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The Bike Tour Reviews Fully Supported (guides, bikes, luggage transfer, route maps, et al) Adventure Travel Group. This is a new company started by a couple of seasoned tour guides. ATG provides a more intimate travel experience and their tours are a very good value. Groups are limited to 14 people max, they stay in smaller, more classic inns (2-4 stars) and the owners are the main guides. An added (and unusual!) perk: They will cater to couples where one is cycling and the other is just "coming along for the ride". Companions – Many of their trips are setup for people that are serious about cycling (Giro d'Italia, Mt. Ventoux), so you are getting a somewhat more fit crowd. A selection of "hot new" tour destinations (Croatia, Argentina) adds to a hipper vibe, too. Rider Reviews . adventuretravelgroup.com Butterfield & Robinson. If you want to stay at the most luxurious accommodations, eat the best food, and be catered-to every step of the way, this is the company for you. Oh yeah, we forgot to mention: money is no object, right? Yes, you’re paying at least 25% more than with any of the other tour groups, but with B & R you are getting “The Ritz” in level of quality of service and accommodations. Companions – Get ready to meet lots of 45-year-old heart surgeons and their wives (or husbands!). The typical client is a doctor, lawyer or business owner. Not a lot of people go single with B & R, and you do have to pay for a single supplement if going it alone. The group won’t be partying it up each night, but you’ll have your fill of foie gras, truffles and fine wine. Rider Reviews . butterfield.com Backroads. This
company is the biggest of the second-tier ($$$$) choices; basically
the Grand Hyatt of bike tour companies. Not as fancy or expensive
as B & R, but their trips are very well supported and the accommodations
are very good. Their catalog has a huge selection of trips, as
well as plenty of other travel-adventure options. A nice feature
is that there a multiple levels of luxury (and prices) to choose
from. The "blend" tours stay at 3-4 star inns, with the "best
in the region" ones jumping to 4-5 stars. BikeRiders. This company differentiates themselves from the others by keeping their groups very small and providing a high level of personalized service. Lodging is in 4-5 star hotels and inns, and the dining is also high-end. Look at this as the European-style "boutique" hotel of tour companies. BikeRiders also provides a self-guided option for those who don't need a tour guide or SAG van but want the baggage transfer, route sheets and nice accommodations. Warning: their routes are shorter than with most companies. Companions – The BikeRiders client is well-heeled and used to upscale traveling. Because the routes are easier, the average age is older than with most other groups. Singles are not encouraged, as you have to pay for a single supplement if going it alone. This is not a crowd that parties it up, but in a BikeRiders group there will certainly be people who know a Latour from a La Tache. Rider Reviews. bikeriderstours.com Blue
Marble. Willing
to take on a little more responsibility to save a couple of
sheckles? If so, this is the group for you. There is no van
support, but they get your luggage transported for you almost every
day. However, there will be several days in the week where
you must use panniers (saddle bags) to transport one day’s
worth of clothing and toiletries. While most companies provide
two group leaders (one to drive the support van, and one to
bike with the group), this company just provides one. In many
ways, this type of independence can provide a more rewarding
trip and build camaraderie among the group. The 3-star accommodations
are still quite nice (although you may find yourself at a one
or two star through part of the trip), and food and wine are
given high priority. Ciclismo Classico. No doubt about it, if you want to go to Italy, you’ve got to look into Ciclismo Classico. Their level of expertise in all-things-Italian is unsurpassed, reflected in the more than 30 trips that they offer. Each trip includes lots of activities, and they even offer specialty trips that focus on things such as yoga and photography. In the past couple of years they have added additional countries, including a Tour de France trip. Companions – The main thing that Ciclismo Classico clients have in common is an interest in experiencing Italy to the fullest. That's a passion that crosses age, income and riding ability lines. Many of their routes are surprisingly long, so some of your companions are strong bicyclists, but there is no shame in using the SAG van, either. Night time socializing holds a high priority in Italy (food, wine and conversation are the national pastimes), so even though your companions may not have planned to, there will be plenty of fun nighttime activities. Going single is encouraged, and you don’t have to pay a supplement if willing to share a room. Rider Reviews . ciclismoclassico.com Classic Adventures. This company began as in 1979 as "Bicycle Greece!" but since then has branched out to France, Austria, Germany, Canada, and some very interesting parts of the United States (the "hill country of Texas"?!!). Culture and history are really a focus with this group, and many of the guides are academics or have an extensive background in art. Companions: With reasonably short routes (although, like most other companies, they offer optional "longer extensions") and many cultural activities, your fellow riders will have plenty of priorities other than cycling. If you are interested in a different type of tour company where culture is a focus, take a look at this well-priced option. Rider Reviews . classicadventures.com CycleItalia. Their motto is "Pedala Forte, Mangia Bene" which translates to "pedal hard, eat well". And that basically sums it up. The company is owned and run (VERY hands-on) by two ex-racers, and their trips are anything but wimpy. The shorter Tasting Serives trips (7 days) are an average of 70km, and the longer Classic Road and Legendary Climb trips average 100km as well as climbs, plenty of climbs. However, CycleItalia take s food and wine just as seriously. The owner-guides are experts in all-things-Italian and as the name suggests, this it the only country they tour in. However, they have many options. Companions - It is interesting that a company that advertises some of their rides as having daily climbs of 5-9,000 feet, also advertises the fact that they encourage couples that may have different riding abilities. In other words, they won't make you feel bad if you are in the SAG van for part of the ride, in fact, they providing some tours that cater to non-riding spouses. However, with the Classic Road and Legendery Climb series, you can be sure that the majority of your traveling companions will be very very strong riders. The emphasis on food and wine ensures that there will be plenty of fun in the evenings. According to our sources ... sometimes at lunch, too! . Rider Reviews . cycleItalia.com Duvine Adventures. So you want to stay in luxury accomodations and you want to travel with a group that is slightly younger than the norm, but you don't want to ride with gnarly club-rider types. If so, you should take a look at Duvine. They stay at many of the same places as Butterfield and Backroads, but this is an owner-run company that emphasises personal service and keeps the group to a smaller, more intimate size. Companions – The owner is a young, fun-loving guy and that is reflected in the clientele which includes many 30- and 40-somethings (versus the average bike tour rider who is in their 50's). The emphasis is on having FUN. The miles average to a non-grueling 35, but like most other tour operators, Duvine offers extensions for riders that want additional mileage. Rider Reviews . duvine.com Easy Rider Tours . This company has been providing tours "off the beaten path" for many years. They specialize in Ireland, Portugal and Spain, as well as New England and Canada. By offering tours in unusual regions such as the Azores, and Portugal's Costa Azul, they are able to keep their costs down. In addition, they do provide certain amenities which other companies don't, including wine at dinner and transportation to/from the airport at selected times. (We sure wish more companies would provide that!). The rides are somewhat longer than with most companies (although there are shorter options) and they provide a "Club Series" with daily rides of 50-70+ miles. Rider Reviews . easyridertours.com Euro-Bike & Walking Tours. These folks have been providing bike tours in Europe for over 30 years and have a wide variety of tour choices in over 15 countries. Each trip offers a mix of 3, 4 and 5 star accommodations (we are all in favor of this ... there is something to be said about going from authentic inn one day to 5-star luxury villa the next). They also provide an economy line of trips for 30% less. The economy tours follow the same routes, but the accommodations are all 3-star and there are less dinners included. Family Vacations and Private Tours are also available. The rides aren't super-strenuous. On most days they ride less than 35 miles a day. Rider Reviews . eurobike.com Experience
Plus! This is the family-owned “Bread
and Breakfast” of the tour group companies. While family-run,
this operation provides a wide assortment of tour choices,
and they focus on personalized service and an educational experience.
The food and accommodations are quite good, and the money they
save from not having the slickest of brochures gets passed
on to you. Far and Away. Fascinating places (Vietnam, Corsica, Slovenia), great prices, and a very hands-on owner make this another stand-out company. Remember, you save a lot of money when you go with a company that doesn't send out full-color catalogs. We first learned about them through our "rider reviews" section. They have lots of repeat customers, which is a good sign, and makes sense since this is a company that caters to a special type of traveler. Most of their trips consist of longish (80-100km) days, and some have a lot of climbs. Companions - Far and Away customers are more adventurous travelers than the typical rider that chooses B & R or the other luxury companies. Most of the lodging is 2 and 3 star, which makes sense in the countries that they go to. It's not like you really want to ride from Aman resort to Aman resort if you want to immerse yourself in the culture, right? Rider Reviews . farandawaycycling.com Freewheeling Adventures. Lots of interesting adventures are available, including Iceland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Japan and China. Freewheeling goes to all the other, more common regions, but we counted at least 12 destinations that NONE of the major tour companies cover. They keep the group sizes small - usually less than 12. This is refreshing, as many other companies are letting group sizes creep up to 20. Also, they provide self-guided tours with a nice twist. They call them privately-semi guided trips. There is still a guide with extensive local knowledge that looks over the riders. We find this refreshing, as we have had problems with other self-guided companies not being there for us when we needed help. Freewheeling wins the contest for "most website pictures of people having loads of fun". With Freewheeling Adventures, the name pretty much sums it up. Rider Reviews . freewheelingadventures.ca La
Corsa! These
guys advertise themselves as providing "challenging
bike tours" for "avid
cyclists". In other words, wimpy riders need not apply. La
Corsa's average mileage of 50-60 miles a day is about twice
that of most other groups. They stay at 4 star rated accommodations,
and the food is also top-notch. Although their prices
are at the high end, you get a couple of additional perks
that most other companies don't offer. For instance, they
provide lunch on a daily basis, and wine is included in the
price. Also, this is one of the only companies where you
will actually ride all seven days of a seven day tour. Most
companies count the days at the beginning and end of the
trip as part of the tour, but there isn't any actual bike
riding. However, with La Corsa, you need to bring your own
bike. But that shouldn't be a big deal, since the average
La Corsa rider wouldn't think of riding on a rental bike,
anyway. Companions – There
isn't an average age, but these riders are in great shape and
you can bet that there will be very few people using the
SAG van to get them up the hill. Many La Corsa clientele
are club riders who are used to riding long distances and
hills. Evening activities?
Let's just say, this is a group that works hard and plays hard.
Riders who sign up single don't have to pay a supplement if willing
to share a room. Rider
Reviews . lacorsa.com Trek Travel. A relative newcomer to the industry (they started business in 2001), Trek Travel does everything with an utmost level of expertise. In many ways it is as if they have analyzed the best aspects of the top companies, and incorporated these into their tours. The guides are top notch, the two levels of pricing accommodate a variety of budgets, and the large selection of tours cover a wide range of rider levels. As they are the only operator owned by a bike company, you can always be assured that the bikes are top notch and in perfect condition. Companions – Hey, even if he says "It's Not About the Bike", this is the company that makes Lance's ride, so bikes and gear are front and center here. In other word, don't expect to see lots of folks in the SAG van. This is a pretty fit crowd. However, they do provide a large range of ride types, some as short as 30 miles a day (and some that include such challenges as Mt. Ventoux), so the large variety of rides, as well as price levels, lead to a wide variety of clients. Rider Reviews . trektravel.com Van
Gogh Tours. Another
family-owned “Bread and Breakfast”, like Experience
Plus, but an even better deal price-wise. How these guys can
provide great support and 3-4 star accommodations at such cheap
prices eludes us (although simpler brochures and the fact that
the owners lead the vast majority of the tours has a lot to
do with it). The self-guided tours where they provide baggage
transfer and lodging are even better deals. The only drawback
is they don’t have a huge variety of tour choices (about
10 spread through Italy, France, Holland, the U.S. and Austria). VBT
Tours. You'll get a lot of
bang-for-your-buck with this tour group. The accommodations
(3-4 star) are very good, and the support (guides and extra
activities) is great. In addition, they have a wide variety
of trips to choose from. Because they are affiliated with a
large tour operator, their supplemental airfare and add-ons
for pre- and post-trip accommodations are good deals, also. Self-Guided (No SAG van or guide, but everything else is supplied) Like the tours listed above, self-guided tours provide the bikes, route sheets, baggage transfer, accommodations and most dinners and breakfasts. The main difference is that they don't have a trip leader or SAG van. This means that should you choose a self-guided tour, you must be at least somewhat familiar with basic bike repair, such as changing a flat tire or adjusting the seat. Self-guided tours are ideal for the rider who has already taken a group tour, and doesn't mind the idea that there won't be a "bail-out" van or a leader to help with repairs. An additional perk, is that you can schedule the trip to begin on any date that you want. Uniquely
Europe. These
guys have good prices and a large array of trips to choose
from. Lodging is in 2 and 3 star hotels and inns. Their supplemental
airfare and add-ons for pre- and post-trip accommodations are
good deals, also. Randonnee Tours. This group also has good prices, and the extra perk of letting you choose between "classic" accommodations (3 and 4 star hotels and inns) or "B & B" (bed and breakfasts). The "B &B" option is about 20% less expensive. A big plus is that Randonnee is willing to work with you on customizing your tour to fit your needs, whether that means tacking on (or taking off) days from the trip, mileage, or additional areas to visit in the region. randonnee.com And One That Can't be Categorized (SAG van and guide, but it's a group effort) Bicycle
Adventure Club. If you’re experiencing a little “sticker
shock” at the prices of a supported bike tour in Europe,
this might be a good alternative. Riding with these folks will
cost less than half the daily price of the average tour group
(about $100 a day for most of their tours). So what’s the
catch? First of all, this is a non-profit group, and volunteers
put together the tours. Second, you’ve got to bring your
own bike. Third, most trips are two weeks, versus the typical
one week that the other groups offer. BAC tours have van support,
although on some of them the participants have to share van-driving
duties. The biggest catch is that they don’t offer a huge
choice of trips, and you have to plan WAY in advance, because
many of the trips fill up quickly. |
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