France

This was our third VBT trip, and it strengthens our plans for future ones. Our guides Sophie and Bruno were professional, personable, highly experienced, and fun! They had the answer to every question, from biking issues, GPS, and we especially appreciated the the very deep local expertise they displayed. We loved having the ship as a luxurious "home base", and not having to change hotels every other night. The service and cuisine on the ship was excellent. Each location and the rides/tours were as beautiful as we expected; the GPS instructions worked very well.

Great trip! Wonderful leaders!!! Sophie and Bruno are two of the best leaders we’ve ever had on a VBT tour (we’ve been on six). Food on the Emerald riverboat was superb. Only criticism is that on my step through hybrid, there wasn’t room on the bar for my water bottle. That made it necessary to stop for a water break and that’s difficult.

Our trip was fabulous. Our guides, Michel and Cedrick, were excellent. Their humor, attention to detail and genuine concern for our comfort/enjoyment was fantastic and made the trip top-notch. We stayed in lovely, high-quality lodging and the food was delicious. I always felt safe on the routes we rode and appreciated the many options of bikes, distance, etc. Most of the people on our trip had participated in other VBT Tours and that fact spoke volumes to the satisfaction and high quality they have previously received. My husband and I will definitely sign up for another trip in the future!

Beautiful trip starting in magical Chamonix. Mostly bike paths along scenic rivers and mountains. Great hotels with super locations and perks-thermal baths, lake swimming,spa options and more. Energetic, engaging leaders made the trip memorable. Long shuttles and busy towns-Annecy and Chamberry were too touristy and crowded.

My husband and I really loved this trip. We have taken many guided tours (which we love) but really enjoyed the independence that a self-guided tour gives you. The accommodations were excellent, the bike routes were challenging (we did the long options each day with road bikes), and the scenery was pretty French countryside on quiet bike paths and small roads. We needed some mechanical assistance one day and our local contact was just a phone call away and very helpful. Overall a great experience and in the right location we would definitely consider another self-guided tour.

A remarkable selfguided bike trip! Because it was selfguided, we took our own time pedaling and sight seeing. The bike app that loaded each and every turn and maps was amazing! It was also very good to have a short and a long loop biking so individuals can choose how many miles they want to bike every day. One suggestion would be to have rest days in between and make the trip longer. Chateau Pizay was superb as the other places we stayed. All in all i will give a 5 star rating. I am waiting for VBT to put up other self guided cycling tours.

Lovely region to bike and cruise through. The Mosel is less busy or congested compared to the Rhine. The accommodations and food were very comfortable (esp. beds) and DELICIOUS. The VBT staff so accommodating even offering me an e-bike mid-way through to make me more comfortable. The side trips to wine cellar, bell foundry were also great.

The bike&barge on the Moselle is better than advertised. We were very lucky with the weather and our group of six enjoyed every moment.

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.

This trip was awesome. The barge upgrade was an amazing experience. Axel, Arnaud and Chris were fantastic. I felt well taken care of all the way around. What a fun way to see the German & French countryside; Many fun memories- I highly recommend this trip.

The activities selected for cyclists were wonderful. The guides were amazing, despite a few slip-ups, as this was the first tour of this region.

Nice itinerary, historical sites, bike paths, and food. Loved this trip, but the ship is somewhat dated. Would not buy the travel arrangement through VBT though.

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.

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 .

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 VBT vacation and we have already registered for a second trip. Provence and the Alpilles is a beautiful region of France with abundant fruits, vegetables and other agriculture. The bicycle travel through the French countryside gives an up-close and personal travel experience.

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.

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?

This was our first VBT trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The guides were knowledgeable, positive, friendly, helpful and very professional. The GPS navigation was great. The routes were scenic, culturally diverse, and well thought out. The excursions/tours were interesting too. Recommend the ebike for the hills!