Backroads in the News
Backroads is regularly featured in local and national publications. Here are some of our favorite articles:
Media Mentions
Can California Tourism Survive Climate Change?
October 26, 2021
California is often presented in the media as an object of disaster, as Tom Hale underscored to me. As we all know, climate change is not a state or country specific issue.
5 New European Bike Tours For 2022
October 12, 2021
Seeing the world on two wheels is a pretty terrific way to get back into the swing of travel. The grand prize for so many riders is Europe and some of the best tour operators in the world have obliged with new biking itineraries for 2022.
5 New Walking Trips For 2022
October 10, 2021
As many of us slowly resume traveling, nothing epitomizes “slow travel” more than a walking trip. The best itineraries are a combination of dramatic scenery, wonderful regional cuisine and a pace that offers exercise and adventure in equal measure.
Backroads adds several U.S. trips for 2022
October 7, 2021
In response to surging demand, active-travel specialist Backroads has added 13 new trips to its North America offerings for 2022, including a mix of biking, walking and multi-adventure tours.
Covid nixed her 3-generation ranch vacation. Here’s how she pivoted — and how you can, too.
September 10, 2021
There was a coronavirus outbreak among the ranch’s staff; in two days, the numbers had climbed from three to 18 infections. After briefly mourning the loss of our intended vacation, we jumped into action to create a Plan B.
Beautiful Fall Walking Tours
August 30, 2021
Seeing the United States on foot is one of the best ways to experience her landscapes in all their stunning glory. From coast to coast, the entire nation is ripe with walkable terrain just begging to be explored.
Who Needs a Whirlwind Trip When You Can Take It Slow?
August 12, 2021
The slow travel movement has come into its own during the pandemic, as many travelers contemplate the need for more thoughtful, sustainable forms of exploring.
‘Revenge Travel,’ Family Edition
August 11, 2021
At Backroads, bookings for family trips next year are up 150 percent from where they were at this point in 2019, with Ecuador, Costa Rica and Peru surging for fall and the holidays.
Tour operators say the great outdoors is filling up fast
May 23, 2021
At the adventure company Backroads, summer trips are mostly sold out, with few opportunities to add itineraries because hotels in always-popular places like national parks and other outdoors-focused destinations are booked up.
5 Adventure Companies Welcoming Americans Back To Europe
April 25, 2021
Backroads has trips scheduled for Iceland, Croatia, Greece and the United Kingdom this year. Their Santorini & Crete Multi-Adventure Tour has departures starting as early as July.
So You Want to Plan a Cycling Vacation?
April 14, 2021
Cycling trips take place on custom-built titanium bikes, lodging ranges from small luxury ships (imagine cycling beside and sailing down the Danube) to five-star hotels, and the food is as finely crafted as the routes.
How Tour Operators Are Adapting as Travel Restarts
April 6, 2021
Backroads, which has run more than 200 of its trips since the pandemic began, assigns equipment such as hiking poles to individuals at the start of a trip to minimize gear sharing (it also sterilizes equipment daily).
Making Our Travels More Meaningful
February 3, 2021
As part of the movement to make travel more meaningful, the active multi-sport tour company Backroads is running a new Historic Underground Railroad Multi-Adventure Tour in Georgia and South Carolina.
Book now, pay later: The new trend that’s reshaping travel during the pandemic
January 27, 2021
Backroads now allows travelers the option to cancel and receive a full refund of their deposit up until their final payment due date in order to give guests more time to decide if travel will work for them without any financial risk.
Traveling With a Purpose: For Some, It’s a 2021 Resolution
January 21, 2021
The tour company Backroads, which provided the Underground Railroad Ride, plans to offer a similarly themed biking and hiking trip to the public in conjunction with Outdoor Afro.
An Inn or Bike Tour of Your Own: How to Make Buyouts More Affordable
January 12, 2021
The tour operator Backroads has created a division of trips somewhere between buyouts and group tours. The new Rendezvous option allows a small group — up to seven in Europe and nine in North America.
The Slow Travel Trend Is Here to Stay
December 22, 2020
The new Dolce Tempo trips (that's Italian for “sweet time”) from Backroads focus on what the outfitter calls “easygoing” hiking and biking itineraries in locales meant to draw in travelers who might ordinarily opt for the view from the tour bus.
After canceling 2020 vacations, travelers are eager to hit the road, but will it be to Europe — or Michigan?
December 22, 2020
With more people than usual booking trips in North America, adventure travel company Backroads created getaways with higher-end lodging or adventures like heli-skiing.
Suppliers are upping their luxury game
December 9, 2020
"We've heard from our guests how much they've enjoyed staying at some of the best hotels on the planet while traveling with Backroads to other continents," said Tom Hale, president and founder of the company.
The Best Bike Trips in the U.S. You Can Book Right Now
December 7, 2020
Immerse all of your senses on this trip through and around Acadia National Park. Pine forests, fresh lobster dinners, and time to wander museums and local shops round out the laid-back experience.
Impress Your Clients in Austin
November 5, 2020
Backroads just launched a weekend Texas Bike Tour which explores Austin’s hinterlands over a long weekend. For decades an enclave spiced by its university town spirit, this liberal place mixed hippies with rednecks and intellectuals.
With Americans Anxious to Go Out, Walking Tours Pick up Pace
October 10, 2020
With pandemic worry reducing participants on Backroads’ walking, hiking and bike tours by as much as 90% this year, they are rebuilding business with family- and private-group expeditions with a variety of approaches.
Group Travel Companies Are Still a Thing. How?
September 3, 2020
Backroads is among a subset of group tour operators that forgoes double decker buses, guides with microphones and sign posts, and matching T-shirts for shared, upscale adventures in pristine settings.
Adventure operators' new products provide relief from cabin fever
August 28, 2020
Many guided travel companies remain on hold due the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are some adventure operators that are up and running domestically and even putting together new products to lure virus-wary travelers out of the house.
The Best Companies For Your Active Outdoor Travel - Now Or After The Pandemic
August 26, 2020
Backroads just rolled out an entire new category of trips called Dolce Tempo, which are more luxurious and less arduous while still being active, described by the company as “easygoing.”
