Trip Videos

Long flights, trains rides and layovers. These extended stints of sitting and inactivity as you're preparing for--or recovering from--your Backroads trip are the perfect opportunity for tight muscles (and possible injury) in the hips, legs and back. But your travels needn't stifle your muscular health! All you need to keep your body healthy and ready for riding, hiking and adventuring is a little bit of space, forethought and this quick stretching routine that you can do in your hotel room, in the airport or even on the plane.

During my time in Tuscany, I led the Backroads biking trip several times but I have never had the feeling I was repeating something. I just love being with people and getting to know their stories: that's the main reason why I applied for this job in the first place and that's also why every trip is so unique.

Happy comfortable feet empower you to tackle indulgent adventures and find delight in every moment. Having proper footwear should be priority numero uno as you begin packing for your trip. Whether you are biking, hiking or dancing your way through your vacation, these are the best ways to take care of your most-used instruments of travel, your feet.

The wind is blowing in your face, which is usually a pleasant feeling but today it's making the riding one hell of a lot tougher. Your head feels heavy and your eyes are fixed on the tarmac just inches ahead of your front wheel, the beautiful scenery stopped mattering a long time ago. As the sweat drips from your face, you struggle to find your breath and you wonder, "How in the hell was I ever talked into going on an active travel trip?"

One of the best parts of a Backroads trip is the connection with a place and its locals, and one of the best parts of being a Backroads leader is creating our own connections and facilitating them for our guests. At the beginning of my first season leading trips in Italy, I was unsure about my ability to provide this connection.

For me, the last few years have been nomadic to say the least, as I have lingered in no particular place longer than a month or two at a time. And the few phrases that I know in various Asian languages scarcely afford the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation. So, while traveling I choose to experience a culture in a different manner. I choose to experience a place through its cuisine. And that's exactly what I did in Vietnam.

Here's the first thing you should know: how you perform at high altitude can have very little to do with your fitness level. So let yourself off the hook for that one. Of course, being fit and healthy always increases your resilience and helps you recover more quickly from challenges.

After finishing a Backroads' trip, do you crave more hours in the saddle? More time on your bike? More adventures?! One of my favorite ways to spend time cycling in between leading Backroads' trips is on "bike tour." What is this? It's when you head out on your bike for overnight adventures.

One of the greatest things about working for Backroads is being able to experience unique cultural events around the globe. Ever since I first set foot in Switzerland, I’ve been fascinated by Swiss national sports–particularly Schwingen (Swiss wrestling).

Your own hometown has secrets to share. Your daily routine can be delightful. It all depends upon you opening your eyes wide to novelty, surprises and adventure. What if you approached your daily commute from a totally different direction? Infused your evening walk with a sense of wonder? Try it, and you might just find there really is no place like home. Be Curious. Chances are, when you travel somewhere new you enter your experience with excitement and curiosity. Imagine if you approached your own backyard with that same attitude.