A Typical Day on Your VBT Bike Vacation

So many choices, all of them good

Cycle the International Danube Bike Path or shuttle back through historic Esztergom? Doze by the pool or
dally at the Sainte Foy la Grande market? Classics at the Rijksmuseum or a class in Dutch? It’s all about choices
—of activities, routes, and how far (or near) to ride. With fantastic options like these, the beauty part is,
you can’t go wrong.

“I am truly convinced that there is no better way to
see and become a part of a place than on a bicycle.”

Cassie Y., The Tuscan Coast

8:00 am

You rise early after a restful night in fine lodgings—perhaps an antebellum mansion that’s a National Historic Landmark … an elegant pousada along Portugal’s Douro River, or your cozy barge cabin. Depending on your whereabouts, you might tuck into a Spanish breakfast of ham and cheese empanadas and café con leche, or maybe Irish rolled oats, eggs, and bangers. After breakfast your Trip Leaders will review your various options and pass out detailed maps and directions. Each day offers a choice of routes. Or you might choose not to ride at all,and explore on your own.

10:00 am

You may choose an easy flat path along the Moselle River, or a more challenging option over rolling vineyards. All our routes are on bike-friendly paths and roads, where you can ride and explore as you wish, with time to spare before you rendez-vous with the van at a predetermined site.

11:00 am

You meet the support van for a snack of fresh fruit or granola, and take a moment to replenish your water bottle. After arranging a checkpoint, your riding partner decides to ride the van to the next village, so she can get a head start on browsing the weekly flea market there. Your Trip Leader suggests a scenic route, so you can coast all the way down to the sea before doubling back to town on an old coastal road.

12:30 pm

You crest a hill to find your Trip Leaders with a picnic purchased at the village salumeria. There’s crusty ciabatta bread, paper-thin prosciutto, sopressata, hand-made cheeses, olives; Tuscan ricciarelli almond cookies, and something to quench your thirst.

2:00 pm

As your van pulls up to the inn some fellow travelers wave to you from the dock, where they’ve already uncorked the wine, ready to catch sunset on the Chesapeake. Or perhaps you all park your bikes to explore the lantern shops of Hoi An. Your afternoon outing might be a castle tour, tea in a local home, or a stroll down the fitness paths circling Lake Bled.

4:30 pm

After a day of riding perhaps you return to your room for a catnap, jump in the pool and then indulge in a massage at the inn’s spa, or take a walk through the gardens of your Pugliese masseria resort.

7:00 pm

Your Trip Leaders are hosting an informal Spanish lesson on the patio over sherry and tapas. Some nights you’ve enjoyed dining on your own, or as the guests of local VBT friends in their homes. Tonight will be a special meal prepared by your hotel’s chef—perhaps a Maine lobster bake … Vietnamese shrimp wrapped in basil … or a real Bordeaux feast of oysters, paté, and grilled entrecôte with sauce bordelaise. The wine is uncorked, the conversation flows, and a feeling of satisfaction settles over you.

11:00 pm

Sitting on the terrace, enjoying a nightcap with friends, you watch the stars come out one by one. A little drowsy, a little dreamy, you decide to call it a day—a wonderful day.