Category Archives: Press

Ever wonder what destinations are trending this year? Discover the secrets of Asheville, Glacier, Annecy to Alpe d’Huez, Costa Rica and Tuscany below. You’ll soon see why they’re well-loved.

1. Asheville to Highlands

Designed by a local and offering something for everyone, if you can’t find something to love in Asheville, you may need to re-examine your priorities. The microbrew scene is alive and well, as is the food culture, with sweet, savory Southern comfort favorites. And whether it’s playing a game of bean-bag toss at The Wedge before dinner on Monday night or taking in 360-degree views from the summit of Mount Mitchell, every moment of this trip has surpassed every expectation.
 
 

 

2. Glacier National Park

There are few national parks as majestic as Glacier, and hundreds of reasons why it has quickly become one of our most popular trips. You ride the famous Going to the Sun road, raft the whitewater, hike the backcountry, and even meet a Blackfeet tribe member. Or maybe it’s simply because with every passing day, the glaciers get a little smaller. 
 
 

 

3. Annecy to Alpe d’Huez

This trip is popular among those who’ve ever had a desire to conquer the monsters of France. It’s where cycling mythology was born, from Eddy Merckx’s dominance of five Tours, to Pantani’s record-breaking ascent up Alpe d’Huez, to today’s champions like Contador, Quintana and Froome battling it out in the mist and haze of Europe’s high peaks. And it even offers a chance to to stay on the Alp you know, love and lust for. 
 
 

 

4. Costa Rica

It’s one of the most diverse and picturesque places on earth, so it should come at no surprise that this trip is a best seller among adventure-seekers looking to get up close to the Costa Rican countryside. Where else can you zipline across a tropical canopy, learn to surf, ride horses, bike from coast to coast, hike through the jungle, explore the beach and be back in time for dinner?
 
 

 

5. Tuscany Luxury

Sure, it’s an all-time best seller and the longest-running trip on our schedule. But everything that is said about Tuscany is true. The wines, the food, the views – it’s all over the top. And it’s a crowd-pleaser, offing to accommodate any level of cyclist. Our most popular trip ever isn’t going anywhere next year, so if you haven’t discovered the “allegria” that permeates Tuscany, there’s still time. 
 
 

 
 

“I guess you could call it a midlife crisis. I’d flown across the Atlantic Ocean for a weeklong cycling trip on this Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco.”

Lori Rackl | May 4, 2016

The crisis part came as I watched a Trek Travel guide hoist my Domane road bike onto the roof rack of the support van, and I sheepishly crawled into the passenger seat while the other cyclists on the trip pedaled up the hill and out of sight.

Read More in the Chicago Tribune»

“Going-to-the-Sun Road, which follows a dizzying path along a mountainside in the heart of Glacier National Park, is considered one of America’s most spectacular routes. Most experience it from a car, but a cycling tour lets you breathe in the fresh mountain air along the way.”

Lindsey Olander and Ryan Krogh | May 4, 2016

On Trek Travel’s six-day tour through the park, riders will bike through the lake-filled Blackfeet Indian Reservation, spot bighorn sheep on moderate mountain climbs, and raft down the Middle Fork Flathead River.

Read more in Travel + Leisure»

“Every business works hard to build a brand, to create an image that identifies their products and services and differentiates them from their competition. But can your brand–no matter how positive and highly-regarded–actually create a marketing obstacle?
Surprisingly, the answer is yes.”

Jeff Haden | December 30, 2015

Here’s another in my series of interviews where I pick a topic and connect with someone a lot smarter than me. This time I talked to Tania Burke, the President of Trek Travel, a full-service cycling vacation company that offers trips in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America, about the impact of a strong brand on the growth of a business.

(Oh: I own two Trek bikes I really like… and that’s also why I understand the marketing “challenge” faced by Trek Travel.)

Read More in Inc.»

“In time for the National Park Service’s centennial year, 2016, Trek Travel has added a Glacier National Park Cycling Trip, making it Trek’s sixth tour to incorporate national parks in the itinerary.”

Diane Daniel | December 14, 2015

On the five-night six-day tour, guests will cycle between 20 and 88 miles a day, with short or longer options available. The trip features the renowned Going-to-the-Sun Road, 50 miles of paved roadway that leads through the park’s interior, winds around mountainsides and offers spectacular views of northwest Montana, as well as of wildlife and wildflowers.

The tour has six departures, in July and August, and costs $2,799 per person, which includes lodging, Trek bikes with GPS devices, most meals, daily route support and transportation. Featured hotels include St. Mary Lodge and Resort and Grouse Mountain Lodge.

Read More in the New York Times»

“Every country has a place where the pace of life is slower and the residents seem more concerned with what’s for dinner than anything else. In Spain — a country already known for its siestas and multi-hour meals — that region is Andalusia. Located in the southernmost part of the country, Andalusia is one of Spain’s best areas for bike touring. The roads are smooth, the drivers are mellow, the weather is generally comfortable, and the food is hearty.”

A.C. Shilton | September 23, 2015

“This is quintessential Spain. It’s limestone peaks, mountain passes, and spectacular views,” says Meagan Coates, a trip designer for Trek Travel. Coates planned the company’s current trip through Andalusia, and says it’s one of her favorites. “The terrain is varied with occasional steep climbs. Car traffic is generally slow-moving and drivers are courteous of cyclists.”

“Plus, Andalusia has tons of off-the-bike destinations to explore. Balance time in the saddle with trips to wander through Moorish ruins, explore stunning cathedrals, visit world-class museums and, of course, eat your share of Ibérico ham. By the end of the trip you’ll see why artists like Picasso, composers like Bizet and Mozart, and authors like Hemmingway were all inspired by this corner of the world. Here’s how to plan your inn-to-inn trip.”

Read More in Men’s Journal»

“Travelers can take wing with the birds flying south.”

Phil Marty | September 1, 2015

“Many bicycling vacations move from one lodging to another on a daily basis. Sometimes that means cyclists have to cart their belongings on their bike, though often the tour company shuttles luggage. Trek Travel has a new batch of bike trips that take a different approach, with bikers staying in one lodging and doing day trips from there. An example is a six-day/five-night tour based at Blackberry Farm, a highly rated property in the Great Smoky Mountains. Priced from $5,499 per person double occupancy, it includes daily rides ranging from 19 miles with 750 feet of climbing to 43 miles with 4,300 feet of climbing. In addition to lodging, the tours include all meals, full support services, use of Trek Domane 5.9 carbon bikes, Trek helmets and Garmin GPS bike computers and more. Other packages in what’s called the One series are in the U.S. as well as foreign locations such as the Canary Islands or Italy’s Piedmont region.”

Read More in the Chicago Tribune»

Today, the League of American Bicyclists recognized Trek Travel with a Platinum level Bicycle Friendly Business award, joining more than 1,000 visionary businesses from across the country.

With the announcement of 100 new and renewing BFBs today, Trek Travel joins a cutting-edge group of more than 1,050 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies in 47 states and Washington, D.C., that are transforming the American workplace.

“The business community’s investment in bicycling is playing a central role in making the country a safer, happier, and more sustainable place to live and work,” said Amelia Neptune, League Bicycle Friendly Business Program Manager. “We applaud this new round of businesses, including Trek Travel, for leading the charge in creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone.”

Trek Travel strives to show people the world by bike, and in doing so it is our mission to encourage a passion for cycling. Trek Travel also promotes bicycling as an easy option for transportation and provides amenities and incentives for employees who commute by bike.

Trek Travel President Tania Burke said, “I am really proud that Trek Travel has received this Bicycle Friendly Business award. We have an awesome group of people that contribute to create a really good program to support cycling in our workplace and the community. We are passionate about biking and live the benefits everyday.”

Moving forward, Trek Travel will have access to a variety of free tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly. When our employees bike, great things happen: decreased carbon foot print, reduced heath care costs, lesser traffic congestion, and a healthy work culture.

To apply or learn more about the BFB program, visit the League online.
 
 

 
 
About the Bicycle Friendly America Program
The Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly Business and Bicycle Friendly University programs are generously supported by program partner Trek Bicycle Corp. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit www.bikeleague.org/BFA

The League of American Bicyclists is leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. As leaders, our commitment is to listen and learn, define standards and share best practices to engage diverse communities and build a powerful, unified voice for change.

For the second year in a row, Trek Travel has been awarded National Geographic Traveler magazine’s coveted “50 Tours of a Lifetime” honor with the 2015 recognition going to its Portland to Missoula Bike Tour.

The active travel company specializing in cycling vacations won the award for its Great Smoky Mountains Blackberry Farm Bike Tour in 2014.

The competitive selection process uncovered 2015’s most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided, and most sustainable tours.

“This year marks 10 years of our editors selecting the world’s best guided tours,” said Norie Quintos, acting editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler. “In that time the types of immersive and experiential trips have only multiplied; tours are going farther and deeper than ever before. The trips and operators we selected are a model for the rest of the travel industry. They open the world to travelers and, at the same time, leave a positive impact on the destinations and its people.”

National Geographic Traveler magazine surfaces the best tours and outfitters for travelers as part of its mission “to propel readers out of their armchairs and into the field.” It has the largest audience of any travel magazine, with more than 8.5 million readers who love to travel, have the highest passport ownership, most international and domestic trips, and most outdoor recreation spending.

“We’re thrilled to, again, win National Geographic Traveler’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime” award,” says Meagan Coates, Director of Trip Design at Trek Travel. “Our trip designers work long and hard to find the most compelling and unique destinations around the world that can provide an incredible cycling experiences of a lifetime.”

The Portland to Missoula Bike Tour raises the bar on the definition of adventure travel. This first stage of Trek Travel’s bucket list Cross Country USA: Portland to Portland trip offers 10 days of gorgeous riding through the Columbia River Gorge and Hood River; the wine country of eastern Washington; the wild open spaces of Idaho; over Lolo Pass and into the Wild West college town of Missoula, Montana.

Guests cover more than 700 miles, with four rides of 98 miles or more, and climb over 30,000 feet–all with the support of Trek Travel’s renowned support team.

Trek Travel’s 2014 award-winning ride – Great Smoky Mountains Blackberry Farm Bike Tour – set a new standard for active vacation luxury travel when it debuted. Trek Travel partnered with this intimate location nestled on the 4,200 acres estate in the Great Smoky Mountains to bring guests an unforgettable experience. From private garden tours with their esteemed Chef, an iconic dinner in their Barn Cellar and meeting the brew master with an exclusive tour and tasting, to cycling the local foothills, Trek Travel has created a tour to be emulated.

“Not knowing. It’s a special feeling on the bike. After traversing endless miles on your local haunts, not knowing what the next bend holds is a rarity. This is why we travel. Pointing your front wheel down a new road, to see and experience unknown kilometers, awakens a new love for the bike–literally and figuratively expanding horizons.

To travel by bike is to never actually arrive: the journey is the destination, unlocking a fresh understanding of time in the saddle. But this doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared and tackle these new roads in style. This is where the travel company comes in. Choose wisely and the new roads you find will be of the highest caliber and you will ride them in style.

Trek Travel has become the standard by which all other bike travel companies are measured. The American bike company runs tours all over the world and prides itself on knowing more than just the best climbs and routes. The hotels, restaurants and mid-ride stops are all more than just highly rated–they are the same places the locals would go to. And Trek Travel guides are more than a local hammer with a flat repair kit; they are real travel professionals.

Speciality: It’s hard to assign a specialty to the company that essentially created 21st century bike touring and offers legendary trips across the globe; but, if pressed, we’d have to say France. No one covers the birthplace of cycling better.”

Read More in Peloton Magazine.