Tripsite

A family-owned marketplace for active trips

Tripsite is a US-based company that sells bike tours, bike-and-boat trips, hiking and multi-activity holidays around the world. It describes itself as "your comprehensive marketplace for active holidays in Europe, Asia, and beyond", and its About page explains the model: "By building strong and lasting relationships with local partners, we are able to showcase the cultures and areas they call home. They design the itineraries, we bring them to you!" So Tripsite is the seller and planner, and local partners design the itineraries. It adds that "we personally evaluate every tour."

The company says it "was founded in 1999" and is "still family-owned and operated", starting "in a spare bedroom of the family home". It says the team has grown "from one to two and now more, but always with an emphasis on our core values and personal and committed customer service", and the homepage marks the milestone as "Family-owned for 25 years". Its stated mission is "to provide an opportunity for every traveler to explore the world and enjoy the journey at the perfect pace", aiming at everyone "from the young to the old, from the foodies to the thrill-seekers". Its people page lists Hennie as founder and Carla as partner and chief client services officer, alongside tour and reservation specialists. The contact page gives a mailing address at 5091 State Route 29, Springville, PA, USA, a toll-free number, 1 800 951 4384, and a US number, +1 570 965 2064.

The destination menu is broad. In Europe it lists the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Greece, Albania, Austria and England; in Asia Pacific, Cambodia, India, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka; in North America, Canada, the United States and Costa Rica; in South America, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; in Africa, South Africa and Tanzania; and in Oceania, Australia and New Zealand. Prices appear in US dollars or euros depending on the trip. The homepage's quality pitch leans on the partners: "our partners are as passionate as we are. They know their own backyards and love to walk you through them. As a marketplace, we can offer many choices, to many different types of travelers, to many destinations, and we stand by each and every one."

What it sells

Tours are sorted by type: Bike + Hotel, Bike + Boat, Hiking Tours, Multi-Activity, Discovery Cruises, and Corporate Events + Trips. Collections cut across them: Discounts + Specials, Tulip Tours, Luxury, Custom + Private, Electric Bike, Food + Drink, Family Friendly and Road Bike, with Staff Favorites and Traveler Favorites also featured. The homepage says "Custom-made tours are possible as well!"

The new and featured trips on the homepage show how the listings are presented, each with a length, a starting price and a difficulty grade:

• Japan's Cultural Heartland, 7 days from $5420, a moderate bike and hotel tour that starts in Kyoto and heads out through farm towns, with €150 per person off on select departures.
• Mykonos to Cyclades Sail & E-Bike, 9 days from €5276, a moderate bike and boat tour combining small-ship sailing with guided e-bike rides on quiet island roads through traditional villages.
• Chile Lakes & Volcanoes E-Bike Tour, 10 days from $5830, a guided e-bike tour among the volcanoes and lakes of southern Chile, where the listing says small towns still carry the influence of Mapuche culture.
• Alpine Multi-Adventure in Slovenia, 8 days from €1980, a moderate multi-sport tour shown with a rating of 5 out of 5, pitched on Slovenia's valleys, peaks and clear rivers.
• Costa Rica Bike Tour & Adventure, 10 days from $2083, a moderate multi-sport tour rated 4.8 out of 5.
• Egypt & the Nile by E-Bike & Boat, 13 days from €5724, a journey the listing says combines cycling and cruising along the Nile, starting at the Red Sea resort of El Gouna.

Bike + Boat trips have their own "Boats + Barges" section, and the homepage runs a guide to what a day on a bike and boat tour looks like.

Planning and support

The homepage search lets travelers filter by country, tour type and interest, and the contact page has an inquiry form. The site stresses personal service: "We are travelers helping travelers", with staff who range from seasoned travelers to those "who have only one or two stamps in their passports." The contact page says the office is open 24 hours a day on weekdays, weekend inquiries get a guaranteed response on Monday, and emergency contact details are on the voicemail. Email goes to info@tripsite.com.

A Trip Essentials menu links to Reservation Info ("Everything you need to know before you book"), Terms + Conditions, a Cancellations page ("All info for cancellations, changes and refunds"), Travel Insurance ("Don't travel without protecting your trip"), bike information, boats and barges, an FAQ and verified reviews. The site shows a rating of "4.6 / 5 Based on 6,713 Customer Reviews".

Giving back

The philanthropy page says "Each tour you book through us, allows us to give, globally and locally." It names a partnership with Hope for Korah, a non-profit in Korah, Ethiopia, on the edge of the Addis Ababa garbage dump, where Tripsite supports the Berta Breakfast program for children.

What the site leaves open

The homepage and about pages leave the specifics to each tour page and the Trip Essentials section. They do not state deposit amounts, payment timing or the cancellation scale, which sit on the Cancellations and Terms pages, and they do not give group sizes, what the prices include, or which local partner runs a given trip. The site does not say which parts of a trip Tripsite handles itself and which the local partner handles on the ground.

Who it suits

Tripsite suits travelers who want to compare many multi-day cycling and active trips in one place, from bike-and-boat trips to e-bike tours in Chile, and who value a planner they can reach by phone at any hour on weekdays. The graded difficulty, clear trip lengths and starting prices make shortlisting easy, and custom and private trips are available.

It suits less well someone who wants to deal directly with the company running the tour on the ground, or who wants deposit and cancellation terms spelled out before opening the Trip Essentials pages.