Croatia

This was our first VBT tour - the cycling, scenery and support from Andrej was excellent. Unfortunately, the value for the accommodations was lacking. Two out of three hotels were not what we would have expected for the cost. While we thoroughly enjoyed Croatia and the cycling, we will be looking for alternative tour operators in the future.

I just returned from a VBT cycling trip, and while the cycling routes and views were absolutely stunning, the hotel accommodations were some of the worst I’ve ever experienced on a group trip. The first two hotels were dirty, poorly maintained, and nowhere near the “4-star” standard advertised. Linens were stained, bathrooms smelled of sewage or urine, drains were clogged, and even the pools had visible mold. These properties were closer to budget motels than quality hotels, and the going nightly rates were a fraction of what we paid through VBT. By the time we reached the third hotel, which was finally nice, it felt like an insult that we only got one night there after five nights of subpar conditions. Other travelers in our group felt the same way and were equally disappointed. The cycling itself was fantastic, but the accommodations were a huge letdown and made the trip feel like a poor value. Unless VBT seriously improves the quality of its hotel partners, I would not travel with them again.

The beauty of the country is incredible. People very really friendly.

Location, equipment and leaders were outstanding. The yacht was comfortable and the crew was fine. Small things, like having to pay for cappuccino and wine seemed inconsistent with the rest of the trip.

This was an absolutely delightful experience. I am very impressed with VBT's way of supporting the local economy by hiring local guides, and setting up dinners with locals. Our hotels were great, the guides were wonderful, and i learned so much about local culture and history. Our guides, Mario and Neven, are just wonderful people and so helpful fun to be around.

The Croatia bike trip was simply outstanding. First and foremost, we could not have gotten better guides from Croatia to show us the islands of Hvar and Brac. The culture, the scenery, the comraderie could not have been better. Plus we learned how to ascend and descend rather large hills! Would absolutely do it again.

The guides were very well informed and attentive, the itinerary was just right for experiencing this beautiful place. We were able to accelerate our pace on certain of the walking routes which worked well for some walkers. A great experience overall.

This was a fantastic trip! As usual CW found terrific local guides - Irena & Matej, were wonderful - very organized, knowledgeable with great senses of humor. The interesting thing about this trip is being able to experience the Julian Alps and Istrian peninsula and compare the very different landscapes. While the length of the trip was perfect, I wouldn't have minded an extra day in each place! And I did appreciate that we didn't move around too much - we stayed in the same hotel for several nights in each area which allows you to settle in and relax. Another wonderful CW excursion!

This walking tour was awesome. The different venues, hikes and lodging was all terrific . The single factor that made the trip so good, were the two Guides. Dani and Dani were so thoughtful, knowledgeable, and their trips to lunches and meals and wine tasting, at various venues were remarkable. Getting to know some of the locals at these venues, and visiting places off the beaten path, were one of the high points, in my view.

We had an amazing time on this trip and could not have been happier with our decision to take our first ever group tour with Country Walkers. Everything about our trip was seamless. Our tour guides, Dani 1 and Dani 2, were knowledgeable, mature, funny and amiable, each in his own way, and added greatly to the trip/experience. Their local knowledge of culture, food, people, history was unmatchable. We had deep trust in them, and we knew that although everything seemed to go smoothly, they were constantly working behind the scenes to adjust plans due to weather, changes in schedule, etc. They made it look easy, but we knew it was not. Of course the hiking was nice, the views and location fantastic. The food was sumptuous and always different, so we sampled many things and felt we got exposed to all kinds of traditional Croation fare. The wine and grappa were always flowing generously. The eating locations themselves were unique. We heard rumors that this tour was being regrouped or cancelled and were quite surprised as everyone in our group seemed quite happy indeed. It would be a shame to lose these fantastic guides/guys.