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?

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!

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!

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.

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!

Bike and Barge on the Rhine River 2022 A beautiful way to see the countries of Germany, France, and The Netherlands. Float the Rhine waterway at night and ride the pathways through castles, quaint villages, and vineyards by day. Easy roads and lovely fall weather gave us a taste of days gone by. Our guides grew up in Europe and were knowledgeable concerning the history and current customs. We met lovely guests who became instant friends. Thank you VBT!

This was my 6th VBT trip but my 1st bike/boat trip. I have to say I loved the fact that I unpacked once! It was a pleasure to sit back and view the country side while off the bike. It was a pleasant mix of activities plus varied times out on the bike and on the boat. All the bike routes were beautiful, with a mix of charming towns ,vineyards or farm lands! Our group was small ( which made it enjoyable) and the weather was perfect considering it was the last week of the season! Our guides, Felix and Mirjam, were delightful! They were fun, interesting and knowledgeable!

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

We have been on several VBT bike trips, and this one goes to the top of the list. Scenery was beautiful, bike paths were great, food was delicious, and Axel, Felix and Werner were outstanding guides! Really enjoyed being with a fun group of bike and barge riders. Also enjoyed the pre trip in Berlin and the post trip in Paris. No problems with transportation. Thank you VBT!

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.

The area was beautiful, the biking trails were excellent and the guides were great. The barge on the other hand fell well below expectations. I would not take another VBT barge trip. There was very little space in the room and it was extremely damp (bath towels never dried). Also, the food wasn't what I've come to expect on VBT vacations. As a vegetarian, one night I was given a bowl of roasted potatoes for my entree. And, dinner was always rushed. That dreaded bell. There were problems with logistics as well. Several times we either had to wait for the barge to dock or we had to go looking for the barge because it wasn't where it was supposed to be. I understand this is beyond VBT control, but still. . Maybe the worst part of the trip is the tipping expectation. Guests are given an "optional" tipping guide. For 2 guests and 2 guides that comes to $800 cash (in local currency) on the last day of the trip. On the barge, you also tip the crew, that's another $200. VBT should include all tips in the cost of the vacation.

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.

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.

This was a wonderful trip with some of the best biking paths I've been on. And the guides were wonderful.

I have been lucky enough to travel to many places-in nany styles-solo-with my husband-with lots of family and friends. I never compare places because I enjoy all for different reasons. THIS WAS BY FAR MY MOST FAVORITE TRIP OF ALL!!! So I guess Iam comparing-LOL. The hotels-the scenery-the food-the perfect bikes-amazing guides-and the group itself all combined to make it absolutely amazing!! Consider us VBT lifers-we can't say enough!

Our tour guides, Sophie and Bruno were the best! We experienced rides along lovely canals, through gorgeous vineyards and quaint villages. Our accomodations on our ship couldn't have been better, and we met some nice people.

We loved our first ever VBT bike and river cruise from Lyon to Nice in June. Accommodations on the boat were great - comfortable cabins, helpful crew, interesting tour options and fun evening activities enhanced a beautiful trip down the Rhône. The bike tours were fun and memorable with stunning vistas along each route. Both of our bike guides were friendly and helpful which was especially important for a bike novice like myself. The VBT team was able to find the right size E-bike for my small stature, and even switched standard tires to a smaller size to accommodate me. Our group of 9 riders bonded and although individuals/couples rode at their own pace, we all met up at various points for fun experiences together. It was a fabulous trip and we look forward to our next VBT experience!