Backroads
Backroads
Tom Hale, Backroads founder and president, built Backroads with his passion for exploring the world’s most fascinating places actively. Thirty five years later, each Backroads employee and legions of loyal travelers could not imagine a better way to travel—immersing yourself in the life of a region and exploring hidden corners while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus, or in a few excursions from a cruise ship or a secluded resort. Active travel is, at its heart, a way of connecting more authentically with the world. Sure, Backroads provides superb accommodations and meals, and opportunities you could never arrange on your own. But all of our comprehensive planning and support is aimed at something far simpler: bringing you the immediate, highly personal satisfaction of discovering a new world on your own terms.

Articles Written

PreviewIntroducing the new Backroads Performance Bike

Video: Meet the Backroads Performance Road Bike

Check out our new video to get acquainted with the Backroads Performance Road Bike.

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A Day in the Life with Backroads in New Zealand

A day in the life of a guest on our New Zealand trip.

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PreviewFour bikers on a road full of leaves and surrounded by forest

Top Ten Travel Trends for 2024: Unique Outdoor Experiences Are Trending

Camino de Santiago, Scandinavia and Women’s Adventures Top the List of our top ten active travel trends in 2024 to help inspire your next grand adventure.

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PreviewPerson biking with a field of sunflowers surrounding them

The Best Places to Bike in France

We’ve been leading Backroads guided bike tours in France for nearly four decades. From historic routes in Normandy to the sunny villages of Provence, here are what we think are the best cycling destinations in France.

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PreviewGuest cycling past mountain town, large mountain range in background.

The Best Bike Routes in Italy

At Backroads, we’ve been leading guided bike tours in Italy for over three decades. Check out a few of our favorite routes and learn more about some of the best cycling destinations in the country.

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As Seen on Screen: The 8 Best Trips for Movie & TV Buffs

We love watching Hollywood make fantastical worlds out of some of our favorite travel destinations, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing them in real life.

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PreviewHotel Sunset

The Ten Most Romantic Hotels in the World

Whether it’s watching the sunset over the ocean in Vietnam, savoring antipasti on the Amalfi Coast or relaxing in a private jacuzzi in the cloud forest of Costa Rica, nothi

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Preview2023 travel trends

2023 Travel Trends

The start of a new year can feel fresh and full of possibility.

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PreviewJane Holding Wine

Making Pecorino Under the Tuscan Sun

In early 2020, Jane took the leap and moved full-time to Tuscany, where she planned to continue leading Backroads trips and learning more about the Tuscan food scene. But, as fate would have it, that year would go very differently than she expected.

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PreviewBryce Canyon at sunset

6 Epic Trailside Views at Bryce and Zion

Trip Leader and seasoned long distance backpacker Devin Karch knows a good trail when he sees one. After completing the legendary “Triple Crown” of long-distance trails in North America he spends his days on the trails of Bryce and Zion National Parks as our Trip Expert there. He’s selected a few of his favorite trail-side views in this blog post.

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