Backroads in the News
Backroads is regularly featured in local and national publications. Here are some of our favorite articles:
Media Mentions
Picked up an outdoor pursuit during COVID? Take it to the next level with an active vacation
December 11, 2021
One positive side effect of the coronavirus pandemic was a spike in participation in active, outdoor and fitness activities. According to a 2021 study by the Outdoor Industry Association, “Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, more Americans have turned to the outdoors, some for the first time and others for the first time in many years."
Cruise to Enchanting Destinations Along the Beautiful Danube
December 8, 2021
Contrary to impressions gleaned from the familiar title of Strauss’ beloved waltz, the Danube is not blue. Like most rivers, it has a grayish hue, and in some parts a muddy murkiness. However, catch the Danube in the right light, perhaps as you picnic on its banks after a bike ride, and an ultramarine glimmer might catch your eye. Despite misleading references regarding its color, the marvelous Danube surely conjures more storybook visions than any other river on Earth.
Active River Cruises: If You Enjoy Cycling, You’ll Love These Trips
December 2, 2021
I LOVE Backroads. What’s to love? The company layers its active adventures, primarily cycling, on top of cruises, both ocean and river. That layering provides the perfect adventure: You spend your days being active, exploring Europe the way many Europeans do, straddling a saddle. Your floating hotel is your oasis for rest and replenishment.
26 fun and unique experience gifts for the person who hates getting stuff
November 23, 2021
Some people absolutely do not want stuff. Instead of swearing off giving them presents altogether, consider gifting them an experience. You may not be able to afford to foot the bill for their vacation to Europe, but you can send them on a mini adventure that could be a highlight of their trip.
Need a Kentucky-inspired present? Try one of these 20 creative holiday gift ideas
November 11, 2021
There's something for everyone this holiday shopping season when you shop local and from the heart. And there are tons of places to find that perfect gift for someone on your list. We've rounded up some of our favorite gifts that can be bought in Kentucky, from sweet treats and bourbon to books and gifts of experience to self-care items, gifts for kids and more.
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. Mr. Hale is the founder of Backroads, the Berkeley-based travel company, which has been operating biking and outdoors-oriented trips in the United States and 54 other countries for four decades. It deals with fallout from it all, from hurricanes in Baton Rouge to floods in Berlin. 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. If you’re a bit out of training, don’t worry, because there are always support vehicles sweeping the route and E-bikes are an option on all of these trips.
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. It’s the perfect way to reflect on the events of the past two years and to contemplate what lies ahead. Here are five new walking trips that debut in 2022 from some of the best tour operators in the business.
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
My sister-in-law got the phone call at dinnertime the night before we were to drive to a Wyoming guest ranch for a five-day, three-generation family vacation. There was a coronavirus outbreak among the ranch’s staff; in two days, the numbers had climbed from three to 18 infections. The staff members with the coronavirus and any others who had been in close contact with them were quarantined. The ranch’s chief operating officer said we were still welcome to come but warned that the service would not be at the ranch’s usual level. My brother and sister-in-law, who had booked and planned the vacation, opted to take the full refund the ranch offered, not because of how the outbreak would affect the service, but for safety.
The nine of us, ranging in age from 7 to 83, had gathered in Jackson, where my fiance, Derek, and I live, for the half-day drive to the ranch. We were crushed, but we didn’t doubt that canceling was the right decision. 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. Need a little help on where to get started? Here are five unbelievable walking tours to sign up for that are fit for every type of traveler.
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, an adventure travel company that segments its family trips by children’s ages, 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.
“Pent-up demand is huge,” said Tom Hale, founder and president of Backroads. “People are planning ahead and putting vacations on their calendars now so that they can have an adventure on the horizon to look forward to.”
Tour operators say the great outdoors is filling up fast
May 23, 2021
With many Americans vaccinated but many international borders still closed, tour operators say domestic demand is not only booming but in some cases exceeding supply. At the adventure company Backroads, founder and president Tom Hale said 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
Berkeley-based Backroads has been leading fantastic small-group hiking, cycling, and other adventure-oriented tours since 1979. 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. This year, watch for new U.S.-based trips like a five-day cycling tour of the Hudson River Valley, as well as weekend or long weekend getaways in Aspen’s glacial valleys and Texas Hill Country.
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. This tour is organized in conjunction with Outdoor Afro, a not for profit network of recreation leaders in 30 states who connect people of color to the outdoors and promote inclusion.
Book now, pay later: The new trend that’s reshaping travel during the pandemic
January 27, 2021
Backroads, an upscale tour operator with a focus on active trips, now allows travelers the option to cancel and receive a full refund of their deposit up until April 1 (or until their final payment due date, whichever comes first) in order to give guests more time to decide if travel will work for them without any financial risk. The company has also pushed back final payment due dates for all of its scheduled trips departing before July 1
Traveling With a Purpose: For Some, It’s a 2021 Resolution
January 21, 2021
The tour company Backroads, which provided the Underground Railroad Ride with mapping and route logistics, plans to offer a similarly themed biking and hiking trip to the public next October in conjunction with Outdoor Afro, a nonprofit organization that encourages Black participation in outdoor recreation and conservation.
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 — to have its own support van and guide and the option to check in and out of events scheduled for the larger group.
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.
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 like Zion National Park and the Loire Valley meant to draw in travelers who might ordinarily opt for the view from the tour bus.
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. "These new North American trips are in a league of their own, with adventurous activities and amazing hotels that reflect the character and style of their regions."
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.