High Gargano

What sort of weather can I expect?

Meteorological records for the area, taken over a period of more than 10 years, are represented in the Weather Chart provided
with each itinerary. Because of its easterly position, weather in the Gargano can be extremely variable, particularly in April. It can be cold, wet, warm and dry - all in one day (bring layers). The major draw of April however is the astonishing display of flowers, some unique to this area. In May and June the Puglian coast will normally be warm and dry, though with cooling breezes, and nights can still be cool. Walking could be either in shorts or trousers, and an extra layer is recommended for evenings or after swimming. In September and October the temperatures will still be generally very warm and settled, though again with cooling coastal breezes; and the sea still warm for swimming. Puglia is the driest region in Italy - but bring a waterproof just in case!

What sort of walking can I expect?

This is an 8-day trip with walks offered on 6 days. The length of each day varies from 3.5 to 8 hours walking. Hours of walking, which may vary from individual to individual, means hours of actual walking and does not include stops for lunch, sightseeing – or swimming!

The fitness level of this trip is Grade 3-4. The terrain includes farm and forest tracks through woods, scrub and olive groves; meadows and beaches; and quiet surfaced lanes. Some of the walking is limestone terrain, occasionally rocky, for which walking boots with a firm sole and ankle support are recommended. There are also a few sharp descents and ascents. The use of trekking poles is highly recommended on this trip.

There is moderate climbing throughout, and on Day 2 you undertake the strenuous ascent of Mont Sant’Angelo (2,755ft),
climbing approximately 800m from sea level to the highest town on the peninsula. Day 6 is long but rewarding.

What if I don't want to walk?

You don’t have to! You can get a lift with the Route Manager to the next hotel when your bags are moved on, or we can arrange taxis and advise you of local transport options to facilitate shortening the walks.

How do I get to the start of the route?

Travel to Italy

The recommended destination airports for this route are Bari, Pescara or Naples. All airports have good connections to their local train stations. Please visit www.trenitalia.com (select English language) for train timetables. Whichever airport you fly into, you will need to travel to Foggia and from there take a bus to Manfredonia, if travelling by public transport. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please remember to validate any train ticket you purchase in Italy before you board the train by stamping it in the yellow or green and white machine at the entrance to the platform; your ticket is not valid for travel unless you do this and you can be fined if you fail to do so. 

Travel from the Airport by Public Transport

Bari Airport to Foggia: 

Train: There are regular buses from Bari airport to Bari central station (30 mins, from €4) and from here, there are regular trains to Foggia (1-1.5 hours; €10- €13).  For timetables, see http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en.  From Foggia, see below. 

Bus: there is a direct bus service from Bari airport to Foggia train station leaving at  9.30 - 12.30 - 15.30 - 18.30. Journey time 1.5 hours. Check timetables at  www.metaurobus.it  (click ‘Orari’ and ‘Puglia airbus’). 

Taxi: from Bari to Manfredonia costs from €150 (€200 for larger parties/minivan). Prices may be higher on Sundays and public holidays.

Pescara airport to Foggia:  

Train: Take bus no. 38, departing every 15 minutes, from the terminal to the train station in the centre of Pescara (tickets are sold at the automatic machine in the terminal arrivals area). From the station there are trains to Foggia approximately every hour (journey time from 1.5 hours,  €24-€36). For timetables, see http://www.trenitalia.com/tcom-en. 

Taxi: from Pescara to Manfredonia costs from €250. Prices may be higher on Sundays and public holidays.

Naples Airport to Foggia: 

First you must get to Naples Central Train station - there are bus shuttles every 20 mins which cost €1.30. You can buy tickets on board the bus or also at the Sun Store shop in the airport. Taxis are also readily available.

Bus: From Naples central train station in Piazza Garibaldi, there is an hourly bus to Foggia train station (2 hrs; approx. €11).  See www.clpbus.it for timetables.  

Alternatively, there are 1-2 departures per day direct from the airport to Foggia. Timetables here:

www.flixbus.it. Tickets can be purchased online (slightly cheaper) or on board.

Train: there are trains but these involve one or two changes, often to a bus service and can take between 3 to 6 hours, so we recommend the bus service.

Foggia to Manfredonia by Bus: There are regular (hourly) buses from Foggia train station to Manfredonia. Timetable: www.sitasudtrasporti.it or www.trenitalia.com. The journey is approx. 40 minutes and the ticket, which costs approx. 3 €, can be purchased in the tobacco shop at the train station or from the “Bar Kiwi” in the Piazza della Stazione. 

Please note: many timetables in Italy are only offered in Italian, so the following may be useful: 

Fer(iale) - Monday to Saturday 

Giorn(aliero) - Every day including Sunday and bank holidays

Fest(ivo) Sunday and bank holidays

Alternatively, the Ferrovie del Gargano bus company has buses departing from Foggia train station to Manfredonia train station at the following times: 10.00, 11.30, 13.35, 14.05, 16.50. 19.15 and 20.55.  

Once you arrive at Manfredonia station, you can either take a taxi to your hotel (see below) or you can walk from the bus stop to your first hotel along the seafront promenade (see below); approximately 1.7km.

FOGGIA TO MANFREDONIA BY TAXI: If you prefer to take a taxi between Foggia and the first hotel, the office will be pleased to book this for you (journey time 30 mins; from €40 or €60 for larger parties/minivan). This is a special price negotiated with the local driver we use – you can even make the booking directly if you prefer, his name is GIANCARLO CIOCIOLA, and contact details are as follows: Tel: +393355316621, e-mail: autonoleggiciociola@tiscali.it.

FIRST HOTEL

From Manfredonia station: For buses to the hotel you can take the LINEA 5 (line/number 5) from the bus stop on the same side of the road as the station. Tickets can be bought from Bar della Stazione on the opposite side of the road, no. 64. It is a short journey and the hotel is along the seafront. To walk (1.7km): From the train station turn R along the main road and after 400m, at the big junction with green public tap, don't cross the zebra crossing but turn R and follow the seafront for 1.2 km. Hotel Panorama del Golfo is on your R.

If you prefer to take a taxi for this last stretch, you will find taxi numbers under Manfredonia in your Route Booklet. If, however, you are arriving in Manfredonia on a Sunday (when activity in the town is at a minimum!) we would recommend pre-booking your taxi. The office will happily organise this for you. Alternatively; if you are unsure of your travel connections in advance, ask the office to pass on the Route Manager’s mobile number so that you can liaise directly with him/her to organise a taxi once you have embarked on your train journey and have a clearer idea of your ETA in Manfredonia.

Taxi Bookings

Please place your booking with the ATG office at least two weeks before departure. The cost of the taxi will be confirmed to you once the booking is secured. Payment of the taxi fare should be made locally, not to ATG. The driver will have your flight details and will be waiting in Arrivals with a sign showing your name or ATG.

• If you change your flight please notify us on 01865 315678 so we can contact the taxi company to reschedule the taxi for you. 

• If, on the day of departure, your flight is cancelled or you miss or change it, please immediately contact the ATG emergency number 01865 315600 so we can contact the taxi company to reschedule or cancel the taxi for you. 

• If your flight is delayed and you have arranged for the taxi to meet you at the destination airport, your taxi driver will wait for you. 

• If you are delayed and you have arranged for a taxi to meet you at a non airport location (e.g. train station) it is essential that you contact your Route Manager or call the ATG emergency line to notify us at the earliest possible moment, so we can contact the taxi company to re-schedule or cancel the taxi for you. 

• Please note that failure to advise ATG that you cannot meet the taxi booked for you, may result in the taxi costs being passed back to you.

Important: Taxi prices quoted apply to the local firm used regularly by ATG – and are guaranteed only if you book through the office in advance. If you get a taxi off a taxi rank please ask the driver to confirm the price for the journey before departing.

Where can I leave my car if I drive to the route?

Cars can be left in the car park of the Hotel Panorama del Golfo free of charge, at the owners’ own risk.

What should I bring?

Bring whatever clothes and footwear you find most comfortable for everyday wear, and a change or two for the evenings – smart/casual.
Some trips include quite distinguished hotels and restaurants, for which you may wish to ‘dress up’ in the evening, however on Independent trips you have more flexibility in determining how casual you wish to be. For walking we recommend lightweight walking boots with firm ankle support (make sure you wear them in before the trip!), a small daypack for your lightweight waterproof clothing, camera, fleece etc. An increasing number of people bring telescopic walking poles. For a comprehensive packing list click here: what to bring

What sort of food can I expect?

The cuisine of Puglia, like all the regions of Italy, is based on its geography – the inland arable plains producing the wheat for the local pasta, and the coast providing the seafood for which the area is renowned. On the broad coastal plain south of Manfredonia, abundant vegetables are grown, such as pomodori (tomatoes), melanzane (aubergines) and zucchini
(courgettes) which are widely used in antipasti, etc.

Puglia has a huge variety of pastas, some made without the addition of eggs (the area is, traditionally, poor and much of the traditional cuisine reflects this), including orecchiette (‘little ears’) troccoli and mignuicchi (home-made gnocchi). The most traditional pasta dish is perhaps orecchiette con cima di rape, its sauce based on (literally) ‘turnip tops’ – a richly-flavoured
green that the recipe often combines with anchovies for even greater depth of flavour.

Another very simple traditional dish is a puree made from boiled dried broad beans, served with cima di rape, this humble ensemble seasoned with fresh olive oil and crumbled, dried wild
fennel flowers.

Savoury breads and pastries are popular and include such specialities as taralli, rings of dried baked bread, sometimes infused with fennel seed or chilli. Puglian bread is good – unlike in Tuscany and much of Umbria, salt is used in the recipe, making for a good tasty dough! The Pugliesi are fond of their sweet pastry desserts.

The coast is a source of shellfish such as cuttlefish, mussels, sea bass, calamari, sea bream and clams, whilst further inland (eg in Monte Sant’Angelo) more meat can be found on the menu.

Read our blog on 'Flavours of the Gargano'

Breakfast

Most of the hotels we use offer a buffet-style breakfast with a wide range of both hot and cold choices. 4- and 5-star hotels almost always offer ‘cooked’ breakfast. Occasionally, in more remote areas, or in some 2 or 3-star hotels, breakfast can be a decidedly more ‘Continental’ affair – i.e. bread, croissant, juice, coffee.

Lunch

The ATG Route Booklets and our ‘Sustainable Shopping Guides’ are filled with information about markets and shops in which to buy your lunch. From seasonal fruits, local cheeses, cured hams and freshly baked breads, you are limited only by what you can carry in your pack!

Dinner

On some routes, usually where there is no other restaurant within walking distance, half-board accommodation is included (see ‘what is included’ for this trip). In other areas where there is a selection of restaurants, ATG includes a list of recommendations in your ATG Route Booklet. Some restaurants are recommended because they have provided meals that have been regularly enjoyed by ATG clients; other restaurants are renowned internationally (e.g., within the Guide Michelin).

Restaurant bookings

Your Route Manager will be delighted to book restaurants for you if required, ensuring the places you eat at are...

•Your first choice

•The highest standard

• The best value

...and you are not disappointed by finding the restaurant full.

Wine

Puglia is one of Italy’s largest wine producers (growing almost one fifth of the country’s wine), much of which is consumed locally, or goes north to Piemonte to be used in the production of
Vermouth. More recently the emphasis has been placed on producing wines of greater quality, and the region now has over 20 DOCs. Around the Gargano Peninsula grow the wines of La Capitanata – middle-weight reds and light whites, whilst further south, around Lecce, heavier reds and fine rosés are more common.

Several of our independent routes  pass through well-known wine producing regions. If you are particularly interested in wine you may also like to consider...

• Classic Alsace

• Provence: Vaucluse & the Lubéron

• Tuscany & Siena

• Siena to Florence

• Southern Tuscany

• Tuscan Hills

• Ancient Volcanic Landscapes

• Roman Roads to Orvieto

• Etruscan Lanes to Orvieto

• Umbria & Assisi

• Sintra & the Portuguese Coast

What if I have a dietary restriction or food allergy?

When you book, let us know about any restrictions. Most dietary restrictions do not present a problem on our routes due to the wide variety of shops and restaurants available. Your Route Manager will provide you with advice and recommendations at your briefing.

What should I bring to wear in the evenings?

There is no need to dress up at any of the eateries on this route. The area is casual.

Do the hotels have WIFI, hair dryers, laundry service?

All do except for Masseria Sgarrazza and Rifugio Sfilzi.

How much should I budget for items not included?

You can get an idea of transport costs in the ‘getting there’ section of
the trip page. For lunches, costs will depend on whether you choose to buy picnic items or eat in bars/restaurants. Dinners: some are included (see ‘what’s included’). For evening meals not included, the route book provides restaurant recommendations to suit a wide range of budgets. Entrance fees to museums, churches, galleries and other sightseeing costs will vary considerably depending on how much you want to see and how old you are (!). Over 60s enjoy significantly reduced prices at many attractions, so it is worth carrying (safely) some form of identification showing your age. Other costs are items of a personal nature, shopping expenditure and transport if you choose to limit your walking with public transport or taxis.

City Tax (Italy only)

In March 2011, the Italian legislature passed a decree that created a new tourism tax to be paid by visitors to Italy and collected by the accommodation where they are staying. The purpose is to raise revenue that municipalities can use to maintain local facilities and infrastructure and to help in the preservation of cultural and historical treasures, all of which benefits tourists. The roll-out of the tax has been gradual, with each council determining the way in which it should be implemented. First introduced in the big cities, since 2012
the tax has been introduced by many other town councils. The tax is charged by guest per night, with an upper limit to the number of nights that can be charged. The rate (usually €1-2 Euros per person per night) is determined by the rating of the accommodation. This tax is not included in the price of independent holidays but where applicable will be payable direct to your hotel in cash.

What if I want to extend my trip?

We are delighted to book extensions for you at either end of your trip. We only book hotels with which we have an established relationship and where we can ensure a high level of service and enjoyment. If you would like an extension booking please indicate this during the booking process and we will contact you with pricing information.

Where can I find general FAQs?

For FAQs relating to the Company and general trip questions, click here