What Canadian Cyclists Buy Elsewhere - By Jonathan Lansdell

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Meet B&R “We never wanted to be the biggest travel company, just the best.”

—George Butterfield, Co-founder

In 1966, a few friends came up with a plan to take some students to Europe for a bike trip. Their idea was to spend each day biking to places they’d discovered on earlier travels, then go out for a great dinner and a bottle of wine. It must have been one hell of a trip, because today Butterfield & Robinson offers exhilarating trips all over the world.

A whole new style of travel was born of that first bike trip—as was a new style of travel company. Now 50 years later, B&R remains the world’s leading active travel company. Over the years, we’ve constantly reinvented ourselves—and how we travel but what hasn’t changed is our attention to detail and love of designing exceptional travel experiences for our clients.

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Small Groups – Travel with Strangers

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The B&R Difference “There are travel companies, and then there ‘s Butterfield & Robinson. Their trips are poetry.” - Michael Redhill, author, playwright and poet

Crafted from the finest ingredients (exceptional lodgings, incomparable access, stellar meals, experienced guides and more than a few secrets), our itineraries combine activity and adventure with unparalleled cultural immersion in the world’s greatest destinations. We create these intimate journeys for small groups by doing things differently and never letting it feel like “group travel.” The only sheep on our trips are the kind that block the country lane.

B&R builds extraordinary travel experiences for small groups •

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We structure days to combine planned activities that bring people together with flexible options that provide variation for an individual or smaller group.

We plan our activities to deliver the best possible level of challenge for the specific abilities of the individuals, and include access to a wide range of options and opportunities for relaxing.

We immerse our travelers in the local culture •

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We believe that engagement and immersion are the richest rewards for any journey, and that the best way to achieve this is to get out from behind the glass and travel by foot or by bike (or by kayak, camel, rickshaw, etc.).

We immerse our travelers in the very best the region has to offer. Sharing a deep experience with one’s fellow travelers never fails to strengthen relationships.

We enable our travelers to move at their own pace •

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Traveling on your own steam is rewarding, but it’s not just about the physical benefits. Being active refreshes the mind, invigorates the body and allows one to enjoy the delights of the dinner table with a clear conscience!

We make sure each day fulfills your goals, whether it’s finding the perfect balance of work and play, or pure enjoyment. Everyone has the freedom to move at their own pace.

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What makes a B&R trip?

We are creatives at heart, and we of course think outside the box. But we also pay painstaking attention to detail, all in order to keep travelers active, engaged and interested. And while we pride ourselves on making every B&R experience unique, there are a few quintessential B&R qualities you can expect on every trip.

Unparalleled routes

Exceptional hotels

Signature B&R guides

The dress rehearsal

Crafting the finest routes is our métier. We use our extensive local knowledge to find quiet roads, incredible scenery, and great locals to visit. Every trip offers multiple options for different abilities, from century rides to village walks.

Our hotels are unique expressions of the region.

Often that means our hotels have had a previous life as a monastery or a castle. We’re friends with our hôteliers, which means preferential treatment for you.

They are the consummate hosts. Bright, charming, ebullient. Alter egos include architects, painters, photographers, travel writers, teachers, botanists and biologists.

We are self-admitted perfectionists. Only a group as meticulous as B&R would have your guides scout every inch of your trip the week before it runs. That way there are no surprises (except good ones).

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Private Trips – Travel with Friends

Bespoke Trips: Extraordinary experiences tailored to meet your every need, with every stitch of every day crafted just the way you want it.

Ready to Book Trips: Cho os e f r om a

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The B&R Elements “B&R provided an incredible experience! No detail was overlooked and our guides were exceptional in every aspect.”– Patsy Walker, Puglia Biking,

Butterfield & Robinson has got the world covered – with researchers, that is. Once you’ve picked a destination, the doors are flung wide open so you can request the very best of the region. We work with you to craft the experience that’s exactly right for your group. Something unusual. Something unique. Something unmistakably B&R.

Cultural immersion

Ultimate freedom

La gastronomie

Your pace

We slow down and immerse you in the local culture. It’s easy to do when you’re an honorary local yourself, you’re deeply rooted in the region, and you have the key to whereveryou-want-to-get-in.

We’ve turned travel into art. We put you deep into the particulars of a region, and then step back so you have the freedom to make the experience your own.

We have thought of everything, so you don’t have to.

We celebrate the culture of food wherever we go. That means everything from olive oil and wine tastings to time in a Michelin-starred kitchen.

It also means finding the best local fare the region has to offer.

She’s on her third descent. He’s on his third cappuccino. There's no such thing as “off the pace” when you set it yourself. Traveling with B&R, you go as fast or as slowly as you want.

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Choose your Service & Style Choose Your Accommodation: Bi st r o St yl e: St yl i 4- s t a r pr ope r t i e s t of f e r a c a s ua l a nd c omf or t a bl e s t a y Si gnat ur e Hot el s: pr e mi um hot e l s t ha t uni que e xpr e s s i ons t he r e gi on.

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Choose Your Support Gui ded; 24- hour - a - da y s uppor t by s i gna t ur e B&R gui de s Local l y Suppor t ed: l oc a l or na t i ona l gui de s a va i l a bl e da i l y Sel f Gui ded: On your own wi t h a c c e s s t o a l oc a l hos t WWW.BUTTERFIELD.COM

Where do we send people and who are they?

For us the big sellers remain France and Italy, both countries sell themselves and offer traditional bike touring along with all of our pre requisites; great hotels, food, wine, art, history and opportunities for cultural immersion.

New, “emerging” destinations for us this year are Portugal, the Danube River, Bali and Japan. These new trips often replace trips that we “retire” for a year or two before reintroducing. On occasion though a region/trip emerges and becomes a front runner for years!

Perennial favorites ebb and flow in terms of popularity but are steady long term bets for us. There are numerous examples of this; Vietnam, Burgundy, Tuscany, Puglia and Provence for example.

Our travelers are well educated, well traveled and curious. They are also prepared to shop around and are very conscious of the “value proposition” that our trips convey. You can’t hide from the internet!

Most of our travelers are looking for more than 40 – 50 kms a day on well paved, quiet and interesting roads. Interaction with the region in a meaningful and genuine way is paramount.

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A crowded market place The best marketing campaign in the world will only be judged a true success if the trip or region truly stands out. How is this achievable?

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First tier essentials; routes, hotels and guides are a given. It is the moments and events that connect or highlight these that elevate a good trip into something special.

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At B&R we often talk about the “theatre” that hopefully best describes the on trip experience for our travelers. This is what we work to provide when creating a trip, an experience that is sophisticated and seamless.

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Wine tastings can be so much more! Adding say a wine tasting to a trip or ride can easily become a trip highlight. Or not. Making what are now fairly standard events stand out is what counts. You can’t always meet say the wine maker but you can get more creative around say the delivery of the tasting.

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Fostering or encouraging local communities to interact with travelers pays huge rewards. This can be wide ranging – participation in local events through to say arranging one on one meetings

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Itineraries need to be compelling, ideally telling a story or weaving a journey that resonates with your target audience. We know exactly what it is our traveler is looking for in a trip. Our job is to find the raw materials and craft an experience that is truly memorable.

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The End

“I applaud and support what Butterfield & Robinson gives to all of us. Seeing the world patiently, at a human pace and on a human scale. Striving to catch the feel – the smell, the sound, the texture – of a foreign world. Returning, in fact, to what has always been the heart of travel: getting to know someone different, and awakening a spirit of both wonder and familiarity. B&R organizes trips the way all of us would like to do, if only we had the time and sense” - Pico Iyer

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