Are you planning to travel with us soon on one of our many bike tours and walking tours we offer around the world? Wondering if you’re in the right shape?

First of all, we want to reassure you that we offer active trips for all fitness levels. Your Trip Leader will always be there to provide shorter or longer routes as you – and your body – desire. We also offer two vans on almost all of our trips to ensure that if you’re tired and ready to head back to the hotel, there’s a van to take you there and one to stay with the remaining bikers or walkers.

That said, we have a few tips to help you get in optimum shape for your upcoming bike trip or hiking trip.

In the weeks before your active vacation, try training like our Trip Leaders. They do a variety of exercises to “cross train” to ensure their bodies don’t just become expert at running, for example, but can handle many different physical activities. Try running, hiking, swimming or some type of aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes three times a week – and mix up the type of activity you do.

We also recommend training by time, not miles. On Backroads’ hiking trips or biking trips, you’ll spend most of the day on the road, but you can go at your own pace. So no need to become the world’s fastest cyclist! Just be sure you can be on a bike for several hours with breaks.

For biking, definitely just get out and ride – in all conditions (rain, wind, etc.) and on all types of roads (flat, winding, hilly, etc.). – several hours a day for several days in a row.

Also, be sure to incorporate some upper body exercises to help strengthen your neck and arms to avoid fatigue.

Overall, the key to getting more physically fit is to choose an exercise you’ll stick with, so pick something you enjoy. If you’ve chosen to bike or hike with us, we’re pretty sure you enjoy the great outdoors, so simply walking or biking gradually increasing distances is a perfect plan. We’ll also send you more specific training tips tailored to your particular trip.

Got tips for training for a Backroads trip? Please share! For more information or to book any of our award-winning tours, please call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.

When it comes to travel, there’s no doubt about Jackie Spithill’s favorite part of the world: Costa Rica, her home. Jackie, who was born in Quepos, Costa Rica, leads Backroads’ Costa Rica Biking and Costa Rica Multisport trips, introducing guests to the beauty of her native country, the size of West Virginia.

“There is so much to experience: hiking around volcanoes, zip-lining through the tropical rain forest, surfing in the warm Pacific and enjoying the white sand beaches,” says Jackie. “I … love the people and the ‘pura vida’ lifestyle. Leading Backroads trips through Costa Rica has brought me an even greater appreciation for what this unique small country has to offer anyone with a sense of adventure.”

Jackie speaks fluent Spanish, of course. She loves surfing, writing and traveling. Says one of the guests on a recent Backroads trip to Costa Rica with Jackie, “She is AWESOME. We were just in Costa Rica on the Backroads trip, and Jackie was our [trip] leader. Super cool, fun, chick!”

Travel to Costa Rica with Jackie and experience this gorgeous area of the world. On our Costa Rica bike trip, we introduce you to howler monkeys, cloud forests, a majestic volcano, coffee plantations and tropical fruits galore! Try our Costa Rica Multisport (available in classic format or for families) for even more adventure and go white water rafting, zip-line through the jungle and cross hanging bridges up to 300 feet long!

Interested in enjoying a Costa Rican adventure with Jackie? Give us a call at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific to get started.

There’s no getting around it. When you travel, especially overseas, you’ve got to have a plan for your money: how much to bring, where to exchange it, where to stash it and more. Since we’ve been guiding travelers on our active vacations since the late 70’s, we’ve learned a thing or two about traveling with money. Here are 5 tips for preparing your finances before your active trip:

1)      Develop a ‘spending strategy.’ Do you want to use travelers’ checks, credit cards or your ATM with an international PIN? This will depend on how many countries you plan on visiting and how developed the region is. If you plan to use a credit card, be sure to alert them in advance that you’ll be traveling and spending in a foreign country so they don’t freeze your account.

2)      Stash $100 in your wallet so you have cash upon returning to your home airport. Also, take $20 in $1 US for emergency tip money.

3)      Get small bills and coins upon arriving in a foreign country. Familiarize yourself with the currency, noting any similarities between bills or coins. It’s no fun to mistake a $2 coin for a .25 coin!

4)      Before you leave for your biking trip or walking trip, make a conversion chart for yourself:  $1=  , $5=  , $20=    etc. or buy a conversion calculator.

5)      When heading out for the day or while traveling by plane, put your credit cards, passport and travelers’ checks in a money belt beneath your clothes, but put cash (try to estimate what you’ll be spending that day) in your pocket.

Of course, when you take a Backroads bike trip or hiking trip, our knowledgeable Trip Leaders will be there to guide you on all things, including money. Additionally, before you leave on your Backroads trip, you’ll be assigned a Trip Planner who can also help answer questions about financial preparation before you arrive.

Got any tips for traveling safely with money overseas? Anyone learned a lesson the hard way J? Let us know.

For more information about any of Backroads overseas bike trips or overseas hiking trips, please contact us 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848.

We take thousands of families on active trips around the globe every year; in fact, it’s one of our most popular programs! Many of our families have a lot of questions, because they want to ensure their multisport trip or biking trip will be fun for both kids and adults and will hold their children’s attention.

A common question families ask is: Is childcare available during the trip and will there be other children my kids’ ages?

Childcare is not included as part of Backroads’ family adventures; however, that doesn’t mean that we can’t help you find childcare if that’s a need for your family. Many of our hotels on family trips do offer childcare services or we can explore other English-speaking options in the area. We do not book the care for you but can direct you to the appropriate contacts.

Remember, our Trip Leaders are not charged with childcare, but on active family trips there is a Trip Leader dedicated just to the children to create age-appropriate opportunities wherever we’re traveling.

Second, you’re certainly welcome to ask your Trip Consultant about other children’s ages who have booked the trip. Just keep in mind it could change prior to departure. One of the best parts of a Backroads active family vacation is the friendships that kids develop with each other. You may find a new “pen pal” that your child can stay in touch with for years to come.

We have lots of fun family trips available this summer from bike tours and hiking tours of the US National Parks to multisport adventures in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Panama and more. Take a look at our Family Trip Advisor to get customized trip recommendation for your family.

For more information about our family adventures, please visit www.backroads.com/family-trips or call us at 800-462-2848 daily from 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific time.

With summer on its way, we’ll be leading hundreds of families to destinations around the world in the coming months and we thought it would be a great time to introduce you to some of our family trip leaders. They are responsible for making sure adults AND kids have fun (not an easy job!), learn a lot and have an opportunity to get an authentic view of the culture they’re visiting.

In today’s post, we’d like you to meet Rebecca Sorensen. Rebecca left her job as a film/TV production coordinator in LA to travel the world! After spending four months traveling, including biking in Thailand and biking in Italy, she decided she didn’t want travel to be a hobby but a lifestyle. Enter Backroads!

These days You can find Rebecca leading families on a variety of Backroads family bike trips and family hiking trips, including our Yosemite Multisport Tour in California. On that tour, she’ll take you rock climbing, walking through the giant sequoias, hiking past waterfalls and alpine meadows, and to a visit of the Ansel Adams Gallery. You can even enjoy a family game of bocce ball or ping pong!

Rebecca also leads the Hawaii Big Island Multisport trip where families get to walk through a rain forest, ride horses, snorkel, visit a coffee plantation and bike part of the Kona Ironman Triathlon course. Of course, we work in plenty of swimming and beach time, as well.

“I think families really bond on an active vacation, because they are out there every day experiencing new things together. There’s nothing like biking and hiking together as a family—exploring a national park, being able to smell the trees, pick up rocks and pine cones, and really appreciate the nature that surrounds you,” says Rebecca. “It’s beautiful, challenging, and in the end, it’s something you’ve accomplished together.”

Want to travel with Rebecca? Give us a call daily 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific at 800-462-2848 and we’ll answer any questions you have and get you booked!

Trip Leader Kimberly Johnson describes herself as a “happy nomad” who loves to travel all over the world whether it’s Myanmar, Mexico or Martha’s Vineyard.  ”Each region fills every one of my senses and never disappoints in the adventures and experiences,” says Kimberly.

Now in her fourth year as a Backroads Trip Leader, Kimberly loves to share the joy of active travel with others and has led trips to many different regions across the globe. One of her favorite travel quotes from Miriam Beard says, “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” It’s a sentiment she heartily agrees with.

In April, Kimberly will be leading a Singles-Solos biking trip to Bali. Backroads’ Singles-Solos program groups individuals traveling alone for a social travel experience. Trip Leaders are essential in setting tone and fostering a chemistry between travelers. It’s a task Kimberly loves and our travelers attest to it!

The Bali Biking Trip takes guests through lush rice fields, exotic temples, local villages, busy markets, rough rivers and more to discover this artistic and devout Hindu culture. Highlights include seeing lava flows at Mount Agung, snorkeling the wreckage of the U.S.S. Liberty, preparing local cuisine and rafting the Ayung River.

Have you ever traveled with Kimberly? Share your experience! Want to travel with Kimberly? Give us a call from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848 to book her Singles-Solos Bali bike tour or to find out what other trips she’ll be leading this year.

Sometime in your life, you’ve got to see the American West whether it’s the canyons of Utah or the mountains and hot springs in Wyoming. We happen to think the best way to see this region is on a bike tour or hiking tour of the American West.

Backroads offers active tours to Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and more, giving you the opportunity to see these glorious vistas in the open air as you pedal through each state or hike on your own two feet. Smell the wildflowers, see the mountains unobstructed and drink in the fresh alpine air.

Here are a few of our top Western vacations that we think you should consider this year:

New Mexico Biking: Santa Fe & Taos – This 6-day, 5-night New Mexico bike tour takes you through the land that inspired artist Georgia O’Keefe, across the fifth highest bridge in the US, a chance to bike the Enchanted Circle around Wheeler Peak and through Spanish and Indian ruins. Runs May, June, September & October.

Wyoming: Yellowstone and Tetons Multisport – This is your chance to see mud pots, spouting geysers and steaming vents, along with the beautiful peaks of the Tetons and the Snake River as you white-water raft  down it. This 6-day 5-night tour screams adventure! Get ready to bike Wyoming, hike Grand Teton National Park and kayak Yellowstone Lake. This Wyoming adventure is offered as a Classic Tour June-September, for Singles-Solos  in July, for families June-August and as a deluxe camping experience June-August.

Montana Biking – Right next door to Wyoming is beautiful Montana where you’ll get to bike the Going-to-the-Sun Road and take in the true alpine beauty of the American West. As you bike Montana, pedal past Lake McDonald, sparkling waterfalls, through glacier-carved valleys and even take a trek into Canada and visit a National Park. As the finale, raft down the Flathead River. This is a 6-day, 5-night trip that runs July-August as a classic tour and June and August for Singles-Solos.

Utah: Bryce & Zion Biking – Red rocks galore are what you’ll find on this bike trip through Utah. You’ll see rocks of all shapes and sizes from whimsically-shaped formations to towers and arches. Get ready to be amazed at what Mother Nature creates! On this Utah bike tour, you’ll also work your way through many canyons, bike through Zion National Park with its colored pinnacles, spires and hoodoos, as well as marvel at Mount Carmel’s white sandstone Elkhard Cliffs. This bike tour of Utah runs 6 days and 5 nights June-September and is also available for Singles and Solos in July.

Where have you always dreamed of heading out West? Don’t forget to bring your cowboy boots and cowboy hat – oh yeah, and your sense of adventure!

To book any of our active trips to the American West, please call us daily 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time at 800-462-2848.

Backroads offers active travel experiences for single travelers and solo travelers and this is a question we hear quite a lot: Are singles trips and solos trips just for unmarried travelers?

Let us just say we are not the Match.com of travel; however, if you happen to find a love interest on one of our trips, all the better!

The answer to the question is no, our active trips are not just for unmarried travelers. However, many of our singles-solos travelers are unmarried. Those who travel with us who are married sometimes are simply traveling alone without their spouse or with a friend or sibling.

We strive on our active singles trips to put together an engaging group of individuals – married or not – who will make for an interesting active travel experience.  We often hear from our solo travelers that we know how to ignite an amazing chemistry in a comfortable, easygoing atmosphere. Our Trip Leaders are skilled not only in knowledge of their country but in how to encourage a camaraderie and interactive group dynamic.

Wine tastings, meals and other social opportunities we create help everyone to get to know one another, making your bike trip or walking trip about more than just the destination. The people you travel with can be just as wonderful!

You’ll often find that those who choose our bike tours and walking tours are individuals who share a sense of fun and passion for exploring the world and drinking in as many experiences as they can.  That instantly gives you something in common.

Bottom line: We welcome all!

In this series of blog posts, we thought we’d tackle some of the most common questions we hear from guests who are considering taking a Backroads active bike tour or walking tour.

Many of our guests worry and wonder if they will be in the right physical condition to enjoy a bike trip or walking trip. So we’ll answer this common question: What kind of shape do I need to be in for the best bike tour or best walking tour experience?

We’ve got good news! Backroads’ active trips are designed for all levels of fitness. There are some trips that are more challenging than others, however, so be sure to check the Activity Level of the trip on our website or ask our Backroads’ Trip Consultants when you call.

We categorize bike trips and hiking trips from levels 1-5. A level 1 activity level on any given leg or day means an average time of 2-3 hours, 10-20 miles on a road bike, 10-15 miles on a mountain bike or 2-5 miles walking or hiking. Contrast that with a level 5 activity level which means 5-7+ hours, 56-75+ miles on a road bike, 31+ miles on a mountain bike or 11-13 miles walking or hiking.

Also, keep in mind that our Trip Leaders are often able to customize a trip for guests. So if you’d prefer to get in more activity, they may be able to provide you with a longer route. Or if you’re more tired than you expected after a leg, hop on one of our two support vans that accompany most trips and head back to the hotel for a rest.

To prepare for a Backroads trip, we recommend following an exercise regimen to improve your fitness and enhance your experience prior to your trip. Try working up to biking or hiking the distances you’ll be covering on your trip. We also recommend cross training, which combines different aerobic activities with weight training and stretching exercises. This is the exercise of choice for many of our Trip Leaders. The better conditioned you are, the more fun you’ll have!

Got questions? Our Trip Planners are happy to answer them 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific time at 800-462-2848.

Here at Backroads, we believe we’re the best choice for an active vacation, be it a walking tour in Europe or a bike tour through southeast Asia. Sure, lots of active travel companies make claims about why their service is the best, but we can prove it! How? The Backroads’  Quality Index, a way to demonstrate to you the true differences that set Backroads’ active vacations apart from the rest.

In Part 1 of our Quality Index blog post, we’ll share with you 6 reasons we believe Backroads is the leader of the pack:

Never Subcontracted – We run all of our own active tours around the world, allowing us to control the quality. We never subcontract to other vendors.

Two Support Vans – On all of our bike trips, walking trips and multisport trips, we support you with two vans*. That way, if part of the group needs a break, they can head back to the hotel, while the other van supports those still walking or biking. It also allows us to provide snacks, fix bikes, etc. without sacrificing service to everyone else.

Three Trip Leaders – By sending three Trip Leaders on EVERY tour, we ensure that everyone is catered to. Our active trips have a 6:1 guest to leader ratio, and our travelers consistently score our Trip Leaders 9.7 out of 10, saying they “make all the difference.”

Local Expertise – On our international trips, we bring along local guides to pair with our Trip Leaders to give you an authentic experience of the region where you’re traveling.

The Right Bikes – Our bike fleet is the best in the active travel industry with more than 4000 expertly maintained bikes, including our custom titanium Backroads bike, our top-rated Specialized S-Works Roubaix and women’s Ruby Pro, and our Co-Motion Periscope Torpedo tandem.

Thoughtful Trip Design – We employ a team of nine trip designers, lead by our founder and CEO Tom Hale who brings three decades of experience, ensuring you truly get to see the “back roads” and the best of each area.

What is your favorite part of the Backroads experience? To experience our quality firsthand, call us today at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.  Pacific to get start selecting the perfect active tour for you.

*95% of Backroads guests travel with the support of two or more vans and three leaders. The remaining 5% are on trips with very few guests where only one van and two leaders are needed to maintain our high service standards.