Alpine Trails

-- SINCE 1973 --

- Destination Profiles -

About · 2012 · Before You Decide · Contact Us

About Alpine Trails

Welcome to our website!

We'd like to tell you a little about ourselves. Organized in 1973, we've managed to stay successfully small and highly personalized. Since that time, Alpine Trails has specialized in hiking in the Swiss and Italian Alps. More recently, we've added superb destinations in the French and Austrian Alps. Our repeat ratio continues to average 80-90%.

The number of repeaters — some with more than twenty trips — tells us that we have found a comfortable niche — active outdoor people who also appreciate a high level of creature comforts and "hands on" care while in the mountains. We limit our hiking trips to 12 guests. Our carefully chosen hiking destinations — many virtually unknown to Americans — are beloved of experienced European vacationers. We have never aimed at bigness but rather at offering highly personalized trips to a small, appreciative audience.

Probably the most important reason for our unprecedented customer loyalty is Fred Jacobson. Fred personally leads all our trips and has had a fifty year love affair with the Alps, going back to his school days. He was the first American to climb all 4,000-meter peaks of the Swiss Valais and the first American to be awarded a gold medal for lifetime achievement by the Swiss guides. He has hiked more than 30,000 miles throughout Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and France, knowing many of the areas better than most of the locals. He has skied in the Engadine Cross-Country Ski Marathon and has crossed the Alps on skis. Author of numerous articles on the Alps, his book The Meek Mountaineer, won critical acclaim for its refreshing modesty. The Alps have been a way of life for Fred, and his guests benefit from his in-depth knowledge of local customs, food and wine and the people themselves, as well as his familiarity with the mountains and valleys.

return to top

Hiking Program 2012

Soglio (S)	Apr 14 – Apr 27	$4,000
Chamonix (F)	Jun 20 – Jul 1	$3,600
† plus Saas Fee (S)	Jun 20 – Jul 5	$4,800
Sulden (A) + Tiers (I)	Jul 14 – Jul 29	$3,500
Matschertal (I) + Vent (A)	Aug 3 – Aug 18	$3,600
Sils Maria (S)	Sep 8 – Sep 19	$4,500
†† extended hike	Sep 8 – Sep 23	$5,500
Meran (I)	Sep 28 – Oct 13	$4,100
(A) = Austria (F) = France (I) = Italy (S) = Switzerland † optional add-on to Chamonix only — see our Newsletter for details. †† extended Sils Maria Hike — see our Newsletter for details.

return to top

Before You Decide

1.		We were the first to offer hiking trips to the Alps and now have 39 years of highly specialized experience. Unlike many larger competitors, the world is not our oyster. What we do, we do consistently and expertly.
2.		Many of our trips are to destinations virtually unknown to American hikers, although beloved of experienced European vacationers. Some travel companies employ local guides whose English is far from idiomatic. Being conversant in German, Italian and French, Fred is able to bridge the "culture gap" with an American perspective.
3.		Daily itineraries cannot be given ahead of time. Aside from group feedback, weather and trail conditions affect each day's selection. However, we do have profiles on each of our trip destinations, including some of the favorite hikes. Select a destination from our Hiking Program 2012, and click to learn more.
4.		We are highly reliable, having cancelled only one trip in our 39 years of operation. Nor do we penalize hikers with two-tier pricing if trips are not fully booked.
5.		Our literature is understated. We believe in consistent quality – more product and less hype! Our guests are always surprised by the high level of our accommodations. We spend very little on brochures, catalogs, web sites, postage and advertising – marketing in general – which explains the competitive pricing and high relative value of our trips.
6.		Our repeat ratio – a sure sign of customer satisfaction – varies between 80 and 90 percent on virtually all of our trips. Many of our guests have been on 10, 15 and more trips. Because of the breadth of our Alpine offerings, it often happens that few of the guests have hiked with each other. So, newcomers needn't fear being excluded.

return to top

Contact and Information

Given our priority of quality over quantity, openings are limited — so book early!

For more information or to sign on for one of our trips, please contact our trip coordinator Sheila Duigan. She will gladly answer your questions and forward you our literature and destination profiles. Upon request, we can provide references from customers who will share their insights and experiences. Sheila will be happy to pass along your questions to Fred when he is away. When in the States, Fred enjoys speaking with guests — old and new.

If you are intrigued by our "small is beautiful" philosophy and would like to learn more about our trips, please contact:

Sheila Duigan
Alpine Travel, Inc.
415 Bedford Road, Suite 201C
Pleasantville, NY 10570
tel 800-291-8126
fax 914-747-2266
email alpine.travel@verizon.net

About · 2012 · Before You Decide · Alpine Hiking · Contact Us

Chamonix · Matschertal · Meran · Sils Maria · Soglio · Sulden · Tiers · Vent
2012 Destination Guide (90kb PDF) · 2012 Newsletter (2.8mb PDF) · The Magic of the Alps (9.2mb PDF)
Home · Photo Gallery · Contact Us · email Sheila Duigan
Alpine Travel, Inc. · 415 Bedford Road, Suite 201C · Pleasantville, NY 10570 · tel 800-291-8126 · fax 914-747-2266