Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 107
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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.
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★★★★★ robbo1
Long way from home
Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
A great ride overall especially the Passau to Vienna was superb. Vienna to Budapest was more of an adventure with the trail not so well developed.
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★★★★★ Ron Walker
Beautiful Ride; a Bit More Challenging Than Expected
Berlin – Copenhagen
The area between Berlin and Copenhagen is gorgeous, and this is a great way to experience it. It was a bit more challenging than the website description led me to believe; it's important to remember that this is a route, not a path. Some of the surfaces you'll ride on are not great and that impacts the fatigue factor. 50 miles on new asphalt is easier than 50 miles on patched roads, gravel paths and even some cobblestone. I'd estimate two-thirds of the trail surfaces were very good. Don't be dissuaded; just consider this when deciding if you're up for the distance. I agree with another reviewer who suggested packing a lunch each day -- it took us a few days to learn that, and it was helpful since sometimes finding lunch was inconvenient and time-consuming. The navigation factor of a self-guided tour can occasionally be tedious. This route is very well marked but not perfect. The printed materials provided by the tour operator were good; they were supplemented by GPS files that were excellent and extremely helpful. The rental bikes were high quality and a pleasure to ride. Overall the hotels exceeded expectations, but there were exceptions, and be prepared for stairs. If I could do this again, I'd bring less stuff -- this was complicated by the fact that it's a one-way trip and we were spending a week on either end. But you don't need much for riding, and I wish we'd figured a way to send some of our stuff to the final hotel.
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★★★★★ Sam Roozendaal
Great Scenery
Great Pyrenees and Costa Brava E-Bike Tour
The local partner did a fantastic job with the Ride GPS routing. The routes were all very good and minimized roads with traffic. They had lots of sightseeing and resraurant recommendations. All you had to do was click on teh link and it opwpened up Google maps to take you there. They were very easy to deal with and the bikes were as stated with zero issues. Th eHotels were mostley very good, with a few that were a little bit tired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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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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★★★★★ Tony VanGarderen
Beautiful area of France!
Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
A great way to experience the beauty of Burgundy. Loved cycling through the vineyards as well as along the Voire Verte. The hotels had a lot of character. The bikes were great, one ebike and one regular.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Terry 56
Enjoyable
Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
The trip met or exceeded all of my expectaions. Some in my group wished there were rest days every 4th or 5th day so they could relax off the bike and sight see more in the towns we slep in.
- What was the date of your tour?
- september 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Calgary Couple
Great bike trip!
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The bike path along the Danube is excellent. It's near impossible to get lost as the "R1" or "R6" are clearly marked the entire way. I have to agree that this is a "mostly flat" route but when leaving the river and heading through villages, it can be a bit hilly (and we are regular, avid cyclists). We did struggle twice trying to find our hotel (and came across others experiencing the same problem) and needed to use our phones and google maps to find them. Perhaps the tour company could consider more detailed instructions than "turn right at the statue". We never did see that statue!! But that's part of the adventure too! We found two of the hotels a bit far out from the main city area (Aschach and Krems). We prefer finding little cafes or family owned establishments when on this type of trip and do not like eating in the hotel restaurants. In Aschach, there was no meal available at the hotel and after cycling in the POURING rain for 4 hours, we had to either get back on the bike or walk 2 km back to the village to find dinner. The hotels themselves, however, were great. Luggage transfer was excellent. The bikes were good and we never had any problems with them.
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★★★★★ Timothy
Fabulous trip through Austria
Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Excellent experience overall. Challenges with routing. Would be nice to have standard size bottle cages. Replace Eurobike app with layer on tap of Google maps, or add city and village names to Eurobike maps. Would like to have had overall map showing area we were riding.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 6
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Todd Kadas
Italian countryside, Slovenian coast, Croatian beaches. What more could you want?!
Venice to Trieste and Istria
This trip offered a nice mix of countryside and coastal routes with plenty of options to shorten or lengthen each day's itinerary. We were lucky enough to arrive in the second town on the same night as their annual grape harvest parade. So much fun! Tractors pulling floats, free wine, marching bands, and views from the restaurants on the street.
We chose the self-guided option for this tour and met up with at least a dozen other cyclists who were doing the same. We were never alone, had amazing weather, and every day except for one (when we cycled too fast and didn't stop frequently enough), our bags were waiting for us on arrival at the hotel.
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★★★★★ TF and DD NYC
Great destinations!
Venice to Trieste and Istria
A highlight of the trip was seeing all the different towns and cities along the way. The route varied from day to day – coastal paths, farmland and former border crossings. We stayed in modern seaside towns, ancient inland towns and cities. We even saw flamingos in the lagoon!
The biking was challenging at times, with strong headwinds the first couple of days. We rode on roads, bike paths, dirt farm roads and raised dike walls. The navigation, directions and app were easy to follow, but many of the arrow stickers should be replaced. Bikes were standard hybrids, but note: step through bikes do not have water bottle cages!
We opted for trains and boats when available. This allowed us to have more time to explore the towns, while still having plenty of biking. Each place we stayed was unique and a couple of the hotels were better than expected. It was nice visit the towns just before the summer season. There were many tourists, but not big crowds.
We would recommend this trip to those who are confident riders. Plan to stay a couple of extra days in Venice and/or Porec if you can, as there is plenty to see and do!
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★★★★★ Tom
Bike ride down the Danube
Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
The tour was very well organised, the accomodation was of a high standard without exception. The included evening meals were generally of a acceptable standard.
The premium bike that was provided was far too big and as a consequence I had to ride a different bike one which did not have a crossbar. This bike was very heavy and I found it difficult to manage.
The Pedalo navigation App generally worked OK although I had to re install it a number of times to get it up and running again. I was grateful I had it as my Garmin 1030 device failed to function.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- I have been on four overall but only one with this company
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ BigRider05
Perfect pace for a cycling adventure
Berlin – Copenhagen
Great way to see Germany and Denmark. The route is not particularly hilly, however is a bit windy in Denmark. The self-paced route guides point out many sight-seeing and historic sites and swimming options, as well as options to supplement some of your daily distances with trains. The company also provided GPS files which allowed us to be on auto-pilot most of the time! We met very nice people on this tour: planning to meet up for coffee/cake breaks or dinner gave us a great chance to get to know them better. This was our third tour booked through Bike Tours and we will definitely use them again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 11-21, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Denmark, Germany
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★★★★★ Tony Shubart
Enjoyable biking tours
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Overall good experience. Had some hiccup pre-departure as the operator made a mistake on our one way transfer from Vienna to Passau and had to find our own transport last min, which we managed. Bikes were good quality and map app was easy to follow with a little help with Google map to get to the hotel sometime. The luggage forwarding was seamless. Some hotels are better than the others. We had a reasonable expectation of the upscale four stars so didn’t anticipate any luxury. They are good clean hotels that covers the basics and most of them are in good location except one due to book-out of the normal one they use.
We feel certain things can be improved but overall is a lovely experience even two days were raining.Overall we feel it was
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★★★★★ George Ouimet
3 out of 5 legs were good, one was exceptional.
Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
It was very interesting and educational to be in this party of Italy. Our last guided tour was in Tuscany. Alberobello was an amazing town and the Trullia were a wonder to see, even more fun to stay in. The restaurants in the area that we tried were all good. It was also fun to walk around town and see the old churches, museums and parks. Our guide Marco was excellent and spent good time explaining the route and the attractions to us. All the bikes worked fine, and I liked having the panier to store things in. Based on the type of riding we ended up doing the hybrid bikes were very appropriate and comfortable.
The first day of riding from Alberobello to Ostuni was interesting - lots of small roads, not much traffic, lots and lots of olive trees (which the area is noted for). One thing we noticed right away unfortunately was the garbage. Lots and lots lots of garbage, all over the sides of the roads. Single use plastics mostly, but also household trash, construction debris, old appliances, tires, and millions of glass bottles and metal cans. Combined with the large number of abandoned and dilapidated properties in the area (abandoned olive farms) it felt like the next 2 days of riding in many parts was through the apocalypse. The old abandoned buildings were interesting, especially the small farm huts, and we did see lots and lots of the Trullia, and nicer properties that were fixed up closer to towns though. We later learned that this area was very very poor in many parts, and that it wasn't until the EU formed that money started to flow into the area to improve things for people. Depending on who you talked to the trash was from "trash collection being a low priority for the local infrastructure" - to people just being ignorant and not caring about the environment. The towns and cites were a bit better, but for the most part the rural areas felt like a 3ed world country on these part of the ride. It looks like this from Alerobello to Ostuni, Ostuni to Manduria, Manduria to Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca (our favorite town next to Alberobella, the hotel was beautiful and we wished we had two days there). Manduria was pretty much abandoned, as was the hotel. The hotel restaurant was closed, and the only place we could find to eat was a pizza express and the grocery store next door. The saving grace was the wine tour at a local fermenting/processing plant, and the wines themselves from the Primitivo grapes were spectacular as was the tour and museum in the winery. We shipped cases of it home :). The ride to Gallipoli was an adventure. 20-30 mph headwinds and blowing garbage the whole way , however the landscape was interesting - it felt like southern California desert. Fortunately Gallipoli was a great town with lots restaurants open, and shopping. It was raining, but that's OK was was still nice. The ride from Gallipoli to Santa Maria di Leuca was short and uneventful. Threatening rain so we made a bee line to town at a fast pace. We found a great little restaurant by the water/harbor where we had a great meal and lots of the Primitivo wines :).
The ride from Santa Maria di Leuca had to be our favorite of the whole trip. Fantastic scenery along the Adriatic coast, lots of places to stop, the wind at our backs and it seemed cleaner. Swimming in the little beaches and Grottos were so nice. Again, we wished we could spend more time here. Maybe make 2 loops from Santa Maria di Leuca or add another town on this coast. We loved the riding off pavement and along the beaches as well, and that goes for the first part of the ride from Otranto to Lecce. Sadly the latter part of the ride inland to Lecce was more abandoned properties and lots and lots of garbage. Again the feeling like we were riding through the apocalypse. Lecce was great though - what a nice town! Lots to see in the "Florence of the South" in the old town. The surrounding 'modern areas' less so as the roads were very busy. I wrote something for my cycling friends about riding bikes in Italy. I will share it here;
Thoughts on cycling in Italy. Tongue in cheek: If anyone has to take a test to drive (seems not?), these would be the lessons. 1. The person who drives, walks or pedals the fastest has the right of way. 2. No cars in Italy have blinkers/signals. 3. Three point, U turns and parking is allowed anywhere, so is passing. It's especially fun to play chicken when cars are coming from the opposite direction. 4. Traffic signs aren't even suggestions! Traffic lights, sometimes. And signs that say what road you are on. 5. The most common controls pushed are the accelerator and the horn. 6. No problem if you don't have trash collection or an ashtray at home, the car window works fine. 7. If you can squeeze your car in there, you can drive there. 8. Speed bumps are "suspension tests".
With all that being said: People pay attention, they have to! Otherwise the country would be one giant pile up!! No one is on their phone! If you signal a turn on a bike, drivers see and respect you, until it's time to pass. I never felt in danger even though drivers get VERY close to you even at high rates of speed. Cycle confidently, don't wander around in the road... and pay attention! Also being in SMALL groups helps so that cars can pass quickly without hitting the oncoming cars head on.
All in all we had fun and am glad to see another part of Italy. After our riding we went to Greece and on to Munich, Germany. We also had just spent 6 days riding in Catalonia, Spain before this tour in Italy. Germany has by far the best infrastructure for pedestrians and cycling, similar to the Netherlands. Spain was pretty good and has improved since we were there 3 years ago. This part of Italy has a long long way to go, unless thousands of people clean the roads and streets and they develop a different culture. Not something Bike Tours or Giro Libero can affect I am guessing. We would not ride most of these routes again :( SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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