Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing to spokesperson Bari Rosenow, “Country Walkers is all about slowing down, enjoying
the pleasures of camaraderie, and immersing yourself in authentic experiences and stunning
scenery.”
Following breakfast, where you'll be versed on the day's route, you'll walk for several
miles, taking lunch in a village or on a trailside picnic. Each day's route is chosen to showcase
a region's best attributes, including stops to taste wines at local vineyards, say, or at the home
of a woman who shares homemade bread, cheese, and dried figs.
Country Walkers has been around for 28 years and is the only American company that
specializes only in walking tours (many other companies such as Backroads or Boundless
Journeys offer walking tours in addition to biking and multisport tours). Country Walkers
must be doing something right, because repeat customers are a huge part of their business. It
even has an Encore Loyalty program, à la frequent flyer programs, where you get special bo-
nuses after so many trips. After 12 trips, for example, you can take a companion for half price
on your next trip; after 15, you get a trip for free. Encore members also get first dibs on what
the company calls “prototype trips”—trips that haven't been officially offered on the web-
site, because perhaps the kinks are still being worked out. Some of Country Walkers' North
American itineraries include a six-day walking trip to Quebec City and the Charlevoix, where
you'll explore evergreen forests, rolling meadows, and little villages along the St. Lawrence
River, and an Arizona all-women's adventure that explores the high desert landscape.
The typical price for a 6-day North American trip is $2,198. Prices overall range from
$1,948 for a 4-day trip in Tuscany to $5,298 for an 11-day trip to Chile or South Africa. A
6-day North American trip ranges in price from $2,198 to $2,598.
Country
Walkers,
P.O.
Box
180,
Waterbury,
VT
05676,
800-464-9255,
www.countrywalkers.com.
