- In the News
Media Mentions
Backroads has once again been ranked among the top travel operators globally in the prestigious 2007 World’s Best Awards. It’s our 10th consecutive win—in fact, we’ve been there every year since the Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters category was first established in 1998.
What makes this award especially gratifying is that it’s decided not by a handful of judges but by a massive reader’s poll. Backroads was evaluated in six key categories—staff and guides, itineraries/destinations, activities, accommodations, meals and overall value—and we’re proud to have received our highest total score ever.
Making the Top 10 is gratifying and puts us in very distinguished company. At the same time, it simply reaffirms what we’ve been hearing all along from the most important judges: our own travelers. When Backroads guests tell us we have the best leaders in active/adventure travel, it inspires us to work harder than ever, meeting and exceeding their expectations. And that holds true across the board, as we pursue the most interesting destinations, the finest lodgings and cuisine, the deepest local connections and the highest standards of personal service.
Cycling—and Eating and Drinking—Through Tuscany
“The idea of coasting through the beautiful scenery, stopping for roadside picnics, eating grand meals in classic villas in the evening, and best of all, burning off all the calories consumed the night before with a vigorous bike ride the next day was too tempting to ignore.”
Riding the HulaHula to the Arctic Ocean, May 2008
Argentina mountain biking among Outside's Trips of the Year
“Among the highlights: a screaming descent from an 11,000-foot mountain pass, overnights in restored haciendas, and the chance to feast on empanadas, chorizo and roast llama.”
Outside, April 2008
Insider Trips take guests deep into a region
“With art scholar Marie-Charlotte Bouton as your guide, tour St.-Paul-de-Mausole, the hospital where Van Gogh painted 140 works.”
Travel+Leisure, March 2008
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Eugene Register-Guard, San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Robb Report, August 2007 USA Today, August 10, 2007 Wall Street Journal, July 2007 Culturevulture.net, February 2007 Honolulu Star Bulletin, December 2006
Chicago Sun-Times, November 2006 National Geographic Adventure, November 2006 NYMetro Parents, September 2006 Marin magazine, September 2006
Tackling the Tuscan Hills
“This trip seemed just right, enough biking to enjoy the countryside, but not too much to interfere with other explorations
or the chance to sip wine or meander in one of the hamlets along the way”
Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008
King of the Back Road
“Tom Hale is to adventure travel what (Nike's) Phil Knight is to sports apparel: A pacesetter.”
October 16, 2007
Bright Ideas: Tom Hale's seat-of-the-pants bike touring idea just keeps growing
“The first trip was to Death Valley. I wasn't 100 percent sure anybody would show up. We'll do over $50 million in sales this year.”
September 2, 2007
R&R in Costa Rica
“As if on cue, four white-faced monkeys appear, jumping from vine to vine of the thick-rooted ficus trees found here in Manuel Antonio National Park.”
Adventure travel for families snowballs
“Being with other kids and hip young guides is so much more motivating.”
Adventure Tours Lighten Up
“The company is responding to customers who have said they enjoy the four-star hotels, Michelin-star restaurants and gourmet picnics set up by Backroads staffers but are either unable to or uninterested in burning off the calories along the way.”
Fun in Funen: Cycling in Denmark
“With its modern design aesthetic, quiet charm, welcoming populace and unspoiled countryside, Denmark is a wonderful travel destination, especially for biking.
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Adventure on the Back Road
“It's difficult to say what was most intriguing about the Backroads family multisport camping trip my children and I took to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks...”
Family Fun in Yosemite
How, on a Backroads Family Trip, an urban kid meets the challenges of camping adventures and shines. 
Hungary, Slovakia, Poland: Castles in the Sky
Backroads’ new Eastern Europe biking trip is selected as one of the 25 best new outfitted trips.
Pedaling the Dolomites
A Backroads trip gives families the perfect combination of alone time, family time and adult- or kid-only time.
An Andes Adventure
An incredible week of hiking, biking and cultural exploration in the timeless landscape of Peru’s Sacred Valley.
The World’s Best Awards
Travel+Leisure readers are asked to pick the cream of the crop around the globe: the top hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, outfitters …Yet again, Backroads makes the list.
Travel+Leisure, August 2006
A Pasta a Day
A Backroads biking trip through Puglia leads to tasty rewards.
San Diego Union Tribune, June 2006
Going the Distance
Glaciers and mountains and bears, oh my! One writer enlists bike, raft and crampon to experience the grandeur and diversity of the Canadian Rockies.
SKI Magazine, June/July 2006
A Step In Maritime
Stroll along rugged coastlines, through picturesque gardens and in historical towns on a Nova Scotia walk with Backroads.
Home & Away, May/June 2006
The Wanderlist: Best Trips 2006
On Backroads' eight-day biking trip in Bali, you'll get the full-immersion tour, riding 12 to 47 miles a day and sleeping in garden and seaside spa resorts at night.
Outside, March 2006
The Must Rides
California's neighboring Sonoma and Napa Valleys have become synonymous with good riding. And they're not just local favorites, they're legitimate international must-rides.
Bicycling, January/February 2006
Active Days, Opulent Nights in Rural Puglia
“This is my ideal way to travel in Italy: to have solo time…and then sit down for a great meal with fellow travelers where we all share our different stories.”
Ottawa Citizen, October 2005
Walking Tours Mix Nature, Luxury
One Backroads guest likened walking trips to being on a canoe, as opposed to a powerboat: “You see a smaller area, but you see it more clearly. And after walking for hours and coming back all dirty and dusty, you’re able to freshen up in a beautiful room and sit down to a great dinner.”
Satisfaction magazine, September 2005
Perfect for Pedaling: France's Dordogne Valley
“The fresh sun casts a magical light on stone buildings and dewy fields. We feel strong and relaxed after a week of cycling. Life is perfect right now.”
Houston Chronicle, September 2005
See the World by Pedal Power
Sightseeing by car may be fine for some, but bike tours are a whole other way to go. A Backroads trip to Thailand is just one of the out-of-the way trips on which you’re practically forced to immerse yourself.
The New York Times, September 2005
Hit the Road
Backroads started the active-vacation industry 25 years ago with multi-day, guide-led, group bike tours. They introduced multisport tours in 1997.
Runners World, July 2005