FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
- Can we book a shorter tour or part of a tour? Actually, YES! You will have to call us to make the booking, confirm the pricing, and make special vehicle transfer arrangements. Here is basically how we price it: Choose your tour, divide the price of the tour by the number of days of the tour, multiply by the number days you want to stay, add $50 per person for additional marketing of the remainder of the tour we must sell. When shortening a tour, you must always arrive/depart on a day we are arriving/departing a new location. We use days to compute the pricing, which is always one more than the number of nights. If you have shortened your tour to include one of our higher priced properties, this may cause the pricing to be higher, so always call to confirm pricing.
- What is the size of the tour? Maximum of 24 riders: First and foremost, we love building relationships. We want this for us as well as our guests. That is why we have this size tour. You have great opportunities to socialize as we serve you your meals, relax around the campfire, manicured gardens, or in the hot tub.
- What skill level should I be? Our tours are all around the mountains of Shenandoah National Park and the surrounding valleys. Skyline Drive rarely gets above a 6 percent grade, but the hills can last for miles, and the climbs to get to Skyline Drive are much more challenging. You always have the option to avoid the climb to Skyline Drive by shuttle and usually have a shorter ride option in the valleys below. This is not the best tour for a true beginner rider or for someone not looking to be challenged. We will definitely work with the rider who bit off more than they can chew, but we also want to make sure you enjoy your vacation.
- Do you have to be an experienced camper? Relax and enjoy. You will never experience camping quite like this again. We provide a full size cabin tent, mattress, pillows, blankets, linens, and towels. We take care of set up/break down.
- What do we need to bring camping? Pack for camping the same as you would for a hotel vacation. We will supply all of your needs for camping. For colder nights, you may want to pack HotHands.
- Where do we camp? Part of how we choose our vacation rental properties is the willingness of the property owners to let us camp right next to those lodging in the house. Unlike any other tour that offers both camping and lodging, we keep everyone together.
- Do the campers use the house bathrooms? No. We have a trailer that we bring with us that has three toilets, three sinks, and three showers all in one trailer. Each unit has its own entrance for privacy and the unit is both heated, air conditioned, and supplied with both hot and cold water. If you have been on large tours with shower and bathroom trailers, try to get that image out of your head. You will have complete privacy, clean, and fully functional, traditional bathrooms.
- Can we customize our tours? Especially when you make a group booking, with the size of our tours and our desire to serve, we want to work with you in advance of your tour to help make any special arrangements. Let us help you plan special birthday, anniversary, or accomplishment celebrations.
- What activities are available? Refer to specific tour itinerary to determine which non-riding activities are included in the tour. We will transport you to the excursions of your choice after your days ride. Refer to our EXCURSIONS for the endless opportunities this area has to offer.
- How do we get to excursions? Unlike tours with hundreds of participants, we will transport our guests to chosen excursions, allowing you to personalize your tour. We want you to be able to enjoy activities you want, not what we have selected for hundreds of people. For some attractions unique to the area, we will plan group excursions.
- What Sag Support do you provide? At Best of VA Bike Tours we own our passenger vans and you will take comfort in seeing our vans on your tour. We will constantly carry additional water, sports drinks, and snacks to keep you going.
- Are rental bikes available? We do not rent bicycles. However, we work very closely with The Bike Stop in Culpeper http://www.rideva.com/rentals . We have worked with The Bike Stop for the past ten years and Bobby, Eric, Brian, and the rest of the crew will take care of you. We have arranged for special pricing for our tours, so when calling, make sure they know you are booking a tour with us. For large groups, The Bike Stop will bring their fleet of bikes to the start of the rides for your convenience. Although we do not recommend it, in some occasions, it may be possible for us to pick up the rental prior to your arrival, making this more convenient for you. The Bike Stop uses the very capable Trek 1.2 with aluminum frame, carbon fork, and triple ring. For a higher end, full carbon and more competitive bike, we do work with another shop that is proportionately higher priced.
- Do you provide Airport Transportation to Start? It is your responsibility to get to the start of the ride. We do run one airport shuttle to Dulles International, if pre-arranged. There is a charge for this service. Refer to our Airport Transportation page for details. Our start locations are remote and located 50-90 minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).
- Where is our car during the tour? Your car will stay at or close to the property where we started our tour. On the final day we will get you back to your vehicle. You will have the choice of us transporting you all or part of the way. We will have rides planned getting you back to your vehicles.
- All pricing is per person based on double occupancy of rooms and tents. Refer to each tour for single supplementary cost.