Lycian Way, Turkey

You'll need both swimsuit and hiking boots to make the most of this 509km trek. Following Turkey's southern coast from Fethiye to Antalya, it passes white sand beaches, unspoilt villages, and sites such as the ancient Lycian city of Myra. Leave a month for the full thing (see lycianway.com), although most people break it down into week-long sections, camping or sleeping in rustic guesthouses, such as The Watermill in Faralya (natur-reisen.de, €43pp pn).

· Getting there is part of the fun, involving a three-day train ride London-Istanbul (from £273pp return with a "10 days in 22" InterRail pass; see seat61.com for details), an overnight train Istanbul-Denizli (£9 one way; seat61.com) and a five-hour bus to Antalya or Fetiyhe (around £2.50 each way).

Camino de Santiago, Spain

This month-long pilgrimage trail ends at Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, where St James' remains are supposedly buried. Variant routes abound, but the most popular, the "Camino Frances", runs for around 780km east to west crossing the French-Spanish border from St Jean Pied de Port. Don't expect a walk in the park: some still attempt it as penance (caminodesantiago.me.uk). Less hardcore is the final section from Burgos, taking 10-12 days. You can stay cheaply or for free in the pilgrimage huts and hostels along the route.

· Plymouth-Santander from £59pp return (01752 227941, brittany-ferries.co.uk). Santander-Burgos is around 2½ hours by bus, Santiago de Compostela back to Santander from six hours (see alsa.es).

Kerry Way, Ireland

You don't have to cross Europe to find a decent hike. A circular route around the Iveragh peninsula, the Kerry Way takes in 215km of rugged lakes, mountains, woodlands and coast as well as historic houses, ruined abbeys and standing stones. To do it independently takes 10 days (see kerryway.net) or see the highlights - including lakeside Muckross House (muckross-house.ie) and Black Valley (so called because all its inhabitants died during the great famine) in seven nights' B&B with Contours (017684 80451, contours.co.uk) and have your luggage carried for you.

· To book through train travel from stations in the UK to Killarney, the start and finish point, plus the Fishguard-Rosslare ferry, contact SailRail (08450 755 755, sailrail.co.uk).

GR5, France

One of the best-known of Europe's sentiers de grande randonnée, or long-distance paths, the GR5 runs from the North Sea to the Mediterranean via the Alps. The southern third, a month's trek from Lake Geneva to Nice, is the most spectacular. David May, author of the informative grfive.com guide, claims the mix of Alpine pastures, snow-tipped peaks and charming inns (such as Les Gentianettes in La Chapelle d'Abondance; gentianettes.fr) along this section puts it on a par with Nepal's Annapurna circuit. There are numerous hostel-style refuges and gîtes d'étape along the way.

· London-Geneva via Paris on Eurostar and TGV takes about eight hours (from around £64 one way, see seat61.com), Nice-London by TGV and Eurostar via Lille takes around nine hours (from £63 one way).

Sentiero Francescano della Pace, Italy

At just 40km, Umbria's Sentiero Francescano della Pace (sentierofrancescano.provincia.perugia.it/) is ideal for a long weekend. The pilgrimage path from Assisi to Gubbio retraces the route St Francis is said to have taken in 1206 after relinquishing his fortune in favour of a more humble life. You can even follow the saint's lead and break your journey at Vallingegno Abbey (00 39 075 920 158, abbaziadivallingegno.it, doubles from €91), now a comfortable agriturismo hotel.

· The nearest station to Assisi and Gubbio is Perugia, around two hours from Florence (from €8.75 each way; trenitalia.com). To get to Florence, take the Eurostar to Paris, and then an overnight sleeper (around £115 return, raileurope.co.uk).

· This article was amended on Monday May 5 2008. The pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela known as the Camino Francés crosses (near St-Jean-Pied-de-Port), rather than runs along, the French-Spanish border. This has been corrected. Also, the Confraternity of Saint James, a charity that provides guidance to prospective pilgrims, advises that the section of the route running from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela takes two to three weeks on foot, not 10-12 days.