Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 37
- 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
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- Serbia
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- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
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★★★★★ Tom Gihring
Wonderful views riding through this mountainous landscape
UNESCO Sites of Albania
One of the best value cycle tours to be found. First class meals provided, including fresh prepared local dishes. Guides take good care of the bikes and give daily briefings before each ride. Wish there were more cycle paths to relieve riders from dealing with motor traffic.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
-
★★★★★ Ginger B
Good trip but the traffic was too much on several days
Balkan Treasures
We had a nice time but were not comfortable with the amount of traffic on the narrow roads on several days. Cars, trucks and buses would fly by us with no room for us to get out of the way which was very scary. We bike a ton at home so we are not novices. I would advise the local bike company to re=examine the bike routes this tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2026
- 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, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
-
★★★★★ Yeenie
Bolzano to Mestre, Italy bike trip
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 11th -- 17th, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Nine
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Glen Field
Very scenic biking tour
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The trip was very good, excellent bike paths, great scenery, very good hotels, excellent breakfast at all the hotels. A few communication problems stop me from giving this a 5 star review.
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★★★★★ GM
Could be better
Berlin – Copenhagen
Overall this was an amazing trip. However, there were some frustrating aspects as follows:
1. Route instructions were terrible. I stopped getting lost once I downloaded and used the GPS routes
2. I missed many sites of interest as the layout of the guidebook was pretty awful as well. For example, descriptions of sites of interest were several pages before or after the maps of specific towns. The company would benefit from starting over with their guidebooks and find a user experience expert to change layout.
3. Most lodging ranged from good to very good. However, several were either too far from town to find a decent place to eat, or more importantly very noisy making a restful night next to impossible. This factor of itself was enough to consider whether I would recommend this trip.
4. The last day was not an unpleasant way to end the trip given I had the choice of over 100 km or ride next to a busy highway for most of the day. The end point could be better through through. -
★★★★★ Geri Lincoln
Wonderful trip
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had an amazing time, our accomodations were eclectic and diverse which we appreciated. Tour book was well researched and informative. The ground handler that gave us our bikes was not very well informed and did not give any options, tools or advise for fitting the bikes correctly, we had no issues but some others, especially those on ebikes were not well served. GPS routing would be an excellent addition to the books provided. Hotel Donauschlinge seemed to be having a bad day and the restaurant staff was obviously rude to those of us without German language skills. All in all, very well done. Having only two experiences that were less than perfect for an 8 day tour is a job well done!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ happyPedals
Interesting, varied, a great trip
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
You will see different landscapes, from the more mountainous interior to the coast. There are chances to see many historical sites. The GPS is a must for the trip, you will get lost if you don't have it. I strongly recommend bringing your own small pump which can handle both Presta and Schraeder. The pumps we were given were a bit dodgy, and handled only Presta although we had some Schraeder valves on our tires and just one spare tube (Presta). We came across some aggressive stray dogs but weren't attacked. I carried a stick on my bike just in case. As a woman I would have been a bit anxious doing this ride alone, I was happy to have a partner with me. The hotels were mostly family-run or small and felt friendly and welcoming. There were many great restaurants in the destination towns. Staying 3 nights in the final town with 2 loop trips was great - the hotel was good and you didn't have to keep packing and unpacking. You *must* carry the hotel list with you - the GPS will not lead you directly to the hotels and the hotel names are not part of the map binder. You will see some beautiful scenery and also some abandoned and derelict buildings and piles of garbage. Some days you ride on somewhat busy roads with very narrow shoulders, but we found that drivers were courteous. If you are going to use the Metro in Athens, do some research about the level of organized pick-pocketing there and take precautions. This was a rewarding trip for someone who loves biking and history and exploring.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
-
★★★★★ Stephen Graham
Great area, careful with cars in France
Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
Fascinating area, half German half French. French side has the cutest towns, German side the safest biking. Beware biking on the French side on weekends, as locals drive to the vineyard towns for lunch or overnights, and they drive fast. Often no shoulder or bike path, drivers not always courteous, a lot of energy on avoiding catastrophe for less-experienced riders instead of enjoying the scenery. Support was good, replacing a bike with brake problems mid-trip. Navigation had one major error, sending us to a small bridge across islands in the Rhine near Strasbourg that had in fact been closed for months. A bit stressful at the end of a long day riding, but we found another way across. Minimal guidance as to where to stop for cafes, lunch, etc.; could use a more detailed list of suggestions. Some of the budget hotels are not in charming locations or walking distance from restaurants. The Grand Hotel in Strasbourg has seen better days.
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★★★★★ Grasshopper
Amazing Trip on an e bike through Switzerland
Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
We really loved this trip. We were very concerned at first as the maps we received were not well marked and the information from the help line contradictory. Then out of the Blue our savior Rudie came along and we managed to hitch onto the group he was guiding. From there all was well. Thank you again Rudie for your help. The guide book was not provided in English. Apparently there are limited editions. The hotels we were booked into went from fantastic to three start ordinary. The bikes were good enough and did the job. I loved this trip and would recommend it but it needs refining ...
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2018
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Greg N
Good trip, bad weather
Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
Very good ride with good roads and little car traffic. Beautiful chateaus and scenery. We were plagued by poor weather and too much riding in the rain
- What was the date of your tour?
- Early May 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Greg N
Interesting ride through the beautiful Boudreaux region of France
Atlantic Coast of France
Great rides on pretty much car free roads. Vineyards as far as the eye a see in many areas. Good wine at great prices. Especially liked exploring Bordeaux city.
Ebikes worked well, but we’re heavy for my wife. App giving directions was great at times but confused us at other times- What was the date of your tour?
- Early May 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Greg Scheurich
??
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The App was great Difficult to locate hotels. Many hotels resturants were closed
-
★★★★★ nunn
Wunderbar
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
The tour was as described. The ferry came in handy one of the days. Directions were a problem. Once we got our of Konstanz and figured out what we were to follow it went better. Thanks to all the people who helped us along the way. Very helpful and friendly. The lake was delightful to swim in and cycle along. The scenery was delightful. We had ebikes and that's the way to go.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/30/19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ gsf1
Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7/9/17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Gudrun58
Group of friends
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
Hotel was very good and the staff also. Italy is so beautiful and charming.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14.09-19.09.2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
-
★★★★★ Bikers
Passau to Budapest
Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
A great way to explore parts of the Danube and its environs including historical and present day influences. Good hotels with local cuisine, culture and friendly hosts. A great way to meet like minded fellow travellers and get lots of fresh air with exercise.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 2 - 15 September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Nil
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Lynn M
Daube Bike Path 7 nights
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The staff were great and the hotels were up to expectations. On commencing the instructions for the first 2 days were good but the bike tracks should be labelled eg R1 or No 6 - this would be helpful. Also with the instructions we were given - you would need a GPS. We rode 10km out of our way because we missed a sign and directions were not helpful. Locals did point us in the right direction ..but we had to resort to "google maps" Some people had assisted with spray painting the track with directions...so our confusion wasn't a one off.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Heather
Classic River bike ride
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Hotels exceeded expectations…except 1 palace.
Pedalo app was excellent….a few small errors.
Unable to get a proper fitting helmet. One size does not fit all. Ended up buying a large helmet.
-
★★★★★ melwood
Great trip due to the scenery, companions, and beer.
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Overall this was a great trip. I have a few complaints, though.
1. The bikes. We asked for hybrids and what we got were heavy cruisers (24 # or so) with 21 speeds and barco lounger seats. The seats were comfortable for about 20 miles the first day, then they were downright painful. Next time I'll bring my own saddle if I have to use these bikes. Also two of my companions are well under 5 ft tall and the bikes were big for them and hard to handle.
2. The distance. We told the company we wanted to do about 40 miles a day but it averaged 56 miles per day (with hot weather and heavy bikes and a headwind the entire way) for 4 days. We thought were spending 5 nights in hotels but it was only 4. I could have sworn I saw 5 days on the itinerary they sent before we left, but I guess i mis-read it.
3. The directions book. It was a little confusing arriving at the hotel and leaving it daily, as we had to pick out our directions from everyone one else's who were doing a similar ride but staying at different hotels or different villages.
A better approach would have been individual instructions. Especially when we arrived in Vienna. Once we were in town it was still an hour to our hotel through the city at high traffic. I could have kissed the hotel desk personnel when I finally arrived.
4. Accommodations: 3 out of 4 were great. The breakfast meals were great and plentiful. I would have liked to stay closer in the whatever village or town we were in (for those hotels that weren't) as it'd been nice to have a choice for dinner other than the hotel. Once we arrived, were too tired to bike any further, and we didn't want to spend $ on a taxi. Just a
suggestion.- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 12-16th, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson
I'm very sorry you had issues with the rental bikes and distances. The rental bikes are typical for touring along the Danube and on most of the flatter tours in much of Europe, and I personally like them. Definitely a matter of taste! If you're accustomed to road bikes, it often does take some adjusting. We will address the size issues with the local operator. Relative to distances, the route is about 210 miles long. So, if you have four riding days (six or seven days are typical), it will come out to be more than 50 miles per day. At your welcome briefing, you should have been informed about options for shortening riding distance by taking boats or trains, which take bikes. I'm sorry if that did not happen and that, apparently, our staff did not do the math and inform you of the longer distances before you booked.
We will pass your feedback along to the local tour company. Thanks so much for taking the time to provide so much detail! This is always helpful as we work with the tour companies to improve their tours and services and with our own staff to improve our communication to and support of clients.
-
★★★★★ Heather
Alsace Cycling Vacation
Alsace Wine Country
Bike Tours Direct is a very organized company that has good connections in the area. They provide a consultation on the first day of the trip to go over maps, routes, lodgings, and recommendations (for self-guided tours). They also spend some time making sure the bike is in good condition and is adjusted to fit you comfortably. We upgraded to road bikes, I would strongly recommend this as there are some steep hills on days 3-5.
We chose B hotels. The accommodations were comfortable.
The first 2 days of cycling are peaceful and flat, riding along a canal. Starting in Colmar, the ride is along the Alsatian wine route. It becomes hilly, and this is where the picture book starts. We cycled up and down hills, though vineyards, and medieval towns. Each town has beautifully preserved architecture, historic monuments, cobble stone streets, not to mention delicious local food and wine. The Alsace region is a perfect mix of French countryside, and small medieval towns with rich history and culture.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
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