The Italian Camino Trek – Via Francigena

Supporting local tourism and local communities 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on local communities and livelihoods across the planet, we’re keen to promote adventures in countries that are actively working towards sustainable tourism and conservation projects. We’re passionate about exploring off the beaten track routes in order to help communities who are in the shadow of mainstream tourist destinations. We also aim to create an adventure which is about discovery, immersing yourself in fascinating environments, customs and cultures and provides an understanding of history and people.

As well as carefully crafting amazing and meaningful adventures across the planet, we’ve made booking them as flexible, safe and as simple as possible. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we’ve made a number of updates to our safety guidelines, flexible booking conditions and trip departures. For more info, please our Book and Travel with Confidence page. 

Adventurous Ewe Financial Guarantee

Any monies paid to Adventurous Ewe for a trip are immediately placed into a Trust account and not used for the day-to-day operations of the company. So, in the unlikely event of our insolvency, money paid in respect of future travel will be refunded, in full. This pledge has been honoured since the foundation of Adventurous Ewe in 2007. No client has suffered financial loss outside our T&C’s whilst travelling with us.

Financial security

Rest assured, your money is safe in any and all circumstances. There has been and always will be full financial protection on your booking. If your adventure needs to be cancelled for any reason, like say a global pandemic, you won’t be left stuck and you’ll be offered plenty of alternative options thanks to our financial protection through our insurance with Towergate Travel through Zurich Insurance PLC. What’s more, in the very unlikely event of Adventurous Ewe going under, you’ll get your money back and be repatriated if you were on a trip at the time.

On booking your Via Francigena Trek, you’ll receive all the exciting trip info via our free mobile travel app.

You’ll have access to your itinerary, trip countdown, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, know before you go trip info, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24 hours a day via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper to benefit the environment and the need of carrying around documents with you. A’ppy days.

With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service for your Camino de Santiago Trek.

We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on this trek and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the trek and beyond.

Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the destinations that we visit in order to fully support you in the lead up to your adventure. We’re here to answer any of your queries no matter how big or small.

On signing up for the trip, we will provide you with the recommended flights to book to Rome.

Flights are not included in your to give you the flexibility to travel from your nearest airport, use any frequent flyer points or extend your stay in Rome if you wish.

Complimentary airport transfers are included in this trip at designated times and coincide with most popular flight times.

All nationalities require a full passport. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. For the latest info, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements 

British nationals do not require a visa to enter Italy for the purpose of tourism for up to 90 days. For the latest entry requirements, please visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements and also Brexit advice at https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers.

Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, activities undertaken, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and COVID-19 travel cover.

For UK residents we have partnered with Campbell & Irvine Direct to provide you with a travel insurance. If you would like to obtain cover for your trip please feel free to contact specialist Insurance Brokers, Campbell Irvine Direct for a quote.

You must send your Travel Insurance Policy to Adventurous Ewe no less than one month prior to departure.

Vaccinations
There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations include: Tetanus. For the most up to date info on vaccinations, please consult with your GP or travel healthcare practitioner 8 weeks in advance of travel. For more info, feel free to visit https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.

Severe allergies
If you have a severe allergy please inform us at the time of booking. We will do all we can to help, but unfortunately we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on this trip. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as ‘adrenaline auto-injectors’ are not carried as standard by AE leaders and crew. Whilst your leader is aware of our trekkers medical history, please also inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and well-being of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and well-being is our top priority.

The Via Francigena Trek is intentionally challenging and requires individual preparation as the trip is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something incredible.

Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place.

You will be accompanied by your Local Guide and Adventurous Ewe Leader for groups over 8 people. Our Leaders are First Aid trained and have extensive experience in leading groups along the Via Francigena trail. They will be ultimately responsible for your safety on this trip.

For more info, please visit our Safety and Well-being page. 

You’ll be accompanied by a professional Local Guide who’s enthusiasm and knowledge knows no bounds. They’re expertly trained and experienced in every field of this trek, bilingual (English and Italian) and qualified in remote first aid. They also have a huge passion for what they do and have plenty of historical & cultural knowledge ready to share with you. They are responsible for ensuring the complete safety, well-being and enjoyment of the team whilst also retaining a flexible and fun attitude.

An Adventurous Ewe Leader will accompany groups of over 12 people and is an experienced and passionate leader as well. Leaders have been carefully selected to ensure you have the best experience with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure. Your Leader will be Remote First Aid trained too.

The Leaders have radio and phone contact with each other, the local office and Adventurous Ewe’s HQ.

The Via Francigena Trek is graded as ‘Medium’. The trek consists of 6 consecutive days of walking. Your luggage is transferred between hotels, so you only need to take a day pack with you on the walks. The terrain and type of path will vary from paved tracks, tarmac, forest trails to gravel. The walks are not technically difficult although there are some steep ascents and descents, so a good level of fitness is required. 

It’s important to bear in mind that the distances walked some of the days are long and you are expected to walk 6 days in a row so there is a high chance to get blisters. We recommend to take extra care in making sure that your hiking boots are comfortable and well worn in. We advise bringing hiking boots and trail running trainers as this will allow you to alternate them at any stage to avoid blisters and pain.

Preparation is key to help you get the most enjoyment and reward from this trek. A good level of fitness, endurance and some gritty determination will help you conquer each day.

A bespoke trek training programme will be provided when join the team for this adventure to help you with your preparations together with some top tips.

We also have exclusive offers with our Training Partners and Communities – Her Spirit and the Bath Kettlebell Society. For more info, please visit our Training and Preparation page.

The more you are prepared, the more you will enjoy the trek.

Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!

We have a variety of tailored training weekends available to ensure you’re fully prepared for your trek. These training weekends are the perfect way to help you gauge your fitness and training progress under the careful guidance of our experienced leaders. Plus the leaders will chat through your specific trip and also provide guidance and tips relating to clothing and equipment, health and well-being, packing, trekking skills (walking on different terrain/heat/using trekking poles), teamwork and much more to ensure you are fully prepared and ready for your adventure ahead.

We predominantly host our training weekends in Snowdonia given the wide variety of terrain available to practice and where Chief Ewe’s, Jim or Sue, can meet you too. It’s a great way for you to meet fellow members of the flock and ask any questions, no matter how big or small. We’re here to make sure you’re ready. For further info, please email info@adventurousewe.co.uk or call 01492 588 069.

A full kit list will be provided when you register for this trip or you can simply download the ‘Trip Notes’ for this trek. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic adventure and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in waterproof hiking boots are essential.

An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers Joe Brown, The Climbers Shop and ashmei athletic apparel on registering for this trek.

To help you get the very best from your Via Francigena Trek we will provide you with an exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code to use in Joe Brown / The Climbers Shop and ashmei, sustainable performance apparel, both online and in store. They offer a large choice of kit that the staff themselves use while climbing, hiking, mountaineering, running, travelling or enjoying expeditions across the globe and they pride themselves on sharing their experience and knowledge of equipment so you can choose the right gear to suit you.

Spring and summer are great times to visit this region, as the weather is warm and quite sunny. Quite often the mild weather can continue right up to December, with only occasional cold winds, however the heavy rain can start in October. July and August are usually very hot and temperatures tend to stay around 30°C for much of this time.

7 nights hotel accommodation included.

All our accommodation places are carefully selected based of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. We select locally run comfortable hotels, farmhouses and B&B’s where all rooms have private en-suite bathrooms.

Additional Accommodation

We can book additional accommodation in Montefiascone or Rome (subject to availability). Please contact us if you wish to make arrangements by emailing info@adventurousewe.co.uk. 

7 breakfasts and 2 dinners are included in your trekking adventure.

When you think Italy, you think delicious food & wine and this trek offers a fine blend of both.

Breakfasts are provided at your hotel and are usually continental or Italian-style with a choice of bread, croissants, meats, and cheeses.

Lunches are a combination of picnics or enjoying a well earned break at a local cafe enroute. 

Dinners are taken in local restaurants allowing you the flexibility to sample your choice of fine Italian meals whilst supporting the local communities we visit.

‘La Cucina Romana’ (Roman food) is based on an ancient past and you will find on many menus inexpensive cuts of veal and lamb, fresh vegetables and plenty of the local sheeps’ cheese; Pecorino Romano. Recommended dishes to try are bruschetta (bread with garlic, olive oil and fresh tomatoes), porchetta (pork carved from a herb stuffed pig), carciofi alla guidia (fried artichokes), fave al guanciale (broad beans, often served with pork), baccala (codfish), pasta e ceci (pasta with chickpeas, a simple, old and delicious recipe), cacio e pepe (pasta served with pecorino and black pepper; simple but surprisingly delicious), saltimbocca alla romana (veal wrapped in proscuitto and fried) and not forgetting one of the most famous meal in Roma Rigatoni carbonara. 

Finish with your evening meals with a classic Roman dessert; crostata di ricotta (cheesecake) or a fine Italian coffee.

If you enjoy the odd tipple of wine, then this trek’s for you. On day one in Montefiascone, enjoy sampling a glass the straw coloured Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone (also known as Est! Est!! Est!!!). Also try Frascati, referred to by Romans as the Golden Wine both for its colour and value, or Cesanese del Piglio which is a full bodied red. 

Adventurous Ewe has partnered with Water-to-Go, a filtration system that eliminates over 99.99% of all microbiological contaminants from any non-salt water source – for more info please click here.

Adventurous Ewe trekkers will receive a free Water-to-Go bottle when departing on our Via Francigena Trek, and better still, 15% of the purchase value for replacement filters will be donated to our environmental charity partner, Cool Earth. Please help us reduce the volume of single use plastic in this pristine environment.

All your trip info will be sent to you through a mobile travel app which is free to download. You will receive an email from Adventurous Ewe with your personalised log in code for this app. For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, simply follow us at:

Youtube: Adventurous Ewe
Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: @adventurousewe
Twitter: @adventurousewe
LinkedIn: Adventurous-Ewe-Ltd

You’re most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock #adventurousewe

Your Local Guide, Adventurous Ewe Leader/s and Crew will have mobile phones and radios communications in case of emergencies. The team are trained to deal with these situations. Please ensure you listen to your Leader during these times and refrain from putting any posts on social media. Should you find yourself unable to continue with the trek, your Leader and crew will make the necessary arrangements. Depending on the situation, you will be met by the support vehicle (depending on access) and you will be transferred back to your accommodation or nearby medical facility as required.

Your Emergency Contact at Adventurous Ewe HQ is Jim Young on +44(0)7747 346 588.

Cool Earth

We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth. You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2.

Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.

Thank-ewe