Explore your surroundings in the most relaxing way imaginable on foot... culture cuisine history sightseeing 2020 HOLIDAYS explore the world gently European holidays worth taking your time over. 2 United Kingdom 13 The Isles of Scilly 14 Coast & Country Houses of Norfolk 15 Gardens of the Channel Islands 16 Northumberland’s Coast & Castles 17 The Outer Hebrides 18 The Shetland Islands France, Spain & Portugal 19 Loire - Châteaux & Vineyards, France 20 La Belle France, France 21 Postcards from Provence, France Welcome to the 22 Magnificent Mont Blanc, France 23 Picnic in the Pyrenees, Spain 24 Pazos & Gardens of Galicia, Spain charm of Adagio 25 Flavours of Hidden Spain, Spain 26 Gateway to the Sierra Nevada, Spain When you choose our characterful holidays with Adagio, you choose a more 27 Catalan Explorer, Spain relaxing way to explore. One where we’ve perfected the art of taking our time. 28 A Castle in Catalonia, Spain Embracing the simple pleasure of having a moment or two to engage with 29 Step into Lagos - An Algarve Retreat, Portugal everything that surrounds us. To make more meaningful connections with local 30 Historic Portuguese Cities by people, culture, customs and cuisine, so you can enjoy a more authentic holiday the Sea, Portugal experience with time to relax, reflect and reconnect at your own pace. 31 Portugal by Train, Portugal 32 Medieval Portugal, Portugal Italy Quality over quantity One step at a time 33 Stylish Umbria We don’t rush from place to place, getting The world is better seen on foot, and with 34 Lake Como Gardens & Villas hung up on seeing every site in the guide book. each of our holidays being truly unique, the 35 Artistic Umbria We simply press the pause button. Why rush? amount of ambling involved will depend on 36 The Delightful Dolomites There’s so much more to see when you let the holiday you choose. Whether you are 37 Bologna - La Grassa the world gently unfold right in front of you. wandering through chocolate-box villages in 38 Montalbano’s Sicily Whether that’s watching the local fishermen France, strolling through unspoilt countryside 39 Dobbiaco & the Tre Cime land the catch of the day, sipping coffee with in Switzerland, or weaving your way past Greece, Cyprus & Malta the locals in a town square or waking up to resplendent architecture in Italy, it is all done 40 Majestic Malta, Malta the sound of waves lapping at the shore, with at a relaxed pace. 41 A Greek Experience, Greece Adagio there’s always time to enjoy the view. More active? 42 An Ionian Jewel, Corfu, Greece Strolling on foot, under the guidance of your Our Adagio Plus holidays are great if you are 43 Cyprus Delight, Cyprus Adagio Leader, we explore in small intimate seeking a more active holiday experience, Sweden, Switzerland & Austria groups. You can meander through some with a slightly more challenging terrain, but 44 The Lazy Alps, Switzerland of Europe’s timeless cities, savouring the still wish to keep the essence of our easy 45 A Swiss Summer, Switzerland sights of formidable fortresses, captivating going pace. 46 Zermatt & the Mighty cathedrals and winding lanes. Head out into Matterhorn, Switzerland the countryside for landscapes of terraced Look out for this symbol on the 47 The Austrian Lake District, Austria vineyards, flourishing forests and imposing following pages (see page 11). 48 The Zugspitz Arena, Austria mountain peaks. And of course, enjoy stunning 49 Summer Days in Stockholm, Sweden scenery with a selection of holidays closer to For details on our ‘Mediterranean home in the UK. This philosophy of slow travel, Switzerland’ holiday, please see website. is relaxing for you and respectful to local life. New Adagio holidays With Adagio, it’s as much about the journey as Amble through our brochure Adagio Plus holidays it is the destination. to discover more... 3 The Adagio difference keeps us one step ahead. 4 A perfect blend of ingredients for exploring gently We want to make your holiday with us the best you’ve ever had. That’s why we go that extra mile to ensure everything is just as it should be and our passion for travel rich experiences shines with every step you take. It’s the Adagio difference and what keeps our customers coming back for more. Small welcoming groups & expert tour leaders What’s included? On an Adagio holiday, the showing is telling, as we take you on a journey of discovery. From the quaint villages and captivating coastline surrounding the UK to the sweeping lakeside towns Almost all our holidays include flights and snow-capped mountain hamlets of Europe, we’ll help you to discover each destination at a more leisurely pace. Sharing experiences with others simply makes travel more memorable or rail travel from the UK, airport and our holidays have a great mix of people looking for discovery and camaraderie. Travelling transfers, the services of your Adagio in small groups, enjoying the infectious enthusiasm, dinner table conversation of your travelling Leader, breakfast and most (if not all) companions, being able to walk away from the crowds and see the world as a local, make the dinners and the occasional lunch. experience so much the better. Our Adagio Leaders, who accompany you on each holiday, are there to inform and inspire, transforming every good holiday into a great one. We include as many of the local Handpicked Hotels & travel costs, entrance fees and local Mouth-watering Meals guides as we can, but we also allow Inspiring Itineraries We choose hotels with charm and character. for some flexibility (see page 52). For us it is the welcome and atmosphere that Every holiday has a carefully crafted are the most important. As for the food…well itinerary to allow you to see and that’s what you travel for isn’t it? experience each destination from the inside out. We aim to seek out authentic cuisine wherever we go, from local restaurants to Whether strolling through the heather side street tavernas. Put these together and covered mountains of the Outer you have the perfect blend of ingredients for Hebrides or the most fragrant and a great holiday. spectacular gardens of Galicia, we venture far from the tourist trail to get more out of every destination. Whilst we will do our best to make sure that everything we mention is included, the order in which we do things might change, owing to local conditions. And if you want to do your own thing at any time, that’s also fine. 5 Taking time to tread carefully. 6 Our story of ethical and responsible travel For more than 70 years our parent company RWH Travel has been educating and encouraging everyone to look after our world today, for others to experience tomorrow. We use our profits to support charities, conservation projects and communities in the UK and abroad. And by keeping our walking groups small, we can minimise the impact we have on the environment. Ramblers Holidays Charitable Trust Assurance & We have invested millions of pounds to support outdoor charities and initiatives Peace of Mind for conservation projects and communities in the UK. As a safe and reliable travel partner, we’ll keep you walking through today’s changeable The RHCT also supports The Ramblers climate. We are fully bonded with and and smaller charities that provide outdoor regulated by all the major travel authorities. experiences for the ATOL, ABTA & AITO ensure you get the holiday disadvantaged, the service and protection you can trust. disabled and inner- city children. We also protect you against all currency fluctuations and with no credit or debit card Walking Partnership Heart & Sole fees, we’ll look after you and your money. This initiative provides direct financial Led by our office staff, this venture aims support to walking clubs in the UK. If you to reach the heart of communities in the sign up for the scheme, your walking group countries we visit. will receive a donation every time you or one Over the years Heart & Sole has given of its members books a holiday with us, as equipment to remote village schools, helped well as other great benefits. Remember to with animal welfare and aided places affected nominate your group each time you book. by natural disasters. By travelling with us Find out more at you can help make a difference to those www.thewalkingpartnership.org.uk communities too. A Caring Ethos Caring about the places we travel to and the communities who live there means the world to us. We try to limit our impact by leaving only gentle footprints and approach all that we do as ethically as possible. At home and abroad we try to support family-run hotels and use local suppliers for the benefit of all. We also ask you to bring only reusable filtered water bottles and avoid using plastic bottles and bags on your travels. From our unique and environmentally friendly head office, we generate our own electricity. We are mindful of our impact on the world and hope to inspire others to share these values too. 7 Small groups and great leaders, authentic experiences best shared. The best things come in small packages and our walking groups prove just Explore in great company that. They offer security, friendship and a shared love for travel. And for Singles, couples and friends, you will added peace of mind, everything is taken care of thanks to the dedication and holiday with people from all walks of expert guidance of our Adagio Leaders, so you can leave all the planning and life, which makes the experience all the more interesting.