Intrepid Travel is now officially operating in France, following its April acquisition of French adventure specialist Altai Group. The Altai Travel and Atalante brands have been folded into the Intrepid name, giving the Melbourne-based operator a proper foothold in one of Europe's biggest outbound travel markets.
The most interesting bit for travellers is a new collection called Essentiel. Built specifically for French-speaking customers, it sits at the three-star end of the spectrum: less hiking, more cultural immersion. Intrepid's chief marketing officer Hazel McGuire described it as filling a gap in the French market for a slightly younger, less active, more culture-heavy style of touring — the kind of trip the company is best known for globally, but which Altai and Atalante, with their heavy emphasis on walking and trekking, never really offered.
That said, the walk-and-trek DNA isn't going anywhere. The existing French portfolio still includes walking, trekking, family and expedition-style trips, and Intrepid plans to push some of those more active Altai products into its other sales markets around the world. So if you've booked with Intrepid in Australia, the UK or elsewhere, expect a broader adventure menu to trickle through over time.
Executives framed the launch as a natural fit. Intrepid's EMEA managing director noted that French travellers' love of food, people and culture lines up neatly with the company's small-group, locally led approach, while CEO James Thornton called France one of the most important travel markets in the world. The company has momentum behind it, too: it carried more than 35,000 customers globally in September 2026 — its busiest month ever — with Australians making up nearly half of those travellers.
Why does this matter if you're not French? Two reasons. First, brand consolidation usually means more departure dates, more destinations and smoother booking for anyone shopping the combined catalogue. Second, if Essentiel proves popular in France, there's a fair chance a similar entry-level, culture-first tier rolls out to other markets — a useful option for travellers who want the small-group experience without committing to a multi-day trek. Anyone eyeing Intrepid's French walking or expedition trips should also keep an eye on how the rebrand affects itineraries and pricing in the coming season.
