Spain

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.

Our 7th trip and this might be tops, but they are all so good. This trip is easy and we are so glad we did not order eBikes (we are 79 and 82). Our guides were terrific and the trip is planned so there is time for art (Dali two places),Greek and Roman ruins, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, walking the coast, seeing the Costa Brava from the sea, and exploring the old city of Girona as well as an introduction to Barcelona, where we stayed on for a week in an apartment. Hotels were great too.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first VBT experience. The tour route was very well laid out and we cannot not say enough about how impressive our tour leaders, David and Frederico, both of whom are natives of Portugal. Kudos to VBT for the way they planned and conducted our tour!

We loved this trip! Beautiful and varied biking routes; knowledgeable, competent and engaging guides, top-notch hotels, delicious food and interesting cultural activities. I wish I could do it all over again!

The accommodations were fabulous and access to Barcelona before or after the tour was a plus. The routes chosen were a little more trafficked than I thought they would be. Girona and Empuries provided historical depth.

Amazing trip! VBT booked this for us, a group of 12 and it could not have been better. The communication pre trip was great, the details once we arrived were perfect, our local hosts were great to work with, although we didn't really need them for much. The GPS routes were easy to follow, the points of interest that were noted were great as well. The bikes seemed almost new and everyone's was what they reserved. Each hotel was better than the next and the first one in Girona set the bar pretty high. The hotel staff was knowledgeable about the details of our trip and our luggage drop off needs each morning. Truly a trip of a life time and VBT really made it easy. Highly recommend this route as well.

A great trip! Routes nicely chosen, respectful drivers, nice hotels.

Mallorca was truly breathtaking. Highly recommend.

The guides and the boat and staff were great. However, the trip did not meet the usual VBT expectations. The trip itinerary lists a warm up ride in Porto. This does not exist. The "warm up" and bike fitting are in a small parking lot the next day where there is no space to adequately test the bike. So you're immediately out on a road with no shoulder in heavy traffic for 16 miles along the river. No doubt there are some nice views, but when you're only concerned about safety and figuring out the bike, there is no time for scenery. The next couple days riding were moderately uninteresting scenery. The best ride was the Rails to Trails - Safe, beautiful, interesting. We were looking forward to the final ride to the Atlantic Coast but got rained out. Because of being on the boat there are daily transfers by bus of up to an hour each way to get to the biking areas and back to the boat. Too much time on a bus!! While it was nice to only unpack once, the trade off of charming hotels and villages with our bikes on the property was not worth it.

This trip is a great way to see Portugal. Pre-extension in Lisbon, Emerald cruise in the Douro River valley, and post-extension in Porto. Great food, service and extremely well thought out bike routes. 14 of 16 of us used e-bikes, and unless you are a serious rider, I recommend the e-bikes. It is a river valley, so you are either climbing out of it, or coasting back in. The surrounding area is hilly. The small towns that you visit along the way are beautiful and historical. The folks are very gracious. The ship is delightful - 104 passengers, and a crew of 37. Two outstanding leaders wrangle all the bikes, and act as hosts on all the side tours at lunch, and pedaling days end. Can't say enough about how well we were taken of. All in all, a wonderful week!

Very scenic bike ride through miles and miles of olive trees neatly planted in rows! Guides were so helpful and courteous. Time to tour Cordoba and Granada without biking. Beautiful accommodations - especially Hacienda Minerva in Zuheros. Post trip in Barcelona is a must! Gaudi's architecture is so creative and beautiful!!

Nick and Roman made the trip so special. They were there to meet our every need and gave us of themselves. The biking is superlative and the lodging very unique and memorable

Another great experience with CW, this time in Northern Spain. Top quality guides (who were also a lot of fun), carefully curated walks (including parts of the various Caminos), interesting and authentic places to stay and great meals, especially the fantastic lunches (in places we would never have found). The walks were accurately rated at easy to moderate. Overall, a fantastic vacation - I learned a lot about Northern Spain and had a great time doing it.

This trip was perfectly balanced with a variety of activities. The walking sections were stunning! There were magnificent coastlines, ancient pathways into medieval villages, expansive mountain vistas, charming towns and beautiful moments under the canopy of verdant forests. Along the way you had the pleasure of greeting pilgrims or experiencing your own version of being a Camino pilgrim. Enhancing this walk with visits to local crafters and cultural activities was the highlight for me. The lodging was exceptional as it continued the theme of history with its location and the buildings itself. How fascinating to stay in a rectory or castle where centuries of stories now live. Finally our guides Manu and Diego were amazing. I have been on many guided trips, these two were the best team I have ever had on a guided tour. Their knowledge was excellent, they were attentive to everyones needs and took care of details with a happy and positive attitude. They bring humor and delight to a group dynamic, which made all of us comfortable, resulting in true bonds and friendship for our group. Essentially they created community. I give them 10 ⭐️ stars! By the end of the trip, I felt like I had been on an epic journey with friends that became family. Thank you Country Walkers Team for planning, creating and building a wonderful trip. I will be back for more next year.

This Mallorca hiking trip met almost all of my expectations.

I had high expectations for the Mallorca tour, as the Puglia tour I took last year with Country Walkers set my expectations accordingly, and I was not disappointed. All aspects of the tour were excellent: the wonderful and knowledgeable guides (Helle and Juanjo), the beautiful hotels, the included meals, the side-trips/events, and of course, the fabulous walking/hiking trails. The itinerary was very well designed and managed professionally, with a combination of easy, moderate, and a few challenging hikes. The towns and small cities we visited were all lovely. In all, the tour was all I hoped it would be, and more.