Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 109
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★★★★★ TannisR
Fabulous Family Experience!
Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
If you are looking for a family adventure that you will remember for the rest of your life, this tour is for you! Our family had a truly enjoyable experience on the Danube family bike tour. It was a unique family holiday where we all worked together as a team - cycling along the Austrian countryside - to reach our destination. The scenery was breathtaking! The hotels were good to very good (what we expected). The pre tour arrangements, communication and maps provided were excellent. The bike service was excellent and assistance was provided promptly for the few challenges we had.
We are a family of 5 with kids aged 13, 11, and 8. The cycling, coupled with the heat (up to 28-30C most days) was a big challenge for our 8 year old but she did it and is very proud of herself. We had planned to get her a trail bike - to go behind my husband's bike - but it did not work out. The trail bike provided for her was tipping over when she was on it - attached to the adult bike. Maybe it was because the equipment was not good, maybe she was too big for it? That hiccup set us back 2 hours on our first morning which was frustrating. By 10:30 a.m. we were on our way, each of us on our own bike. The tour company linked us up with a bike shop that gladly swapped our trail bike for a 'real bike' for my daughter. Overall, the equipment provided was of excellent quality. The bikes were simple, but that's all we needed with the non-hilly paved terrain. We did not 'train' for our tour. Bring cycling shorts (padded) and gloves to help prevent chaffing. We used ours every day.
Another challenge was map reading. We were given detailed map books of roads and cycle trails. They were excellent maps. But in this digital age, we are used to using Google Maps to tell us how to get to our destination. It was sometimes a frustrating challenge to read the maps correctly.
The bike route we took was mostly along either dedicated bike paths along the Danube, or on country roads with little traffic. There were just a few areas where we needed to bike along a major road. In studying the map carefully, we chose to take the routes with less busy roads. One side of the river tended to have busy traffic roads and the other did not. The map was colour coded accordingly as to the type of path/road/country road. There were not many hills at all.
The hotels were all good. Some were more simple than others. We were not on this vacation for a luxury experience. We were worried that, being a family of 5, the hotels would squish us into one small room. On the contrary, we usually had two rooms or a suite, which was fabulous. The 'spa hotel' where we stayed for 2 nights mid-tour was nice. The pool was welcome, since the weather was quite warm. It was a true European experience when we saw two naked senior citizens enter the pool. At first, my family was shocked (being from modest Canada), but then, two of our kids jumped in naked as well (after the seniors left). When in Rome... SHOW MORE
The bike days were quite long. It took us about 6 hours of biking each day to reach our destination. Our speed was limited by my 8 year old daughter. She went as fast as her little legs could take her. I would recommend 8 as the youngest age for this tour. Ideally, kids would be age 10 and up - in order to ride a bigger faster bike.
Due to our 'slow' biking, we were not able to stop at many of the sights along the way. A few highlights were Pöstlingbergbahn and Grottenbahn in Linz, the Melk Abbey, town of Dürnstein (where we spent two nights), the Burgruine castle ruin in Dürnstein, and a lake between Dürnstein and Tulln where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and jumped in for a swim.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable and unique family experience for us. We would highly recommend it to family with kids age 10 and up (age 8 and up if your child is tall + athletic). A moderate fitness level is recommended.
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★★★★★ Terry Edeli
Amazing
Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Lovely trip. The itinerary was expertly planned for the scenic and carefree routes. Hotels were great. Bikes excellent. Super service.
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★★★★★ TimHam
A spectacular trip - best yet with Bike Tours!
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
What a beautiful trip! The scenery of the Dolomites and Lake Garda was otherworldly, each day better than the day before. The town's and hotels were charming. The well marked dedicated paths and instructions were great, and traffic free most of the way. The Eurobike leader was fabulous, going out of her way to retrieve my backpack with passport that I'd left on the train in Austria. This was my 6th Bike Tours tour...they have all been great, but this one was tops. Oh by the way, we used e-bikes here which I'd highly recommend!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2021
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Tim H
One of the best!
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
This was our 10th bike trip with Biketours and our group of 6 had a wonderful time. Basing in a single hotel was unique and worked well with no packing/unpacking. The routes and the app from Fun Active, the local provider were great. Scenery was spectacular. Would highly recommend Hotel Lauris with its included excellent spa (great after a day of biking) and their included nightly 7 course dinners (maybe too much food??). Taylor, from Bike Tours, was very responsive and helpful, as usual.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Tom G
Amazing experience
Camino de Santiago: From Leon to Santiago (Premium)
Highly recommend this trip. The scenery and route are a nice mix of easier and challenging days, and doing the “self guided” option gave us some flexibility, but we were still confident in the route/directions. Our e-bikes were excellent. The hotels were also excellent - a mixture of boutique and traditional commercial lodging, but all clean and comfortable. Leon and Astorga were especially amazing. Loved it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2924
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Drew Thatcher
Wonderful three Lakes Tour
Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
We were two couples that did the self guided tour of the three lakes region near Annecy. The hotels were nice, breakfast and dinners were great. The downloaded guides on our phones worked great - every now and then the guide told us to go left instead of right but if you're seeing the map on the phone one can figure that out. Bag transfers were seamless. Such a wonderful experience of seeing the region from a bike. Much of the ride was on bike paths - the other areas were on roads with a bike lane. A few miles of ROUGH road but that was just fine. We loved the entire trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Crazy Canuck
Everything we had dreamed of !!!
Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
The trip along the Danube was great for the entire family, ranging in age from 11 to 66. The accomodations with breakfast along the route were great. Great service in getting the correct size of bike for everyone. The supplied maps and signage along the root were well detailed for finding our way. The bikes were great with waterproof front and side bag.
A great experience with awesome views.
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★★★★★ Jim n Anne
Follow In the Footsteps of the Ancient Greeks
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
This tour was scenic, engaging, varied, enjoyable, rewarding. The route was well planned; we would arrive at the highlight of each day's ride just at noon when the big groups had left for lunch so we didn't have to contend with crowds. The Greek people are friendly, happy, and agreeable. The routes were scenic and just challenging enough. The rental bikes were well suited for the terrain and conditions, and the available GPS was a valuable aid. We loved the accommodations, and the luggage service was flawless.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several dozen
- 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?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Jim n Anne
Not To Be Missed
UNESCO Sites of Albania
Albania is a wonderful cycling destination, and the tour company did an excellent job with the route, rental bikes, support, accommodations. The hotels/inns were amazing; comfortable, beautiful, excellent locations. The bikes were well suited to the terrain and conditions. It's impossible to overstate the beauty of the country, and a bicycle is the best way to appreciate the magnificent scenery. The roads are in good condition, but the inclines can be steep; it is necessary to train for this trip. But don't put off a visit to Albania; it's a complex, exotic country with easy-going, proud citizens who are eager for visitors.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several dozen
- 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
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★★★★★ Jim n Anne
Breathtaking Scenery
Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
The views on this trip are amazing! True, there are a few climbs, but the views and the downhills more than make up for them. Our guide Mario was attentive, capable, enjoyable, responsive. We enjoyed the fresh, seasonal, healthy meals, and the accommodations were first rate! The rental bikes were comfortable and well suited to the road conditions. It was fascinating to experience the different countries and cultures in such a compact space; so different from the U.S. The only improvement I would recommend would be for printed maps or cue sheets to follow, even though we had a guide. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone with an interest in beautiful scenery, complex history and cultures, and a fun bike tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several dozen
- 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?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ Anne Jesse
Wonderful Tour to Little-Known Area
Alsace Wine Country
This is a wonderfully varied tour to an area that most Americans don't visit. The first two days are flat, along shaded canals and country roads. The next two days are hillier, through vineyards and historic towns. The final day has one last beautiful view over the Rhine River valley before descending to another flat day of riding along shady canals. The accommodations are wonderful and mostly in the center of town. The luggage service was reliable each day. The breakfasts were always well stocked. The bikes were well suited to the terrain with plenty of gears and strong tires.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- I have been bike touring for over 30 years and have bike toured in 58 countries.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Shiftin
Beautiful Algarve!
Algarve Coastal Route
Cycling in Portugal was an amazing adventure! The scenery was exceptional, the routes were mostly flat, some hills at the end of the week, food along the coast (grilled fresh fish, fruit and vegetables) was all part of a very special week. Fred, part owner in Algarve Bike Holidays, could not have been more friendly and supportive. We were provided with a Garmin that had the routes already downloaded. We were a little challenged with this when construction blocked our route. Regardless, we always made it to our end location which included large resort hotels as well as quaint bed and breakfast inns. We went in July which turned out to be exceptionally hot so be sure to carry lots of water and start your trek early in the morning.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10-15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Lovetotravel
Lovely Tour
Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
We arrived in Bavaria in the midst of a heatwave, which made the trip a little more challenging, but overall, was still enjoyable. Scenery was beautiful - while the tour is not always hugging the lake, the meadows, valleys and villages were quite lovely. There are some pretty steep hills on this trip, so if you're looking for a flat ride throughout, this is not it. The tour also went around some key towns (eg instead of riding thru Lindau, it took us thru an industrial area behind the town) - so room for improvement there. The hotels were quite lovely and I'm glad we chose the upscale lodging. Two had a/c which was welcomed after a day of riding in 35C+ heat. Again, the trails were beautiful, and had it not been so hot, we would have appreciated it even more. The bikes were in good shape and rode smoothly throughout (although my husband's gears started slipping midway). The villages and towns that we rode through and also stayed in were very charming and gave you a taste of Bavaria. In terms of navigation - this is a pro and a con - get the Kamoot app! If we had just used the physical maps, it would have been a challenge as there are many twists and turns that are easy to miss. The app got us there easily (and you can download prior so you don't have to use data). The only thing it doesn't help with is getting to your hotel - so that's where google came in. Also, the guide that has all scenery tips, history and dining/shopping tips is only in German - so you have to wing it on your own. The start of the tour was a little confusing - no one to greet you and no one communicated that our trip guide was actually at the hotel. We cabbed it to the Velotours office...twice! First to enquire about the trip itself and second to actually get the bikes. They need better communication to help get folks on their way. With all that said, we would do this again in a heartbeat (and in cooler weather!).
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Mark Stow
Good biking, excellent service
Algarve Coastal Route
This was our seventh cycling trip and our third self guided one. Based on our experience we would rate the cycle tour company quite highly. We were provided with good bikes which were appropriate for the terrain and the appropriate maintenance equipment which came in handy as we did have a flat tire on day 5. The gps provided came loaded with the day by day routes and was invaluable in finding the out of the way paths that we occasionally found ourselves on. The hotels were very nice with most having balconies and ocean views and all provided an excellent breakfast to start the day. The van pick up and drop offs were on time and we enjoyed the local knowledge that Angus shared along the way. The scenery was spectacular from the salt marshes and dunes in the East to the cliffs and ocean vistas in the West.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Terry Higgins
First class all the way!
Algarve Coastal Route
Loved everything about this trip. We did a self guided which was a bit challenging at times but just added to our memories. We were fortunate to have good weather and our accommodations never disappointed us. All of the transportations set up for us were on time. Would highly recommend it to friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ Thomas Mitchell
Well planned. No problems at all.
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The e-bikes are a game changer for older people. Ours were perfectly maintained. They might have been new. The upscale hotels were excellent; a couple of them were beyond excellent. The towns we visited were charming and friendly. We would have spent an extra day in most of them if we had the trip do over. We had perfect weather but we understand that is highly unusual in early May. Our bags were moved reliably.
I recommend a phone holder if you want to use the excellent app for directions. When it's in the provided waterproof handlebar pack, glare makes it very difficult to see, and accessing it is a hassle.
The directions don't guide you all the way to your hotel. We used Google Maps for the final directions.
Overall it was a great trip for us.
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★★★★★ Rosie
One of the best researched and organized tours I've ever been on
Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Creative Catalonia selected absolutely the best routes through beautiful countryside and seaside scenery as well as taking one through picturesque villages and selecting really great hotels in interesting cities and villages. We had a great variety of scenery and experiences. Additionally their equipment was great and their maps and instructions were very clear. Their assessments of distances and difficulty were right on and they kept us on small farm roads or streets with very few cars as much as possible. They also provided one garmen for every group that had the route programmed into it. It was impossible to get lost. They were also helpful with he small changes we wanted to make and had great suggestions for restaurants and other experiences along the way.
This is an exceptional outfitter.
Rosemary Heil
fall 2017- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Rosemary McDougall
Best of both worlds: Italian language and cycling in Italy
Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
What a fantastic tour! The rides were perfect and the teachers/guides were outstanding. Giovanna and Carla were the best Italian teachers, patient and helpful. The riding itinerary was challenging yet doable for all participants. The idyllic terrain from Otranto to Lecce showcased the Salento region and the spectacular views of both Adriatic and Ionian Seas completed the picture. All accommodations were great as well as the scrumptious Italian food and Orecchiette cooking class. Visits to various beaches helped to relax everyone along the route. An ideal tour for anyone interested in learning Italian and enjoying the scenery along the way while riding a bicycle (bici).
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 1-10
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Sylvie and Chris
Beautiful Ireland
Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
Best and healthy way to discover the beauty of Ireland and meet the irish people and their gentleness. Don was very accommodating and kept the tour fitting our level. The hotels were comfortable and the food delicious.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 12t to16 august
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
