Welcome To Trek Travel!

After reading through this whole page, please fill out the application here.

So you are interested in working for a company that creates vacations of a lifetime? Then you’ve come to the right place!

Trek Travel is always searching for dynamic, personable, responsible and organized individuals with peerless dedication to customer service to work with our company. The number of Guides we offer contracts to varies from year to year but if you are interested in working as a Trek Travel Guide we would love to hear from you!

ABOUT A TREK TRAVEL TRIP
At Trek Travel, our guiding principle is to provide the Trip of a Lifetime to each and every one of our Guests. Our trip offerings are incredibly diverse: we offer the ultimate in luxurious cycling vacations staying in 5-star properties and eating Michelin-starred meals in private wineries, to trips that take our Guests up close and personal with legendary cycling pros at the world’s most famous races. Regardless of where we take our Guests, our dedication to them in the form of first-class service, unparalleled support, limitless flexibility and personalized attention remain the same and are the qualities that set us apart from our competition. Not content with the status quo, we are always looking for the next great biking destination or the next great addition to our existing trips to take them off the charts.

Trek Travel has both "Luxury" and "Explorer" trips - our Luxury trips are for those Guests looking to pamper themselves with the absolute best in hotels and meals, while our Explorer trips offer the same level of fantastic customer service and support that our Luxury trips do, but where the accommodations are more modest in comparison. In addition to these two distinctions, we offer several different types of trips, ranging from our Race trips to Family trips and Multi-Sport trips where other activities beyond biking enhance the flavor of our Guests’ experience.

Our philosophy at Trek Travel is to provide our Guests with the ultimate cycling experience, whether they want to ride 1 or 100 miles. Every trip offers several different daily mileages catering to varying abilities. On average, a day’s ride will be between 30 to 60 miles. In addition to the daily rides, on most trips we include special activities such as wine tastings and tours, cooking classes, boat rides, village tours with local guides, etc. We put enormous emphasis on the fact that even though our trips are built around a structured itinerary, it is our goal to tailor each vacation to our guests’ individual needs so that their trip is personalized just for them.

THE LIFE OF A TREK TRAVEL GUIDE
Being a Trek Travel Guide offers a unique lifestyle with many opportunities and rewards. Trek Travel expects Guides to provide our Guests with a fun, informative, and safe experience in some of the world’s most beautiful locations. During a typical day, Guides must be extremely organized, flexible, able to master trip logistics, manage trip finances, represent Trek Travel to hotels and subcontractors, educate their Guests on safe biking skills and techniques, enrich their understanding of an area’s history, culture, and geology, motivate those Guests who wish to challenge themselves, pamper those looking for the ultimate in luxury, and provide a stimulating experience for everyone. Evenings are spent engaging our Guests in conversation at social gatherings and dinner all while maintaining Trek Travel’s legendary customer service and attention to detail. Trek Travel Guides must possess skills to diffuse any and all Guest concerns as well as be proactive in recognizing possible problems before they take root. Taking initiative and being able to react quickly and effectively in difficult situations are critical skills to have as a Trek Travel Guide.

Our Guides work long hours and harvest many rewards as well--constantly interacting with and meeting new people, introducing a unique corner of the world to all types of travelers, and maintaining an active lifestyle in the out-of-doors in the world’s most beautiful places. While this is of course a fun job, we are very serious about creating special moments and lifetime memories for all of our Guests! By far the most common comment we hear from our Guests after they have taken a Trek Travel trip is that "The Guides made the trip." This in a nutshell encapsulates everything we expect from our Guides, and that is to provide our Guests with the Trip of a Lifetime!

When you are guiding, you are ALWAYS "on"! A Guide’s day can start as early as 6 am and end past midnight and your primary goal is to ensure that your Guests are having the time of their lives. Guides must go from "grease to grace" seamlessly, extending their skills from wrenching on bikes to creating gourmet picnics; entertaining conversation with a range of individuals, while speaking with confidence about the local culture. It is extremely important to know how to maintain balance and ’fill up your own energy tank’ so that you can always be fresh, fun and fantastic. Finally, Guides do not actually ride as much as one might think. While we spend hours on the bike, we are riding in support of others, and so it is a far cry from being on a cycling vacation ourselves!

Many people often call the life of a Trek Travel Guide a "dream job", and while it certainly has many aspects that make it enviable, it is an incredibly difficult job that asks a lot of you on several levels: physical, emotional and mental. The image of "riding a bike in beautiful places with great people" is often the only thing that people see when they think of this exciting position and is certainly a romantic image, but if you are serious about applying, it is critical that you are as informed as possible before submitting your application. We’ve included the above information not to scare you but to give you a realistic impression of what you might be getting yourself into. Guiding is an attractive occupation but is certainly not for everyone. In that light, please take a few moments to read over the information below as it will hopefully answer many questions you may have regarding this exciting career, and will help you determine if you are a good fit for this role.

THE HALLMARKS OF A TREK TRAVEL GUIDE
Perhaps more than any other job, Trek Travel Guides must have a wide range of skills. In order to be offered a Guide contract, applicants must be extremely proficient in ALL of the following areas:

• Exceptional Customer Service
• Superior Hosting Skills
• Infinitely Flexible, Resourceful and Solution-Oriented
• A Natural "Connector" with all personality types
• Culturally Aware and Involved
• Fun, Passionate and a Dynamic Zest for Life
• Polished Professionalism
• Safety-Minded
• Committed to Continuous Improvement
• Fiscally Responsible
• Excellent Communicator
• Reliable Team Player

 

Exceptional Customer Service
When you ask one of our Guests what sets Trek Travel apart from other active travel companies they tell us that it is our legendary ability to exceed expectations, time and time again. We have built a reputation on only hiring the best Guides. When looking at potential candidates, we don’t just look for people who display good customer service skills - we look for those individuals to whom these instincts come naturally and that can truly blow people away with their genuine desire to provide exceptional customer service! From the office staff to our Guides in the field, what drives our overarching philosophy is an unwavering dedication to each and every Guest that travels with us, so that we may provide them with the trip of a lifetime, every time. Above all other qualifications, this attitude is what truly sets the tone for every facet of Trek Travel.

Superior Hosting Skills
More than anything, we consider our Guides to be "hosts" for our Guests, responsible for providing the infrastructure, insight, support and personalized attention to everyone so that they may fully enjoy their experience with us. The term "Guide" is in many ways too limiting; our Trek Travel Guides are in every respect our Guests’ "host" for the region, charged with welcoming them to the area and ensuring that all of their needs are being met. Similar to hosting a party at your home, while guiding a Trek Travel trip you are expected to keep the mood fun, facilitate introductions and relations between your Guests, plan engaging activities, keep tabs on individual Guest needs, ensure that everyone is safe, and help them feel like they are completely at home. Your job as a Trek Travel Guide will stretch across many disciplines and will encompass the role of leader, coach, cheerleader, mentor, local guide and ambassador. Our Guides are always on the lookout for ways to ’WOW’ our guests and incorporate new and memorable experiences into all of our trips. They also take care of infinite details, so that our Guests can turn off their brain and relax.

Infinitely Flexible, Resourceful and Solution-Oriented
At Trek Travel our philosophy is that whether a Guest wants to ride 1 or 100 miles, we have the trip for them, and can customize any trip to fit individual needs by offering unparalleled support and flexibility, with options for all riders. Accordingly, on every trip our Guides are expected to tailor each person’s vacation to their individual abilities and desires. Due to the nature of our trips, more often than not you will have a group of Guests that represent the full spectrum of riding abilities. For example, you may have a husband and wife couple where one is an avid rider and wants to complete every long option, every day, while their spouse is looking for a little bit of riding each day but also wants to take the time to explore the little villages, stop more often for pictures, and wants to quit riding after lunch. With that in mind, we design our trips so that both of them can have exactly what they want, even though they are at seemingly opposite ends of the field! This is where you as a Guide have to be adept at supporting every level of rider, while also catering to those who are looking for alternatives to riding every day. This can be an extremely challenging aspect to the job, as it requires Guides to ensure that each individual need is being met, all the while keeping the safety and enjoyment of the group paramount.

Besides looking for potential candidates who show a natural drive to provide individual support to each Guest, we are looking for people who can easily adapt to rapidly changing scenarios, find solutions quickly with their teammates when things go awry, and who can "roll with it" when faced with a situation that strays from the plan. While we spend an enormous amount of time planning our trips down to the last detail, a large part of what makes our Guests’ trip experience unforgettable are those spontaneous moments that you can’t predict. We need Guides who are committed to nailing down every nuance of a trip while at the same time being open to new suggestions, better ideas, and spur-of-the-moment additions that add the signature flourish to our trips.

A Natural "Connector"
As a Trek Travel Guide, you will be leading groups of varying ages, backgrounds, personalities, desires and needs. It would be an understatement to say that potential candidates need to be comfortable in groups: in fact, not only do they need to be at ease in diverse social environments, but they need to be highly proficient at "connecting" to everyone and be fantastic group leaders. On a Trek Travel trip, our Guests look to our Guides to facilitate group dynamics, encourage a fun social atmosphere at all times, and demonstrate the nuanced skills required to be able to defuse potentially negative situations that may arise. When hiring for Guides we look for skilled conversationalists who display a genuine interest in other people, and are comfortable being social "lubricators". Their ability to connect with people also translates to their ability to work with and develop extraordinary rapport and relations with our subcontractors. But most importantly, our guides lead with savvy style and sensitivity--knowing when to take charge and when to "go with the flow"!

Culturally Aware and Involved
It goes without saying that at Trek Travel, we are in the business of providing cultural experiences. Our Guests are seeking fantastic riding in beautiful places, and they also want to immerse themselves in their new surroundings and find out as much "insider" information as possible. At Trek Travel it is our goal to weave each and every Guest into the fabric of a culture and region, whether it is inviting them to an exclusive wine tasting at a private Bordeaux chateau, to chance meetings with a local farmer on the side of a road to learn about their life, or bringing a naturalist on the trip to talk to them about rainforest ecology. When looking at potential candidates, we seek out those people who have not only an innate and insatiable curiosity of their surroundings, but a natural ability to extend that sense of discovery to those around them. Beyond sending our Guides to a region to learn about it prior to leading a group there, we expect them to also be on the lookout for those moments during a trip where they can incorporate creative ways to connect their Guests to the area. Guides are encouraged to read up as much as they can on the regions they will be guiding in, develop relationships with the locals so that they can share intimate knowledge with their Guests, and inform themselves on all the customs, delicacies, history and wonderful characteristics of the region.  

Fun, Passionate and a Dynamic Zest for Life!
As you can imagine, working for a company that takes people through beautiful places by bike is a pretty amazing way to spend your time! Our Guests are looking to us to provide them with the vacation of a lifetime, and to help foster a fun environment. We are looking for people with a natural and contagious zest for life with boundless energy and enthusiasm, talented at creating a sense of fun day in and day out, regardless of the situation. It would be an understatement to say that our trips are hard work for a Guide. It is the Trek Travel Guide’s job to make sure that our Guests never see "behind the curtain" so to speak - all of the effort, planning, sweat and time that goes into executing a perfect trip. From our Guests’ perspective, everything should appear flawless, smooth and effortless. Quite often, Guides may be working several trips back to back, and they are expected to maintain an easy-going yet professional demeanor at all times.

Polished Professionalism
Often people believe that if you display the "fun" qualities talked about in the preceding paragraph, that you lack professionalism. This can certainly be a fine balance to maintain, but it is one that we pride ourselves on. One of our mottos is: "Take the job seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously". This is certainly a useful mantra for anyone who wants to work as a Trek Travel Guide, because due to the nature of our trips our Guides are expected to constantly display light-heartedness while always maintaining control of the situation. Responding quickly and decisively to challenging situations, informing your Guests of what is going on, and treating all of our hotel and sub-contractors with the highest level of respect is paramount. Over the years we have placed a premium on creating, maintaining and enhancing mutually-beneficial relationships with our sub-contractors in the field, as they are critical to our business. As the field representatives for Trek Travel, our Guides are expected to uphold those relationships and strive to use their considerable diplomatic skills when faced with unsatisfied parties.

Safety-Minded
Due to the inherent risks in any physical activity, we hire people who have a peerless dedication to ensuring that safe practices are followed at all times, and who are committed to educating their Guests on proper riding habits when out on the road. At Trek Travel we not only require that all Guides have current First Aid and CPR certification, but we make our Safety Talks a standard component of our trips, presented to the Guests before any riding takes place. In addition the first day’s Safety Talks, our Guides are expected to constantly be aware of their Guests’ riding habits, and to offer suggestions and appropriate warnings when necessary. Every day of the trip should include a "Safety Tip of the Day" to ensure that the Guests always have safety at the forefront of their minds. After all, the best trip is one that is accident-free for everyone!

Committed to Continuous Improvement
While every trip we run has been painstakingly put together by a team of Guides, Researchers and Trip Designers, we never stop looking for a better way to do things. Is there a new recently opened up boutique hotel in Napa that would be perfect for our Guests? Are there perhaps more scenic routes to get to our picnic spot on the Tuscany Trip? Has someone met a charming artisan in Provence who would be thrilled to host our Guests in their workshop for an intimate lunch? Is there a more cost-effective way to get our Guests from the train station to the first hotel in Bordeaux? Our Guides are always looking for things that will improve our Guests’ experience and streamline our logistical systems. They are not satisfied with the status quo and are actively engaged in providing new ideas and feedback on existing practices in order to have the best trips possible.

Fiscally Responsible
Trek Travel Guides have an enormous amount of responsibility placed on their shoulders. Not only are they given the task of making sure that each and every Guest has the trip of a lifetime tailored to their individual needs, but they are also put in charge of a sizeable asset in the form or our vehicles, trailers, bikes and related equipment. We only offer contracts to those people who display the highest levels of integrity and honesty, and are committed to keeping costs down while preserving our amazing product. While we give our Guides a surprising amount of discretion over certain areas while in the field, we expect them to maintain exceedingly high fiscal standards and to pay rigorous attention to the Trip Budget. After completing each Trip, all Guides must report all of their trip expenditures, and are therefore required to keep all of their finances and receipts in order.

Excellent Communicator
It goes without saying that the people we offer a Guide contract to are naturally adept at connecting to their Guests. Beyond that, we also expect our Guides to be proficient in providing thorough feedback and ideas for improvement for ever trip they run. As part of their contracted work, after each trip all Guides fill out a "Trip End Report" that asks them for very detailed input on every aspect of the trip they just ran: everything from the trip hotel rooms, meal services, special activities, suggestions for future trips and ideas on how to streamline logistics. In addition to this report, all Guides fill out a "co-Guide Review Form" in which they are asked to highlight both the strengths and areas for growth for their partner on the trip. In conjunction with this review form, all of our Guides are expected to be in constant communication with their co-Guide during the trip to address any potential issues between them, and to quickly resolve them. We are only interested in offering contracts to people who are comfortable expressing themselves and are capable of addressing professional differences with their team mates before they become an issue. Due to the remote nature of our trips, it is essential that open communication is maintained between Guides and the office at all times. We pride ourselves on having Guides that are open and honest with their teammates and are comfortable providing constructive feedback.

In addition to guiding trips and all the other work involved with setting our trips up, our Guides are often called upon to update all written documentation relating to a trip. Therefore, our expectation out of anyone hired to be a Guide is that they are able to pay close attention to the details, and are comfortable conveying crucial information to the Sales and Marketing staff in a timely and accurate manner.

Reliable Team Player
Like many other occupations, the life of a Guide requires you to work closely with others. Where it differs drastically from most other occupations is that not only are you working with another Guide (sometimes 2 or more), but you are living, eating and breathing with that Guide for usually a few weeks, and sometimes up to several months. Guides spend an inordinate amount of time together, and rely on each other in a way that is very rare in the regular working world. Due to the enormous amount of preparation and ongoing work that goes into each Trek Travel trip, our Guides must be able to rely on their team mates completely to get the job done. Not only that, but Guides need to be in constant communication with eachother on every facet of the trip, so that both can be armed with the knowledge to provide their Guests with the trip of lifetime. We are interested in people who can work with a wide variety of personalities for extended periods of time and are able to bring out the best qualities in their teammates. At Trek Travel we put a lot of emphasis on the word "We" as opposed to "I". Why? Quite simply, it is because a Trek Travel trip is only possible with two or more Guides, and each is responsible for every aspect of the trip equally. While it is common practice to divvy up the work load and tasks of the pre-trip preparation, once on a trip the Guides become one unit that must at all times represent a united front to our Guests. While there will definitely be times where you may have a different opinion on how to approach an issue than your co-Guide, it is absolutely paramount that any differences get worked out behind the scenes away from the Guests. We are looking to hire people who are capable of taking charge but can also defer to their teammates if there is a better idea on the table. There is no room for egos at Trek Travel!

PHYSICAL FITNESS REQUIRMENTS
Do I have to be an avid cyclist to work as a Trek Travel Guide?
No! But you do have to be fit enough to be able to ride the distances and terrain of any one of our trips. We have many trips that take place in mountainous and hilly areas, and a typical daily mileage can average between 30 and 60 miles. Remember that while a Trek Travel Guide will split their time between bike support and driving van support, all Guides need to be able to ride every single day of a trip if needed. It is also worth keeping in mind that in addition to being able to ride every day, a Trek Travel Guide must have enough energy to devote to all of the other tasks required on a trip - they don’t have the luxury of relaxing once they arrive at the hotel at the end of a ride!

What other physical tasks will I be required to do?
In addition to the cycling, Trek Travel Guides are required to load and unload 20+bikes on top of our vans, load, unload and deliver luggage for 20+ guests, and set up picnics which involve moving large coolers and bins. We expect that all of our Guides to be able to comfortably lift 50 lbs over their heads.

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSE REQUIRMENTS & PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
What are the Driver License requirements of a Trek Travel Guide?
All prospective candidates must be in possession of a current Driver’s License, valid in your state, province or country of residency until the end of the current year. In order to comply with our liability insurance, all potential Guides must be at least 23 years of age and have a clear driving record. By "clear", we mean that your driving record must have no more than 3 moving violations in the last 3 years. Please note that we will not hire anyone with a DWI/DUI (Driving while under the influence of alcohol) conviction on their record, regardless of how long ago the offense occurred. Unless you are a California resident, Trek Travel Guides do NOT need to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License. For our trips in Canada, all of our Canadian Guides must obtain a Class 4 Driver’s license.

Please note that as part of your application, you will be required to submit a copy of your current Driver’s License as well as a copy of your DMV/Driver Record dated within 30 days of your application.

All Guide scheduled to guide outside of their home country must obtain an International Driver’s License prior to travelling there.

Please note that all costs associated with obtaining the above licenses are the responsibility of the Guide, and are not reimbursable by Trek Travel.

Do I need to be able to drive a standard (manual) transmission vehicle?
Yes! While our North American vans are 15-person automatic vehicles, our European vans are all manual transmission, so we require all potential applicants to be comfortable driving both. While part of the Guide Training will involve practice with both types of vehicles, this is not the time to learn how to drive a manual transmission vehicle! If invited, you should come to Guide Camp 100% comfortable driving standard.

Do I need a passport to work for Trek Travel?
Yes! All Trek Travel Guides are required to either be in possession of, or obtain a passport that is valid 6 months past the end of the current year. This is a requirement for ALL of our guides, regardless of whether or not you work in North America or abroad. Part of the job expectations of a Trek Travel Guide are that you must be able to work anywhere, anytime because the Guide Schedule can and will change. If you are offered a Guide Contract, you will be responsible for obtaining a passport and providing a copy of it to Trek Travel prior to commencing work. Guides are responsible for the cost of obtaining their passport.

Do I need to have First Aid and CPR Certification to work for Trek Travel?
Yes! All candidates offered a Guide Contract will be required to obtain their First Aid Level 1 (or Basic) as well as Adult CPR certification, valid until the end of the year, and submit a copy of these to the Trek Travel office prior to commencing work. Trek Travel Guides must submit evidence of re-certification every year, prior to guiding for the season (this holds true even if your certificate is valid beyond 1 year). Guides are responsible for the cost of this certification.

OTHER SKILLS REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED
Do I need to be a bike mechanic to work as a Trek Travel Guide?
No! However, if invited to Guide Camp, we expect our Guide Candidates to be competent and confident in the following Intermediate Bike Mechanic Skills BEFORE arriving at Guide Camp:

• Remove and replace both a tube and tire from both the front and rear of a bike, and properly seat the tire in the dropouts with proper tightening of the quick release levers in 5 minutes or less
• Remove and install pedals in 5 minutes or less
• Remove and replace a bike chain in 5 minutes or less
• Adjust a bike saddle, both height and fore/aft position
• Remove and replace a brake cable on a road bike equipped with internally routed cables
• Properly adjust both brake pad alignment and lever throw on a road bike
• Remove and replace a derailleur cable on a road bike equipped with internally routed cables
• Properly adjust both front and rear derailleurs on a road bike
• Adjust a bike helmet for the proper fit 
• Properly tape handlebars on a road bike in 10 minutes or less
• Demonstrate general familiarity with carbon fiber bike frames
• Change a handlebar stem and properly tighten to the specified torque

It is important to note that if you are invited to Guide Camp, you will be tested on your proficiency with these skills in order to be considered for a Guide Contract. At Guide Camp, candidates will be given more advanced instruction beyond these skills in both hybrid and road bike repair and maintenance, however it is critical that if invited to Guide Camp, that you are competent and confident in all of the above skills.

Do I need to speak another language to work as a Trek Travel Guide?
No! However, it certainly increases your chances of being offered a contract! We have many trips in France, Italy and Spain and therefore we have a strong need for Guides who are conversant in the languages of those regions.

Do I need to have a lot of foreign travel experience to work as a Trek Travel Guide?
No! However, having spent time travelling and experiencing other cultures will certainly increase your odds of being offered a contract with us. We look for people with an expansive world view, and who relish the idea of working in other countries and regions and imparting their knowledge of foreign cultures to our Guests.

What computer skills do I need to possess?

• Excellent written proficiency, and the ability to communicate ideas clearly and concisely
• Comfortable with MS Word, Excel and Email
• Deadline-oriented
• Comfortable with both Internet and Email (as a Guide you will be using both of these extensively as the primary method of communicating with the office)
• Minimum High School Diploma or equivalent

 

ITEMS GUIDES NEED TO PROVIDE IF HIRED

• Laptop (or tablet) computer
• Bike Tool Kit
• First Aid Kit
• Camera-Equipped, Web-Enabled Smartphone
• 8-Megapixel Camera

 

Laptop/tablet requirements
All guides, as a condition of their Guide Contract, are required to provide their own laptop or tablet computer, equipped with the following capabilities to use while working for Trek Travel:

• Wireless networking capability
• Web browser
• MS Word (or other software program capable of viewing, modifying, saving and sending Word docs)
• MS Excel (or other software program capable of viewing, modifying, saving and sending Excel docs)
• Skype installed (we use this program extensively to communicate with our Guides in the field.  Please note that your laptop does not need to be equipped with a camera; beyond the initial Skype video interview, it is not required).

Please be aware that any and all personal effects brought into the field, including your laptop are your responsibility, and that Trek Travel cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage of these items. We highly recommend that all Guides given a contract purchase insurance to cover their personal items while working for Trek Travel.

Bike Tools
While all of our units come fully stocked with extensive bike repair tools, Guides are expected to have a basic tool kit that they bring with them into the field. If you are offered a Guide Contract, you will be expected to supply your own set of tools, listed below:

• Set of allen wrenches (or multi-tool)
• Multi-spoke wrench
• Chain tool
• Set of tire levers
• Small patch kit
• Cable cutters
• Medium Philips (#2) screwdriver
• Medium flat head screwdriver
• Small adjustable wrench
• Small needle nose pliers
• Small bottle of bike lube
• 5nm Torque wrench

 

First Aid Kit
As a condition of your Guide Contract, all Guides are required to provide their own cycling First Aid kit, that they are required to carry with them at all times while riding bike support. Guides are responsible for making sure that this is kept stocked for each trip they guide. If offered a Guide Contract, you will be given a list of items that must make up this kit. Guides are responsible for replenishing this kit as needed.

Camera-Equipped, Web-Enabled Smartphone
If you are contracted to work in North America - All Guides on contract to work in North America will be required to provide their own web-enabled, camera-equipped smartphone. Your daily pay rate includes a per diem for phone use, therefore all costs associated with the use of your cell phone while guiding in North America are the responsibility of the Guide, so it is advised that you keep all cell phone receipts for tax purposes.

If you are contracted to work in Europe or any other overseas regions: All Guides working overseas will still be required to provide a camera-equipped, web-enabled smartphone, however Trek Travel will provide an EU cellphone and SIM card to use while working there. Your daily pay rate includes a per diem for phone use, therefore all costs associated with the use of your phone while guiding in Europe are the responsibility of the Guide, so it is advised that you keep all cell phone receipts for tax purposes. These phones must be returned to Trek Travel upon completion of your guiding season.

**If a Guide prefers to use their own North American smartphone rather than the Trek Travel-issued cellphone to make calls while working in Europe, this is acceptable however it should be noted that in order to do this the phone will need to be unlocked in order to accept EU SIM cards. Unlocking a phone does carry certain risks so we would encourage anyone considering this option to research it carefully.

Please note that our Guides’ phone number is given to the Guests they will be guiding so that can get ahold of them during the course of the trip.

8-Megapixel Camera
All Guides must provide and carry with them a portable digital camera while guiding. Please note that point-and-shoot models are perfectly acceptable. If your smartphone’s camera has at least 8 megapixel resolution and you would prefer to use that for picture-taking rather than a separate camera that is perfectly acceptable (the new iphone 4s is an example that would meet this requirement).

Does Trek Travel provide any clothing?
Yes! As a condition of their contracts, our Guides are required to wear both a Trek Travel cycling jersey as well as Trek Travel shorts whenever they are working ride support during our trips. Trek Travel provides 2 jerseys, 2 pairs of shorts and 2 pairs of socks at no cost to every Guide given a contract. Outside of these items, as a condition of their Guide Contract, all outwardly-visible cycling apparel must be branded either Trek Travel, Trek or Bontrager, including cycling shoes. Also, Guides will also be able to use the Trek-branded helmets that are part of the field equipment. Please note that if you are given a Guide Contract, that you will be able to purchase Trek and Bontrager apparel and cycling gear at near-wholesale prices prior to beginning your guiding season.

COMPENSATION, EXPENSES, & BENEFITS
Are Trek Travel Guide Employees or Contractors of Trek Travel?
All Guides are hired as Independent Contractors, meaning that if hired, you enter into a contract to provide guiding services for Trek Travel, LLC. If you are selected to be a Guide for Trek Travel, there will be a contract given to you outlining your job, length of contract and compensation. As you are not an employee of Trek Travel, you will be paid a fixed daily or hourly rate for your work, and you will be responsible for filing taxes as a contractor, therefore no taxes will be taken off of your pay.

What does Trek Travel pay their Guides?
Trek Travel has several Guide Rates depending on the type of work being done, as well as the location of the work.

The contracted rate for a Trek Travel Guide is $75.00 USD/Day, regardless of the actual amount of hours worked in a day. Trek Travel does not pay overtime. It is important for us to point out that the work day of Guide is rarely an 8-hour day; while on trip, Guides are usually up early in the morning before their Guests wake, and are often still working until late at night.

While most actual guiding work is paid at the above daily rate, there is some contracted work that Guides do that is paid at an hourly rate. This rate is the daily rate divided by 8 hours, so for a first year Guide it works out to be $9.38 USD/Hour.

It is important to note that if you are a non-US citizen and are hired to be a Guide, you will be paid in US dollars, and that we do not adjust for currency fluctuations between the US dollar and your local currency during the length of your contract.

Do Trek Travel Guides get paid to travel to their work destinations?
No.  While Trek Travel covers the expenses required to get Guides to their scheduled work destinations, there is no wage paid for the actual time spent travelling.  The exception to this is when Guides are scheduled to drive a Trek Travel vehicle from one destination to another.

Do I get paid a higher rate if I work over a recognized holiday?
No. As an Independent Contractor, you are not paid any additional amounts when your contracted work takes you over a holiday.

How do Trek Travel Guides get paid?
All Guides on contract will invoice Trek Travel electronically every two weeks on the designated cutoff day using our online pay entry system. All Guides are required to provide our office with their bank routing and account information so that they can be paid by direct deposit. Guides are paid bi-weekly, on every 2nd Friday of each month. Direct deposit is the only method of payment.

Will I earn tips as a Trek Travel Guide?
It is fairly common practice for Guests on a Trek Travel trip to give their Guides gratuities in recognition of the outstanding service and support they received during the trip. While this amount varies, many Guides find that the tips they receive while guiding form a significant portion of the total compensation they receive in this position. It is important for anyone given a guiding contract be aware that tips are not guaranteed, as the decision to tip or not is at the sole discretion of our Guests.

It is important to point out that by law, Guides are required to report all gratuities received as taxable income. We strongly urge you to consult your tax accountant to that you are in full compliance with all state/provincial and federal tax laws in your country.

WORK EXPENSES - MEALS, ACCOMODATION & TRANSPORTATION
Am I responsible for paying for my meals while I am guiding for Trek Travel?
Generally, yes. As an Independent Contractor, Trek Travel Guides are responsible for paying for all meals while on contract with us. The exception to this is when we have group meals on our trips: in this scenario, Trek Travel pays for all group meals that we include in the trip for our guests, and the Guides are covered in these. For example, on a typical trip all breakfasts, most dinners and most lunches are included in the price of the trip for our guests, so Guides do not have to pay for these meals. However, during a typical trip there are usually 1 or 2 dinners and 1 or 2 lunches that Guides will be responsible for on their own.

Does Trek Travel pay for Guides’ accommodations in the field?
Generally, yes. While guiding a trip, all Guides usually stay at the same hotels as their Guests. In rare instances where there is limited room availability, Guides may stay in a different but nearby hotel. All these costs while on trip are picked up by Trek Travel.

In between trips, there are several options for accommodation that are up to the discretion of the Trek Travel Guide Manager. In many cases, Trek Travel has rented Guide Houses in temporary accommodations or apartments in the regions where we run trips, and these are available to Guides in between trips to stay in free of charge. Quite often these lodgings also house all of the bikes and equipment needed to run trips in that region.

Alternatively, if there is no Guide House in a region, Guides are sent to the nearest Guide House to spend their time off. If this is the case, Trek Travel pays for all costs involved with getting the Guide to the Guide House.

Or, if it does not make sense from a scheduling standpoint to send a Guide to a Guide House, we may have them stay in a hotel. In this scenario, Trek Travel will either pick up the cost of the hotel, or will provide the Guide with a per diem for this expense.

As a last option, Trek Travel reserves the right to send Guides back to their place of residence between trips. Normally this is fairly rare as it tends to be the most costly option. At their own discretion, if a Guide has time off before they are scheduled to work again and they do not wish to take advantage of one of the Guide Houses, they have the option of travelling home, however if they choose this option they will be responsible for all costs associated with their transportation both to get home and to get to their next trip.

Does Trek Travel Pay for Guides’ Transportation?
Yes. Trek Travel pays for all transportation costs to get Guides from their place of residence and the regions where they are guiding trips. We enjoy the services of a dedicated Travel Agent who books all of our Guides’ flights, and also helps arrange European rail tickets. Guides are only responsible for their own transportation costs if they choose to travel home or somewhere else between scheduled trips if Trek Travel has accommodation already in place for them.

It is important to point out that for all flights within North America and between North America and any overseas destination, Guides on contract with Trek Travel will be required to arrange them through our dedicated Travel Agent. The exception to this is for intra-European flights.

Will I need to keep receipts for personal purchases made while I am working, such as meals, guiding equipment or phone use?
As an Independent Contractor, you may be able to take advantage of certain tax exemptions due to personal expenses incurred. If you are selected to be a Guide, we strongly recommend that you consult with a tax accountant and also familiarize yourself with your local tax laws regarding filing taxes as an Independent Contractor. Most meals while you are actually on a trip will be paid for by Trek Travel, however there will be several instances where you will be on your own and so we highly recommend that you keep any and all receipts for personal purchases in the event that some of them are considered tax-deductible. All accommodations during a Trip and Trip Preparation time are covered by Trek Travel, as well as transportation to and from your trip regions. 

Are Guides required to have Health Insurance to work for Trek Travel?  What about Travel Insurance?
Yes. As an Independent Contractor, Trek Travel Guides are responsible for providing their own Health Insurance that is valid for the duration of your contract. In addition, if you are offered a Guide Contract, you will be required to obtain Emergency Travel Insurance valid for the duration of your contract that includes emergency evacuation coverage, and to submit a copy of this to the Trek Travel office prior to commencement of work.

As an Independent Contractor will I be required to provide Liability Insurance or Worker’s Compensation Coverage?
No. Trek Travel provides all Liability Insurance and Worker’s Compensation coverage for all Guides for the duration of your contract, at no cost to you.

Are Guides required to share a room while guiding a trip?
Yes. It is important to note that normally our Guides are roomed together while working, whether it is on a trip, at a Guide House or while staying in any other accommodation paid for by Trek Travel. Anyone interested in entering into a Guide contract with Trek Travel understands that they will be often sharing a room with both male and female Guides.

What are the perks of working as a Trek Travel Guide?
Beyond working in amazing places and interacting with an incredibly diverse group of both Guests and co-Guides, there are many advantages to being a Trek Travel Guide.

• Immediate access to near-wholesale prices on Trek gear
• Immediate access to leading outdoor industry discounts through our network of Pro Deals
• Discounts on Trek Travel vacation for you and your family members
• Generous discounts on purchasing a Trek Bike after 6 months of working for Trek Travel
• Option to spend their time off in a Trek Travel Guide House at no cost
• Ability to keep personal frequent flier miles for all work-related travel

 

AMOUNT OF WORK AND GUIDES SCHEDULES
What are the Guide contract lengths and which months are they?
This year, Trek Travel will be offering 2 different contracts:

Full Season Guide Contract

• May through October
• Approximately 100 - 150 days of work
• 8-15 trips

 

Summer & Fall Season Guide Contract

• June through October
• Approximately 100 - 120 days of work 
• 7-10 trips

 

**Please note that whether you are interested in a Full Season or Summer & Fall Season Guide contract, you MUST have 100% availability for the entire length of the contract. We are not able to schedule around personal commitments.

Beyond just guiding trips, what other work is part of a Guide Contract?
In addition to guiding trips, Trek Travel Guides will be contracted to perform a host of other services. These include:

• Bike and equipment maintenance and miscellaneous warehouse work as scheduled
• Driving bikes and equipment between regions
• Updating all Guide & Trip Documents with any changes as they occur
• Researching new trips
• Final Trip Preparation (FTP) conducted at the beginning of a season prior to running trips in a region
• Familiarization Drives prior to guiding a trip for the first time
• Training and Meeting sessions both in Madison and in Europe

 

Am I guaranteed a minimum amount of work as a Trek Travel Guide?
No. It is important to remember that while Trek Travel strives to give Guides as much work as possible, work is NOT guaranteed. Even though we will offer you one of two contract lengths as described above, Trek Travel cannot guarantee a minimum amount of work. Normally Guides receive their work schedules 30 days prior to their first day of work. Due to the nature of our business however, even once a Guide’s schedule is "set", there can be changes made to it. While we certainly try to give Guides as much notice as possible if their Guide Schedule is going to change, part of the understanding when you enter into a Guide contract with Trek Travel is that you will be flexible to changes to it that need to be made throughout the season.

If I am offered a Guide Contract, will I have a chance to have personal time off?
Yes! After the Guide Schedule gets posted, if a Guide wants to schedule some personal time off they can certainly do so. As mentioned above, due to the fact that the guide schedule changes periodically throughout the year, it is essential that the Guide Manager is made aware of any personal time that you have scheduled between work sections, so that they know that you are unavailable for those times.

**Please remember that in order to apply for one of the two contract lengths offered you must be 100% available for the duration of that time period in order to be considered for a position.

How does Trek Travel decide which region a Guide works in and which trips they guide?  Can a Guide request to work certain trips?
Where and when Guides are contracted to work is a function of what trips we are running and where our greatest needs are. All Guides are offered a contract based on the assumption that they are able to work in any of the regions we run trips, and any time during the length of their contract. When Guides are scheduled, they are normally contracted to work a particular "Unit" (comprising a van, trailer and a fleet of bikes), and then they guide the trips that this particular unit is scheduled for. While Guides can certainly request to work in a particular region, the schedule is a constantly evolving and changing entity, so it is quite likely that a Guide may be scheduled to work in a certain region and then subsequently moved to a different one to fill a need that arises. Trek Travel makes no guarantees as to where a Guide will work.

When creating the Guide Schedule for the year, we take all factors into consideration including previous experience in an area, language proficiencies, availability, team configurations, etc. The Guide Schedule is a dynamic entity, changing often throughout the course of the year to reflect trip schedules, cancellations, the addition of private trips, etc, so it is imperative that anyone interested in applying as a Trek Travel Guide understands that the schedule will change several times throughout the course of the season.

If you have specific foreign language skills at the "conversant" level in French, Italian or Spanish, this will help you get work in those respective regions. By conversant, we mean that you are able to carry on a basic two-way conversation with someone in that language.

How many Guides does Trek Travel have on contract at any given time?
During the peak season from April through October, we typically have approximately 30 Guides working in the field. In the winter, this number drops to around 6 due to our reduced trip offerings at this time.

How many Guides is Trek Travel looking to hire this year?
At this time we are still assessing our needs for next year, but we anticipate hiring anywhere between 6 and 12 Guides.

How many applicants do you typically get each year?
We receive anywhere from 100 to 300 applicants every year.

How many candidates do you typically invite to Guide Camp in Madison?
Normally we invite anywhere from 12 to 30 people to the Guide Camp.

Do most of the people you offer Guide Contracts to have previous guiding experience?
No! While we certainly do have some people that we hire who have guided before, the majority do not. It is not a requirement that you have previous guiding experience - what matters more is an unwavering dedication to exceptional customer service and a desire to provide our Guests with an amazing bike trip! Among our Guide Team, past professions ran the gamut from teachers and students to lawyers and accountants.

On average, how long have most Guides been working for Trek Travel?
For many of our Guides, they are about to start a 7th season working with Trek Travel and have been here from the start! On average, our Guides have been working for us for 3-4 years.

What is the average age of a Trek Travel Guide?
Most of our Guides are in their late 20’s and 30’s, although we have a few younger and a few older than that.

If I am offered a Guide Contract this year, does this mean that I will automatically be offered one next year?
At the end of every year, Trek Travel performs a job assessment of each Guide, taking into account several different performance factors, including co-Guide Reviews, Guest Scores & Comments, Guide Accountability Score, as well as Office Evaluations. At Trek Travel we want to have Guides working for us that meet our extremely high expectations, and for those that meet these they will be offered a contract the following year.

Beyond working as a Guide, what other opportunities are there at Trek Travel?
At Trek Travel we believe strongly in helping our Guides to broaden and deepen their skills in the active travel industry. Guides who prove themselves in the field are often tapped to take on additional roles and responsibilities that in the past have ranged from Trip Design & New Trip Research, to Marketing, Web Design and Outside Sales positions. We pride ourselves on helping individuals achieve their goals and are committed to providing a fun working environment while using their talents to their fullest potential.

READY TO APPLY?
If you wish to apply for a Trek Travel Guide Contract and feel that you have what it takes to succeed in this position, here are the steps to follow and the 6 items you will need.

Assemble the following items:

• COVER LETTER telling us how why you feel you would be the perfect candidate for this job
• 1-PAGE ESSAY telling us about the most memorable Customer Service experience you ever received and the impact that it had on you
• 1-PAGE RESUME
• 2 LETTERS OF REFERENCE from former employers (or other professionals who can vouch for your suitability for this job).  If you have a reference from a Trek Travel Guide or other staff member, then this can replace one of your two reference letters.
• SCANNED COPY OF YOUR CURRENT DRIVER’S LICENSE - please make sure that the copy is clear and legible.
• SCANNED COPY OF YOUR DMV/DRIVER RECORD - dated within 30 days of your application

Once you have all those items, click on this link to fill out the Trek Travel Guide Application

PLEASE NOTE that you cannot save and return to this form, so we encourage you to read it through in its entirety once before filling it out.

After you have completed the form, you will be redirected to a page confirming that we have received your application.

On that page, you will then be asked to click on the email address listed there to send an email to us at hr@trektravel.com with the words "Trek Travel Guide Applicant" in the subject line, and to attach the items you have assembled in #1 above. Please note that we cannot accept incomplete applications, so if any of the listed documents are missing your application will NOT be accepted. You must attach the required documents to this same email - we will not accept multiple emails (only one per candidate). Unfortunately we cannot accept faxed or mailed documents.

Once we receive all of your items, you will receive an email from us confirming you’re your application is complete.

Please do NOT send anything in to our office by mail or fax.  Applications received by mail or fax will not be considered.

Please do NOT contact Trek Travel by phone to inquire about the status of your application.  We will only be contacting the strongest candidates for an interview.

What Happens After I Apply?
The Trek Travel Guide Hiring is a unique multi-step process designed to enable us to offer Guide Contracts to the very best candidates. It is made up of the following steps:

Monday, March 19th- Deadline for all Guide applications to be received.  No applications will be accepted after this date.

Second Half of March - Skype Video interviews
We will select the strongest candidates for an initial Skype video interview to be scheduled sometime during the month of March. If you are chosen for an interview, we will contact you to set up a convenient time. These interviews will last approximately 1 hour. There is a possibility that if selected for a phone interview that we may ask you to do a second one.

Please Note: All initial interviews will be done over Skype video.  If you are chosen for an interview, you will need to have access to a video-enabled computer or smartphone to take part in this process.

Friday, March 30th - Candidates invited to Guide Camp
We will be inviting our strongest candidates to the Trek Travel Guide Camp to be held in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the final phase in our hiring process. Please note that being invited to Guide Camp does NOT guarantee that you will be offered a Guide Contract.

**Candidates are responsible for all transportation costs getting to and from Madison. 

April 22nd through May 3rd - Trek Travel Guide Camp in Madison, Wisconsin
This 10-day event is the final phase of our Guide hiring process and is mandatory in order to be considered for a Guide Contract. Guide Camp is comprised of an intensive series of role-playing scenarios, group challenges, bike repair, trip financials & reporting, mock-trips and one-on-one interviews. At the end of the week, we will offer Guide Contracts to the strongest candidates.

*Candidates are responsible for all transportation costs getting to and from Madison Wisconsin.
*Trek Travel will provide all candidates with accommodations in Madison Wisconsin for the duration of Guide Camp at no cost to them.
*Trek Travel will provide all candidates with breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day that they attend Guide Camp free of charge.
*There is no pay for attending Guide Camp.

PLEASE NOTE: It is very important to point out that being invited to Guide Camp does NOT guarantee that you will be offered a Guide Contract with Trek Travel; only those candidates who display the highest degree of competency during Guide Camp will be offered a contract.

It is also important to be aware of the fact that at any point during the Camp, participants may be asked to leave if we do not feel that they are meeting the criteria that we have established for eligible candidates. It is for this reason that we strongly recommend that candidates purchase changeable air tickets to Madison if they are invited.

May
Full season Guide Contracts begin.

June
Summer & Fall Guide Contracts begin.

GOOD LUCK!

Sincerely,
The Trek Travel Guide Hiring Team