France

This was our first VBT vacation and we have already registered for a second trip. Provence and the Alpilles is a beautiful region of France with abundant fruits, vegetables and other agriculture. The bicycle travel through the French countryside gives an up-close and personal travel experience.

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.

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?

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

We had a wonderful experience. The itinerary, guides and bike routes couldn’t have been any better. Everything was planned the minute we landed in Paris. Would definitely recommend to anyone with an interest in the Normandy history.

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.)

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 .

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!

The two guides were really great. They did everything possible to create a very enjoyable riding experience for all of us. My carbon fiber road bike was phenomenal. Like floating along. The choice of bike routes was fine. Very scenic, and illustrative of how people lived in these rural communities. I especially enjoyed the wine tasting stops. Learned a great deal about the EU and agriculture there. The ship was very nice and the food excellent. However the VBT group was a bit constrained by the rules and schedule of the large number of people on board for the cruise only; ex:!the dining experience was very loud and raucous. The only other comment is that the airport pick up in Zurich was not well organized and the taxi taking us from the hotel opera to the ship was totally disorganized resulting in the driver being lost for a couple of hours searching for the boat.

Memorable! Sights and experiences for a lifetime. Great accommodations and food. Friendly and helpful staff.

Lovely countryside, incredible food on the Barge, the crew and bike guides were the best ever (this our 9th VBT trip). We loved it!

I was amazed, my active vacation was the perfect combination of biking, historic sightseeing, experiencing local culture, and enjoying quality meals.

This was our first VBT trip. Loved the e-bikes ... only wish e-bike were available on all tours. The leaders on our trip were fabulous! The crew on the barge were also great -- especially loved the chef! The cycling was not difficult even for a beginner.

A trip well done from beginning to end, from bike to barge, from guides to chef and captain.

This was our first self guided trip, and I really enjoyed it. Biking in the French countryside seemed ideal for a self guided trip where we may want to stop longer in town, or enjoy a more leisurely lunch. The routes were challenging, since all the longer options went to the must see places (how can you not have a Chardonnay in Chardonnay??). I still enjoy the non-electric bikes, and found this to be the most challenging of my VBT tours, but it was still do-able, and I felt great at the end of each day. Just be prepared for some longer routes and hills. The infamous tunnel was open and a highlight to bike through. The guide said it's closed mid-October through March to allow bats to roost over the winter. Our restaurant stops on the route were fantastic, and it was nice to see how proud the waiters were about the local wine.

A remarkable selfguided bike trip! Because it was selfguided, we took our own time pedaling and sight seeing. The bike app that loaded each and every turn and maps was amazing! It was also very good to have a short and a long loop biking so individuals can choose how many miles they want to bike every day. One suggestion would be to have rest days in between and make the trip longer. Chateau Pizay was superb as the other places we stayed. All in all i will give a 5 star rating. I am waiting for VBT to put up other self guided cycling tours.

Easy cycling through valleys. A bit too much cycling on busy bike paths and urban roads for my liking.

This was a spectacular trip the scenery was lovely the mountains and valleys. The sound of cow bells echoing in the valleys and the bike paths. Much of the trip is on bike paths by blue lakes. This is enjoyable bike trip through lovely county and small towns.

Loved this tour. A combination of riding through the scenic areas along the Rhone and Isere with all the support of great guides, experiencing local cultures of each area and then returning to a "floating hotel" with all the benefits of comfort and great cuisine--- I found a must experience combination!

Great trip! Wonderful leaders!!! Sophie and Bruno are two of the best leaders we’ve ever had on a VBT tour (we’ve been on six). Food on the Emerald riverboat was superb. Only criticism is that on my step through hybrid, there wasn’t room on the bar for my water bottle. That made it necessary to stop for a water break and that’s difficult.