Recommendations for affordable group hut-to-hut trekking holidays in Europe

[Magicisuponus]

Looking for some guidance on where to find group trekking / mountain holidays in Europe please.

My dd18 would like to hike in Europe this summer- just a week group trek somewhere. She’d love to walk hut-to-hut or something similar. She likes to go as off grid as possible.

She’s had a look but most are too far away (Asia) or too expensive .

Can people recommend any websites / organisations that organise these type of holidays? We’ve looked at the big ones (much better adventures and such like) but the only ones that would fit the bill, are in Morocco , and she’d prefer to stay in Europe for her first independent travel.

Any advice is much appreciated! Thank you 😊

The Austrian Alpine Club has a UK branch - Austrian Alpine Club UK - AAC(UK) - Alpenverein Britannia

Membership gives access to numerous mountain huts in Austria, as well as providing insurance for outdoor activities. The Club also organises club tours.

There are companies that organise hiking holidays - e.g. Inntravel or Eurohike.at. Google "walking holidays Austria" for more ideas.

Thanks - had a quick look and forwarded it to dd. Looks great 👍 Can’t see the fees for the organised overseas trips as it requires membership but it reads like they aim to keep costs down.
thanks for the link !

I've been looking at this company for a hike across the Alps with my DD nx year.

www.feuer-eis-touristik.de/en/alpine-crossing/

Most mountaineering and climbing clubs have reciprocal agreements with alpine clubs. Have a look on the BMC website. I've done tours with the NKBV which is the Dutch mountaineering club, but you probably have to live in NL!

The Alps are great. There are also long distance routes across Iceland, and routes like the Lycean Way in Turkey.

We did hut to hut in the Slovenian Alps with Mac’s Adventures. It was wonderful.

Thanks - I think those trips looks amazing but dd is looking for cheaper and more basic experiences.

I think that’s all self-guided? She’s looking to go in a group (fortunately 😅)

She’s half Dutch 😂 - I just had a look at the ‘huttentochten’ , more for dh and me as we’d happily do a self guided hiking holiday.
Not sure dd would appreciate a week of talking Dutch to strangers 😂

When we went mountaineering it was actually in German & English because the guides were all Austrian. They switched into Tyrolean dialect after a few pints and then no one understood anyone! Not all the Dutch spoke German so English was easiest.

Guided group tours will always cost a bit more. Many European trails are actually well signed out so DIY isn't impossible.

Huts can be crowded in peak times, but are equally a hub for meeting like minded people.
If she wants Alps, maybe search the Internet for the E5 long distance trail - it's very popular long distance traik and there might be a bargain somewhere...

She’s not looking at walking in the mountains on her own at the moment- I’m quite happy with her decision as she’s only 18, and a group feels safer

https://www.bergsportreizen.nl/bergwandelen/huttentocht/tour-du-mont-thabor-18-25-jaar

I've never met a Dutch person under 30 who doesn't speak near perfect English. The guides will probably be French so half the trip will be officially in English anyway and it's only €875. If she understands Dutch, she'll be grand. They have 14-18 trips as well if she's a young 18.

I did a week of trekking from hut to hut in the Dolomites with KE Adventures a few years ago - it was great and reasonable value.

Thanks all - very helpful!
it looks like a mountaineering club might be the best way forward.
She doesn’t need a guided tour, but basically just need a group of fellow hikers. Her friends are not into active holidays so that makes it a bit tricky.

https://www.ucpa.co.uk/activities/mountain-sports/hiking/dates-prices?filterDuration=short+break%2cweek.

Lots of options on this site.. groups, young people, hut to hut, mountains...

That’s got loads on it - thanks for the link!
So glad I asked on here as these links are so useful and much more what’s she’s after than the ones I was looking at.

If you go with a mountaineering club, the guides are normally the best bit. They often teach a bit of navigation, mountain safety, and have all sorts of local knowledge about history, wildlife and what the best food is. A lot of people who live in safe flat countries underestimate how dangerous even a low altitude mountain hike can be if your not knowledgeable, and they teach you how to make it safe. They also teach silly things like hut etiquette, which you'd be surprised how many people don't know.