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.

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.

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!

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!

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 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!

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 .

Great guides! Easy to use vocal GPS apps, for some of us independent riders. Beautiful country side, fairly easy riding with or without e-bikes, currently I’m a 72 year old male and enjoyed every mile. The Emerald Dawn was a pleasure to ride home to, comfy accommodation with a family feeling of as well! Good food and drink, helpful staff, very clean ship. We’re presently in the process of planning our next adventure with VBT.

This was my fourth VBT trip, and sad to say it was my least favorite. (Our past trips were Lake Constance, Ireland Connemara and Puglia.) The boat was very nice and luxurious and the food was great, but I did not feel like I was submerged in the country as with other trips. It felt like we were dropped off in a town to ride and then returned to the boat every afternoon to the same dining room for 7 nights in a row. The 2 guides we had were very nice gentlemen, but communication was lacking. Some examples: the group left on a ferry without us, and we weren’t told which ferry to take, we were never quite sure what time we were to meet up everyday, and a route had a detour that we had to figure out on our own. We were scheduled to have 3 guides, but one was unavailable. Perhaps that would have helped. Of course the biking was nice with pretty views along The Rhine, but the biking routes seemed too short. One day the guides discouraged us from riding because they felt the route wasn’t that great. Perhaps they should pick a different route we would have liked. More bike rules info and instruction would have helped in Amsterdam. Taking boat tours may have their advantages for some, like not having to pack every other day. We certainly enjoyed the laundry services. But the large boat lacked the charm of the usual boutique hotels and the fabulous hotel restaurants we fondly remember from past trips.

This was my first VBT trip and it certainly won't be my last. It was beyond my expectations! The staff, crew and guides were phenomenal! I hadn't been to Germany since 1984, and it was even more beautiful than i remembered it. From the beginning all the way thru to the end, it was wonderfully planned out and the accommodations were wonderful. I made some great new friendships and learned so much about this country and they people who call it home.

Fun bicycling! Electric bikes, paved paths, German food, French Food, and a floating hotel. Hard working and knowledgeable guided.

This bike and float vacation was a wonderful way to meet new friends with similar interests. The guides were amazing and so knowledgable about the regions we traveled in. They were very well organized, considerate, and excellent at anticipating all the travels needs. the boat crew was equally as efficient and excellent. The chef made magical meals that were always delicious.

The Mosel River bike and barge was a wonderful experience. The ride was mostly flat along the river with quaint small towns and hillside vineyards along the way. The scenery was quite stunning. The barge was comfortable and clean and the crew was outstanding. While the cabins were small, being able to stay in one place for seven nights was definitely a plus.

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.

Beaujolais, Chardonnay and beyond, this tour was all I dreamed of.

this was an all-around exceptional trip. The beauty of the surrounding snow capped mountains, and the stunning lakes were just breathtaking. The riding was mainly on dedicated back paths without much interference from traffic. we rode along the Rhône River, through fields of cows with their cowbells clanging and agricultural fields with beautiful poppies.The hotels were beautiful, comfortable and so unique, including the 1000-year-old Abbey-turned hotel on Lake Annecy. The presence of hang gliders as well as gliders added to the whole experience. The guides were knowledgeable, helpful and made the trip a lot of fun. We had a good variety of experiences and the food was very good. This was my fifth bike trip with VBT and right at the top for beauty.

Six fantastic days of biking! This was our first ever bike trip and we thoroughly enjoyed every part of it. We were very lucky to have such perfect sunny days that were book-ended by rain. We loved the two gals that led the tour...they were "over the top" in every way! I had never been on an E bike, but quickly took to it and now want one of my own. I still felt that I got a lot of exercise ...just loved it. Every morning the bike would be ready with a bike bag and fresh water with lemon and the helmet. The hotels were all top notch also. This particular trip has amazing scenery, so it was very lucky that clouds didn't obscure the magnificent peaks. Will definitely try another trip!

Sophie & Bruno, the trip guides, are very enjoyable, accommodating and knowledgable about France, the historical sites and culture. The rides were easy, scenic and offered the appropriate level of activity for beginner to intermediate riders who are over 50 and not wanting hilly courses. Sophie and Bruno did provide us with additional options for a couple days when we wanted to go further. The food on the ship was excellent. The hybrid bike I rode and the road bike my husband rode were both very good. The GPS system to guiding us is very good. We did get off course a few times but with the GPS system it is possible to get back on course. The rooms on the ship were very small but very comfortable - we upgraded to a panorama level room and it was well worth it. This way of biking and sightseeing is great for us "older" people who want to get out in the countryside and bike but don't want the extra work of packing and moving every couple days. This is not for people who want hard challenging bike rides but more for people who enjoy flat roads through countrysides, vineyards, along the river and canals. We didn't really like the last hotel in Nice but the location was great so that was OK.

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