Europe

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As with all our VBT experiences Portugal did not disappoint. The trips are planned well from the time you take off from home until you land back at home. The transfers, the accommodations, and the in between are well thought out and planned. Any necessary changes are planned for. Portugal is tourist friendly, they are ahead of the curve with the pandemic, follow the rules. It is tough to find a bad meal, the weather was great; there is a lot of history. The cycling was easily doable for all who cycle 25 miles with some wind or hills. If you take only a few trips, make this one.

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

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

Everything about this trip was what I expected --magnificent countryside, small picturesque villages, nice bike lanes/paths with almost no traffic. The group that we were with was very compatible and most were strong bikers and very adventurous. The guides were perfect, which has been our experience with each of out 13 VBT trips. The lodging was lovely, but kind of warm since the weather was warmer than normal this June. I am a landscape designer so I particularly appreciated seeing Hidcote Manor Garden. And exploring Bath was a highlight

Our first trip with VBT was incredible! The process was seamless from booking our trip to our ride home to the airport. Every detail covered. Our guides, Jago and Hattie have set the bar high! They were both so delightful to be around. Jago, with his incredible plethora of history and information made this trip so much more than a bike trip. Hattie, with her amazing ability to fix a chain or change a flat tire… all whilst smiling from ear to ear…. The personal touches, like making and serving us Marmite sandwiches, dressing up in silly Roman costumes, and entertaining us with a memorable poem capturing the events of the week. Truly the best! Our accommodations had so much history oozing out the walls, it was breathtaking! A wonderful trip indeed!!

We thought the guides were nice and helpful. having done many competitors trips, I felt additional would have been better. I did not like the E-bikes. Big, Heavy and in need of better maintenance. My son was riding and his wheel came off. Shifting gears was a challenge. Again, we had just completed a trip with a competitor and the quality of their bikes was far superior. I didn't like the hotels. Especially our last two nights. The room was full of bugs (all guests seem to have same issue). The best advise we got was not to squish them because that makes to big a mess. Funny but not the quality I was hoping for.

The Swiss/French Alps was an amazing trip. The scenery was spectacular as we biked through the valleys of the French Alps. The guides, Jean Marc and Luigi, were terrific. My only disappointment was with the included lunches and dinners. I would rate then as below average. I had my first VBT in 1999 and lately the lunches and dinners have become more disappointing. That said I would rate the biking part a must do trip.

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.

We really enjoyed this trip! We've only been on 1 other trip, the Piedmont trip, summer 2024. I thought in almost every way, that trip was a smidge better. The food for the VBT organized meals was a B as compared to an A on the Piedmont trip. I would say the wine tasting lunch was an A, and highlight for food. The rides were more scenic on Piedmont, and less Urban. Best ride was the Alps, and Bernina express, give that an A+. Once you get all the way to Switzerland, you can only visit St. Moritz about an hour. That seems like a waste, why not have dinner there, and then bus home that night? We had two boat issues that altered our rides around Lake Iseo, and a restaurant issue that made dinner changes the first night. Como was beautiful, but the online itinerary said we'd say in Belagio, but we stayed in 45 min away in Colico. Felt misleading, especially when we booked the extended stay. The hotel was nice, but being on the North End extreme of the lake meant every excursion we had to pay for ourselves took more money and time to take a train or ferry to lake destinations. Guides were good. We still love VBT and will come back, but as a bucket list tour, this was just shy of how much we enjoyed the Piedmont through Italian Riviera tour.

Loved it all: awesome biking trails, gorgeous scenery, lovely people to meet and connect with, wonderful/dedicated tour guides, amazing food and hotel accomodations...a really wonderful experience!

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.

Excellent experience overall. We’ve taken as many as ten VBT European tours, all guided. This was our first self-guided, and we loved the flexibility and freedom. Don’t get me wrong, Jan, our Guide met us and set us up for the ride, installing our pedals and saddles. He also checked in on us every day with a text. It was great to know he cared. Excellent trip overall, with excellent views and hotels. Highly recommended!