Modern Adventure, in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), requires that all guests be fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of documentation before joining any trip.

The CDC defines fully vaccinated as 14 days after receiving:

• a single dose of an accepted 1-dose vaccine

• the second dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccine

• The full series of an active (not placebo) COVID-19 vaccine in the US-based AstraZeneca or Novavax COVID-19 vaccine trials

• The second dose of any “mix and match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines (administered at least 17 days apart)

We strongly recommend that guests who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot do so in preparation for their travel. Destinations and their local laws may have different requirements and definitions of what constitutes full vaccination. Guests who have not received a booster dose may be prevented from traveling to certain destinations.

In addition, it may be a requirement to provide a negative COVID-19 test result prior to your departure and your return to your home country. Information will be provided in guest communications leading up to your trip. By booking a Modern Adventure you are agreeing to these terms and to providing proof of vaccination.

For more information about our COVID policies, please click here.

During the summer months, average daytime temperatures range from the mid-60s to low 70s. Nighttime and morning temperatures are cooler, but rarely dip below 40F. Throughout the summer season, you may experience rain, sun, wind, clouds and fog in the French Alps. We live by the adage, "prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and you'll likely end up with some of both.”

This is Europe at its wildest and most unexplored. We’ll pass jagged tooth-like peaks capped in snow, shimmering lakes, mountain villages, alpine farms.

We’ll be hiking on trails and off-trail over steep, hilly, and uneven terrain, often covering 8 to 12 miles a day, with up to 4,000' of elevation gain/loss.

Pre-trip physical conditioning is important to creating a fun and positive trip for yourself and the group as a whole. We strongly discourage guests from arriving without doing pre-trip physical conditioning. Your regimen should include walking or hiking in the boots you intend to wear with a light daypack.

If you are on prescription medication, you should ask your doctor for a letter detailing your condition and prescribed drugs. This prevents possible issues at customs and helps the local doctor if you need to buy medication while traveling. If you wear prescription glasses or contact lenses, we recommend you bring an extra pair and a copy of the prescription in case of emergency.

This is Europe at its wildest and most unexplored. We’ll pass jagged tooth-like peaks capped in snow, shimmering lakes, mountain villages, alpine farms.

We’ll be hiking on trails and off-trail over steep, hilly, and uneven terrain, often covering 8 to 12 miles a day, with up to 4,000' of elevation gain/loss.

Pre-trip physical conditioning is important to creating a fun and positive trip for yourself and the group as a whole. We strongly discourage guests from arriving without doing pre-trip physical conditioning. Your regimen should include walking or hiking in the boots you intend to wear with a light daypack.

This trip is intended for photographers of all levels, whether you’re shooting for social media on a smart phone or carrying the latest high-resolution full frame DSLR camera.

Our focus is on creating the best images we can, concepting out ideas and shooting techniques, and how to best execute them. Each day we make time to shoot specific aspects of the French Alps experience: mountains and valleys, sunrise and sunset, wildlife and nature, using a variety of lenses, capturing movement, creating depth, and sharing tips for composing the best images we can.

We will meet most evenings as a group to discuss and review the images we capture each day. While this is not a one-on-one photography workshop, you can expect plenty of feedback.

While there are no gear requirements, some items to consider include: lenses, filters, spare batteries and charger, memory cards and storage case, travel tripod, wireless remote/cable release, and a lightweight laptop or tablet.

Most of our accommodations offer Wi-Fi, and we recommend using Wi-Fi supported apps such as WhatsApp, FaceTime or Skype as an alternative to making calls from your mobile phone. For American travelers, many phone providers have temporary international travel plans, check with your provider for options.

When we're hiking and exploring in the mountains, connectivity is spotty. We value disconnecting from civilization and discourage guests from bringing their own satellite phones or similar devices, and we definitely discourage active and regular connection with the outside world when we're hiking.

The local currency is the euro, worth roughly 1 euro to $1.10 US dollar. There are ATMs in Geneva and Turin (depending on where you arrive) and occasionally in the mountain villages where we overnight, to access your bank back home. Many restaurants and shops accept credit cards; however France is still a cash-centric country, and you will want some euro notes handy.

We curate your Modern Adventure to ensure all experiences are immersive and included in your trip price. We recommend bringing enough money with you for a few meals on your own, as well as any souvenirs or local arts and crafts you might like to bring back.

If you're eating out on your own, tipping 5% to 10% in restaurants is standard. No tip is expected for small purchases such as coffee or a beverage, although it's common enough to leave the change, rounded up to the closest euro.

Please note that tipping our local and Modern Adventure guides is at your discretion; to show your appreciation for good service, we recommend tipping each guide US$70 - $150 per guest.

We recommend that you consult with your doctor to make any personal health decisions prior to travel. For this adventure our guides will have a medical kit and rescue supplies available, but we always recommend that you carry a personal first-aid kit and any personal medication.

We make safety a priority on all our adventures, however, incidents and injuries that require evacuation do occur from time to time. Since this adventure takes place in some remote locations, it can be difficult and expensive to plan evacuations. It is each guest’s responsibility to be covered by medical, travel, evacuation and repatriation insurance, or be prepared to cover the cost yourself, for expenses related to an emergency medical evacuation. Global Rescue provides evacuation and field-rescue services and is a good option to consider.

Since much of this adventure takes place in remote mountainous locations, it can be difficult and expensive to plan evacuations. It is each guest’s responsibility to be covered by emergency medical, evacuation and repatriation insurance, or to be prepared to cover the cost yourself for expenses related to an emergency medical evacuation and repatriation. Global Rescue provides evacuation and field-rescue services and is a good option to consider.

In addition, we also highly recommend purchasing conventional travel insurance. Travel insurance allows you to seek reimbursement for your trip costs; if your trip plans change for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to get medical help, emergency transport, and for theft, loss or damage of items while traveling. For best coverage, always insure the full trip cost within two weeks of your initial trip deposit and note that most ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ policies must be purchased on the date of your initial deposit.

While Modern Adventure does not recommend any policy specifically, we encourage you to compare benefits and options, a few of which are listed below. We recommend that any plan you select includes trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage, at minimum.

• Allianz

• Travelex

• IMG Global

• Squaremouth

We'll carry light day packs each day when hiking (see Gear & Packing). Your larger luggage will be transported by vehicle between our accommodations.

We recommend packing your belongings in a framed duffle bag or suitcase weighing 33 pounds (15kg) at the most. If you chose to pack and check your backpack, make sure all the straps are cinched and buckled. Baggage conveyors have been known to eat these straps!

Please pack essentials, such as toiletries, medication, shorts, etc., in your carry-on, in case your luggage doesn't make it on the flight with you.

US citizens do not require a visa to visit France, Switzerland or Italy (depending on where you fly into). Just bring a valid US passport. For citizens of other countries, please check with the relevant embassy or consulate for information and requirements.