In [Part One] of our blog series about the Backroads’ Quality Index, we shared with you 6 reasons why Backroads delivers the best service in active travel, ranging from our two support vans on every trip to local expertise and thoughtful trip design. We developed the Backroads’  Quality Index as a way to show you the differences that set Backroads’ active vacations apart from other providers.

In Part Two of our series, we’ll share with you 7 more reasons why you should choose Backroads as your active travel provider.

Mixed Abilities — Not everyone is a competitive cyclist or a marathon runner, and Backroads trips are designed to cater to all fitness levels, even if you’re a beginner. By providing two vans on every trip and three Trip Leaders, we’re able to accommodate everyone’s needs. Each trip also comes with multiple route options to help you choose if you’d like to bike or hike more or less on any given day. We also strive to match you with riding/walking companions who enjoy a similar pace.

Multiple Daily Routes – Our trip planning experts design several different routes each day so you can enjoy the best of a region at your individual pace. All routes have directions and are described in detail.

The Right Trip Size – We believe the number of travelers on our active tours in “just right” … not too many and not too few. Our trips host groups that are small enough to remain flexible but big enough to provide interesting dynamics. Optimum size also varies based on the type of trip, whether it’s a Singles Adventure, a family adventure tour or a classic bike tour.

Authentic Hotels – Backroads offers two levels of accommodations: Premiere or Casual. This distinction helps you understand clearly what to expect and what you’re paying for. No matter the type of accommodations you choose, you can be sure Backroads selects lodging that balances high quality and demonstrable value.

Family Trip Expertise – We love families here at Backroads and consider ourselves the experts in active family travel! Since 2000, we’ve run more than 2400 dedicated family trips around the world. View our selection of active family trips.

Singles-Solos — For more than two decades we’ve led the way in active trips for single and solo travelers. Read about our single room policy, early booking deals, singles Facebook community—plus more dates and destinations than ever. Our popular Bikefest tour is back for 2013 with TWO dates due to popular demand.

Smart, Invaluable Extras – We think of all the details here at Backroads! Items like cyclometers, elevation profiles, daily regional snapshots, downloadable GPS directions available on biking trips in the U.S. and Europe, telescoping walking sticks, cold beer and drinks at the end of each day, custom-built kids bikes and so much more make a Backroads tour truly special.

What do you think is the best part about traveling with Backroads? What “extra” that we provide is your favorite?

To join us on an active tour for 2013 or beyond, please call us 7 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pacific daily at 800-462-2848. Happy travels!

We had such an awesome time at the 2012 Bikefest, a fall singles tour to Wine Country with 60 other single travelers, that we decided to offer TWO dates in 2013. This year, the Bikefest California Wine Country bike tour will be offered July 21-26 and September 29-October 4. But no matter whether you choose to bike with us in summer or fall, there’s no question it will be a blast!

On our Singles-Solos Wine Country Bikefest, we let you enjoy the best of the single life in the great outdoors while traveling through the beautiful California wine country. We’ll start our singles adventure in Napa Valley, pedaling past famed vineyards and stopping at a host of wineries for a sample, swirl and sip.

Bikefest is a Backroads deluxe camping adventure, which means we sleep in tents under the stars, enjoy gathering with friends around the campfire and dine on delicious gourmet camping meals. Our amazing Trip Leaders get the camp site all ready for you, so all you have to do is arrive, socialize and fall asleep in your comfy sleeping bag on an extra thick pad while breathing in the fresh air. Ahh…

Next head to the Russian River Valley for more wineries and enjoy a group picnic under the giant redwood trees of California. A party awaits back at camp with drinks, food, live music and plenty of fun!

During the next two days, we bike down the California coast, exploring seaside hamlets, visiting the country’s oldest cheese manufacturer (what goes better with wine after all?!), exploring Pointe Reyes National Seashore and enjoying a farm-to-table dinner. Again, a live band with an opportunity for dancing crowns the day.

On our final day of our California Wine Country biking tour, we head to the hilly city of San Francisco, stop in the town of Sausalito and pedal across the Golden Gate Bridge for the finale!

If you choose to go on Bikefest in September, we recommend extending your visit in San Francisco to enjoy a host of local events that take place like Fleet Week.

Hurry and book Bikefest before we fill up. There are only two opportunities for this fantastic singles travel adventure! Call us at 800-462-2848 daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific to get started.