Spain

This was a perfect trip...Seamless. My 8th VBT bicycling trip and all were good but this one was exceptional because our leaders were exceptional. Great biking, great cultural events and guided tours, wonderful food, very cohesive group of 22 guests who really liked each other every single day. Bravo Javi and Andrea..I hope we meet again!

It starts with the guides and they deliver on a continuous basis. Andrea and Javier (Javi) are excellent at delivering the experience promised by VBT and go above and beyond to make it all work and make sure you are happy. There are always glitches along the way, mostly created by the guests. They work tirelessly and effectively to solve every problem. Like all the other trips (we have done many). It's so much more than the wonderful biking. The farm visit to the apple orchard is amazing. Who knew so much science and technology are needed to be successful in this day and age. They explained why more than 150 apples stresses the trees and produce inferior apples. They showed us the technology they use to eliminate excess blooms. The resultant apples, juices and ciders are wonderful. The enjoyment of our visit to the Dali museum was magnified many times over by the enthusiasm and knowledge of Kim, our guide. I had no idea how many elements were in each Dali painting and how his mind worked.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first VBT experience. The tour route was very well laid out and we cannot not say enough about how impressive our tour leaders, David and Frederico, both of whom are natives of Portugal. Kudos to VBT for the way they planned and conducted our tour!

We loved this trip! Beautiful and varied biking routes; knowledgeable, competent and engaging guides, top-notch hotels, delicious food and interesting cultural activities. I wish I could do it all over again!

This was our first VBT and it will not be our last! We loved the self-guided trip through quaint medieval villages, quiet country lanes, mountain climbs in the foothills of the Pre-Pyrenees, apple orchards, to the beautiful shores of the Mediterranean. We had a great group of 7 travelers we met up with along the path, and for many dinners. We choose the self-guided because we wanted to go at our own pace. Our local hosts were amazing and always a phone call or text away! We made the right choice by going with the E-bikes! We had never tried them before, and they were amazing!

This was the first time my husband and I did a cycling trip in Europe and we could not have asked for a better experience! We were VBT fans before making a deposit because their website provided all the information we needed to decide about going with them such as the route, mileage, elevation, hotels, and other things we could see and do. Not all tour companies made such a good first impression! Then VBT delivered with excellent pre-trip communication, fabulous bike routes with explicit Ride with GPS instructions and interesting things to see along the way, plus the hotels were just lovely! Our favorite hotel, Hostal Spa Empuries, which we stayed an extra two nights after the trip was finished because the location on the beach with a short walk in both directions to small towns along a lovely foot/bike path was so ideal. We want to cycle in Greece next year and after looking at many tour companies it is going to be VBT again because we feel secure in knowing they have planned a wonderful trip and they will take care of us. They can even give you a longer route if you want more miles on any given day that works into the schedule. God willing, I don't think Greece is going to be our last VBT trip!

This was my first VBT tour and I’m hooked. The riding was superb, the food amazing, and everything was so well organized. It was a perfect blend of group time and solo time. I’m in my 40s and was the youngest of the group, but the company and conversation was fun and so engaging. I’m already thinking about our next adventure.

This was our 19th VBT trips, our fourth in Spain, and high on our list of favorites. The scenery was beautiful, the hotels were all nice and our guides, Jose and Juanxto were both entertaining and knowledgeable. As is the case with previous trips, everything went very smoothly. The included lunches and dinners were all very good as was the wine. Most of the routes were on roads rather than bike paths, but were very lightly trafficked, with the exception of a few miles here and there, and we felt the routes were safe, especially since there are no many cyclists in Mallorca. The three towns we stayed in were all lovely and not over touristed. We had e-bikes, which I would recommend since there were a few climbs that would have been tough on a road bike, but no problem at all on an e-bike. We did not do the pre- or post trip add-ones, but did stay in La Palma for three days on our own and enjoyed our time there. Overall La Palma is quite crowded, mostly with British and German tourists. We spent one day hiking in Valldemossa, which we really enjoyed and another riding rented bikes along the beach areas of La Palma, thus avoiding the crowded tourist sites. I would recommend doing both of these. We were on the last tour of the season in late October and the weather was excellent for biking, except for one afternoon when it rained hard and no one in our group elected to ride. We booked this trip almost a year in advance because it is quite popular and still many of the departures were already full. As experienced VBT cyclists in our 70s, I would not hesitate to recommend this trip.

Good route, and the ship, with unpacking once, makes it better. The guides were very good, and the food on the ship was excellent. The group of 18 were very enjoyable people.

We enjoyed cycling through the Douro River region and seeing the charming villages. The arranged lunches at local restaurants were a highlight. The recent fires in the area did take away from some of the natural beauty, but despite that, we had fun cycling. There are plenty of lovely views to enjoy. Our trip leaders did a great job. The terrain is quite hilly, - be prepared! Cruising on the Douro added to the experience.

This trip could not have been better. Bikes, guides, hotels, food, history, culture, tours to the prime sights, transports ; all organized and pulled off smoothly, down to small details. The guides were special. Knowledgeable, friendly, organized,encouraging, calm, and just fun to be around. We lost a passport in Cordoba and within an hour the guides tracked it down and saved some huge hassles for us. I don’t typically write reviews, but this trip was just too good.

Trip #2 with VBT and once again the entire tour exceeded my expectations. The towns of Spain via bike were breathless. The leaders were knowledgeable, friendly, fun and organized. Loved by Trip #2 and plan to do more......

I loved this trip. The group was so compatible, no "problem people". The hotels were top rate! The meals were great, albeit too much food. The guides became friends! The bus driver rocked! And the path/trails well thought out. Totally enjoyed it!!! Hope to do another country walkers trip again in near future. Jean

The itinerary for this trip was very well thought out. The local guides, Diego and Pol, were beyond great. I would rate this trip as moderate, but you could elect to skip portions of the hikes to make it easier. The accommodations along the Camino were originally monasteries. The trip was so much fun. Thank you, Diego and Pol.

I’ve taken many CW and VBT trips- Mallorca is right up there at the top ! Wonderful guides Isabel and. Helle made sure everything was optimal even though the weather didn’t completely cooperate. their Plan B museum visit gets my A+. Scenery, accommodations, food, and visits to citrus farm and salt flats were outstanding! Highly recommend

A wonderful way to see the country. The guides were delightful, supportive and knowledgeable. Lodging was fabulous and the other hikers so interesting!