Austrian Alps Bike Tour Reviews (page 9)
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★★★★★ Bob Sterndale 10 months agoBeautiful trip but problems
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
The scenery was breathtaking, the bike paths mostly fine but with seriously difficult and dangerous exceptions, the hotels very pleasant and the e-bikes fine with one exception.
The trip started on the wrong foot at the first hotel: Hotel Krimml Fälle. We were assigned a room with no heat (as were others) on a cold day. After two hours of lame diversions and excuses, while we sat in the lobby to keep warm, we were given a heated room. In all other respects the hotel and restaurant were fine.
Getting to Krimml is a bit confusing. OBB will sell you a train ticket (from Salzburg for us) all the way to Krimml. The trip involves a narrow-gauge train from Sell am See to Mittersill hbf (end of line) and a bus trip from Mittersill to Krimml. There is a bus stop in the middle of Krimml village, steps from our hotel.
The first day of biking were delightful. The hotel in Sell am See was beyond our expectations.
The second day of biking started well but we encountered a long section of closed trail. We were in a narrow valley with little development. The only parallel path was a shoulder-less two-lane highway with plenty of high-speed traffic, not an acceptable bike route. Trees and brush had been trimmed along the nice paved bike path recently. All the slash had been left on the path, for 2 or 3 days from its appearance. We picked our way through the mess for maybe a couple kilometers. Then we came to a section with blown down trees obstructing the path, another ½ to 1 Km. Getting through this required some bushwhacking with the heavy e-bikes. Not fun.
Day three of biking was fine until we came to a flooded underpass on the outskirts of Salzburg. We needed to cross the A1 highway to get to Salzburg. A bad storm a few days before had caused numerous problems across Austria. We did find an alternate route but advance knowledge would have saved us a few Km of pedaling.
Day 4, however, brought us to highway biking. As we approached the village of St. Radegund we were directed onto a busy, shoulder-less two-lane road for a steep ascent of a kilometer or more. It was a strenuous ride even with the e-bikes. Your web sites offers this description of the tour:
“The tour route is mainly on dedicated bicycle paths (about 80% of the time). The remainder of the tour is on quiet roads and dirt or gravel roads. This tour is suitable for families with children.”
This stretch alone disqualifies the tour as a family-safe route. The experience continues:
A short distance beyond the scary hill climb is a 5.2 Km stretch of riding on the same road. The tour map shows this section as a bike path on the side of the road pavement. The “bike path” in this area is about 18” wide, separated from the high-speed traffic by a 4” wide white stripe. Narrative direction for this day’s route were not helpful, signage was poor, the “pink” house referred to is now yellow.
The unpleasant day was capped by a steep climb to the hotel in Burghausen. Pushing a heavy e-bike up a hill doesn’t work! You need to pedal it up so that it assists with its own heavy weight.
Day 5 brought us to Bad Fussing. This day was mostly uneventful. Directions to the hotel in Bad Fussing were vague, calling for riding 4 Km on a busy road with no shoulder. Instead, we found a bike path at the German side of the bridge that led right in to downtown Bad Fussing. The directions should include this route. Plan your day to allow an hour or two at one of the baths, you will be glad you did!
Day 6 was uneventful, mainly along the Inn River to Passau.
One e-bike problem: the rear disc brake on one of the 4 bikes was useless, apparently the brake pads were worn away (bikes had coaster brakes too). In all other respects bikes were fine. Battery capacity was generous. I think the lowest reserve at the end of any day for any of us was 50%.
An otherwise delightful trip was marred by surprise bike path closures and stretches of unsafe highway biking. This is not for children. The scenery was awe inspiring. Hotels were good to excellent. E-bikes were good except for one problem that didn’t spoil the trip.
We would have wished for more current information on bike path conditions from the local partner. We provided reports to them of closed paths as we encountered them.
Your tour description misrepresents the conditions of the route. We would not have booked the trip if had been accurately described. SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 16, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- about ten
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from jan October 3, 2024
Thank you for your business and detailed feedback. Unfortunately the storm that hit your area during your vacation impacted 1000s of folks which resulted in the on the ground teams being totally overwhelmed. Unfortunately we cannot control mother nature. That said, thank you for traveling with us and we hope to see you again!
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★★★★★ Llewellyn F. 2 months agoFabulous Views and Vistas
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
It was a great trip! Just amazing views of the mountains through Austria and then Italy. Was generally flat or downhill so not difficult. Allowed us to enjoy the cycling and then enjoy the towns we stayed in.
Mainly separate bike paths that were perfectly maintained. Best I've seen. Signage for our route was very good. Easy to find coffee/strudel/beer stops along the way. Only issue was that instead of a GPS we were given an app. While the app explained the route, it just had a picture map with a purple line that sort of followed the route. We had to use Google Maps to figure out exactly where we were related to the map. Not very easy to do. I've been on tours with a GPS and it was perfect. Note that when approaching Lake Garda on the last day, the map showed us going off the bike route to a road that looked dangerous along the mountain. We stayed on the bike path that led us to amazing views down to Lake Garda and the route that all other cyclists were going.
There was a little issue with the timing of the shuttle on the way back to Innsbruck. Very thankful for Stephano (the local tour operator) who stepped in and personally picked up another client, so that we could leave earlier and reach Innsbruck by noon to catch a bus to the Munich airport. Next time will try not to have immediate plans after the tour. Can't say enough about Stephano and his team. One thing to consider, is for the local tour operators to be accessible via WhatsApp. Not all of us had voice access on our phones, only data.
Hotels were very nice except one in Mals...more like a two-star. Elevator had no light. Shower had little water pressure. Breakfast very limited. The one in Lake Garda was perfectly located with amazing views. All were easy to get to from the main bike path.
Some sights worth doing: just past the Italy border at Lago di Resia Reschensee stay on the right side of the lake on a beautiful bike path with picnic tables to stop and take in the view (brings snacks and drinks), Mendel Cable Car/Funicular (cool on top, there's a little town there), Wiengut Waldthaler wine tasting in Ora (Clemens was amazing and joined us for pizza where we ordered his wine), most towns have nice parks and areas to walk before/after dinner.
I've done several bike tours and this one was one of the best in terms of route, paths and scenery.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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, Italy
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★★★★★ Phil 2 months agoA great ride around beautiful countyside and Lakes.
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Overall this was an excellent bike tour. The routing past beautiful lakes, small villages, delightful farms, and overnight stays in great locations made it highly enjoyable. The issues that I would note for possible improvements are:
1. The E Bike + Hike naviagation App was good but certainly not great. Not nearly as capable or helpful as the "Ride with GPS" App we have used on another BikeTours.com trip in Europe. The App provided was not programmed to navigate us to, or from, the hotels which had been booked for us, so one had to resort to using another navigation App like Google Maps for the finish and start to each day's ride. The App recommended didn't show at the start of each day's ride, the total distance to be covered, nor during the ride the distance travelled, nor the distance to go. The Ride with GPS App we had previously used was also programmed to give advice about scenic highlights as we got to them, and verbal as well as written descriptions of options to look at along the route.
2. The "Your Trip Itineary booklet provided with information and maps about each day's ride was unnecessarily complex and at times confusing, and the step by step instructions would be almost impossible to follow while riding, from just using the book. This booklet was claimed to be personalised for our trip but it contained a lot of irrelevant and unnecessary information relating to other riding options and accommodation other than the places which had been booked for us.
3. An overall map of the whole trip with reasonable scale (the one provided was too small) would have been useful. We eventually found a map independantly "Salzkammergut Radkarte" which was much better than the maps provided in our folder, which showed the overall route very well. I would recommend that this map be included in future folders.
4. About 10% of the route specified was on very busy roads. Options to avoid these (if at all possible) would have been welcomed, and obviously in the future as more dedicated bike tracks are developed, these would greatly improve the overall enjoyment of this tour.- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Susan P. 1 month ago
Our Best Bike Trip Ever!
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
We had to stop saying how beautiful this route was! Quiet roads and bike paths, incredible scenery, nice hotels and amazing breakfasts! We chose the upgraded bikes which were very comfortable, not e-bikes, and only walked one hill. The rolling terrain added welcome variety to our ride. We were especially surprised leaving and re-entering Salzburg totally on safe bike paths. The app was very easy to follow and we are looking forward to our next self guided tour with bike tours.com. We have done several tours with guided companies and are really enjoying the freedom of self guided biking. Being able to begin riding when you would like and to stop at sites that peak your interest made all the difference.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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
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★★★★★ Trish Bainbridge 1 month agoPart of a European transit cycle
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
The paper guides were difficult to read - we used a Garmin which made it much easier otherwise you were constantly stopping to check turnings- suggest you don’t use survey maps but custom bike maps. Hotel selection was ok but some rooms were noisy and windows facing busy roads. Worst hotels were Innsbruck and Salzburg which spoiled the trip experience.Trish
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many European but usually self designed solo travellers with own bikes
- 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
-
★★★★★ Susan Roberts 1 month ago
Beautiful scenery!
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Nice variety of towns and rural countryside. Hills on the last day especially were more like level 4 than level 2 - quite challenging, even on ebikes. Hotels were varying but adequate.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ ShopTherapy 4 weeks ago
Nice Biking, Some Hotels Could Be Better
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Loved the rides and scenery. Ebikes performed adequately but had noticeably less power than new bikes we'd used the week before on another tour (Dolomites to Trieste). After a long day of riding, ending at a nice hotel is a must. The Mondsee and Salzburg hotels were great. Others not so much. Paying extra for the single supplement and ending up in a tiny room with a twin bed was disappointing. One was on the the 3rd (US 4th) floor, there were three daddy longlegs around the window, and the elevator was broken. Guests should have been assigned rooms on a lower floor or sent to a hotel 7 km away in St. Gilgen. Be aware that most hotel staffs go home between 10-11 pm so no front desk presence overnight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Pat 4 weeks ago
Beautiful scenery
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Whoever plotted this route did a wonderful job--and had legs of steel. We rode on superbly maintained bike paths and little-traveled farm roads through alpine meadows, lush forests and charming towns. But there were also some of the longest, steepest hills I have ever ridden. Think ebike in first gear and Turbo mode for 10 minutes straight. The navigation app was pretty good but bring an extra battery pack! It eats a lot of juice.
The hotels were a mix of the sublime and the Motel 6 variety but all were acceptable.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
-
★★★★★ David Geelong Australia 2 weeks ago
Perfect 7 Days Easy Alpine Cycling
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
A fantastic way to ride through the Austrian and Italian Alps without the hill climbs. Perfect length of 7 nights, awesome accommodation in beautiful villages and larger cities, nestled right in amongst the activities of the town centres.
Two brothers in retirement rode normal touring bicycles without any training and covered the tracks with relative ease.
The scenery along the route was breathtaking.
The food delicious and easy to search out local cuisine as accommodation was right in amongst it all.
Accomodation was first class (twin share), with large rooms, breakfasts were full buffet and catered for everyone’s tastes.
The touring bikes were in the excellent condition, comfortable seats, pannier and handle bar removable basket.
Routes were 99% cycle only roads fully sealed with a few hundred meters of gravel.
Eurobike staff were also excellent and assisted us as first priority after an incident.
Thank you we would not hesitate to this TO again.
Thank you- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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
-
★★★★★ Tom A. 1 week ago
Mountain valleys, forests, meadows, pastures, and rivers
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
I believe this has been our 4th trip with BikeTours.com, and this might be the best one yet. If you’re looking for a pleasant ride through a lush green countryside, and generally cool weather (and can tolerate a rainstorm or two), Austria is an ideal place for biking, and this particular tour is one of the very best. This trip was actually a little easier on the legs (we only use “real” bikes!) than the other Level 2 trips we’ve taken, and the overall vibe and scenery were just what we were looking for. While we enjoy the bigger cities of Innsbruck and Salzburg, what we love best are the trails through the countryside, with a nice village every 10 miles or so for a break and a bit of Apfelstrudel. Austrians are so friendly to tourists that it’s simply a delight to be here. The cool weather and lush green vegetation everywhere are a big plus, particularly if you come from a drier climate like we do. We navigated with the provided .gpx file using Google maps. Best navigation experience by far!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
-
★★★★★ Raquel Tudela 6 days ago
What an amazing experience!
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
No better way to see this part
Of the world. In a world where everything is about looking at devices, soending 5 days with ny kids biking through this beautiful lakes and mountains was more than amazing. Thank you Biketours, your were exceptional, great communication, always very helpful. We Would all come backand do another route as soon as we could.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
