VBT Bicycling Vacations
Country Walkers
Williston, Vermont – Sept. 27, 2017 – For those looking to escape the rushing, worried world, there’s VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations (VBT), which just unveiled 10 new trips for active travelers looking to add stamps to their passports and traverse the corners of the globe via bikes and by foot throughout 2018. Whether a seasoned cyclist or walker or a novice, there is an itinerary and destination for everyone to enjoy as VBT provides an intimate way to view the world – whether on two wheels or two feet.
Biking Southern Portugal: Alentejo to the Algarve
From Lisbon to Alentejo, to Mertola and The Algarve, travelers will enjoy the rolling plains that harbor lush vineyards, wheat fields, and neat cork and olive groves. Medieval fortresses rest atop graceful hill towns. Charming fishing towns line the Guadiana River. These are the treasures of Portugal’s Alentejo and Algarve, steeped in history and breathtaking vistas, and ideal for cycling. Cyclists will ride into sleepy whitewashed villages, remarkable medieval cities, and the bucolic Guadiana Valley, pausing for a farm-fresh lunch, a glimpse of potters at work, and a tour of a historic copper mine. Prices (including airfare) start at $3,995.
Cycling Scandinavia: Copenhagen to Stockholm
In the bike-friendly nations of Denmark and Sweden, cycling enthusiasts pedal flat, easy routes amidst magnificent vistas, from Hamlet’s castle at Elsinor and old Göta Canal towpaths to the countless byways linking the charming villages and historic quarters of the Stockholm Archipelago. Along the way, travelers delight in elegant accommodations, including a restored monastery on the scenic banks of Lake Vättern, indulge in typical smörgåsbords, and bask in renowned Swedish hospitality. Prices (including airfare) start at $3,995.
Gateway to the Dolomites: Biking Bolzano to Lake Garda
Northern Italy’s spellbinding landscape of soaring monoliths and glittering lakes begs to be explored on two wheels. Scenic bike paths here skirt magnificent alpine peaks, passing apple orchards and vineyards into emerald valleys and charming villages. And breathtaking routes deliver you to Italy’s largest mountain-ringed lake. On VBT’s newest Italy vacation, the Dolomites and Lake Garda are refreshingly bike-friendly. Our relaxed pace lets you slow down to meet local farmers and sample South Tyrol’s delicious wines and apple strudel. Along the way, historic inns help you experience the region’s famed tradition of hospitality. Prices (including airfare) start at $4,345.
Around the IJsselmeer: Bike & Sail North Holland (Tour no longer in operation)
Discover the beauty, history, and sheer ingenuity of Holland’s IJsselmeer—a massive freshwater lake with calm waters that was once a North Sea bay—aboard a romantic, three-masted schooner. Travelers revisit Holland’s Golden Age in important Renaissance mercantile centers like Hoorn, Enkhuizen, and Stavoren. Witness Dutch industriousness first-hand in working windmills, the cheese-making town of Edam, a clog shop, high-tech greenhouses, and the UNESCO-listed Wouda Steam Pumping Station, an engineering marvel that prevents the IJsselmeer’s fertile polder lands from being submerged by the sea. Prices (including airfare) start at $4,595.
New Zealand: Bike & Walk the South Island
Few places boast such an immense concentration of magnificent vistas as
New Zealand’s South Island and as a result VBT created its first tour that provides exploration of these spectacular landscapes on bike, foot, and water (via kayaking)! Providing handpicked routes for travelers to fully experience the South Island including cycling mountainside to seaside, hiking along a massive glacier and paddling in a coastal lagoon. Along the way, guests ride the TranzAlpine on a breathtaking rail journey, enjoy Kiwi hospitality at a sheep station lunch, and sample local wines. Prices (including airfare) start at $5,995.
Cycling the Canadian Rockies: Jasper, Lake Louise & Banff
Explore by bike through an alpine wonderland of snowcapped peaks, pristine turquoise lakes, coursing rivers, and torrential waterfalls. Travelers traverse two of Canada’s most magnificent national parks, Jasper and Banff, cycling along spruce- and fir-lined roads, including the legendary Icefields Parkway, pausing to stroll or simply gaze upon awe-inspiring vistas. Activities include marveling at Columbia Icefield straddling the Continental Divide, picnicking alongside Athabasca Falls and taking in the beauty of the mirror-like waters of lakes Maligne, Louise, and Peyto. This is unspoiled nature at its most inspiring, and cycling through its sweeping beauty sends the spirit soaring. Prices (including airfare) start at $3,495.
Bicycling Quebec: Best of the Eastern Townships
Cycle into the heartland of Quebec’s Eastern Townships and enjoy this idyllic haven just north of Vermont, which exudes both Quebecois charm and New England ambiance. Cyclists ride scenic roadways along wide valleys, glacial-formed lakes and the low foothills of the Appalachians. Stops include a visit to family-run vineyards to sample vintages made in Quebec’s first wine-growing region and meeting the monks at a picturesque lakeside abbey to try their artisanal cheeses. Additional day trips include riding into tidy lakeside villages lined with folksy galleries and cafés, as well as visiting farms that embrace organics and feed a delicious epicurean culture.
Prices (including airfare) start at $3,395.
Santa Barbara & the Santa Ynez Valley (Tour no longer in operation)
Sun-splashed, vineyard-cloaked, and rich in culture, southern California is more than long, scenic beaches, magnificent coastal roads, and celebrity enclaves … though it is all of that, too! With VBT, guests cycle into the heart of it all. Ride the mountain-ringed Santa Ynez Valley to lush vineyards and renowned wineries. Sample a farm-to-table bounty during memorable picnics and meals. Experience the famed Santa Barbara coast during beach idylls and a sunset sail. And witness an astonishing architectural legacy, from a spectacular Franciscan mission to a quaint European-style town founded by Danes. Prices (without airfare) start at $2,195.
Dutch Town and Country Walk & Sail (Tour no longer in operation)
One if by land and two if by sea! On this trip guests sail and stroll around North Holland’s IJsselmeer and celebrate the seafaring heritage and natural beauty that were preserved when this land was reclaimed from the sea. Walking along flat terrain and sailing the serene lake, guests are right in sync with the tranquility of these sleepy farmlands and fishing villages. In cultural centers like Hoorn, Enkhuizen, and Volendam, travelers delve into daily life at working windmills, ancient dikes, cheese and clog factories, and even a family home. At the end of each day return to the charming three-masted schooner, enjoying the crew’s hospitality and memorable moments while sailing smooth waters. Prices (including airfare) start at $4,395.
Walk the Canadian Rockies: Banff & Yoho National Parks
Glassy lakes of turquoise reflect towering snow-capped peaks. Glaciers crawl through deep-cut ravines. Magnificent walks at the top of the world reveal an infinite canvas of green valleys and jagged slopes. When you explore the Canadian Rockies by foot with VBT, uplifting vistas unfold at every turn. Whether strolling through spruce and fir forest or getting a lift by gondola to hike breathtaking ridge trails, you’ll experience the best of Banff and Yoho National Parks, from the wildflower-strewn alpine tranquility of Sunshine Meadows to the dramatic torrent of the 850-foot Takakkaw Falls. It’s an inspirational sojourn into an astonishing wilderness! Prices (including airfare) start at $3,395.
VBT is the value leader in active bicycling and walking vacations and has been rated among the “World’s Best Tour Operators” by the readers of Travel + Leisure for seven years. VBT offers more than 55 deluxe, small group bicycling, walking, and barge & sail vacations in 27 different countries and 10 U.S. states. For more information on VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, visit vbt.com or call 800-245-3868.