Paths to Perugia

What sort of weather can I expect?

Meteorological records for the area, taken over a period of more than 10 years, are represented in the Weather Chart provided with each itinerary. Spring is very warm; however as we are at quite high altitude at times, please come prepared for chilly weather. Evenings can also be cool in early spring. From mid-May hats are essential. Autumn is cooler, crisp mornings and bright days.

What sort of walking can I expect?

Our support vehicles allow you the flexibility to walk 'as much or as little as you like', with drop-offs and pick-ups appropriate to the given day's itinerary. The Tour Leader will tell you each evening about the following day's walking options.

This is an 8-day trip, with walks offered on 5 days. The length of each day varies from 2 to 6 hours walking. Hours of walking, which may vary from group to group, means hours of actual walking and does not include stops for lunch, sightseeing, rests or siestas. Long days are compensated for by shorter days.

The fitness level of this trip is Grade 2-3. Walking is mostly on easy paths, sometimes along strade bianche (unsurfaced lanes); but some of the terrain is more rugged. Please ensure your footwear provides firm ankle support. Some of our walks are very weather sensitive. If it is not possible to do a walk due to inclement weather, an alternative will be organised. Any such decision is at the discretion of the Tour Leader.

What if I don’t want to walk?

You don’t have to! You can either get a lift with the Tour Manager to the lunch location or the next hotel, or we can suggest options
to allow you to walk for part of the day. If the itinerary does not involve a hotel change on a given day, you can simply stay in the town and explore, and join (or not join) the group for lunch. The Tour Leader will discuss the next day’s options with the group every
evening.

Where do I meet the group?

The destination airport for this walking holiday is Rome Fiumicino. There will be a set meeting time at for the transfer to the first hotel; a set time for the return transfer to the airport at the end of the trip; and a 'recommended flight' to connect with the airport transfers. Booking the recommended flight - which we strongly encourage - guarantees transfers to and from the airport, irrespective of flight schedule changes or delays. For clients not on the 'recommended flight' we cannot guarantee a transfer from the airport should you be delayed for any reason in meeting the group at the specified place and time. In this instance you will have to make your own way to the first hotel, at your own expense. The transfer to the airport at the end of the trip will also be timed according to the recommended flight and we cannot offer transfers at alternative times. Please check with the Reservations Team before making independent arrangements. You are of course welcome to meet the group at the first hotel.

If you would like a transfer to the first hotel, please ensure that you inform us of this and advise us of your arrival time and flight number as soon as possible. Please also ensure that your flight arrives at the destination airport at least 1 hour before the meeting time, to allow sufficient time to pass through customs and collect your luggage.

If you take the recommended flight or are meeting the group at the airport our Tour Leader and Tour Manager will be waiting to meet you for the minibus transfer to the first hotel, which will depart shortly thereafter. They will be wearing green polo shirts bearing the ATG logo.

If you arrive late and find that the group has left (there is no sign of them in the arrivals hall or our minibuses with the ATG logo outside the terminal building), please check for a message at
the information desk and make your own way to the first hotel, letting the ATG office know you’re on your way. The ATG office number is +44 1865 315 678 or outside office hours please call the emergency number which is +44 1865 315 600.

Meeting at the first hotel

Hotel Tiferno

Piazza R.Sanzio, 13

06012 Città di Castello (PG)

Tel: (39) 0758 550331

Fax: (39) 0758 521196

If you are meeting the group at the first hotel, our Tour Consultants will contact you upon their arrival.

What should I bring?

Bring whatever clothes and footwear you find most comfortable for everyday wear, and a change or two for the evenings – smart/casual.
Most trips tend to include some quite distinguished hotels and restaurants, for which you may wish to ‘dress up’. For walking we recommend lightweight walking boots with firm ankle support (make sure you wear them in before the trip!), a small daypack for your
lightweight waterproof clothing, camera, fleece etc. An increasing number of people bring telescopic walking poles. For a comprehensive packing list click here:what to bring

What sort of food can I expect?

On our escorted trips all meals are included.

Breakfast

Most of the hotels we use offer a buffet-style breakfast with a range of both hot and cold choices. 4- and 5-star hotels almost always offer ‘cooked’ breakfast. Occasionally, in more remote areas, or in some 2 or 3-star hotels, breakfast can be a decidedly more ‘contenental’ affair – e.g bread, croissant, juice, coffee. If a breakfast needs ‘topping up’ to meet the needs of those with a
full morning of walking ahead, the Tour Manager will ensure this happens.

ATG Picnic lunches

ATG picnic lunches in Europe are renowned! ‘Happening upon’ an ATG picnic in an idyllic location punctuates each day’s walk. Picnics are colourful, varied and nutritious. Buffet-style, there is a choice of meats, cheeses, salads and fruits. Many salads are ‘exclusive’ to ATG and some of these original recipes are in the ATG ‘Table of Moveable Feasts’

After being greeted with mineral water, followed by wine and an abundant lunch of local organic produce and specialities, there’s usually time for a siesta! Where there is a particularly spectacular and remote picnic spot we may occasionally carry
packed lunches. Outside Europe the location of lunches may vary, from picnics to meals in restaurants or private houses.

Dinner

Dinner is usually at about 8.00pm (later in Spain). We tend to eat in the best and most interesting restaurants available, which serve traditional local dishes as well as regional classics and excellent regional wines. To ensure that we enjoy the best that the area has to offer, the Tour Manager, with his/her specialist knowledge and experience, will have worked closely with the chef in advance, selecting the most interesting and characteristic menu possible. This not only ensures that we eat far better than people who ‘come in off the street’, but enables us to enjoy a very wide range of local specialities during the trip, and also to cater imaginatively for those with special dietary needs.

At the start of dinner each evening, it is ATG ‘style’ to tell you about the menus and wines for that evening. If there’s anything different that you would prefer, you have only to ask.

What sort of food can I expect on this trip?

Umbrian influences, a reflection of its geographical position on the border of the two regions. The basis of Tuscan cooking is excellent, fresh ingredients cooked simply – ingredients which can be found in the fields and on the hillsides through which you will be walking: wheat, olives and vines. Added to this is a plentiful and changing supply of vegetables and fruit grown in small allotments and back gardens, meats cured at home or cooked on open fires, and locally-made cheeses.

The cuisine of Umbria has much in common with that of Tuscany, as both share the same hilly, wooded and pastoral
landscape which gives rise to such produce as lamb, sheep’s cheeses (pecorino), cured meats (usually pork) and game – wild pigeon, partridge and pheasant being the most common. Umbria is landlocked, so its supply of fish comes from its many rivers, or from Lake Trasimeno. Umbria has another, much valued product
that is used in many of the region’s dishes: the black truffle, which is found in the oak woods of the area.

And wines?

The nearest notable Tuscan wine-growing area is Chianti, which occupies a large area of hills to the south and east of Florence. Known originally in England as ‘Florence Red’, the wine gained renown in the 19^th century, when Barone Ricasoli (Italy’s second prime minister) developed the grape composition found in today’s wines. Chianti Classico comes from a small, strictly delineated area, one of the seven regions within Chianti, and alongside the more ‘serious’ Chianti Riserva is produced
other, less expensive ‘quaffing’ Chiantis made to be drunk within a year or so of production – an excellent accompaniment to pasta dishes, etc.

Wine production in Umbria has never been a significant part of the region’s agriculture – which is not to say that interesting wines are not grown here. The wines of Orvieto are well-known, but in the northern part of Umbria, in the province of Perugia, is Torgiano, home of Umbria’s first DOC wine. Other wines grown around this area include Colli di Trasimeno (a dry white) and Colli Altotiberini, the best of which is its rosato (rosé). We aim to match the wines to the style of the restaurant and the cuisine provided, and to sample local wines whenever possible. Local wines are provided with the picnic lunch but you will probably find that in view of the walking you will appreciate the water more than the wine, and therefore the better wines will be served in the evening.

What if I have a dietary restriction or food allergy?

When you book, let us know about any restrictions. This will give the Tour Manager the opportunity to shop and prepare menus
accordingly prior to your trip. At the start of the trip the Tour Manager will meet with you to discuss in more detail your requirements.

Do the hotels have hair dryers, WIFI, laundry service?

Yes - all three do.

How much should I budget for items not included?

On escorted trips everything is included (per the published itinerary) apart from travel to/from the destination airport, items of a personal nature, snacks and drinks outside of the set meals.

What if I want to extend my trip?

We are delighted to book extensions for you at either end of your trip. We only book hotels with which we have an established relationship and where we can ensure a high level of service and enjoyment. If you would like an extension booking please indicate this during the booking process and we will contact you with pricing information.

Where can I find general FAQs?

For FAQs relating to the Company and general trip questions, click here