With much of the country covered in snow or experiencing freezing temperatures, dreaming of summer sure sounds good! Now is the perfect time to begin planning your summer vacation and we can’t think of a better vacation than a guided biking trip with Backroads to some of the most amazing locations around the world.

As you begin to map out your plans for summer, we present 5 Fun Biking Tour Destinations to tempt your travel taste buds:

Tuscany, Italy Biking Tour – All we have to do is say the word “Tuscany” and most people are ready to pack their bags. Fields of sunflowers, rolling hills, cypress and olive trees, Tuscan red farmhouses…it’s a winter daydream’s perfection. Backroads offers this popular Tuscany biking tour throughout April through October, so select a date that works best for you. Plan to sample cheese and olive oil, and pedal past medieval structures, Renaissance architecture and charming hilltop towns. You might want to start reading Under the Tuscan Sun right now to get your mind off snow and onto your upcoming Italy bike tour.

Spain Biking – Biking Spain is a great summer choice with its many sparkling, sunny, white-sand beaches. Our Pyreness to Costa Brava Biking Tour gives you the best of Spain starting off in vibrant Barcelona, through the Pyrenees foothills and onto Costa Brava with its Mediterranean beaches and blue seas. Stop by the Dali Museum, sample “cava” (Spain’s version of champagne), cycle past sunflower fields and tour a medieval castle. This Spain biking trip runs May-October, leaving you plenty of summer vacation choices.

Loire Valley, France Biking – Picturesque castles as far as you can see make the Loire Valley a fantastical choice for summer. With flowers and gardens in full bloom, you’ll be privy to France at its finest. On this France Biking tour, you’ll explore several castles, take a private tour of a wine cave and enjoy gourmet French cuisine. Loire Valley Biking tours run April through October.

Wine Country Biking – Anytime is a good time to visit Wine Country, but summer brings with it a special charm. The rolling hills are lush and verdant in early summer, making it not just a trip for the taste buds but a feast for the eyes. Our Wine Country Biking tour takes you through five valleys of world-famous vineyards, including Sonoma and Napa. Enjoy a stop at Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and a bike through beautiful Bodega Bay. Tour the wine country by bike March through December.

U.S. National Parks Tours – No need to stray further than the U.S. of A. for an adventure-filled summer vacation. Backroads offers bike tours through National Parks, like Yellowstone, Acadia, Grand Teton and Death Valley. Choose from a family bike tour, a singles tour or a traditional bike tour of some of America’s most beautiful landscapes. National Park bike tours and hiking tours run all throughout summertime.

Where are you dreaming of traveling this summer? Let us know if we can help take your gaze away from the snow outside your window and onto the bike trip you’ll be taking with us this summer. Call us 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific at 800-462-2848.

Sunny beaches, flamenco dancing and bullrings are all things that come to mind when you think of Spain. Backroads offers a number of bike tours of Spain from the island of Mallorca to the plunging cliffs and white sand beaches of Costa Brava.

New to our adventure vacations for 2013 is our Andalucia Biking Tour where you pedal from Seville to Granada, taking in ancient architecture, whitewashed villages and rolling hills. You’ll also enjoy wonderful Spanish cuisine, like tapas, gazpacho and the best-of-the-best olive oil! End your Spain bike tour at the jaw-dropping 150-million-year-old limestone rock formations at the National Park Los Torcales. Departures begin March 10, 2013 and run throughout the year until Nov. 17, 2013. There are also two Andalucia Singles Tours available in 2013.

In the mood for a sunny seaside getaway with some biking thrown in? You need to book our bike tour to Mallorca! Picture in your mind the endless turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea, lush lavender and citrus groves, and picturesque windmills. These are all images you’ll see up close and personal on your Mallorca bike tour. We’ll also challenge you to ride the road to Sa Calobra, a thrilling roller-coaster of hairpin turns plunging 3000 feet into the sea. Will you dare? Departures for Mallorca are available through Nov. 4 for 2012 and start again March 17 for 2013.

If vibrant city life is more your style, you’ll want to consider our Pyrenees to Costa Brava Biking tour which starts in Barcelona, a city pulsating with life. After you experience the upbeat Barcelona by bike, you’ll pedal north into the mountains and tour the Pyrenees foothills and then enjoy the Catalonia, which inspired artist Salvador Dalí. Finally, end your bike adventure at the beautiful Mediterranean with its white-sand beaches and hidden bays. This Spain biking tour departs beginning in 2013 on May 12 all the way through to Oct. 13, 2013.

How would you dream of seeing Spain by bike? Beaches, mountains, ancient formations? Call our travel planners at 800-462-2848 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Pacific to decide which Spanish journey will be yours. Viva España!