Austrian Alps  Bike Tour Reviews (page 2)

  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Nancy Reid 11 months ago

    Surrounded by beauty: Innsbruck to SalzburgA

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Our self-guided ride was a beautiful ride along the rivers on well marked bike paths and trails. The scenery was amazing and the hotels were very comfortable. It was a wonderful way to experience the Austrian countryside, towns and people. I enjoyed the ride so much, I'd like to do it again!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    •  (photo by Nancy Reid)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (5/5) Margaret Ann MacGregor 11 months ago

    All great—although the weather did not cooperate, but we had rain gear!

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    Navigation worked well. Some hotels had great saunas! Breakfasts were all good!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Mark Anderson 11 months ago

    Well Organized!

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Tour Date (wk beginning Sep 7, 2024)

    Our chosen tour was the self guided tour and my wife and I rented a tandem for the ride. the weather was the only thing we would have hoped to of had different. We started out in the 80's F and ended in the low 40's with all day heavy rain.

    Bike Tours and their local providers/coordinators did an excellent job of coordinating all the parts and pieces from the bike shop where we picked up the tandem in Innsbruck and including all of the accommodations and luggage movement along the way. Everything worked perfectly.

    One comment I have heard in many other reviews was that the map book is difficult to follow. We decided to also rent a GPS as well to help with navigation. That was a good move as the GPS was easier to manage in the rain and then we pulled the map book out when we needed additional details.

    The map book directions were hard to follow initially, but that got easier with familiarity after the first day. When you receive the GPS it's not preloaded with the route. We didn't realize this ahead of time, but after loading the Garmin app in our phone we would load each day's route from the map book into our phone and then transfer to the GPS the night before. We both grumbled a bit as we completed this process the first night, but this became much quicker after the initial run as well.

    I would definitely do another tour with Bike Tours!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sep 7, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) F.S 11 months ago

    Beautiful trip

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Very nice routes through small rural towns, national parks and resort areas. Hotels were clean and offered local flavor. Road bike route needs to be more on bike paths than highways, but the distances and excursions were well thought out.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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?
    Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (5/5) Matthew Waterbury August 2, 2024

    Perfect way to experience the Alps and the Tyrol Region!

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    Fantastic experience. Great scenery with great back paths throughout the trip. Every day was unique enough that you felt it was a new experience. All our hotels were fine. A little noisy in IMST from road traffic. A great view from our Hotel room in St. Valentin. Great location in Riva del Garda. Each breakfast provided by the hotels were outstanding (sliced meat, cheese, eggs, etc.). Assistance from Stefano when required was readily available. We had not issues with bikes (better than mine).

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    • Another great day of biking and outstanding scenery (photo by Matthew Waterbury)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Marek Hartleb July 11, 2024

    Alpine pastures

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Although we went through all climate zones during our ride we find this vacation awesome. Selection of hotels and planning of bike routes was very good. Riding 40 to 65 km each day with e-bikes took 2-3 hours, therefore we had enough time to walk alpine pastures taken up by cable cars in Zell am See or Lofer. You may believe me that alpine meadows settled only by Milka cows is something that gives the best break from noisy and busy life.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
  • (5/5) BARAK JACOBS June 28, 2024

    Great tour

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Great tour
    Amazing views
    No AC at most of the hotels - We got along but would have made the trip perfect

    What was the date of your tour?
    06/24
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (5/5) Olafur Olafsson June 16, 2024

    Six days of pleasure

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    Wonderful way of experiencing the beauty of Tirol. The trip was coordinated in a perfect way with a very nice cycle paths and the hotels was fine. We will definately go again. Highly recommended

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    •  (photo by Olafur Olafsson)
    •  (photo by Olafur Olafsson)
    •  (photo by Olafur Olafsson)
    •  (photo by Olafur Olafsson)
    •  (photo by Olafur Olafsson)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Pankaj Mulye June 15, 2024

    Dolomities

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    Perfect way to explore and experience a region is by cycling. It was a great hassle free experience everything went as planned and would definitely recommend bike tours to all

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    • Lake Garda in background (photo by Pankaj Mulye)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Om Apte May 29, 2024

    Perfect way to enjoy Italian Alps

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    The tour experience was great. All the stays were perfect. The mobile app was very helpful to navigate from point A to B. All instructions in the docket were easy to understand and follow. This was my 2 tour with bike tours and I found the quality of services was as good as it was on our last tour.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (4/5) Brenda Teal May 24, 2024

    Enjoyable trip in most ways...

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    First, the positives...
    The scenery, hotels provided, local emergency/tour representatives and bikes were exceptional. There were interesting and beautiful sights in every town and along the way. The bike shop where we received rental bikes, helmets, etc. was knowledgeable, friendly and Chris in Innsbruck was great to work with and talk to, and he provided great insights toward upcoming routes.
    There was useful information about available alternate routes/modes of travel, as well as the scenery we could experience, and the details of our stays at each local inn were seamless, for the most part. I cannot say enough about the friendliness and helpfulness of hotel staff, without exception. The local representative and the transfer drivers were also easy to communicate with, and helpful in every area we needed.
    I felt the info given regarding sightseeing was not as detailed or inclusive of all sights, as the last time we worked with BikeTours.
    Regarding directions and mapping, the GPS we rented from BT was useless, and we stopped using or even charging it after a couple of days....the routes didn't seem to match those on the map given, and even when we were clearly on the cycle path designated, it constantly said to make a u-turn or offroute; 60 euros we should have kept for other things. The map directions were often unclear, especially entering and leaving cities, and since the GPS wasn't working, we had to constantly stop to take the map out as there was no place to clip it to the bike handlebar. The alternate routes on the Lofer travel day were confusing as well.
    Despite these issues, we would have probably used BT again, except for the unexpected hotel expenses after we arrived in Austria. We asked for a final invoice, before booking, to make sure of costs in planning this trip, and was sent one which listed a "total" of all charges and a list of all services covered under our quoted tour cost, including specific hotel stays, with no mention of added costs to be paid when we arrived at each hotel. When we arrived in Innsbruck, the hotel informed us we still owed city taxes (this was the case in almost every town/hotel booked). Though the amounts were not big, the attitude we got from the tour when we called to check was off-putting ("that fact was included in the general description of the tour on the internet," and "a company does not have to put every little detail in an invoice.").
    We suggest that BT put an * next to each hotel stay on their invoice/quotes, and then include in small print at the bottom " *some hotels may charge a city tax at checkout, usually from 2-8 euros per night, which is not covered by BikeTours." This is a detail that can be corrected easily, and sure would help travelers budget appropriately as well.
    One thing is for sure, however you plan for it, go to Austria and experience the marvelous places on this river tour (we added extra time in Salzburg and Vienna)....you won't regret it.  SHOW MORE 

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    • The Austrian mountains... (photo by Brenda Teal)
    •  (photo by Brenda Teal)
    • Lake at Zell am See... (photo by Brenda Teal)
    •  (photo by Brenda Teal)
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (5/5) Shelley Vercoe October 20, 2023

    Great trip

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    We enjoyed this trip very much. The small medieval town centers were beautiful. Nice hotels and the tour company adjusted the schedule so we could visit Otzi. The scenery is gorgeous especially when the route veers away from the main roads.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    • The cathedral in Innsbruck has spectacular statues. (photo by Shelley Vercoe)
    • Old town Neumacht (photo by Shelley Vercoe)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Salzburg Lakes Tour
    (5/5) Steve and Marty October 6, 2023

    Salzburg Lakes Tour

    · Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps

    This was probably the most scenic tour we've taken. Lake Constance a close second. Hotels, E-bikes, orientation, the navigation app were all as advertised --- 5 star!! Of course we did have perfect weather for the entire trip except for our planned rest day in Bad Goisern. Hallstatt has become a tourist hotspot and I would suggest spending your time at the Dachstein Ice Caves instead of too much time in Hallstatt. The last day riding back into Salzburg was the best with lots of climbing but worth the effort for scenery and the downhill switchbacks. Ebikes are definitely recommended even if you are an avid and fit biker.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    •  (photo by Steve and Marty)
    •  (photo by Steve and Marty)
    •  (photo by Steve and Marty)
    •  (photo by Steve and Marty)
    •  (photo by Steve and Marty)
    •  (photo by Steve and Marty)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (4/5) Jane Fletcher October 4, 2023

    Good trip - lots of orchards and vineyards

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    I enjoyed this trip through the Dolomites but didn’t see as much of the craggy Dolomites as I expected. We were almost always in the flat valley with the mountains along the side of the valley. As we went south the mountains seemed to shrink. I enjoyed the Germanic nature of northern Italy and was very interested to learn more about its history and how Austrian the residents still feel. It didn’t feel like we were in Italy until we arrived in Trento on market day. And then it was almost like a switch flipped and we were in Italy. The architecture as well as the countryside changed and became more Mediterranean influenced. Our ride was generally on bike paths that were very busy with cyclists. Weekends were especially busy but even during the week the paths were busy but it was great to see so many people out riding their bikes. Along the paths we found several bike bars that served drinks and snacks to cyclists and they were perfect places to find a WC. We enjoyed the scenery and marveled at the thousands of acres of apple orchards that we rode through. The hotels were generally fine but the hotel in Riva del Garda was a disappointment. I paid extra for single rooms after a friend had to cancel her trip and this room was a real disappointment, it was more like a cell.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    20+
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    •  (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • Apple orchards are grown much differently, straight up skinny trees many of which were heavily laden with fruit (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • Trento piazza (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • My single room in Riva del Garda, a disappointment (photo by Jane Fletcher)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Salzburg Lakes Tour
    (5/5) Glen Kropp October 3, 2023

    Amazing bike tour

    · Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps

    The trip was amazing, like riding in a postcard the whole time. Bike touring was the perfect way to experience Austria. Saw so many wonderful places, stayed in different hotels each night and got to experience all the different little towns. We had great fall weather for our trip and made for a perfect time!

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Kirk R October 3, 2023

    Beautiful riding in Austria

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    The scenery on the ride through the Austrian Alps was amazing! Bike paths and trails on nearly the entire ride. The bikes we rented were in excellent condition. There was plenty of time to stop and explore the small towns along the route. The transfer of luggage was seamless, with prompt pickup and drop off each morning. The breakfast provided was very good and a great way to start the day. We will definitely consider another European bike tour in the future.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
  • Tauern Bike Path
    (4/5) Stacey Davey September 30, 2023

    Beautiful countryside and charming hotels

    · Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)

    I thoroughly enjoyed the villages and sights along our six day Tauren/Salzburg self-guided trip. The countryside was breathtaking, our hotels were charming and our hotel bookings and luggage transfers were seamless. The route also took great advantage of the amazing bike routes and on our 300 kM journey, I think only 10 or 15 kM was on a major highway. The trip was considered “moderate” and involved some climbs on the first few days of our trip—particularly if you wanted to visit some of the suggested sights along the way. The one detracting factor to our experience was the quality of the bikes. They were extremely heavy and cumbersome and did not help with navigating some of the hillier terrain. The bells and the odometers (essential for way finding) did not work properly on the two women’s bikes. The vast majority of the people we came across were on e-bikes and while the route was doable on what I would consider steel townies, it limited some of the sights we visited as after we climbed the almost 4 kM hill to visit the salt mine, we started considering elevation gains before deciding which sights to take in. However, I will say that the seats were comfortable! All in all, I enjoyed the trip and would definitely recommend it to others.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) chuck hughes September 30, 2023

    Innsbrock to Salzburg

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Great way to see Austria, really enjoyed the trip, and would recommend it to others. Everything was very well planned and it went very smoothly.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (1/5) Kenneth Moffat September 25, 2023

    The scenery was great the bike company very poor

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    The bikes should be delivered to the hotel we are assigned to.
    No one reviewed the tour nor did we get a bike fitting.
    The group should all stay in the same hotel. We do not want separate hotels.
    There was more than one occasion when the hotel did not have all of us booked in the hotel.
    The bike tools were not adequate to fix some of the bike issues we had.
    None of us would use this company again.
    I should mention the liaison person Penelope was very nice.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    • 2/5 Value
    • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Paula Zoccano September 24, 2023

    Beautiful trail

    · Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps

    Pros:The hotels were very good. Wonderful cycle routes. Lovely towns.
    Cons: In Riva I would have preferred to be in the old town beside the water. We had 2 hotels who did not have all our group booked. Unfortunately one couple had to stay by the airport a taxi ride to join us in Innsbruck (still trying to get reimbursed for hotel and cabs) and in Riva another couple were not booked but the hotel was able to give them a room. We also learned in one town we were not booked in the same hotel, our group of 5 couples were split up. I found that strange.
    The meet and greet at the beginning was not at the hotel the company booked us to stay. We were expected to go to another location to get our briefing and bikes. I’ve never had that when booking with other cycle companies. We missed that in our notes and not until 7:00pm when the hotel gave us our booklets did we realize we should have been somewhere else. As a result we never had a meet and greet and bikes fitted to us. My husbands bike had a brake dragging and he needed a torque head screw driver to make adjustments and no torque head screw driver was supplied. He had to find one. The bikes should have been tested,
    No water bottle cages on the bikes.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Italy
    •  (photo by Paula Zoccano)
    •  (photo by Paula Zoccano)
    • Passing Apple and grape orchards (photo by Paula Zoccano)
    • Beautiful ride (photo by Paula Zoccano)
    • Rainy day. (photo by Paula Zoccano)