SO MANY TRIPS, SO LITTLE VACATION TIME!

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the range of vacations we offer, here are two that we encourage you to start with.

Again and again, travelers come back from our bike trip in Provence, or our hiking week in the Alps, and declare it to be "the best vacation I ever had." You will, too.

Alyson Adventures offers over two dozen different trips every year. Sometimes it's hard enough for us to keep track of them all, so we sympathize with first-time visitors to this site who feel overwhelmed by the choices.

Every trip on our list is there for a reason. They're all great trips: If we didn't think one was good, we have plenty of others we could offer in its place. If you have a particular destination or activity or travel date in mind, you can go right from our Home page to see what your choices are.

But if you simply want a memorable vacation, and have no special constraints, here are two that we encourage you to consider first.

One of these is a hiking trip, one is biking. But they both have a several features in common.

First, each of them offers considerable flexibility to make each day easier if that's what you're looking for, or to take on more of a challenge.

Second, they both embrace a great variety of scenery. Every day will stand out as different from the others. During our Edelweiss week, the scenery ranges from fields of wildflowers to windswept mountaintops. On The Provencal, you can swim under the towering, 2000-year-old Pont du Gard one day; walk past the sights Van Gogh painted the next day; and later, spin through the Luberon villages that seem unchanged by the centuries.

Third, neither trip requires special training or expertise. Edelweiss will delight anyone who likes to walk and hike. (But do break in those hiking boots in advance!) No weeklong bike trip, including The Provencal, should be undertaken without a few training rides, but the terrain here is suitable for anyone in good shape who's ready to spend a few weekends in advance on their bike.

Edelweiss
Sit down to lunch outside a 300-year-old farmhouse, as the Matterhorn soars above you. Hike along a mountain gorge, as waterfalls cascade below. Feeling adventurous? Try the Canyon Adventure, where a steel cable protects you should you slip, as you make your way along the vertical walls of a mountain chasm. Not so adventurous? The highest open-air cog railroad in Europe takes you to the terrace at Gornergrat, where you enjoy a leisurely lunch in the crisp air, as spectacular mountain views spill out on all sides. More about Edelweiss.

The Provencal
This week-long bike trip begins in historic Avignon, less than four hours from Paris on the high-speed TGV train. Avignon was settled by the Romans, and throughout the week we'll see the arenas, bridges, and aqueducts they built, many still in use. Our scenic route takes us through fields of poppies and sunflowers, past vineyards and olive groves, ending in the magical forests of the Luberon. More about The Provencal.

Trip calendar   |   HOME   |   Reserve a trip

Copyright © 1999-2002 by Alyson Adventures, Inc.