Here are 10 things that differentiate Great Explorations from other travel companies:
Experience
- We have been designing and leading cycling and walking tours since 1983 – our founder and ‘guiding light’ has lead more trips in more places for longer than anyone on the planet. That doesn’t mean we are better but it means we have experience and we think you’ll benefit from this.
Never Sub-Contracted
- We operate all of our own trips. We design the routes, own our bikes, print your materials and operate the trips. You’ll never deal with a middle-man with Great Explorations.
Thoughtful Trip Design
- We spend a great deal of time creating and updating our routes to ensure guests are on the quietest, most scenic roads and trails we can find. We don’t simply ‘link hotels’ and we don’t depend on outdated guide books and second-hand information. Each of our trips is thoroughly researched, planned and tested, by us, for you. The only surprises will be good ones.
Group Size
- Our maximum trip size is 16 travelers; our typical number is between 8-12. Most other companies take up to 26.
Local Guides
- Many of our guides are local and have either lived or traveled in the region extensively. Having been guides ourselves for over 35 years, we are confident that we have the best guides in the world. Meet a few of them here.
Multiple Daily Routes
- We provide multiple daily route suggestions to ensure you have options for different abilities and ambitions. We provide GPS, route instructions, and our custom maps with elevation profiles that have earned us a reputation for having the best in the industry.
Distinctive Hotels
- As with everything else on a Great Explorations tour, you can trust all our accommodation choices – from luxurious chateaux and unique hotels to casual inns, we tested and rested in them all.
Bicycles & Equipment
- We have and continue to invest heavily to ensure you have the best bicycle for your trip. Our relationship with Cannondale Bicycles and other manufacturers has allowed us to offer top-of-the-line bikes (including Quick Speed 1&2 hybrids, & Supersix 5 carbon bikes). We have the largest number of bike and equipment depots in Europe of any tour operator (saving us, and you, the expense of criss-crossing Europe delivering bikes).
Extras
- From cooking courses to wine tastings, tours with local experts, music performances are just some of the extras that are often included on tours.
Value
- Finally (and perhaps the reason we have experienced remarkable growth over the years), we encourage you to compare trip prices, hotels and what is included and you will see that Great Explorations offers unsurpassed value.