The Buddy Bombard Story

Pioneer of Adventure Travel, Founder and President of Buddy Bombard's Europe and Since 1977 Travel Host Extraordinaire

Air Force jet pilot, skier, scuba instructor, America’s Cup yachtsman, insurance executive, tour and travel entrepreneur, photographer, honored balloon pilot, gourmet and renowned raconteur – Buddy Bombard is all this and well chronicled in Sport’s Illustrated as ‘everybody’s Buddy.’ Buddy is one of the world’s few remaining founders and pioneers of adventure travel.

The son of a New York banker, Buddy graduated from Dartmouth in the 1950’s, although he admits spending as much time on the ski slopes as in the classroom. Subsequently, Buddy returned to New York to launch a successful career in the insurance industry. It was during this period in 1954, he indulged his passion for adventure by leading the Chalet Club, an outdoor adventure club. Here, Buddy personally created luxury exotic wilderness excursions to Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and continental US. Over the course of 11 years the Chalet Club membership swelled to 14,000 with Buddy as president and leader.

After Buddy escorted several close friends on an extended balloon trip to France, that combined the joys of floating through Burgundy, Champagne and the Loire Valley at treetop level while on the ground enjoying intimate chateau inns, fine dining and tours of famous historic sites, he became inspired to share this fun and excitement. Guests spread the word and Buddy Bombard’s Europe was founded in the late spring of 1977. Over the course of the next 30 plus years, he has introduced thousands of guests to the joys of sightseeing by balloon in Europe, enhanced by the extraordinary friendships and hospitality of his European friends—hoteliers, winemakers, farmers, villagers, nobility and others.

Thanks to a tour of duty with the US Air Force and training as a jet pilot, Buddy holds a multi-engine airplane license with more than 1,500 hours as a pilot in command. During Buddy’s years of experience with balloons, he has logged more than 5,000 hours as a commercial balloon pilot. Buddy was a personal instructor to Malcolm Forbes and taught him to fly, and later Malcolm recognized Buddy with his annual Chateau Balleroy trophy for Buddy’s outstanding contribution to the ballooning world.

Also an accomplished yachtsman, during 22 years of competitive yacht racing, Buddy Bombard completed two transatlantic yacht crossings. Furthermore, at age 25 he started participating in four successive America’s Cup races serving as a first string crew-member, aboard Vim, Weatherly, Constellation and Intrepid.

Buddy Bombard for seven months of the year remains the host on all of his trips. During the off-season, he divides this time between his homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and Château de Laborde in Beaune, France, his private 18 th-century manor house and the company’s operational center in Europe.

Today, Buddy Bombard’s Europe is celebrating 32 years, offering 21 programs in five European countries (Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey). Trip extensions and Trip Combinations are also available to those who wish to experience two or more consecutive Bombard itineraries.

Buddy continues to oversee all aspects of the operation and has never lost his youthful enthusiasm. Nor has he wavered in his commitment to making every Bombard vacation a unique, spontaneous, joyful and infinitely hospitable experience.