By doing what we do best, we aim to make travelling responsibly feel effortless.
Our trips connect travellers with local life through family-run accommodations, lesser-known routes, and authentic experiences that respect both people and place.
By working closely with local partners, we make sustainability a natural part of how we travel: reducing our footprint, strengthening local economies, and preserving the cultural and natural heritage that make every adventure unique.
Whether travellers choose a ready-made itinerary or a fully tailored adventure, our mission stays the same: to make responsible slow travel effortless and enjoyable for everyone.
We design trips at a slower pace. Clear and straightforward organization gives travellers the space to experience each adventure in an enjoyable and effortless way.
Every year, we develop new routes that steer away from crowded hotspots, highlighting lesser-known regions.
We work with family-run accommodation and regional experts who know their communities best. Every adventure helps strenghten local economies.
By policy, we don't work with chain hotels. Which means practically every place you stay is locally owned or family-run.
We believe in honest, reliable partnership built on mutual respect and long-term cooperation. That is the reason why we treat our travellers, suppliers and colleagues with fairness.
We work with our partners for years, not seasons. Every year, we survey them on sustainability to improve how we work together.
We take responsibility for the way we travel and the places we visit. That means reducing our footprint, and choosing fair, low-impact options in everything we do.
We track the carbon footprint of every self-guided trip. When emissions increase, we work directly with our suppliers to find alternatives.
Every adventure supports nature, local communities, and a slower way of travelling.
At SloWays, sustainability isn’t a statement, it’s built into the way we travel. From the partners we choose to how we design and operate each trip: every small action adds to the positive local impact we make.
All our trips are available in digital version and in our App, making your life easier and without the need of any printed documentation.
We work closely with suppliers who share the same values and aim to reduce their impact.
We work almost exclusively with small, family-run B&Bs and guesthouses. Dining and activities flow into local communities.
Read more here
Our routes deliberately steer away from crowded hotspots. They highlight rural villages and lesser-known regions supporting local economies and encouraging a more balanced distribution of tourism.
For every Camino in our program, we purchase a pilgrim passport on behalf of each traveller; directly supporting the local associations that maintain routes like the Via Francigena, St.Francis way, Oropa, St.Benedict, Magna Via Francigena, Way to Matera..
Our trips are designed to keep impact light. Travelling on foot or by bike, and using shared or public transport where possible.
On the Lucca–Siena section of the Via Francigena, we run a pilot with a 100% electric van for luggage transport. It's one way we're working to reduce emissions on our most-travelled routes.
For every booking, a €5 contribution is added, which we match to double its impact.
Together we support projects that protect nature, preserve biodiversity, and nurture local communities.
More information on previous projects with Reteclima
Trip start and end points are designed to connect to train stations or reliable bus stops where possible, and the app includes clear public transport instructions.
You will recieve the travel documents in digital version and in the travel App.
The App has the detailed program of your trip, routes and maps that you can use offline and without roaming. Thanks to the phone’s internal GPS, you can check your exact position on the map, so you always know exactly where you are. It also helps you self-navigate you way while travelling.
The printed travel documents are possible to recieve on request and with an extra fee.
To travel more sustainably, we recommend packing a reusable water bottle, cutlery set, coffee cup, and cloth shopping bag to avoid single-use plastics along the way. Solid toiletries like shampoo bars and refillable containers are also great low-waste alternatives. Choose lightweight, durable clothing and bring only what you truly need — travelling light helps reduce your environmental impact too.
One of the best ways to travel responsibly is by supporting local businesses, family-run accommodations, and regional guides along your journey. Choose locally made products and traditional cuisine, and respect local customs and environments wherever you go. Small, conscious choices help ensure that tourism benefits the communities you visit while creating a more authentic travel experience.
Along the SloWays routes, you’ll stay in a mix of carefully selected local accommodations such as guesthouses, small hotels, agriturismos, and B&Bs. Wherever possible, we prioritise family-run and locally owned places that reflect the character of the region. All accommodations are chosen for their comfort, hospitality, and convenient location along the walking route.
Luggage transport is organized using local providers who operate along the same routes as your itinerary to minimize unnecessary travel and emissions. Whenever possible, vehicles are shared across multiple travelers and trips are optimized for efficiency. This helps keep your walk light and comfortable while maintaining a lower environmental impact.
Along the Tuscan section of the Via Francigena from Lucca to Siena we use 100% electric vans!
You can join the effort and we ask you to please consider the following:
You are helping our planet!
From 2026, we have decided to take a concrete step to support the environment and biodiversity. A fixed contribution of €5 will be applied to every booking, which SloWays will double by adding a further €5, thereby creating a fund dedicated to supporting projects promoted by the Giving Back To Nature foundation. This initiative stems from a desire to actively contribute to the protection of nature by supporting local organisations committed to biodiversity conservation and the development of sustainable projects around the world.
Most lunches and dinners are self-organised, so your spending goes directly to local restaurants, markets, and producers. The app includes tips on local dishes and seasonal food.
When we say ‘carbon’ or ‘CO₂e’ (carbon dioxide equivalent), we’re referring to all the different greenhouse gases emissions during a trip.
The CO₂e footprint of every self-guided trip is calculated using the CARMACAL tool and displayed on the trip page. These are measured in kilograms.
Trip-level emissions are tracked year on year using the CARMACAL calculator. When emissions increase, the team investigates the cause and works directly with suppliers to find alternatives.
Because we do not arrange or provide transportation to and from our adventures, these emissions are not included in our calculations. However, for customers who need to fly to reach the starting point of their trip, air travel is typically the largest contributor to their overall carbon footprint. In fact, flights can account for 70–85% of a trip’s total emissions.
While we are not an airline or transportation provider and therefore cannot directly influence aviation emissions, we can support you in making more environmentally responsible travel choices during your stay.
"The certifications are recognition for the long-term efforts and frontrunner position of SloWays regarding sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility themes, including environment, biodiversity, human rights and labour relations; and is formally Recognised as in full compliance with the UN supported Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria."
Behind every adventure is a clear set of guidelines that shape how we work: from the way our offices operate to how we select partners, design routes, and communicate with travellers.
What is a Sustainability Policy?
It is a document that we created after setting up a "Sustainability Team" within the office, which is a group of people in charge of drawing up precise corporate sustainability goals and dedicating part of their time to coordinating the rest of the office in achieving them. After obtaining Travelife's sustainability certifications, we certainly don't want to stop: the goal was to draw up an action plan to constantly improve the company's performance in the field of sustainability. This is why we decided to create the Sustainability Policy.
Ours is a public document, which we put here for you to consult: one of our goals is maximum transparency, so that you can always check what we are doing and the goals we set ourselves and hope to achieve.
If you want to read in detail how we actively commit, you can read our annual reports: