FAQ: How large are your groups? We cap our walking trips at 14 participants and our bike trips at 16 participants.
FAQ: How small are your groups? We guarantee all our trips, but a small-group fee may apply. If you sign up, we will run it, so our minimum group size is 2. Please see our guaranteed departure policy.
FAQ: What is your usual group size? We usually have groups between 6 and 12.
FAQ: Where do your clients come from? We have a mix of clientele. Our trips are not prohibitively expensive so we get a nice cross-section of people, geographically, demographically and socio-economically. Most of our travelers are from the United States, although about 25% of our clientele is comprised of Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, South Africans, and Brits.
FAQ: What is the age range of people on the trips? On average, ages range from early 30’s to mid 60’s with the majority in the 40 to 55 bracket.
FAQ: Do you get many single travelers? There are usually at least two or three single travelers on our regular departures, sometimes more. We get more single females traveling with us.
FAQ: Do you charge a single supplement? Yes, we do, but it is relatively modest since we only charge the extra fees that are passed on to us by the hotels. We do not penalize single travelers with our own fees, and as a result our single supplements are lower than with most tour companies.
FAQ: What are your clients like? Many of our trip participants have traveled extensively, while others may be on their first overseas trip. Generally, we get fun and interesting people who are curious about the world and enjoy exploring new cultures and the wonders of nature. Hikers and bikers are often just that way! Of course, there is always the risk that you may not like someone on your tour, but that is a relatively rare occurrence. We design our trips to allow plenty of free time, so you’re not always forced to be with the group. And lastly, if there is someone who really is disruptive to the group, our guides have the authority to kindly ask them to leave. Happily, in 16 years of doing trips we have only needed to do this on one occasion.
FAQ: What about people who suffer from vertigo? All of the trails that we use are safe. The paths of the Cinque Terre walk and along the Amalfi coast can become narrow on occasion, but only for short stretches. These particular trails traverse the hillside along ancient terraces, sometimes along stone walls or steps. The paths hug the hillside on one side, and open out on the other, but not with precipitous drops. There is almost always foliage, or else a gradual slope down. Sometimes we do have to cross narrow rocky sections, so anyone suffering from acute vertigo may feel uncomfortable. Our guides are used to helping people get over these sections and will make every effort to make sure everyone is safe. However, if you already know that you have serious problems with vertigo then please contact us for a more detailed decription of the trails.
In the Dolomites, there are some exposed wide open stretches of paths that would be difficult to negotiate if you suffer from vertigo.
FAQ: How many people do you need for a private trip? We can do a private trip for one person, if that is what you want to do, but of course it will be more expensive. Usually a good number is between six and twelve people. This means your private group benefits from sharing the cost of the trip, while remaining small and flexible. Of course we can also do trips for large groups too!
FAQ: How does a typical day work? We design each day to have a balanced content of activity, cultural content, cappuccino and lunch time, short breaks, and then free time at the end of the day, and then dinner. So a typical day starts with breakfast at about 8 a.m, depart at about 9 a.m, walk for about an hour, have a break, resume, arrive in a village for a snack, another hour of walking, then lunch, then walk a little more, then perhaps a cultural visit/special event, then arrive back at the hotel around 3:30 – 4:00, free time, then get together at about 7:00 for an aperitivo followed by dinner. The guides will then brief you on the next day’s activities.
FAQ: How far do you walk in a day? We design all our trips, be they walking, biking, or scooter tours to have about 4 hours of activity per day, with a little more in the morning. On our walking tours we usually do between 12 and 16 kms.
FAQ: How far do you bike in a day? On our bike tours we generally cover about 45 – 75 kms a day, with optional extension rides for strong rides, and our support van is there to assist riders when needed.
FAQ: How long have you been doing tours? Brett guided his first bike tour in Alsace in June 1990 for a company called Butterfield and Robinson. He established Customwalks in Canada in 1996 and moved to New Zealand in 2006, transferring the business there though most of the work is still done from our Italian offices.