagh Patrick. There are also guided walks locally.
Fairhill House Hotel boasts 20 en-suite bedrooms, with private balconies, tea and coffee-making facilities, multi-channel TV, phone and free          wi-fi internet access. There is a first class restaurant with excellent food.  They offer keen group rates to tour and group organisers. Tasty packed lunches are available and guides recommended 
Website http://www.fairhillhouse.com 
E-mail    info@fairhillhouse.com
Phone:   353 94 9546176

Tullycross-new cottages with all mod cons-built to look old.  Good facilities for self catering , pubs and food across the way. Find these at   www.irishcottageholidays.com

Atlantic coast Holiday Homes  Tel.  0035 39827711 Western Pride Holiday Homes  Tel.  0949 541671   

The walking centre is available for use by individuals and groups on a day basis. Package walking tours can be arranged (pre-booking is essential). Information on walks and attractions in the area is available on request
Open all year
23€ per person sharing, group rates on request . 
Contact Charlie and Marian McGuire
Tel+353(0) 74 97 30 302 

Co Clare
 
Bord Failte approved

Discover East and Mid Clare walks.  Why not walk the Mid-Clare Way .  All walks sign-posted.
Drop off service and maps available.

Co Clare
The Burren. 
Slieve Elva Farmhouse which provides excellent bed and breakfast accommodation in this unique area. Guided Walk Mini-Breaks are provided. Have a look at their website. The perfect place to explore 'The Burren'  Click picture for web-site 

Rest of British Isles

3 ALBANY APARTMENTS, OBAN - HOLIDAY APARTMENT

Holiday in a newly refurbished (2007) privately owned 2 bed roomed apartment (sleeps 4 persons) situated on the first floor of a much sought after modern development in Oban located near the town centre where bus , train stations and ferry terminals are located.
Oban is well positioned in the Scottish West Highlands for pursuing hill-walking , climbing ,cycling ,island hopping and many other outdoor activities.  An ideal location for access to numerous Munros or Corbetts and the many tracks provided by the Forestry Commission . Mountains on Mull and those above Craignure (Sgurr Dearg , Dun da Ghaoithe and Ben More) are within a days excursion from Oban without having the expense of transporting a car across on the ferry.
The apartment is equipped to a high standard and offers excellent quality accommodation for up to 4 people with on-street parking available immediately outside the apartment.
Available on a week to week basis (Saturday to Saturday), however shorter breaks are available on request. Weekly prices range from £230 (low season) to £330 (mid season) and £430 high season (£30 reduction negotiated on each of mid season and high season prices for UFRC members) . Prices for shorter breaks are available on request
Contact: Colin and Carol Johnston    
Phone No: +44 (0) 1631 566909    E-mail colinwj@talk21.com
Web Link :  Oban Lorn Tourism          
 Web Link :  3 Albany Apartments

Have a look at  www.Walking-Routes.co.uk.  an absolute mine of information on walking in the UK and Ireland  

Western Europe 

Visit their website for details of their latest trips and prices.  www.sportsactive.net .You can view promotional video on site.
A number of our members and members clubs have been very complimentary about trips in the past.  
In 2008 this local firm offer trips to Austria, France, Poland and Majorca. Each trip is a full package and fully guided. Prices range from £500-650,which are keen .  For an independent view have a look at World Ireland Magazine which features an article by Michael Fewer  on walking in Majorca Majorca last year with Sportsactive. They can be contacted at info@sportsactive.net  .You can download a pdf file giving full details of their walking holidays by clicking below  . 

Topwalks - Mountain routes in Spain.

Well worth a visit Anyone thinking of a walking holiday in Spain should visit this excellent site . It includes 150 routes in Aragon, Andalucia and Valencia with driving instructions, a full account of the route, a slide show, photos, GPS waypoints, a map of the route and a roadmap. You can also find photo sets on more than 1,200 plants by colour

 Top walks -Mountain Routes in Spain

Walking In Portugal

Catherine Hogan and Chris Jones moved from Ireland just over 18 months ago and have opened a  self catering property in the Sao Mamede region of Portugal  near the Spanish border .  They offer self guided /guided walking or simple relaxation. The house is located in a beautiful valley within the Parque Natural da Serra de Sao Mamede , protected for its valuable flora and fauna.  The house and two acres of grounds are peaceful and private and ideal for anyone wishing to de-stress and get away from it all.

The walking in the area is easy to moderate, ideal for people  who walk but are not into ‘heavy duty’ hill walking or for people wanting a holiday which combines walking, seeing unspoilt countryside, and some days visiting medieval towns and hill top villages.

The area is unspoilt and relatively undiscovered . The countryside is a mixture of wooded hills, medieval laneways, rocky ridges and fertile valleys. If you wish you can go off track and walk along some  of the bigger hills and ridges. There are many good restaurants in the area , and Lisbon airport is a two and one half hour drive away on good quiet roads.                                                                           
Visit web-site  Walking in Portugal  A straightforward and interesting site
 

Have a look at some photographs.(click for larger view)

Visit their website designed by his son Alexandre, a keen photographer ,knowledgeable about the geology and natural history of the area and one of the walk guides. 
http://www.decouverte-estables.com/  

If you need ideas on organising, contact our Secretary, 

Haute Languedoc

Ros French offers Farmhouse accommodation with an organic vegetable garden in stunning countryside in the National Park of the Haute Languedoc just 48 kms from Carcassonne Airport which is served by regular Ryan Air flights.  The tracks that wind through the hills, forests and pasturelands are very well marked .    The astonishing variety of countryside has to be walked to be appreciated.  There is forest, garrigue, mountains ( altitude 420 metres,but walks rise to around 650), pastureland, babbling brooks. .. Wild life in abundance.
Self catering accomodation by the week but available for 3 or 4 days stay -B&B or full meals
Collection from Carcassonne airport ,assistance with itineries and collection at the end of a hike.
Although the web site quotes weekly prices ,shorter periods are possible at £65 per night with breakfast.  UFRC members reduction possible

More details soon
 

David and Siân Thomas run walking holidays in South West France from their farmhouse in the Tarn region of France.
Jet2 will be flying directly from Belfast to Toulouse during this Summer and if you opt for the full catered package they will collect you at the airport
For more information contact by email at david.thomas2@tiscali.fr
or: call them on 0033 563 36 54 68 for a general chat about their holidays and how they might suit you.

For general information about the gîte and accommodation visit their web site at www.gitegetaways.com

Eastern Europe

General

PRESS RELEASE
An Emergency Aid For Remote Camping & Ramblers
Charge Your Mobile Phone Anywhere
To add power to your mobile phone when a wall socket may not be readily available use the simple Gate 14 Emergency Power Charger. Ideal for use when abroad sightseeing or camping in remote areas.
You can now safely charge your mobile phone, whenever you need to using a compact, lightweight and convenient, portable electronic charger which fits easily in your hand, pocket or bag.
Designed for international use, the Gate 14 Emergency Power Charger is an effective solution providing up to 40 hours of power on stand by, using AA batteries and can be used with major mobile phones.

For more information visit website at www.gate14.co.uk/charger2.html

A useful online retailer for maps and walking books can be found at www.guidepost.uk.com  Maps at 10% discount and postage free. 

The suggestions on this page are intended solely to give members of our clubs some information which they may find useful when planning trips.  UFRC accepts no responsibility for disappointments or problems arising from use of the sites .