Shake Hands with the World

With VBT, the road to discovery never ends

You’ve never been to Kenmare before, so everything is unfamiliar—the half-timbered houses, cobbled alleys, and storefronts arrayed with odd items and signs with inscrutable lettering. Then your Trip Leader introduces you to Denis, a longtime resident who teaches you the lay of the land. Denis shares stories of his childhood, the town’s shifting fortunes, its ancient roots, and customs. You visit pubs and palaces, churches and cottages, schools and skelligs, and learn about those who’ve passed through before you. You pick up a few Gaelic words, so those signs don’t seem quite so inscrutable anymore. And by the time you’re ready to leave Kenmare, you’re doing so as an old friend.

“This was my 10th trip with VBT and one of the best. The fact that VBT uses only local guides adds an extra dimension to your trips. I always come back from a VBT trip feeling like I was immersed in the area.”

Camille E., Croatia:The Dalmatian Islands

Exercise your mind!

With VBT, even when the bikes and boots are stowed, your horizons will continue to expand because all along our route we’ll explore legendary attractions, learn about local culture, and meet the people who keep it alive. Think of your vacation as an opportunity to exercise not just your legs, but the muscle between your ears! We help you do so by planning special stops all along our paths, so you can meet our friends and neighbors, and make some connections of your own. Join us in family homes, farms, factories, artisans’ studios, shops, temples, and schools, and get ready to experience the real life and times of your host country.

Included tours reveal local treasures and traditions

Besides an appreciation for the beauty of your destination, you’ll come away with a good understanding of its cultural and historic underpinnings. That’s because VBT includes sightseeing and guided exploration as part of every trip. Of course, you’ll experience the famous attractions you’ve come all this way to see—the Great Izquita Mosque in Cordoba, the ruined city of Pompeii on the Amalfi Coast, and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai’s most important temple.

But you’ll also venture off the beaten to experience lesser-known but equally revealing phenomena. For example, in the Croatian town of Pucisca, you’ll visit a stonecutter’s school, and learn how the gleaming limestone that adorns nearly every town along the Dalmatian coast has been mined, graded, polished and sculpted. In Portugal, you’ll walk in the footsteps of Crusaders and pilgrims as we follow part of the historic “St. James Way” that led to the religious site of Santiago de Compostela. In Cordoba, Spain, you’ll unravel layers of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim devotion as we explore the fabulous Mezquita Mosque with its forest of red tiled columns. And follow the intrigue at Saigon’s Rex Hotel, where CIA agents, spies, and the press traded secrets for scoops to bring us news of the Vietnam War.

Hands-on learning with VBT

Learning is not just a spectator sport with VBT. Our excursions often feature opportunities to try your hand at local arts and workaday activities. In Vermont’s Champlain Valley, for instance, you’ll get a private kayak lesson in the Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area. In Austria, you’ll discuss the secrets of artisanal cheesemaking with an elderly farmer. Work an olive oil press in Tuscany. Learn the secrets of Pugliese cuisine during a home-hosted lunch and cooking lesson in Salento. In Cordoba, experience a traditional Arab hammam, where we enjoy a relaxing bath, a massage with essential oils, and a tea tasting session. Besides great photos, you just might come home with newfound skills.

Intimate encounters with the people

Riding or walking along the same provincial byways used by the locals, you’ll be in step with the rhythms of daily life. And you’ll get acquainted with the people on an even more intimate level through the home visits we include in every VBT trip. Trace your Irish roots, and see if there’s a connection with our Killarney host as you compare family histories over tea and scones. Share lunch with a German family in their Moselle Valley cabin. Enjoy a Dutch picnic at the home of our friends in the Netherlands village of Hanze. And raise a glass of corn beer with the locals at our favorite Peruvian chicheria, or bar. You’ll be touched by the genuine hospitality, and gratified by the bonds we share.

Your VBT Trip Leader has the inside track

Who makes the best frites in Ghent? What shop has the best selection of faience in Aix? Where do the locals go to hear a seisun in Galway? Who serves the best praline pie in Natchez? Which Prague pub has the most varieties of pilsner? There’s a ready source for all these answers—your VBT Trip Leaders. Your Trip Leaders have a wealth of knowledge, loads of stories about local lore, and many practical tips that will enrich your perspective. Remember, we only employ bilingual natives of the places we visit, so you can count on a friend who knows your destination like the back of their hand, and is committed to steering you right. Take advantage of their knowledge—it’s a treasure trove many travelers never get to share.