The Northern Stevenson Trail

For moderately experienced to experienced walkers who have already completed day hikes involving 3 to 7 hours of walking and elevation gains of + 200 to + 600m.

No heavy bags to carry: you only carry a small daypack with your picnic lunch and the things you need for the day. Your luggage will be waiting for you at your accommodation each evening. 1 bag per person can be transferred, weighing no more than 13 kg. Luggage storage is available in Le Puy-en-Velay, or you can arrange for a bag to be delivered at the end of your trip.

From 1 person.

7 days, 6 nights, 5 days of walking.

Depart on a date of your choice from April to October.

A self-guided trip without a guide; we provide a digital travel pack containing access to our smartphone navigation app, a list of your accommodation, any vouchers required and all the information you need for your trip to run smoothly.

If you wish, we can send a paper version of the travel pack to your home, including maps, a route guide and a travel wallet.

For paper travel pack requests made less than 45 days before departure, and for travellers living abroad, the pack will be available at the first hotel of your trip.

Nights in hotels and guesthouses of various categories, sometimes fairly basic (usually with a shower and toilet in the room). Occasionally, bathroom facilities may be shared and located on the landing.

Single rooms are available on request but can be difficult to secure.

Precautions / hygiene
All our accommodation has been selected for its quality. Nevertheless, some properties have reported a resurgence of bedbugs, which are most often carried by hikers. This is not a widespread problem, but to reduce the risk, you should spray the inside and outside of your bags (your daypack and your transferred luggage), as well as all your clothing and footwear. Sprays are available from pharmacies and some accommodation providers; some products are 100% natural and ECOCERT-certified. Please follow any procedures put in place by your accommodation providers (such as a ban on bringing luggage into rooms or dormitories).

In France, more and more hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms. If we indicate, for example, a comfort level of “3* or equivalent”: this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers comfort comparable to a 3* hotel.

Half-board package: breakfasts and hot dinners.

Please let us know about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

On Day 1 in the afternoon in Monastier-sur-Gazeille.

On Day 7 after breakfast in Chasseradès.

You can also walk the southern section from Chasseradès to Saint-Jean-du-Gard FRALP0077, or the full route in 13 days and 12 nights FRALP0037.

Arrive at Le Puy-en-Velay railway station.

From Paris (Gare de Lyon): TGV + TER, with 1 change at Saint-Étienne Châteaucreux, approximately 4 hours 30 minutes.

From Lyon (Part-Dieu): direct TER train, approximately 2 hours 10 minutes.

Then take a taxi or VHL bus route 46 to Monastier-sur-Gazeille (no buses on Sundays).

You can check train timetables and fares at https://www.sncf-connect.com/

Plan your route on Via Michelin

You can park your vehicle near your first accommodation for the duration of the walk (public car parks).

We can book a shuttle from Chasseradès to Monastier for you at 10:50 or 15:50. The shuttle must be reserved when booking your trip.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, during a day’s walk or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore your responsibility and undertaken at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips—on foot, by bike and on snow—to encourage everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we focus on:

• Transparency in our practices and prices
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the traveller’s ethical charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and foster rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has been recognised as a Travelife Partner, an international label that certifies our responsible environmental, ethical and sustainable management practices, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our practical efforts to support responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainable development policy

In this section, you will find links to products from our partner Alpinstore, a French online retailer specialising in outdoor equipment, based in Annecy.

For carrying your belongings

• A comfortable 20 to 30 L backpack with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic lunch during the day
• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition, or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, with a maximum weight of 13kg

Find out how to pack your hiking backpack in our magazine.

For hiking

For maximum comfort, choose a layered clothing system: warm base layers (leggings + top) such as “Carline” or “Capilene” (hollow fibres that wick away perspiration) + a sweatshirt or fleece jacket + a mountain jacket and overtrousers with a waterproof, breathable membrane (such as “Gore-Tex” or equivalent) for bad weather. As a general rule, except in hot climates and countries, avoid cotton, which holds moisture close to your body (and takes a long time to dry), and choose suitable synthetic fabrics instead.

• Hiking boots with ankle support, a well-treaded sole, a supportive heel counter and good waterproofing
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)
• A fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Comfortable technical shorts
• Technical T-shirts or base layers (quick-drying fabric)
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Walking poles (telescopic), which are very important for making walking easier. Discover all the benefits of hiking poles in our dedicated article or how to choose your hiking poles

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. New merino wool clothing has also become available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the advantage of resisting sweat odours!

For your lunchtime picnic

• Your eating kit: a plastic bowl, container or plate, and cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)
• 1 or 2 water bottles (a total capacity of at least 1,5 L) – required –; an insulated flask for winter

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection)
• Sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A rain poncho or a waterproof jacket, such as a softshell or Gore-Tex jacket, and possibly waterproof trousers

After your walk

• A pair of running shoes for the evening
• A change of clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag and a small towel
• Swimwear and a towel for wellness facilities (where specified) or swimming
• A small first-aid kit: personal medication, surgical masks, hand sanitiser, plasters, sterile dressings and a bandage, gauze, disinfectant, arnica pellets and aspirin, etc. (Please note that this list is not exhaustive and should be adapted to your own medical needs.)

Find these tips in our article #"What to take on a hike".

This list is intended as a guide and should be adapted to your trip and the season in which you travel.

Country: France
Capital: Paris

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Bring your Carte Vitale health insurance card and enough of your usual medication for the duration of your stay.

Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille Tourist Office: Tourist Office - Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille

Address: Place du Couvent – 43150 Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille – 0471083776

France: +33.

No time difference: GMT +1.

Association on the R. L. Stevenson Trail
Association offices; Rue des Écoles48220 Pont de Montvert - Tel. 0466458631 / email: asso.stevensonlibertysurf.fr nffb.fgrirafba@yvoreglfhes.se – https://www.chemin-stevenson.org/

You can order some of the books listed below from the association:

“R. L. Stevenson, Travel Journal in the Cévennes”

The complete text of R. L. Stevenson’s journal. Éditions Privat, Club Cévenol. 2002 edition.

“Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes”

The complete text by R. L. Stevenson. Photographs by Nils Warolin. New Rouergue edition, 2007, paperback.

“Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes”

The complete text by Robert Louis Stevenson, published by Éditions De Borée in collaboration with the association, 1998.

Travelling with Stevenson in the Cévennes

A travel account by Jean François Dars, published by Descartes et Cie, 2006. Black-and-white photographs.

In Stevenson’s Footsteps, an Unusual Adventure between Velay and the Cévennes

By Flora Berger, with colour photographs. Published by Éditions du Fournel, 2003.

On the Stevenson Trail

A travel account and discovery itinerary by Hervé Bellec, with numerous colour photographs. Published by Ouest France, 2007.

FFRP walking guide “The Stevenson Trail”
IGN Top 25 map at a scale of 1/25000: 2836OT Gerbier de Jonc / Mt Mézenc; 2736 E Solignac-sur-Loire; 2737 E Langogne; 2738 E La Bastide-Puylaurent; 2738 O Le Bleymard; 2739 OT Mont Lozère; 2740 ET Corniche des Cévennes