FAQs

Yes, in accordance with travel industry regulations, your booking is financially protected and in the unlikely event of our insolvency you would receive a 100% refund. We partner with Trust My Travel to provide this independent protection for you. Within 5 weeks of booking you will receive an email directly from Trust My Travel which confirms this. You do not need to do anything other than quickly check that email and notify us if there are any factual inaccuracies. You can find further information on these website pages including how to check that you are covered and what to do in the event that you need to make a claim: About Us – Trust Protects and Protection – Trust Protects.

No. We are not ATOL licensed because we do not provide flights for our guests. The only reason for being associated with ABTA is to provide financial security to our guests and we do this through membership of Trust My Travel.

Yes. Each year we donate 1% of our revenue to causes aligned with our values. In 2022 we donated the vast majority to Hope & Homes for Children's Ukraine Appeal while in 2023 and 2024 we have supported The Hands Up Foundation (now Action Syria), Asociatia Yoyo (who provide a home for the stray dogs and cats that they rescue in and around their village in Transylvania) and and two charities local to us here in Oxfordshire: Mulberry Bush and Cotswolds Arts Through Schools.

Unlike other tour operators, we include as much as we possibly can in the price of our trips. We do this because it means our guests can relax into a holiday. Over the years, many of our guests have told us what a joy it is not to have to reach for their wallet or even think about money while they are travelling with us. So the prices you see advertised on our website and in our brochures almost always represent the sum total of what you'll spend on our trips. Of course, please check the "Excluded" section of specific brochures.

On Scheduled Journeys you do not need to worry about getting a group of friends together. We do the hard work for you. You can find our Scheduled Journeys listed here.

Private Journeys are exactly as you might expect; an opportunity for ultimate flexibility as you travel with friends and/or family.

That really is the only difference.

Most of our private groups number between 8 and 12, although we do host a number of smaller parties each year. We rarely host groups of more than 14, although we have had fun organising a few milestone birthdays over the years. We once took over an entire village in Transylvania for a 60th birthday. That was a highlight.

Yes. We often receive approaches from corporates. If we think we can do a great job we are more than happy to partner and create an amazing experience for you and your colleagues. Sometimes we do so in destinations not listed on our website.

Absolutely, we love a party and have facilitated a few milestone events for our guests over the years. Several of the properties and villages we know well are perfectly suited to large gatherings of friends and family.

We love hosting families. However, whilst most of our destinations are fantastic for young children, some are not. Please contact us to get further information.

No. We tend to guarantee a Scheduled Journey will depart when there are around six Slow Cyclists booked. That said, it does vary so if you would like to know the status of a particular trip, do contact us.

All that said, it is incredibly rare that we do not end up running a trip that is advertised on our website.

We tend to set our group size for Scheduled Journeys at a maximum of 12 in most destinations. For certain trips it may be smaller for logistical reasons, and very occasionally it may be up to 14, never more. 

Very often we are contacted by single travellers, couples or small groups who wish to travel on dates that are not listed on our website. If they do not wish to travel privately, we often take the booking for specific dates and commit to making up the remainder of the group.

Slow Cyclists tend to be cut from the same - or at least a similar - cloth. We have very rarely, if ever, put together a group that did not get on. It is far more common that new friendships are formed and future travel partners are met!

Of all our destinations, Transylvania is the most famous for its wildflowers. Nevertheless, our other destinations are also beautiful. If you are particularly eager to see wildflowers in bloom please contact us and we can talk you through your options.

No. Most of our guests would not describe themselves as cyclists. They like cycling and exploring new places without being stuck behind a car windscreen. That said, you need to be comfortable riding a bike up- and downhill and some of the places we take our guests require higher levels of confidence than others. 

The vast majority of places we take our guests are suitable for all ages and levels of cyclist. That said, in Rwanda, Transylvania, Bucovina, Abruzzo and South Africa there are significant sections of dirt road or off-road cycling that require good balance and a degree of confidence. Our guides everywhere are skilled at spotting those who require a little more help. Importantly, a support vehicle is always available to drive you through any sections you do not wish to cycle.