Active travel is having a moment, and for good reason. After being cooped up and held back by Covid, active Boomer-ettes are aching to get out and have a vacation full of physical activity and adventure.
Enter the planned group hiking trip. In the years before Covid, I went on four week-long hiking trips and I loved them! There were about 16 people in each group with two guides and a driver. The guides were professional, safe and accommodating. We hiked through gorgeous scenery. It was invigorating and completely do-able (you can choose a hiking trip to fit your fitness level). The food was amazing and the hotels were usually very good.
I can’t wait to go again and am considering a trip to Greece in Spring 2024.
My first two trips were with Backroads, one to Croatia and the other to Yosemite.
For my third and fourth trips, I traveled with VBT (Vermont Bicycle Tours) to Italy. (VBT used to have both biking and hiking tours, but their hiking tours are now run by their sister company, Country Walkers.) We spent a week hiking around the Lake Region in Northern Italy (yes, we saw George and Amal’s place on Lake Como!) and the second week along the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
These trips were absolutely amazing! While I traveled with a good friend on all four, I would have been completely comfortable as a single. Read on to find out why…
Is it weird vacationing with a bunch of people you don’t know?
I was a little worried about this. What if I didn’t like these people? I’m not the most extroverted person ever. I needn’t have worried. The other hikers were similar to me – well-traveled professionals in their 40s, 50s and 60s who were interested in staying fit, eating healthily and well, and seeing some amazing sights on a trip meticulously planned by someone else.
The other hikers were couples, women on girls’ trips, family members of the couples, and a few singles. It was like meeting a group of like-minded instant friends.
Here’s how much I bonded with these people – at the end of my first trip (to Croatia), I literally started crying as we were saying goodbye to the other guests (and I’m not that sentimental!). They were just such great people and we had so many wonderful experiences together, we got really close really fast.
I met a wonderful man on the Italian Lakes hiking trip and we had a romance back in the States. I’m still in touch with him and his family who were also on the trip. While I didn’t love every single person on all four trips, I liked almost all of them and that was a really nice surprise.
Was the hiking difficult?
Not really. I’m used to getting my 10,000 steps a day, spending time on the treadmill and doing some yoga, and at my fitness level I found the hikes really do-able. On some days the hikes were longer and more strenuous than others, but you could skip that day if you wanted and spend it at the hotel pool. There was always a hike in the morning after breakfast, then lunch, then a drive to the next location, and sometimes an afternoon hike before dinner.
Helpful hint: The hiking companies rate the difficulty of the hikes, so you can choose according to your fitness level.
Was it expensive?
Backroads was a little more expensive than VBT and the hotels were a little bit better, but I didn’t feel it was worth the extra cost. Both companies provided well-planned and guided hikes, comfortable shuttles to the next destination, and snacks and most meals.
Country Walkers has a Greece trip for 7 days for about $4,000 per person (double occupancy) excluding air fare (which I do myself anyway with points). If I go as a single and agree to be paired with a roommate of the same gender, I can avoid the dreaded single supplement (where the trip would cost me $8,000 since I would be occupying the hotel space of two people).
I’ve also heard good things about Exodus Travels. Their “Walking on the Greek Islands” tour is $2,349 for 8 days (per person, double occupancy).
Since I liked most of the people on all four of my previous trips, and since we didn’t spend much time in our rooms anyway, I think I’ll opt for the roommate. If they can’t find me a roommate, they waive the single supplement.
Couldn’t I just plan it myself and save the money?
No, you could not! 😊 After our morning hikes, we stopped for lunch at places like a 500-year-old farmhouse (Croatia) and a family restaurant practically hanging off a cliff (Amalfi Coast). The food, the locations, the company – absolutely fantastic. I never would have been able to plan these on my own. Let the experts do it.
How do I plan a trip like this?
TourRadar is an excellent website to help you plan your hiking trip.
Carefully consider the time of year and expected weather, since you’ll be hiking outside. Our trip to Croatia was at the end of August and it was pretty hot. Late September would have been better since I’m not a huge fan of the heat.
What should I pack?
Go to REI. You are a hiker now! We took Columbia brand cropped hiking pants and Dry-Fit shirts we could wash in the shower in the evenings and hang to dry. We each brought a sun dress and sandals to wear at dinner. We bought light weight hiking boots well in advance and broke them in before we left. And very important – we brought several pairs of expensive CoolMax merino wool socks to prevent blisters – don’t scrimp on these. (I like Bridgedale and REI brands.) We had lightweight backpacks by Osprey with water “bladders” and rubber drinking tubes we could easily access.
Pro Travel Tip: PACK LIGHT.
It is a thrill to pack light. Do it. Feel smug. Feel happy. Enjoy the ease of a light suitcase. How many times have you come home from a vacation and not worn half of what you packed? Yep, those were the olden days. Not anymore. I will NEVER check my bag again and risk the airline losing it. Overhead carry-on is the only way to travel. (I love my Samsonite Bartlett medium spinner.)
Ok, my fellow Boomer-ettes, are you feeling inspired? Let’s hike!
