Croatia

This was our 2nd VBT tour and we were highly disappointed. The rides were not easy and in some cases unsafe. Two hotels were great; the other two were dirty, had horrible accommodations, and lacked customer service. Move-on days were not well defined nor easy to do. The local host was nice and informative.

What an amazing trip to Croatia- the Dalmatian coast! My husband and I had an incredible experience on our very first VBT self guided vacation! Yes, we are already talking about another and we haven’t even made it back home. From the luxurious hotels, detailed itinerary, to our amazing host, Andrej, we had the best time! We were throughly surprised how much we were connected to our host since we were on a self guided tour. Andrej went above and beyond to make sure we were well taken care of. One thing that would have been helpful to know is that If you do go to Mljet National Park, you can bring your bike on the Krilo ferry. We didn’t realize we would want our bikes until we were already there. There are paths all around the lakes for bikes and you can rent there too. Excellent experience with VBT! I highly recommend this trip!

The guides were wonderful. The biking was wonderful. Beautiful routes and we loved seeing the countryside and small towns. It was surprising to us that EVERYONE spoke English. Not just the tour guides, but all the people in the cafes and coffee shops we visited. We do miss the days when everyone actually rode a bike, not a motorcycle. Maybe VBT could have some “no e-bike” trips? The boat was spacious and very convenient. The staff was professional and very helpful. This was our first trip on a boat and we would definitely do it again. Our time in Split and Dubrovnik did not live up to our hopes. Everything was impassable 8-5 when the multiple cruise ships dumped their thousands of passengers. Both were nice after 5 and we got a sense of what it was probably like 5 years ago. We have dreamed of “walking the wall” in Dubrovnik for a decade, but it was more of a trudge with a line of people. Everyone said we were lucky we were there before the “busy season”. We are happy for that. An introduction to a new culture is always good, but not on our list to revisit. We would give the trip 3.5 if that were an option. VBT did a great job, but the experience was diminished by the crowds of people in the cities. Not the fault of VBT

I just returned from my first VBT tour. It was fabulous. I’ve done two other bike tour with a competitor and what stands out is the attention the to detail, organization of every step of the way and the hospitality. I must preface this by saying I had an e-bike. It was my first time ever riding one and it was a smooth transition. I did train 80 miles a week but I knew from riding in Scotland I’d appreciate a little help. E-bikes are a magic carpet ride. I’m also a 67 yo woman. There’s not one bit of this ride that flat but who cares? I’ve got an e-bike. I control my workout. There were rest stops with healthy snack options and water - lots of water. We had lunch at two VBT hosted restaurants. The ship was perfect and the crew were great. Cabins were air conditioned. Food was great. Don’t expect to lose weight on this tour unless you have major “tablepushback” control. We had days when we anchored off the coast and swam - ok floated with noodles. The scenery was breathtaking- seriously stunning - combination of the Monterey Peninsula and Napa with its vineyards. Our leaders were Jelena, Neve and Gruba. Excellent team work and great resources. They were organized and so knowledgeable about the Croatia’s history. They were outstanding. We had thorough route reviews each morning. They couldn’t have been any better - no room for improvement. I would definitely do another VBT tour!

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.

This was a fantastic trip taken at the perfect time of the year in September. We were able to ride, swim and dine in gorgeous settings every day. The chance to meet the locals in their homes for dinners and to hear of their lives in Croatia was priceless. We were very fortunate to have two excellent guides in Nevenka and Natasha; they were both so knowledgeable and accommodating, we couldn't have asked for better leaders!

Our knowledgable guides gave me much insight into the history and culture of these two countries while enjoying invigorating hikes and walks along enchanting trails around lakes, through mountains and along scenic gorges. I enjoyed the occasional periods of free time where I could explore the towns on my own which was very easy to do. The citizens are very friendly and welcoming, most everyone speaks English and I always felt safe.

The guides where wonderful I learned so much about the countries we visited. Everything was top notch. The reason I always choose Country Walkers is the fact they always use local guides this makes the trip stand out above the rest. You get an insight not found with other tour companies.

We had a great trip thanks in a large part to our guides and our Croatian hosts! Dani and Dani were a great guiding team, who adapted the itinerary to meet our needs. They were thoughtful, informative and knowledgable. I would highly recommend this trip. You will learn so much about the wonderful and beautiful Dalmatian coast.

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.