Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 28
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
- ★★★★★ Bill Allured
A great way to experience Puglia in Italian
Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
The bicycling was magnificent with varied and spectacular views. A vary civilized break for coffee and Italian language every day, along with delicious lunch stops (with more Italian) really illustrated the concept of “Slow Tourism”, which the local partner specializes in. Our teacher and guide, Giovanna, was a gentle and excellent teacher as well as guide. When thunderstorms were predicted, she anticipated possible stopping places so we were confident in our ride. The only down side was that we don’t know what to follow it up with next year, except maybe do it again!
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ Mark Anderson
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
- ★★★★★ Geraldine ( Gerry) Sayerd
Stunning Natural Beauty!
Bergen to Sognefjord: Cycle Norway's Greatest Landscapes
As very special cycling experience… rain or shine, Norway delivers! We loved the rolling terrain, ferry system and the excitement of discovering the unique charms of the characterful, remote villages on the Sogneford route. We especially loved the older hotels including; the Kviknes Hotell in Ballestrand and our favourite, the Walacher Jotel in Solvorn. Both provided old work ambience with modern efficiency. The Walacher Hotel was a very special dining experience and not to be missed both breakfast and dinner. Our last day cycling on the “ romantic route” was lovely and very memorable from the ferry to Urnes, cycling chug up the very steep hill to the old stave church and the challenge of the unlit tunnels. All experiences added to our sense of accomplishment and are now part of our story of cycling in Norway. We will return! Thank you to the warm welcome and care from your team.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Norway
- ★★★★★ Rebecca
Lovely route along the Rhone
Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon
My friend and I had a great time on this self-guided bike tour. Navigation was fairly easy, and we liked having the option of short or long routes for several of the days. This itinerary gave us a good balance of time in large cities and small villages. Staying in Perouges was a highlight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- 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?
- France, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ William Gibson
Dolomites to the sea in Trieste
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
This was a fun trip overall. The route begins with beautiful scenery thru mountain valleys with it's conclusion into the wine country north of Trieste. Numerous historical sites along the way with castles, churches and town centers to see. The lake in Bled is stunning.
Accommodations were mostly fantastic with excellent food for dinner and breakfast.
We had a few problems at the start with missing bike accessories for the e-bikes. Luckily this was easy to sort out at the bike shop in Dobbacio the evening before our ride.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Some self guided gravel biking in Colorado
- 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?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
- ★★★★★ john thell
Wonderful Danube
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
We loved the trip along the Danube. Great scenery, great accommodations, wonderful food. Unfortunately we had several days of rain but we found some cafes and Gasthof’s along the way
- ★★★★★ Bob N
Spectacular scenery and towns
Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
West Balkan Triangle; Epic Croatia through Biketours.com
Bottom Line: Fabulous Tour. Great Scenery. Very nice hotels and food. Friendly people. You had better be extremely fit if you are not riding an e-bike. 190 miles and over 11,000 feet of climbing. With an e-bike, no problem.
Guides: Alex and Alex (Juro). Fantastic guys. Focused on fun and safety. Very accommodating. We loved them. Great fun and professional.
Bikes: Marvelous e-bikes. Makes the tour possible for many. Powerful and great range. Road bikes a bit dated but light. Rim brakes. 23mm tires. 52/36 11-28T gearing not great for 7 kilometer 7 to 10% climbs. (And the climbs are frequent) Tough to spin.
Routes: Well planned. Some beautiful remote and coastal areas. Some heavy traffic in Hercog Novi area can be a bit intimidating for some. Most areas traffic not an issue. Overnight cities were charming.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
- ★★★★★ Alan Burnet
Great circular cycling route
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Really enjoyed our cycle tour of lake Konstanz. The luggage pickup and drop offs were very efficient and the hotels provided secure locations to lockup our bikes. All the hotels had great breakfast buffets and mostly great rooms. The standout hotel was probably in Lindau as it was the only one with a pool and spa. We appreciated having daily recommendations for stops and sightseeing which we could plan the day before and it was fun to find random lake swim spots.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Julia W.
A beautiful ride!
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was my 4th bike tour with BikeTours. This was the best in terms of beautiful scenery and ease of riding. We were a group of 8 seniors, most on e-bikes. There were a few stretches of hills, but they were short and manageable with e-bikes. From past experience, we expected to get lost a few times, or miss the bike signs, but that was just part of the experience. The hotels and breakfasts were excellent. Working with Biketours was seamless, as usual. Luggage transport was flawless. We broke up the long ride from Uberlingen to Lindau, and stayed a night in Friedrichshafen. There, we got to see the Zeppelin Museum. We also stayed an extra night in Lindau, a beautiful town, which gave us time to visit Bergenz and take the tram for a mountaintop view of Lake Konstanz.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- 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, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Robin Reams
My Solo Trip Down The Danube
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The trip took place with a few glitches, but overall went well. It rained the first day, but was clear the rest of the week. The trail is generally in good condition, but signage is poor in some areas. The scenery is very beautiful in places and monotonous in others, which tends to be typical of all bike trails. For the most part, I was quite happy as I covered the distance from Passau to Vienna. My favorite stop was Tulln, which is of reasonable size and significant beauty, and where I stayed in a comfortable hotel and had dinner at an excellent restaurant. If I could do the trip over I would ride to Vienna and back to Tulln the last day and end the ride there.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Not sure. Numerous over 40 years of cycling.
- 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, Germany
- ★★★★★ Gareth Laws
From Mountain Tops to Ocean Views
Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
Do this now, before Slovenia is spoilt. Lake Bled our starting point was amazing. Some steady climbs, luckily on e-bikes made the challenges in the early days more comfortable! A mix of accommodation, but one night in most of the places, was ok. We broke the journey with 2 nights in Ljubljana, definitely worth it.
A mix of off road, paved tracks, some roadside cycling ( but the cars were very good to us) grunty uphills and screaming downhills.
The App was easy to use and didn’t chew through the battery too much.
Overall we had a great time. The people are very friendly and welcoming. The hotels varied from top notch to “OK”. The bikes were comfortable and good condition, no problems there. Would recommend if you have some cycling experience.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
- ★★★★★ Michele Riley
Wonderful biking in the islands!
Split to Dalmatian Islands
This tour is a wonderful way to ride as much or as little as you want to. The self guided tours are very easy to follow using the app, and the bikes were in excellent condition. Taking the ferries out to the islands each day was very easy, and the islands themselves are very beautiful, with little traffic. Our tour contact, Michael, was very responsive and took care of the minor problems we had very quickly. The lodging was excellent.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Steven Ahrendt
Fabulous experience
French Alpes Tour: Alpes and Ventoux
Our group of eight thoroughly enjoyed our Bike Tours experience. The hotels were both comfortable with excellent breakfasts and multi course dinners featuring local cuisine. The bikes were as advertised and all in great working order. The guide picked us up in Grenoble and was fantastic. He accompanied us on the rides in van providing water as needed and set up a nice picnic lunch for us. He was also an avid cyclist and accompanied us on bike on additional supplemental rides when we encouraged him to. Overall the tour was 6 days of outstanding cycling and everything that was advertised and more!
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
- ★★★★★ Tyra Pounds
Spectacular Bike Trip
Treasures of the Donegal Coast
The perfect way to experience Ireland. Each of our hotels and bed and breakfasts were so unique. What incredible scenery and countryside.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
- ★★★★★ John Mitchell
Good trip - great experience
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Overall a wonderful trip through gorgeous scenery. The routing was excellent, giving us pretty rural scenery and avoiding car traffic. Hotels were generally excellent and continental breakfast buffets were a highlight of our day! We had a fabulous time and this trip has opened up the world of bike touring to us. And made us want to return to Slovenia to explore further.
The route did bring us to a couple of small towns with very little going on, and we would have enjoyed going a little bit further on some days. Maybe it could be better to tweak the route by lengthening a couple of days and building in an extra night and side-trip from Postojna, Muggia or Piran.
The hotels in Muggia and Piran were superb. The hotel in Vrhinka was not great (rooms were noisy from road traffic and bar immediately below; breakfast choice and quality was lowest of the trip).
Our touring bikes were basic, old and in average repair. Tires were under-inflated on receipt, mudguards rattled. All mechanicals worked just fine though. We saw some other Helia bikes on our travels which looked newer and lighter.
Navigation - the Guibo app was OK. The interface is definitely NOT Google Maps. We found it slow and clumsy but it did the job. The arrows on signposts were great in some areas, not in others. The printed material was useful to read to prepare for the day ahead, but the printed map details were too small to be of use.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
- ★★★★★ F.S
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
- ★★★★★ David Reynolds
Orleans to Angers - great chateaus
Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
Great tour. Biking route was easy to follow and attractions were amazing, esp for chateau lovers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- France
- ★★★★★ Carmel Brown
ride, fun, explore. ride somemore
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
A great way to travel from Vienna to Budapest and see what each country offers. From corn fields, small villages, beautiful scenery and amazing cities. The trip was very well organised and the app so easy to use throughout the trip. If you are thinking of doing this trip, stop, just do it.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 3024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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, Hungary
- ★★★★★ Larry Warshawski
Great trip Bolzano to Venice
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
We enjoyed the bike trip. The GPS courses were very good as were the tour descriptions in Ride with GPS. Unfortunately there was not enough time to see many of the sites. The hotels overall were average with some below average and a couple that were above average. They were all outside of the main old town vicinity and we missed out on the wonderful ambiance of the historical towns.
The 5 hour ferry ride on Lake Garda was too long and we arrived after sunset in late August. It was dark when we arrived at the hotel, which again was away from the downtown area and we had difficulty finding it.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 30
- 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?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ Flavia
Great experience!
Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
We did not expect to get to know the places in such a calm and relaxing way. We specially enjoyed cycling along the canals and the seaside. The plan was flexible enough to organize some small detours and to stop along the way any time we especially liked a place.
