Wayfarers Sets Course for Italy and France in 2008

New Walk through Loire Valley among Ten Extraordinary Walks This Summer and Fall

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. October 14, 2008

NEWPORT, RI, March 31, 2008. Novels like Under the Tuscan Sun and A Year in Provence have captured travelers' collective imagination with images of sun-filled days sipping wine in village caf'es or strolls in a countryside renowned for its cuisine and beauty. The Wayfarers, one of the top adventure companies of walking vacations, wraps these singular pleasures in ten Walks through Italy and France that capture each country's history, scenery, cuisine and culture. New this year is The Loire: River of the Kings, a seven-day Walk featuring accommodations in a 15th-century chateau-fortress and a sail on the fabled Loire. The Wayfarers, named one of the "Best Outfitters on Earth" by National Geographic Adventure, marks its 25th season with 83 diverse walks through 15 countries. All Wayfarers Walks are US dollar guaranteed, so travelers can book with no worries about fluctuating exchange rates. Prices quoted are based on double occupancy; single supplements are available.

"Every aspect of a Wayfarers walk is hand-crafted, with daily walking ranging from three-five hours per day" said Christopher Hague, co-Founder of The Wayfarers. "One of the most distinguishing aspects of the experience is the accommodations. From a 12th-century nobleman's Tuscan townhouse to a 15th-century chateau-fortress in the Loire Valley, our chosen accommodations add a layer of history and authenticity not often found by today's travelers."

Four Walks Focused on France

---|o The Historic Dordogne - June 15 - 21 and Sept. 7 - 13: History and gastronomy come together on this seven-day Walk through the Dordogne region in Southwestern France. Highlights include stays in a coaching inn in Perigord Noir and a charming period mansion at Roque Gageac. Rated moderate to energetic, priced $3,595 per person.

---|o Art de Vivre in Provence - May 18 - 24; June 15 -21; Sept. 28 - Oct. 4 and Oct. 19 - 25: Participants follow the sun that inspired the Impressionists in this seven-day walk that includes accommodations in a 17th-century mill, a farmhouse and a renovated Renaissance cloister. Rated moderate to energetic, priced $3,995 per person.

---|o The Loire: River of the Kings - June 1-7 and Aug. 17 - 23: This new seven-day walk traces a path through the storied Loire valley, including visits to a Troglodyte wine cellar and the privately owned Chateau de Breze. Rated moderate, priced $3,795 per person.

---|o Barging in Burgundy - Oct. 12 - 18; Oct. 19 - 25: The Renaissance ch^ateaux towns of Tonnerre, Tanley and Ancy-le-France are highlights of this seven-day luxury barge voyage that includes a private wine-tasting in a 12th-century cellar. Rated easy, priced $4,590 per person.

Six Walks through Italy

---|o Cinque Terre & The Riviera - June 15 - 21 and Sept. 21 - 27 (women only): A former Franciscan monastery and a clifftop retreat originally built for the doges of Genoa are among the accommodations on this seven-day walk highlighting the pathways and rocky terraces of the "Five Lands" forged by the Romans as trade routes. Rated energetic on varied terrain, priced $3,795 per person.

---|o Lakes Como, Maggiore & Lugano - June 8 - 14; July 20 - 26; Sept. 28 - Oct. 4: Four extraordinary hotels built in the Gilded Age of Elegance feature on this seven-day walk with waterside paths and alpine trails of up to 10,000 feet. Participants cross the border on foot and spend a night in Switzerland. Rated energetic, priced $3,795 per person.

---|o Sicily, Mt. Etna & Aeolian Islands - May 3 - 10; Oct. 18 - 25: Four elegantly restored historic hotels featuring frescoes and antiques with locations overlooking the Sicilian Sea are highlights of this walk through fabled Sicily. A crossroads and point of contention for thousands of years, Sicily's strategic location attracted Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards and French whose presence is still felt in the diverse Sicilian architecture, ranging from ancient temples and Greek theatres to Roman villas and Baroque churches. Rated energetic, priced $3,995 per person.

---|o The Amalfi Coast & Isle of Capri - May 11 - 17; May 25 - 31; Sept. 21 - 27 and Oct. 12 - 18: This seven-day walk spotlights the splendid land of Southern Italy, playground to centuries of Roman nobility, artists, writers and film stars. Highlights include lunch on the Isle of Capri, accommodations in a second-century Roman Villa and a visit to ancient Pompeii in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. Rated energetic, priced $3,995 per person.

---|o Tuscan Villas, Wines & Cuisine - June 1 -7, Sept. 14 - 20 and Oct. 5 - 11: This seven-day walk through Tuscany includes a Brunello wine tasting and cooking lesson on an organic farm, stays in a 300-year-old villa overlooking the Orcia Valley and Renaissance monastery in Pienza, and visits to the hilltop towns of Montepulciano and Montichiello. Rated moderate, priced $3,795 per person,

---|o Tuscany & Umbria - June 22 - 28 and Sept. 7 - 13: A 12th-century nobleman's townhouse, a manor house in the heart of a winery, and a restored watermill at Monte Subasio are among the distinctive accommodations on this seven-day walk that includes private tastings of Chianti, olive oil and honey and visits to the hilltop villages of Monteriggioni, Cortona and Montefalco. Rated energetic, priced $3,795 per person.