Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 72
- 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
- ★★★★★ Thomas Albrecht
Beautiful, well-organized trip; good value for the money
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We enjoyed our tour very much. We opted for the unguided version, which suits our tastes well, and found the maps provided to be good enough to guide us. The bikes were good quality and comfortable. The hotels varied, but we enjoyed them all and thought they were a good value for the price. The luggage service each day was perfect -- never late or unclear where to put the luggage for pickup.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1-8, 2022
- 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?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
- ★★★★★ Andres Volosin
Bike kids bike!
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
I was a great way to experience the Rioja area and great for our first bike trip with our kids.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ Terry Whittaker
Croatia At Its Best
Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Extremely well organized; guides were knowledgeable and clearly loved Croatia. Bikes were comfortable and the day trips offered stunning vistas. The lunch at the organic farm was like something featured in Bon Appetit. White water rafting was an added bonus. The boat crew were courteous and professional; room was small but comfortable. Nothing but positive memories.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
- ★★★★★ David Roberts
Great Bike Trip
Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg
Great route - well marked, easy to follow, mostly paths and safe (little "on-road" riding with very light traffic). Easy terrane with very manageable riding distances for most cyclist. Accommodations were clean, comfortable, friendly and above average, although not luxurious. Bikes were good quality and well maintained. Beautiful country and friendly people. I've done more than 20 European cycling tours and I'd rate this as very good value given the modest price point
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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?
- Sweden
- ★★★★★ Susan and Roger Kelly
Awesome trip.
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Loved it but more km than we expected. Would have appreciated personal contact when we arrived but there was some confusion. Otherwise it was a beautiful way to experience Austria.
- ★★★★★ Barak Dunayer
Excellent trip
Munich & the Bavarian Lakes
It was a wonderful trip and a great way to experience the region. The trails were beautiful and the accommodations were quite charming. On a couple of occasions, the maps didn’t correspond exactly to the locations and in need of updating - meaning, the trail began or ended not exactly at the hotel. But overall, we had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May-June 2022
- 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?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Daniel Harrison
Beautiful Bicycling
Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg
I used BikeTours.com to book a memorable six-day, self-guided bicycling vacation in Sweden, where four members of my family travelled in late July 2022. The tour, named “Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg,” provides a nice introduction to Sweden’s rural areas, towns, and the city of Gothenburg. Throughout our 242-mile journey, I was reminded of a popular nursery rhyme that begins “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,” thanks to the excellent pre-trip support provided by our bikeTours.com trip consultant, Kirsten.
Kirsten used her nimble planning skills to help us avoid unexpected logistical challenges with our tour. Multi-day concerts in Gothenburg meant most hotel rooms were booked well in advance, and Kirsten worked with us to devise alternative travel dates that made this trip feasible and affordable, with roofs over our heads. We spent each night in a different hotel, and check-in was always easy.
She was quick to respond to my inquiries on a variety of issues, including preferred types of bicycles, location of our hotels, desire for non-smoking rooms, and access to map routes.
The nursery rhyme ends with these words: “Jack jump over the candlestick.” On our bicycling vacation, we jumped numerous steams and other bodies of water on the well-maintained bridges on the national bike trail, the Kattegattleden. Mostly flat, the route is typically separate from roads, and traverses farmland and charming seaside towns along a pristine coast, ending each day’s journey at a centrally-located hotel.
The final word in the rhyme is “candlesticks.” The design of many restaurants and hotels included lit candles, and contributed to the Scandinavian “hygge” lifestyle. The staff at places where we stayed and dined were welcoming and efficient, though none could hold a candle to the excellent service provided by Kirsten. (DH)
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Sweden
- ★★★★★ Rob Gage
Great, but different from expectations
Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
The mapping software was essential in staying on the recommended path, as sign posting wasn't always clear. The whole trip was more variable than we had expected, both from road quality and scenery.
One suggestion is that the instructions on picking up the bikes could have been sent out ahead of time and made clearer.
- ★★★★★ Keith Raymond
A Swedish Delight
Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg
We really enjoyed this late June trip on the west coast of Sweden. It was well organized, very scenic, lovely towns and hotels. Excellent restaurants and beer to be found along the way. Cycling is not difficult. Would recommend.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Sweden
- ★★★★★ Arik
Nice ride. Two complaints.
Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
1) The phone app didn't work at all (for three of us who tried). And the GPS they gave us as a backup is a decade outdated. Thank goodness for Google Maps, though that didn't always yield the most scenic routes.
2) Too much time spent on bike routes that were really highway shoulders, with a bicycle silhouette stenciled on the asphalt.Great hotels, fantastic food, (and priceless company we provided ourselves).
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Switzerland
BikeTours.com staff reply from Kirsten
Thank you for leaving this feedback. We are working with our local partner to improve the phone app and GPS for this tour. We are glad you still had a memorable time and hope to help you plan your next trip!
- ★★★★★ Paula Meyer
Enchanting tour of Fyn!
Southern Fyn: A Tour Around Denmark’s Fairytale Island
The lime green bikes were easy to operate, the route was clear, the hotels comfortable. We loved the easy self-guided pace and the places we visited in Funen. This was my first experience with Bike Tours and I would totally do another self-guided biking trip with them. Great memories!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
- ★★★★★ Laura Snyder
A great, beautiful challenge
Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
This was a great challenge. The Danube Bike Trail is magnificent - it's something that everyone who enjoys biking should do at least once in thier lives. And parts of it they should do more than once. This tour was perfect for obtaining an understanding of the trail. When I do it again, I'll bike fewer kilometers per day in order to have more time and energy to visit the beautiful and fascinating places along the way.
The support provided by the local company was good. Suitcase delivery was dependable. When, two days into my trip, I realized that it would be better to have an e-bike, they delivered one to me that very day. (Unless you are in very good shape and know exactly what you are doing, I highly recommend you go for an e-bike).
I preferred the trail from Passau to Bratislava. After Bratislava the trail changes - it is not as well sign-posted (it's especially poor in Hungary), and the surfaces at times are challenging (several gravel roads, unpaved paths, and at one point you follow a dirt path in between train tacks and an agricultural field without a single sign post to be found). Also after Bratislava siginificant portions of the path are so far from the river you cannot see it, which makes the lack of sign posting a bigger problem. Arriving in Budapest was a shock to my system - after two weeks of peaceful countryside, I wasn't ready for the hustle, bustle and noise of the city.I don't recommend getting the meals package. I did and regretted it. While some of the restaurants offered excellent meals as well as excellent service, most did not. Most of the restaurants offered me highly limited choices of mostly bland, uninteresting food and resentful service, I guess because I was paying less than the customers ordering a la carte? Whatever their reasons were, they definitely made me feel like a second-class customer. I would have been happy to pay more for more interesting food and kinder service.
My biggest critique is that it was impossible to reach anyone at Biketours.com by phone. Covid or not, I strongly fault them for this - it's not right to sell complex and costly tours like this without being willing to speak with your customers. It would have been extremely helpful for me to be able to speak with someone knowledgeable at least once while planning my trip to be sure I was making the right choices for me.
I did this tour as a woman in my mid-50s, traveling alone. I never felt unsafe. If I can do this tour, anyone who can ride a bike can do it. But I do recommend an e-bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April-May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
- ★★★★★ Wendy Sigler
Perfect explanation of trip. Could sound a little more magical.
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
The staff from the bike company was stellar and very responsive to any assistance we needed. The bikes provided were ok, they were a little grungy like they could use a tune up, but serviceable and once we got used to the battery configuration they were fins. The routes and stops were fabulous! The locals made the experience so enjoyable and special. My Only complain t was that one of our days fell on a country holiday which meant we couldn’t go to the cave, it was closed. We had no idea of this until the day the tour started and would t have known if it hadn’t come up in conversation, we would have ridden all that way to see the cave and been let down. It would be nice if the company provided a list of holidays and better indication of how it could affect the trip. There was a brief mention somewhere, but that would t have helped us, the actual holiday fell on a Sunday so got celebrated on Monday instead so it was unlikely we would have discovered it in our own.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Ken Schneider
Great Trip
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
Absolutely beautiful route with good places to stay. Significant climbs every day made the E Assist bikes a necessity for our group. (We had 6 people about 60 years old and in quite good shape). It was unseasonably hot for our week and a number of the smaller hotels in the mountains did not have AC. I'm not sure how often that would be an issue but sleeping was tough for a few nights. The local crew was friendly, timely and helpful. I would recommend the trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ Rhonda Aliah
Fantastic adventure!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The perfect way to experience Albania from the saddle of great bikes. Erlis and Tani were wonderful, caring, capable and very courteous. I was the slowest cyclist and their reassuring presences made the trip very enjoyable. Had a great time! Would love to explore more someday.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
- ★★★★★ William McGill II
Lake Constance Up Scale Lodging- +’s and -‘s
Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
We enjoyed the scenery, weather, bikes and the people we met on the trail. The local bike company provided maps and directions were lacking organization, accuracy and specific detail for our trip. As an example they did not include directions to the route from the starting hotel nor to the ending hotel. One of the “upscale”hotels was far from the lake in an area with undeveloped, unkempt grass like a vacant lot. Only after painful and time consuming negotiation did the local bike company agree to deliver the bikes to our starting hotel. We previously took a Danube and Mosel upscale lodging bike tours and received great customer service from the local bike companies. I recommend that until the local company selling this tour significantly improves its customer service Bike Tours stop selling this tour.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Ben
Great trip through Slovenia
Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
The best way to visit and get to know a new country
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
- ★★★★★ Steven Froehlich
Amazing Trip
Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
My wife and I had an amazing adventure down the Danube. Accommodations were lovely, charming, distinct, beautiful. Hosts were gracious and hospitable. We purchased the half board, and the meals were generous, delicious, and varied. The European colleagues were available for assistance, and were helpful. The bike path from Passau to Vienna was extremely well maintained, and in most places very clearly marked. The path from Vienna to Budapest included several river crossings (some by boat), and while the path seemed less clearly marked and in some stretches was less well developed (gravel & field paths), the GPX files provided by the team in Vienna provided exact navigation. The US colleagues were wonderful to work with in arranging the trip details.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
