No question goes unanswered
From the first phone call to the final nostalgic photo swap, we pride ourselves on anticipating and answering each and every question you might have—before, during and after your trip—plus a hundred more we thought you might possibly have asked. So the only surprises on your trip are good ones.

• See all the stuff we include on each trip. 
• Find out how we prepare you in advance of your departure. 
• Discover how we look after you while you’re on-trip. 
• Your B&R experience doesn’t end when the trip does. Learn about what we do after you head home. 

Felicia Smith
Tuscany Self-Guided Biking 2011
"Fantastic trip! The organization, accommodations, local experts and logistics were as spot on as I've become accustomed to with B&R. We're looking forward to our next one!"

Sherrie Savett
Vietnam Biking 2010
“The trip was meticulously planned and executed, and made a life lasting impression on me. I felt that I got a true insider’s view of the people, the culture, the history, and the lifestyle of the Vietnamese that even as a very sophisticated traveller, I could not have achieved on my own.”

Erika Faires
Burgundy Self-Guided 2010
“Everything provided by B&R was beyond my expectations. My road bike was great and the guide who met us at the beginning did a wonderful job explaining everything and setting us up. In fact, I was thoroughly impressed by all interactions with the B&R staff. Our hotel stays were some of the best I’ve ever experienced, particularly the hotel in Chambolle-Musigny and the Abbey. The route guides were much easier to follow than I expected and after a few days it became second nature as we got more comfortable with the roads and signs. We very much appreciated the suggestions for stops along the way to refuel, fill water bottles, and even stop for a lunch. Being on our own it was essential to have some guidance. I would really recommend a cycling trip with B&R to anyone. Although we didn’t get to experience a group trip, we still feel as though B&R provided value we couldn't have recreated on our own.”

Wall-to-wall coverage
Please, put your wallet away. To make your life easier, we include absolutely everything that makes sense to include. Private tours? Tastings? Lessons? Helicopters? Hotels? Meals and wine? Mais oui. Your spree at Ferragamo? Ahh, no.

What’s included? Everything you need. Plus everything you’d want. Plus a few things you never knew you wanted ’til you got them. Want us to be a little more specific?

Hotels – Hotel gems are a hallmark of B&R. Not necessarily the grandest and flashiest, but the most charming and intimate. That’s B&R style.

All Accommodations – Every night you spend with us is included in the price of your trip. Best of all: you never have to make the bed!

Signature B&R Guides – All services of B&R
guide(s), who are adept at wearing many hats. They’ll show you the way, handle the behind-the-scenes logistics and look after your every need. Need help translating the menu, want your return flight reconfirmed, or curious about where to find the region’s best antique shop? Just ask. They come equipped with cellphones and are on call 24/7.

Great Meals – We include all meals where it makes sense, yet we understand that going off on your own to make a great discovery is rewarding, too. So sometimes we leave room for exploring on your own.

Table for Two – Each trip offers the opportunity to dine or lunch independently from the group…and we’ll happily make arrangements for you.

Vino Tinto or Vino Blanco? – On every B&R trip, wine (delicious and well-chosen) is included with meals.

Easy Starts – Our trips start where it’s easiest for everyone to meet, and that usually means at a hub. It has never made sense to us to start a trip deep in the interior of a country that’s foreign to you.

From One Leg to the Next – Included are all transfers by yacht, train, 4X4, plane, helicopter, van and, of course, camel.

Adroit Baggage Handling – Your baggage is transported from one hotel to the next by a local handler—NOT your guides. Their time is devoted to you.

Baksheesh, les Pourboires, las Propinas – We look after everyone who helps us along the way, including tips. We grease the wheels wherever it’s necessary—so all you have to worry about is having fun.

Marquee Events – To understand a region, you need to experience it in deep and up close. That’s why every trip includes tastings, tours of historic sites, galleries and museums with local experts, and visits with our local friends.

Everything You Need to Know – Before a trip, travellers receive a B&R Trip Planner filled with local information. On the road, we provide a B&R Travelogue that gives insider tips. Of course, we also provide a map of the region with route suggestions.

Dress Rehearsal – Our guides complete a dry run of each trip the week before it departs. This way, the only surprises on your trip are good ones.

Nice Briefs – Each morning, our guides brief you on the day’s options. We like to do this quietly, one-on-one, so you never get the feeling you’re in a meeting. There’s enough of that at the office.

At The Route of It All – All biking and walking outings include meticulous, easy-to-follow route notes. By no means do you have to follow them, but if you do, we promise nothing short of spectacular.

More Routes – Our guides always have additional scenic routes up their sleeves. Looking for a Century Ride? Just ask.

There When You Need Us – Our support vehicles constantly sweep the day’s biking route distributing refreshments, picking up your purchases, and offering lifts.

Think Local – To support our travellers, B&R has offices in the region or we have someone living locally—so there’s immediate B&R help 24/7.

With the Kids – These trips are not simply adult trips with kids tacked on. Anything but! They are three crafted trips in one: a trip for the parents; a trip for the kids; and a trip for the family. Time together, time apart…we find the balance. And we bring along kid equipment galore. From bikes, helmets, tandems and trailers to extra guides, vans and even cribs, we’ve got you covered. To ensure everyone is well looked after, most With the Kids trips feature the following ratios of guides and vehicles:
5+ trips – four guides, two support vehicles
8+ trips – three guides, two support vehicles
12+ & 15+ trips – two guides, one support vehicle (as per adult trips)

Intangible B&R Tangibles – The years of exhaustive research we’ve done on the ground; the countless personal relationships we’ve cultivated; and the dozens of people who work behind the scenes.

Stick With It – Included on all walking trips, the use of lightweight Leki telescoping walking sticks, and water bottles in padded hip or pack-strap holsters.

It Takes Brains – Don’t bother packing your noggin protector—we provide fantastic Bell or Giro helmets.

Our Bikes are Included – ...and customized for you B&R has a customized fleet of fully equipped new Cannondale hybrids and road bikes for all our European trips. For trips running outside of Europe, we offer the very best bicycles for the region. We have men’s and women’s models in five frame sizes. And for the kids, Burley tandems, trailers and youth helmets. Click here for more information.

God is in the details
At B&R, the guiding starts while you’re still at home. We make sure you know everything you need to know before you’ve even left your living room. Our Travel Advisors know the region you’re travelling to like the backs of their hands—and to call them detail-oriented would be an understatement! They get you all the information you need to pack perfectly. The only thing we can’t do is help you remember your toothbrush. (But we will have a fresh one for you if you do.)

Door to Door Service – We know that your trip starts the moment you lock your front door. That’s why we also offer comprehensive, door-to-door, start-to-finish travel service. If you have a travel agent, they can handle all your needs. (We work with travel agents of all kinds). But if you’re on your own, and you’d like a little TLC, you know where to find us. Many of our travellers like their B&R trips to start right at their front door. No arguments here.

The B&R Trip Planner – As soon as you’ve booked, we send you a B&R Trip Planner filled with everything you need to know before you go, from local weather information to mouth-watering local recipes to try on your own (although you might not be able to find Mopani worms at your local grocer).

Your B&R Trip Planner includes:

• A comprehensive trip itinerary
• Suggestions on what to pack, including detailed destination- and activity-specific clothing recommendations
• Information on local weather
• Shopping tips
• Recommended reading and film viewing
• ...and much more.  

• In the unlikely event that you still have unanswered questions, our Travel Advisors are just a phone call away at 1.866.551.9090. We encourage you to try to stump them.  

 

Dietary restrictions
We’re not all omnivores. (Or as George Butterfield would say, “opportunivores.”) We are with the dietary times. If you are vegetarian, vegan, lactose-intolerant, diabetic, gluten-free, lacto-ovo vegetarian, wheat-free, macrobiotic or fruitarian, we’ll do our very best to accommodate you. All you have to do is ask!

The right active wear
When it comes to clothing, we’ll make sure you’re perfectly prepared for the activities you’ll be doing and the climate you’ll be doing them in. We draw on our extensive experience in the region to arm you with the knowledge to pack like an old pro, even if it’s your first time. You also won’t need to go on a big shop before you go. We’ll give you a list of the active wear we recommend, and you’ll likely have most of it in your closet already. Got the very latest wicking sportswear? Great. Be sure to bring it along. But we also find cotton Ts still work just fine.

Jackets not required
We’re good friends with all the hoteliers and restaurateurs you’ll meet along the way; they know we’re bikers, walkers, sailors and a fairly casual bunch. That said, we also like to get dressed up now and again, so if your trip calls for it (or even if it doesn’t), gents feel free to pack a jacket and tie and ladies bring along an elegant ensemble. Your travel advisor can tell you if there is need for such attire on the B&R trip(s) that catch your eye.

Recommended reads & views
We know that having a little perspective can enrich a travel experience immeasurably. That’s why every package includes a carefully chosen list of books and films regarding your chosen destination. Informed by decades of experience in the region, your recommended reading (or viewing) may not make you an instant historian, but it does give you the cultural and historic context to make for an exceptionally well-informed traveller. Think of it as hill training for your mind. (Only way more fun.)

• We have journeys in over 20 countries on six continents. Got someplace in mind? Try searching our trips by destination.

All the support you need to feel totally free
Our guides put you deep into the particulars of a world, and then step back so you have the freedom to make the experience your own. They have a knack of being there right when you need them, but the good sense to know when to “disappear.”

During the day, you learn to keep our day-by-day Travelogue handy. It points out all the hidden gems along the way. Think of it as your trip bible. We also give you detailed route suggestions—including which direction to take at the crossroads, where to turn for a hillier option, and how to find that shortcut back to the hotel.

Every evening during a quiet moment, your guide will sit down with you to talk about how you might like the next day to unfold. Do you want to do a little more? A little less? Is there something particularly interesting you want to delve into? After all, this is your holiday.

To find out just how well supported you are on the road with B&R, keep reading! The great thing about our trips is that we enable you to create your very own experience—but we’re always right there when you need us.

24-hour Support
Naturally, support isn’t limited to the trail. We recognize that needs, questions and minor emergencies can rear their heads at any moment. Luckily, our legions of guides, local staff, fixers and friends are on call at the drop of a walking stick, 24 hours a day, whether you’re in need of a prescription, a passport, or a partner in pastis. Each day while you’re out exploring the world, your luggage is carefully transported to the next hotel. You don’t have to give it a second thought—and nor do your guides. They are there to concentrate on you.

The Van
“What if it’s after lunch and my partner runs out of gas?” Great news: you don’t have to carry your partner the rest of the way. An integral part of your B&R trip is the B&R support van. Our omnipresent B&R guides and their well-stocked van make regular sweeps of the day’s route, and can whisk you (er, your partner) back to the hotel at a moment’s notice. Meet the van at one of the pre-arranged rendezvous spots or simply hail it on its sweep, whether for snacks, storage or succour.

With the Kids – Safety & Supervision
B&R planners take great care to ensure our With the Kids trips are safe for the whole family. Whenever possible, our routes stick to quiet biking roads and well-maintained walking paths. We provide kid-oriented safety equipment and, if required, child seats in the van that constantly sweeps our route. Biking guides are trained in setting up kid-sized bikes, as well as tandems and trailers, and can properly fit young people’s helmets.

Most importantly, we provide adult supervision to suit each age level. On Age 5+, 8+ and 12+ trips, that means extra guides and support vehicles to allow for supervised kid time. We can even arrange babysitting when you need it.

Jennifer and Ken Alterman
Argentina Biking 2009
“Argentina is a vast and beautiful country. If we had to pick one of our favorite experiences it would have to be our last ride. It started at 13,000 feet and finished at the salt flats. On our way down we saw burros, vicuna (from the llama family) and horses, haciendas in the mountain valleys, sheep and goat herders, a rock formation called Turtle Rock and incredible mountains striped with vivid color. It was breathtakingly beautiful and we loved seeing the country this way. B&R doesn’t just provide you with incredible guides, drivers, accommodations and meals; they immerse you in the culture in a very up close and personal way.”

“Farewell” is only the beginning
Home safe and sound and looking to reconnect? Longing for Mamma’s risotto recipe? Hankering for a case of that Grand Cru you tasted on final night? There’s no question too obscure, no task too difficult. Post-trip, we’ll follow up with you and answer any and all questions you might have. Want to reconnect with that brilliant architect you spent an afternoon with? Wondering where you should go on your next trip? Curious as to where your favourite guide will be travelling next season? All you have to do is ask. You’re B&R now. Consider yourself extended family.