I believe my husband & I are in good enough shape to walk the miles this tour requires (even though we are 69 & 78). We regularly walk & golf about 4 miles)- but it’s flat. Only some occasionally knee issues going downhill for my husband. Can anyone who’s done this tour give advice? Thanks so much.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14825 posts
There is not really a lot of hill walking on this tour. I think Assisi and Siena are the hilliest locations and those are day trips.
Four miles is excellent but I would add some stairs in if that is possible unless you have some hills in your area. If you live in a flat location is there a building with stairs you can walk a couple of times a week? Has your husband tried using a hiking pole for an assist on descents? That can sometimes take strain off a knee.
Posted by
Tucson
4183 posts
Pam remembers this tour differently than I do. ;-)
The Village Italy tour visits some charming hill towns. I don't remember many stairs, but do remember lots of steep cobblestone slopes with no hand rails to use at all. That wasn't a big deal going up, but going down was another issue for my cranky knees. This was common in towns, cities and other locations or where the bus had to park some distance from where we were going.
Our tour was in 2017, so maybe things have changed. Jane in Sapulpa OK who was in much better shape than me on this tour wrote a trip report that told the truth about the physical challenges of this tour. Hopefully you can find it.
Yes, a hiking pole or 2 would've been helpful. One of my biggest disappointments was the lack of accessibility to the truffle hunting dog demo. It was described as being in a field. The "field" was down a steep hill with exceedingly rough clods of dirt. By the time I picked my way down to the action, it was over. Going back up was easier.
I chose to stay at the villa instead of going to Siena partly because I'd been there before, but mostly because the group was going to walk up to the town instead of taking the escalators we used the first time I went (on a day tour from Florence).
I'm not trying to scare you off, but I'll recommend that you both have good quality lightweight hiking boots that support your ankles. The last thing you need is to turn an ankle and fall.
I'd also recommend that you get good travel insurance that includes medical coverage with medevac back home. I'm now 78 and I've been getting it for many years. It's pricey, especially if you're over 75, but I see it as a form of asset protection.