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TRAVELER REVIEWS

Vintage Rides → Customer reviews

I asked myself…

09 November 2024

Jacques

Nepal Forever
I wondered if a VR employee had done this circuit with this type of motorcycle! Very bad roads, hellish traffic conditions, really too dangerous!
Vintage Rides' response

Merci pour votre retour Jacques. Pour répondre à votre question, nos programmes sont régulièrement mis à jour à travers deux approches complémentaires : un débrief détaillé entre l'équipe de Lyon et les guides motos après chaque saison, et des voyages de repérage réalisés une fois par an par notre équipe de Lyon. Ces initiatives permettent d’ajuster nos itinéraires et de garantir une expérience optimale à nos riders. Comme vous le savez, l'état des routes a été particulièrement dégradé après une mousson exceptionnellement forte en 2024, ce qui a malheureusement impacté une partie de votre itinéraire. Nous veillerons à évoquer ce risque de manière plus appuyée pour les prochains tours. Nous espérons toutefois que le dédommagement perçu vous encourage à repartir avec nous dans le futur. L'équipe Vintage rides

For the destination, it’s the result…

09 November 2024

Jean-Luc

Nepal Forever
For the destination, it's the result of our personal images. But the guide is absolutely essential, as is the passenger's file if it's a couple's project, if the trip is to be a success.

It was an adventure with a big…

08 November 2024

Matthieu

Mustang: the Legendary Expedition
It was an adventure with a capital A! Exceptional landscapes, great encounters and a great team! Unforgettable...
Vintage Rides' response

Merci pour ton retour Matthieu, ça fait chaud au cœur ! Une aventure avec un grand A, c’est exactement ce qu’on veut offrir à nos riders, et on est ravis que tu aies vécu ça avec nous. Entre les paysages de rêve et une équipe au top, on dirait que cette expérience restera gravée longtemps ! On est prêts pour la prochaine aventure quand tu l’es ! L’équipe Vintage Rides

Great trip to Bhutan;

08 November 2024

Guillaume

The Dragon Kingdom
A very high quality trip to Bhutan. It's a magnificent country that the proposed route covers very well. Vintage Rides' local organization is very good, everything runs very smoothly and the motorcycle/mechanical aspects are very well managed. One point for improvement would be to leave the main road that crosses the country from west to east more often, perhaps for a detour to the north / the peaks, which could have brought more variety to the route. Another point for improvement is the dubious management of the end of our stay and our return to Paro. The proposed itinerary made no provision for dealing with possible weather difficulties on departure from Yonphula airport, which locals know to be unreliable (planes only land there with perfect visibility). We found ourselves in this situation. Without asking our opinion, the organization chose to make us cross the country by car overnight. This meant over 500km of mountain roads at 30-40km/h, with drivers falling asleep at the wheel (the Bhutanese make this journey in two days, they told us at the outset that it wasn't possible), fog, heavy rain and landslides (members of our group walked in front of the cars to clear rocks that had just fallen onto the road). A mind-boggling and unacceptable level of danger that seems to be explained only by vintage rides' desire to preserve its margin (we would logically have missed our return to Delhi) at the expense of participants' safety. As a young father, I can't accept finding myself in this situation through the fault of others, and can't recommend traveling with Vintage Rides. On the other hand, if you're old, your children are independent and you're looking for adventure/potentially dying in unusual circumstances, then Vintage Rides is for you!
Vintage Rides' response

Merci, Guillaume, pour votre retour détaillé concernant votre voyage au Bhoutan. Nous avons bien pris note de votre commentaire notamment sur la partie difficile de la fin du voyage. Comme expliqué par Alice lors de votre débrief téléphonique, le circuit initial avait dû être modifié en raison des problématiques de frontières. Malheureusement, ces ajustements ont engendré des contraintes logistiques mais sachez que votre itinéraire était donc déjà un plan de secours. Nous reconnaissons pleinement que la traversée nocturne en voiture, dans des conditions météorologiques défavorables, a été perçue comme un risque par certains membres de votre groupe. Nous aurions dû mieux anticiper et communiquer sur ce point. Après avoir pris en compte vos remarques et échangé de nouveau avec nos partenaires locaux et avec Guillaume, nous avons décidé de réévaluer notre proposition de dédommagement. Le retour à Paro a été vécu de manière très différente par chacun d'entre vous, et nous entendons que pour certains le niveau de stress engendré ait été très élevé compte tenu des circonstances de voyage difficiles. Nous avons décidé de rembourser l'équivalent de la journée perdue sur le programme, à savoir 500€ par personne, sous forme d'avoir ou de remboursement. Toute l'équipe a fait le maximum d'efforts (notamment financiers) pour vous permettre de faire ce voyage malgré les imprévus survenus avant et pendant le voyage. Malgré tout, nous avons noté les points d'amélioration nécessaires en termes de communication de la part de l'équipe, et nous nous engageons à les appliquer pour améliorer l'expérience de nos futurs voyageurs. Nous espérons que cette démarche témoigne de notre engagement à améliorer constamment nos services et qu’elle saura atténuer les désagréments vécus. Nous restons bien entendu à votre disposition pour toute question supplémentaire ou pour vous accompagner dans le processus de remboursement. Merci encore d’avoir partagé votre expérience, qui nous aide à progresser. Nous sommes contents que le reste du voyage se soit tout de même bien déroulé et espérons avoir l’occasion de regagner votre confiance à l’avenir et de vous faire découvrir de nouveaux horizons dans des conditions à la hauteur de vos attentes. Avec toutes nos excuses et nos salutations les plus sincères, L’équipe Vintage Rides

It was an adventure with a big…

08 November 2024

Matthieu

Mustang: the Legendary Expedition
It was an adventure with a capital A! Exceptional landscapes, great encounters and a great team! Unforgettable...

Great trip to Bhutan;

08 November 2024

Guillaume

The Dragon Kingdom
A very high quality trip to Bhutan. It's a magnificent country that the proposed route covers very well. Vintage Rides' local organization is very good, everything runs very smoothly and the motorcycle/mechanical aspects are very well managed. One point for improvement would be to leave the main road that crosses the country from west to east more often, perhaps for a detour to the north / the peaks, which could have brought more variety to the route. Another point for improvement is the dubious management of the end of our stay and our return to Paro. The proposed itinerary made no provision for dealing with possible weather difficulties on departure from Yonphula airport, which locals know to be unreliable (planes only land there with perfect visibility). We found ourselves in this situation. Without asking our opinion, the organization chose to make us cross the country by car overnight. This meant over 500km of mountain roads at 30-40km/h, with drivers falling asleep at the wheel (the Bhutanese make this journey in two days, they told us at the outset that it wasn't possible), fog, heavy rain and landslides (members of our group walked in front of the cars to clear rocks that had just fallen onto the road). A mind-boggling and unacceptable level of danger that seems to be explained only by vintage rides' desire to preserve its margin (we would logically have missed our return to Delhi) at the expense of participants' safety. As a young father, I can't accept finding myself in this situation through the fault of others, and can't recommend traveling with Vintage Rides. On the other hand, if you're old, your children are independent and you're looking for adventure/potentially dying in unusual circumstances, then Vintage Rides is for you!

Overall, I’m satisfied with my…

06 November 2024

Flavio

The Dragon Kingdom
Overall, I'm satisfied with my trip. I was able to travel with some very pleasant fellow travellers, and enjoyed the scenery and the encounters with the local population. The downside of the trip was the last leg, where, against all safety considerations, we had to travel for almost 19 hours on roads that were often broken, all night long, with thick fog, landslides and driving rain all night long. What's more, the drivers of the 3 cars making up the convoy drove for 19 hours non-stop. They were heroic, as we had to wake them up several times. The passengers in the first car had to get out in the middle of the night to clear a road blocked by large stones. Your Lyon team's decision shows a total lack of judgment. How can you make 9 people, plus your staff, drive in bad weather, at night, without taking into account the safety of your customers? What's more, it shows a total lack of knowledge of the country, because anyone in the know knows that the local people don't travel at night. When night falls, they park their cars on the roadside and wait for daybreak to continue their journey. . As a former private banker, I fully understand the economic imperatives involved in running a business. Your team's primary goal was to get us on the plane to Paro at all costs. This was to avoid paying extra nights and the $200/day tax plus extra airfare. But a serious company like yours should have understood that the safety of your customers is more important than a few thousand euros. Like most of the participants, I would like to receive a written explanation of this unfortunate affair. I think an apology, better training for your teams and possible financial compensation would be most welcome, Kind regards, Flavio Mossi
Vintage Rides' response

Merci Flavio d’avoir pris le temps de partager votre expérience et vos impressions détaillées. Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez apprécié les paysages, les rencontres locales et la convivialité de votre groupe. Cependant, nous regrettons profondément les difficultés rencontrées lors de la dernière étape de votre voyage. Nous reconnaissons que cette traversée, dans des conditions météorologiques défavorables, a généré un stress important et des risques imprévus. Votre sécurité est notre priorité, et nous comprenons que cette expérience ait pu entacher une aventure par ailleurs réussie. Comme expliqué lors de nos échanges avec les autres riders de votre groupe, cette situation exceptionnelle est survenue en raison de contraintes logistiques dues à la fermeture de la frontière. Nous aurions dû mieux anticiper ces risques et, surtout, mieux communiquer avec vous sur la solution pour laquelle nous avons opté. Après avoir analysé les retours des riders et échangé avec nos partenaires sur place, nous avons pris la décision de dédommager les participants impactés par cette dernière étape en vous proposant un remboursement de 500 € par personne sous forme d’avoir ou de remboursement, correspondant à la journée écourtée et aux désagréments vécus. Nous avons également identifié plusieurs points d’amélioration, notamment : - Une communication renforcée lors des situations imprévues, pour que vous soyez pleinement impliqués dans les décisions qui vous concernent. - Une meilleure anticipation des risques logistiques pour éviter ce type de contrainte à l’avenir. - Une sensibilisation accrue de nos équipes sur place pour toujours privilégier la sécurité des participants, quel que soit le contexte. Nous espérons que ce geste et nos engagements pour l’avenir sauront atténuer votre déception et témoigner de notre volonté de nous améliorer. Nous restons bien entendu à votre disposition pour toute question supplémentaire ou pour organiser le remboursement selon votre préférence. Merci encore pour votre retour, qui nous aide à progresser et à offrir une expérience toujours plus sûre et agréable à nos riders. Nous espérons regagner votre confiance et avoir l’occasion de vous faire découvrir de nouveaux horizons dans des conditions irréprochables. Avec nos sincères salutations, L’équipe Vintage Rides

Bhutan is a truely fantastic trip…

06 November 2024

Philip

The Dragon Kingdom
Bhutan is a truely fantastic trip - I'm sure it will be one of your more popular trips. It is great riding on good tarmac ... until you come across a landslide and the road is washed away and you ride in gravel and mud. The scenery and temples and villages are excellent. The 'European' menu in hotels is bland - the 'Indian' menu much much better. The Bhutanese people are so calm and helpful and are a pleasure to meet. No one tries to sell you anything - you have to ask, it is great.
Vintage Rides' response

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Bhutan Philip, it sounds like it truly left a lasting impression! From smooth tarmac to the off-road adventure, it’s all part of the charm of exploring such an incredible destination. We’re glad you enjoyed the stunning scenery, temples, and the warm, welcoming Bhutanese people. And yes, you’ve discovered the secret: always go for the local menu! We’d love to have you back for another ride. Where to next? The Vintage Rides Team

Overall, I’m satisfied with my…

06 November 2024

Flavio

The Dragon Kingdom
Overall, I'm satisfied with my trip. I was able to travel with some very pleasant fellow travellers, and enjoyed the scenery and the encounters with the local population. The downside of the trip was the last leg, where, against all safety considerations, we had to travel for almost 19 hours on roads that were often broken, all night long, with thick fog, landslides and driving rain all night long. What's more, the drivers of the 3 cars making up the convoy drove for 19 hours non-stop. They were heroic, as we had to wake them up several times. The passengers in the first car had to get out in the middle of the night to clear a road blocked by large stones. Your Lyon team's decision shows a total lack of judgment. How can you make 9 people, plus your staff, drive in bad weather, at night, without taking into account the safety of your customers? What's more, it shows a total lack of knowledge of the country, because anyone in the know knows that the local people don't travel at night. When night falls, they park their cars on the roadside and wait for daybreak to continue their journey. . As a former private banker, I fully understand the economic imperatives involved in running a business. Your team's primary goal was to get us on the plane to Paro at all costs. This was to avoid paying extra nights and the $200/day tax plus extra airfare. But a serious company like yours should have understood that the safety of your customers is more important than a few thousand euros. Like most of the participants, I would like to receive a written explanation of this unfortunate affair. I think an apology, better training for your teams and possible financial compensation would be most welcome, Kind regards, Flavio Mossi

I preferred my trip to 2023…

05 November 2024

Philippe

Mustang: the Legendary Expedition
I preferred my trip in 2023 for the Transhimalayan; Nepal Mustang is also a great trip .... but what dust we ate! Good team
Vintage Rides' response

Merci pour ton commentaire Philippe, ce fût un plaisir de te rencontrer sur le tour ! Le Népal Bas Mustang est en effet un peu différent de la Transhimalayenne : plus accessible sur la moitié du tour, mais les passages de pistes peuvent être un vrai défi. A bientôt sur un autre tour, ou si tu passes par Lyon ! Alice

Expertise
Since 2006, Vintage Rides has been the specialist in characterful motorcycle travel.
Serenity
If something unexpected happens, our experienced guides will take care of everything.
Availability
Complete availability with 24/7 assistance.
Quality
Impeccable services with local partners committed to a charter of quality.
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