It’s an understatement to say that travel is expensive. And sometimes while you’re on that expensive trip, the level of attention you might receive from staff may be minimal or even non-exisitent. That can be a problem if you’re on a cycling trip in another country and you encounter a difficult situation.
So, what is best option for choosing a travel company to work with? Perhaps that answer lies in booking travel with a company that offers a limited amount of trips and has a smaller staff. In the case of Zephyr Adventures, you can do just that, and if you have an interest in other activities other than cycling, such inline skating, hiking, walking, or other activities, you can do those activities with them, too!
Who Is Zephyr Adventures?
Zephyr Adventures is based in Montana and was founded by Allan Wright in 1997 with a focus on inline skating. It was the first company, in fact, that offered organized travel around this activity. 28 years later, Zephyr Adventures still sees itself as a unique travel company.
The company is built on the founder’s love for active travel. With that view in mind, it states that, “We offer a personal and personable experience from helping you choose which trip is right for you to the friendly guides leading your tour to our genuine interest in your feedback once your trip has concluded.”
What Makes a Trip With Zephyr Adventures Unique?
Zephyr Adventures offers 15 public trips a year and readily admits it might not offer the trip you want. That said, it also has private tours where you can, hopefully, find or design the type trip you have in mind.
The company, however, takes into consideration the high cost of travel. It tends to avoid high-end hotels and other expensive amenities so its guests can focus on cycling (or whatever adventure they choose to pursue). That view has gained Zephyr Adventures the thing all travel companies desire: repeat bookings.
It says that 68% of its clientele booked travel with them before and 13% are friends of prior guests who decided to try Zephyr Adventures. That’s due to how the company views its guests. “Our travelers return because we treat them as members of our Zephyr Adventures family….In this modern day of being a number to so many big companies, when you travel with us you are treated as an individual.”
Types of Trips Offered By Zephyr Adventures
The company shows a total staff of four people on its website, although it hires trip leaders based on need. Still, for such a small staff, the fact Zephyr Adventures offers as many trips as it does is amazing.
Unlike other adventure travel or bicycle travel companies, Zephyr Adventures hosts cycling trips (both public and private tours) to locations in Europe, such as Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, and trips in America, Iowa and Arizona. Some of these trips are multi-activity based, specifically inline skating and cycling together.
In addition to cycling, the company offers trips in hiking/ trekking, National Park hikes/ walks, brewery tours, pickelball, and other multisport activities. Price points, however, are similar to other travel companies. And both their public tours and private tours require that a minimal number of guests book a trip before it takes place.
What’s Included and Not Included In a Booked Trip?
Zephyr Adventures inclusions and exclusions list is similar to that of other active travel companies.
- Double occupancy lodging,
- Dinners,
- Breakfasts,
- Guide (s) (local and experienced)
- Multisport equipment for some activities: mountain biking, kayaking or canoeing, horseback riding, and river rafting.
- Local transportation,
- A Zephyr Adventures activity shirt
- A detailed Pre-Departure Packet
The company states the number guides assigned to a trip can vary based on the number of guests. 6-9 guests will have one guide, 10 guests receive two guides, 17 guests or more will have three guides.
Not Included with Trip Price
- Transportation to and from the trip location
- Beverages
- Lunches (although many trips do include at least some lunches)
- Desserts
- Personal expenses
If you are doing an inline skating trip, the company explicitly states it does not supply this equipment and recommends you either rent or purchase skates before arriving for your trip.
Zephyr Adventures also says that some of their trips have internal flights. The company purchases these flights for guests, then adds that cost onto a guest’s bill. Additionally, for camping trips, sleeping bags are not included but are available for rent at $75.00.
Last Thoughts
Zephyr Adventures, while a small company with a limited number of trips on offer, seems like it takes every step to make sure your trip and all details around it are taken care of so you can spend time riding your bike. If you like inline skating, that’s a plus!
Price points and inclusions are similar to other travel companies along with trip durations, which look to be 6 to 8 days. Still, with the level of personal service provided, Zephyr Adventures seems like a good company to travel with.
They currently offer three public trips a year, so a private tour may be more feasible to get the type you want. As usual, it’s a good idea to reach out to them if you have a question at info@zephyradventures.com.
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