Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 48
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
-
★★★★★ debor
Dolomite to Trieste was varied and interesting
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I thought the design of the route was excellent. We spent much of the first 2 days on bike paths. I loved the small towns we stayed in. The range of hotels was quite broad-from very family run and quaint, to lavish. I quite liked the variety-that someone else chose them for me. I appreciated the list of recommended restaurants-we never went wrong using their recommendations, and frequently did when we used our own. I should have chosen to spend an extra day in Bled. We arrived in a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening, and early the next morning we had to bike to catch the train-so I don't think I really got to experience any of Bled. I loved staying in the old city in Cividale. There was quite a bit of detailed route finding on the last two days, that kept you watching the map, but we succeeded fine. The last day we chose to take the short route along the Adriatic to Trieste and the traffic was not nearly as bad as I thought it might be-the tunnels can be negotiated by walking your bike along the pedestrian way which keeps you completely out of the traffic.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 8, 2019
- 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?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
-
★★★★★ Pedal
Wonderful surprise
UNESCO Sites of Albania
Beautiful country, great food. We had a wonderful guide, Ted
- What was the date of your tour?
- Started on Sept 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- A number in the US
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Martha
So lovely! There were so many times during the week we said "THANK YOU SEAMUS" for finding the lovely tiny roads along spectacular scenery.
Treasures of the Donegal Coast
This was the perfect bike trip: BEAUTIFUL rides (THANK YOU SEAMUS!), comfortable places to stay with welcoming hosts and great food spots each town.
Bikes were perfect. The roads were bike friendly. The people welcoming. The side trips added adventure, history and new views.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15-23, 2017
- 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?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Marissa
Really great first trip
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Highlights:
- Handy navigation app that usually seemed to work well.
- Really neat variety of hotels with absolutely ridiculous breakfast spreads. Dinners at the hotels were also incredible.
- Staff were very helpful when they could be - this includes rental shop, phone contact, and transfer assistant staff.
- I'd estimate about 60-70% of the route was on dedicated bike trails that were wonderful to bike on, especially compared to terrible US bike infrastructure.
Lowlights:
- We did not use navigation features on the app, just used it as a reference map. As a compulsive mapper, an easy way to export GPX/route info from the provided app would have been appreciated. I was able to download GPXs several weeks in advance, but the routes on a couple of days ended up extremely incorrect and misleading.
- It would have been helpful to have general guidance or resources on alternatives in the event of bad weather. We got fairly lucky on the timing of some heavy rain, but it definitely caused some anxiety.
- Nova Gorica and Trieste were kind of awful and hectic to navigate, but I don't know how you'd avoid them.The route was gorgeous and mostly easy. I'd recommend taking the long and hilly routes to Bled and Trieste if you're physically up for it. As an enthusiastic cyclist, it was hard to adjust to the heavy and clunky rental bikes (obvious solution: bring your own bike) and I can't say we'd have tackled any mountain passes, but they were comfortable and well maintained. I felt like we definitely got value for what we paid and I'd recommend this trip to anyone who wanted an intro to easy touring!
-
★★★★★ Maggie Stapleton
Absolutely Wonderful!
Along the Rhône River from Geneva to Lyon
I had a terrific time on this tour. Everything was extremely well organized, from orientation at the beginning of the trip, to the daily route navigation, and luggage arrival at accommodations. The scenery was beautiful, and each town and hotel had a lot of charm! Highly recommend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- France, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Ingrid Mahoney
Solo and Sublime
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
My first longer bike trip and I was a solo 59 year old woman in Europe. I loved it. The scenery, physical activity and options for exploring all the wonderful cultural aspects Europe has to offer was a perfect balance for me. The hotels were all nice and more than 1/2 were really excellent. The bike was well equipped and in top shape. I had only one day of rain but the public transportation is so amazing and bringing your bike is not a problem I had no worries. I would recommend this trip to all my friends. If they are not very active I would recommend the electric bike it is a perfect option.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Excellent
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
-
★★★★★ Jo-Ann Del Vecchio
Great ride but a few concerns
Majorca: A Loop Tour of the Beautiful Balearic Island
First thing of concern is a water bottle, I bought my water bottle but the did not have a holder for the bottle
I also am not sure of the conditions of the Nikes my back tire was low at the starts and had to be looked at before taking off
The location for the paella was awful by the time we got there we were told they were closing and anytime we asked for a drink we were informed that we were keeping them open
Also the paella was awful the chicken was ful with Bones
The last town port de soller was absolutely gorgeous but the ride out was a concern to us and we opted not to ride
All in all it was a great trip- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Maria N
Trip of my dreams
Wild Atlantic Way Cycling
The perfect way to experience Ireland! Everyone have to do it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 30/07-06/07
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Elizabeth Frisbie
One of my best trips
Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
This was the best way to see the beautiful countryside of Tuscany, Our two guides, Panos and Tom, were AMAZING. This is one of the best bike trips I have been on. The terrain was very doable with Ebikes. The accommodations and food were fabulous. Everything was very well organized. I would highly recommened this trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Chris M
Take us back
UNESCO Sites of Albania
Felt like we were able to see many different parts of the country and you can’t beat traveling by bike. The tour companies were great to work with as we had some travel challenges to work around. Inland the roads were scenic and quiet for riding, while the coast was stunning.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- 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?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Mark Anderson
Well Organized!
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
Tour Date (wk beginning Sep 7, 2024)
Our chosen tour was the self guided tour and my wife and I rented a tandem for the ride. the weather was the only thing we would have hoped to of had different. We started out in the 80's F and ended in the low 40's with all day heavy rain.
Bike Tours and their local providers/coordinators did an excellent job of coordinating all the parts and pieces from the bike shop where we picked up the tandem in Innsbruck and including all of the accommodations and luggage movement along the way. Everything worked perfectly.
One comment I have heard in many other reviews was that the map book is difficult to follow. We decided to also rent a GPS as well to help with navigation. That was a good move as the GPS was easier to manage in the rain and then we pulled the map book out when we needed additional details.
The map book directions were hard to follow initially, but that got easier with familiarity after the first day. When you receive the GPS it's not preloaded with the route. We didn't realize this ahead of time, but after loading the Garmin app in our phone we would load each day's route from the map book into our phone and then transfer to the GPS the night before. We both grumbled a bit as we completed this process the first night, but this became much quicker after the initial run as well.
I would definitely do another tour with Bike Tours!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sep 7, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Ronnie
A Wonderful Self Guided Bike Trip
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
This trip was excellent in few respects.
The organization, communication with the company and follow up by Inshaaf during the few weeks leading to the trip were efficient and timely.
The routes were spectacular and both the written guides provided to us by IberoCycle and the RideWithGPS courses made the navigation easy and the stops easy to find.
The inns were not luxurious but were nice, clean and functional. Breakfasts and dinners were great.
This trip exceeded our expectations.
We were wowed by the views of the countryside and beauty of many of the villages we cycled through.- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ M. Meale
Beautiful Ride
Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
Hotels were great. Liked having the option to ride the whole route rather than skip the longer steeper climbs. Enjoyed the ferry ride. The navigation app worked great. A huge improvement over the older version. I love this route.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
-
★★★★★ mean
relaxing and enjoyable biking
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
This bike trip combines wonderful natural scenery --- kilometres of vineyards stretching up steep hills on both sides of the river, the meandering river with huge bends that continually open up to new vistas---with lovely, often quaint villages and towns. The biking is gentle and easy, mainly on an off road trail. And there's always an opportunity to stop for a coffee or glass of wine around the next bend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct. 13
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Marci C
Like Riding through a postcard
Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
This was a wonderful tour! The GPS was easy to follow and much of the tour was on bike paths or rural roads. The locals were very respectful on the busier roads and we did not feel unsafe. We had an incident with one of the bikes (our fault not theirs) and they were very responsive and understanding and arranged for a replacement bike immediately. The hotels were great. We were initially disappointed to not be staying right in Gruyere but the included spa at our hotel made the extra pedaling worth it. The tour company was also very flexible with our itinerary as we only spent one night in Spiez and then added 2 nights in Interlaken (something I highly recommend doing). The scenery in Switzerland is unmatched and many days we road along the countryside listening to the cow bells in the hills. We started in the French speaking area and ended in the German. The last 2 days past many clear blue lakes but each one was a different shade of tourquoise! The last day rode us right past the starting point for Pilatus and the world's steepest cogwheel railway. Beautiful views and easy to get a ticket day of.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Marc and Lin
Beautiful green scenery and rolling hills
Northern Spain: Cantabrian & Asturian Coasts
Great discovery of northern Spain. With 2-night layovers in 3 cities, we could ride everyday or take off up to 3 days during the week. Excellent support when needed.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 8 - 15
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8 in Europe
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Marc Parks
Great exposure to the highlights of Matera and Puglia
Apulia - Heel of Italy
Overall our 14 experienced cyclists very much enjoyed our tour, in spite of a few start-up issues for those with no previous ebike experience. The route included several scenic, interesting places, in “the heel of the boot in Italy”, including fascinating Matera and Alberobello, and the lodging was wonderful, with sumptuous breakfast buffets. In addition our guides, Paolo and Alessandria, added interesting insights into local history and culture as well as attending to our every need, all while while maintaining a great sense of humor. All of us felt we'd love to return to some of the destinations for several days - a new destination each day of the tour prevented in-depth exploration. And in hindsight, those with no previous ebike experience should have used them for a couple of rides before coming on the trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Mary Eaman
Everything was Perfect!
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The itinerary was varied and beautiful, the hotels were charming and clean, the bikes were great, the support both pre trip and during the trip was fabulous. One of the best vacations ever. Thank you!
-
★★★★★ Margaret Ann MacGregor
All great—although the weather did not cooperate, but we had rain gear!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Navigation worked well. Some hotels had great saunas! Breakfasts were all good!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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, Italy
-
★★★★★ Margaret Steyn
Fun cycle trip in an area new to us
Andalusia: Southern Spain
The trip was a wonderful introduction to Spain. We enjoyed the challenge of the cycling, especially the wonderful dirt trails in the parks, Via Verde etc. There was a good mix of gravel roads, sand trails & urban cycle lanes. The Spanish motorists are very courteous & there is a wonderful bike trail system especially in bigger cities. The hotels (other than the one in Jerez which was a great disappointment & was not actually in the direction book or on the GPS!!) were excellent. We would have loved to have spent more time in Arcos del la Fronterra & less in Jerez. All other places were delightful & will have us returning. We definitely found having the GPS made a big difference. Bikes were okay & when we needed help (as a key got stuck in the battery ), we had good assistance.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 26th to 30th.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 cyclists in our group.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
