BikeSherpa Bike Tours Let's ride together

Help

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How to Book a Tour

Register for a tour by using our easy 4-step online registration form.

Confirmation - we need to make sure there’s a space available – it usually takes less than 24 hours but in rare cases may take up to a few days.
o if the tour space(s) is confirmed – we’ll charge your credit card the amount due.
o if there’s no confirmation – we won’t charge you anything and will try to help you find another tour that’s right for you.

Payment - if your tour takes place more than 90 days from the purchase date, you can either pay a $150 deposit or pay your balance in full. Please note that our tour operator partners are usually paid in local currency. Therefore, in rare cases of significant US dollar weakness, we need to reserve the right to adjust your balance due to reflect the currency rate change. To avoid any risk of extra charges, we give you the option of paying your balance in full right away.

Travel Insurance - we highly recommend travel insurance, just in case you have to cancel your trip. After you register for a tour, follow the link to our insurance partner, World Nomads.

Balance Due - 90 days before tour date - any balance due will be charged on your credit card.

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How to Connect With People on BikeSherpa

Profiles – BikeSherpa is a place to connect with other bike travelers. View member profiles to see what interests they have, where they live and what trips they’re interested in. You can contact them and invite them to join your tour or group trip.

“Interested In” – Marking a tour “Interested In” shows that you are considering taking a particular tour on a specific date. This is a great way to show others what tours you like and helps you connect with other people that are Interested In tours you’re considering going on.

"Most Popular Tour Dates" - Find other people to travel with and make sure any minimum number of travelers are reached (for Supported and Guided tours). Every tour page will display the Most Popular Dates that people have either booked or are Interested In. Then click onto those dates and see who those people are. If they seem like nice people, join them or send them a message.

"Group Trips" - Join a Group Trip or Host your own. See below for more details.

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How Group Trips Work

What is a Group Trip – People that want to organize their own group to take a BikeSherpa tour can create a Group Trip. Some group trips are for people with similar interests, locations or any other ideas tour hosts come up with. It’s a fun way to gather a group of people that will enjoy traveling together.

Joining a Group Trip – Become a member of the group without making a commitment or booking your tour. It lets you connect with other group members and get to know the group before making your booking decision.

Travel date – Before a Group Trip date is set, group members can suggest a date the tour should take place. The Group Host sets the tour date and will often choose the tour date most group members prefer.

People in your party - Tell the group how many people you will be booking a trip for.

See who else is on your group by viewing their profiles on the right side of the group trip page.

Contact the group host with questions, comments and suggestions about the group trip.

Hosting a Group – If you’re looking to travel with people that share an interest, activity or just looking for fun people to travel with, hosting a tour is an easy option.

Tour hosts aren’t guides and don’t take on any tour service responsibility. Their role is to define the character of the group and help collect a fun bunch to travel with.

Group Trip Host Incentive Plan - Hosting a group trip is a great way to save money and even get to go for free. If you get 6 people to book your group trip, you save 50% on your tour price; if you get 12 or more people to book your group trip, you go for free!

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How to Host a Group Trip

Hosting a Group Trip is a great way to assemble a group of people you feel will enjoy traveling together. You can gather a group of friends, find people you like on BikeSherpa or ‘brand’ your trip with a special theme, interest or idea.

Hosting a Group Trip pays. Using our host incentive offer, if at least 6 people (plus you) book a tour on your Group Trip, you save 50% on your tour price. If at least 12 people (plus you) book, you save 100%. If you’ve already paid for your trip and new people join your group, we’ll refund your credit card for the savings you’re entitled to.

A Host isn’t a Guide. Group Trip hosts have no responsibilities running the actual tour. The host names the tour and communicates with people considering or going on the group trip. Hosts also have the ability to choose who is allowed to join the group trip.

Follow These Easy Steps to Host a Group Trip:
1. Choose an Independent Tour you would like your group trip to take and enter Create a New Group Trip.
2. Complete the Create a New Group Trip form
• Title – make it capture the ‘essence’ of your group trip vision.
• About Your Group Trip – briefly describe any themes or interests that your group has. You can be as specific or general as you’d like.
• Who Should Join Your Group Trip – identify any specific type of person (singles, couples etc.), target age group, place of residence etc. If you don’t want any limits on who should join, feel free to say that too.
• Maximum number of people in the Group – we need this number to make sure we can have the accommodations available for your group.
• When do you plan to go – this is a preferred date. Later, you can set the tour date yourself or you can ask people to suggest dates they prefer and choose a date that works for most of them.
• Privacy Options
• Open Invitation or Request to Join - you can choose to let anyone join your tour or you can ask people to request to join and you decide to accept or reject them.
• Public or Private Group Trip – if can decide to have your Group Trip seen by everyone on BikeSherpa or only people you allow to join the group.

3. BikeSherpa members can Join your group - this will help people learn about one another before deciding whether to book.
• Group members can choose a Preferred Date of Departure so that the host can see what dates are most popular.

4. Setting the Tour Date – The group trip host can set the tour date any time they want and creates a permanent departure date for the Group Trip’s bike tour. On the Group Trip page, click Set the Tour Date and follow the instructions on the right. Important: Once a tour date is set, it can’t be undone!

5. Once a tour date has been set, all members of the Group Trip will receive a message providing them the departure date and asking them to book their tour before the booking deadline.

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Rob’s Top Five Bike Tour Packing Tips

1. Bring your own helmet – it’s on your head all day, don’t you want to know that it’s yours?
2. Bike shoes and pedals – if you use clip-ins, bring your bike shoes & pedals along so you’re sure the fit will be right. If you don’t use clip-ins, bring shoes with a stiff sole for more efficient pedaling.
3. Bike seat – of course, all of our bikes have great saddles but nothing’s more comfortable than a seat that’s been contoured for your butt.
4. Padded shorts – no doubt that bike shorts make your bike ride more enjoyable. If the pads aren’t your thing, wear briefs instead of boxers. Trust me.
5. Sunglasses – a nice pair of shades protect your eyes, let you enjoy the scenery better and make you look cool. The best are frameless to give you maximum your peripheral view.