Croatia

The beauty of the Dalmation Islands is stunning. Very scenic views of the Adriatic Sea and coastal villages. Routes were along quiet, well maintained, but narrow roads without shoulders. That said, motorists were courteous and I never felt unsafe. The two long routes had challenging hill climbs for analog road bikes. We went in May, before the summer tourist season, a good choice.

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 Croatian bike trip was an amazing, unique trip of all the nine VBT biking trips we've taken

Croatia was our favorite of our 12 VBT trips and we decided to go back with friends and tour by boat. The trip was fantastic. Living on the Maritimo allowed us to see the country from the water, and to visit more islands along the way. The Captain and crew were so accommodating and friendly. The Chef was outstanding, preparing different meals every night. The cabins were small but so bright with lots of storage and a large bathroom. Our three group leaders were great. We started our trip in the rain and they worked with the Captain to change the itinerary and still see all the sites. They handled all the logistics of traveling island to island seamlessly. The country is so beautiful with gorgeous water. I highly recommend Croatia by boat.

Just returned yesterday from Croatia. This was our first VBT tour and I'm sure it will not be our last. Our guides, Marko and Vanja were exceptional and we hated to leave them. They went above and beyond with recommendations for restaurants, things to see and do during the tour as well as the post tour extension in Split.

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! 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!

Country Walkers crafted the perfect itinerary for Slovenia and Croatia. Each phase of the trip was carefully selected right down to the selection of high end hotels, meals in interesting restaurants and side trips which we actually enjoyed such a fun wine tasting and a truffle hunt. The walks were all scenic but within the range of difficulty promised. Our guides were knowledgeable, pleasant and caring. We have traveled extensively but this was our first Country Walkers trip and we will definitely travel with them again. Every participant on our trip extended either before or after. That is something to keep in mind.

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.

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.