Switzerland

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!

With the exception of a few routes, rides were on bike paths, waterways and small village roads. Rain is not uncommon so pack accordingly. The ride around Lake Annecy is a stunner. The countryside is green, peaceful and quiet. Logistics were handled well. It was enjoyable to take walking tours of medieval towns along the route. Be sure to pack your swimsuit for the thermal pools. Overall a great experience although our room for the last two nights of the tour was a disappointment.

This trip is great. The locations, the riding, and the trip leaders were all excellent.

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.

This trip was a little disappointing. The Emerald Dawn ship was just ok. Both espresso machines were broken the entire time we were onboard. Definitely not as nice as other cruise lines I’ve been on. As for the cycling, it was nice, but with such hot weather, it would have been nice to ride earlier each day. A few days, we didn’t even begin riding until the afternoon when it was too hot. The two “light” lunches we had off of the ship were dismal. One day our ride got cancelled, although it wasn’t the fault of VBT.

Had a wonderful hiking trip to Switzerland, starting in Zurich and ending in Montreux—gorgeous scenery, wonderful food and wine and two of the best guides. Claire and Corinne made our trip extra special with informative, fun and well organized hiking trips over five days with pre-trip in beautiful Zurich and a final day in Montreux with its lovely setting on Lake Geneva. The hiking was varied with something new or special everyday. We loved taking the trains and gondolas punctuated by amazing hiking trails. We had a friendly and enthusiastic group, and the hikes were well planned with special events included like yodeling, cheese tasting and alphorn music, which provided interesting local culture. The accommodations were lovely with great amenities and wonderful locations. Highly recommend this tour.

We had a great time on our hike in the Swiss alps. Our guides, Cedric and Alex were personable, knowledgeable and helpful. We enjoyed each of hotels. They were of top quality, clean and comfortable. The breakfast offerings were delicious and staff were friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed the many forms of transportation - trains, gondolas, cog wheel trains, and boats. The experience allowed us to easily find our own way to Geneva for our flight to London. And all our fellow guests were fun to be with. Most of all we loved the beauty and grandeur of the scenery. We sent photos home each day, but none did justice to the experience that we enjoyed. The hikes were well within our capabilities. The tour was exceptional.