village italy in 14 days

We looked at the tour reviews before booking this tour. While they were universally positive, many commented on how strenuous the tour was because of the steep, hilly terrain. A few reviewers even reached out to RS company recommending that they upgrade the rating. They were told that RS considers distance and uneven terrain when rating a tour, but not hills. Some of the hotels are in the heart of an Italian hill town so you’d need to be prepared to haul luggage up and down steep cobblestone streets, then tackle stairs up to the room by yourself. Some recommended a preparatory fitness regimen before the tour - we are able bodied and are taking that advice. If you occasionally use a cane for stairs, then I strongly recommend you check the reviews and decide for yourself. While a day or two may be manageable, consider 10+ days of unceasing activity.

I took the Village Italy tour last April at age 72 (I actually celebrated my birthday on the tour!) Many of the tour members were my age and older. Although I am in good health, I don’t consider myself particularly “fit.” I do not exercise on any kind of regular basis at home, only walk occasionally, and do not “train” for RS tours (I’ve done nine of them.). I did fine on this tour.

Keep in mind that the tour walks are not forced marches of miles at a time.. You walk for a while, stop to look at a view or enter a church or listen to the guide, walk some more, stop again, etc. On our tour, there were some fast walkers and some slow walkers. I was kind of in the middle of the pack. Everyone was quite patient about waiting for the group to gather.

Yes, there are hills! But not every day or in every town. I found Siena the most strenuous, more than Assisi, even though the RS itinerary rates Assisi as more strenuous. Go figure. Other places were pretty flat - Padua, Orvieto (you take an elevator to the town perched on the hill), Lucca (except the short walk to get up on the walls). There were also a couple times where a hike was optional and some people opted to sip coffee and admire a view without hiking. It’s also possible to skip an activity if it doesn’t involve moving to the next destination. Always remember that this is YOUR vacation.

I don’t remember dragging my luggage all that far to hotels. Sometimes we were dropped right at the hotel, other times we walked a bit (sometimes uphill). Most of the hotels had elevators, but a couple did not. Pack light!

It’s really not “unceasing activity.” We often had the afternoon free to do what we liked. This can be strenuous or relaxed - your choice! I spent at least one afternoon relaxing at the laundromat LOL. There was also a full day “off” - some hiked, others had a leisurely day in town.

There were also plenty of bus “interludes” on this trip, as well as a couple of lovely boat rides.

If you enjoyed the Eastern France tour, I think you would like this one (although I see that EF is rated less active than VI). Only you can judge whether this is appropriate for you.