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Active Travel Trends for 2025

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10 Best Europe Vacation Tours for Families

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An Unlikely Journey

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Nine Trips, Four Nations, One Kingdom: Which UK Adventure Fits You?

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Welcome to The BackBeat!

Your go-to guide for epic adventures. Dive into tales from the road and trail, straight from our expert Trip Leaders, and get the inside scoop on planning your next escape. From pro tips and a peek behind the scenes to bucket-list destinations and unforgettable travel stories, inspiration is here.

Group of people riding bikes on a road on a hill, grassy hills in the distance
July 15, 2025

Ride Like a Tour de France Pro with Backroads

Bonjour, cycling fans! The Tour de France is back, rolling through France’s most jaw-dropping landscapes in a whirlwind of energy, grit and glory. Since 1903, this legendary race has challenged the world’s best riders with grueling climbs, thrilling sprints and heart-pounding finishes. Each year, the route changes to spotlight new regions, adding fresh excitement and unforgettable backdrops to this century-old tradition. This year’s course features a mix of mountain stages and dramatic coastal routes, promising spectacular views and fierce competition.

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Wide shot of autumnal forest during colorful sunset.
July 10, 2025

North Carolina, Your Old Friend

Once you become acquainted with western North Carolina, you start to think of it like an old friend. Maybe it’s the sound of the afternoon rain cooling the vibrant forests; the sweet, tangy morsels of classic barbeque on your lips; the sound of the fiddle dancing through the air, traversing decades of backyard gatherings; the lush, humble beauty that immerses you the minute you step foot into the hollers; the blooming of the mountain laurel and the streams so clear you can see the color of every stone at the bottom; or the clean, pure air entering your lungs as you pedal under pristine, green canopy. Whatever the call may be, your old friend is waiting for you.

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July 8, 2025

The Most Romantic Cities to Bookend Your Backroads Trip

Some cities are made for love. Whether it’s the dreamy canals of Venice or the Eiffel tower twinkling against a sunset sky, certain places have that irrepressible spark. If you’re looking for the perfect backdrop for a couple's getaway, look no further. We’ve paired our favorite romantic cities with Backroads trips that begin or end nearby — ideal for a blissful, extended vacation. 

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Group of people smiling in front of an art mural with two bikes on either side
June 26, 2025

Bicycle Island: Cuba Community Ride

Backroads first introduced Cuba People-to-People tours in 2013. These tours follow an itinerary licensed by the United States Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under a category called “Support for the Cuban People.” The Support for the Cuban People license allows us to travel in Cuba with a planned schedule of meaningful interactions with Cubans.

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Active river cutting through two large mountains
June 24, 2025

Yellowstone National Park in Every Season

Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872, when President Ulysses S. Grant set the land apart “as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” This vast natural space of over 2 million acres has served exactly that purpose for over 150 years now.

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June 19, 2025

Wine Regions on Every Continent: An Around-the-World Tasting Adventure

If sipping a glass of Pinot while overlooking vineyard-draped hills is your idea of bliss, you’re not alone. But why stop at Napa or Bordeaux when the world is bursting with wine regions just waiting to be explored? Whether you're a casual enthusiast or a full-blown oenophile, these regions offer the perfect pairing: epic landscapes, rich culture and of course, outstanding wine. Pack your palate and your passport—this is your ticket to a global wine adventure, tailor-made for travelers who crave a taste of something different.

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June 17, 2025

Time Travel to Estancia Cristina

I used to call it “the end of the world,” but I was corrected by the locals who rightfully refer to it as “the beginning of the world.” After spending a few weeks in Patagonia, I now understand why. This faraway land straddling Chile and Argentina is larger than life, raw and multifaceted. Despite the long journey to get there, everyone who gets to visit this land leaves it feeling lucky, like they were made privy to a well-kept secret.

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Three girls smiling while holding up a Croatia flag
June 12, 2025

Gear Shifts and Growing Pains: Coming-of-age on Two Wheels

In my family, our vacations look a little different. Through my childhood and into adulthood, our family get-togethers consisted of biking through the Spanish Pyrenees, across the Croatia/Montenegro border, or hopscotching the mythical Greek isles. By the age of 22, I had been on five Backroads trips all around the world. Each adventure provided me with a challenge and memories I hold with me today. As I reflect on the formative years of my life, at every adolescent milestone, a Backroads trip has been there.

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June 10, 2025

Our Favorite, Less-Crowded Alternatives to European Destinations

It’s been several summers since the pandemic, but it seems like Europe’s wave of “quarantine revenge travel” is still cresting. Whether it’s on Croatia’s photogenic Adriatic isles, in Prague’s fairy-tale lanes or along Venice’s canals, Europeans (and Europe-lovers) will tell you without any doubt: we’re feeling the pressure of eager tourist crowds.

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Two women sitting in front of an orange house, with a bike parked out front
June 5, 2025

The Southwest's Human History

Rugged, radiant and steeped in stories, the American Southwest is more than a destination—it’s a journey through layered landscapes and layered histories. From the sandstone arches of Utah to the red rock canyons of Arizona, the cliff dwellings of New Mexico to the alpine mesas of Southern Colorado, this region invites adventure travelers to explore on foot and by bike, tracing the footsteps of Ancestral Puebloans, Spanish explorers and the Indigenous communities that still call this land home. Wherever you're trekking or riding in the Southwest, each trail tells a tale—etched in stone, sun and spirit.

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