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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.

Waterfall in Iceland
January 19, 2018

A Tour of the Regions of Iceland

Iceland is a land of stunningly diverse scenery, where you can pass from lush glacial meadows into barren volcanic deserts in the blink of an eye, and where cliffs tower hundreds of meters high only a few steps away from the sea. Backroads’ wide variety of trips here matches the diversity of the island’s landscapes. Every itinerary is different, and each offers a unique perspective on the majestic beauty of this lonely volcanic island. Which one is right for you?

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Marian and Kerry-near-the-incredible Fitz Roy in Patagonia
January 11, 2018

Our Backroads Story: 30 Trips and Counting!

Our friends, Mike and Kathi, broached the subject once again. "You guys really should think about coming with us on this Tuscany biking trip." As I lowered my head and peered at them over my sunglasses, I remember musing: "Are you insane?" "We'll think about it," is what came out of my lips.

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Assembly of WBR Buffalo Bikes
December 29, 2017

The Power of a Bicycle to a Child

Looking through the window of the bus that was driving me from the airport through town, I understood this trip was going to be very different. I could see many people walking the dusty streets of the capital in oppressive heat, some of them carrying jugs of water on their head. For the first time of my life, I was in Africa.

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December 22, 2017

Two Backroads Leaders in Love

Lauran and I met on a school bus. She was wearing a propeller hat and fake glasses with tape on the bridge and rainbow suspenders to hold the outfit together. It was love at first sight. Ok, not really, but we did meet on the school bus during the Backroads California Staff Ride in 2010 and the theme was "Back to School."

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Families at a New Zealand beach
December 22, 2017

Building a Family Legacy of Adventure

I raised my children in a blur. I was in my early twenties when they were born and divorced before they started school. I completed college, launched a career and elbowed my way up the career ladder--rung by rung--as a single mother. Needless to say, transferring values was the last thing on my mind, followed closely by teachable moments. Survival was the order of the day.

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Vietnam - Biking in Typhoon Damri
December 19, 2017

400 Bikers in a Typhoon

Since very early in the Backroads days, we have run annual staff rides that gather our employees in one place for a multi-day adventure. These trips get everyone in the same space after being spread out across the globe for much of the year to revel in our strong community and just plain have fun together. Last month, it took place in Vietnam--right in the middle of one of the biggest typhoons in decades.

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Backroads Leaders enjoying time off in Sapa, Vietnam
December 8, 2017

Hiking in Sapa, Vietnam - A World Apart

Chi: Our fearless guide. Four-foot-ten on a good day, eighty pounds, twenty-seven years old, mother of two. She's a Sapa trekking guide and woman extraordinaire. She's honest, fiery, fierce and tells it to you straight. Her hair is long and without a kink, falling to her hips even when pulled back. She carries a purple umbrella, protecting her skin from the strong sun.

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Lan Ha Bay, Vietnam, UNESCO site
December 6, 2017

What Are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

If you've done much traveling, you've likely encountered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The term may spark immediate interest but what exactly does it mean? While UNESCO is best known for identifying its famous World Heritage Sites, it's an incredibly nuanced intercontinental coalition with enormous goals.

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Reykjavik, Iceland, a Backroads destination
November 30, 2017

24 Hours in Reykjavík

Iceland is home to the world's oldest parliament, Europe's largest glacier (by volume), Björk and now you for at least 24 hours! Whether you're spending the day in Reykjavík before or after your Backroads Iceland trip, this guide offers an easy plan for a great day in the city, maximizing your time and showcasing all this capital has to offer.

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Backroads Leader Ariel Presenting a Picnic
November 22, 2017

Backroads Grand Picnics

As Backroads leaders, we wear many hats in a given day: concierge, mechanic, translator, chauffeur, navigator, motivator… the list is infinite. One of my favorites to don, however, has to be that of “chef,” because that’s when we get to perform the magic that results in the famous Backroads picnic lunch!

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