Bike Tour Built for One

Q I'm looking for a tour group that runs bike trips in the western United States or Europe, hopefully one that caters to single travelers. Any ideas?

Scott Kirkwood

Washington

ABackroads (800-GO-ACTIVE, www.backroads.com), an upscale outdoor tour company, offers the largest selection of bike tours for singles. It has 11 biking itineraries for singles in Europe and nine in the western United States. The company will match you with a roommate and won't charge a single supplement, even if it doesn't find you a roommate -- as long as you book more than 60 days in advance. A six-day California wine country trip is $2,298 per person double, plus air. A nine-day camping tour in Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks for advanced bikers is $1,698 per person double, plus air.

If you want a cheaper trip, try Cyclevents (888-733-9615, www.cyclevents.com). It doesn't offer trips just for singles but says about two-thirds of its participants are single travelers. The company has tours in Europe, Alaska and Hawaii and also organizes riding events, such as "SPUDS-Cycling Around Idaho," a five-day trip that costs $350, plus air, with camping. A nine-day "Best of France" tour with camping is $1,100, land only.

Other companies include Experience Plus (800-685-4565, www.experienceplus.com), which provides bike tours for singles to Italy, France, Greece and Costa Rica; and the World Outdoors (800-488-8483, www.theworldoutdoors.com), with multisport trips in the United States, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.

My daughter and I plan to spend one night in Victoria, B.C., and two nights in Vancouver following an Alaskan cruise. We'll be staying in downtown Vancouver and at the Empress Hotel in Victoria. We'll be dependent on public transportation. Can you suggest where to go and what to do?

J. Cadeaux

Silver Spring

Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is about a 90-minute ferry ride from the city of Vancouver.