Choosing a trip

You want to book an active holiday: sure, but will you travel with your friends and family or would you rather meet new travelling companions and join a guided group? Or even: do you have any special request or are you a group so large that you need tailor made services? Whatever your needs may be, we have just the thing.

Our formula

Walking trips

Walking holidays are really for everybody: whether you are a skilled hiker or a newbie in his first steps, we have the right adventure for you.

We will take you on the great Pilgrimage routes, the scenic coastal paths, the spots out of the beaten track and the long-distance trails, in Europe and above.

All the trips that you can find on our website begin with our own feet: we ourselves have tested all the trips, hand-picked the accommodation, create a detailed and reliable documentation to safely guide you and found local guides as passionate as we are.

The SloWays sticker on top of some tours means that we ourselves have created that trip from top to bottom. If you do not see the sticker, it means that that trip has been designed for you by our trusted local partners, who know their own territory to perfection and share our idea of travelling.

 

Cycling trips

Our cycling trips suit all kind of cycle-travelers: perfect for having fun, falling in love with beautiful places, broadening your horizons and yes, even struggling a bit; after all, the downhill wouldn’t be so satisfying with a little effort to get there.

Here at SloWays we love bikes: bicycles let you travel slowly without giving up the thrill of a fast descent; they challenge you with steep climbs and get you excited with heady downhills; they zoom through Nature without harming it and allow to make the most of your holiday time, wrapping many kilometers in few days of travel.

For this reason, we decided to make Via Francigena the longest cycle route in Italy, open to everyone. It is also thanks to us that the ViaFrancigena Cycle Route has been designed, signposted and it is now regularly maintained.

Here you can watch the video that we filmed to promote the Via Francigena Cycle Route Crodwfunding Project.

 

Self-Guided

What is a self-guided trip? It is a trip where you have no guide or group: you travel on your own or with whoever you want, guided by our detailed and intuitive documentation that explains step by step where to go, what to do, and where your hotels are located.

Our support is always there: we book all accommodation, transfer your bags from one hotel to the next, and answer to a 24h emergency telephone in case you need us.

You can also choose to ask for a hotel upgrade, shorter stages, or additional nights to better explore the beautiful cities along your way. 

 

Group Tours

If your dream holiday includes the chance to meet new people, find common passions and values and getting to know each one’s personality, share the pleasure of enjoying the last steps of the day or a good meal in a local trattoria, our group trips are the perfect choice.

Our guides are passionate and skilled travelers, eyes through which you will see the territory where you move, keepers of secrets and stories you won’t find in any guidebook. Our groups are small – no more than 15 people, the perfect size to experience everything firsthand and get all the support that you need.

 

With your dog

If your four-legged friend loves travelling as much as you do, why not taking him with you on your next walking holiday? The days will be filled with his enthusiasm.

We selected for you dog-friendly trips and accommodation, perfect to enjoy a holiday together: sections far from the traffic, where he can walk freely for long distances, and hotels where he will be welcome.

All you have to do is making sure that your friend is trained enough, filling your luggage with his favorite food (we will handle it, don’t worry!) and setting off together!

 

Family trips

Have you ever wondered why as soon as a child learns to walk, he starts running? Because they are natural “adventurers”, but their instinct to explore is often limited by school, technology and in general, everyday life.  

An active holiday is the perfect way to enjoy some fresh air and nature with your family, with fun and learn activities specifically designed for your children.

 

Tailor-made trips

A tailor-made trip is designed specifically for you: the base may be a destination that we offer already, but the final result is fully customized to perfectly suit your desires and necessities.

Do you like one of our trips, but would you like to include additional days? The daily walks or rides seem too long, and you would rather cut some kilometers? Do you want to spoil yourself with a hotel upgrade?  Do you have any specific interest and you would like your trip to be all about it?  

No problem: whether you are travelling solo, with your family or a group of friends we can work together on every detail of your trip and make it perfect for you.

Trip grading

1 snail: Easy This trip suits everyone, even those who have never done an active holiday before. You walk or ride few hours per day, the daily distances are never more than 2/4 hours of walking, with few or no climbs. Finding your way is easy, with no orientation skills required. If you exercise moderately at least once a week, you can do this.  

2 snails: Moderate-Easy The right trip for someone who is moderately trained. The daily distances are longer, from 4 to 6 hours per day (20/25 km walking, 50 cycling). The elevation grows to up to 500 meters per dayThe self-guided trips minimum orientation skills as the paths are not always well marked or easy to find. If you go to the gym twice a week, run or bike, you won’t have problems.

3 snails: Moderate-challenging These trips suit people with a good fitness level, who have possibly some experience with long-distance travel. In some days you may walk or ride up to 7 hours (25-30 km walking, 70 cycling). The elevation is challenging, up to 1000 meters per day. Some self-guided trips require good orientation skills.

4 snails: Challenging You should consider taking part to one of these trips only if you are well trained and highly experienced. Some days can be really long (more than 30 km per day walking, more than 70 km per day cycling). The elevation is challenging (more than 1000 meters per day). Some self-guided trips require high orientation skills. NOTE: the difficulty grading for cycling trips refers to muscular bicycles. If you use a E-Bikes instead, all the tours can be considered easy or moderate-easy.

FAQ

 

How do I book a sloWays holiday?

If you have chosen your next trip from the website and want to proceed with the booking, you have two options:

Calculate the provisional price for your trip through our online calculation system: insert all the information needed (number of people, type of room required, dates, etc) and the system will calculate a provisional price for your trip and send a request to our office. We will get back to you to proceed with the reservation.  Please note that the price calculated by the system may not be the final price of your trip: this will only be confirmed once we have checked all the hotel availability.

Send us an email at info@sloways.eu or call us at  +39 055 2340736.  To proceed with the reservation, we will need some basic information such as your preferred departure date, the number of people travelling and the kind of rooms that you will need. We will also aks you if you have any kind of special request or change you would like to apply to the original programme – an accommodation upgrade, an additional night or shorter stages.

 

Can I book additional nights?

Yes, based on hotel availability. In the self-guided and tailor-made trips you can add nights before, during and after the trip. If you want to spend an additional night somewhere along the way but you are not sure where, we will be happy to suggest the worthiest locations. 

 

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are welcome in most of SloWays trips. The dog-friendly trips are marked with a specific “dog paw sticker”. See here for the full list of dog-friendly trips or select “with your dogs” in the “Activity” panel of the Trip Finder, in the homepage.

 

Can I bring my kids?

We are always happy to have families travelling with us: several trips that are not specifically marked as “family trips” can be customized to suit little travelers (for example reducing the number of kilometers with a private transfer or public transportation or booking multiple rooms.)  Contact us and we will be happy to help you build the perfect family trip.

 

Group Discount

If you are a group of 7 or more people travelling together, SloWays offers you a 5% discount on all our trips. Discount does not apply to the luggage transportation / bike rental service.

 

Is the booking automatically confirmed as soon as I book?

No, but here you can find a detailed step by step explanation of the booking process. 

 

Do I have to pay a deposit?

Yes, we require a 30% deposit, after which we will book all your accommodation and services. As soon as availability is fully confirmed, we will send you a travel confirmation complete with your final price and payment information for your remaining balance.

 

How in advance should I book?

We suggest booking at least one month prior to the preferred departure date.

This makes easier to find availability in the hotels and allows plenty of time to organize your trip. We are often able to confirm last-minute requests (2/3 weeks before departure), but finding availability is not always easy – especially in high season.

In this case we may be forced to book alternative accommodation, with the possibility that the final price may result higher than the website standard. Some trips (such as the Camino de Santiago) should be booked way in advance, as they are highly requested, and the accommodation availability is limited.

 

When will I receive my travel documentation?

You will receive the first part of your documentation via email, approx. one month prior your departure day. The rest will wait for you in your first hotel.

All the documentation will also be sent to you via email: you can also request not to have a printed paper version at the hotel.

 

Can I receive the GPS tracks of the trip?

You will not need the GPS tracks: by downloading our SloWays APP (available for both iOS and Android) you will be able to download the maps for your whole trip, with indication on the accommodation booked and off-line navigation.

 

I have special dietary needs. Will the hotels be notified?

Of course, at the time of booking we inform all the hotels about any special request or dietary restriction. To make sure your requirements are properly addressed, we ask you to remind the hotel of your specific needs when arriving at the hotel.

 

Can you book my flight or train ticket?

No. we do not currently offer ticketing services. We can provide private transfers from and to the airport / train station.  These services are usually not included in our trips and should be specifically requested, but check the included / not included section of the tour page to make sure that this is the case for the tour that you are interested in.

 

Can I change the trip starting point?

It is usually possible to change the starting point of self-guided trips and long-distance trails (Via Francigena / St. Francis Walk) provided that this is along the established route.

On the contrary, it is unfortunately not possible to change the starting point of guided group trips and some self-guided ones, depending on the organization.  Feel free to contact us about the trip that you are interested in and we will let you know if such change is possible.

 

What kind of accommodation do you usually include?

We generally use 3* hotels, b&b and agriturismo – some of them may be 2* or 4*, depending on local availability. All accommodation has en suite bathroom. The hotels have been chosen based on the quality of reception, position, local carachter, and owners -we tend to prefer family-owned hotels with a personal character.

The kind of accommodation can vary depending on the trip, but it is always well specified in our documentation. In some smaller villages along Via Francigena or other long-distance trails the variety of accommodation is limited, and in this case, we always use the best available choice.

At the time of booking – especially for last-minute bookings – should the standard accommodation be fully booked we may be forced to book alternative hotels. In this case we will always notify you about the hotel change and any potential supplement or discount – in which case you will be free to decide whether you want to proceed with the booking.

If you would like a hotel upgrade for your trip, please feel free to ask and we will do our best to make it happen.

 

What if it rains?

One of the few things that we can’t control is the weather. Do not let the rain spoil your holiday: if you are appropriately equipped, even walking or riding under the rain can be fun. A good rain-proof jacket, an umbrella, a poncho… there are several solutions to face a bad weather day; we suggest that you always bring a rain-proof jacket with you even in the sunniest day, especially in spring and autumn.

In case of thunderstorms or weather alerts, do not put yourself in danger and call us: we will help you find the best solution to reach your next accommodation. We can also suggest an alternative way to spend the day, to make the most out of the situation.

 

At what time will my luggage be taken and left to the next hotel?

We ask to leave your bag, complete with a name tag, at the reception by 9am: our driver will pick it up and take to the next accommodation by 4pm.

We suggest that you always bring a small backpack with what you will need for the day and a change of clothes, so that you can get changed in case you get to the hotel before your bag.

 

Is there any cancellation fee should I decide to cancel my reservation?

It depends on the timing. Please check the dedicated section of our website for further information.

Have you got an insolvency/bankrupcy policy?

We subscribe to Fondo Garanzia (Guarantee Fund) with an insolvency/bankrupcy policy contracted with VITTORIA ASSICURAZIONI Spa (Policy number 631.36.922319 - Consorzio FOGAR – FIAVET).

Reviews

 

Hello, I am back from my trip Lucca to Roma.

I would say thank you for a good organized trip. The route were perfect signed, and the App was very helpful. The tour was really demanding, so much hills in tuscany, but now i am proud do it. The Luggage transportation was also perfect.

The Hotels were all very nice, the best for me was agriturismo le vigne in Bolsena - the view was great und the dinner and breakfast very good.

Altogether it was a beautiful holiday. 

Christine Obeldobel (Germany), Cycling on Via Francigena, from Lucca to Rome, September 2016

Luggage transfer was efficient, I think we only waited once for our luggage to arrive.

Sloways organization was also efficient and helpful. The Via Francigena map and itinerary book is very good.

We liked the variety of accommodation.

We will be highly recommending Sloways and the Via Francigena to friends and family and look forward to completing another stage in the future. 

Liz Hogben and Tom Stewart (Great Britain), The Heart of Tuscan Via Francigena, October 2016

This was a wonderful trip, along a truly splendid route. The scenery was fantastic and the short trips up into the hills, (Civezza and particularly Spotorno) were great fun and showed us some of the diversity of the countryside. The administrative arrangements were good and accommodation, baggage collection, maps and directions and even restaurant recommendations were great.

All of the hotels were well chosen by SloWays and we were very pleased with them. Best was the San Giuseppe, which had a very relaxed atmosphere and where the staff went out of their way to be helpful.

The trip was really well organized from start to finish and Luca who made our booking arrangements was extremely patient and helpful.

Claire Herd (Ireland), Cycling on Via della Costa, October 2016 

Walk was very fulfilling - so many different social and geographical landscapes: quite amazing really. Many, many highlights from laughing with the owner of a small bar with no English over the pronunciation of kangaroo to the goose-bump inducing fra fillipo lippi frescoes in the duomo here in Spoleto. Made friends with two Dutch women who were on the walk but otherwise we were alone. Weather was exceptional.
You live in a remarkable country and we were so pleased we could enjoy and appreciate it again.

John Lewer (Australia), St Francis Way, September 2017

 A short note to thank you and the SloWays team for the organisation and support for me and my friend to complete our small section of the Via Francigena.

We had an absolutely brilliant time and both of us felt it was the best way we could have enjoyed your beautiful country.  Without exception the farmers, townsfolk and people in general we met along the way were friendly and supportive of the walk. The accommodation that you organised for us was quality with friendly welcoming staff. The luggage delivery service was faultless. The supporting documentation and map downloads were easy to follow.

A suggestion. A T-shirt with the logo of the Via Francigena would be a great keepsake but also would have been good to wear during the trek. I would be most interested in purchasing one if one becomes available in the future.

My friend and I will most definitely recommend your company as a means to walk the Via Francigena.

Liz Wheeler (Great Britain), Heart of Tuscan Via Francigena, September 2017 

Just to let you know that we are safely back in Kenya after the walk & visit to Rome - we had a great trip - the navigation is very easy with all the via Francigena signs, the accommodation was lovely and we had great weather - not one drop of rain. We also made the most of the good Italian food.

Noelle o’Brien (Kenya), Heart of Tuscan Via Francigena, October 2017 

 On behalf of the Nelson’s and Phillips’ thank you for all your efforts for our Via Francigena hiking trip from San Miniato to Buonconvento.  The accommodations and luggage transfer arrangements were EXCELLENT!!!! We were pleasantly surprised with our private 2-bedroom villa at the Agriturismo Sant’ Ilario in Gambassi Terme.  We could have spent several days there. 

 Bryan Nelson (USA), Heart of Tuscan Via Francigena, September 2018 

Using Sloways was a great confidence builder for future independent pilgrimages.  The documents provided in advance of the trip were very helpful. The accommodation and luggage transfers were excellent. It was very comforting knowing that we could contact them in an emergency on the trail. I would highly recommend using Sloways.

Catherine Etherington (Great Britain), Heart of Tuscan Via Francigena, June 2019 

The Way of St. Francis is a challenging and beautiful walk through rural Italy. It requires route finding and paying attention along the trail. Sloways provides interesting alternative routes where St. Francis wandered. Fantastic accommodations and seamless luggage transfer assured a relaxing evening after a day of walking. Especially enjoyed the Agriturismo's and wonderful hosts along the way.

Brenda Roper (USA), St Francis Way, July 2019 

The Cycling/Walking trip to Sicily was a fantastic holiday. The guide Ernesto organised an excellent schedule around the West coast of Sicily taking in all the places of interest and at the same time excellent Cycle Tracks and many interesting stops. The guide jelled very well with the group and nothing was too much trouble. He was extremely calm and dealt with any incidents in a very professional manner. Top trip and I have done many.

Tony Pelham (Great Britain), Group Cycling Trip in Sicily, September 2020