Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 48
- 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
- ★★★★★ Ellen Brown
Poor route info
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
While the company rep was great, the app and route map only worked the middle 3 days. First day we had a transfer to Trento, a rather rushed fitting of bikes, then told to just follow the bike path to Riva de Garda, “ it’s easy, you won’t get lost”. Well, we were lost, and we experienced with self guided bike tours. There was no meeting to discuss the use of the app before we took off riding, but then there was no GPS either. Lucky we paid for an international phone plan, I used it to get us to the town. Others on this same tour ended up MILES away from where they should have been.
They gave us a booklet with written directions that were totally useless as there was no starting point. One direction said start over the bridge, there was no bridge anywhere near our hotel.
The riding was basically on bike path, so very easy. Lots of dirt and rocks and stones as well.
The bikes were “ok” but seemed older. I had to switch out my e-bike as the battery wouldn’t detach. The replacement bike I was given had a slow leak in the back tire, so we had to pump it up during the ride.
While the scenery is beautiful, and the riding enjoyable, I don’t recommend the tour company used in Italy- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ Mark Abzug
meh
Florence to Rome
great cycling, but eurotours was terrible. no orientation, routed us on some busy roads, no customer service at all. I've done 5 of these, and this group was the worst support outfit by far
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ Lisa Price
Gorgeous vistas!
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
I've been on several bike tours; this was by far my favorite. The routes were well-planned with views that took you from the origin of the Ebro through the mountains through gorges, along rich valleys & fields, ending in the celebrated Rioja Valley- with charming historical towns all along the way. Detailed GPS instructions made the routes easy to follow, allowing you to go at your own pace and stop to take advantage of the many interesting sights. My first time on an e-road bike and I'm a convert- the equipment was excellent. The local team was very helpful and supportive, making sure everything ran smoothly. I hope to do this tour again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- 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?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ Debra Miller
A Bit Disappointing
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Cycling along a paved path along the Danube was relaxing for our group of four. Day three was truly beautiful with cobblestone roads and colorful houses in the villages. Wish we had gone earlier in the year as many restaurants and shops were closed for the season.
- ★★★★★ Lisa Schmitz
Wonderful trip!
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This is not a terribly challenging ride, especially on e-bikes. The scenery is beautiful and all of the hotels were great. The breakfasts were enormous and plentiful, and luggage transfer was seamless. We did request to stay in Stein am Rhein instead of Gailingen, and we’re glad we did. The hotel in Arbon (Hotel Römerhof) was very nice, but if it’s possible to stay closer to the water, I’d recommend that. The e-bikes were excellent. One important note: bike pick up is open until 7pm, even though the shop is listed as closed after 5:00. They don’t answer the phone or return a message, but you can expect them to be ready for you up until 7pm. Enjoy his ride!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- 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, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Steven Fuglestad
Wonderful Way to Tour Portugal
Portugal's Atlantic Coast
Portugal's Atlantic Coast bike tour is a wonderful way to visit and tour Portugal. The route is mostly along the ocean and there are many awesome views along the way. The distance of the each day's biking is reasonable, although there are many challenging hills to climb. The hotels were excellent, and each night we were on the coast we received an ocean view room. The service with airport pickup and drop off was prompt, friendly and efficient. The only negative was a poor quality GPS with difficult to read screen (the Ride with GPS app for one's phone, with the downloaded route, was much easier to navigate with). I recommend staying a few extra days to tour the beautiful and historic city of Lisbon. This was my first bike tour and it was an awesome experience! The itinerary, hotels, and service were all excellent!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Portugal
- ★★★★★ Carol
2nd Ireland west coast tour - love this country
Treasures of the Donegal Coast
Really enjoyed this tour and Ireland by Bike does a great job of providing clear maps and detail on each leg of the journey to explore. The county is beautiful with an amazing variety of landscapes from cliffs to valleys to amazing remote beaches. Hotels and their proprietors were all terrific, made if especially nice to stay extra nights in some.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
- ★★★★★ Meg Bates
Riding Lake Garda
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
It was a great trip and the hotel and local setting were wonderful.
Our experience in getting assistance from the local partner, however, was not satisfactory. We had to contact them a couple times about bike needs and malfunctions. The "hotline" is merely place that tell you who else to call. Their communication to resolve issues was horrible.There should be more detail about some aspects for the ride. One thing is the availability of public toilet facilities. On at least one ride, there were none.
Also, the route info was often a problem. It was at time not accurate. You should sonderusing using Rides with GPS, which was a better option.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ Thomas Bailey
Good trip
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
I will give you the positives and then areas I think you could improve upon. 1. The route along the Mosel is absolutely fantastic. And the boat ride down the Rhine was a very pleasant surprise. 2. We stayed in the upscaled lodging, and they were all very, very good. 3. The bikes were some of the best we have rented in Europe. They were very clean and I think almost new. Areas for improvement, 1. Your representative in Germany is, at best, average. Almost no discussion about the route or functionality of the bikes. He was very anxious to get the bikes in our hands...and leave. He also stated the route is so straightforward I did not need gps, and recommended I leave it a home. That might be true if I lived there and spoke the language. Regardless, I took my garmin and was very happy I did. The written directions were extremely imprecise - and since we had upgraded our lodging, our hotels had very bad directions to get to them. I even asked about this before we left and there was little effort to make them more clear. Not sure what your quality control is for your representatives, but we have been on several biketours.com and the quality of service when you get there is very, very inconsistent. Belgium was good, France not so much. 2. I would build in more time to see some of the beautiful small towns we visited along the way - at least give that as an option for people looking for a more relaxed schedule.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Julie Paoli-Stern
Excellent Trip!
Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
First bike trip and we really enjoyed it! Routes were well laid out and lodgings were varied and of good quality. Tour company was very attentive to our needs and responded immediately when we encountered a problem along the way.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
- ★★★★★ Janice Render
Mosel bike Path
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
We had no guide but 4 of us, we enjoyed doing it on our own with all hotel booked and ready for cyclists. The maps and instructions are a good idea but need to be updated we got lost and spent a lot of time trying to figure out where we were and how to stay off roads to get there. Hill in Cochem to hotel was not pleasant. Needed better instruction on getting there and to garage
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 11,2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Dean Ross
A big slice of Greece
Sparta and the Mediterranean Coast
A great way to explore some of the smaller towns in Greece. There was a little more riding on roads with narrow or no shoulders than we had expected but drivers were generally courteous. We were not advised of a hotel change on the first day the ride which caused some unnecessary confusion.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Elizabeth Levine
Seeing the Netherlands on 2 wheels
Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
The Netherlands are a cyclist’s dream- bike lanes and biking infrastructure everywhere- in villages as well as cities. This was amazing to experience- and to hop on 2 wheels and join in! The bicycles provided by Tulip cycling were top notch Dutch bicycles with automatic lights that turn on while pedaling. It was great to have our luggage shuttled to each hotel every day, so our bags were waiting for us when we arrived at each hotel ready for a hot shower and a change of clothes. Most of the hotels were 4- star and all had great breakfasts and all were walkable to the historic city centers with the market square, restaurants, cafes etc.
Unfortunately the weather was poor during our cycling trip- very high winds and frequent heavy rain almost every day of our mid- September journey- this made the cycling much more difficult than we anticipated with the need to frequently stop to pull on rain gear- and the GPS device did not work well during storms so the navigation was also more difficult than expected. Several of the locals told us that frequent high winds and rain are typical in autumn and that the best months for cycling are May, June and July.
Despite the bad weather we enjoyed the countryside, the lovely hotels, the friendly locals , the delicious food and the pace of life on the bicycle tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
- ★★★★★ Christine Wilson
Stunning self guided trip through Connemara
Connemara Lazy Days Cycling
Cycling was the perfect way to see Ireland. We loved everything about it..our accomodations, the locations, landscapes and the food! The first day was the most challenging of the cycling days with the hills & terrain. My only suggestion is to confirm your bike size is correct. Mine was a medium upgraded hybrid bike which should have been a small. The bike was to big & heavy making the first day's ride more challenging for me, but I wouldn't have traded my experience of riding that day for anything! I did receive the correct size bike for the remainder of the trip. We had three exceptionally beautiful clear days and two very rainy days, which we were prepared for since we brought rain gear suggested for the trip. We had a true experience of Ireland weather! I would definitely recommend this cycling trip for anyone who is looking for an amazing adventure!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- 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?
- Ireland
- ★★★★★ Amanda Jennings
Serious amounts of traffic
Algarve Coastal Route
This ride has you in a lot of heavy traffic and even on the motorway at some places. The ride takes you through heavily touristed areas and then areas with nothing. This country very much highlighted the haves and the have nots in the country. I did not like the ride, it wasn't worth all of the traffic that we had to deal with.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
- ★★★★★ Carol Peckham
Exceeds expectations
Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
Switzerland is beautiful and what a spectacular way to see it. We took an unguided tour with turn by turn directions that kept us off the beaten track. Our trip was very well planned with wonderful accommodations each night. The e-bikes we rented were excellent and with the ups and down of our route, also appreciated.
We have become real believers in bike tours as a relaxed way to see the world. This was our third trip through Bike Tours and we are already planning our next one.- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Kenneth Moffat
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.
- ★★★★★ Patricia ONeill
Albania September 2023
UNESCO Sites of Albania
Good guides and routes. Somewhat unsatisfactory accommodations because on Day 5 and Day 9, there were not enough reserved hotel rooms, so 2 x I and another solo traveler had to share a room [and bathroom] because the hotel had given 1 of our rooms away. One night was tolerable, but not really acceptable 2 x. It was a large group with the majority of people on e-bikes but we spent a lot of time [sometimes almost an hour] waiting for the non-e bikers [no fault of theirs]. This put pressure on the non-e bikers, guide, and meant that we arrived at the hotels later than expected, with less downtime to enjoy the destination. Our guide was very good, but our group would have enjoyed more cultural and historical conversations since this was billed as the UNESCO tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Albania
- ★★★★★ Thomas Carr
Wonderful Trip
Venice to Trieste and Istria
We did this trip with two other couples who had never done a European bike tour before. We were so impressed with the efficiency of the staff, the accommodations and of course the beautiful route.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
- ★★★★★ Paula Zoccano
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.
