Interview with Al Tarasuk, ALA Alumni

Al has traveled on nearly 20 European biking adventures.

How did you first hear of Euro-Bike (now Austin-Lehman)?

I was at a party with my friends Chuck and Judy Silberstein and they happened to be talking about an upcoming trip to the Dordogne – they invited me to join and I decided to tag along.

What keeps you coming back to Euro-Bike?

It’s simple – there’s no reason not to. I’ve always been satisfied – the guides, the service, the trips, the way things are planned. I have no desire to deal with another company. Plus, I’ve developed a relationship with Ron. I can ask him anything and he often joins us on our trips. He’s a great travel partner.

Why do you choose Euro-Bike over traveling on your own?

I love traveling to Europe and I love biking, but I’d never do it on my own! I’m not going to ship my bike over there, for one. EB provides routes, small trails, little places to stop along the way – everything is very well thought out and researched. You just don’t get that on your own.

What was your favorite Euro-Bike trip?

They’re all great! There hasn’t been one trip that I didn’t like. The Italian trips are probably my favorite, but really they’re all nice – there’s nothing not to enjoy. I love the flexibility. It’s not the army, you know – if you get tired, you call the van; if at lunch you have a couple of glasses of wine and decide you’ve had enough riding for one day, you call the van, go to hotel and sit by the pool. It’s a relaxing thing. There are always some on every trip who like to bike every mile, and some who don’t. The flexibility is great. I bike with Chuck and Judy most of the time.