Feb 6, 2008
Bike Tours Direct has announced its program for 2008, and it's an island of reasonable costs in a sea of big-time expense
I've written before about the improbable, Tennessee-based operator of European bicycling tours that represents dozens of local European bike operators in the operation of so-called "self-guided" bicycle tours of Europe. Its prices often are 70% less than what most other American bike operators charge. The company is Bike Tours Direct (www.biketoursdirect.com), and for the equivalent of about $1,200 a week it provides you with accommodations with private facilities in two-star hotels each night, two meals a day (breakfast and dinner), shipment of your luggage from town to town, and detailed instructions on following the itineraries you're given. They take care of all the reservations and every one of your needs other than airfare to Europe, a bicycle -- rentable for about $125 for two weeks--and daily lunch.
While most of their tours run for a week, the trick is to combine tours into either a two- or three-week itinerary. When you do that, the results are magical. My own "dream itinerary" is one that starts in Orleans, France, and follows the Loire through the awesomely beautiful, historic Loire Valley to the Atlantic Ocean, from which you take a train back to Paris. For a 15-day, 14-night tour in 2008 (leave any day), the cost is around $2,400 -- and by bicycling standards (the major U.S. operators often charge $600 a day!), that's a remarkable price.
Bike Tours Direct has now incorporated all its 2008 tours into its website, and some of them are even cheaper than the Loire itinerary, including its most popular tour of 2007 called the "Danube Bike Path." Poland is a new destination for 2008, including five different weeklong tours that begin or end in Cracow. Among other new itineraries are Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast, Amsterdam to Bruges, and tours of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers.
I wish I could announce a lower price for this year's Bike Tour Direct's European programs, but the dollar amounts are due to an exchange rate of nearly $1.50 for every Euro. As long as that exchange prevails, Europe is a fairly pricey place, but Bike Tour Direct is one of the most effective ways to experience the highlights of Europe's countryside and historic villages at a reasonable cost.
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While most of their tours run for a week, the trick is to combine tours into either a two- or three-week itinerary. When you do that, the results are magical. My own "dream itinerary" is one that starts in Orleans, France, and follows the Loire through the awesomely beautiful, historic Loire Valley to the Atlantic Ocean, from which you take a train back to Paris. For a 15-day, 14-night tour in 2008 (leave any day), the cost is around $2,400 -- and by bicycling standards (the major U.S. operators often charge $600 a day!), that's a remarkable price.
Bike Tours Direct has now incorporated all its 2008 tours into its website, and some of them are even cheaper than the Loire itinerary, including its most popular tour of 2007 called the "Danube Bike Path." Poland is a new destination for 2008, including five different weeklong tours that begin or end in Cracow. Among other new itineraries are Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian Coast, Amsterdam to Bruges, and tours of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers.
I wish I could announce a lower price for this year's Bike Tour Direct's European programs, but the dollar amounts are due to an exchange rate of nearly $1.50 for every Euro. As long as that exchange prevails, Europe is a fairly pricey place, but Bike Tour Direct is one of the most effective ways to experience the highlights of Europe's countryside and historic villages at a reasonable cost.
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Jan 15, 2008
How to learn about a legendary sponsor of inexpensive walking tours through Britain and Europe
At a travel show in New York City, which I addressed this past weekend, person after person approached me to urge that I talk about the walking tours of Britain and Europe operated by a legendary British company called HF Holidays (www.hfholidays.co.uk). It was founded in 1913, owns many of the country hotels it uses, operates as a virtual non- profit, and uses volunteers as its tour leaders.Nearly 50,000 people a year sign on for HF Walking Holidays, and as best I can determine the cost is usually no more than $150 a day per person, sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less, for accommodations, guided walking for between six and ten miles a day, full English breakfast daily, a picnic lunch, and a three-course evening meal. Most tours run from 4 to 7 days, and they supply an oasis of low cost in the pricey terrain of British tours. I can't sufficiently stress how enthusiastic have been the recommendations for HF Holidays that I've received from trustworthy people.
Why not take a few minutes to scan the website? It's quite a discovery, and more than merits a careful examination of many of its offerings.
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Labels: active, cycling, hiking, tour companies
Dec 14, 2007
You really should know about those public bicycles in Paris, and suggest the same to your own municipal authorities
Paris is the latest European city to amass a fleet of largely-free bicycles (they are free the first half-hour, and then cost a nominal sum) that any member of the public may grab for anytime use. The city has installed some 20,000 bikes at some 1,500 stations around town, and all a tourist needs in order to rent one is an American Express credit card to mainly guarantee the condition of the bike (AmEx cards are thus far the only American-issued cards accepted at those bike stations).
Other cities have tried a similar idea with middling success -- Vienna's version featured vehicles that were deliberately cheap and uncomfortable to discourage theft. Stockholm's system, launched a year ago with the participation of Clear Channel Communications (the multinational ad firm), now has about 1,000 bikes circulating town, rented for small fees by rental cards, but the system may be sunk by rampant vandalism.
The French project, called Velib (www.velib.paris.fr; French language only), began in Lyon and is also sponsored by a company (JC Decaux) that profits from advertising on the bikes. You buy a membership at ATM-like kiosks for 1 euro. The first half-hour of use is free, and rates are about €1 per half-hour after that, and you can drop your bike off anywhere else 24/7 in town where there's a station.
They're designed as an alternative to taxis and other gas-guzzlers. Interestingly, because the system has been established with the full support of the city, the rental cards can also be pre-loaded with funds and used on traditional modes of public transportation as well.
Having access to reliable wheels may be useful for tourists who run afoul of those famous French transportation strikes, but there is an inherent risk to grabbing these free cycles: They don't come with helmets. Still, they are a major advance in the quality of life, and should be considered by your own city. How about it?
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Other cities have tried a similar idea with middling success -- Vienna's version featured vehicles that were deliberately cheap and uncomfortable to discourage theft. Stockholm's system, launched a year ago with the participation of Clear Channel Communications (the multinational ad firm), now has about 1,000 bikes circulating town, rented for small fees by rental cards, but the system may be sunk by rampant vandalism.
The French project, called Velib (www.velib.paris.fr; French language only), began in Lyon and is also sponsored by a company (JC Decaux) that profits from advertising on the bikes. You buy a membership at ATM-like kiosks for 1 euro. The first half-hour of use is free, and rates are about €1 per half-hour after that, and you can drop your bike off anywhere else 24/7 in town where there's a station.
They're designed as an alternative to taxis and other gas-guzzlers. Interestingly, because the system has been established with the full support of the city, the rental cards can also be pre-loaded with funds and used on traditional modes of public transportation as well.
Having access to reliable wheels may be useful for tourists who run afoul of those famous French transportation strikes, but there is an inherent risk to grabbing these free cycles: They don't come with helmets. Still, they are a major advance in the quality of life, and should be considered by your own city. How about it?
Write and read comments about this post.
Dec 12, 2007
How you can snare a place on the Sierra Club's most popular volunteer vacations
Friday, December 14, is the first day that the Sierra Club's 90-odd volunteer vacations (or service trips) will be announced for 2008. These once-in-a-lifetime journeys include opportunities for participants to help scientists, researchers, and rangers at parks around the world -- they're as much immersive educational experiences as they are vacations on which you can make a difference. Friday is the day you'll get a jump on all the other tourists and cherry-pick spaces in the best options.
Other organizations are also rolling out their 2008 schedules now, and booking early is the key to snagging the most interesting deals. Here's a sampling of some of the choicest tours that are sure to go first. (All rates include equipment and overnight accommodations at 3- and 4-star hotels; they are the lowest prices available at this time, but they may rise in the very peak of summer or according to availability.)
First, of course, are the outstanding programs of The Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org, and click on "get outdoors"). Almost all these prestigious outings cost from $500- 600 for a week, including food and rustic accommodation. Some run for 10 days for slightly more money.
Finally, GORP (www.gorp.com), like Bike Tours Direct, is a place where many different small tour operators gather together to market and sell their tours:
Other organizations are also rolling out their 2008 schedules now, and booking early is the key to snagging the most interesting deals. Here's a sampling of some of the choicest tours that are sure to go first. (All rates include equipment and overnight accommodations at 3- and 4-star hotels; they are the lowest prices available at this time, but they may rise in the very peak of summer or according to availability.)
First, of course, are the outstanding programs of The Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org, and click on "get outdoors"). Almost all these prestigious outings cost from $500- 600 for a week, including food and rustic accommodation. Some run for 10 days for slightly more money.
- The Club reports that the "Service in Mesa Verde National Park" trip in September, on which participants help park archaeologists with restoration, is particularly popular.
- Most of the Sierra Club's 2008 Costa Rica trips are already sold out, but to meet demand, the group just added an additional "Family Fun in Paradise" trip from July 7 to 16 ($2,135 for 10 days). Naturally, this departure is expected to book up quickly, too.
- A spokesman for the Sierra Club also reports that its Alaska "sampler" trips sell fast, but at this point, there's still space. Those ramble Alaska by van and spend nights camping and in lodges, with plenty of of hiking in between. Some trips include glacier walks, kayaking, and bear watching. For summer 2008, the trips are: "Glaciers, Grizzlies and Ghost Towns (May 18-28) and "Spring Fever: Discover Denali and Beyond" (May 25-31).
- Turkish South Coast by Boat and Bike: seven nights, guided, from Marmaris (a short ferry ride from Rhodes, Greece) to Fethiye, sleeping each night on a classic Turkish boat, €980 including meals
- Danube Bike Path: seven nights, self-guided from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria, alongside the Danube river. €515
- Medieval Villages of Catalonia, Spain: six nights, self-guided from Girona to the Dali Museum at Figueres, along the established Baix Emporda Cycle Network, €790 (or guided for €1,190)
Finally, GORP (www.gorp.com), like Bike Tours Direct, is a place where many different small tour operators gather together to market and sell their tours:
- Kids in Kayaks Family Holidays: seven nights, easy-level sea kayaking among the flat seas of Croatia's Elafiti Islands near Dubrovnik, $920
- Kayaking the Okeefenokee Swamp in Georgia: six nights, $975
Labels: cycling, outdoor, parks, volunteer
Dec 6, 2007
At last! A comprehensive bicycling website enables you to book reasonably-priced cycling tours of Europe operated by local, low-cost companies
The high cost of bicycle tours is a problem that has caused much anguish. Despite the fact that it is your own two legs that provide the transportation, a bicycle tour -- as offered by U.S. companies -- invariably costs far more than an escorted motorcoach tour of the same areas. For some inexplicable reason, the bicycle tour companies take an elitist tack, making use of the most upscale lodgings and meals on the tours they operate. Even when they don't, they claim that the need to supply two tour leaders (one to cycle ahead of the pack, the other to cycle at the rear) and one "sag wagon" (carrying luggage, as well as exhausted participants who don't want to continue cycling) elevates their costs to stratospheric heights. The result is that most of the leading bicycle tour companies are as elegant as they come, charging $500 and $600 a day for their tours. That's why it's helpful to know about BikeToursDirect (tel. 877/462-2423; www.biketoursdirect.com), which represents overseas (not American) bike tour operators whose low overhead and frequent departures allow them to offer prices as much as 70 per cent below U.S. levels. Their self-guided (without escort) tours start at less than $750 a week (including hotels, breakfasts, route information, luggage transfers, and bikes), and their guided tours (including support vans, dinners and guides) start at less than $1,050 a week.
You'll be impressed by the company website's many features, and especially those that invite you to insert your preferences and instantly receive recommendations of the best tour for you. The company's 2008 program includes new tour itineraries through Poland (five different routes), along the Danube, into the Loire, from Amsterdam to Bruges, and on many other interesting roads.
So here's your chance to beat the system, using modest two-star and three-star hotels, dispensing with the group, the leaders, and the sag wagon -- bicycling through Europe on your own, as you were meant to do.
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Labels: cycling, europe, websites
Oct 22, 2007
France's programs of municipal bike rentals is spreading through the continent, and deserves attention from our own city officials
Though no U.S. mayor has yet suggested the same for downtown areas in America, the system of short-term municipal bike rentals launched in Paris several months ago, has now spread to multiple cities in Europe. In Seville, Spain, two weeks ago, I came upon a cluster of bike stations into which you inserted a credit card and thereupon obtained a bike to use for one or more hours. When you are finished with the bike, you take it to another cluster of bike stations, lock it to a modern-day hitching post, and your credit card is wiped clean of a $200 deposit needed to insure return of the bike. Obviously, multiple cities in Europe have now followed Paris' lead.
It's a fascinating new departure in municipal transportation, and last week Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York City inspected one such cluster of bikes-for-hire in Paris, indicating that New York officials were looking into the possibility -- still fairly remote -- of emulating them in Gotham. Much more is required than simply installing metal stands for each such bike; clearly, a city needs traffic lanes reserved for bikers, of the sort that I saw in Seville.
But if your city would benefit from a similar system, enabling people easily and conveniently to make their way about the central area, you really should suggest that municipal officials contact Paris' city hall for information about the outcome of this interesting experiment.
Incidentally, the Paris system is now available to tourists visiting the city, as a result of a recent agreement honoring standard American Express credit cards as valid to use for such rentals. Prior to that agreement, only a credit card containing a chip in widespread use in Europe, not America, would work on the system, but this limitation has now been overcome. As of now, tourists to Paris are making a good use of the bike rental facility.
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It's a fascinating new departure in municipal transportation, and last week Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York City inspected one such cluster of bikes-for-hire in Paris, indicating that New York officials were looking into the possibility -- still fairly remote -- of emulating them in Gotham. Much more is required than simply installing metal stands for each such bike; clearly, a city needs traffic lanes reserved for bikers, of the sort that I saw in Seville.
But if your city would benefit from a similar system, enabling people easily and conveniently to make their way about the central area, you really should suggest that municipal officials contact Paris' city hall for information about the outcome of this interesting experiment.
Incidentally, the Paris system is now available to tourists visiting the city, as a result of a recent agreement honoring standard American Express credit cards as valid to use for such rentals. Prior to that agreement, only a credit card containing a chip in widespread use in Europe, not America, would work on the system, but this limitation has now been overcome. As of now, tourists to Paris are making a good use of the bike rental facility.
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Labels: active, cycling, paris
Oct 11, 2007
Attention, cyclists! You can save big by booking directly with a European bike tour operator
Next time you're considering an active tour of Europe, make sure you consult Bike Tours Direct (www.biketoursdirect.com). This Tennessee-based company was founded by bicycle enthusiasts who got tired of paying the high mark-up that comes from booking via an American tour agency, started contacting European bike tour operators directly to book their trips, and turned it into a business by sharing this shortcut with others. They now represent 30 European bicycle tour companies based in ten countries (France, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Romania, and the Czech Republic).
The company claims it can save you up to 70 percent over booking with some U.S.-based operators, and while it's difficult to make direct comparisons (given the infinite combinations possible of routes, tour lengths, and choices of hotels and restaurants along the way), I can confirm that the rates seem excellent, starting as low as €60 ($84) per person per night.
Since these aren't American companies (or local companies being booked en masse by an American tour operator), you're much more likely to get an eclectic mix of fellow riders from all over the world. Instead of riding with a bunch of other Americans, you'll get a multinational tour group, adding yet one more layer of cultural experience to the trip. (One downside: on some trips, the primary language of choice might not be English, so be prepared to learn a little German as you peddle.)
Since these are European companies, the trips are sold as land-only, so you'll have to find and book your own airfare. There are both traditional point-to-point tours as well as "home-base" trips where you explore a region by bike from one town or hotel, and both guided group trips and self-guided tours (minimum of two) are available. If you do go it alone, though luggage transport between hotels is included, there is typically no support van or "sag wagon" to save you from inclement weather, mechanical fiascos, or tired muscles. Also, plan to bring your own helmet.
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The company claims it can save you up to 70 percent over booking with some U.S.-based operators, and while it's difficult to make direct comparisons (given the infinite combinations possible of routes, tour lengths, and choices of hotels and restaurants along the way), I can confirm that the rates seem excellent, starting as low as €60 ($84) per person per night.
Since these aren't American companies (or local companies being booked en masse by an American tour operator), you're much more likely to get an eclectic mix of fellow riders from all over the world. Instead of riding with a bunch of other Americans, you'll get a multinational tour group, adding yet one more layer of cultural experience to the trip. (One downside: on some trips, the primary language of choice might not be English, so be prepared to learn a little German as you peddle.)
Since these are European companies, the trips are sold as land-only, so you'll have to find and book your own airfare. There are both traditional point-to-point tours as well as "home-base" trips where you explore a region by bike from one town or hotel, and both guided group trips and self-guided tours (minimum of two) are available. If you do go it alone, though luggage transport between hotels is included, there is typically no support van or "sag wagon" to save you from inclement weather, mechanical fiascos, or tired muscles. Also, plan to bring your own helmet.
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Sep 4, 2007
To Burgundy, Provence and the Dordogne, self-guided (non-group, non-escorted) bicycle tours cost $175 to $190 a day
First-time bicyclists are often astonished to learn of prices averaging $400 to $600 a day per person for a tour in which you personally (that is, your feet and legs) provide the means of locomotion. Despite that, the presence of two group leaders (who ride at the front and back of the line of cyclists), the use of a "sag wagon" driven by a paid employee (which carries everyone's luggage from town to town, and also carries participants who have grown too tired to cycle), and the tendency of many bicycle tour companies to make use of exquisite countryside lodgings and high-quality restaurants, drives the price to those levels.
A properly planned self-guided bicycle tour avoids those costs. You, as a cyclist, together with a friend or companion, ride your bikes from town to town following an itinerary that's been provided to you by the tour company. You have a confirmed reservation for a modest guest house each night, your luggage is sent by car from one town to the next, and you receive a stipulated number of meals in the price, which generally averages between $175 and $190 per person per day.
France -- especially its provinces of Burgundy, Dordogne and Provence -- is the classic nation for self-guided, independent bicycling, and is an area so well supplied with B&B accommodations that your total costs can easily be kept within the $175 to $190 a day limits. For all the arrangements, you go a long-experienced firm called Randonée Tours (tel. 800/242-1825 or 604/730-1247; www.randonneetours.com.
A Canadian company with a loyal following for their independent, non-group biking tours, Randonée gives you a predesigned itinerary through France which you follow entirely on your own, without guide or escort, but with your luggage carted for you by Randonée from town to town. Prices include accommodations at B&Bs, all breakfasts, some dinners, and high-quality bikes. Averaging about 8 to 11 days in length, tours run year around (but mainly between May and October).
Randonée also offers self-guided bike tours in Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United States; but because they make use of good quality hotels in those countries, not B&Bs (for a reason I've never determined), their prices creep towards $300 and even $400 per day in non-French locations. For the lower rates, confine your trip to France's Burgundy, the Dordogne, or Provence, where Randonée's long relationship with outstanding B&Bs enable a price that no one else in the industry seems to match.
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A properly planned self-guided bicycle tour avoids those costs. You, as a cyclist, together with a friend or companion, ride your bikes from town to town following an itinerary that's been provided to you by the tour company. You have a confirmed reservation for a modest guest house each night, your luggage is sent by car from one town to the next, and you receive a stipulated number of meals in the price, which generally averages between $175 and $190 per person per day.
France -- especially its provinces of Burgundy, Dordogne and Provence -- is the classic nation for self-guided, independent bicycling, and is an area so well supplied with B&B accommodations that your total costs can easily be kept within the $175 to $190 a day limits. For all the arrangements, you go a long-experienced firm called Randonée Tours (tel. 800/242-1825 or 604/730-1247; www.randonneetours.com.
A Canadian company with a loyal following for their independent, non-group biking tours, Randonée gives you a predesigned itinerary through France which you follow entirely on your own, without guide or escort, but with your luggage carted for you by Randonée from town to town. Prices include accommodations at B&Bs, all breakfasts, some dinners, and high-quality bikes. Averaging about 8 to 11 days in length, tours run year around (but mainly between May and October).
Randonée also offers self-guided bike tours in Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the United States; but because they make use of good quality hotels in those countries, not B&Bs (for a reason I've never determined), their prices creep towards $300 and even $400 per day in non-French locations. For the lower rates, confine your trip to France's Burgundy, the Dordogne, or Provence, where Randonée's long relationship with outstanding B&Bs enable a price that no one else in the industry seems to match.
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Labels: active, cycling, europe
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
