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France

loved our rides thru Provence!

Great trip! Our guides were great hosts and made sure everyone was safe, comfortable, and getting the most out of each day. Gorgeous part of the world.

TrishB, Northern California

France: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux & Avignon

Provence is a Pleasure!

Bike routes were beautiful and enjoyable! Loved the town of St. Remy and the location of our hotel. Really enjoyed Avignon and again, the location of the hotel made exploring the city very easy.

Idaho21, Idaho

France: Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Les Baux & Avignon

Couldn't be better.

I LOVED this vacation. I am an avid biker; my husband is not; and we both enjoyed the levels of activity and flexibility. The vineyards and villages were amazing to see, especially by bicycle. Jean and Jean Francois took care of our every need, and the accommodations were wonderful. What's not to like?

Jenny H, Plymouth, MN, United States

Switzerland, Germany & France: The Black Forest & the Alsace Wine Route

Wonderful trip to Alsace!

We had an amazing time - And I can't speak highly enough of every aspect of this trip! Our VBT leaders, Sophie and Bruno, were exceptional, planning everything down to the smallest detail. They were a pleasure to be with in every way. We loved every hotel, each unique, and in the heart of a city, with lots to do in the area. Our e-bikes were brand new, and easy to navigate. We were blessed with beautiful weather and enjoyed our rides each and every day. I would highly recommend this trip - it will definitely not be our last. We are already booked for one next year!

Cheryl M,

Switzerland, Germany & France: The Black Forest & the Alsace Wine Route

Wonderful trip

The trip through Normandy and Brittany was beautiful, historic, and fun! It was the perfect mix of biking though the country, visiting historic sites, and enjoying special treats along the way. Our guides Luc and Kevin were outstanding!

KHitchco, Canandaigua, NY

France: Normandy & Brittany

Incredible trip

We had a wonderfully-planned week of cycling along small, beautiful farm roads with itineraries bringing us to the coast of most days. Riding in August in 70 degree weather was great. We all loved seeing the texture of rural, historic France and learning more about Normandy and Brittany. The trip includes a focus on local food culture - the visit to the Cider farm was really special, as were the Cancale oysters and dinners at local restaurants. We also got so much out of learning more about WWII even though I did not choose this trip primarily for that reason. There were helpful guided tours, and the option to visit museums if you wanted more depth. I'm so glad we could take advantage of this aspect of visiting France. The Trip Leaders were extremely knowledgeable, good humored, well-seasoned guides who knew the area well and had set up a number of local experiences. We found the cycling to be engaging - beautiful rolling farmland that left me in a little better shape by the end of the week but wasn't overly challenging. (The shorter option was also always available.)

bostonfam, Boston, MA, USA

France: Normandy & Brittany

Best vacation ever.

This was our first Vermont Bike vacation but it certainly will not be our last! What a great time .For us it was a perfect mix of activity,culture ,wine and food. The countryside is just delightful and beautiful. The guides were excellent and our fellow travelers were wonderful .

Goldenboy1, Vancouver, WA, USA

France: Burgundy, Beaujolais & Dijon

Fantastic trip!

The Burgundy Wine Route trip was an exceptional vacation...it was a great mix of activity, leisure, learning and sightseeing. The trip leaders were personable, knowledgeable, and fun-loving, our fellow travelers were all interesting and friendly people, and the food, accommodations, and scenery were all first class. The daily route length choices ensured that everyone would be happy with their activity level, too. I’d highly recommend this trip to anyone who loves good food, wine, and outdoor activity. The pre and post trip extensions are also well worth it...especially the pre-trip in Lyon...there was so much to explore there!

karen27, Denver, CO, USA

France: Burgundy, Beaujolais & Dijon

Fabulous trip

Trip exceeded my expectations! The cruise line partnered with, the daily bike trips and the leaders were amazing. Was a fabulous trip.

Sabo, Yorktown, VA

Rhine Bike & River Cruise: Basel to Amsterdam

Rhine River Mosel River Bike zTrip

Very unique trip. Four countries, great biking especially the route along the Mosel. The ship, the Emerald Sky was a treat. A first class operation. It was also nice to not have to pack and unpack every few days.

Vincenzo from Devon, Valley Forge

Rhine Bike & River Cruise: Basel to Amsterdam

Beyond my expectations

This was my first VBT trip and it certainly won't be my last. It was beyond my expectations! The staff, crew and guides were phenomenal! I hadn't been to Germany since 1984, and it was even more beautiful than i remembered it. From the beginning all the way thru to the end, it was wonderfully planned out and the accommodations were wonderful. I made some great new friendships and learned so much about this country and they people who call it home.

Mary Szymanski,

Germany, Luxembourg & France Bike & Boat: Mosel River Valley

Beautiful riding, that's about it.

The Moselle bike/barge bicycling was one of the best riding routes we've done. 99% bike trails. 1% on roads. Beautiful scenery. Disappointed VBT did away with hybrid bikes. Only choice e-bike or road bike. I've never been on either although I ride 6500 miles per year on my hybrid. This may be our last VBT due to no hybrids. The barge, billed as a luxury cruise, fell far short. The noise in the acoustically challenged dining room reminded me of the volume of a Deep Purple concert at San Francisco's Fillmore West in the 70s. We had to take our meals out to the deck. Speaking of meals, I heard the words, Stouffers, Swanson's, Green Giant, Ore-Ida, & Pepperidge farms being used as comparisons. The cabins air conditioning was inadequate. Unless you like waking up sweating. The guides were good. Not the best but no complaints. VBTs tipping suggestion policy is totally out of control. Note to VBT 'pay your people a liveable salary!!!'.

Repeat customer,

Germany, Luxembourg & France Bike & Boat: Mosel River Valley

Split Review - What to watch for

The gentlemen leading the biking were fantastic, 5 stars on them. Good bikes. The captain, his first mate, and the cleaning person did a good job, another 5 stars. That wraps up the good part. The unstable and unconnected to the wall plumbing fixtures in the first room on the boat caused us to be moved to a second room. The second room we were given, and ultimately just stayed in, had a bathroom that left the floor of the bathroom covered in water after every shower. This bathroom had a broken shower hose, we had poor shower drainage and water over the floor. A pain moping up the floor after every shower to avoid an accidental fall. And yes we said something. Some parts of the meals were good, especially the soup, but the two fish dishes we had were undercooked. You won't add weight on this trip. There needs to be some way to initial or sign for drinks at the bar. I had NO drinks at the bar but was stuck paying for drinks I did not order or consume. Be careful.

Underwhelmed,

France, Luxembourg & Germany Bike & Boat: Mosel River Valley

Fabulous bike/boat adventure

Unpack once and enjoy cycling and cruising through three beautiful countries along the Mosel River.

Go Go Years Travelers, MINNESOTA

France, Luxembourg & Germany Bike & Boat: Mosel River Valley

Fantastic!

My husband and I really loved this trip. We have taken many guided tours (which we love) but really enjoyed the independence that a self-guided tour gives you. The accommodations were excellent, the bike routes were challenging (we did the long options each day with road bikes), and the scenery was pretty French countryside on quiet bike paths and small roads. We needed some mechanical assistance one day and our local contact was just a phone call away and very helpful. Overall a great experience and in the right location we would definitely consider another self-guided tour.

Erika S, Portsmouth, NH

France: Vineyards of Beaujolais

Biking France Vineyard

The trip was amazing and very enjoyable. The only glitch was the tunnel was closed on one of the day trips and the copied map provided for the alternative route wasn’t very clear and we got lost. We called the support person but it was 2 hours before he called us back.

BikingBow, Alaska

France: Vineyards of Beaujolais

Switzerland, France, Lake Annecy, Lyon

This is a great trip. The views of the snow covered alps as you rode were spectacular as were the lovely villages (late May trip). It would even be better if we wound through a few more small towns instead of so many bike paths. I personally wouldn't have minded a few hills. What made the trip, however, were our two guides, Michel and Cedric, The have been friends for thirty years. It showed and their comic interaction was most entertaining. Cedric gave a few days of Swiss history which was excellent. They were both excellent bike mechanics, which always helps. The hotels were diverse, from 1000 year old abbeys to newer, high end ones. The food and wine were also great. 5 STARS!

Peter Fontaine, Cape Cod, MA

Switzerland & France: Lake Geneva, Annecy & Valleys of the Alps

Hide review form Review for Switzerland & France:

The guides were great and we loved the daily bike trails. The hotels rooms were not great. The hotels had great rooms and we were able to upgrade our rooms at our own cost. In the past, especially pre and post trips we had the best rooms in the hotel; this is not longer true! The airline reservations have always been horrible. You can't book the pre or post trip unless you use their airline reservations. Back when the pre and post trip had a fabulous hotel rooms, it was worth using their inferior airlines. These days I will have to really think out my options.

Laura LP,

Switzerland & France: Lake Geneva, Annecy & Valleys of the Alps

Great Experience

A wonderful week of biking, boating & site seeing. Our guides, Sophie and Bruno, left no detail unturned.

Little One, Campbell, CA

France Bike & River Cruise: Lyon to Nice

Cruising and Biking pair just like Wine and Cheese

This was our third VBT trip, and it strengthens our plans for future ones. Our guides Sophie and Bruno were professional, personable, highly experienced, and fun! They had the answer to every question, from biking issues, GPS, and we especially appreciated the the very deep local expertise they displayed. We loved having the ship as a luxurious "home base", and not having to change hotels every other night. The service and cuisine on the ship was excellent. Each location and the rides/tours were as beautiful as we expected; the GPS instructions worked very well.

Phil G, Massachusetts

France Bike & River Cruise: Lyon to Nice

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