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Appendix B includes contact details for each region’s public transport providers.

The Piazza and tower in Valfabbrica (Stage 14)

When to go

April to June and mid-August through October are the best times to walk the Way of St Francis. During these months the temperatures range from mild to hot and the rainfall is at its lowest. The weeks between 1 July and 15 August are historically the hottest of the year and are best avoided unless you’re ready for very warm temperatures.

The month of August – particularly its last weeks – is when Italians take their own holidays. For the last 2000 years Italians have celebrated Ferragosto – a two-week holiday at the end of August when Italians close their shops and retreat to the mountains and beaches. It is not unusual for small businesses and restaurants to be closed the entire month, but shops dependent on tourism (or pilgrimage) business will most always remain open.

Due to the winter climate of the highlands and the likelihood of heavy rain and snow, a pilgrimage between November and March on certain portions of the Way of St Francis is unwise. The possibility of trail washouts, overflowing streams and signage lost due to snow – not to mention the danger of hypothermia and getting lost – outweigh any advantages of walking in these months. Likewise, walking in the shoulder months of November and April can mean that some accommodation is not yet open for the season and that tiny creeks mentioned here may be swollen with the rains and snowmelt.