Okay, I'm sure most people on this site are too intrepid to use a travel service/guide but I'm wondering if anyone has gone on a trip with the behemoth of them all: Backroads If so, how they liked the experience.

Others you'd recommend?

Thanks!

I haven't taken a backroads trip but did do one with a competitor: A fantastic bike trip (lots of intensive road biking) in the Canadian Rockies, and it was amazing. Well done, first class, and the perfect detox to a stressful job. All I had to do was show up and ride.

I forgot to include the name of the competitor: I went with Trek Travel, the bike company. Highly recommended.

By the way, some of the people on the trip had also taken backroads trips and had good things to say about both.

Thanks Sportychick! Unfortunately, although I like to hike, I'm a terrible biker. Sad, but true. Anyone else with suggestions? It's last-minute (can go from 2-5 to 2-17), want to go somewhere warm but considering costa rica as well. Don't need anything too fancy but all the planning I've been TRYING to do on my own with work etc for a Maui trip that's not panning out,makes me yearn for a decent, non-ripoff travel company. As sportyschik said, it's nice sometimes just to show up and have things planned for you.

we've taken two bike trips with backroads, both in france, and they were both phenomenal. their leaders are fantastic and all the logistics are completely worked out.

something like 75% of all guests on backroads trips are repeat guests or were referred by former guests. i think that says a lot. a lot of our friends have been on backroads trips in the US and all over the world and everyone raves about them.

we just found out that one of our leaders on our first trip is now in charge of training for trek travel. so i wouldn't be surprised if they were run similarly. i believe trek travel is much smaller and they were started as a way to showcase the trek bikes.