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.

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 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 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!

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 VBT guides were fabulous, going above and beyond our expectations. The planned routes were as described, on bike paths or very lightly traveled roads, making the rides safe and carefree so we could take in more of the gorgeous scenery and small towns that we were riding through. The stops for lunches and the cheese and wine stops were fun and delicious. The ship accommodations (we got the upgrade) were comfortable, the food was good, but the service could’ve been better.

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.

We couldn't not possibly have enjoyed this trip more. To begin with, the setting of the Mosel River exceed my expectations—it was far more beautiful than I'd anticipated. As someone who's always been comfortable with self-organized travel, I didn't know how I'd feel about a guided trip, but it was flawless. The cycling routes were excellent, the support on the road was everything one could need, and the accommodations on the barge were outstanding. All the personnel were delightful to deal with. I particularly want to call out our guides Axel and Arnoud, who were deeply knowledgeable, funny, and personable in a way that set a tone for all the tour's participants. They helped create an atmosphere of relaxed congeniality.

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

This trip gives you a combination of beautiful scenery, variety of terrains, and a ton of history. Way more than I expected. Outstanding. The VBT tour guides were entertaining, knowledgeable, kind and caring. Very well run organization. I was a little worried about navigating a foreign country, but the work that went in to build the Ride with GPS app was incredible. I always felt in control and the level of details that were provided at every turn were terrific. I always feel relaxed and I was able to enjoy the ride, instead of worrying about directions.

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.

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 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.

Great on all counts! Special shout-out to our wonderful guides- Philippe and Jean-Marc- who added the soul to a wonderful biking adventure.

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.

Perfect trip included spectacular scenery and weather, awesome group of cyclists, perfect accommodations, and wonderful VBT leaders…thank you Sophie and Bruno.

We feel like this trip was two vacations in one. First, we traveled the beautiful Rhone River via the deluxe Emerald Liberte, which had all the amenities we could want. These included tasty food, a comfortable cabin and on-board entertainment. And, second of course the bike tour. We had a friendly group of fellow travelers and loved our guides, Bruno and Sophie. The routes were clear, interesting and easy to follow and the stops were diverse and unique to the areas we biked through. Loved every minute of it.