Activity travel companies can easily extol the virtues of a walking holiday in Italy: breathtaking scenery, fresh air, friendly people, good local food and wines.

But with so many different walking holidays available, how do you choose between them?

A major consideration should be the level of fitness and stamina required. Great Walks of the World has a 'high level traverse' of the Dolomites, which it grades as 'strenuous'. And European Mountain Tours' six-day trek across the Dolomites is no stroll in the park.

Walking and trekking organisations normally state exactly how challenging each route is and how many hours walking there will be each day. If this information is not readily available, it is best to ask before you book.

Artemisia Holidays has a seven-day guided walk through the Appennines and Apuane Alps of northern Tuscany, for example. It says the holiday is 'suitable for those with experience of the Scottish mainland Munros or similar terrain'.

A second consideration is whether you will have a guide.

Some organisations offer self-guided walking holidays in Italy. You Walk offers a number of self-guided walks from hotel to hotel, for example. The company provides walking notes and maps, and transports luggage.

Terracotta Trails says its self-guided holidays allow you to set your own pace.

Rather than following one specific route and staying in hotels along the way, on some walking holidays you are based in one place but follow a different route each day.

Ramblers Holidays offers a week's walking in a rustic and historical part of Sicily, based in Francavilla, while Walks Worldwide has an eight-day stay in Amalfi with daily walks along the coast and inland.

Accommodation and food are also important considerations. Some holidays are half-board, which may be welcome after a hard day's walking if your hotel is far from local restaurants or a town.

Last, but not least, on a list of considerations is the type of scenery you hope to encounter, and whether you want to explore remote areas.

Italy has everything, from the high Dolomites to Tuscan landscapes and the Amalfi coast.

LB Freedom Tours has a challenging, self-guided route through remote Umbria. Inntravel has a seven-day stay in high-quality hotels along the Ligurian coast. Sherpa Expeditions offers six-days walking on the island of Elba. And Adventure Women has a women-only hiking holiday in north-east Italy and Slovenia.