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In terms of transport and accommodation, with the odd exception, it is safe to say that Stages 1–13 are suitable from spring through to autumn, whereas the latter part (Stages 14–23) is limited to midsummer as most higher altitude refuges don’t start opening until June.

In terms of Italian public holidays, in addition to the Christmas–New Year period and Easter, people have time off on 6 January, 25 April, 1 May, 2 June, 15 August, 1 November and 8 December. At those times buses are less frequent and accommodation best booked ahead.

Accommodation

There are plenty of comfortable places to stay along the GEA thanks to an excellent string of family-run hotels (most with en suite bathrooms), alpine-style refuges, walkers’ hostels and rooms at monasteries, unfailingly welcoming places at the end of a long day on the trail. These enable walkers to proceed unencumbered by camping gear. Roughly speaking two-thirds of the GEA stages end at a hotel and the remaining third at a refuge. The accommodation options are shown as a yellow house symbol on the sketch maps. All have a restaurant and many offer the mezza pensione half board option. Costing around €40–60 per person this includes overnight stay, breakfast and a set three-course dinner (drinks excluded), invariably an excellent deal. Naturally other options such as B&B are also possible. Foodies may prefer to eat à la carte as a greater range of local specialties could be on offer.