Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 101
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★★★★★ Tim Cooper
Dream trip
Nature, Villages & Castles of the Loire River Valley
The daily route map was good but it needed specific directions about where to turn and specific streets with noticeable landmarks. This is a critical factor especially when arriving in Ambois and. how to get to the designated hotel.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 19,02023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Marko
Good experience overall
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We enjoyed the tour from Passau to Vienna very much, it was very scenic and overall a great experience. I would have rated the experience higher except some of the hotels were not really 4 star or better and the directions need to be improved.
In particular the Römerhof Hotel in Tulln (regardless of assigned rating) is just not very nice. The property is needs updating and painting. Our room was small, had ineffective air conditioning, needed painting and was really a 2 or 3 star experience. The Römerhof Hotel was by far the least desirable overnight stay on the trip, and we would not want to stay there again. I suggest the tour company reconsider this location for the "upscale lodging" tour.
For the most part the directions and maps were outstanding, except for the last day. The final day directions could really be improved for the area around Korneuburg and into Vienna. This is the most difficult section of the journey but the directions are the least descriptive. It was very hard to stay on track with the directions here. We met several other travelers that got off course in this section.
All in all we liked the tour and would recommend it. Thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback, we appreciate it! Marko and Janet
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★★★★★ TriaT
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
This was our fourth family European cycling holiday with Bike Tours and our first in Italy. We loved being based in the same hotel so could settle in for the week. The location on the shore of Lake Garda was beautiful and it was so pleasant in the evening to be able to stroll into Desenzano for dinner, with lots of restaurants 5-10 mins walk away.
The cycling itself wasn't as scenic as we'd experienced in Austria and Slovenia, and we missed the stunning views of the mountains we'd had in those countries (while still on relatively flat routes). The day cycling from Trento to the north of Lake Garda was the exception. That day was the best, though take a book for the very long ferry ride back to Desenzano. And make sure you know where the ferry departs from in Riva before you settle in for lunch. It's a long way from where you first reach the lake.
We found the printed directions frequently inadequate and relied heavily on our phones for accurate navigation so make sure you have a data plan that covers Europe.
If you want to have time to explore Verona properly then build an extra day into the itinerary, leave the bikes behind and take the train round trip.
We sacrificed the ride to Brescia, opting instead to have a full day cycling to and exploring Sirmione, which was definitely worth it. The castle has great views. The small town is swarming with tourists but few venture beyond the vicinity of the castle. There are amazing Roman ruins and swimming areas on the north tip of the peninsula so take a towel.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1st 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- four
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ umcam256
Excellent first cycling trip - beautiful countryside and learned a lot
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Background: My friend and I are from Winnipeg MB. It is extremely flat where we live. This was also our first cycling trip. We paid the extra to have our overnight bags delivered to the next hotel. We started the cycling trip on August 25 and finished August 30 2017.
We booked the 5 day, 6 night self-guided cycling tour through Radweg Reisen. You receive a .pdf of maps and hotel logistics about a week before you arrive. Ideally this would be provided at time of booking so that you can download your own offline maps and determine where you will stop for the day. Although, in hindsight, with a little bit of effort we probably could have done this ourselves with a bit of research.
We started our tour in Constance, Germany. The company was most professional and very attentive to detail when we picked up our bikes. We were given a coiled booklet with the maps, written instructions on how to fix a bike tire, reattaching a bike chain and how to adjust your bike.
Please note, the bikes do not come with water bottle holders. First hand experience has taught me not to put your water bottle in the front basket with your phone unless you put your phone in a waterproof container (drowning your phone on day 1 puts a damper on how proud you should be of yourself for cycling all those hills!).
We were advised to cycle in 3rd or 4th gear when it was "flat" and in 1st or 2nd gear when cycling on an incline. Because where I live is extremely flat, and I'm short (5 foot), I ended up cycling in 5th or 6th gear most of the time, dropping down to 4 at my lowest. My friend who is average height was able to cycle in 4th gear and able to drop down to 2nd gear at her lowest.
The first day we cycled from Constance to Reichenau Island (to sightsee) and then on to Stein am Rhein. I would recommend visiting Reichenau Island on your own if you have a day in Constance. Cycling from Constance to Reichenau Island required us to cycle out of our way and back almost all the way to Constance to get back on the trail to Stein am Rhein. While it was an excellent place to visit, it wasn't worth expending energy that could be used elsewhere. The first day was mostly uphill, and included a hill with a 13% incline. If I were to do this trip again (and hopefully I will!), I would recommend taking your bikes on the train from Constance to Stein am Rhein. Dropping your bike off, and catching the train to the Rhein Falls. We desperately wanted to visit the falls but after all of those hills we were too tired to get there. This leg of the trip is mostly through farmers' fields so if you took the train, conserving your energy for the remainder of the trip, you aren't missing too much. Your legs will thank you and it will give you more time to visit the town of Stein am Rhein and/or the falls.
The rest of our journey was as follows:
Day 2: Stein am Rhein to Überlingen Note: you will end up cycling through Constance again (with stop in Arenenberg at the Napoleonic Museum and in Constance for a swim in the Rhine). SHOW MOREThe hotel that was booked for us by Radweg Reisen is at the top of a very large hill. The view was spectacular from our room! However, it was hard to enjoy because our legs were ready to commit mutiny. In hindsight, if we hadn't doubled back the day before and/or took the train to Stein am Rhein, the uphill cycle to our hotel in Überlingen wouldn't have a been so arduous.
Day 3: Überlingen to Kressbronn (with stop in Meersburg for the Old Castle and then took a shortcut on the ferry from Friedrichshafen (I think?) the rest of the way to Kressbronn)
Day 4: Kressbronn to Rorschach (with stop in Bregenz to take the cable car up to Mount Pfänder). Contrary to everything we read, Bregenz was the easiest city to navigate to, around, and out of, compared to any of the other towns/cities we cycled through.
It was in Bregenz that we found out from two British couples who were also completing the self-guided Radweg Reisen Lake Constance tour that you can request that the booking company give you an extra day in the middle of your trip. This gives your legs one day to rest, one day to sightsee a little bit more than the days you are on your bike and one extra night at one of the hotels. When I do this trip again, I will likely book my day off for Bregenz. There were lots of day trips you could take in that area or alternatively stick around in the town.
Day 5: Rorshach to Constance (with a stop in Arbon for a beach day).
Besides taking the train the first leg, booking a day off in the middle to rest your legs/sightsee a little more in depth, the only other thing I would recommend is to download offline maps to your smartphone for each of the cities you will be staying in and how to get to the hotels. The path itself is very easy to follow but when you enter the cities it becomes quite challenging to navigate to your hotel. We frequently found ourselves using the map provided as well as finding a local map once we entered the city and still often had to ask for directions.
If two flatlanders can cycle this, you can too! The scenery is stunning and it's honestly not too hard of a cycle if you are smart about it. There are plenty of things to see and do, but you will need to plan a bit in advance of booking if you want to take in certain things. Each day you are cycling about 75 km per day (hotel to hotel) and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it does take a full day to do. We found one sightseeing thing was all we could fit in a day, hence why next trip we will be booking a day off in the middle so we can visit more of the places we had hoped to see! That being said, you could tell who the locals were because entire families were on the trail (although I think most of them were just out for the day!).
Don't be afraid to hop off your bike and walk it uphill if you need to. You should note however that the bikes are quite heavy. (I ride a fixie and even compared to my little hipster bike, these touring bikes were quite bulky and heavy.)
On a final note, the hotels that were booked for us were much nicer than anything we would have booked on our own! And the breakfasts provided at each of them was delicious. I recommend picking up some snacks at the grocery stores in the town so you have something to munch on throughout the day.
You can drink the water in Switzerland from any fountain unless it says you can't. Even still, I would recommend bringing 2-3 water bottles with you because of how hot the weather can get.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- August 25 - 30 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Jay Penner
Good ride for e bikes.
Venice to Trieste and Istria
This was the best electronic navigation we had ever seen. A phone holder for the bike made the navigation very easy. The weather was extremely hot the week we rode, but there were usually towns at good intervals to stop and hydrate. The local operator was responsive to any needs along the way and gave a good briefing the night before we started riding. The towns we stayed in offered great local flavor to the trip. The hotels were near the beaches so it was nice to swim in the Adriatic Sea at the end of the day. There were several stretches of road with considerable traffic but also a lot of bike paths and back roads with no traffic. The sights along the way were great and made for a memorable trip.
The last day had several hills that would have been challenging without the e-bike assistance. The bikes were in good shape and rode well. Wouldn’t recommend this for a first time cycle trip.
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★★★★★ Catherine Veitch
Balkan triangle,epic Croatia.
Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
Really enjoyed seeing so many countries by bike,a great way to see the countryside.Our guide was able to guide us through less busy roads..It definitely was an epic trip,lots of hills,some days long distances and warm.The accommodations were excellent,and really appreciated the snacks provided by the tour..
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ Sagan
Follow along the path to glorious Santiago de Compostela
Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
Started the trip in Astorga, we arrived on market day (Tuesday) so all the squares were packed with people and stalls.
Everyday our bags were picked up between 830 - 9am.
The Road book resetting of bike computers were invaluable and really easy to use.
This tour had more climbs than expected and on some days there were very steep and very long ascents.
Downhills were challenging too. We had trained but do not live somewhere with the same terrain. By day three you were used to it.
You are always on the road most road users are respectful to cyclists leaving plenty of room. The worst traffic was going into Santiago but only for 10Km
All hotels were easy to fiind and overall everyone was friendly. Best place was El Capricho de Josana in Las Herrerias the food was amazing.
I would recommend getting your Pilgrim passport and collecting stamps along the way a great souvenir to have and you can collect your certificate in Santiago.
Arriving in Santiago felt great and a real sense of achievement that we were not expecting.- What was the date of your tour?
- 6th Sept 2016
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Guy Levy
Great trip with some annoying snags
UNESCO Sites of Albania
We were a group of 8 members who did a self guided tour with e-bikes. the route of the tour exposed us to Albania's beautiful landscape, heritage and lovely and warm people. The route is quite challenging due to the mountainous terrain and we were glad that we chose to use e-bikes. All in all we really loved it. Yet, we encountered a few troublesome matters that with due attention can be solved.(i) we had numerous problems with the e-bikes, mostly related to chain falling w/o any reason, back cog-wheel that became loose etc., that ended with replacing two of our bikes and a number cases where on road assistance was required. We understood from comments made by the local agents that these had been common problems with the type of bikes we had been given, hence either bike maintenance needs improvement or a different bike brand should be used. (ii) A much greater portion of the tour then described in the website was on main roads with heavy traffic, which we felt made cycling not very safe and certainly not relaxing/enjoyable. (iii) The maps provided together with the e-files of the routes were not always consistent with actual conditions. A more frequent adaptation, of especially the e-routes, to actual roads conditions seems in order. (iv) the hotels provided could be somewhat upgraded. In many cases they were not up to a par with 3 star hotels in Europe (this had been our 9th cycling tour in Europe so we do have some experience).
- What was the date of your tour?
- August-September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Wade C.
Great tour of 3 different countries!
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
This was our second tour with biketours.com. While we did enjoy this itinerary, we preferred our first one, Switzerland Geneva to Lucerne. That being said, I was certainly happy with this trip, the Dolomites region was great, I particularly liked Dobbiaco, Travisio, and Cividale. We had an extra day in Dobbiaco at the start of our trip, which was a good decision. We opted for only one day in Bled, which we also think was a good decision - the lake and town, while beautiful, are a little too touristy for our taste. The optional climbs, leaving Oberdrauberg and entering Bled, were not as difficult as we had imagined and we were glad to have done them. We also chose the hinterland route into Trieste, which was good. Some of the hotels where we stayed in were in cities that were quite small with not much to do, or in the case of Gradisca, was on busy roads and we had to get back on our bikes to get to a walk-able area of the city, which was not great. Especially once in the flat, wine regions of Italy, it felt like we were on more roads and gravel than bike paths than we would have liked. Regarding navigation, the app was excellent, we had no issues whatsoever. Do pack an extra battery bank to charge your phone. We also brought shoe covers for when it rained which we were grateful to have brought. Despite some caveats, overall a great trip!
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★★★★★ B and L
Easy trail through historic Burgundy
Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
Wonderful historic sites in Cluny and Cormatin. Picturesque ride through the vineyards between Santenay and Beaune. We enjoyed detours into small towns along the way. The trail was well marked and an easy ride
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/30/16-6/4/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ William Sholten
Our Alsatian Bike Trip
Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
We have enjoyed 2 other bike trips in the past. This route was not easy to follow without GPS. We used a Garmin GPS to help confirm our path along the way (and highly recommend this). There are many intersecting bike paths around towns, so we had to stop often to determine which route/path to take. There were several detours due to construction (not indicated on our route plans) which made travel both longer and more challenging to navigate.
We cycled on gravel roads in addition to the bike paths, making the ride somewhat longer than anticipated.Hotels were comfortable, but not all hotels in Category A had air conditioning. Hotel staff and breakfasts were first rate!
Rental bike performed well but were heavier than expected.
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★★★★★ Waterdog
Wonderful tour
Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
The bike, accommodations, and breakfast where all very good. I rented an eBike and am so glad I did. Some parts of the route were
harder than I had anticipated. The eBike made those times considerably easier to endure. My only negative about this trip was that the maps and directions were extremely poor at times...numerous times. The worst was when we were trying to find the hotels in the afternoon or leaving town in the mornings. The good news is we were usually able to find pedestrians or other cyclists to ask, but we could ask three people and get the different directions. That being said, it was still a wonderful adventure. I'll definitely book another trip through biketours.com.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 6-15
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ Dean Ross
Good ride Bolzano to Venice.
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Good routing along mostly paved paths through vineyards and orchards away from busy roads. Some of the 70km days were long in the near 40 degree heat, maybe a better tour for Sept. We paid for upgraded hotels some were but not all. Hotel Clarinet in Garda has very small rooms, they also don’t staff the front desk at night and there was no emergency contact given. This all became a reality when we went to leave the room in the morning and the deadbolt on the door just kept spinning. Called the front desk but there was no answer, luckily we had a bike repair tool that we were able to use to break out. Also worth noting that the ferry ride down the lake is a 4-5 hour trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3 with this company
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Rhonda Peckham
Sampler of Albania's beauty
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The tour itself was well organized and lodging overall was pleasant and comfortable. While instructions and direction for the ride were made clear by the guide, the UNESCO sites were not explained as to their significance and designation. Understandably, the guide appeared fatigued and distracted with this the last tour of the year for him. Technical support for and repair for some of the equipment seemed to be an issue. One safety concern noted from the trip: Medical supplies and first aid skills that would adequately address injuries related to cycling seemed to be lacking and was a cause for concern in the event of an emergency.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Robert Sterndale
A beautiful ride through mostly rural, agricultural France
Garonne Canal: From Bordeaux to Toulouse
Bordeaux and Toulouse are interesting cities alright but most of our time was riding through an expansive agricultural area. Finding our way out of Bordeaux was not difficult. Once we reached the canal we "sailed" along the paved towpath all day, every day. The bike trail was mostly well maintained paved surface with a few stretches that were bumpy. We saw active pavement maintenance so it is being improved where needed.
The Roadbook navigating program served well as a way finder except on the last day when it took us to the wrong place in Toulouse a couple kilometers or more across the city from our hotel. That was a hassle.
Being of a certain age, we opted for e-bikes on this trip. These were pedal-assist type bikes which we all mastered quickly. The terrain was mostly very canal-flat but the e-boost was welcome for the occasional rise and toward the end of the day the boost was welcome. The hotels along the way were not right on the canal and some hill climbing was involved there.
Bikes were well maintained and thoughtfully configured for our various heights but no orientation or training was provided for the bikes, they were just left at the starting hotel.
We enjoyed the hotel/B&B stays. B&B hosts were gracious and accommodating. Rooms were clean and comfortable.
We did this in late September which is the end of their tourist season. Weather was fine. Bike traffic was light.
The canal trail provided a very scenic but repetitious view. We saw an interesting variety of agricultural activity along the way.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Dickiev01
Interesting Scenery
Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
A scenic and pretty tour displaying the unique attributes of the region. The roads were generally rural and low volume thoroughfares with a few busy areas, but all in all a wonderful and decently designed tour. We upgrade our bikes so we will rate them higher than normal
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 8th, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ JustBob
Land of Castle, Cruise Ships and Barges
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
After 18 day on a bus tour, a self-guided bike tour along the Rhine was a perfect way to regain some solitude. The tough decision were which of t many historic towns, castles and churches to sit and visit, and what kind of pastry go best with with late morning beer! It would be even better if the Bikeline guide we available in English.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 23 - 29, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ kiki1970
Venice to Trieste and Istria
The overall experience on this bike trip was good. The rain that occurred on 4 of the 7 days of the trip was unexpected. The locals informed us that it hadn't rained in 2 months so it caught up to us. The accommodations and food were excellent. The real problems were the maps that were provided. They need to be more tour specific. When arriving in the destination city, specific directions should be included in finding that hotel. We spent too much time looking for our hotel for the evening. Also the written instructions are a translation from the German guide. In some cases the instructions didn't match what we saw on the ground or what the sign posts indicated. In general, the people that we dealt with in the States and Italy were great. I only wish that we would have taken a day break some where in the middle(Trieste?) to refresh and recuperate. We didn't know we could do it. I highly recommend this before heading into Croatia.
