How to join a hiking club in France
There are hundreds of thousands of hikers and thousands of groups around the country that propose regular excursions
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If you see a group of people hiking together, it is highly likely that they are part of a club affiliated with the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre, known simply as FFRandonnée. Here is how to join in.
Formed in 1947, FFRandonnée has around 243,000 members divided between 3,500 local clubs, which are organised in a departmental and regional committee hierarchy that feeds into a national governing body.
FFRandonnée is responsible for marking the 65,000km of long-distance Grande Randonnée (GR) footpaths and the 115,000km of Promenade et Randonnée (PR) footpaths which form local loop walks.
After a court battle, the federation won the copyright to use the red-and-white paint stripe footpath markings, meaning footpaths marked by local authorities and tourist promotion groups have to use different colours or signs.
How to join a hiking club in France
You do not have to be a resident of France to join a hiking club, however you do need a medical certificate.
This is known as a Certificat médical d’Absence de Contre-Indications à la pratique (CACI). It is not required for under-18s.
If you get it from your médecin traitant, the cost is covered by the state for up to 70%, with most mutual insurance schemes paying the remainder.
However, if you go to another doctor, you must pay the price of the consultation yourself, which is €26.50 in 2024.
A medical certificate is not needed for renewals, however members must fill in a health questionnaire.
Once you have a CACI, it is simply a case of finding a club and signing up. You can find a local club on the FFRandonnée website here.
Most clubs are also listed with the mairie and many have their own websites and Facebook pages.
Read more: I moved to France and became a mountain guide
Membership costs vary, ranging from €24 to over €50 a year depending on what is included, such as insurance or transport costs.
Members are also advised to take out individual insurance for outdoor activities.
