MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips

Imagine Exploring Uzbekistan by Bicycle. Grasshopper Adventures Makes it Possible

January 27, 2019 MoralCompass

*Grasshopper Adventures is offering a 14-day cycling tour through Uzbekistan*

(Bangkok, Thailand) – On a 14-day Grasshopper Adventures cycling tour through Uzbekistan in the heart of Central Asia, guests will experience mountain gorges, desert oases, ancient fortified cities, bustling bazaars, tented caravans, and the Great Steppe, all while absorbing the rich history that has shaped empires for millennia. The itinerary, offered exclusively by Grasshopper Adventures, includes exploring the ancient cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Shakhrisabz, and Khiva; cycling the incredible canyons and peaks of the Nuratau Mountains; overnighting in yurt camps along the old Silk Road, and more.

“Uzbekistan will not disappoint the adventurer in you, and nothing compares to taking it in on a two-wheeled odyssey stretching across the country,” said Grasshopper Adventures CEO Adam Platt-Hepworth. “The country is on the cusp of a massive opening and reform period, which makes now the perfect time to go.”

The terrain is mostly a mixture of sealed and unsealed secondary roads through rural villages. When cycling in the remote areas of Steppe and desert guests will be on primary/main roads with very little traffic. There are sections of riding on through mountainous terrain which is moderately technical with short, achievable climbs. During some sections, a 4WD support vehicle will follow the group.

“Uzbekistan’s cultural richness and turbulent history are evident today in its diversity, architecture, and tales of empires long forgotten by the modern world,” said Platt-Hepworth. “Riding your bike through a country with an ancient historical narrative and a mixture of no fewer than six distinct cultures is really an unforgettable experience.”

Tour Highlights:

Climbing the pass over Gaukum Peak before descending through the picturesque Nuratau Mountains

Exploring the ruins of Ayazkala

Overnighting in traditional yurts

Visiting the Memorial Complex of Khoja Bakhouddin Naqshbandii, one of the most important Muslim shrines

Cycling around Bukhara and its many historical monuments

Walking the ancient ruins of Ak Saray Palace

Riding the 95km road to Shakhrisabz

Touring the majestic madrassas, gigantic mosques, an ancient observatory, Siab Bazaar, the Necropolis, and mausoleums of Samarkand

Meeting villagers while cycling the path of the Urganchy River

The tour covers 505 km and starts at $4,950 USD. For more info, visit https://www.grasshopperadventures.com.

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Active Travel, bike trips, international travel, Multisport adventures, women-only travel

Croatia is the Next Hot Destination for Women-Only Adventure Travel

January 27, 2019 MoralCompass

*Wild Women Expeditions is hosting multiple departures of two new, distinct itineraries that embrace the blue waters and high-altitude wilderness of Croatia.*

CORNER BROOK, NL, Canada– Across the Adriatic Sea from Italy is a sun-splashed shoreline that marks Croatia, sometimes known as Dalmatia. Here in 2019, Wild Women Expeditions will host multiple departures of two new, distinct itineraries that embrace the blue waters and high-altitude wilderness of this secret Riviera.

Kaleidoscopic Croatian Multisport is a 13-day active immersion in nature and culture that promises up to six hours of hiking or four hours each of paddling and cycling most days. Departures in 2019 are May 23, Sept. 1, Sept 22 and Oct.13. The per person (double occupancy) rate of $4,695 includes:

12 nights shared accommodations in locally owned hotels and guesthouses
All breakfasts and lunches and some dinners
Ground transportation from Zagreb to Dubrovnik
Airport transfers on Day 13
All equipment required for activities outlined in the itinerary
All national park or entrance fees required to deliver the activities
English-speaking female lead guide plus support staff

This itinerary begins in Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb, before departing for Kopački Rit Nature Park on the Croatian-Serbian border. During a homestay, guests will prepare dinner and perhaps hear stories about the history of what life was like in Tito’s Yugoslavia before the Balkan states erupted into being in the early 1990s.

Croatia’s pride and joy are its national and nature parks. Kopački Rit Nature Park on the Danube floodplain is dubbed the European Amazon for its rich biodiversity and abundance of bird and wildlife. After exploring this wildest side of Croatia, the itinerary weaves through the mountains, tracing vestiges of Celtic and Roman civilizations en route to Dubrovnik. After hiking in Papuk Nature Park, guests will finish the day by arriving in Samobor to enjoy dinner and kremsnite, a puff pastry with custard cream unique to these high altitudes. Guests will further explore the Sambor Highlands before embarking on a hiking tour the following day through Plitvice Lakes National Park, home to over 16 lakes that cascade from one to the next.

Leaving mountains behind, guests arrive in Split, a 1700-year-old city with the palace of a Roman emperor, Diocletian, dating from 4th century AD. Guests roll up their sleeves to play with clay, making souvenirs with natural elements and tools. Swimming, snorkeling and kayaking follow an overnight on Hvar, one of the countless islands in this region. Guests will then sail to Vis, an island that until 25 years ago housed the largest military base in the former Yugoslavia alongside traditional Dalmatian stone villages, many abandoned.

Before touring Dubrovnik comes a day on bicycles past vineyards, farms and dwellings scarred by war from 1991-1995. A local family hosts a dinner with homemade bread and cheeses, local wines and prosek. They’ll probably embroider stories of the war for independence in the conversation, embroidery that replaces the colorful hand-stitched garments once worn here and that underscores the fragile cultures and customs. Dubrovnik residents in the early 1990s survived for six months on just bread and water as houses and shops were shelled inside 14th-century walls. Today’s Dubrovnik is a high-energy destination. For more details on this itinerary please see https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/kaleidoscopic-croatian-multisport/

Kornati Islands Kayak Adventure is a 10-night itinerary offered in 2019 on June 12 and Sept.12 departures. The per person rate is $4,495 USD for:

10-night accommodations in small hotels, fisherman guest houses, self-catering apartment and on sailboats
All meals
Single or double sea kayaks, the use of skirts, paddles PFD’s, paddling jackets, dry bags and all safety gear
Ground and sea transportation from Zadar to Split
English-speaking female certified sea kayak guide(s);
All national park or entrance fees

The adventure begins in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast between Split (north) and Dubrovnik (south). This ancient center combines 8th-century religious art with Roman artifacts and Sea Organ, an installation that captures the music of the waves.

One of the least accessible places in Croatia is Kornati National Park that exposes a jagged coastline with a rich submarine eco-system, natural beauty and interesting geomorphology. Guests paddle by bottlenose dolphins and slow-but-lovable loggerhead sea turtles through a labyrinth of small islands, reefs and islets that make up 12 percent of all the islands in the Croatian Adriatic. Cliffs drop steeply to the sea that supports families of fisherfolk who offer hospitality over home-made meals. Written documents from the 10th century confirm one island’s fishing tradition of 1000 years.

In the Šibenik archipelago, a sailboat lends support for an open-sea crossing to a community of 249 islands, of which only six are inhabited. An undiscovered jewel on this archipelago is Zlarin, where, since the 14th century, islanders have been diving for colorful sea corals. A sea paddle to Krka National Park reveals a karst phenomenon with seven travertine waterfalls, numerous endemic endangered species, and over 1000 plant and 225 bird species. Speleology lovers are drawn to some 40 grottoes and pits; others to medieval fortresses, harbingers of the bustle of civilization that lies ahead in the farewell city of Split. For details please see https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/trips/kornati-islands-kayak-adventure/.

For itineraries, availability and reservations for these and all Wild Women Expeditions’ programs call 1 (888) 993-1222, email [email protected] or visit online at https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/.

Founded in 1991, Wild Women Expeditions is the world’s largest women-only travel company. Its initial focus was on canoeing on remote Ontario waters. Through an unwavering focus on Canada, one of the wildest, most pristine countries in the world, Wild Women Expeditions became experts in a pioneering niche that introduced small groups of women into wilderness settings. The company now hosts guests all over the world, offering more trips and more women-only, backcountry camping, hiking, paddling and horseback adventures than any other women’s travel company in the world.

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Active Travel, bike trips, cycling trips, European travel

Freewheel Holidays Offers Self-Guided City-to-City Cycling Trips to Best Appreciate Europe’s Culture, Capitals and Cuisine

November 29, 2018 MoralCompass

Vienna is one of the best cities in the world for biking, with dedicated lanes that take you to the historic city’s main attractions. Among the city-to-city itineraries offered by Freewheel Holidays is an 8-day Prague to Vienna self-guided trip © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

MANCHESTER, UK – City breaks are in and so is self-guided bike touring. An international specialist in self-paced bicycle vacations, Freewheel Holidays, offers up ideas for the best cities for cycling – and saving on shoe leather at the same time. Their self-guided cycling tours include pre-arranged accommodations with breakfasts, luggage transfers, bike rentals (E-Bike upgrades available), travel guide, maps and route book, 24-hour hotline assistance, a welcome briefing and more.

In Italy, Pisa to Siena Cycling Trip explores the Italian Renaissance for seven days in Tuscany from Pisa and its iconic tilted tower, along a stretch of the Via Francigena (the medieval pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome), through Lucca (a beautiful and ancient city known for its olive oil) and San Miniato and south on Cassian Way (the Roman route that once linked Florence and Rome) to Siena, the city famous for its Palio (a horse race commemorating historic neighbourhood rivalry that’s held annually in July and August that runs through the town square). This trip is available May through September. The per person rate is from £639. See: www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/cycling-holidays/all-cycling-holidays/cycling-holidays-cities/pisa-to-siena.

From the Czech Republic to Austria, Prague to Vienna Cycling Holiday over eight days follows the Greenways Bike Route outside Prague to Český Krumlov with a 13th century castle. Riding through South Bohemia is the spa town of Třeboň where since the 12th century assorted monarchs created from a large wetland a complex of now-20 ponds that attract a variety of birdlife. The forested area close to the Austrian border has been called Czech Canada. Here is 13th century Telč with the finest preserved Renaissance (Italian influenced) square in the Czech Republic, followed by a fairytale castle perched on a cliff in Vranov and later vestiges of the not-so-ancient Cold War fence with Vienna on the other side. This trip is available May through September. The per person rate is from £949. See: www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/cycling-holidays/all-cycling-holidays/cycling-holidays-cities/prague-to-vienna.

Three countries, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, display their cultural and natural assets along with two capitals on the 12-day Amsterdam to Paris City Cycling Holiday. Along cycle paths and quiet roads, guests explore the ancient towns of Gouda, Antwerp and Ghent (center of the famous classic professional cycle race Ronde van Vlaanderen). Centuries ago this was a one-time trade route between Europe’s interior and the coast. This is also Charlemagne territory and part of the Holy Roman Empire. Layered along with plenty of Medieval influences are Belgium’s beer and chocolates that whet appetites for the vineyards and French cheeses that follow while pedaling through natural preserves, World War I sites and ancient abbeys enroute to breakfast in Paris. This trip is available June into September. The per person rate is from £1,199. See: https://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/cycling-holidays/all-cycling-holidays/cycling-holidays-cities/amsterdam-to-paris.

For more information on all the urban cycling programs offered by Freewheel Holidays see: https://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/cycling-holidays/all-cycling-holidays/cycling-holidays-cities.

To check trip availability, make reservations, or to find out more about Freewheel Holidays’ leisure cycling tours call +44 (0) 161 703 5823, email [email protected] or visit www.freewheelholidays.com.

A division of Sports Tours International, Freewheel Holidays specializes in self-guided, expertly supported European cycling holidays that strike the perfect balance between leisure pedaling and immersive sightseeing. The company offers easy to moderate cycling programs designed with special appeal to European and North American travelers. Guests cycle on their own, with enroute assistance and distinctive accommodations expertly chosen and secured by the company. A portfolio of nearly 50 established European holidays offers riders of all levels a freedom of choice. The company features a range of 4- to 11-night itineraries to 18 European countries including the UK, Austria, France, Holland, Czech Republic, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Portugal. The majority of tours are self-guided with the exception of a few fully-guided vacation packages in Croatia, France and Italy. The company also offers family-focused, bike & barge, coastal, wine lover and solo traveler holidays plus the option of adding E-Bikes.

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips, Historic Places

Ride & Seek Announces 990-Mile Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” Cycling Tour

November 28, 2018 MoralCompass

Ride & Seek ‘s nearly 1,000 mile Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world.

(Provence, France) – Ride & Seek is introducing a new Berlin-to-Budapest “Iron Curtain” epic cycling adventure that includes five capitals and five distinct cultures connected through a historic period that changed the world. This nearly 1,000-mile bicycle tour begins in Berlin where the fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. The trip travels from north to south along some of the best cycling routes Europe has to offer, weaving its way south through Western Europe and what was once part of the Soviet Union. It is offered in two stages– Berlin to Prague over eight days and Prague to Budapest over 11 days. The “Iron Curtain” tour is slated for August 18 – September 4, 2019, and starts at $8,318 USD. To view the full tour, visit https://rideandseek.com/tour/iron-curtain-berlin-to-budapest/.

“This exciting new Berlin-to-Budapest tour crosses the divide between communism and democratic capitalism,” said Ride & Seek Founder Dylan Reynolds. “The history on the tour is still palpable and it is unlike our other historic cycling adventures in that the collapse of the Iron Curtain was witnessed real-time by the majority of our guests.”

Guests will cycle past palaces and through Sorbian villages to the Polish border. In the Czech Republic, they will ride through the romantic countryside of the Czech Middle Mountains and follow the banks of the Elbe River. Bohemia provides peaceful cycling interspersed with beautiful castles, medieval and renaissance towns surrounded by monumental walls. Biking close to the Austrian border, riders will pass well-preserved fortifications from the beginning of WWII. In Austria, they’ll cycle along wooded hillsides and through green meadows onto the Danube River and into Vienna on beautifully kept cycle paths.

From one capital to the next, guests will follow the blue waters of the Danube River past the luxurious palaces of the Viennese nobility to Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava. The group will continue through Hungary to the baroque city of Györ, and then travel through rolling hills famous for its racehorse studs before returning to the Danube River. The last day will include a ride along one of the most scenic parts of the Danube, where the river enters steep hills, creating stunning meanders into the lively heart of Budapest.

“For those who enjoy beer, this trip will not disappoint,” said Reynolds. “Each of the countries we travel through will tell you their beer is the best in the world, but you will have to make up your own mind.”

Iron Curtain Bike Tour Highlights:

Seeing the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie

Cycling along the rivers and canals that cover much of Eastern Germany

Following the Oder-Neisse River along the Polish border to Görlitz, one of Germany’s most beautiful cities

Rolling through the castle-and-fortress-filled Czech Middle Mountains along the banks of the Elbe River

Exploring Telč, a jewel of the Czech Republic and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

Drinking the world’s best beers: German wheat beers, Czech pilsner, Austrian lager and Hungarian ales

Touring Budapest, an architectural and historical treasure trove along the Danube

Sampling Austrian schnitzel, Viennese-style coffee, chocolate Sachertorte cake, Hungarian Goulash, and German bratwurst.

Ride & Seek is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. Cyclists not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites as well. Providing a cultural insight into the areas both historically and gastronomically is central. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are specialties. www.rideandseek.com.

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Grasshopper Adventures Introduces Tour Exploring Thailand by Bike from Bangkok to Phuket

November 28, 2018 MoralCompass

(Bangkok, Thailand) — Grasshopper Adventures is introducing a 10-day tour cycling the Gulf of Thailand, Khao Sok National Park, and the Andaman Coast. Five days are spent riding along the Gulf of Thailand on deserted blacktop and concrete roads through sleepy villages and coconut groves, followed by three days of riding through Khao Sok National Park to the Andaman Coast and down to Phuket.

“This is a cycling holiday in the true sense of the term,” said Grasshopper Adventures President Adam Platt-Hepworth. “We’ll enjoy the satisfaction of riding the majority of the distance from Hua Hin down to Phuket, whilst taking in places that most visitors to Thailand don’t get to see.”

On the gulf side of Thailand, guests will ride on mostly flat terrain and quiet backroads, with the exception of two short highway sections. In the hinterland, there are some more sustained hills, but these are rarely longer than 2 km and nothing that could be described as steep. Guests will share the road with some traffic through Khao Sok National Park due to the absence of backroads and from Khao Lak to Phuket.

Tour Highlights Include:

Visiting the sleepy beach town of Pranburi
Biking through Sam Roi Yod National Park and hiking to Phraya Nakhon Cave
Overnighting at a family-owned lodge on the beach in Chumphon
Cycling through rubber plantations and past limestone cliffs
Soaking in hot springs and indulging in delicious Thai cuisine
Riding over the bridge to Phuket Island and overnighting on the beach

The trip totals 574 km by bike and starts at $2,350 USD. Multiple departure dates are available throughout the year. For more information, visit here or call 844-874-3720.

Grasshopper Adventures is a cycling and active travel specialist, headquartered in Bangkok. They host more than 25,000 travelers of all ages and abilities, on tours ranging from one day to two weeks in Japan, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, China, Uzbekistan, Taiwan, Bhutan & Myanmar. https://www.grasshopperadventures.com

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Active Travel, bike trips, China travel, cycling trips

Grasshopper Adventures Unveils Cycling Tour of China’s Yunnan Province

November 28, 2018 MoralCompass

(Bangkok, Thailand) — Grasshopper Adventures unveiling a new 14-day bike tour exploring the Yunnan Province of China. Intrepid riders will cycle through the ancient towns of the Tea Horse Trail, a network of paths winding through the mountains, from mystical Shangri-La to the breathtaking Tiger Leaping Gorge to Lijiang. The tour covers 510 km by bike, starts at $4,900 USD, and is scheduled for June 10-23, 2019.

“Our guests will ride through one of the highest gorges in the world, carved out over millennia by the Yangtze River and surrounded by the dramatic Jade Dragon and Haba Snow Mountains,” said Grasshopper Adventures President Adam Platt-Hepworth. “Along the way, they’ll visit ancient villages with captivating rituals and traditions seemingly unchanged by the test of time.”

The two-week adventure begins in the foothills bordering Tibet, with the dramatic backdrop of Yunnan Province. This is a land of mysticism, spirituality and jaw-dropping landscapes where ancient cultures meet the modern world. Guests will ride from China’s alpine utopia of Shangri-La through the stunning landscape of Tiger Leaping Gorge, to the ancient Bai Kingdom city of Dali. The majority of the riding is on small roads through villages with minimal traffic.

Tour Highlights:

Visiting the world’s largest prayer wheel and the stunning Songzanlin Monastery

Exploring the mythical utopia of Shangri-La

Riding through Tiger Leaping Gorge

Discovering the ancient Bai Kingdom city of Dali

Exploring the picturesque backstreets of Lijiang

Touring Jian Chuan with its quaint canals and bridge

Cycling to the historic town of Shaxi

For more info, visit https://www.grasshopperadventures.com/en/scheduled-tours/spiritual-shangri -la.html.

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Pedal from Arctic Coast to Panama Canal on TDA Global Cycling’s North American Epic 8,750-Mile Bike Tour

October 13, 2018 MoralCompass

*North American Epic Monument Valley. TDA Global Cycling’s North American Epic tour in 2019 covers 8,750 miles in 5 1/2 months; shorter segments are available (Courtesy TDA Global Cycling )*

TORONTO – Pedal from Canada’s Arctic Coast over the Rocky Mountains and across the Southwest U.S., down the Baja California Peninsula and deep into Mexico, then through six Central American countries to the Panama Canal on a new route for TDA Global Cycling’s North American Epic tour in 2019. Covering 8,750 miles in 5 1/2 months, the North American Epic truly is TDA’s most epic bicycle expedition. The full tour begins July 4 and ends Dec. 15, 2019, starting at $24,900 per person based on double occupancy, with shorter sections available from $1,900 for nine days.

Starting from Tuktoyaktuk on Canada’s Arctic Coast, riders will depart along the first all-season road out of the community, traveling through tundra and historic gold rush towns, down the Alaska Highway and over the famed Icefields Parkway. Across the U.S. border, they’ll climb the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park, then continue past Yellowstone to the red rock arches, canyonlands, buttes and mesas of the desert Southwest. After entering Mexico, riders will find sunny seaside towns in Baja California, ferry across the Sea of Cortez and turn inland, then pass highlands and heritage sites from Mexico City to Oaxaca and Chiapas. Finally, riders will take in views of volcanoes and Pacific surf through six Central American countries, before crossing the Panama Canal as they arrive in cosmopolitan Panama City.

Along the way, the North American Epic will also present riders a variety of cultures to experience, from Inuit communities in the Arctic to indigenous hospitality in Chiapas, and the possibility of wildlife to watch, from moose, bison and bears in the Rockies to crocodiles and snakes in the Costa Rican rainforest.

TDA Global Cycling was established in 2002 after company Founder and Director Henry Gold managed a nongovernmental organization in Africa in the 1980s. Gold envisioned providing inexpensive, rugged mountain bikes as a solution to local transportation needs, funding them through a cycling race. In 2003, the first four-month Tour d’Afrique set a Guinness World Record for the fastest human-powered crossing of Africa. At the same time, the TDA Foundation was set up to give back to communities and raise awareness of bicycles as a means of transportation. TDA Global Cycling now offers 16 long-distance cycling expeditions in over 80 countries on six continents, and it has donated more than 2,300 bicycles in Africa and India through the TDA Foundation and local partners. TDA’s tours are staff- and vehicle-supported, and participants cover 60-70 miles a day. Tours range in length from 10 days to multi-month transcontinental expeditions. In 2015, TDA Global Cycling was chosen best adventure travel company in the world by the Independent Travel Awards.

For more information, visit http://tdaglobalcycling.com/ or call 416-364-8255.

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Freewheel Holidays Satisfies Surge in Requests for Electric Bike Option on Self-Guided European Bicycle Vacations

June 3, 2018 MoralCompass

Freewheel Holidays is meeting the surge in demand for electric bikes on its self-guided European bicycle vacations.

MANCHESTER, UK– Nobody gets left behind on self-guided bicycle vacations in Europe when E-Bikes (electric bicycles) are added to the mix.

Freewheel Holidays (https://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/), a trailblazer in two-wheel, self-guided European vacations, reports that requests for E-Bike rentals are on the rise. So far in 2018, sign-ups for E-Bike options represent over 12 percent of all cycling holiday bookings being made. They outpace requests for regular bicycles in some countries such as Holland. When itineraries call for cycling 50km a day, E-Bikes are a security blanket for some clients.

This growth is reported worldwide. According to Cycling Industry News, the global electric bike market is projected to increase 60+ percent by 2025, on course to generate a value of $8.5 billion.

What’s driving this expansion?

“Our active travelers often defy the common definition of ‘senior travelers,’” said Steven Rittey, Freewheel Holidays spokesperson. “They’re fitter than ever with surprising energy and stamina. But there seems to be a growing segment that appreciates the fall-back position of an electric bike. Some clients, regardless of age, simply prefer the no-strain comfort of riding E-Bikes. The stigma about them as an easy option or ‘cheating’ is fading. E-Bikes actually encourage travelers above the age of 50 to continue cycling later into life.”

E-Bikes come with a supplemental fee, but the enjoyment outweighs the extra cost, he explained. Using a power-assisted bike helps smooth out inclines or longer days in the saddle. Each E-Bikes features an LCD display, removable batteries for easy charging and assistance up to 25 km/h with a range of around 120 km for each full charge depending on usage.

“These are lightweight aluminum frame bikes with a lithium ion battery-operated motor that when engaged, boosts a rider’s natural human power, enabling him/her to pedal with less effort farther and faster. When the route gets steep and a rider is ready for extra power, they just hit a button and select an assist level and continue pedaling. At day’s end batteries are removed and charged for tomorrow’s ride,” explains Rittey

Following is a sampling of Freewheel Holidays’ self-guided bicycle vacations offering E-Bikes options. Tour rates include accommodation, breakfasts, sometimes other meals, bike rental with option to upgrade to E-Bikes for an extra charge, itinerary-related fees, luggage transfers, detailed route notes and cycling maps, emergency phone service and more.

Bike & Barge: Venice to Mantova is an eight-day cycle (up to 50km daily) available from now through Oct. 13 that embraces Venice before journeying on a barge hotel on the Po-Bračdolo waterway, along an avian sanctuary in the wetland formed by the Po delta. Guests hop on bicycles to imbibe centuries of life in waterfront villages. A guided tour of Mantova, a vibrant Renaissance town, concludes the tour. A per person double rate is from £909. For details see http://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/tour/venice-to-mantova-7-nights-boat-amp-bike-vita-pugna

Berlin to Copenhangen over 12 days engages cyclists in both cities and for up to 80km daily on bicycles on canal paths through Germany’s lake district to the Baltic Sea between Germany and Denmark. They explore national parks and villages enroute to the half-timbered houses and fairy book gables of Rostock, known for international regattas. Guests ferry from here to the white cliffs of Insel Møn (Isle of Man) and on to Copenhagen. A per person double rate June 4-Aug. 27 is from £1,269. For details see http://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/tour/berlin-to-copenhagen-cycling-holiday

Canal Du Midi – France is a seven-day cycle of up to 45km daily on a shaded (thanks to 60,000 trees) route from Toulouse to the Mediterranean. Vineyards, culinary surprises, cathedrals, palaces and Roman ruins offer detours aplenty. The seven-day itinerary begins in Sète, called the “Venice des Languedoc” where the canal flows to the sea. Next up are a wine-growing region near a flight of locks and Carcassonne, one of Europe’s best-preserved fortress towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Available through Sept. 22, the per person double rate is from £799. For details see http://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/tour/canal-du-midi-cycling-holidays

Venice to Florence offers departures through Sept. 29. Over eight days guests follow the rivers Adige and Po, cycling up to 65km daily by fields of melons, sunflowers and vines. On the Delta del Po flamingos nest just steps away from cycle paths. In Cornacchio on the Adriatic ornate palazzi and churches testify to the once-thriving salt industry. Near Faenza (think collectible ceramics), a train jaunt through the Appenines leads to Florence. The per person double rate is from £799 per person. For details see http://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/tour/siena-chianti-region-and-florence-7-nights

Majorca Coast to Coast is available over eight days through Oct. 31. This itinerary is also suggested as a bicycle vacation for families because accommodations all include swimming pools. The tour starts on the south of the island, with routes of up to 41 km daily along the Mediterranean Sea and inland on flat country roads where bicycles have priority. A flamingo-inhabited lagoon, historic villages and the cobblestoned medieval town of Pollenca augment the pleasures of nightly hosts displaying island charm. The per person double rate is from £919. For details see http://www.freewheelholidays.co.uk/tour/majorca-coast-to-coast-cycling-holiday

Freewheel Holidays, a division of Sports Tours International, specializes in self-guided, expertly supported European cycling holidays that strike the perfect balance between leisure pedaling and immersive sightseeing. The company offers easy to moderate cycling programs designed with special appeal to European and North American travelers. Guests cycle on their own, with enroute assistance and distinctive accommodations expertly chosen and secured by the company. A portfolio of nearly 50 established European holidays offers riders of all levels a freedom of choice. The company features a range of 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9-night itineraries to 12 European countries including the UK, Austria, France, Holland, Czech Republic, Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Portugal. The majority of tours are self-guided with the exception of a few fully-guided vacation packages in Croatia, France, Italy and Prague to Vienna. The company also offers family-focused, coastal, wine lover and solo traveler holidays plus the option of adding E-Bikes.

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Active Travel, Adventure Travel, bike trips, Cultural Travel, cycling trips, Historic Places

Ride & Seek Mounts 1,787 Mile Cycling Tour from Barcelona to Rome, in the Footsteps of Hannibal

January 15, 2018 MoralCompass

Ride & Seek offers an opportunity to cycle Hannibal’s route, 1,787 miles from Barcelona to Rome.

Sydney, Australia– Ride & Seek offers intrepid cyclists a chance to follow in the footsteps of the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca, on a 1,787-mile fully guided cycling tour through Spain, France, and Italy. The 28-day journey takes riders over the Pyrenees, Alps and Apennines on roads featured regularly in the Vuelta a España, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia bike races. Cyclists will embrace cultural and historical elements of Catalonia, Languedoc, Provence, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria, including culinary delights, as they meander down roads less traveled.

The “Hannibal Expedition” is divided into two distinct stages, and guests can choose to participate one or both of them. The tour is slated for September 2-30, 2018 and starts at $6,540.

Stage 1 – Barcelona to Alba (968 miles, 16 days): Starting in Barcelona guests will cycle up through Cataluña and over the Pyrenees mountain range. The crossing of the Pyrenees is obviously a tough undertaking but the route doesn’t tackle the highest peaks, which makes this stage a relatively relaxed introduction to what’s ahead. Guests enter France through the lovely town of Ceret, which was once home to Picasso, before continuing through the beautiful French countryside of the Languedoc-Roussillon. The second part of stage 1 provides an opportunity to take on a number of iconic climbs – Ventoux, Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Agnel and Izoard among others.

Stage 2 – Alba to Rome (818 miles, 14 days): Stage 2 takes riders across the spine of Italy – the Apennines – and through a landscape of vines, castles, agriculture, and beautiful hill towns. Starting in Piedmont, riders will traverse the spectacular Oltrepo Pavese and head into Emilia Romagna. From Pisa, guests venture farther into Tuscany through what can only be described as picture postcard scenes en route to Rome.

“This tour offers total immersion into the landscape, history, and culture as we ride an inspirational trail on the roads less traveled,” said Ride & Seek President Dylan Reynolds.

“This is a fully-supported/guided expert tour. One of the benefits of keeping the group size small (a dozen or so) is that it enables us to stay in the smaller, family-run establishments that add to the authenticity of the travel experience we hope to provide. We have carefully selected the places we stay in based on their ‘personality’ and the hospitality of the hosts. Be it a parador in Spain, manoir in France or agriturismi in Italy, we seek to connect you with the places we travel in, through the accommodations we choose. We go by the mantra of selecting the best available accommodation wherever we stay but in saying that we also look to avoid the generic luxury chain hotels. Invariably our more eclectic choices such as a deconsecrated monastery in Tuscany where the English Patient was filmed, or a balsamic vinegar producer in Emilia Romagna are highlights of the trip for many of our guests.”

The company has partnered with Lynskey, considered pioneers in handcrafted Titanium production for its fleet of Sportive bikes. On the carbon front, the company offers De Rosa bikes with electronic (di2) shifting and the ever-popular Specialised Roubaix. For those looking for a less aggressive cycling option, flat bar titanium bikes are available as well as Bosch pedal-assist bikes to make the hills a little easier!

“We put a lot of emphasis on ensuring that our guides are up to the task of providing a safe, informative and fun cycling adventures. We are all serious cyclists but we are also archaeologists, journalists, wine specialists, linguists, and historians. We offer a true insight into the areas we guide and travel. By selecting guides who have local knowledge of the places we travel through, as well as varied skill sets, we feel that our guide teams are able to offer a deeper and more rounded experience than many of our competitors.”

Ride & Seek (www.rideandseek.com) is a worldwide adventure cycling company offering unusual historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. The tours are designed so cyclists not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites. “Providing a cultural insight into the areas we visit both historically and gastronomically is central to what we do. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are our specialties.”

For information, visit http://www.rideandseek.com/epic/hannibal.
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