Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 12
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
-
★★★★★ Jackie1234
Danube trip
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Very scenic, well thought out tour of what has been described as the most popular cycle route in Europe. I picked this tour among other choices because the last day was short, allowing extra time in Vienna and the cations overnights stays.
The (upgraded) hotels were fantastic, breakfasts wonderful. The accompanying maps & books were complete, though directions to popular city attractions would have been helpful (Goggle Maps with cycle directions will be your friend if you want to make side trips) Bikes were in excellent condition, though i found the seat initially uncomfortable (and I ride 40+ miles/week).
I would recommend this tour to those friends wanting to cycle along the Danube, noting that European fitness levels are higher than than American and there are opportunities for elevation for those whose who want it by taking side trips to hotels or other sites/detours.
-
★★★★★ Sue Wells
Too many people on trip & transport was not large enough.
Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
We enjoyed the bike ride. The guide did his best with 17 people. Bike tours information states no more the 15 bikers. They did not follow their own rules. The van for 1 to 4 hour transport was not large enough and did not have adequate venalation.
-
★★★★★ Sunil Savara
Time of my life with my family!
Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
Everything was great, except for the documentation and organisation around that. Three changes you should make, and I will share this with Carla and Thomas as well:
1. Please provide an English map and booklet. In fact, when booking the tour, you can ask preferences for languages, and ensure that its followed through by the appropriate documentation.
2. When booking the tour, check if this is a first tour and/or use of the e-bikes, and if it is, offer the option of someone spending an hour to rope the persons in... there can be a small charge for it..
3. Share information on online maps, aside of Google Maps. I downloaded on the 3rd day an application that was very helpful, and which made it easier for me to figure things out.- What was the date of your tour?
- 1-7 Sep 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Garbo 55
Venice to Trieste and Istria
With this being our very first bike tour, and we had chosen the self-guided option we found the adjustment to the directions a little difficult (some vital information was lost in translation) but having said that, there was an incredible sense of accomplishment after completing each day. We also were not prepared for the climate we encountered, we had looked at the temps. before we left and it looked like 22/24 C., but ended up being in the high 20's and low 30's, this really depleted our energy levels. The destinations could not have been more diverse with each one having its own unique quality we really enjoyed. They all had an amazing breakfast to start the day with and were very helpful with storing the bikes etc... The journey through the countryside and along the coast was so spectacular, our only wish I guess would have been to have had more time to enjoy each day. After our first couple of days we were a little overwhelmed with trying to stay on track rather then enjoying the moment. Having been home for a couple of weeks now however and looking back we would challenge ourselves again in a different place.
-
★★★★★ Stacey
Challenging hills then scenic plains
Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
Czechia is such a beautiful country, and this tour across southern Bohemia and Moravia was just fantastic. However, it is very hilly for the first few days. 50 miles per day with some very steep hills the first couple days. The countryside starts to flatten out more after you reach Znojmo. Once outside Prague, most folks do not speak English, so some knowledge of Czech and/or German is very helpful. Vlastimil, the local tour operator for Ave Travel, was very responsive and helpful.
I did ask for and received a GPX file to preload into my Garmin, as navigation is always a challenge on bike tours. Further, the local tour company recommended a couple of Czech specific apps which you can use to predownload the local maps for use when you arrive, and this was extremely helpful, if you have an international cell plan for your phone.
A couple of caveats: the GPX file included alternate routes instead of a single path, as this tour has optional legs that you may or may not want to go on. This negated my ability to use the navigation on my Garmin edge, since it couldn't know which route i wanted to take, and could only tell me when I was off course. Also, as others have mentioned, there was no opportunity to see our rented bikes and make sure they were appropriately sized prior to being picked up by the van for our transfer to Cesky Krumlov. Two of the four bikes we rented could have used newer tires; however they were clearly equal to the task of getting us across the CR.
I would say this is a wonderful route that is off the beaten path, but challenging. If you are unsure whether your fitness level is up to the task, an e-bike rental would probably be a great idea. I will also probably upgrade to a better Garmin that can actually do turn-by-turn navigation, which mine can't do. However, getting lost and finding your way is half the fun on these trips!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic
-
★★★★★ Stanthepianoman
It was the trip of a lifetime.
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The scenery was amazing! The bike paths and back roads were awesome. With a couple of changes I would give the trip a 5 star review: First, they shouldn't give an option to ride the train to Jessenice to Bled. This town is scary and hard to navigate. The ride over the pass was minor from what we were told.
Second, the Hotel Roma in Civedale is a dump. Hard beds and rude employees. All the other hotels and inns ranged from nice to awesome.
Third, we should have stayed in Bled and extra day. Our own fault on this one.
Last, the ride in to Trieste was dangerous. It was like riding the gauntlet. I would have liked to drop off our bikes out of town and walked or Ubered in to the city. This is a big busy city and many in our group were unhappy with the danger involved. -
★★★★★ psteckler
Excellent tour with lots of climbing
UNESCO Sites of Albania
This was my second tour booked with biketours.com. My first one was a self-guided tour in Slovenia, which was great, so I thought I'd try this one, which reviews raved about.
The route and scenery were just great. We had superb meals with Mediterranean-style cuisine, either in restaurants or in our hotels. Each day featured a coffee stop, where we snacked on peanuts, bananas, and chocolate.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable about his home country, super well-organized and thoughtfully attended to the needs of the participants. The support van was there when we needed assistance.
There were a couple of thrilling long descents with stunning vistas. The price of those descents was lots of climbing, some of them long, some a bit steep.
A few of the days were extremely hot, around 100F. I had heat stroke symptoms one day, and had to get a lift in the van for the last part of the ride. We had only a few minutes of light rain on our side trip to North Macedonia to see the monastery on Lake Ohrid. Not much the tour operator can do to control the weather, of course.
The bikes had front suspension and a rear rack with an Ortlieb pannier. We did have some gravel and cobble sections where a road bike would not have worked. These bikes were on the heavy side, making the climbing more difficult than it could have been. My one suggestion to improve the tour would be to use lighter bikes. I think the current generation of "gravel bikes" with fat tires, without suspension, would work well, and save a few pounds. Instead of the rack and pannier, a frame bag or seatpost bag would have enough capacity and also save some weight.
The participants on e-bikes seemed to be having a good time of it, though, as they passed me up the climbs!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 26, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ psteckler
Good sampler for western Slovenia
Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
No one told me about the cows. On the riding first day, in a rural area, I encountered a trio of cows blocking the road. I wasn't sure about the protocol for dealing with them, but we all managed to get by one another without any injuries.
I really lucked out with the weather. I started in mid-October, and every day ended in sunshine. There was no rain at all. For the first few days, most mornings were chilly and overcast, sometimes even foggy. By the end of the ride, I got full days of sunshine. Don't expect this weather every October!
For the most part, I liked the route. The climb on the second riding day would have been a nice challenge on my road bike; on the rented touring bike, it was pretty hard, and I had to walk much of it. The Helia truck came by and offered me a lift, but I was determined to get to the top under my own power. There were some gravel sections, and a couple of stretches along busy roads that were unpleasant. Much of the route was on lightly-traveled roads, and many roads were nearly-vacant farm or forest roads. With a couple of exceptions, the drivers gave me a wide berth.
The rented bike was predictably sturdy and heavy. I had no mechanical issues during the ride, other than a squeaky back brake.
The accommodation was very good, for the most part. Yes, I found a cockroach in one room; that gives me a story to tell. The electricity went out at Hotel Tartini in Piran on the final morning, but breakfast was already prepared; another story to tell. The hotel staff was very helpful everywhere. The breakfasts were all good, perhaps too good. Too bad I don't like to ride after eating a lot.
There were some confusing bits in the cue sheets, and I got lost a couple of times. I've written to Helia about the issues I found. For the most part, the cue sheets were adequate. Asking locals and Google Maps set me straight.
I flew in and out of Ljubljana. To get to Bled at the start, and back from Piran at the end, I used ordinary commercial bus services, which worked well.
I really enjoyed Slovenia, and hope to visit again to see more of the country.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9 October 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
-
★★★★★ Stephanie Koussaya
Beautiful part of Ireland
Connemara Lazy Days Cycling
The Connemara region is truly beautiful and worth visiting. Our family enjoyed exploring the scenery and castles on the way. I wish the accommodations had been more consistent (similar from one another) and that we had been communicated that hotels/hostels would be located far from services such as restaurants, given that we had 2 children with us. We also biked mostly on a road shared with cars, which was stressful when managing kids. Overall, we enjoyed our trip but would not recommend for kids under the age of 12.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Martin
Lovely trip along the Rhine
Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
This trip starts in France and crosses into Germany on the first day of riding. The bicycling was very pleasant; the towns were interesting; the locals helpful and friendly. The written cycling directions were only marginally helpful, but the signage in both France and Germany is excellent. It helps to have google maps. Download the google map in your hotel the night before with hotel WiFi, or have a data plan. The hotels were fine. Ibis has very small but adequate rooms. It is somewhat generic. The non-ibis hotels were definitely more interesting and rooms were larger.
-
★★★★★ mgkibben
Amazing opportunity
Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon
This was a terrific way to see a beautiful part of Europe. Traveling by bike is always rewarding, but having all the logistics arranged made it that much more enjoyable.
The bike: I opted for the Trek FX 2 (hybrid, non-electric). This was a reasonable bike for some of the less groomed roads (I'd been disappointed not to have a road bike but I'm not sure a road frame would have handled some of the routes). Overall a decent ride.
The route: The GPS routing was good, but a bit outdated. Some of the trails selected had been washed out in the previous months and while there were detours on the paths, the GPS took a while to catch up once the trail was rejoined. There were a few times when the ViaRhona had a route sign but the GPS took an adjacent "sportier" route - which included a few two-tracks and steep grades. The day-to-day information on the route was helpful - especially when warning about significant climbs approaching the hotels.
The lodging: two of the three hotels were nothing short of lovely. Beautiful rooms, great amenities (restaurants, sitting areas), amazing location with beautiful views. The other three hotels were either good for location, but the rooms were just adequate.
Support: Pick up/drop off: Bruno was there at the time planned with all the information needed. Drop off couldn't have been simpler - just store it in the room the hotel had set aside. Communication leading up to the tour was consistent and responsive. There was a delay in receiving some of the more timely material. It came through WhatsApp on the day of travel and it would have been helpful to have had it sooner.
Overall, a great experience!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several (with different companies)
- 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?
- France, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Danube
Bucket list complete!
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
A great way to tour the Danube, beautiful scenery and an amazing vacation. There are some uphills and busy sections, and a few more signs in some areas would be really helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 10 -16, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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
-
★★★★★ Mickey Shnaiderman
An almost perfect tour
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
A very unusual and exciting way to explore to Dolomites. Riding the bicycle through the those magnificent views was truly astounding.
The routes were picked correctly both in terms of distance and terrain.
Also, the provided booklet with the brief information about the routes and food recommendation was great!
All the hotels were great with excellent service, breakfasts were good and had us full until arrival.
The bicycles were good too, although we would expect to have some help adjusting them to our sizes. My girlfriend is very short and we had to find a multi-tool to adjust her saddle horizontal position. If we had all the tools supplied, it would be much easier.
We also had one miscommunication: one of the hotels was changed, so we got the updated list of hotels before the beginning of the tour. Upon arrival, we got all the maps and another list of hotels. This printed list stated that all previous lists were invalid, so we took it for granted. At the second day of riding, which was the longest and the hardest, we arrived exhausted to the wrong hotel, only to realize we have 3 more kilometres to ride to a hotel outside the city. That, in turn, meant that we were left with only one dinner option - in the hotel itself. It was great, though, but quite expensive.
The navigation was a bit tricky too. The app is a bit primitive, sometimes got stuck, drained a lot of battery when navigating with the screen on (compared to Google Maps that takes much less battery). In one occasion it also got my phone so hot it had to shut down. In some several places the app tried to take us on to non existent roads or onto incoming traffic. It was also unaware of road constructions. Other than that, when getting the hang of this app, it wasn't that bad. We managed to find our way without too much of a hustle.
A tip to give to other riders next time: Venice has a secured parking spot for bicycles for a 10€ per bicycles. It is essentially a huge locker for the bike. Also, a big shout-out for Anthony, who called us to help finding the return place of the bikes. He also gave us the tip of riding to Venice and then leaving them in the hotel inserted of in the garage.- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
-
★★★★★ Mick
Three Countries, One Lake
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
A relaxing tour with some good cardio the second day getting to the hotel. Plenty of scenery for us photographers and lots of cafes for morning coffee breaks and afternoon beers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 4-10
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Mikay
Beautiful, Romantic, Historic, Adventurous
Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
This trip was a blast! It was especially cool to see how the geography and culture changed as we moved out of Czech Republic and into Germany. This tour has a little bit of everything to satisfy everyone's tastes. Our favorites were the last two days: Hrensko, thermal bathes in Bad Schandau, Fortress in Koenigstein (well worth the hike to the top), and Bastei in Oberrathen (do the hike and visit the medieval fortress). Also, as far as navigation, we used the maps.me app and mounted our smart phone to the bike, which made getting around super easy. We had turn by turn directions throughout the tour.
A couple tips I wished the tour company had provided, major sites along the route are closed on Mondays. We traveled from Litomorice to Decin on Monday. Unfortunately the Strekov castle and restaurant was closed (we found that out after climbing to the top of the hill). Additionally when we reached Velke Brezno to visit the brewery we found out it also is closed on Mondays. Therefore, if a day of your tour falls on a Monday it would be good to prioritize scheduling one of the hiking days (e.g. Decin to Bad Schandau or Bad Schandau to Dresden). In general, it would be nice to know in advance what days the points of interest are closed, so the group can manage their time at other sites better. If the tour company does not provide this info, I would recommend looking it up in advance.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 23, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson
Thanks very much for your feedback! We're glad you had a great time. We'll pass along your helpful suggestions to the local operator.
-
★★★★★ Johnstones
Incredible Experience, highly recommend!
Albarracín to Valencia Along Spain's Longest Greenway
Wonderful experience. Very peaceful ride with very few other cyclists or walkers on the route (April). The support from Sandi and his team was really good, with updates every day that included restaurant recommendations, very helpful. Accommodations and breakfasts were top notch.
The bikes were heavy, about 30 pounds, with larger tyres and lots of gears: both the tyres and gears were much needed at times: a long steady climb on day one and lots of gravel on other days.The tour ended with two nights in Valencia staying in a busier area: perfect for those looking to explore the city but for those who like the countryside they may wish to tweak the itinerary. We loved all the beautiful scenery, riding through the tunnels, and staying in beautiful and tidy towns. The value for the price was very high, and we are definitely recommending it to friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2026
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Staff member
Dear Johnstones,
Thank you for your wonderful and detailed review! It’s great to know the accommodations and overall value met your expectations. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you on another tour in the future!
Bozena
-
★★★★★ Cycler
Met all expectations
Majorca: A Loop Tour of the Beautiful Balearic Island
Really a wonderful experience - with some shortcomings in navigation information and ability to contact local rep when needed, but still a trip that I would recommend highly.
- What was the date of your tour?
- March 17, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First of this type
- 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
-
★★★★★ Douglas Emzie Miller
7 days on boat 7 days on land Ireland .
Founder's Tour: Turkey and Greece E-Bike & Boat tour
Excellent trip except the physical condition of the boat was unacceptable. IslAanding Hopping did a superb job as well as the boat crew. As we paid extra for our room we were very disappointed. We have traveled with Jim Johnson for 20 Yrs. All have been excellent as we continued to travel with Bike Tours. This trip was disappointing due to the condition of the boat.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
-
★★★★★ Rosann
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
Absolutely fabulous trip. Weather was gorgeous, setting was amazing, hosts also wonderful but if doing the self guided tour be prepared for some lost an found adventures. The route sheets sometimes required interpretation especially in villages where instructions like cross railway turn left so that track is on your right doesn’t make sense, others included take the gravel track up a steep hill - there were 4 tracks only one paved. This one also interesting as we went through on a Sunday - hunters had just shot a wild boar :0| Also suggest taking an extended tool kit- we had a flat on aMonday - local bike shop closed - the tyre was stuck to the rim on one side- had to prize the tyre off the rim with screw driver. Phone call to organizers were not returned- hotel owner very helpful but not a mechanic. We still had a great trip though and will definitely do another with this crew again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 20-27 September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first
- 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
-
★★★★★ Emma2714
Well organised
Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture
I appreciate the arrangement of transfering baggage service and the staff in Bolzano, who helped me get my passport because the previous hotel kept my passport. However, i am so stupid that I could not follow the route , its better to have direction, for example , head South.... The worst thing is the attitude of hotel is not good when I request I put my bike into my room, because, every accessory can be removed very soon, for example, my saddle, wheels, one point is money, my bike is expensive, because I can cycle fast if I ride my own bike,the other point is what can I do if my bike was stolen, it will ruin my trip,right? Although, they will help to lock into somewhere, Hotel San Marco, I have to push my bike going up and down from ground to basement 2, I could not use LIFT, it is not friendly !! Anyway, I will join again,hopefully, people try to understand others who bring their own bike!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 2 Aug 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- no
- 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?
- Italy
Email
Mailing Address
Office Hours