Butterfield & Robinson vs Backroads vs DuVine: which should I choose?

No score and no verdict of ours: what Butterfield & Robinson, Backroads and DuVine each publish on their own websites, read 5 November 2026, topic by topic, each line linked to the page it came from.

Butterfield & Robinson vs Backroads vs DuVine: which should I choose?

None is better for everyone: Butterfield & Robinson caps Small Group trips at 16 and lists Provence Biking from US$6,595, Backroads lists its Tuscany Bike Tour from US$4,499 and DuVine caps groups at 14 with an Algarve tour from US$5,595.

What does each company sell?

Butterfield & Robinson sells Small Group guided trips, Bespoke private journeys and Self-Guided trips from Toronto, Canada. George Butterfield and Sidney Robinson started it with Sidney Robinson's sister Martha in 1966. Source

Backroads designs and runs its own guided biking, walking and multi-adventure trips from its headquarters in Berkeley, California. Its founder Tom Hale started it in 1979. Source

DuVine runs its own guided small-group, multi-day cycling tours with its own guides, support vans and bikes and makes any tour private on request. Its founder Andy Levine started it in 1996. Source

What trips does each company run?

Butterfield & Robinson runs Small Group guided trips and 15 Self-Guided biking trips of 5 to 8 days with RideWithGPS routes, plus Bespoke private journeys designed by its Experience Designers. Source

Backroads runs scheduled guided departures across nearly 550 itineraries and lets any trip be reserved as a private departure, with Small Group Savings for private groups of up to 12. Source

DuVine runs guided scheduled departures across 84 tours and makes any tour private on your own dates, with trips such as A Cycling Pilgrimage: Stelvio Pass to Switzerland, Lake Como to Milan. Source

Where does each company ride?

Butterfield & Robinson runs trips across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America and Oceania, with Small Group biking in countries such as Italy, France, Japan, Morocco, Vietnam, Norway and New Zealand. Source

Backroads runs trips on all seven continents in more than 60 countries and territories, five Canadian provinces and 21 US states. Source

DuVine runs tours in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and US states including California, Maine, Vermont and Tennessee. Source

How big are the groups?

Butterfield & Robinson caps Small Group trips at 16 travellers, with most departures averaging 10 to 12 guests. Source

DuVine caps scheduled departures at 14 guests with a guest-to-guide ratio never larger than 7:1 and guarantees most trips to run with 2 to 4 people booked. Source

Backroads does not publish this on the pages read.

Who is the riding for?

Butterfield & Robinson gives each trip an Activity Level rating and multiple daily route lengths. It says riders need not be very fit or experienced, with e-bikes on most biking trips and a support vehicle. Source

Backroads rates trips at activity levels 1 to 5 with several routes each day, from easygoing Dolce Tempo trips at levels 1 to 2 up to the Dolomites Bike Tour at levels 3 to 5. Source

DuVine grades tours from Level 1 for recreational cyclists at 15 to 30 miles a day to Level 4 at 45 to 75 miles with 5,500 to 10,000 feet of climbing. Source

Which bikes does each company provide?

Butterfield & Robinson offers e-bikes on most biking trips and lists a Dolomites Self-Guided E-Mountain Biking trip of 6 days from US$9,495 per person. Source

Backroads owns and maintains its own fleet of custom-designed titanium bikes for performance, touring and electric-assist riders, with e-bikes in Europe and North America for riders aged 16 and over. Source

DuVine provides Cannondale Synapse carbon road bikes, Specialized Turbo Vado SL hybrid e-bikes at no extra cost and BMC Roadmachine road e-bikes for a US$400 supplement. Source

Where do you stay?

Butterfield & Robinson books castles, riads, historic estates and family-run inns, such as Hotel Villa Cipriani on its Prosecco Self-Guided Biking trip. Source

Backroads sorts trips into Luxury, Deluxe and Casual hotel tiers plus Small Ships. Its Egypt trip uses Mandarin Oriental's Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan and the Al Moudira Hotel in Luxor. Source

DuVine books stays such as Vidago Palace Hotel and Six Senses Douro Valley on its Portugal Douro Valley Bike Tour. Source

What support is on the road?

Butterfield & Robinson keeps a support van close on Small Group trips and gives self-guided riders a B&R Local Host on call, with a local guide and driver on days 1, 3 and 4 in Corsica. Source

Backroads sends three or more leaders and two or more support vans on over 95% of scheduled trips, with vans that carry refreshments, repair bikes and give lifts. Source

DuVine puts at least one guide on the road and another in the support van every day, providing refreshments, mechanical support, daily bike maintenance and lifts. Source

What does a trip cost?

Butterfield & Robinson lists Provence Biking, a 6-day Small Group trip, from US$6,595 per person. Source

Backroads lists the Tuscany Bike Tour, 6 days, from US$4,499 per person based on double occupancy. Source

DuVine lists the Algarve Bike Tour, 6 days, from US$5,595 per person based on double occupancy including taxes. Source

What does the price include?

Butterfield & Robinson includes accommodation, listed meals, a bike with helmet, a GPS smartphone, baggage transport and set-day guide support on Corsica Self-Guided Biking, while international flights and travel protection are extra. Source

Backroads includes accommodation, most meals, bikes, baggage transfers, porterage and all ground and air transport during the trip, while airfare to the start and from the end is extra. Source

DuVine includes accommodation, luggage transfers, daily breakfasts, all lunches, local wine with every meal, a bike and helmet, guides and a support vehicle, while airfare and travel protection are extra. Source

What do solo travellers pay?

Backroads charges a single occupancy fee on prices based on double occupancy, or tries to pair solo travellers with a same-gender roommate. Source

DuVine charges a Single Supplement that varies by tour, or tries to pair solo travellers with another solo traveller to waive it. Source

Butterfield & Robinson does not publish this on the pages read.

How much is the deposit?

Butterfield & Robinson confirms Bespoke trips with a per-person deposit after a Trip Development Fee, with full payment due 95 days before departure. Source

Backroads takes a fully refundable deposit on scheduled trips and asks private groups for US$1,000 per person, with private final payment due 185 days before departure. Source

DuVine takes a US$750 per person deposit for Scheduled Departures and a non-refundable US$1,000 per person for Private Tours, with final payment due 95 days before departure. Source

What happens if you cancel?

Backroads charges private trips 50% from 96 to 185 days before departure and 100% from 0 to 95 days. Its US$250 Flexible Cancellation Plan returns 75% as future trip savings up to 48 hours before. Source

DuVine charges US$550 or gives 100% travel credit on scheduled departures from 96 days out, then refunds 75% at 95 to 66 days, 50% at 65 to 31 days and 0% at 30 days or less. Source

Butterfield & Robinson does not publish this on the pages read.

Can children come?

Backroads runs Families with Kids & Teens trips for ages 9 to 17 with a minimum age of 4 and Families with Teens & 20s trips for ages 16 and over. Source

DuVine runs private family itineraries such as Vienna to Prague at 6 days from US$5,995 and lets children aged 14 or older ride e-bikes. Source

Butterfield & Robinson does not publish this on the pages read.

When is each not the fit?

The limits below are published by each company on their own websites.

• Butterfield & Robinson: not the fit if a group of fewer than eight wants a Small Group itinerary made private, as B&R offers that for groups of eight or more. Source
• Backroads: not the fit if a rider under 16 wants an e-bike, as Backroads sets 16 as its minimum e-bike age whatever local laws allow. Source
• DuVine: not the fit if anyone in your party is under 18 and you want a scheduled departure, as those require travellers aged 18 or older. Source

How do their reviews compare?

Their figures per platform, read 5 November 2026, each from a listing under the company's own name; the figures are never added together.

• Butterfield & Robinson: Google: 4.8 out of 5 from 33 reviews; Trustpilot: 4.9 out of 5 from 210 reviews, newest 3 November 2026. Read 5 November 2026.
• Backroads: Google: 4.2 out of 5 from 123 reviews. Read 5 November 2026.
• DuVine: Google: 4.9 out of 5 from 474 reviews. Read 5 November 2026.

The companies at a glance

One card each, as on every Uncompromised Travel cycling page: what each sells, why to choose each, what to ask for and the limits each publishes.

Which other companies sell the same kind of trip?

These 5 sell guided cycling tours in at least two of the same places and have the most Google reviews of those that do. The full list is on What are the best alternatives to Backroads in 2026?

• Exodus Adventure Travels: Guided small-group cycling holidays worldwide
• GravelUp: Guided gravel bike trips in France
• Eat Sleep Cycle: Guided and self-guided road tours from Girona
• Bikestyle Tours: Guided trips to the Grand Tours
• Horizons Cycling: Guided road trips with support vehicle

Richard Jasinski · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 5 November 2026 · updated 5 November 2026