Tag: VBT

Choose a Cycling Trip with VBT (Vermont Bicycle Touring) and Book Flights, Buy Travel Insurance All In One Place

Image By Dmitri Vaccinium from Unsplash.com

Bicycle travel (and travel in general) should be an experience where you expect to encounter the unexpected. If you choose to book a trip with an exclusively American company with trips led by American guides, you will probably get a trip without much (or any) cultural immersion.

Without that immersion, you may not learn as much as you could if your guide were from the place in which you were traveling. What if you could book a bicycle trip where your guide is, for instance, from a particular region in Italy and could give you an experience that other bicycle travel companies only touch on? Would that clarify your decision to book with that company? That is what VBT hopes you will do.

Who is VBT and What Does it Stand For?

VBT is an abbreviation for Vermont Bicycle Touring. The company was founded in 1970 by a history professor at Middlebury College, John Freidin. He took a two-day bicycle trip with friends through the state, which gave him the idea for the company.

Like many founders of bicycle travel companies, Freidin’s company started modestly. At first (and for just $47.00 per person), he only had three trips. He said they primarily included “three meals a day, four walls at night, and a 10-speed bike.” These excursions were always guided by locals who were, by no means, professional or even dedicated cyclists. 50 years later, Freidin’s company offers and hosts trips all over the world.

Why You Should Choose VBT for Your Cycling Vacation

VBT has a small staff who develop the trips, consult with customers, and bilingual ride leaders (or guides) who lead the trips. But much to VBT’s credit, it doesn’t bring in people who aren’t motivated to learn and travel.

Every employee takes a yearly trip to one of VBT’s destinations. When they come back (and as part of their training), they have to share that knowledge with other staff members.

That knowledge gives VBT’s staff unique insights into, for instance, a little town in France with excellent accommodations and food. Then the company adds a bilingual guide from that town (or at least from France) to enhance the experience.

Destinations and Types of VBT Trips

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For a small company with an even smaller staff, VBT covers a wide swath of the world on its trips. Not only does the company host trips in almost every part of Europe, but it also covers these destinations.

  • New Zealand
  • Vietnam
  • South Africa
  • Canada
  • United States
  • South America

The only limitations with VBT are in the type of trips they can host. Currently, they have a guided cycling trip, a guided boat and cycling trip, and a self-guided trip. To VBT, though, these aren’t limitations because it treats every trip with a high level of detail and with as much professionalism as a large bicycle travel company.

What’s Included in a VBT Trip

Looking over the details of what VBT includes on its trips, they seem fairly typical of many bicycle travel companies but with three big differences. Firstly, the company includes a rental bike with each trip from a large stable of bikes, including E-bikes, gravel bikes, comfort bikes with step-through geometry, and, of course, road bikes.

But the two biggest differences between what VBT and other bicycle travel companies include are usually the most annoying, time-consuming, and expensive parts of travel: flight arrangements and costs and travel protection/ insurance.

The company states that if you opt for their Air Travel package, you’ll save money on your entire trip. Here are the details of that package.

  • Roundtrip international airfare
  • Only the most well-known, trusted airlines
  • International airport/ hotel transfers
  • Up to two extra nights of accommodations if you want to extend your trip
  • Daily Breakfasts.

These details apply to the three types of trips VBT offers. The only two things VBT can’t guarantee or cover are airline seating and baggage costs. As for its travel protection and travel insurance, VBT makes this available through a partner company. It doesn’t list the cost but the coverage seems pretty extensive.

These three offerings from VBT seem like a lot. It would almost be enough to sell me on a trip with them. However, the primary list of what the company includes on one of its trips is pretty grand as well.

  • Custom VBT bike and helmet
  • Ride with GPS and route notes
  • Local trip leaders
  • Luggage transfers
  • Admission fees to local attractions
  • Cultural activities like cooking classes and guided city tours
  • Specialty transportation like ferry and train rides
  • Accommodations and most meals
  • Your choice of VBT branded gear for your adventure
  • Even more with the Air Package

Last Thoughts

Image By Coen van de Broek from Unsplash.com

A cycling trip with Vermont Bicycle Touring looks like a great option. The fact that VBT offers an all-in-one place to book your trip, flights, and acquire travel insurance makes booking a trip with them easy and affordable.

All you have to do is pack your suitcase and go with all the details taken care of, whether you are traveling for a group guided trip or on a self-guided trip.