Common Ground Shared by VBT Guests (and Why it Matters)

There are two interests literally every VBT guest has in common: cycling and travel. Those two simple things ensure that wherever they’re from, whatever their profession, all VBT guests have common ground—and it shows. On a VBT cycling vacation, you’ll meet folks from all walks of life—both East Coast, West Coast, and right smack in the middle. You’ll meet doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers, retired accountants, chefs, artists, truffle hunters, hard-core cyclists, low-core cyclists, astronomers, astrologers, people who write books about star gazing, wine enthusiasts, cake decorators, geologists, bus drivers, people who can’t stand riding buses, entrepreneurs, fishermen, and occasionally, actual fish. Whether you’re dancing the night away beneath a rustic Croatian pergola—or checking out the day’s fresh catch in a Chilean crab boat, you’ll meet people who are friendly, interesting, and delighted to meet you. As any veteran VBT traveler will tell you, our adventures are all about making social connections. “We love VBT because the leaders are outstanding and the other members of the group are always fun,” says Cynthia L. after traveling on VBT’s Canada: Banff National Park & the Canadian Rockies Guided Tour. “You meet as strangers and leave as friends.” When everyone in your group is passionate about seeing the world by bike, the camaraderie just flows. “My highlights were making new friends, seeing new places I had never seen before, and eating local seafood,” says Ellen B of VBT’s Maine: Acadia National Park Guided Tour. “I had a few Maine moments meeting and talking with the post-mistress at Little Cranberry Island post office, the textile artist in the gallery store on Little Cranberry Island, and Carl Kelly with his wood carvings of bird houses and birds on Summit Street in Northeast Harbor.”

Get Ready to Make New Friends

Vacation is the perfect opportunity to make new connections. This is the time when you can relax and truly enjoy yourself—secure in the knowledge that you have a team of experts at the helm, handling the logistics and solving any challenges that arise. You’re free from daily cares—so it’s easy to have fun in the company of your fellow travelers. “We enjoy traveling with VBT and have met lifelong friends whom we continue to ride with and plan more VBT trips with,” says Joselle U, after traveling on VBT’s Ireland: Galway & Connemara Coast Guided Tour. Many new VBT connections blossom into long-term friendships. These newly-forged VBT friends often get together time and again to enjoy the shared interests that brought them together—cycling, and travel. Traveling solo? No problem! Many VBT guests arrive alone—and make fast friends along the way. “I was traveling alone and felt well supported,” says Susan K of a recent trip on VBT’s Utah: Bryce Canyon & Zion National Parks Guided Tour “The other participants were all very friendly and I was invited to go on future trips with some of them.” Guided VBT adventures are the perfect way for solo travelers to enjoy the security and camaraderie of traveling with a group—while also maintaining their own independent spirit.

Local Leaders Make All the Difference

At VBT, we pride ourselves on our excellent trip leaders. These expert adventurers and bike mechanics live in the locations where they lead—and they know how to bring folks together with local flair. “I enjoy how the VBT groups always congeal day by day into a good group of friends,” says VBT traveler Frances K. “This is always facilitated by good guides.” VBT trip leaders can give you lots of local tips—like where to find the best Caffé Leccese in Salento, the best place to find a sublime tapenade in the open markets of Aix-en-Provence, or how to arrange a heli-hiking excursion on the Franz Josef Glacier. We hope you’ll join us for your next adventure!