The VBT Experience

Our path leads to enrichment, well-being, and value

 

Ambling along the Kerry way, you notice that the clover beneath your feet is honest-to-goodness Irish shamrock…. Garlic, shellfish, saffron: a Sunday stroll down a Cassis alley tells you what every house is having for dinner…. In Tuscany, a single red poppy waves to you from a sea of pale yellow grass. Travelers are observant by nature. But travelers who walk or bike with VBT see the world in multi-dimensional, high definition. If you’re ready to discover a destination from a more intimate perspective—at a value that beats the competition by leaps and bounds—lace up your shoes and come with us.

Join us on the road less traveled

Unlike companies that emphasize exercise over exploration, we see walking and biking as a means, not an end. Our destination is a state of well-being and awareness that lets you absorb the minute details—physical and cultural—of the region we are exploring. You’ll explore paved roads and rural footpaths, woodland trails and city streets, with a Trip Leader at your side to provide insight and local stories. But if you want to march to the beat of a different drum, so be it. Each day you’ll have choices of different routes, with varied terrains and distances. You can walk or bike as much or as little as you want—or not at all—because we will have a support vehicle or other form of transportation available to assist you. Your luggage and gear will always be shuttled, so while you are on the trail, you can travel foot loose and fancy free.

With VBT, no matter how many miles you travel, your imagination will go the distance.

The most affordable, comprehensive vacations in the world

Our Senior Trip Planners design our vacations with quality, enrichment, comfort, and flexibility in mind. And we offer them at prices no one can beat. Thanks to our committed product staff and longstanding relationships with major international airlines and overseas suppliers, we are able to craft and offer distinctive vacations in the destinations most requested by our travelers, at prices as low as $265 per day.

 

Only VBT includes roundtrip international airfare

With our Air Package Plus, your trip includes roundtrip international airfare from up to 30 US cities (PLUS an extra night or two of hotel accommodations in most cases) aboard world-class airlines like LAN, Alitalia, Air France, and Aer Lingus. Most other  tour companies require you to make your own air arrangements, but we include it for your convenience, both for better value and because you asked for it.

Experience always leads the way

Our Senior Trip Planners have brought nearly 50 years of collective professional travel experience to the task of creating these outstanding journeys. They travel the world, plan routes, negotiate with suppliers, and fine-tune your vacation. Not only have they walked a mile in your shoes, they’ve slept in your hotels, inspected the restaurants, tasted the food, and toured the sites. With every detail of your trip so capably planned and tested, you can travel confidently, sleep comfortably, and rest easy knowing that you are in good hands.

Depend on the best Trip Leaders

The success of any trip rests largely on the service provided by your Trip Leader, and VBT employs only the best. In post trip surveys completed by our guests, 92% of our Trip Leaders receive a rating of “excellent.”

Every VBT Vacation is led by two seasoned Trip Leaders who are residents of the area. Each day they lead your group and coordinate transfers and travel logistics. It’s their job to see to it that you are feeling comfortable and that your experience is all it can be. Your Trip Leaders speak fluent English, but most important, they understand the lay of the land—how an easterly rise opens onto the best sea views, which hedgerows skirt the prettiest farms, what paths to avoid after a brisk spring rain. They’ll delight you with their good cheer, stories, and insights on local history, politics, and customs. Your Trip Leader will be with you every step of the way, and can point you in the right direction when you want to step out on your own.

It’s All Included!

• New for 2010: All Air Fuel Surcharges are Included

• Roundtrip international airfare and air fuel surcharges (with Air Package PLUS)

• All accommodations

• Most meals

• FREE use of customized VBT bicycle and helmet or custom VBT walking poles

• Services of two local, expert bilingual VBT Trip Leaders

• Guided sightseeing as described in your itinerary

• Unique authentic cultural activities

• On-tour support vehicle and transportation between sites

• All transfers

VBT’s Dare-to-Compare Guarantee

If you find a U.S.-based active vacation company offering a lower-priced trip that also includes round-trip international airfare, FREE use of a custom bicycle or walking poles and accommodations of the same quality as ours, we’ll give you one VBT Vacation– for FREE.