Electric Bike Tours - page 26

“It was an amazing way to experience Umbria! We were on the self-guided tour from Florence to Rome. There were four of us, all women, and we had the BEST time! It was beautiful, we saw things we could not have seen any other way. We had random experiences that couldn’t have happened on a train or in a car. It was HOT!! The first two days were around 100° F and that was tough. Two of us were on E-bikes and we were super grateful for that! The E-bikes were pedal assist, so we still were pedaling all the time. Considering how hilly it was, including one legitimate mountain pass, combined with the heat I don’t know that I would’ve survived on a regular bike. The hotels were all nice, having our luggage moved each day for us was great. We had an app that gave us turn by turn directions, which was also its own adventure. I think the only really tricky part is that it can be very difficult to find places open for lunch in the midday in Italy. We weren’t as ready for that! Thank goodness for the kebab shop that saved us the first day and for Panini Despetti the second day! Overall, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever asked my body to do; it was also the greatest adventure!! A dream come true for me and I’m so grateful for all of it! Most of all I’m grateful for the friends I convinced to join me on this wild ride!!!” Less

“This trip was a great way to experience Czechia & Saxony! We absolutely loved cycling through the countryside, enjoying the bucolic farmlands and winding along the river. There were some stretches that were through more industrial areas, which weren't the most pleasant. There were also more hilly and off-road stretches than we experienced on our Danube bike tour a few years ago. Except for a few times in more urban/busy areas, the routes were relatively car-free and felt safe. The Ride with GPS app really helped with navigation-- we loved it! It was nice to be able to glance down at our phones and know that we were on track.

Our favorite times were cycling through Czech farmlands, enjoying the diverse birds we found there, including red kites, red-backed shrike, Eurasian skylark and wagtails. We also enjoyed exploring the towns of Litomerice, Decin, and Bad Schandau. We did two hikes in the Bohemian-Saxon Switzerland National Park. The first hike was in the Czech part of the park, out of Hrensko, a tacky tourist town. Unfortunately there had been a recent wildfire, so the hike was very exposed, and once we got to the top it felt very commercialized, with gift shops and overpriced restaurants. The next day we hiked in the German side of the park, out of Rathen, which had stunning scenery and actually felt like a national park. We would recommend this hike over the first.

Overall our accommodations were very good, in quiet, clean, comfortable hotels with nice breakfast spreads. Our favorite hotels were in Prague (Hotel Clement) and Litomerice (Pension Dubina). Our bikes were excellent, suited to both on and off road cycling. It was easy to communicate with our tour guides through the WhatsApp group chat.

Overall we would recommend this bike trip to others!” Less