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.

I don’t even know where to begin to review our time on our self guided bike tour in Croatia. This was our first go at a self guided ride and it could not have gone better first of all our guide Andrej, was excellent. He was right where he should be at every moment, when not with us, he answered any questions we had. He is knowledgeable of the area and especially the history as he is from there, and we felt very lucky to have him. The bikes were excellent. We had enough gear to ride all of the hills, the rides were Varied fun and challenging, some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever ridden in. Thank you, Vbt for an amazing adventure. We can’t wait to travel with you again. PS. Make sure to stay on either before or after your excursion to walk the wall in Dubrovnik!

Great Trip - the boat helps the bike group connect - which makes the rest of the program even better

VBT is unbelievable! Way, way, beyond our expectations! This tour is a must see trip, it's so beautiful and VBT put it over the top!!

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!

Just returned yesterday from Croatia. This was our first VBT tour and I'm sure it will not be our last. Our guides, Marko and Vanja were exceptional and we hated to leave them. They went above and beyond with recommendations for restaurants, things to see and do during the tour as well as the post tour extension in Split.

The trip was excellent . We had some rainy weather but the guides rose to the occasion and made our hikes workable and enjoyable in spite of that. They took us on some very interesting activities such as truffle hunting and wine tasting and we visited some interesting places, such as the old city of Rovinj and the Roman amphitheater at Pula. They provided extra very knowledgable guides for those. The accommodations were very comfortable and the food was outstanding.

The guides where wonderful I learned so much about the countries we visited. Everything was top notch. The reason I always choose Country Walkers is the fact they always use local guides this makes the trip stand out above the rest. You get an insight not found with other tour companies.

We had a great trip thanks in a large part to our guides and our Croatian hosts! Dani and Dani were a great guiding team, who adapted the itinerary to meet our needs. They were thoughtful, informative and knowledgable. I would highly recommend this trip. You will learn so much about the wonderful and beautiful Dalmatian coast.

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.