Europe Walking Trips

This was the first trip for my husband and me with Explore, or any organised tour group, and we really enjoyed it. Explore were recommended to us by a friend and we’re looking forward to using them again. The countryside, towns and villages where we walked and visited were lovely and the background provided by our excellent guide Gennaro added loads of interest. The itinerary was well paced and impressively varied. I struggled a bit with the sheer number of steps on the day we visited Capri (this walk was graded as leisurely!) and was concerned that later walks (graded as more challenging) would be beyond me. In the event they were fine - I found them slightly easier. We liked the hotel with its great view from our window and from the terrace. Our room had a shower only though I think some may have had a bath. The staff were unfailingly helpful and I especially appreciated the efforts they made to accommodate my unfondness for seafood. Our expert guide Gennaro was key to the success of the holiday. He looked after us with great care and thoughtfulness and had a concern for his group that went beyond professionalism. His enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge were impressive and he had clearly planned his talks carefully so that they would be interesting and not too long, easy to grasp, and would build on what he’d told us previously. A great holiday for anyone who enjoys walking.

Our hiking guide, Enrico, was excellent! We truly felt like he cared about us and tried to cater each day to all of our desires. He was energetic and positive, knowledgeable and communicated well. Our hotel was also excellent! They, too, seemed to really care about all of us and wanted to meet our needs. The food was very good and all of the staff were friendly and helpful. We loved San Lazarro where the hotel was located. It was a quiet and peaceful town. And, I must add that the bus drivers were excellent! Wow, how could they do that driving on the very narrow roads. They had excellent control of their large buses in very tight situations.

Enrico and Satva were delightful, organized and thoughtful guides. We loved hiking and learning about the natural places, Italian culture and life from these happy folks. 10 plus rating for guides. Nice accommodations in a well maintained, comfortable historic inn. The food and drinks were excellent and staff always helpful. I especially enjoyed my early am cappuccino on the lovely terraza overlooking a pastoral scene and Mediterranean Sea. Perfect! Well organized and paced trip. We also love hiking and connecting with other members of our group from Wales, New Zealamd, Britain, and US expatriates.

The hotel was comfortable and the staff and food were excellent. The walks were challenging but as described and Enrico was a great guide, informative and fun. I would recommend this holiday to anyone who wants to experience the Amalfi coast without too much intensity from Amalfi itself as it is v busy.

Hotel were organised to cater for my gluten free diet, so no problems with the GF pasta, pizza, etc. What let the hotel down slightly was the lack of GF options at breakfast. One one day I managed to get a GF bun, and other days I managed to get a couple of slices of bread, but there were a couple of days where there was no GF option available at breakfast. Otherwise, everything else was excellent including the lovely Gaia.

I would recommend that anyone who can walk should do the Coast to Coast. It was challenging at times but well worth the effort. Great accommodation along the way and a wonderful guide.