SUPPORT LEVELS
Guided:
Guided groups are best if you like joining a small group, and want all day support, often including trailside al fresco picnics. You can choose from existing dates, or can request new dates – either privately or open to others.
- Small groups or private tours with all-day vehicle support. You will see the vehicle frequently, and can usually hop aboard when you want to. There will be handwashing, snacks, and drinking water available.
- Local driver/guides (usually 1:6 ratio or better; often 1:4), all day every day. Groups are usually a maximum of 12, with two guides. Groups of six or fewer may have one guide.
- Daytime picnics and snacks.
- All lodging and breakfasts.
- Most dinners. Good ones!
- Maintain your own pace.
“…espresso at lunch, hand ground beans, really…wow!” – Jim and BJ.
Self-Guided:
Self-guided tours are all about freedom to choose your travel dates, your pace, and any customization you want. Your luggage is moved between inns so that you don’t need to carry it, and with few exceptions, you will have a driver to call for help in case of difficulty or emergency. There are no fixed dates for self-guided trips, but we do add them to our calendar once you have booked, in case others want quick confirmation to follow the same route on the same dates. On most itineraries, your driver can give you a boost on days when your luggage is moved; otherwise, you will normally be expected to ride the entire prescribed route each day, and to be more independent than on a guided trip, including doing minor bike repairs such as flat tires. Your driver, in most cases, will be on call to help (extra cost may apply).
- Independent travel with luggage transfers.
- Responsive on-call service. Your driver is in the area in most destinations, and is available for emergencies.
- All lodging and most breakfasts.
- Daily contact or briefing with your driver (some exceptions).
- Lifts when necessary, and if requested at other times (this sometimes incurs extra costs).
- Choose your own dates.
“…so delighted that Freewheeling offers self-guided… for our family, this approach provided us with freedom and flexibility to structure our days as we wished…combined with the convenience of having our bags moved and Freewheeling’s expert planning for accommodations, activities, and route!” -Jennifer S.
Self-Drive:
Self-Drive provides the utmost freedom on your adventure, while still having the details taken care of. Only available on select trips, you can count on our years of experience to point you to the absolute best activities, hotels, and food these areas have to offer.
- Private travel.
- All lodging and most breakfasts.
- Choose your own dates.
“Handpicked routes that could only come from years of experience!” – Bob D.
ACTIVITY LEVELS
To help you choose an appropriate level of daily challenge, we use elevation profiles to represent the route, and a challenge-rating system using symbols from the skiing world. Many of you will already be familiar with it; If not, here is a brief explanation.
Note that these classifications may vary with weather and/or road conditions, and you should always arrive with a sense of fun and adventure. If you are unsure, choose a guided trip. The vehicle support can help you get over any hill, and can turn even the most difficult trip into an easy one.
The easiest routes we offer, these are generally flat and cover relatively relaxed distances. You will be comfortable riding a hybrid bike, walking in sneakers, or paddling a light kayak, and will normally have time to take many photos and enjoy extended lunches.
This is primarily an easy route, but some days may fall into the moderate category. You can expect time to stop and smell the roses, but some of the rides may be on more hilly terrain.
Requiring moderate fitness levels, these cover terrain with hills and valleys, and tend to include distances of 50-80km (30-50mi.)/day cycling, or 3-6 hours of walking per day. Most Freewheeling Adventures fall into this category, and are suitable for most ability levels.
This is primarily a moderate route, suitable for most ability levels, but some days may be a little more challenging. You can expect some long distances, and/or some big climbs/descents.
The most challenging trips, these include longer distances, bigger hills, long hikes, exposed paddling, and full days of activity. We recommend a higher degree of fitness and training to make the most of the experience.
There is also a rare double black diamond, reserved for only the most difficult adventures.
FAMILY TRAVEL
As a family or multi-generation group you may book any Freewheeling Adventure, and can request a private version if you like. Otherwise, once you have reserved, we will do our best to attract other families with similar ages.
If young children are part of your family plans, please call us (800-672-0775 in North America) to include us from the start, and to ascertain the suitability of your tour choice. We are a family business with plenty of experience with family groups, and will work for you to maximize the fun and ease the planning for you. In our experience, young children sometimes like to slow down and play at every opportunity, and parents and grandparents often like the flexibility to play a part in that fun while also covering the day’s route.
Our guides and support person(s) will strive to adapt to these mixed needs with a flexible leading style, sensitive to the preferences and dynamics of each family group. It is common for us to adjust the pace to suit the youngest or oldest, while asking for the indulgence of faster explorers, to keep the holiday spirit at its best. If you instruct us otherwise, we listen to that, too.
There are discounts available when three people share a room. If a third participant 12 years old or younger shares a room with two other full-paying guests, they receive a 20% adventure discount. This becomes a 50% discount if the third participant is 4 years old or younger. Generally, we avoid the use of temporary beds for adults, but if you can accept one for your children, it can open up more sharing possibilities and savings.
Children’s bikes, trailer-bikes, and trailers, when rented in association with a Canadian tour and other adult bicycle rentals, are complimentary. On occasion, we extend this saving to adult bikes ridden by teenagers travelling with parents on a Canadian or European trip having a minimum of four participants. Burley d’Lite trailers, with a total weight of 17lbs, and a towing capacity of 100lbs, are available for those who are yet too young to pedal. They are suitable for one or two children and have storage pockets, rain covers and sunscreens. Availability is limited, so please reserve well ahead.
Trailer bikes attach to the back of any adult bike to turn into tandems suitable for children up to 4′ tall. The children can assist you by pedaling or can simply freewheel as you do all the work while they focus their attention on the passing sights and your conversation. Tandem bikes are also available in some locations.
“My happiest family vacations are all with Freewheeling! Thank you for helping bring our family and friends together… Each year we create memories to last a lifetime.” – Cindy and Larry B.
PREMIUM EQUIPMENT
You can expect excellent, well maintained bikes, including hybrid fitness bikes suitable for road and light trails, fast, light road bikes, and great electric-assist e-bikes, where available. They are usually TREK bikes, or similar. Details can be seen here.
If you are using one of our bikes, you can expect a well-maintained machine in excellent condition, and our attention to make sure it stays so. If you bring your own bike, you will be responsible for all repairs, and we strongly recommend a thorough, professional tune-up before you commence your trip.
If you expect to need extra service on a consistent basis, or are not familiar with basic bike maintenance – flat tires and minor adjustments – please consider a guided or private guided trip. New dates are welcomed for private or custom departures.
THE CUISINE
Excellent nutrition for hungry adventurers is a must. Breakfasts are almost always included on all adventures. On guided trips most lunches and dinners are also included, and on self-guided trips, we provide the information you need to make good lunch and dinner choices on your own.
Roadside picnics are prepared for you along guided routes, and we provide healthy snacks for between meals. At dinnertime, we choose the best restaurants we know of, making exceptions only when the freedom for you to explore multiple options is more appropriate, especially on the second night in one location.
During booking, we ask you for information about your dietary restrictions and preferences, and we ensure this is passed along to your guide(s)/support person(s) and innkeepers along the way. Vegetarians, vegans, seafood lovers, children, and other discriminating palates can usually be well accommodated. If you have kosher, celiac, or other very restrictive dietary needs, please ask before booking.
“Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, and mango allergies were all considered and we felt incredibly well cared for. ” – Cliff & Peg
NAVIGATION
You can now access your digital tour package using our very own Freewheeling Mobile App! It works in conjunction with the popular routing software RideWithGPS.
You will need both of these apps installed on your mobile device for digital navigation and with a few simple steps you full access to your tour routes, maps, our turn-by-turn custom cues, and an overview of all your tour activities/options. You can also use the Freewheeling app to chat with your fellow tour participants, your support person(s), and HQ – or browse our catalog of tours and even book your next adventure!
Basic access/navigation: (No need to create any account, simply use your email to register and access).
- Download both the “Freewheeling Adventures” app, and the “RideWithGPS” app.
- You will receive a magic link via email from us, usually around 14 days before the start date of your tour.
- Access your tour via “My Trips” at the bottom of our app.
Note: Use of mobile apps for long periods will drain your battery. Please be prepared with a battery pack, or a plan accordingly. Upon request, we can provide tips and tricks to adjust your settings to help conserve your battery life.
For more tips and tricks, including the next steps to take full advantage of the options (Requires creating a RWGPS account – for users who want to download their routes offline, record your rides, or download GPX files to their Garmin devices, etc.), please visit our Freewheeling App page.
SAFETY
Maintaining a high safety standard is an important part of our planning, especially as it relates to the recommended activities, and the service of our al fresco trailside picnics. If there are safety concerns about the route (like a metal bridge that can be slippery when wet, or a blind crest combined with a sharp corner, etc.), they are usually outlined in your tour package, and will often be highlighted by your guide/support person during their safety/route discussions. You can also expect frequent handwashing stations during our picnic presentations, and safe food handling practices.
