Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 12
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★★★★★ Rebecca Hengemuhle
Such an adventurous way to explore Austria
Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
We loved this bike tour and it was a great adventure for our family to explore Austria. Biketours was easy to work with and the local operator was helpful. We loved the hospitality at our hotels (except one). Our first night in Linz was wonderful and the museum electronica was amazing. The stay on the farm/ cideria Hotel Moser was such a highlight and was super family friendly. Our boys loved the soccer pitch and food. Maria Taferl was absolutely stunning but an epic ascent that most kids / adults without an e-bike won’t be able to do. There is a bike shuttle option up though. Durnstein was great and we enjoyed a day off to explore the town/ ruins/ pool. The ferry provided a different view of the Danube but probably wasn’t necessary as it didn’t save us too many kms. Tulln was okay with our half board dinner at a separate Greek restaurant (which was delicious) and in a different hotel from where we checked in and had breakfast. The staff at the Hotel Austria were incredibly helpful and helped us come up with a good itinerary and travel plans through Vienna. The Danube cycle path isn’t always on a separate bike road which made it a little more nerve wracking with kids but our kids soon learned good road etiquette and safety. The app/ guide book was good but we still needed our own gps to get to our hotels. I would recommend the half board option and extra night in Vienna. We all really loved this adventure. The scenery, food and hospitality through Austria was incredible.
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★★★★★ Rhonda Barton
Beautiful views!
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The trip was beautiful! The views through the Dolomites and Julian Alps are constantly awe provoking. The hotels were also wonderful, our favorite being Alta Post in Feistritz an der Gail!
Bikes: We paid for the upgrade but it didnt feel as though we were upgraded. The bikes we received were not well maintained. We had a bike brake on the first day of our tour and the replacement bike had a loose peddle the rest of our tour. A few of our bikes were not tuned well and gears were either difficult to shift or couldn't be geared all the way up or down. In general, we would have appreciated better maintained bikes for a 230 mile tour, it would make the days much more enjoyable. We also had to swing by the rental place for a bike pump that had the correct valve for pumping up tires. The bikes were equipped with presta valves, but the pumps were schrader valves. We also recommend placing an allen key in the repair kit. We had several items that we had to adjust, angles of the header, tightness of the bells, etc. Having an allen key would have made these adjustments easier to make.
Bike Accessories: we think you should provide or tell the riders to bring a cell phone mount for the trip. The app was nice to have but we had to constantly get the phone out of our pockets to follow along. This can get quite dangerous on certain parts of the tour.
App: the phone app was a great perk to the trip although our main complaint is that every tour participant should have access to the app. It is challenging to have only one person with the app and it doesnt seem to make much sense to limit access. Give everyone who paid for the tour access please. -
★★★★★ lifejazz
Amazing Sights in Provence
Provence Getaway: The Secrets of Southern France (4 nights)
We enjoyed our bike tour through Provence. Our first time to use e-bikes, which given the winds and the hills, seemed like the thing to do. Really enjoyed the e-bikes for their ease of use and making the windy or hilly sections enjoyable. The orientation was very thorough and the combination of the gps and the paper charts made navigation very easy. The two hotels were, not to understate it, wonderful. Excellent accommodations, lovely people, great food. We even got attached to a French Bulldog, Cinquante, belonging the owners of the hotel in Collias. Quite the character! On the whole the ride was through vineyards and side roads. The only unpleasant bit was from Collias to Tarascon. We spend too much time on heavily trafficked shoulder-less roads with trucks and cars whizzing by at 50 miles an hour a couple of feet from us. We've been riding for several decades and as a practice, I would never ride on that kind of road. So that bit needs some adjustment (which is why this is a four star instead of a five star review). But other than that, the rest of the ride was a delight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/16-20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Richard Riddell
A great time in Alentejo
Castles and Wines of Portugal
A great self guided tour in Alentejo region of Portugal.
Great e-bikes, accommodation in the pousadas and excellent restaurant recommendations from our guides, and were brilliant making reservations in the restaurants we chose. The staff were on the whole very friendly and helpful and accommodated our extraordinary request on the last day - thank you.
The only reason they didn’t receive 5 stars for us was we thought the farmhouse stay for 2 nights was not necessary, and the owner of the business perhaps shouldn’t front the customers/clients. A tad too direct in her manner which made us feel we were doing her a favour by being there!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Richie
Diverse cycling through three countries
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Diversity is the theme of this tour. From the Dolomites, to the Julian Alps, to the dreamy Lake Bled, to the Friuli Italian wine country, to the Adriatic Coast, this tour has it all. Riding in three countries in one day is an awesome experience as well.
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★★★★★ oktobeerfest
Wonderful way to truly experience Austria
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The maps and suggestions of places to see along the way were very informative. So many beautiful hamlets to visit. There just wasn't enough time to see everything! The route suggestions were very helpful and the upscale lodging was mostly superb. Breakfast accommodations exceeded our expectations! We would highly recommend this trip to anyone, even non-bikers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 14 - 21, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Joseph Braun
Scenic journey but you better know how to read a map
Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
The bikes were excellent and the company representative was helpful, knowledgeable and more than willing make sure we had a good trip. The hotel in Copenhagen was an average room but noisy and poor ventilation. Other hotel rooms were mostly average. Breakfast was excellent at all the hotels. Directions were average but confusing. It would be helpful to include city maps with the information so tourists can find street names instead of following the directions. Also, be warned that several routes are on gravel paths, not paved.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Rick1
A nice blend of mountain valleys and river cycling
Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
The first 3 days from Krimml to Lofer were terrific; the scenery spectacular and the hotels great, the directions and signage generally good. The signage into Salzburg was deficient with at least 1 key turn ("Morzg") not signed at all. The Hotel was a significant step down from the first 3.The directions to the Glockhofer in Burghausen and the signage was also totally deficient....it would have been better if the hotel was in the main square, rather than in an industrial/commercial part of town. The hotel was a business hotel which was totally out of character with everything else we saw and a real disappointment (though the staff in the hotel were great). Happily, the next stop in Obernburg, the Gasthof zur post was wonderful. Passau hotel was ok.
Over all, we felt that the trip could easily have been done in 1 fewer day and would recommend that the written instructions be tailored to the exact Hotel being used.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 13-20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany
Thank you for your detailed review! I went with my mom and sis on this tour a couple of years ago and I agree that the scenery is spectacular. Regarding the hotels, it is noticeable when you arrive in a larger city that some hotels don't feel as quaint as the hotels in the smaller towns or villages. I think this is in part due to the busy nature of a larger city and the proximity of the hotels to more centralized pedestrian-friendly areas is more achievable in villages. We'll work with the tour operator on maintaining this quaint theme throughout the tour and we'll discuss the directions to/from each hotel. Thanks again!
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★★★★★ Rob Luken
Beautiful Capitals of the Baltic States
Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
The Capitals of the Baltic States are beautiful, with plenty of interesting history and worth to visit. However, with the distances so large between the capitals, please note that there is a lot of transfer by mini-bus and ferry to get to the next interesting place to cycle.
The cycling directions provided were insufficient and it would be good to provide the option of a GPS device attached to the steering wheel with pre-loaded maps and directions for those that can't download the route files on their own mobile phone devices. We got lost several times, on the first and last day, which meant cycling along roads with heavy traffic and thereby creating an unsafe and unpleasant experience.
Though this was an interesting trip, my inclination is to not book any cycling vacation in the future that includes so much transfer by mini-bus and ferries, and to have a true cycling trip along well-indicated dedicated bicycle paths, in the absence of clear cycling directions. Our previous experience with cycling the west coast of Sweden is more indicative of the type of cycling trip we would prefer. -
★★★★★ Rob T
Provence
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
Best of Provence - Brilliant accommodation in St Remy. Cantosorge hotel not the best.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 4 May
- 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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★★★★★ 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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★★★★★ Pedro Carlisle
Romantic road
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
A great way to visit Austria following the Danube, lovely landscapes and some lovely sights along the way
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★★★★★ Wayne
New Mexico Touring Society (NMTS) Vienna to Budapest
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Overall a great ride, but some issues with the tour company in Austria.
Bikes were excellent and the route for most of the trip was well marked. We were on highways a very short period of time. Traffic on the highways was not an issue. We had about 10 kilometers of non-paved bike path. Unfortunately, we rode that in the rain, but we made it without any incidents.
Our complaint about the tour company is that they cheated us on the trip materials that we were promised. Not every rider received a map of the route. Because people doubled up in the hotel rooms, they only provide one map per hotel room. The pre-ride briefing was very poor and the tour person appeared to be in a hurry to complete the briefing. The route out of Vienna can be confusing, but we had rented city bikes the day before and scouted the route ourselves. The tour company only gave us very general instructions on how to leave the city.
He did do a good job of fitting everyone to their bikes. I asked him for a floor bike pump, but he never responded to my text message requests and the tour company never returned my phone calls. The small bike air pumps that are in the bike saddle bike are not adequate to fully pump up a tire.
The bikes were excellent and perfect for the route with the variation in road surfaces and occasional gravel stretches. We had no flat tires during the trip. We were a group of 17 riders, so that is a remarkable feat.
The hotels were all excellent except for the hotel outside of Esztergom, the Hotel Bellevue. In addition to being in a remote location, it was well past its prime. The only dinner option was a buffet which ran out of food before some of our group had the opportunity to dine. The breakfast was once again a poor selection of items, most of which ran out early. The rooms were dark and poorly equipped with the usual features.
Everyone’s favorite city was Gyor. The hotel was excellent and the large city plaza with the historical buildings surrounding it was fascinating. Dining options were excellent.
The boat ride into Budapest was excellent and a nice way to finish the trip.
Overall, a terrify ride with the exceptions noted above. Not every rider having a map was an ongoing frustration that caused some confusion on the occasions when the group got separated into smaller groups.
Wayne Friesen
Albuquerque, NM -
★★★★★ Nancy Nestler
Loved the area!
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
We loved exploring the area. There was a lot of variety going in different directions each day. We found the paths and day trips to be different enough that we felt like we were exploring a new place every day. Well done!
One comment - don't do the Toblach to Lienz ride on a beautiful weekend day, especially at the same time the train arrives. The route was too crowded to enjoy for about 1/3 of the ride.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Nancy Nestler
Beautiful Scenery and Quaint Marina Towns
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We loved the scenery and riding by so many little marina towns. I wanted to have coffee in all of them!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Moody Group
Fun Experience
Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
The biking was a great experience based on something we have not done before. The bike route took us through the beautiful country side and charming communities of Austria and Germany. However, when the bicycles were delivered to our hotel in Salzburg no one from the bike company remained to provide assistance as we were lead to believe. Directions were not always clear so making decisions for the correct direction was sometimes difficult.
Accommodations in Salzburg and Obernburg am Inn were quaint, cozy and delightful and the staff were very pleasant and accommodating. However the accommodations at a couple of the other hotels were not very favorable. The Elevators/Lifts to the rooms at Hotel Gloecklhofer Burghausen were not available in our section of the hotel and the staff did not offer assistance. The staff at Hotel Spitzburg in Passau were not not very helpful or friendly. They seemed disinterested,. Example: On our last day in Passau we asked for an early wake up call to catch an early morning train. This did not happen. Fortunately we had set our own alarm and woke up on time. Then when we went down to the lobby that morning it was dark and no one was around. The door back to the rooms locked behind us and the lobby door to the street was locked. Fortunately we somehow managed to get the door open and were able to leave to catch our 7:25 AM train.Our overall experience was good and we did have a great time with our friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Started in Salzburg on Sept 18th.
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Bryan Whited
Beautiful scenery along popular tourist areas (except the last day)
Best of Northern Zealand
This tour was a lot of fun and we got to see a lot of interesting places. The hotels were amazing and you get to stay in some very interesting towns/cities. The scenery along the trail was nice, although for many portions the view was blocked by either privacy walls or thick foliage on one or both sides of the trail. Most of the areas are popular with tourists, so don't expect to see many "hidden" gems or explore backwater areas off the beaten path.
I highly recommend the tour, but there were a few things that could be better.
First off, the GPS worked 90% of the time with the remaining 10% very wrong (with directions to go round in circles, pull into random driveways or repeatedly make u-turns). Unfortunately the 10% where it was wrong was often in the areas where you needed it the most (like dodging traffic in the industrial part of Copenhagen or where the trails were confusing)
Second, the last day just wasn't much fun at all. It was one of the longest days, the scenery wasn't all that great and and much of the trail was along highways and roads with heavy traffic. The paths were still nice and safe but the constant noise and exhaust got old and I got frustrated with how confused the GPS was. (Also the weather was bad that day and the path was covered in slugs and snails.)- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our fourth unguided bike tour
- 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?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Richard Robblee
Lovely rural trail and ancient towns; variable quality accommodations.
Romantic Road from Würzburg to Donauwörth
The tour itself was fun and varied. We enjoyed every day, and every day was different from the one before. Some days were virtually all in rural settings; others followed lightly-traveled roads in flat farming country which allowed us a close-up view of life in the area. The route-finding at times was tricky, having to work with a German language map book, an English translation booklet, and Komoot. We usually just followed the small bike trail signs but on a couple of occasions got thrown off as the same sign is used for various other trails. We should have paid strict attention to the English translated booklet when approaching towns instead of relying on the signs. So there was some back-tracking but nothing too serious. As to the bikes, our two bikes did not come with a repair kit or pump, and none were delivered until the end of the third day of our six day trip (when we reached the tour company they offered to send help at their expense to us on the trail if needed but for whatever reason could not get us the repair kit/pump promptly). Our trip was delayed on the fifth day by a loose screw that secured the rear fender to the frame, which meant that the retaining clip rubbed against the rear tire. The bikes themselves were on the heavy/sturdy side but worked well. Baggage transfers were reliable. Accommodations were spotty: the GHotel in Würzberg was a characterless commercial hotel; surely there are local hotels in the old town that could have been selected. The Hotel Bronnbacher in Wertheim was among our favorites - the remarkably helpful proprietor, Kai, deserves special praise. The Ringhotel Bundschu in Bad Mergentheim, despite its luxurious room and common areas, was a disappointment; the proprietor was terse and came across to us as unwelcoming, and the room was impossible to ventilate. No fan was made available in this fanciest of all six hotels. The Hotel Gerberhaus in Rothenburg was wonderful in all ways. The Hotel Piazza in Dinkelsbühl was satisfactory but otherwise unremarkable. The only utterly unsatisfactory hotel was the Hotel Wengers Brettl in Nördlingen. The staff that greeted us spoke virtually no English; no fan was available; the smoke alarm was missing from its placement in the ceiling, and the breakfast service was comparatively scant with the only employee spending most of his time reading the newspaper at the counter. Finally, the Hotel Donau was one of our favorites; set up well for bicyclists and with helpful staff. All meals with the exception of the Hotel Wengers Brettl were excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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