France

Wonderful trip from the sights to the boat and crew to the tour guides. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves

I loved riding the e bikes and Bruno and Sophie were great getting us into the feel of every new town. The staff on the ship was a delight. We loved the Paris and Nice extensions. The hotels were in very convenient Transfers were also coordinated to the minute.

This is a great trip. The views of the snow covered alps as you rode were spectacular as were the lovely villages (late May trip). It would even be better if we wound through a few more small towns instead of so many bike paths. I personally wouldn't have minded a few hills. What made the trip, however, were our two guides, Michel and Cedric, The have been friends for thirty years. It showed and their comic interaction was most entertaining. Cedric gave a few days of Swiss history which was excellent. They were both excellent bike mechanics, which always helps. The hotels were diverse, from 1000 year old abbeys to newer, high end ones. The food and wine were also great. 5 STARS!

Our leaders, Luigi and Jean Marc, were well organized, attentive to our needs, and delightful to be around. Chamonix, where the trip starts, is all about Mont Blanc. You can take a cable car to a nearby peak and see in all directions, if it is not cloudy. The cable car ride is still worthwhile if it's cloudy. You can also enjoy the river walk and ride a train, north and south, for free. The bike rides were mostly on bike paths and often downhill. There were three steep climbs which the ebikes and road bikes managed easily. Mountains were always in sight and so were rivers, especially the Rhone. We had rain several days, but no washouts. The trip ends in Lyon, a metropolitan city. There are museums, a river walk, river cruises, and shopping. Lyon is also the gastronomical center of France. We took advantage of Greeter Lyon Metropole which arranges free tours with local citizens. The strolls, as they are called, are usually two hours but our guide gave us a four hour tour. One downside is theft by pickpocket. In our group, one person had a wallet stolen, another a cell phone, and another thwarted a theft attempt. Take precautions and the thieves will look elsewhere.

Exceeded my expectations mightily. Gently rolling hills and vineyards and little traffic for the most part

The self-guided Beaujolais tour is a reasonable value and can be enjoyed without the guide (although the VBT guides are always great).  We appreciated the excellent lodging and quality bikes, per usual with VBT.  Locals in this region are very friendly but fewer folks speak English than in the big cities. The Beaujolais tour has a few really nice views, but the views and scenery aren't as good as other VBT tours. Twice on our tour, the hotels said they didn't have our luggage (not a great thing to hear when you arrive bedraggled after a day of riding) but eventually the hotel found it after some haggling. This tour includes a miserable hilly detour around what appeared to be a perpetually closed tunnel, and it was hard (for us and other riders) to find our way back on the route once we slogged the unplanned hills. The "Ride with GPS App" was okay in general but gave confusing and contradictory directions more often than I'd think...but it wasn't much of a problem.

We had a wonderful trip. The bikes were new and great. Rides were fairly level and easy. The guides were helpful, knowledgeable and first rate. The food and accommodations were also quite good. Highly recommend this trip for a first trip with VBT. We will definitely be looking at other VBT tours. Only hiccup was on the first day. There was no one from VBT with the bus to pick us up at the first hotel. The bus driver just had a schedule - which was also incorrect and could not contact anyone from VBT as it was 3:00 AM in the States. I also understand there were problems for individuals returning to the States due to the Lufthansa strike but we continued on our own and missed those.

I’ve been on 10 VBT trips and this ranks at or near the top for guides, scenery and overall excellence. we’re grandparents 78 and 80 traveling with our athletic and energetic 28-year old and my siblings, in their 60s; the magic of VBT and the care of our outstanding guides, Chris and Axel, is that we all had a fantastic time. Chris and Axel showed our grandson extra adventures along the way while we others soaked up the scenery at a slower pace. The route is magnificent, following a shimmering river in a valley of steep vineyards studded with an occasional medieval castle. The boat was all ours as well as the wonderful staff, including an amazing chef, Richard. The food and ride information were excellent. Thanks you to Chris and Axel and to VBT for what my grandson summed up at the end was, “a trip of a lifetime.”

We had a wonderful time. The biking was great and the scenery picturesque. The barge cabins and lounges were comfortable and the food was great. Our guides, Axel, Steffi and Aernoud, were entertaining and looked our for our comfort and safety. Our only complaint was the excessive heat but that was not predictable or controllable. Next time we would go in the fall, not August. The side excursions to a former bell factory and to a family run winery were very interesting. We enjoyed seeing Roman mosaics in Nennig, the Roman amphitheater in Trier and the Eltz castle along the Mosel. The tour was equally balanced between vineyards, historic towns and castles, and enjoyable companions, food and wine. Our pretrip to Berlin was enjoyable and the hotel had easy access to transportation. We thought our walking tour through VBT would be the day we arrived so we had booked the following day for a tour of Potsdam. Therefore we ended up paying for a walking tour of Berlin the third day. Our tour guide to Potsdam educated us on the public transport system. Our post trip to Munich was disappointing only in that the hotel was not air-conditioned and it was not close to central Munich. Our VBT guide did take us to central Munich and showed us the sights we might want to visit on our own the day we arrived. She was very cordial and helpful and even said we could call her anytime with problems or advice.

We enjoyed beautiful, scenic trails led by 2 very helpful, informative and caring guides. Our ship was very comfortable and the staff very competent and caring. Meals were delicious and dietary preferences were accommodated, too.

This trip was wonderful! The daily rides were primarily on bike paths which provided access to amazing countryside views, beautiful rivers, lush vineyards and lovely towns. The guides were fantastic and kept us well-informed of the days events. The snack and wine tasting stops were always a treat. I would highly recommend this trip! We are already looking at options for our next VBT adventure.

Least favorite VBT trip taken. Being on a river cruise ship with 100+ non bikers made for a less personal group biking experience and placed time restrictions on long rides. Our guides were excellent. Those who planned the locals highlights, however, failed to provide culturally interesting or important events. Take for example, two winery visits where we learned little or nothing other than that their wine tasted pretty good. Too much riding in buses and too little biking.

Biking in Normandy and Brittany was recommended to us by a fellow VBT biker on our previous trip and we are so happy that we listened to him. The daily parade of classic French villages, farms, gardens, and estates were simply beautiful. Our guides Sophie and Jean were The Best, and we learned more about French culture, history, and language than we could have hoped for. We recommend this trip to everyone!

We had a wonderful experience. The itinerary, guides and bike routes couldn’t have been any better. Everything was planned the minute we landed in Paris. Would definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in the Normandy history.

The Burgundy Wine Route trip was an exceptional vacation...it was a great mix of activity, leisure, learning and sightseeing. The trip leaders were personable, knowledgeable, and fun-loving, our fellow travelers were all interesting and friendly people, and the food, accommodations, and scenery were all first class. The daily route length choices ensured that everyone would be happy with their activity level, too. I’d highly recommend this trip to anyone who loves good food, wine, and outdoor activity. The pre and post trip extensions are also well worth it...especially the pre-trip in Lyon...there was so much to explore there!

This was our first Vermont Bike vacation but it certainly will not be our last! What a great time .For us it was a perfect mix of activity,culture ,wine and food. The countryside is just delightful and beautiful. The guides were excellent and our fellow travelers were wonderful .

Great trip! Our guides were great hosts and made sure everyone was safe, comfortable, and getting the most out of each day. Gorgeous part of the world.

Bike routes were beautiful and enjoyable! Loved the town of St. Remy and the location of our hotel. Really enjoyed Avignon and again, the location of the hotel made exploring the city very easy.

This trip was better than anticipated. We expected a great time, but this was outstanding in service, leadership and bike friendliness.

I LOVED this vacation. I am an avid biker; my husband is not; and we both enjoyed the levels of activity and flexibility. The vineyards and villages were amazing to see, especially by bicycle. Jean and Jean Francois took care of our every need, and the accommodations were wonderful. What's not to like?