Tag: Worldwide Travel

Are you considering booking a trip with a bicycle travel company but unsure which one to choose? In that case, the best decision would be to book with a company that has been around the longest and has a successful track record of satisfied guests.

While it isn’t focused on just bicycle travel, that is the foundation Backroads was built on when it launched in 1979. 45 years later, the company hosts not only cycling trips but active multi-adventure, walking and hiking, cruises, safaris, culinary, and pretty much any type of trip you can think of at destinations worldwide.

Who is Backroads?

The company was founded by Jack Hale. Mr. Hale is from Oregon where he was active not as a bicyclist but as a runner. In fact, while attending the University of Oregon, he was a teammate of Steve Prefontaine. Later on, the cycling bug bit hard when he did a 5,000 mile trip through the western United States.

That trip was the inspiration for Backroads. Hale did everything, including riding all the routes, leading the trips, writing the itineraries, and producing the catalogs. The first trip he offered had four participants, one of whom was his mother. Today, Backroads’ trips are multi-tiered with destinations to 50 countries worldwide.

What Makes a Backroads Trip Special

A successful travel company is built on expertise and specialization. Backroads obviously has a large staff in order to do the things it does and do them well. Based on just a quick overview, what makes it special is its focus on the details at every level.

• Expert trip design
• Multiple daily routes
• Varied daily activities
• Premier and casual hotels
• Best trip leaders (and lots of them!)
• Two or more support vans for each trip
• Family travel (all age groups are welcome)
• Group travel and private trips
• Best fleet of custom-branded rental bikes (over 9,000 in its stable: titanium, carbon, even e-bikes that are included at no additional cost)

Destinations Where Backroads Hosts Trips

What makes Backroads a great choice for a cycling trip is the many destinations across the globe where it can offer trips. Think of a place, when you want to go, and who you want to travel with, and the company takes care of the rest.

• Europe (country-wide tours of France, Italy, and Spain)
• United States
• Canada
• Asia and Pacific regions
• Caribbean
• Central America
• South America

Still not sure where you want to go? Backroads lists its “10 Best Trips” in cycling-friendly areas. These trips are popular with its guests because they have a bicycling culture where locals welcome riders, dedicated bike paths, and lightly traveled roads.

• Dolomites (Italy)
• Vietnam/ Cambodia
• Holland/ Belgium
• Rhine River Cruise (Germany)
• Loire Valley (France)
• Germany to Austria
• Santa Barbara/ Ojai, California
• Danube River Cruise
• Sweden to Denmark

Typical Backroads Trip and What’s Included

A typical Backroads cycling trip (and one of the company’s most popular) is its Dolomites trip in northern Italy. This trip is 6 days and 5 nights in length and will run approximately $5,300 to $5,749 for double occupancy.

Add on another $1,200 to $1,600 for single accommodations. This trip is for activity levels 1-4, which determines the number of miles to ride each day and also the level of challenge.

In addition to the rental bike of your choice, which may also include a helmet and other accessories, all covered in the trip price, the trip also includes these amenities.

• Breakfast, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
• Snacks and beverages
• Regional guides and experts
• Travel planner with detailed pre-trip information
• Private guided tours at museums, historic sites, wineries, etc.
• Gratuities at hotels/ restaurants
• Special events (wine tasting and other attractions)
• Trailercycles, carriers, kid-sized helmets for family trips
• Park and other entry fees
• Fares for trains, ferries, etc.
• Select coach transfers
• Baggage transfers

Last Thoughts

If you’ve never done a bicycle trip in Europe (or anywhere else), Backroads is a great first-trip organization with which to book a trip. They handle every aspect of the trip, but, of course, you pay for that high level of service.

Still, Backroads simplifies everything so much for you that it’s hard not to choose them, especially if you are the kind of cyclist who doesn’t like to do a lot of planning, research, or if you’re not sure exactly where you want to go.