Our style. Your pace.
Ever wanted to take adventure into your own hands without having to worry about the nuts and bolts of how to make it happen? Now you can do just that. Or maybe you aren’t interested in traveling with a group? A self-guided trip is the perfect alternative. Trek Travel’s self-guided bike tours combine the freedom to decide how you want to explore your favorite destinations with the best parts of any Trek Travel itinerary—curated route suggestions, world-class bikes, and the best accommodations along the way. Plus, one of our guides is always just a phone call away in case you need a little extra support. On a self-guided tour, set off with your friends and family and a sense of adventure, and Trek Travel will take care of the rest!
What you can expect
on our Self-Guided bike tours
Freedom to Explore at Your Pace
On a self-guided vacation, you don’t have to worry about keeping up with the tour group or sticking to a schedule. With a meticulously planned itinerary in your hands and hand-picked accommodation, you can enjoy traveling at your own pace, choosing what you want to do and how you want to do it. Go self-guided and experience the freedom of creating a cycling holiday on your own terms.
Dates of Your Choosing
The great advantage of a self-guided bike trip is the freedom to choose your own specific travel dates. Decide on the country or region you’d like to explore, pick a date, and let Trek Travel do the rest. We guarantee choice and flexibility to deliver the vacation you want.
By not having a group or daily guides with you, you can use our itineraries and routes as the starting point for your own adventure and enjoy all the freedom and flexibility you’d like.
Pick Your Travel Buddies
For some people, traveling with a group of strangers can be intimidating and traveling solo can feel just as daunting. If you want to travel with your own buddies, then a self-guided bike tour is a great way to make that happen! Trek Travel will take the hassle of planning away; giving you and your friends the freedom of enjoying each other’s company!
Travel Worry-Free
The most challenging part of a vacation is planning it: finding accommodation, places to eat, routes to follow, things to do. On a self-guided cycling tour, you benefit from an expertly designed itinerary, the best accommodations in the region, pre-arranged transportation on the first and last day of the trip, a luggage transfer service, and a personalized bike fitting by a Trek Travel guide to ensure your comfort on the bike for the week. With all these luxuries at your fingertips, you can travel worry-free and spend the days however you want.
Follow Expert Routes
With years of experience and knowledge of a destination, Trek Travel self-guided cycling holidays offer the best routes along with the best-in-class GPS cycling computer, the Garmin Edge 1030. The Ride With GPS app on your phone will give you direct access to your daily routes, important highlights of the region, lists of recommended restaurants, and suggestions about cultural activities in the area. With all this information available to you on your phone at any time, we simply help you make the most of your time. All you have to do is show up and let your trip unfold as you wish.
On-Call Support
On a self-guided tour, a Trek Travel guide will welcome you on the first day, ensure you have a perfect fit on your bike, and equip you with all you need before you venture on your own for the week. Your guide is just a call or text away should you encounter a mechanical issue or in the event of an emergency. We also provide an optional call at the end of each day to ask questions about the following day’s adventure. Enjoy your journey, knowing that Trek Travel will have your back whenever you need assistance or advice.
All Self-Guided Bike Trips Include:
- Accommodation at handpicked hotels
- Daily breakfast to fuel you for the day’s ride
- Two meals
- Minimum of one arranged non-riding activity
- Use of Trek bike (Domane SL 7 disc or Trek Electric-Assist Verve+ *subject to change based on availability), Bontrager WaveCel helmet and pedals (Shimano clipless road pedals, Shimano clipless mountain pedals, caged or flat pedals)
- A carrying case complete with a bike lock, flat kit, frame pump, all necessary accessories and chargers, spare parts and tools
- All luggage transfers during the trip
- Pre-loaded Garmin Edge 1030 GPS cycling computer
- Front and rear Bontrager Flare R lights
- Ride with GPS navigation app to access the route guide on your phone
- Nutrition bars and electrolyte tablets
- Up to three expertly designed daily routes
- Personal bike fit by a certified guide (the guide is only present on the first day for bike fitting and will not be accompanying you on the rest of your trip.)
- Optional daily phone or video call with the guide to prep you for the next day’s adventure
- One water bottle to keep
- Trek Travel cycling jersey
- Transfers by private shuttle on the first and last day of the trip
- Recommended restaurant options in each town
- Up to $500 off the purchase of a Trek bike
- Gratuities for all scheduled special events, restaurants, and hotels during your trip
- Support on the ground in case of emergency
Is Self-Guided right for you?
Here is a list of indicators that will help you assess if a self-guided bike tour is the best option for you:
Seeking out independence and private time
You are looking for an independent vacation, where you can ride at your own pace, take breaks at your leisure, and enjoy the freedom of choosing what you want to do, how you want to do it, and who you travel with, while knowing that every detail is taken care of. If group travel isn’t your favorite, self-guided trips are a great alternative.
“Unintended detours” create adventure
You don’t panic should you deviate from the pre-defined GPS track, because you like exploring the unexpected. The Garmin we provide has a “recalculation setting” which will direct you back to the route, so you can be confident that, even if you take a detour, you end up back on track.
You’re the master of your schedule
You feel that sticking to a schedule with planned meals and activities does not always allow you to take the desired time to explore. You like the flexibility of lingering over breakfast before getting a late morning start on the bike, or heading out at dawn so you have lots of extra time to explore in a more private way. This is taking your day, you decide to the next level.
Language barriers & cultural differences don’t stop you
You love that traveling individually offers you more to interaction with the local community. You don’t mind not being fluent in a foreign language, and you like the excitement of communicating using hand gestures or translation apps. Learning culture through trial and error makes for some of the best memories.
You can change flats and maintain your bike
A flat tire is a possibility when setting off on a cycling adventure. When signing up for a self-guided bike tour, you should to feel comfortable changing a flat. In the rare case of bicycle breakdown, you can call a Trek Travel guide for support. Trek Travel will have a case of tools available for you at the hotel and on the bike to make minor adjustments and to make sure your bike is ready to go. You will also be provided with written instructions on how to check your bike for safety before each day’s ride.
You’re comfortable navigating on your own with a Garmin
Trek Travel provides a comprehensive information package with carefully designed routes, tips on sights, cultural highlights, scenic stops, and recommended restaurants. All this is available to you by accessing the Ride With GPS app on your phone, so you have everything you need at your fingertips anytime and everywhere. A Trek Travel guide will give you a thorough explanation about the usage of Garmin and the RWGPS app on your first trip day. Be sure you feel comfortable navigating on your own and following the GPS tracks loaded in your Garmin.
No van support necessary
On a self-guided cycling trip, you need to feel confident riding unsupported. Even if you head into bad weather or just don’t feel like riding anymore, it is up to you to complete your route or get to the next hotel. However, if you do run into trouble, you can call your Trek Travel guide, who will support with a vehicle or will advise what to do depending on the emergency.
You can recharge and take care of your gear
Garmins, e-bike batteries, and bike lights need to be topped off daily. Trek Travel will provide you with everything you need to be self-sufficient and shape your trip as you wish! Yet, it is your responsibility to securely store your bike at the hotel at the end of a ride and charge all electronic devices so that you can enjoy another memorable ride the next day.
