VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations Announces 2015 United States Active Vacations Including a New Itinerary in Colonial Virginia

Travelers on the New Virginia Tour Will Cycle the Colonial Parkway Along the James and York Rivers While Exploring Historic Sites, Meeting Members of the Community, and Sampling Local Wines. 

BRISTOL, VT — Nov. 3, 2014 — VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations, America’s oldest bicycling tour operator, has expanded its broad portfolio of cycling vacations in the United States with a brand-new itinerary, Colonial Virginia: Riding the Road to Independence. Starting at $1,995 per person, this new active vacation immerses travelers in American history along a route that visits the Jamestown settlement, Williamsburg and Yorktown. Off the bike travelers will learn about Virginia’s wine production and stay at the AAA-Four Diamond Kingsmill Resort. In addition to the new Virginia tour, VBT will be offering nine U.S. based vacations in 2015, including three in Vermont, making it possible for travelers to experience local wonders not far from their own backyards.

“With American society being so dependent on our cars, we love providing our guests a way to slow down and really soak in some of the most beautiful and historic parts of this amazing country on two wheels,” says Gregg Marston, president of VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations. “I’m particularly excited about our new tour in Virginia because our guests will discover the history of America in such an active and engaging way.”

The new Colonial Virginia trip includes a series of immersive activities including a private, guided walk through the Revolutionary City of Jamestown with stops at the Capitol building and the Governor’s Palace. While on tour, travelers will have unlimited access to the historic area which includes 35 exhibition sites, 20 shops, two world-class art museums and options for self-guided tours during free time. Other tour highlights include:

• - Visit Chippokes Plantation State Park, one of the oldest working farms in the United States
• - Explore the historic Jones-Steward Mansion
• - Meet a group of archaeologists at the 1607 James Fort site
• - Tour the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum to view historic pieces of American art
• - Sample various local wines at The Williamsburg Winery
• - Listen to live chamber music by candlelight at the historic Bruton Parish Church
• - Engage with a group of 80 art masters, apprentices and journeyman in historic Williamsburg
• - Spend two nights at the AAA-Four Diamond Kingsmill Resort and enjoy five restaurants, 15 tennis courts, two golf courses, a newly renovated spa and sports club, and three swimming pools

On every U.S. cycling vacation, VBT travelers can look forward to sampling fresh local cuisine, learning about regional traditions and pedaling through picture-perfect landscapes from coast to coast. All domestic tours include stays at charming accommodations, free use of VBT bicycles and helmets and two expert, local Trip Leaders who will share their own personal knowledge of each region throughout the cycling journey.

For travelers looking for authentic cultural experiences and rewarding cycling routes closer to home, VBT’s United States itineraries beyond Virginia include Maine Coast: Purely Acadia,Mississippi: The Natchez Trace ,California Wine Country & The Pacific Coast,Charleston to Savannah: A Southern Reel and Cape Cod & Martha’s Vineyard. There are also options to explore VBT’s home in Vermont with three different cycling trips to choose from, including Biking Southern Vermont: A New England Idyll,Vermont: Champlain Valley & Islands and Classic Vermont.

Visit https://www.vbt.com/destinations/united-states/ to reserve a cycling tour. To request a catalog, visit www.vbt.com or call 855-365-3926.

About VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations

VBT offers 50 deluxe, small group bicycling and walking tours in 26 different countries, including destinations throughout Europe, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Vietnam, Peru, South Africa, China, and the United States. Each trip includes all accommodations, many meals, two expert local Trip Leaders, unique sightseeing and cultural activities and on-tour vehicle support. Unlike other companies, VBT also includes roundtrip international airfare from over 30 U.S. cities and select Canadian cities for all overseas vacations.In 2014, VBT was rated by the readers of Travel + Leisure among the “World’s Best Tour Operators” for the fifth consecutive year.