Europe

We loved this trip! The scenery, the biking routes, the guides, the accommodations were all fanatastic. We liked the other guests, the fabulous breakfasts and particularly loved our post trip to Mallorca.

It starts with the guides and they deliver on a continuous basis. Andrea and Javier (Javi) are excellent at delivering the experience promised by VBT and go above and beyond to make it all work and make sure you are happy. There are always glitches along the way, mostly created by the guests. They work tirelessly and effectively to solve every problem. Like all the other trips (we have done many). It's so much more than the wonderful biking. The farm visit to the apple orchard is amazing. Who knew so much science and technology are needed to be successful in this day and age. They explained why more than 150 apples stresses the trees and produce inferior apples. They showed us the technology they use to eliminate excess blooms. The resultant apples, juices and ciders are wonderful. The enjoyment of our visit to the Dali museum was magnified many times over by the enthusiasm and knowledge of Kim, our guide. I had no idea how many elements were in each Dali painting and how his mind worked.

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.

Portugal was our 11th VBT trip and 12th biking trip. It was the best or at least equal to our other great trips. The guides were the best ever and the hotels , especially the Farm House, were excellent. The biking was challenging at times but very good overall. We highly recommend the trip and very much want to return to Portugal. Great food, great wine and a beautiful country. We felt very safe on the roads and highways as Portugal drivers are very courteous to bikers. Absolutely nothing to complain about and as with all VBT trips, a great value.

This was our first VBT vacation. We were very impressed with the planning, accommodations, and route. It was a wonderful experience to bike along country roads with guides who knew the area. The hotels were lovely and the meals were delicious. Everything was top-notch.

I have done 9 trips with VBT so far, all have been great, but I must say this went to #1. The 2 best guides, the entire 20 guests like instant friends, with our leaders Prunella and Philip. I wish we had more time everywhere. The post trip to Helsinki was truly amazing, so glad we did it, only 4 of us went, sorry to say the others missed out. Jean Vermeeren

This was such a great trip. Copenhagen was such a lovely city and perfect to discover by walking. Sweden was so beautiful and the biking was an exciting discovery each day. Bodhi and Philip were just wonderful as our guides - fun, professional and always helpful. We had never been to Scandinavia and this was such a lovely way to see it.

Delightful part of the world, and the biking was thoroughly enjoyable. Guides Dan and Hattie were talented, engaging, knowledgeable and competent. The stonework and villages were quaint and charming. Traffic very manageable, with good safety reminders from guides. Accommodations were excellent, and food delicious. The Half Way pub fare was scrumptious. The ride the last day was along a canal from center of Bath out and back--I didn't find this as enjoyable due to traffic, pedestrians, dogs and baby carriages. As with most VBT trips, I think rides from center city should modified by doing a shuttle bus to outside the city, do a ride, and then shuttle back. City riding is dangerous (especially on the wrong side of the road!) and one really can't see much if paying attention to safe riding. Otherwise, this trip was FABULOUS. Happy to chat with anyone who is considering this trip. JB

This was our fifth VBT guided bike tour and it was another great experience. Our guides Jago, Lucy, and Dan were exceptional each in their own unique way. Despite and unusual heat and general lack of air conditioning in this part of England the accommodations, were all interesting and charming. The scenery was beautiful and the local pubs were great fun. We chose to ride road bikes and the tire size and gearing were appropriate. The tow path section would have been better suited for a hybrid or Ebike but we feel most comfortable on road bikes. In general I would rate the riding difficulty of this trip a notch up from our other easy/moderate trips due to the road conditions and climbs. Our training before the trip paid off. As has always been our experience the others in our group were incredibly nice and interesting folks.

Gorgeous scenery, fantastic guides, luxurious hotels, lovely people. My only complaint would be that I actually prefer smaller, boutique hotels without elaborate spas but I guess most people really like these amenities and they were plentiful. I mysteriously lost my passport and the guides took us to the train station at 5 AM to go to Paris to the embassy. They knew what to do to ease the stress and couldn't have been more helpful. I'll always be grateful for their understanding and competence.

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.

This VBT trip does not disappoint! The attention to detail for every visit and experience was remarkable. I live in the mid-west and don't have many hills to train on so these rides were challenging for me, but doable and once I was done I felt very satisfied. The accommodations were all different and great in their own way. The guides were energetic and informative. I highly recommend this tour - it's a great way to see Greece!

The experience with VBT went beyond expectations as did the part of Greece where we cycled. The Peloponnesian Peninsula is a relatively undiscovered biking jewel, I enjoyed it far more than biking various Greek Islands. Accommodations were excellent and Greek food speaks for itself. VBT and the guides went out of their way in providing a 5 star experience. The bikes were new and top quality, the routes were varied and interesting. The guides bent over backwards to please us and provide a great biking as well as cultural experience.

I can't say enough good things about our trip. Our guides were amazing, accommodations we're good, great mix of togetherness and free time to explore. Everything was good until we needed VBT & the insurance company to step up when all our flights were canceled. IF we reached them at all, we were told they couldn't help us. They totally abandoned our entire group. The worst customer service ever. Must be taking their cues from the airlines.

Trip of a lifetime!! Not gonna lie, i went into this semi-blindly. I was so happy to have everything planned out for me that i just wanted to show up and be surprised (for the most part)- I had the time of my life and am still beaming! The sites, the view, the people, the food- it was all so amazing and i would do it all over again. It was such a wonderful way to see such a diverse view of such a wonderful country. I seriously loved every second of it. Each day out did the day before.

We did the self-guided Germany and Austria tour and loved being able to be independent and set our own schedule. You definitely need to be a little adventurous and confident using the Ride with GPS app. Don’t feel like you have to adhere to the routing. We loved going off course if we saw something across the River that we wanted to explore. Each hotel was very welcoming as soon as we rode in and they all had bike parking set aside. Don’t expect to see your VBT rep each day unless you need them. Our rep was always available and responsive via text. If you feel like you need daily contact or like meeting new people, you might be better off with a VBT guided tour. We loved our adventure and can’t wait to do another one! #justgo

Bikes Breakfasts,Hotels were all great. GPS worked well and VBT was there for assistance if needed.