My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed the VBT Costa Brava trip. The biking itinerary was clearly written and well planned. We are confident traveling in Europe after living there many years, however, we believe it is safer and certainly more convenient to bike with a reputable group tour. VBT offers a high quality experience which we can recommend without hesitation.
Europe
A great time!
NWOCapeCod, Cape Cod, MA, United States
Spain: Girona & Costa Brava
VBT Continues to Deliver
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.
Abie, New Jersey
Spain: Girona & Costa Brava
Provence is a Pleasure!
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.
Idaho21, Idaho
France: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux & Avignon
loved our rides thru Provence!
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.
TrishB, Northern California
France: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux & Avignon
Great trip to Portugal
Enjoyed this trip to Portugal. Good mix of easy and moderate riding to work off the fantastic food/beverages.
LeslieS, San Diego, CA, USA
Portugal: Lisbon, Évora & the Algarve
Great week of biking, wine and dining - perfect!
The trip was a perfect way to visit southern Portugal. The guides were awesome, always there to lend a hand or offer guidance. The bikes were outstanding - brand new fleet. The routes were interesting and scenic with little traffic. The food and wine were great. And above all the opportunity to spend time with old friends and to meet new friends was rewarding. Thanks
bikemonger, Tampa
Portugal: Lisbon, Évora & the Algarve
Expert guides friendly, flexible and knowledgeable
Enjoyed the variety of sights and rides. The guides were awesome and knew alot about the culture and history of Scandinavia. I apprecaietd the variety of skills the guides demonstrated in biking, tending to guests, history, and every aspect of ensuring the trip was enjoyable for al. l
RitaC, New York , NY
Scandinavia: Denmark & Sweden
Great Biking & Interesting Cities
We've taken 16 VBT trips and the Scandinavia trip is definitely in the top two or three trips we've taken with them. Whoever laid this trip out really knew what they were doing. Great biking, three beautiful and most interesting cities: Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki, ferry ride experiences, the Stockholm Archipelago, great hotels, good food, incredible museums and wonderful guides who really knew the area and culture. This trip is one of VBT's very best and it won't surprise me to see it become their signature trip!
BikedItLikedIt, Springfield, IL, United States
Scandinavia: Denmark & Sweden
Picturesque scenery and charming villages
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Nice combination of pedaling in pastoral settings and activities that included a day-and-a-half in Oxford, lovely Burford (the meat pies at The Royal Oak are a must!), Blenheim Palace, cream tea in Bourton-on-the-Water, the Hidcote Manor Gardens, and a tour of the Roman Baths. We stayed the extra day in Bath and explored - it was very nice! The undulating hills of the Cotswolds were a nice challenge on road bikes. Residents and (car) drivers were pleasant and courteous. The bonus is we had amazing weather - mid to high 60°s, sun, clouds, and no rain (okay, a very slight shower one afternoon for 20 mins.!) Our tour leaders - Conor and Mick - terrific guys that really made the tour so pleasant!
Brian A Libby, Westbrook, Maine
England: Bath & the Cotswolds
Lovely trip in Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are incredibly beautiful! Small villages with golden stone buildings almost don't look real. All of our hotels were top notch and the food was excellent. Biking on the left hand side of the road was a bit scary at first, but the drivers were courteous and gave us a wide margin; and most of the roads we biked had minimal traffic.
Lynn S,
England: Bath & the Cotswolds
Spectacular Beauty
this was an all-around exceptional trip. The beauty of the surrounding snow capped mountains, and the stunning lakes were just breathtaking. The riding was mainly on dedicated back paths without much interference from traffic. we rode along the Rhône River, through fields of cows with their cowbells clanging and agricultural fields with beautiful poppies.The hotels were beautiful, comfortable and so unique, including the 1000-year-old Abbey-turned hotel on Lake Annecy. The presence of hang gliders as well as gliders added to the whole experience. The guides were knowledgeable, helpful and made the trip a lot of fun. We had a good variety of experiences and the food was very good. This was my fifth bike trip with VBT and right at the top for beauty.
Happy Rider, Phoenix, AZ USA
Switzerland & France: Lake Geneva, Annecy & Valleys of the Alps
Switzerland & France: Lake Geneva, Annecy & Alps
The Switzerland and France tour was outstanding! Our guides, Jean-Marc and Eve, were knowledgeable and helpful, and the countryside was absolutely stunning. Although the extended forecast had called for thunderstorms, we had amazing weather every day of the tour - temps in the 80's and 90's. (Rain gear stayed stowed!) Highlights included taking the tram up to Mt. Blanc in Chamonix, cycling through beautiful Montreaux along Lake Geneva, and biking around Lake Annecy. Nearly all of the rides were on dedicated paved bike paths, which made things even more enjoyable. Hotels were great, even though a few didn't have air conditioning. The only down side was not being able to stay longer in Lyon at the end of the trip. Our bus pick-up time for the airport was 3:45 am. This trip was well worth the time and money spent. 5 stars!
Switzerland & France: Lake Geneva, Annecy & Valleys of the Alps
Wonderful trip
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.
Marcia B, Boise, Idaho
Greece: Sparta, Monemvasia & the Peloponnesian Peninsula
Gorgeous views, rewarding rides and delicious food
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!
Jaymers,
Greece: Sparta, Monemvasia & the Peloponnesian Peninsula
Italy......always a beautiful area!!
The ride through this area is very scenic and beautiful. It's an easy route that almost anyone could participate in. We had the enabled bicycles, which made the rides very enjoyable.
World Traveler 56,
Italy: Lake Como & the Italian Lake District
Fun in Italy.
A great trip all around. Beautiful hotels, great guides, fun bike routes, new friends.
Mike from Annapolis, Annapolis, Maryland
Italy: Lake Como & the Italian Lake District
Self guided was great
We are always thrilled with our trips that we have taken with VBT.
KLHogue,
Germany & Austria: The Danube River
A Great Self Guided Tour.
I did the Germany, Austria, Danube River, VBT tour in August 2024. It was a self guided tour and I was the only one that had signed up for it for the month of August. I was a little concerned doing a self guided trip by myself, but it turned out great. Despite being August, the heat was not bad most of my riding was in the morning but it was still in the 70s mid and upper. Didn't turn 80° until around 1:30 2 o'clock in the afternoon. As usual VBT did a great job with the hotels, they were all excellent. The ride was easy going down river, no big hills. VBT also had shuttles to carry me past the less scenic parts of the ride. VBT also. did. an excellent job booking all of my travel even the travel after the bike tour. It was a great adventure. I totally enjoyed it.
Michael Maichak,
Germany & Austria: The Danube River
VBT Bicycling Vacations
Country Walkers