France Bike Tour Reviews (page 9)
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★★★★★ Mia0620 September 24, 2018Easy and relaxing
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
We loved the pace and the voies vertes were fabulous. This is biking without stress. The company people are terrific and helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 11 - 17
- How many tours have you completed?
- More than 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Kscbythesea September 23, 2018Lots of riding, gorgeous scenery, simpatico group
· Dordogne Valley: Between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers
My husband and I both very much enjoyed this tour. He especially appreciated the riding and the food; I especially delighted in the charming villages and French countryside. We both loved our guide, Mike, who was a lot of fun. We also liked the other 8 cyclists in the group. Of the 10 cyclists in the group, 8 were in good shape and we all enjoyed the riding. The two that were not expecting the riding to be challenging did not enjoy the hilly days. BikeTours got it right: you can manage without being fit, but you won’t enjoy the hills very much. The hotels were charming. The food was amazing! Gourmet multi-couse dinners were included every night, and breakfasts were very good - the croissants always fresh. We will definitely look into taking another Chain Gang tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8 September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 other
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ pmcmanamon September 21, 2018Tour instructions were outdated, and hard to follow
· Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
The cities we visited were great, and so were the hotels. I was warm, so air conditions would have been nice, but not a big deal. The tour instructions consisted of a generic book with instructions, and a generic set of maps. The maps were not that detailed. When the maps disagreed with the instructions the maps were right. The signage along the routes changed since they made the instructions . We were told to look for a large E along European bike paths, but it appears to have been replaced by a circle with 15 inside it, i guess for the # of countries in the EU. The bikes were great. The luggage was always delivered on time. I downloaded a Eurobike app to help with the directions, but it did not work well. In order to update my positions I had to quit the app, and restart it. The Biketours people did suggest a new app, RidewithGPS, that worked much better. Because they did not have cues the pass could not tell me ahead of a turn, but it did tell me if we go off course.
I think the local tour company, Eurobike, needs to update their instructions. I also would appreciate if they made unique instructions for each tour. The instructions start and end at a city center. When we got close I would use google maps to find the hotel directly, rather than going to the city center and then to the hotel. My ideal would be a unique set of instructions for a tour, with small maps above or below each instruction. We have had that with other tours, but different providers. On this tour I could not mount my instructions and maps so I could see both while riding, I picked the instructions. In some cases they recommend stopping at a certain place for lunch, but you cannot see if from the tour route, and there is no map to locate it. -
★★★★★ Wignh September 15, 2018Met my expectations
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Excellent barge, with welcoming A/C in southern France in mid-summer. Dinners were varied and tasty - but desserts were magnifique! Make-your-own lunch to go on the bike - which is standard bike/barge arrangement - becomes boring after a few days. But what I will remember is this once-in-a-lifetime highlight: watching France win World Cup at a jammed packed outside bar in a small town!
- What was the date of your tour?
- mid-july
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Hoogie September 14, 2018Bordeaux trip
· · Bordeaux by Bike and Boat: Castets-en-Dorthe to Libourne (and reverse)
Overall a great week. Wineries (that were open and ready to accommodate us) were sadly very few and far between - and the wine was supposed to be a big part of the trip! But great scenery, bikes were excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 28 Aug to 4 Sep
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Albikes September 11, 2018
Bordeaux area by bike
· · Bordeaux by Bike and Boat: Castets-en-Dorthe to Libourne (and reverse)
Great way to see this region. Most used E-bikes. Furnished GPS was very helpful, as printed directions were poor. Our group of 24 was great. Don't know how a maximum group of 80 would be.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late August
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Joaney September 9, 2018Really sorry we took this trip
· Alsace Wine Country
While we knew we signed up for a self-guided trip, we had no idea just how little this tour company would provide to us. Starting with bikes that have no water bottles moving quickly onto very poorly written directions and a GPS that was outdated years ago, the trip proved a disappointment each day. Most of the hotels had no a/c (in the middle of the summer) and we had paid for the more upgraded choices. While I must admit that we were guided onto mostly non-traffic bike paths whenever possible, we felt that all we did was ride all day long, with no pointers of what we might be passing of interest. We got lost a fair amount of times, and luckily we had a 23 yr.old, engineering graduate, who helped us decipher where we were vs. the directions. The weather could not have been more beautiful, thankfully, since there was no "back-up" should it turn terrible. We had to have our luggage ready by 9am, there went those leisurely mornings we thought we would have, only to notice that they were never picked up before we finished breakfast at 10am. The bikes were of good quality and thankfully also, we had no flat tires or breakdowns. I know I am spoiled from having taken many bike trips with reputable companies like Backroads and Duvine, etc. This trip was suggested by the friends we traveled with and the woman was smart in getting an e-bike. The rest of us had to walk our bikes up to one of the hotels that was perched on the highest point of the town. Only to finally reach the destination and to be told by the desk manager that if we had intended to eat there, he was sorry they were full for the evening...and that "he constantly tells the bike trip organizers that they should warn their bikers to make arrangements in advance." Clearly we were given no such instructions. We were LUCKY the manager was able to find us a taxi to take us to town for dinner. It was rather surreal. The food in this region was boring and repetitive. How many tart flambees does one want to eat?
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 10-15, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Buffalo September 7, 2018
Simply Fantastic
· Alsace Wine Country
The trip was excellent. The hotels selected were generally good (one was exceptional, one was mildly disappointing, the rest were all just good). The tour was well planned and pretty easy to follow. The first leg of the trip was in the valley. This helped to acclimate our group for the wine hills to come. The little villages and wine were exceptionally beautiful. We found the customer service of bike tours and the partner tour operator were also very good. We will definitely use bike tours sometime in the not too distant future.
Important note: with an E-Bike the trip was pretty easy (according to my wife). However, with a standard bicycle, I found some of the hills to be quite challanging. The second to last day I burned roughly 2900 calories.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 15 - 20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 with biketours.com
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ KellyS August 7, 2018Amazing Cycling Adventure
· Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
This 4 day/5 night cycling trip was the highlight of our summer trip to Europe. The variety of beautiful scenery during each day's bike ride was amazing. We loved stopping mid-day on days 2 and 4 to swim in the gorgeous lakes we were cycling next to (also don't miss the small lake next to the hotel at the end of your ride on day 3.)
We chose the A level accommodations and each was comfortable and quirky, with very friendly staff/hosts. And the local bike tour company (cyclomundo) did a very thorough job of reviewing maps, demonstrating the GPS, checking our bike fit, and answering questions on the first morning.
Two recommendations, consider carrying a picnic lunch with you on your daily ride (baguette, cheese, fruit, chocolate) so you can stop and eat at any of the picturesque places along the route. Also, your final stop, the city of Annecy, is a gem! If time and budget allow, plan to stay an extra day or two.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 15-20 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- First time!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Cornelia July 22, 2018Absolutely wonderful trip with a tour guide extraordinaire!
· Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
I base most of my "Excellent" ratings on our guide, Bernard Dugdale, from The Chain Gang Tour Company via Bike Tours. He provided an excellent and problem-free bike trip for all 13 people on this Loire Valley Tour. He even pulled a rabbit out of a hat and secured train tickets for us while there was a train strike in France. He made sure everyone's bike "fit" them and was comfortable in every way. He was fluent in French, a lot of fun, and seemed to have his finger on the "pulse" of what was going on with each and everyone of us and made sure we were all looked after, whether ordering in a restaurant or having a minor difficulty with our bike. The castles were stunning and scenery beautiful. A+
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30-July 6, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Arti July 22, 2018
Everything expected
· Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
Could not have duplicated the selection of hotels, restaurants, company, explanations, detailed trails, cultural explanations.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/30/2018 to 7/7/2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Dennis July 17, 2018
Alsace Canals & Vineyards
· Alsace Wine Country
The countryside and towns of Alsace are a great bicycling experience. The roads and trails are fairly flat and well marked. There is a bakery in every village!
Generally, we had excellent meals and accommodations. We had one hotel with a four star rating that was not air conditioned. We also had another hotel that did not offer any choices on the half-board menu.
We found our hybrid bicycles not quite up to climbing the few hills. We needed more low gears! Overall the turn-by-turn directions were adequate but sometimes confusing as our route did not always follow the posted bicycle travel signs.
We had a wonderful time enjoying the scenery and people along our tour and we will definitely come back to France for more.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 25 - June 30, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ sacman July 12, 2018
Organized Adventure
· Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
Well organized trip down to the street. While normally I stay in design hotels, due to the nature of the trip and the remote locations, the team did a superb job in accommodating us. The Chateau was certainly the highlight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Switzerland
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★★★★★ WalkersAdventure July 3, 2018
Beautiful villages - beware of hills and train strikes
· Alsace Wine Country
The tour operator is unusually cooperative about modifying the standard itinerary. I requested many changes to suit our interests and abilities and they fulfilled them all. We requested and received GPX tracks to load onto our own Garmin devices. The GPX and the map and the tour materials had been revised to reflect the changes I'd requested, which I appreciated very much.
Colmar is an exceptionally good place to center the trip. I recommend staying there several days and taking day trips by bicycle, or train plus bicycle, to nearby villages.
All of the hotels booked for us were high quality, and thoughtfully positioned for convenient access.
Segments of the trip are quite hilly: two chevrons on the map. We evaded the hills by planning alternate routes in the flat part of the valley. These routes presented a different view, still valuable and entertaining.
We had trouble with the SNCF train strike. Of course, that situation was beyond the tour operator's control, but it detracted from the experience.
One of the e-bikes was delivered with a bad battery. They replaced it the next day. That was okay for us, as I had an extra day planned for local sightseeing, so our overall schedule was not affected.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 22
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Colorado Bill July 2, 2018First step to the Atlantic
· Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
We arrived a day early. Orleans was great city. Big church.
The trip was seamless. Bikes hotels maps road food just what you would expect fro. FRANCE. .... We wish we had taken the time into week 2 or 3 to complete the Loire.
We will return.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ JEC65 June 25, 2018A different biking experience
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
Thirteen days of easy to moderate biking. The crew were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent! Lots of extra sightseeing excursions to choose from. Very old boat with very small cabins was the only drawback but price was reasonable.Generally the routes were on quiet roads on all types of surfaces.
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★★★★★ Gnat June 21, 2018
Fabulous trip
· · Bordeaux by Bike and Boat: Castets-en-Dorthe to Libourne (and reverse)
Our boat-bike trip was wonderful. The bike guide paced the day perfectly; he had stops planned for food and the sights. I still am amazed how many kms I traveled each day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 12-19 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ MaryF June 21, 2018
Strasbourg France to Mainz Germany
· Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
Great value. Would have appreciated option for rooms with AC even if it meant a higher cost. Would have appreciated a sticker with the arrow and the E in order to see the actual size. The signage was much smaller than we expected and did not find any until the second day. Also, the instructions need to be rewritten by a native speaker who is actually biking the route. The instructions appear to be translated from another language. Much was lost in translation. The instructions were confusing. We originally thought the instructions were in British English until we met up with couple on the same tour from Manchester who found the instructions as confusing as we did. (There was a brand new app for navigation this year but none of us were able to get it to function on our trip. Once the bugs are ironed out, I suspect this will help a lot. We used Google maps to assist in navigation.) I would suggest giving stickers to actual bicyclists to place over top faded stickers or to add stickers in areas of confusion. Overall, it was a good experience and am very glad we did this tour.
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★★★★★ oldjoe June 19, 2018Fantastic scenery!
· French Alpes Tour: Alpes and Ventoux
A great mix of Alpine and Provence scenery. Wonderful small hotels with charming hosts and gourmet food! Challenging but not intimidating terrain with easy navigation. Would love to go back!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/1-7/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
