About VBT

Meet the VBT Family
At home or abroad, with us, it’s personal

Once upon a time, there was a Middlebury College professor who loved pedaling into some new town, sharing a moment in time with the wayfarers and stay-putters he met on the road. Friends clamored to come along, and soon he was organizing tours and setting up shop in an old 18th-century barn. More than 40 years later, our old Vermont barn is still buzzing, we offer 39 vacations on five continents, and thousands of loyal friends have joined us there. And they all traveled happily ever after.

“I enjoyed the different landscapes of the countryside, the tour leaders, the wonderful food, and the barge. The whole VBT team was very professional and courteous.”

Prentice W., Holland and Belgium Bike & Barge

VBT: America’s original bike tour company

It was back in 1971 when VBT founder John Freidin offered his first bike tours, and though much has changed since then, much has stayed the same. Starting with our raison d’etre: helping people make connections with each other and the world around them, through affordable, accessible, and inspirational travel. We were the first U.S. company to offer bicycle vacations in Europe, and today we offer active vacations—by bicycle and by foot—in 26 countries around the world. But no matter how far afield we roam, we never stray too far from our Vermont roots. These include a reverence for the great outdoors, a tradition of neighborliness (extended around the world), and a commitment to honest value.

We share your dreams—and make them reality

Our VBT staff is a special breed. We live, eat, and breathe travel. When we’re asleep, we dream about it. And when we work, well, we get to do something we love, which comes through in our team’s enthusiasm, expertise, and genuine desire to please. From the air specialists who prepare your flight itineraries to the mechanics who maintain our bicycle fleet, VBT’s Vermont based team works tirelessly to make sure every detail of your trip runs smoothly. Our seasoned trip planners travel the world to find the best locations, inspect lodgings, and fine-tune each day's rides and walks — and they use their long-term relationships with overseas suppliers to obtain the best values for you. We know you have other choices when it comes to tour operators, and we know that you will come back to the one that understands your individual needs and delivers on them. So while your VBT vacation may be a group tour, nothing about it will feel “packaged” because we’re fully invested in making this your own personal dream trip.

One-call service with our expert Tour Consultants

When you call VBT to inquire about a trip, you won’t have endless automated phone menus but will be answered courteously by an expert Tour Consultant. He or she will explain every detail of your trip—including air travel from most U.S. gateways, available optional pre- or post-trip extensions, and our optional Travel Protection Plan. Interested in traveling to Italy during peak olive season? Seeking the most historic route through the deep South? Looking for the most economical way to combine trips? There’s just one call to make. Our Tour Consultants are not here just to help you reserve a trip, they’re here to help you choose the trip that’s a perfect fit for you. And if you have further questions after you reserve, they’ll be standing by to help.

Social Responsibility: a VBT Tradition

VBT practices socially and environmentally responsible travel, and is committed to treading lightly, respecting local cultures, and giving back to our communities. We support local bicycling coalitions and programs that promote bike safety and wellness, such as the Alliance for Biking & Walking, Local Motion, The Prouty (a ride and walk in support of cancer research), and the Kelly Brush Foundation, a Vermont initiative to raise funds for spinal cord injury research.

Thinking globally, acting locally

By patronizing small businesses and local establishments, we’re not only supporting local communities, but helping you to have a uniquely rewarding experience. So with VBT, you won’t stay at big chain hotels but smaller, more authentic lodgings where you have the opportunity to know your hosts. In Austria, for instance, our hosts are the Anton family, whose inn was originally built as a 16th-century shipmaster’s house. You’ll enjoy fresh, healthful regional cuisine made from local ingredients. For example, on the Tuscan Coast, everything on Luigi Brunetti’s dinner table—the San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, plums, even the sangiovese grapes of the wine—came from the fields of his agriturismo resort. And everywhere we go, you’ll be introduced to local experts—historians, resident artists, and community leaders— whose insights will deepen your understanding of the culture. Personal touches like these don’t fly off the corporate assembly line, but come from the dedication and passion of the VBT family—your partners in discovery.