Italy Explorer Tours 2024/2025

“Now, I realised pretty quickly that I am NOT the demographic that this tour company aims for. I am fat and mid 50 and although I ride my city bike every day to work and walk the dog,I am not fit. I do not have a racing bike, I walk rather than run (or take a bus or tram) and my gym membership lapsed years ago. I like to swim properly - but thats it. However, I could join my road biking, running, daily yoga doing husband on this trip, AND have a good time!”

“Good, reliable skiing. Even when snow is thin there's always something, and this season conditions were more than adequate - I could finally reach the Cortina cross-country centre (I've been waiting since 1988 to get there).”

“Superb conditions and leadership by Anne, Alex, and Lorraine at what I think is your best southern European x/c ski base. This tour operator is the only UK Company which does properly-led daylong x/c ski - unlike its competitors, which treat x/c as downhill skiing (which it definitely isn't!) It's a great shame, therefore, that this operator does not offer more southern European venues for x/c ski, having drastically reduced these following acquisition of Waymark I hear this complaint again and again from fellow x/c skiers of this tour operator. And we all fear that it will allow this activity to wither on the vine if it is not careful. X/c ski is superb outdoor activity which should be promoted as the ideal winter fitness activity - it also has some Royal patronage - Pippa Middleton did an x/c ski race last year! One other thing - you specify that grade 1 and 2 are suitable for people with little or no experience. But you should make it clear that a level of fitness similar to regular hill walking or cycling is necessary. I have seen so many people have a ruined experience of x/c ski simply because they don't do sufficient regular exercise, and that causes such difficulties for the Leaders, and, indeed, the other suitably fit participants who have to hang back or stop all the time so that these people can catch up!”