France

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.

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.

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!

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.

Biking in Normandy and Brittany was recommended to us by a fellow VBT biker on our previous trip and we are so happy that we listened to him. The daily parade of classic French villages, farms, gardens, and estates were simply beautiful. Our guides Sophie and Jean were The Best, and we learned more about French culture, history, and language than we could have hoped for. We recommend this trip to everyone!

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!

Gorgeous peaceful rides on bike paths through charming towns, fields and vineyards. The guides Felix and Mirjam were exceptional. They devoted so much time and energy while providing lots of knowledge and fun for the group. Another fabulous VBT Trip – our 7th! I would rate the biking/routes/guides a 5 however I am rating the trip a 4 because my trip experience was diminished by the schedule of the river cruise ship. There was not enough time to explore the cities, experience local food AND take long beautiful rides. You could either take the excursions/walking tours from the ship (with the other 160 people) OR take the 2 daily rides offered. These were some of the BEST VBT rides I have taken and wouldn’t want to miss any! The local cultural/dining experiences were great too. If you REALLY want a river cruise experience (and maybe your companion doesn’t bike); I guess this is the trip for you. Personally, I would never take a VBT river cruise boat trip again. I loved the VBT trips on the small barges dedicated to only VBT travelers. Aside from this lack of time to explore on foot, the Emerald Sky ship was disappointing. The dining room had the worst acoustics – you could only speak/hear your fellow VBT traveler sitting next to you. If you are a light sleeper, do not book the lowest level of accommodations at the water line. The constant whooshing of flushing vacuum toilets and noise going through the locks at night made it difficult to sleep. On the positive for the ship: the service was excellent, the ship was immaculate, the food and food choices were very good. The cruise director, Dawn, was exceptional and made all the guests (including our VBT group) welcome. We are looking forward to our next VBT trip! I highly recommend the trips on dedicated VBT boats and I wish there were more of these offered.

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

We enjoyed beautiful, scenic trails led by 2 very helpful, informative and caring guides. Our ship was very comfortable and the staff very competent and caring. Meals were delicious and dietary preferences were accommodated, too.

We have done barge cruises and bicycle trips, but this was the first barge/bike trip and it exceeded our expectations ! The crew on the Magnifique I were fantastic and tended to all of our needs on the barge. The guides worked hard and tirelessly to be sure we had a grand experience. Axcel and Arnot were great! We brought our grown children and they were closer in age to the guides than the rest of the guests, which was nice for them.

Great trip. Loved the boat, the paved trail, the ebikes were a joy to ride, guides and staff were wonderful and very knowledgeable. The food was delicious. The risotto meal was not my favorite. Rooms are very small for two people with big suitcases. I suggest, pack lightly. All in all, a very enjoyable trip.

The boat and bike was an excellent choice. Our guides, Werner and Chris were like being with family. Chris entertained us with his guitar playing and singing! The people working on the boat were friendly, respectful and funny.

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.

Exceeded my expectations mightily. Gently rolling hills and vineyards and little traffic for the most part

Great trip, fantastic views, perfectly organized and exciting

Our leaders, Luigi and Jean Marc, were well organized, attentive to our needs, and delightful to be around. Chamonix, where the trip starts, is all about Mont Blanc. You can take a cable car to a nearby peak and see in all directions, if it is not cloudy. The cable car ride is still worthwhile if it's cloudy. You can also enjoy the river walk and ride a train, north and south, for free. The bike rides were mostly on bike paths and often downhill. There were three steep climbs which the ebikes and road bikes managed easily. Mountains were always in sight and so were rivers, especially the Rhone. We had rain several days, but no washouts. The trip ends in Lyon, a metropolitan city. There are museums, a river walk, river cruises, and shopping. Lyon is also the gastronomical center of France. We took advantage of Greeter Lyon Metropole which arranges free tours with local citizens. The strolls, as they are called, are usually two hours but our guide gave us a four hour tour. One downside is theft by pickpocket. In our group, one person had a wallet stolen, another a cell phone, and another thwarted a theft attempt. Take precautions and the thieves will look elsewhere.

Since this was our first bike trip, we were a bit unsure about the activity level…whether it would be too hard or too easy (it’s considered an "easy" trip). As it happened, it was just right. Some days there were two bike rides and some days one ride and one walking tour or trip. This was the right amount of each. We will definitely be doing another trip with VBT.

My wife and I just got back from this tour and have nothing but good things to say. It was our first VBT trip, but will not be our last. We signed up for the full trip/air package and all aspects of our travel were seamless and flawless. VBT partnered with Emerald Cruises for the cruise portion of the trip and the partnership worked well. The ship was luxurious, the food was great, and the crew was friendly and helpful. The cycling was fantastic! This area of France has miles and miles of bike paths and quiet country roads. The routes were carefully planned and well-documented in the Ride with GPS routes. The daily mileage was in the 20-25 mile range over most flat terrain along the Rhone River and nearby vineyards. Our host/guides, Sophie and Bruno, were fantastic! In addition to being great ride leaders, they shared a great deal of local knowledge. Our group was relatively small (8 guests) so we had a good chance to get to know the group and make new friends. Bottom line - this is a five star experience. You won't be disappointed.