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.

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!

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!

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.

This was a lovely, leisurely bike trip. Being on a river boat afforded flexibility to join the Emerald excursions or even just spend an afternoon on the top deck reading. Of course one could also opt to do full day cycling on mostly flat, scenic routes. It's rare that all needs can be met on a bike trip but this one had most covered: great accommodations and food, diversity in program options, and as much cycling as you feel like doing. Did I mention that our guides were terrific as well?

Cruising on the Princess Royal was a delightful way to travel! We could relax each evening after a full day of biking and enjoy delicious, thoughtfully prepared meals and good company. Our guides Axel, Aernoud & Steffi were enthusiastic and full of detailed information about the Moselle and each of the river towns we visited. They anticipated our every need or wish. Couldn’t ask for better!

What a well planned tour. So special to have every aspect of our trip prearranged for us. They thought of everything. Just ride and enjoy.

Everything about the trip was the best of the best! Including VBT's group leaders, the crew on the barge, and the comradarie you develop by eating breakfasts and dinners on the barge together. Not to mention, you don't have to change hotels during the trip! The scenery from the barge and on the bikes was like being in a fairy tale!

The boat part of this trip was wonderful. As usual, VBT leaders were excellent. The scenery along the Mosel was gorgeous. Our difficulties were with the pre-trip to Munich, and the post-trip to Berliin. The hotel in Munich was very small, we couldn't unpack our clothes because there was no where to put them, the shower was small and the water temperature went from hot to cold in an instant. There was no elevator - we had to climb 2 flights of stairs with heavy bags, others had to climb 4! Since many of VBT's travelers are 60, 70 and up, it's not as easy as it used to be! The location was far from the Old Town, and we had to take trams or the U-Bahn or taxis to get there. Not the worst thing, just not very convenient. We didn't find out about details for our transfer for the boat trip until late the night before, which isn't very good communication. The hotel in Luxembourg was FABULOUS! We all wished we could have spent more than just one evening there. Gorgeous hotel, spacious, near sites to visit, etc. The boat trip was great all around with great staff, excellent food and beautiful views. If only we could have had more time to visit the small towns to shop and explore...and maybe at least one day to sleep in would have been appreciated without having to miss a ride. But it was still awesome. The hotel in Koblenz was fine. The bus transported us the next morning o the train station, and just dropped us off with tickets, but only 15 minutes to catch our train. There was no representative from VBT to tell us where to go or what to do. Some of us have traveled the trains in Europe before, so we were able to get to our train just in time. However, it was such a mad dash, that some of our group just jumped on a car and we didn't even know if they had made it. We had to call on cell phones to tell them what to do and which car to go to. This was an awful oversight from VBT, and very surprising/disappointing. We were also verbally told by one of our bike leaders that Berlin was the train's last stop, when in fact, our station was the next to the last stop. I had to go around and tell everyone and make sure they were ready to hop off with bags, as loading and unloading goes very fast. The last hotel in Berlin was very nice, bedrooms and baths were spacious, but again, no place to put unpacked clothes except on the floor and some hooks! I don't want to sound like an ugly American, because we're really not. Even the boat did have some shelves for us to organize our clothes! But the breakfast buffet and bar were very nice with very pleasant staff. And VBT's communication for airport transfers for everyone's different venues and schedules was very good. Overall, my take -away for this trip was that VBT needed better communication with the shuttles, transfer times and help at the train station. Hotels with closet space or shelf/dresser space would be very much appreciated. A little more free time in Luxembourg and along the Mosel towns would be ideal.

This tour has a little bit of everything we wanted. Great riding in gorgeous French countryside, excellent accommodations (as always with VBT), our bikes were perfect and GPS maps were easy to follow. Having an affinity for wine doesn't hurt, but this ride would be great just to experience the culture and atmosphere of the area.

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.

VBT truly exceeded all expectations on our recent vacation! They made everything so easy, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the experience without stress or hassle. It was the perfect way to explore the breathtaking valleys of the Alps — every detail was thoughtfully curated, from the stunning hotel selections and engaging cultural activities to the incredibly scenic bike routes and just the right amount of free time. What made this trip even more memorable was our amazing group. Our tour guides Felipe and Luigi were really the cherry on top of it all! The camaraderie we shared felt effortless, and it's clear that VBT puts a strong emphasis on creating meaningful connections among travelers. That focus really shines through and turns an already beautiful adventure into something truly epic. Can't recommend it enough — we’re already dreaming of our next trip with VBT!

Beautiful trip starting in magical Chamonix. Mostly bike paths along scenic rivers and mountains. Great hotels with super locations and perks-thermal baths, lake swimming,spa options and more. Energetic, engaging leaders made the trip memorable. Long shuttles and busy towns-Annecy and Chamberry were too touristy and crowded.

The leaders were great,,,the food was great...the bike routes very good...the walking tours were also very good...I missed the travel between local hotels on bikes....

I want to rate this trip as 4.5 but that option is not available. The biking was great - loved the e-bike! Visiting the towns/villages along the route was a highlight. There were advantages and disadvantages to the river cruise; being a small part of the larger group of cruise passengers made it difficult to form a cohesive biking group. But staying in one place for the duration of the bike trip was a plus. Recommend the trip for those who enjoy biking as well as visiting historical towns and villages.