Can you smell the fresh mountain air, hear the bubbling brooks, imagine mountains as far as the eyes can see and million dollar views? That’s what you’ll find in the Alps this summer. Backroads offers multiple Alps vacations that let you hike the Alps, bike the Alps (if you dare!) and be outdoors to enjoy this beautiful section of the world that we like to call “the rooftop of Europe.” Be it the Swiss Alps, French Alps or Italian Alps, we’ve got an alpine getaway that’s calling you.

Here are a few of our Alps adventures:

Swiss Alps Walking & Hiking Tour – On this 6-day, 5-night hiking tour of Switzerland, you’ll get the full alpine treatment. Taste Swiss cheese at a local farm, climb by cable car to an amazing hike, take a dip in healing thermal waters, travel via train to the town of Zermatt, enjoy local fare like strudel, fondue and plenty of wine, and relax at the luxurious Riffelalp Resort. The stress is already melting away, isn’t it?

French & Italian Alps Walking & Hiking Tour – As you hike the French Alps and the Italian Alps, you’ll be treated to the reward of a gorgeous turquoise lake, visit chic Chamonix, take in view of rock spires, saw-edged peaks and woodland valleys, take a breathtaking glacier walk, enjoy local flavors of wine and visit the Italian side of Mont Blanc. This 6-day, 5-night Alps hiking tour will have you saying bonjour and arrivederci.

Italy’s Dolomites Walking & Hiking Tour – We like to call the Dolomites “Italy’s best kept alpine playground” so get ready to do plenty of “playing”! The Dolomites are full of fairytale villages, grassy meadows and majestic mountains, along with the chamois, eagles and marmots if you keep a sharp eye. On this 6-day, 5-night Dolomites hike, you’ll picnic at a 13^th century Gothic castle, ride chairlifts, hike through wildflowers, taste wines at a local wine cellar and visit a natural park.

Italy’s Dolomites Biking Tour – Dare you bike the Dolomites? We think you should! On this 6-day, 5-night Dolomites biking trip, you’ll get to bike the Sella Ronda Loop, one of the most spectacular rides you may ever experience, pedal through storybook villages, conquer 14 alpine passes in 6 days (including epic Passo Giau with a 9% grade over 6 miles!) and participate in wine tastings as your reward.

Which mountain adventure will you choose? No matter your choice, you’ll be glad you settled on the Alps for your summer vacation. For more information or to book your Alps getaway, call us at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific time daily.

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.

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.