Croatia

I just returned from a VBT cycling trip, and while the cycling routes and views were absolutely stunning, the hotel accommodations were some of the worst I’ve ever experienced on a group trip. The first two hotels were dirty, poorly maintained, and nowhere near the “4-star” standard advertised. Linens were stained, bathrooms smelled of sewage or urine, drains were clogged, and even the pools had visible mold. These properties were closer to budget motels than quality hotels, and the going nightly rates were a fraction of what we paid through VBT. By the time we reached the third hotel, which was finally nice, it felt like an insult that we only got one night there after five nights of subpar conditions. Other travelers in our group felt the same way and were equally disappointed. The cycling itself was fantastic, but the accommodations were a huge letdown and made the trip feel like a poor value. Unless VBT seriously improves the quality of its hotel partners, I would not travel with them again.

Fantastic trip. The bike routes were beautiful and fun and the GPS was easy to use. Our itinerary was perfect and our host was great. You will not regret this trip. E-bike was a life saver!

We absolutely LOVED this trip! Everything was 5 star from the hotels to the yacht and the transportation. Everything was first class. The biking was outstanding such beautiful country!! Highly recommended!!

Awesome views. The trip leaders were very helpful, very entertaining. Best ever.

This was an absolutely delightful experience. I am very impressed with VBT's way of supporting the local economy by hiring local guides, and setting up dinners with locals. Our hotels were great, the guides were wonderful, and i learned so much about local culture and history. Our guides, Mario and Neven, are just wonderful people and so helpful fun to be around.

This was a fantastic trip taken at the perfect time of the year in September. We were able to ride, swim and dine in gorgeous settings every day. The chance to meet the locals in their homes for dinners and to hear of their lives in Croatia was priceless. We were very fortunate to have two excellent guides in Nevenka and Natasha; they were both so knowledgeable and accommodating, we couldn't have asked for better leaders!

The guides were very well informed and attentive, the itinerary was just right for experiencing this beautiful place. We were able to accelerate our pace on certain of the walking routes which worked well for some walkers. A great experience overall.

I can't say enough good things about our recent trip to Slovenia/Croatia. We were Country Walkers "newbies", urged by friends to try it, and thoroughly enjoyed all of it. We were initially attracted to the location, as I have ancestors from the region, but we had no idea about the gorgeous landscape, mountains, and warm and friendly people (most all are English speakers, since it is their second language in grammar school.) Hotels were above expectations, comfortable, and have addicted me to eiderdowns. The food also was better than " tour quality" and even included a private dinner at Tito's mansion on Lake Bled one evening, overlooking the lake. Excursions to a winery and Roman ruins lent educational interest (especially due to excellent guide Nada in Pula), as did the truffle hunt (thoughtcrimes, sadly, our truffle hound was unsuccessful in his hunt the day.) I must give the most credit, however, to our 2 Country Walkers guides-Vida and Irena, both avid hikers and mountaineers (among other sports), friendly, organized, and careful with our wellbeing. All tours should be fortunate enough to have such leaders. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

This walking tour was awesome. The different venues, hikes and lodging was all terrific . The single factor that made the trip so good, were the two Guides. Dani and Dani were so thoughtful, knowledgeable, and their trips to lunches and meals and wine tasting, at various venues were remarkable. Getting to know some of the locals at these venues, and visiting places off the beaten path, were one of the high points, in my view.

We had an amazing time on this trip and could not have been happier with our decision to take our first ever group tour with Country Walkers. Everything about our trip was seamless. Our tour guides, Dani 1 and Dani 2, were knowledgeable, mature, funny and amiable, each in his own way, and added greatly to the trip/experience. Their local knowledge of culture, food, people, history was unmatchable. We had deep trust in them, and we knew that although everything seemed to go smoothly, they were constantly working behind the scenes to adjust plans due to weather, changes in schedule, etc. They made it look easy, but we knew it was not. Of course the hiking was nice, the views and location fantastic. The food was sumptuous and always different, so we sampled many things and felt we got exposed to all kinds of traditional Croation fare. The wine and grappa were always flowing generously. The eating locations themselves were unique. We heard rumors that this tour was being regrouped or cancelled and were quite surprised as everyone in our group seemed quite happy indeed. It would be a shame to lose these fantastic guides/guys.