Backroads in the News
Backroads is regularly featured in local and national publications. Here are some of our favorite articles:
Media Mentions
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.
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.”
Backroads' new trips are for 'easygoing' adventure travelers
August 20, 2020
Active-travel company Backroads is launching a category of trips designed for first-time adventure travelers or those seeking easier options, the company said Wednesday.
Backroads Unveils New Dolce Tempo Trips
August 20, 2020
While biking and hiking and kayaking trips are at the core of popular adventure travel offerings, they are not for everyone. So Backroads, a company that has long been the leader in active travel trips, has come up with an array of softer adventures for 2021.
Looking for a socially distanced vacation? Try a walking tour
July 30, 2020
Backroads’ hiking trips for late summer and fall include Zion and Bryce Canyon, Yosemite, Olympic and Crater Lake national parks, as well as trails in the Oregon Cascades and around Sedona, Ariz.
Summer vacation plans stay the course in spite of Covid-19 spikes
July 21, 2020
The adventure travel company Backroads has also been filling up, with popular hiking and cycling trips to Oregon's Colombia River Gorge and Crater Lake, and Maine and Alaska.
E-Bikes Are The Hottest Thing On 2-Wheels: Here’s Why You Might Want One
July 9, 2020
Backroads named E-bikes as one the top trends of 2020 at the end of last year and before the pandemic anticipated putting 8,500 guests on them this year. "We know there are people out there, couples, for example, who can't ride together, and we want them to be able to ride together," said Backroads founder Tom Hale, a 35 year veteran of the cycling travel industry.
The New Escapism: Isolationist Travel
June 24, 2020
As travelers seek safety amid social distancing, the travel industry is adapting with outdoor trips, remote lodgings and private camps.
Hoping to take a vacation this summer? Why bike touring could be your safest bet
June 24, 2020
“These trips are so much fun,” she said. “If we can do this safely, we will. It’s outdoors in the fresh air, and I’m convinced that Backroads will do its best to keep us healthy. I have no doubt that every place we eat and stay will be clean.”
Backroads: Adventure Travel in A Challenging New World
June 16, 2020
[Backroads] has had to make adjustments to their itineraries, their travel style and raise the levels of health and safety. The good news is that their trips will resume next week. I caught up with their founder and president, Tom Hale, to ask him about adventure travel in the wake of Covid-19.
E-bikes give seniors the right push for fitness
June 9, 2020
As electric bicycles become more common, they’re opening new doors for many older adults who can’t ride a conventional bicycle because of injury and health conditions or who feel unsafe trying it. E-bikes are giving seniors new access to the outdoors and physical activities. Help from the electric motor requires less exertion, enabling riders to tackle hills and tough terrain and travel farther in less time.
Why Tour Operator Backroads Feels Ready to Offer Trips This Month
June 8, 2020
Backroads has announced it will begin running a small selection of trips in the U.S., starting the third week of June. The tour operator anticipates that there will be a more robust offering for July and August.
3 things to know before traveling in California this summer
May 30, 2020
When leisure travel resumes in California, the ethics and etiquette of visiting our favorite destinations will almost certainly be rewritten. Many in the industry anticipate a “new normal” of vacationing that will demand heightened patience and awareness both from visitors and locals.
Florida Keys Reopening To Tourism On June 1
May 19, 2020
I did a multi-sports Keys trip with America’s oldest and best-known active travel specialist, Backroads. I’ve traveled with the company before, and they are excellent across the board. It was awesome, great guides, great itinerary, great hotels and great support.
Ready to haul out that bike? Here’s what to know before you go
May 14, 2020
There’s plenty you can do yourself to get your bike ready to roll, according to Bob Greeneisen of Backroads, a global travel company specializing in biking and hiking trips. Here are some tips.
Arizona cycling trip a rewarding travel experience
May 4, 2020
Southwest Arizona is a new addition to Backroads’ 60-plus global cycling destinations. The region’s exceptionally diverse riding, ever-changing scenery, fantastic food and rich culture tick all of the boxes for a dream itinerary.
Backroads Slowly Looking To Post-COVID Travel
May 1, 2020
Backroads is slowly starting to look toward post-Covid travel and just released their 2021 trip dates, as well as new protocol for post coronavirus trips. Backroads reports seeing a steady interest from guests wanting to travel in 2021, and have also changed their cancellation policy to offer even more flexibility with trip changes.
Get Fit Now For Your Next Adventure
March 24, 2020
Backroads, the world’s largest active travel company, has come up with a series of conditioning tips to help travelers use their time at home to get in their best shape for future active vacations.
The Virtuous Midlife Crisis
January 12, 2020
Debbie Finn, a 50-year-old Generation X-er, hit the milestone birthday, she marked it by hiking four to six hours a day in Portugal and Spain
5 Adventure Outfitters Unveil Hot Destinations For 2020
December 22, 2019
Our Backroads Norway trips have been guest favorites and our new Norway’s Lofoten Islands Hiking & Trekking Tour is trending very popular in 2020.
7 Adventures to Start the New Decade with a Bang
December 17, 2019
People have been walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain for over a millennium...
These Are the Best Bike Trips in the World
December 3, 2019
This six-day cruise, which winds from Burlington, Vermont, up to Montreal, hits an endless procession of classic New England and French-Canadian highlights.