Hi everyone I posted a question several days ago but only got one response (thank you kybourbon). Maybe it was because I placed it in Italy and might have left out people who have used these companies for other countries or hiking trips.

So please ignore if you have already read this post from me before.

Here was my previous post from last week----

Hello everyone,

Would like some feedback on several self-guided walking (or if you are from the USA anything out of the city is considered a hike).

We are planning a trip for this October to Italy and would like to hike through either Tuscany or Umbria on a 5 or 8 day trip only as a self-guided hiking trip.

I have 3 walking companies that I am looking at and would like to book within the next several days (today is Aug. 22, 2008).

If any of you have any experience with the following I would love to hear from you. And if you have any others to add please do so.

As I mentioned we will be doing the self guided hikes.
Here are the three:
www.hfholidays.co.uk
www.atg-oxfored.co.uk
www.girosole.com

They all look good to me but I would like to here that one GREAT piece of advice that can help me with my decision.

Thanks in advance for all the help.

I have some other questions but I will do that in another post and after I do some more searching here to see if my questions have already been answered.

Marianne (6ABC)

Hi 6abc,

Sorry, this won't help with your decision, will only make it worse with one more to consider. But anyway , I've looked at this one several times --

http://www.randonneetours.com/

Have fun!

s

Have you done a search here? I did a quick search on hfholidays and came up with some recommendations for other companies (1 was for girosole).

You can also check trip advisor for recommendations.

Thanks for the info swandav2000. You were right it did add to the confusion. They all sound perfect...

Hi Adrienne,

Girosole is the one I have been looking at the closest. I did check out slowtrav last night and really couldn't get any specifics on the self guided trips.

Girosole had some good feedback on the website from former walkers. I might give them a call today and check them out. It is so hard to choose. They all sound so good. But you never know who is posting the comments.

We have at least narrrowed our area to Southern Tuscany that helps a bit.

Thanks for the input Adrienne.

Marianne (6abc)

FWIW, I know HF Holidays fairly well, having done 13 guided walking holidays with them over the past 15 years. Based on that, I would have no trouble using them for an unguided holiday in Italy. They have been in the walking holiday business since 1913, so I think they have pretty well got their act together in how to do this stuff.

" here that one GREAT piece of advice that can help me with my decision

It's www.atg-oxford.co.uk

That - as long as you can afford it - is the only piece of information you need.

Help me here. We're ready to go for our third long distance "walk", this time across Italy from Pisa to Ravenna. We bought maps and we have a compass. You need a "self guided hiking company" for what exactly? I'm not knocking your choice I'm just wondering what on earth they offer that you can't do yourself. PAY to walk??

Liz - not everyone wants your adventures with untethered bulls! LOL

The walking tour companies transport your baggage! And accommodations and some (if not all) meals are included. You also have someone to call when you're in trouble.

You're trip is getting close. Are you all set???

Hi,

We have done many hike on our own here in the USA and in Scotland where we had a car.

(lizcakes) We decided not to rent a car on this trip and wanted to do several different towns, so the self guided walks seemed to be suited for us. We didn't want to worry about our luggage and being so close (the date)I didn't even want to deal with room reservations. I guess I wanted a break from any planning or worry about maps etc for 7 days of our trip.

I also heard that the trails in Italy are not as easy to get around and follow as those in Switzerland etc. So they are some of the reasons for the self guided choice but I am open to more cons on the idea.

Thanks FlannerUK and Ron (I have looked at HFholiday but will go back and review their Itinerary). This info does help. I was able to talk to someone from girosole today and they seemed very nice but that doesn't really mean much.

More suggestions are welcome. Thanks to all of you who have posted so far.

abc: I understand that you might want a more structured vacation and what we do is definitely not for everyone, but we like it. ; - ) We don't rent a car either but pretty much start our walk after a bus or train ride from the airport to our starting point. Also, we as a rule don't make reservations unless we're "on the trail" so to speak and in my notes there's only ONE tiny b&b ahead of us, then we call. If there's no room in the inn so to speak, we walk in another direction.

No reservations - no worries. If you type in "lizcakes", up will come my two trip reports from our walks, but as I said, it's not for everyone. Keeps the paths clear!

Thanks for the input Lizcakes. I checked out your trip report and WOW it sounded GREAT. I had to laugh because when you stated your age the first thing that flashed through my mind was that is so cool for them to be doing something like that at their age. Then I almost feel out of my chair--you see I am 57 and my husband is 60. Shows you how the mind can play tricks on you. I still feel like I am in my 20's that is until I try to stand and the knee gives out. Anyway we are pretty active. We just completed our second trip to the Grand Canyon and hiked down and stayed at Phantom Ranch, so I guess I still have some steam in me.

I would love to do what you did but not this trip. I am trying to pull this together in a short time. I woke up a few weeks ago and said lets go to Italy for our Oct. vacation and now I am planning. I am not frantic and have decided to do it with the least amount of effort and some help and advise from my Fodor friends. I just made our plane reservations today. So the only thing left is to book the walk. I am not even going to worry about where we will stay in Rome or Assisi but if anybody has any suggestions of inexpensive B&Bs or farm house I am open to any suggestions.

We will only be there about 12 days and we are not the types that like to spend our times in the bigger cities. So my plan is to do a 7-8 day self-guided walk and maybe 2 Days around Assisi and 2 days in Rome. Trying to make it simple but wonderful.....

Flanneruk, I did look at ATG-Oxford and thought they did a nice Tuscany trip. I know you think they are the best one out there any more comments as to why? Have you walked with them or do you have friends who have used them? Are they extra helpful?

Looking forward to more comments. Thanks all.

6abc

<<I had to laugh because when you stated your age the first thing that flashed through my mind was that is so cool for them to be doing something like that at their age. Then I almost feel out of my chair--you see I am 57 and my husband is 60. Shows you how the mind can play tricks on you. I still feel like I am in my 20's that is until I try to stand and the knee gives out.>>

LOLOLOL........... Yeah, we're pretty active too. I run 1-2 miles on weekdays but hubby far outdoes me and runs 3 miles every day and does several weight machines at the gym. [sigh] In my mind, I'm 30-something but nevertheless will be 58 on Nov. 1. [big sigh]

I understand now why you have to throw this trip together - you'd never have receipt of the maps before you went otherwise! They take forever to arrive and then they're not the right ones. We are putting together this trip but have no idea what will happen when we hit those roads with little shoulder or come upon that stray wild boar in the Appenines. But heck, that's half the fun, not?

I'll be interested in hearing about your walk and see what the company throws together for you.

For any of you that are still out there and might be interested I am posting my trip report to our self guided hiking trip through Tuscany.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35169919

6abc