The classic rock band Queen once sang a song about wanting to ride their bike. Perhaps they had Tripsite bike tours in mind. Tripsite is a company based out of Holland that now has bike tours throughout Europe, United States, and worldwide.
The Bike, Childhood, Travel Relationship
There is something comforting about a bike that makes many think of childhood. For most people, the bike was their first mode of transportation. I remember well my after school and weekend forays with friends down the street or sometimes even into town.
This makes a bike the perfect way to see another country. No matter how accustomed to travel you are, being in a different country is being out of your comfort level. It takes a couple of days to acclimate to a new country and to get over the feeling of being a stranger in a strange land. Being on a bike can help offset this feeling. You may not be able to speak the language, the local transportation and currency might be confusing, but hey, you never forget how to ride a bike.
Riding a bike provides a déjà vu experience from your youth. It is synonymous with childhood. So is the experience of traveling. Having an adventure and exploring new places keeps you young, so the travel bike combination is the perfect pair.
Tripsite Bike Tours
Tripsite bike tours can be found in 43 countries including their home country of Holland, the United States, throughout Europe, and even Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. The last three are some of my favorite countries. I can imagine how awesome it would be to travel there by bike.
On the website, they claim Tripsite bike tours “are as varied as you are.” Some people like to have a set agenda while others like to let the adventure unfold and make decisions on the fly. Some prefer to go with a guide, other prefer to go on their own. Then there are solo bikers, group bikers, and bikers that are solo that want to join a group. No matter your style of trip, Tripsite’s dedicated staff can accommodate and work with you.
Bike and Barge Tours
If Queen would have known that Tripsite would add a boat to the bike mix, they might have sang “I want to ride my bike and barge, I want to tour with Tripsite.” As if being in a cool place on a bike is not enough of an adventure, these tours get you on the water.
As a canoe and kayak enthusiast, I have always preached how being on the water is such a different perspective from seeing the world on land. This is both true of the wilderness and urban areas.
When you combine the boat and the bike, it opens up a whole new realm of what you can see and how you see it. When you are on a typical cruise, you only get to see a little bit of the land at the ports you disembark at. When you do leave the cruise ship, you are a prisoner to the land transport that awaits you even if you do have time to explore. When you are on a boat traveling up the country with bikes at your disposal, you have the freedom to really fan out and see a ton.
All of the great rivers of Europe are included. The Seine, the Danube, the Loire, and the Rhine. You can view all of the spectacular sites along the river and then jump on a bike to cruise the countryside. The bike and barge definitely compliment each other.
When tourists visit a foreign country, they have a thirst to see it all. Who knows when you will be back again if ever. A great way to cover a lot of ground and have a great adventure is to see the world through a bike and barge combination. If you are a bike nut you can always skip the boat and do one of the numerous bike tours. The best part of the Tripsite itineraries is the flexibility and variability of the options whether in the size of the group, the duration of the trip, or the geographic options.
The more I look at the options on their website, the more I think of an old Queen song and how I would like to ride my bicycle, I would like to ride my bike with Tripsite.
Copyright © 2015 by Traveling Ted. This article was written by Ted Nelson and originally published on travelingted.com.
