France

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.

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.

This trip was better than anticipated. We expected a great time, but this was outstanding in service, leadership and bike friendliness.

This was our first VBT trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The guides were knowledgeable, positive, friendly, helpful and very professional. The GPS navigation was great. The routes were scenic, culturally diverse, and well thought out. The excursions/tours were interesting too. Recommend the ebike for the hills!

Planning and ride with VBT was priceless!. Our bicycle hosts did a fabulous job taking care of our every need. We also did the 3 day in Paris pre-trip, which if you do the 3 day Paris pre-trip, make sure you book all excursions in advance. We pre-booked Eiffel Tower, Palace Versailles, Tuk Tuk Paris, Louvre Museum. My one negative comment was in the city of Dinan. We had a tour guide that was obviously very familiar with the City, Architecture and history. Unfortunately, we could not hear a thing she said. She talked softly, kept walking away, talking to 1 or 2 people....you get the idea. It would have been much better if she had us wear earpieces while she talked. Other than that, fantastic time and would recommend this 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.)

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!

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 .

Very small group. Two excellent guides. Boat was nice. Some rides were longer than usual and were after lunch but of course were dictated by the boat schedule.

First trip with VBT and I want to recognize my two guides Majrien and Matt for their unwavering support and patience. Great energy and guidance throughout the trip

Easy cycling on smooth towpaths to build up appetite for excellent food. Don’t bring many party clothes as storage space in cabins is limited.

This trip was awesome. The barge upgrade was an amazing experience. Axel, Arnaud and Chris were fantastic. I felt well taken care of all the way around. What a fun way to see the German & French countryside; Many fun memories- I highly recommend this trip.

Great trip. Our Chis and Verner were outstanding. Always helpful with the many questions and small problems we encountered. The Captain and the ships crew made for a very enjoyable trip.

I’ve been on 10 VBT trips and this ranks at or near the top for guides, scenery and overall excellence. we’re grandparents 78 and 80 traveling with our athletic and energetic 28-year old and my siblings, in their 60s; the magic of VBT and the care of our outstanding guides, Chris and Axel, is that we all had a fantastic time. Chris and Axel showed our grandson extra adventures along the way while we others soaked up the scenery at a slower pace. The route is magnificent, following a shimmering river in a valley of steep vineyards studded with an occasional medieval castle. The boat was all ours as well as the wonderful staff, including an amazing chef, Richard. The food and ride information were excellent. Thanks you to Chris and Axel and to VBT for what my grandson summed up at the end was, “a trip of a lifetime.”

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.

This was our first self-guided tour and we had a lovely trip. The scenery was beautiful: small villages and hillside vines. The food and wine was amazing. The ride was primarily on bike paths, and as usual the hotels were terrific. VBT never lets us down.

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.

Overall a good trip, but areas could be improved upon. I feel like the overall experience isn’t as good as it once was.

Sophie & Bruno, the trip guides, are very enjoyable, accommodating and knowledgable about France, the historical sites and culture. The rides were easy, scenic and offered the appropriate level of activity for beginner to intermediate riders who are over 50 and not wanting hilly courses. Sophie and Bruno did provide us with additional options for a couple days when we wanted to go further. The food on the ship was excellent. The hybrid bike I rode and the road bike my husband rode were both very good. The GPS system to guiding us is very good. We did get off course a few times but with the GPS system it is possible to get back on course. The rooms on the ship were very small but very comfortable - we upgraded to a panorama level room and it was well worth it. This way of biking and sightseeing is great for us "older" people who want to get out in the countryside and bike but don't want the extra work of packing and moving every couple days. This is not for people who want hard challenging bike rides but more for people who enjoy flat roads through countrysides, vineyards, along the river and canals. We didn't really like the last hotel in Nice but the location was great so that was OK.

Wonderful trip from the sights to the boat and crew to the tour guides. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves