Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 32
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
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★★★★★ Jeffrey S.
Albania Adventure
UNESCO Sites of Albania
I'll start off by saying that overall I had a great trip. However, there were several things that were a disappointment. Starting with the good-the route, the scenery, and the group of people I was with were wonderful. The bad-the guide and the total number of people on the trip. The guide gave virtually no instructions when we first got our bikes. He spent a fair amount of time in the van rather than biking. He spent more time with his "assistant" (who was clearly his girlfriend) than he spent with guests. Except for in one city, he offered virtually no insight into the Albanian culture of the areas we visited. As for the number of people, there were 20 of us on the guided tour and there were another 8 people on the self-guided tour. The self-guided people stayed in the same hotels as us and that caused, on several occasions for the group of 20 to be split up into different hotels. One night in particular, our group was not only split up into two hotels, but I stayed in a separate house (hardly a hotel-more like a hostel) by myself. It was a very uncomfortable night. Had there been fewer than 28 people in total (guided plus self guided) on the trip, this would not have likely happened. Notwithstanding the above, I had a very good time but I chalk it up to the 19 other travelers in my guided group and the beautiful countryside we saw. One last thing-if you are not a seasoned cyclist-use an e-bike on this trip. Some of the hills are killers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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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★★★★★ Jerry Seidell
Beautiful ride along the Danube
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
A perfect way to see Austria and do it at our own pace. Lodging was outstanding, equipment was better than expected and a very memorable trip! I was disappointed in the bike fitting (cancelled by tour company) and we had concerns and little support for adjustments. The trip did not get off on a good note - otherwise would have been a 5 rating.
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★★★★★ Jackie21
Very Memorable
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Amazing way to see parts of Italy you couldn’t see any other way. I loved our guides and the fun places we stopped along the way, however, the biking was much harder and faster than expected. I was expecting to be able to stop and take pictures any time I saw something picture worthy, but that was not the case. I realized the first day that I was not as prepared as I should’ve been. We had a very large group and people of all skill levels and even though I bike regularly I was not prepared for all peddling and no coasting. I also found the bike trails to be very crowded and nerve wracking with racing cyclist both coming and going. I expected a relaxing daily 40miles and it was in fact rather stressful biking. We had an amazing group from all over the world and that really made the experience fun. Our guides, Alain and Diego, were very personable and fun. I would do it again, but I would get an E-bike for the hills.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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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★★★★★ Jennifer Tenford
Interesting countries to learn about through travel
Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
We usually travel independently but chose a guided tour this time to learn more about an area of the world we were unfamiliar with. Our guide, Romas, was very knowledgeable and the international group (from 8 different countries) was enjoyable to travel with. The trip is a good mix of city, countryside and seaside resort areas. Most of the cycling was scenic but we would have preferred more bicycle paths and less on roads with traffic. The biggest disappointment was the vehicle transfers. We were expecting the long distances, but the van was crowded, the seats were uncomfortable with very little legroom, and it was very hot, with poor ventilation.
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★★★★★ julesmcsa
Great trip
Castles and Wines of Portugal
What a way to see the castles of Portugal! The history of the country is amazing, and seeing it all at eye level, literally, was amazing. Perfect weather. Our tour guides were fantastic. The food was overwhelming, there was just so much of it! Tasted a lot of wine, but expected more. Thank god for our E-bikes; some of the routes were too high for us. Overall, very enjoyable trip. We did not care for some of the accommodations: the farmhouse was too remote for us (we wanted to be in the city).
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 19th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Julia Garner
A great way to experience Crete
Aegean Discovery: Cycling through Eastern Crete
The RWGPS app was very accurate in providing instructions since roads are not marked and the terrain is challenging. Just one area with a rocky hill is not navigable with an eBike or road bikes and it takes about 15 minutes to walk up and then down the hill
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Nada
Austria alps
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 30-sept 5 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Jeff ak
Excellent way to tour Spain
Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
So many positives and a few negatives. First the trail was excellent for mountain bikes with a mix of paved roads and dirt trails. Great rolling hills and scenery. Lots of walkers and sometimes we shared trail which could be crowded and sometimes we were on highway. Most people friendly and understood sharing trail with bikes. We were surprised to see hundreds of people a day walking the trail.
Signage was yellow markers/arrows and was excellent. Most of the time we followed them but bike markers were not too good. My major complaint was our maps were not good. They were google type maps that were either too detailed and small that you couldn't read them or too general and broad that you didn't know where to go. We got lost and had to rely on a book with detailed directions comparing it to a general map. That was frustrating especially when the walking trail and bike trail diverged. If in doubt we followed the yellow markers with the walkers but we got onto some really bad hills and had to push bikes. I suggested to the booking company to provide mid level detailed google maps with major landmarks noted on map.
Overall it was a good trip and the hotels were small and generally 3 star. The small towns were interesting and excellent. Booking company Tee Travel was very good and responsive to our bike problems - one bike had no front brakes and they had it repaired and delivered to our hotel. Overall our bikes were very good rental equipment.
I highly recommend someone in your group speaks Spanish as we would have had major problems if no one spoke Spanish. The bikes were delivered to our leon hotel by an employee that only spoke Spanish so he could not answer our English questions. Fortunately we had someone in our group that spoke both languages fluently so she translated questions and answers. Our Spanish translator also helped us with getting directions from locals and ordering food. Most hotel employees spoke adequate English.
Favorite city was ponferrada due to a huge castle. Our favorite hotel was portomarin due to small cabins overlooking a river and vineyards. Also best service and meal was in portomarin where we got all you could eat veal, salad and dessert for $13 euros each.
You should be an intermediate biker since sitting on a bike for 53 K a day is difficult for a week. I was a casual bike rider and paid the price on my rear end.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 1st 2017
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jeff Hoover
Beautiful destinations with several detours
Albarracín to Valencia Along Spain's Longest Greenway
Our group of 8 does bike trips around different countries each year so we are comparing this bike trip to other trips we’ve done. The destinations and customer service were outstanding. Also very good were the hotels, food and the bikes. The only thing we didn’t like was the many diversions around construction and the ride with GPS directions. The road construction was beyond the bike company’s control but we hoped for more communication about detours from the bike company. Also the ride with GPS directions were difficult to follow in a few places and we got lost. One day we rode over 76 kilometers and got to hotel well after dark. One bike had a flat tire and one of our group lost his passport. The bike company did everything they could to fix the tire and help our friend find his passport. In future, I would recommend the bike company verify the ride with GPS directions again and be sure to notify customers about the several diversion areas in advance of the ride. Thank you again for this beautiful bike ride.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jo Ribordy-Christofferson
Not for the inexperienced traveler
Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
The trip itinerary was very good, the bikes were good, the motels were good, the luggage transport was good. The biking instructions were terrible. We only received a very small undetailed map for each day. We needed to use Google maps to navigate for most days of the trip and we were definitely lost on many occasions. International phone service is a must for this trip! Cycling along the lake was easy but getting in and out of towns was very challenging.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Jo C
Beautiful Crete
Aegean Discovery: Cycling through Eastern Crete
This trip is not for the inexperienced traveler. Crete roads aren't really very bike friendly and some of the areas on the route were a bit insane. The tour company staff was very friendly. The island was lovely, and the locals were great. 5 of the 6 motels were nice. There was a lot of climbing, and the island is very windy.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Jeff
A great way to experience the Camino
Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
Riding bikes is the perfect way to experience the Camino for the person who does not have the months available to walk. Although certainly less physically demanding that walking, biking is not for everyone. It was more difficult than we expected.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Gareth Laws
From Mountain Tops to Ocean Views
Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
Do this now, before Slovenia is spoilt. Lake Bled our starting point was amazing. Some steady climbs, luckily on e-bikes made the challenges in the early days more comfortable! A mix of accommodation, but one night in most of the places, was ok. We broke the journey with 2 nights in Ljubljana, definitely worth it.
A mix of off road, paved tracks, some roadside cycling ( but the cars were very good to us) grunty uphills and screaming downhills.
The App was easy to use and didn’t chew through the battery too much.
Overall we had a great time. The people are very friendly and welcoming. The hotels varied from top notch to “OK”. The bikes were comfortable and good condition, no problems there. Would recommend if you have some cycling experience.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
-
★★★★★ Karen Hanson
Beautiful (and manageable) trip
Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Following the Vltava and Elbe rivers, with mostly excellent bike paths and a reasonable amount of miles per day, made for a lovely honeymoon trip! The Czech countryside was about to hit fall colors, and chestnuts were aplenty. The bikes they provided were in great shape (Trek and Specialized), and the gps files worked well. Highly recommend showing up at least two or three days early to spend extra time in Prague and get used to the time change. We weren’t able to take advantage of many of the optional side visits and biergardens along the way because many were closed already for the season, but we still enjoyed passing through small/tiny towns. And we made sure to pack our own wine and cheese for breaks! In the high season, we imagine it must be a much different scene. Overall, really enjoyed the trip and would recommend it for those who are looking for a relaxing vacation.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Female solo traveler
Incredibly scenic
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Karl57
Great trip
Venice to Trieste and Istria
Great trip. Would highly recommend. Every stopover destination was well worth exploring. If we did it again we would customize the tour with an extra day to explore each stopover destination.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
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★★★★★ John Mitchell
Good trip - great experience
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Overall a wonderful trip through gorgeous scenery. The routing was excellent, giving us pretty rural scenery and avoiding car traffic. Hotels were generally excellent and continental breakfast buffets were a highlight of our day! We had a fabulous time and this trip has opened up the world of bike touring to us. And made us want to return to Slovenia to explore further.
The route did bring us to a couple of small towns with very little going on, and we would have enjoyed going a little bit further on some days. Maybe it could be better to tweak the route by lengthening a couple of days and building in an extra night and side-trip from Postojna, Muggia or Piran.
The hotels in Muggia and Piran were superb. The hotel in Vrhinka was not great (rooms were noisy from road traffic and bar immediately below; breakfast choice and quality was lowest of the trip).
Our touring bikes were basic, old and in average repair. Tires were under-inflated on receipt, mudguards rattled. All mechanicals worked just fine though. We saw some other Helia bikes on our travels which looked newer and lighter.
Navigation - the Guibo app was OK. The interface is definitely NOT Google Maps. We found it slow and clumsy but it did the job. The arrows on signposts were great in some areas, not in others. The printed material was useful to read to prepare for the day ahead, but the printed map details were too small to be of use.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Maureen Lander
Albania is Beautiful!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
As far as the biking in Albania, I'd give five-star, A-plus all the way. Beautiful scenery, nice roads with twists and turns to keep things interesting. Lots of uphill -- negated by e-bike -- but rewarded with fun, exhilarating downhills that went on forever and ever. Our fellow bikers were the best, interesting, fun people from all over. It was a true experience being in a country that's emerging from decades and decades of communist rule. They have a ways to go, I'd say, as far as customer service/attitude about tourists, but it looks like they're trying.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Mary Lynn Griff
Our Balkan Adventure
Balkan Treasures
We really enjoyed our bike tour of Croatia, Montegreno and Albania. The hotels were great as were the transfers. My notes of caution; first I suggest bringing mirrors and/or suggest they be provided. This tour was entirely on narrow roads with little or no shoulder so being able to see what is coming behind you is better for your safety. Drivers were very patient for the most part but a few of our patty were not used to riding on roads with traffic however after a few days they adapted well. The first day was the most difficult in my opinion but none of the days were as difficult as I had myself mentally (and physically) prepared for but for the casual rider I suggest the e-bike option. Otherwise, prepare for long climbs of 8-10%. I am 6'4" and my road bike was a bit too small but workable however the tires were not worn but had very little trend and were very slippery on some surfaces especially the decent into Kotor. If it had been raining it would have been very unsafe. I suggest tires with a bit more tread to provide better footing. Lastly, a couple of our hotels had live music that normally would have been great however it was very hot during our tour (100 degrees) so we were up and out early before the heat set in making the live music at 11:00 pm not as fun. The navigation was spotty on my android but others had better connections on their phones. All in all, a great trip. We loved finding our own way and being in control of our time and pace. We look forward to doing another trip sometime soon.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania, Montenegro, Croatia
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★★★★★ Mary-lou Huculak
Challenging but worth it!
Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
Gorgeous views over every hill and string every bend. Challenging even on ebikes but spectacular views.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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