Read them below
Transportation to the tour point of origin is not generally provided. Carolina Tailwinds does not book airline flights. In certain instances, Carolina Tailwinds can provide a courtesy airport shuttle to the tour start. That requires coordinated arrival and departure times to a limited airport list. Call us for more details if you are interested. Otherwise, we’ll make sure you find your way to the tour start. We can refer you to airport shuttle companies for each local airport. Let us know if you would like to try to share shuttle transportation expenses with another guest and we’ll try to arrange it.
If you are driving to the point of origin, parking for your car will have been arranged for you there for the duration of the tour. We will return you to your car on the last day of the tour.
Most Carolina Tailwinds bicycle tours begin around midday on Day 1 of the itinerary, and end in the early afternoon of the last day of the itinerary. Generally guests who are renting bicycles are asked to arrive at least 1 hour earlier than others so that we can get you fit to your bike and install personal items that you may have brought with you.
We select country inns and boutique hotels with innkeepers who match our level of service. Most of our inn partners have been with us for several years. We favor inns that are located in inviting and walkable in-town locations, or that are themselves unique and interesting destinations. The ability to get a restful night’s sleep is always paramount. All rooms have private bathrooms, and single rooms are available on all tours with advance notice. Rooms with two beds are limited in some locations, and some of those may include sofa beds or rollaway beds. Email us if you are concerned about the specifics of the accommodations on the destination you are considering.
The Carolina Tailwinds support van is never far away during your ride. It will stop at designated locations and maybe a few extra ones to provide food and beverage, sunscreen and other forms of support. Our rigs are always well equipped with water, sport drink, sodas, whole fruit, assorted snack bars, nuts, peanut butter, etc. We don’t believe in being hungry on a bike tour. Any time you see the van, you are welcome to hop a lift.
We take care of shuttling your luggage and any items bought along the way to your next destination. Time permitting, your guides and innkeepers will move the luggage to your room in advance of your arrival. This leaves you free to enjoy the surrounding area without any added weight on your bike.
As part of your reservation confirmation package, we email a check list of suggested items to bring with you on the tour. It includes clothing items for activities and dining. Generally, we will recommend that you pack multiple layers of brightly colored, synthetic, light-weight clothing for daily activities. Also, we strongly urge you to bring multiple pairs of good quality bicycle shorts. For dining out, sporty casual attire is appropriate. Don’t forget medicines that you take (or might need.)
Unless specified otherwise, all of our tours use asphalt roads, so we recommend against fat “knobby” tires if you are bringing a mountain bike. On flat coastal trips, nearly any bike style is fine. For our hilly tours you will want a lighter road or touring bike, with higher pressure smooth tires, and a wide range of gearing.
If bringing your own bike, we strongly recommend that you have it serviced in advance and thoroughly inspect tires, shift and brake cables and chain. Also, please install a bright L.E.D. taillight for maximum visibility.
If you rent a bicycle from us, you may bring your own pedals, which we will put on our bike for you, or we can provide any of three different pedal styles for you:
1) Flat platform pedals
2) Pedals with toe cages and straps
3) SPD “Mountain” Pedals. For this option you would need to bring your own cleated shoes.
Updated 12/6/2023
Bike tours in 2024
We are very excited to get back on the road with all our guests in the upcoming season, and believe our model of group travel provides a great opportunity for a safe and fun adventure.
Starting with 2023 tours, Carolina Tailwinds no longer requires COVID 19 vaccination or a negative test for participation. Any regional or local requirements, however, will still apply. If any requirements are in effect in your region of travel with Carolina Tailwinds, you will be notified and kept in the loop with a pre-tour email.
We continue to strongly recommend that anyone traveling in general, and traveling in a group setting in particular, be fully vaccinated. All Carolina Tailwinds team members are fully vaccinated.
Before your tour: If you are feeling ill or have symptoms before your tour, please follow CDC guidelines for testing and any necessary quarantining. Guests arriving on tour with symptoms of illness may be subject to a COVID-19 test, and will not be allowed to participate in the tour with a positive test result.
During your tour: If a guest experiences symptoms while on a tour, we continue to ask all participants to notify the guide team immediately and self-isolate until a test is taken. If the result is negative, no further action will be required. If a guest tests positive for COVID-19 during a tour, they will be asked to exit the tour and follow CDC isolation guidelines. Anyone rooming with a guest who tests positive may also be asked to leave the tour. Any costs incurred for departure due to a positive test are the guest’s responsibility. Please consider purchasing trip insurance to help offset this risk.
Masks: While we no longer will require masking in Carolina Tailwinds’ vans, we will still include masks (and home rapid antigen tests) on the suggested packing list for your tour. We ask that all guests continue to remain respectful of each individual’s choice to mask or not mask in group transport. We also ask that you respect local businesses’ requests, if any, to mask for entry. Keep in mind that many health systems nationwide still require a mask for entry.
Dining: We resumed non-private group dining during our 2022 season. While we will still endeavor to dine al-fresco where possible (and who does not enjoy dining outside?!), that is not always possible for every meal in every location. Guests who remain uncomfortable with indoor dining can still elect to take their meal in their room. The guide team on site are more than happy to help facilitate to go meals in these instances.
Cancellation Policy: For cancellations for COVID, our normal cancellation policy will apply in 2024. Our cancellation policy has always been more lenient than industry standards and still is. Review our full cancellation policy here: https://www.carolinatailwinds.com/reservation-terms-and-conditions
Guests are encouraged to investigate travel insurance options to protect their investment. You can find information on this topic at https://www.squaremouth.com/covid-19
Carolina Tailwinds is following recommended guidelines set by health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as local authorities where applicable.
While all of Carolina Tailwinds tours focus on providing an enjoyable and active biking vacation, we also structure each trip to include an insider’s glimpse into the region. On our coastal tours, you may visit historical sites, lighthouses, and wildlife refuges.
The Colonial Virginia Tour includes guided tours of historic sites at Historic Jamestown and Yorktown. Our Outer Banks tours include a guided kayak tour of local waters. The SC Lowcountry Tour includes a private narrated carriage tour of downtown Charleston.
Regardless of the desination choose, you will come away from it with a wealth of memories and new insight into the area.
As part of our planning process, we try to schedule our tours to optimize the region’s weather averages. No matter how hard we try, though, Mother Nature will invariably have something to say about perfect weather all the time. We strongly recommend that you come to the tour with quality cycling rain gear.
Barring a thunderstorm or major downpour, and as long as road conditions are safe, Carolina Tailwinds does still cycle our planned daily routes. Our guides keep a close eye on weather radar and will try to wait for our passing storms whenever possible. Keep in mind that if cycling in the rain is not “your thing,” you may elect to van shuttle ahead or take part in alternate activities in some cases.
Because many of our destinations are on the east coast, we get a lot of questions about hurricanes. The good news with these storms is that they are anticipated many days in advance, so there is no chance of getting surprised by one in the middle of the tour. However, there have been a handful of occasions over the years when a hurricane preceded a tour in a region and force us to cancel that date in advance for safety or quality control reasons. Rest assured this is a rare occurrence. If we are forced to do that all guests on the tour may choose between a full refund or full credit toward another tour.
On some of our tour destinations, Carolina Tailwinds can provide a courtesy shuttle from an airport to the tour start. That requires coordinated arrival and departure times to a specific airport. In most cases it is best to fly the afternoon prior to the tour start and lodge at an airport hotel. Anywhere that we offer an airport shuttle, we are happy to pick up at that airport’s hotels as well. Call us for more details if you are interested. Otherwise, we’ll make sure you find your way to the tour start. We can refer you to airport shuttle companies for each local airport.
Tour prices are per person rates and include all of the following:
- Lodging costs (double occupancy rooms), including all taxes and fees
- All breakfasts and most lunches
- All dinners described in the tour itinerary (alcoholic beverages in restaurants are generally not included).
- Morning and afternoon snacks
- Route planning and detailed laminated cue cards daily
- Guide support along the route
- Van support along the route
- Luggage transfer
- Fees for all ferries, tolls for all highways and any park entrance or guided tour fees where noted
- Transportation back to starting point
- Costs for any special activities such as canoeing, kayaking, sailing or rafting where noted
- Carolina Tailwinds t-shirt or day bag, water bottles, complimentary digital photo files from your tour.
- Gratuities for restaurants at included meals and gratuities for housekeepers at included lodging.
Please note:
All lodging costs are based on double occupancy. The single room surcharge rates apply to single room occupants.
Single travelers who desire a roommate match will be paired with other tour guests of the same gender in a room with two beds, if available. If a match can’t be found for a single traveler, a single occupancy surcharge will be assessed. To find out if a roommate match is available, call us. We will be happy to put you on a wait list for a match if one is not already available.
Single travelers may request a private room, subject to availability, and to the single room surcharge rate payable in full at the time of the reservation.
Transportation to the tour starting point, including airfare and any airport transfers, is not included in the tour price. We can assist you with making any airport transportation arrangements or advise you on the nearest and most convenient airport.
Alcoholic beverages at restaurants are not generally included . A separate beverage tab may be run for anyone who would like a drink with dinner. Settling this tab will be the responsibility of the individual participants.
Bicycle rental is available as an option (prices above). We have road touring bikes and hybrid bikes for your use and invite you to forego the hassle of transporting your bike to and from the starting point. Click here for more information on the equipment available for your use.
Want to know more about our policies, terms and conditions? Click here to review our deposit requirements, cancellation policy and more.
We will be happy to address any additional concerns or questions you may have.
Simply email us at our Contact Us page, or call us at 1-888-251-3206 (local number is 336.794.1054). Ready to make your reservation? Click here to reserve a spot online, or call us at 1-888-251-3206 (local number is 336.794.1054).
Travel Insurance: We strongly encourage you to consider travel insurance. You may research and compare competing travel insurance policies at websites such as www.squaremouth.com.
Certainly. You have two options: 1) if your spouse will have a car, he/she can stay with us in the inns, dine with us, and enjoy a few other “off the bike” activities. While we’re biking he/she can do other things in the area and meet us at the next inn. There is a big discount for this limited tour, since the spouse would not be taking a seat on the tour. Plus, you don’t incur the single room supplement charge this way.
2) The spouse could take a space on the tour and simply ride in the van or relax at the inns during biking. There is no discount for this option, though.
On a Carolina Tailwinds tour, you will be secure in the knowledge that our van will be along to provide refreshments and support whenever you need them. Each vehicle is fully stocked at all times with cold beverages, a myriad of snacks, first aid supplies, sunscreen, and dozens of other things. We have several established rest stops along each of our planned routes. These stops enable Carolina Tailwinds to maintain close contact with you at whatever pace and schedule you set. Our van allows experienced and inexperienced cyclists the chance to enjoy the same terrain on their own terms and pace.
Though you are welcome to bring your own bike, Carolina Tailwinds’ low bicycle rental charges allow you to forego the hassle of transporting equipment to the tour rendezvous. We maintain a fleet of high quality bikes. Each of our rental bikes, regardless of style, has been modified with an adjustable rise handlebar stem for comfort and a quick release seat post clamp for easy adjustments. Each is equipped with a basic cyclometer, l.e.d. taillight and a bag for carrying essentials. We recommend our lightweight road bikes for the mountainous and hilly tours, and either road or hybrid for our flat tours. We also provide you with a new water bottle with our Carolina Tailwinds’ logo that is yours to keep. Helmets are absolutely required on all rides. We encourage you to bring your own or we will be happy to provide one. You may also bring your own saddle and/or pedals for us to install on a rental bike for you.
Pedals: we can provide platform pedals, toe cage style pedals or SPD Mountain pedals (for which you would bring your own cleated shoes)
If you do plan to bring your own bike, please make us aware if your bike is unusual in any way.
Check out our new bikes here.
We do not offer tandem bicycles, e-bikes, or recumbent bikes for rent, but you may be able to bring your own. Our vans are equipped to carry up to 2 tandems (2 wheelers only) at a time in addition to the other bikes. Let us know the specific wheelbase and height of your tandem and we will make sure that we’re ready for it.
We can accomodate tandems, recumbent tandems and e-bikes on a first come, first serve basis. Please notify us when you request your reservation that you would like to bring a bike of one of these types.
Unfortunately, we are not able to accomodate trikes.
Since we know where many great photo opportunities are on your tour we take pictures as we go. Each guest is provided online access to all of our shots, and prints and other products can be ordered easily and inexpensively.
Bicycle touring can be enjoyed by anyone with even a minimum level of fitness. We do recommend that you spend some time on a bike in advance of your tour to make sure that you are comfortable riding on multiple days. We always encourage riders to ride at their own pace, not to try to keep up with a faster rider or feel obligated to wait for a slower one. Our support vans are always nearby in case you want to take a “leap frog” shuttle ahead on the route.
Our tours are designed to keep you occupied, each includes at least one day when you have more freedom to explore on your own. Each tour features a walkable village location with shops, restaurants, parks, and a myriad of activities at your fingertips. So should you decide to stay in town instead of venturing out on your bike for a day, there is always something new to explore!
We begin each day with a brief overview of what to expect on the day’s ride, including timing and terrain, and what additional special activities we have planned. We supply you with detailed, laminated cue sheets of the day’s route, including mileage markers and optional side trips, and prior to sending you on your way. One of our guides is always cycling with you to provide any answers about what lies ahead, and the support van is encountered multiple times along the way.
