Packing and Weather
The weather across the country will be extremely varied. You can expect all conditions including rain, snow, fog, wind, sun, heat, and cold, in both humid and arid climates. Extreme weather conditions may exist in certain parts of the country. Your guides will monitor the safety of riding in such conditions and will delay or cancel rides if they deem the conditions to be too dangerous. Bring adequate layers and riding gear for riding in any and all conditions throughout our Cross Country bike tour. Packing List
Lodging on a Cross Country bike trip
On our Portland to Portland trip, you will stay in a blend of high-end luxury hotels, resorts, rustic lodges, national chains, and some motels. First and last nights of the trip and most rest days are spent in luxurious, full-service hotels. Along the way, we use a number of hotels from national chains such as Best Western and Holiday Inn due to their consistent quality and service. Due to the nature of the trip, we also pass through some areas where accommodations are limited, and here we have secured the best local accommodations available - including some basic lodgings in family-run roadside motels. We've provided descriptions of the trip start, end, and rest day hotels on the hotels tab. Every effort has been made to secure the best lodging and dining available, but in some rural parts of the country, our options are limited and may not meet the quality criteria of every guest. Single Occupancy does not guarantee a private room for each night of the Portland to Portland trip. We make every effort to book as many rooms as needed, however, we stay overnight in many small towns and some of them do not have enough hotel rooms to accommodate a large group. If the trip is at or near maximum capacity, you may share a room for up to five nights.
Dining and Meals
Following each day’s ride, you will dine at the best restaurant the town has to offer (taking proximity to the hotel into account)—from simple, hearty dinners to decadent nouvelle cuisine. Breakfast will usually be a hot buffet or, on occasion, from a menu. Dinners are a great time to refuel while exchanging tales from the day, but we also realize that after long days of riding, rest is best. Therefore, many dinners on long-mileage days will be buffet style, simple and quick, maximizing your time to rest and recuperate. When possible, in larger towns or after shorter days of riding, you’ll dine at finer restaurants selected to showcase the spice and flair of the region. On the four rest days as well as four other dinners and one other lunch throughout the trip, you are free to dine wherever you choose. Trek Travel does not provide alcohol with dinner, but we will offer some evening social hours where wine and beer will be provided.
Nutrition during the ride
Trek Travel will have a range of energy products and electrolyte tablets on hand for whenever you need a boost. If you require a specific brand of energy product, we recommend bringing an adequate supply for your personal needs as there will be little opportunity to restock on this trip. For lunches, most days your guides set up “feed zones” at designated spots along the route. These are quick lunch stops providing sandwich fixings, light salads, fresh fruits, sweet and savory snacks, energy products, and beverages—designed to enable riders to maintain momentum. On occasion, you'll dine at a perfectly situated cafe along the route.
How do I train for my trip?
Trek Travel recommends all guests work with a coach to develop a training plan for this undertaking. We work with Vision Quest Training to give you a boost before your cross country bike trip. Vision Quest offers custom training plans that will get you ready to tackle your trip with confidence. The coaches consider the amount of hours you can train per week, what you need to focus on based on your goals, and the milestones you need to hit in order to achieve them. They develop a detailed write up and training plan just for you.
General FAQs
Didn't find what you were looking for? Check out our General FAQs section. You will find answers to the most common questions that don't necessarily pertain to a specific trip. SEE FAQS
Ready to book?
To reserve your space on a trip, you can either call us at 866-464-8735 to speak with an expert Trip Consultant or book online any time by clicking the “BOOK THIS TRIP” icon near the upper right of each destination’s overview page.* Once you have submitted your reservation online, a Trip Consultant will contact you within one business day to answer any questions you may have and to confirm space, bike, and room availability on your desired trip. Your booking will be finalized once your no-risk deposit is paid. If you make a reservation more than 90 days prior to the trip, a $750 no risk deposit is due at the time of booking.** If you reserve your trip less than 90 days prior to the departure, the full balance is due at the time of booking. Once your booking is complete you will receive an email confirmation with important information pertaining to your trip.
*Please note that select trips cannot be booked online at this time. For those trips, please call a trip consultant at 866-464-8735.
**Deposit amounts vary for all Race, Cross Country, Special Edition, Ride Camp, Discover, and Self-Guided tours. Please confirm deposit amounts for all trips with your Trip Consultant at time of booking.
What happens once I book?
When a trip is booked, a guest confirmation letter is immediately sent out. You will also receive three newsletters with important information and tips to help prepare you for this epic cross country trip. One week prior to the trip start, you’ll receive an email containing your trip start meeting location reminder and any last-minute information that you’ll need to know before you go. Once you arrive at your destination, Trek Travel staff will brief you on the day-to-day plan for the trip and provide you with a daily route guide and Garmin tracks allowing you to ride with complete confidence and independence.
Guaranteed to run
With one person booked on a date, the trip becomes guaranteed.*
In the case where trips are at one or two guests, we will contact you prior to final payment to give you the following options:
Pay a small trip fee of $500 per person for two guests or $1000 for one guest, which ensures your preferred trip date will run. If there are three or more guests before departure date, the fee will be refunded in full.
or
Switch to a different trip or different departure date. Should there be any difference in trip price between your original trip and the new one, you will be expected to pay the difference, or we will refund you accordingly.
Offer only valid if Trek Travel contacts a guest to discuss these specific options. Trips with fewer than three guests may operate with only one guide. The guide will support all rides with a Trek Travel van. If you would like to discuss the option of having two guides, please speak with your trip consultant.
The small trip supplement for Ride Camps is as follows – for two guests an additional $250 or for one guest an additional $500.
*Cross Country, Discover, Race, and Special Edition trips as well as a small number of select departures have a minimum guest count to guarantee. Please check with your Trip Consultant for more information.
Unforeseen events may make it necessary to cancel or modify a trip. Our Guest Services team will update you with any changes. We reserve the right to cancel departures in cases of force majeure or the failure of third parties—such as hotels—to honor their reservations, in which case all payments received to date will be refunded, which constitutes full settlement. Trek Travel is not responsible for expenses incurred in preparation for any canceled trips, such as airline tickets, or for costs that are incurred due to travel delays, flight cancellations, or illness. We strongly encourage Travel Protection for complete coverage.
What if I have to cancel my trip?
We understand things happen in life and sometimes you have to cancel or change your cross country bike tour. We want to make it as easy as possible to do so and below you’ll find our timeline.
Have a question? Just give us a call, 866-464-8735. Read Our Cancellation Policy
Travel Protection
Trek Travel recommends that you purchase a travel protection plan to help safeguard you and your travel investment against the unexpected. We offer a travel protection plan through Arch RoamRight that provides coverage for unforeseen events that could affect your ability to travel with us. Learn more about our Travel Protection
Travel Services
We have partnered with Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. to offer our guests a dedicated concierge travel team that is available to assist you in getting to and from your Trek Travel trip. Learn more about our Travel Services
Guide Gratuities
Sharing the joy that comes with wow moments
Trek Travel guides are dedicated to making moments that last a lifetime, and we invite you to thank them with a trip gratuity. These are customary and at your own discretion, to recognize service, hospitality, and the little extras that surprise and delight. For this Cross Country trip, we recommend $2400-$2880 per guest and, of course, you may choose to give more if your guides made your trip an unforgettable experience.
Like everything else about your vacation, the Trek Travel team is here to make this experience easier for you. While local currency is preferred, you may also tip through the following options:
Via PayPal or Venmo (please have these accounts set up in advance when possible) or with your guest services representative on the phone before or after the trip.
Gratuities will be divided among the guide team, so feel free to leave your gratuity with whomever you choose at the end of your trip.
You cannot put a price on a wow. But you can show your thanks for an exceptional experience.