Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 94
- Argentina
- Australia
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- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
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- England
- Estonia
- France
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- Greece
- Holland
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- Jamaica
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- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
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- United States
- Vietnam
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★★★★★ AMY COOK
A lovely tour
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
This tour was lovely, so much beautiful countryside and fascinating historical sites.
It was quite a bit more mountainous than the promotion description lead me to believe and on of the hotels was considerably less nice than the rest. But overall it was a great trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Sue Larson
Fabulous Way to Experience Beautiful Catalonia
Medieval Villages of Catalonia
This tour was a magical way to see the sights and sounds of beautiful Catalonia. The bikes were of a superior quality and shifted easily - which was a good thing because there was a lot of shifting involved along the way. The accommodations were top-notch and the GPS perfectly directed us along the way. Daniel was an exceptional vendor and his positive nature and encouragement were welcome and valued. He checked-in during the tour to make sure that all was well. This trip was a dream come true and comes highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Michael Coulson
Terrific time, on and off the bikes!
Portugal's Atlantic Coast
Great way to see the country, and the people, food, hotels, was all fantastic.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Francisco Averhoff
beautiful countryside
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
the hotels were very nice (we upgraded) and the bike riding was very doable and the countryside was beautiful. we have done 5 self guided bike tours through biketours.com and have been very satisfied, however for this trip the actual travel agency in France (Walk Inn) was unsatisfactory: 1. they did not meet with us and did not go over the routes; 2.did not meet with us to go over the bike equipment; 3. we had trouble with the GPS system on our phones and they provided no assistance; 4. the written maps/routes did not match the routes on the GPS (once we were able to get it on our phone); 5. the GPS routes that we finally downloaded were often for the trip going in the opposite direction which made the navigation more challenging; 6. Finally, the hotel transfers and bike provider were subcontracted by Walk Inn making coordination difficult and furthermore, Walk Inn did not answer our calls using the phone number provider for emergency contact. Overall because of the in country travel agency , Walk Inn, this trip was only fair and could have been excellent.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Francisco Averhoff
Great location- tour operator lacking
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
Recommend the trip, with another tour company, not Walk Inn. Service and access to assistance was very poor
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Andrew Lindsay
Disappointing Tour - Did Not Meet Expectations
Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
Positives:
1) The e-bikes were very good and well maintained; the routes were generally excellent if a little short for e-bikes (rides often finished early afternoon whereas on most other organised cycle trips I've been on they were spread out over most of the day).
The rides from Herceg Novi to Kotor; Ravno to Ston and Ston to Kun were particularly enjoyable - brilliant scenery and quiet roads.2) Accomodation - Hotels were all very good apart from Marija 2. This hotel was a good 20 minute walk from Kotor; room was clean but rather dark and miserable (no view; no balcony but lots of signs instructing occupants what not to do). Fried eggs at breakfast were cold). By contrast the Hotel Stancia in Ravno was a delight.
3) Food - This was an enjoyable part of the tour. The 'included' lunches and evening meals were very good. The lunches at Ravno, Ston and Kun were especially enjoyable - offering liquor tasting; olive grove visit and locally produced food respectively. The local restaurants we chose for our evening meals were also excellent.Areas To Improve: As a guided introduction to the West Balkans this trip has nothing to recommend it. The guide, while perfectly charming and an excellent cycle tour leader, had next to nothing to say about the countries we visited (their history; their customs and culture; their flora and fauna). I suspect his Company has never provided any training on how to be a tour guide.
This tour makes it very easy to miss exploring the old town of Herceg Novi; the walls of Kotor and Cavtat Old Town (indeed most of the group did) because they were never recommended or even mentioned; nor did we cycle to them). Dubrovnik is the jewel (albeit a very busy jewel) of the West Balkans and it would be very easy to book this tour and never see it (the old town is a 40 minute walk from the Hotel Adria).
I've cycled many times with Explore and Exodus on group guided tours and their delivered experience is vastly superior to that of BikeTours.com.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- I've been on well over 20 bike tours. The West Balkan tour is bottom quartile. Your guides need training. Happy to provide more feedback.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ Beth Alcorn
Cycling the south of France
South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Excellent trip and experience. Every detail was covered from the first pick up and orientation to the drop off of our bikes. Route instructions were spot on, accommodations amazing and overall route beautiful. Highly recommend this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Ian Bailie
Danube biking adventure
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Riding along the Danube river through Austria to Vienna was a wonderful experience. Everything was very well organised, from bike collection, through route guidance, accommodation and support. The riding is easy, though on our ride we did encounter some strong head winds. There is spectacular scenery and interesting villages to keep interest up. We thoroughly recommend the bike tour.
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★★★★★ Brett Wilson
Trip of a lifetime
Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Highly recommend. The islands are stunning - beautiful natural harbors, wineries, picturesque towns, charming local restaurants, cafes and ice cream shops. The rides were beautiful and very manageable (over the course of a day). Hotels were quite nice and transfers were flawless. We upgraded to carbon fiber bikes which was nice.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2022
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Francisco Averhoff
Great location- tour operator lacking
Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
Recommend the trip, with another tour company, not Walk Inn. Service and access to assistance was very poor
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Kat McDonald
Great scenery, great towns, very steep hills
Portugal's Atlantic Coast
Overall, an excellent vacation. Of the four bike tours I've done, it's #1 for scenery, #1 for food, tied for hotel quality, #1 for quality of bikes, #1 for travel partner service (documents, pickup/drop off, timeliness), and #4 for route finding. There are some times on busy roads but the drivers were exceptionally courteous. Travelers should note how hilly it is -- very difficult on a road bike and still quite challenging on an electric bike. Route finding is a problem. I understand the local partner is adding step by step navigation, but I believe additional steps (such as stickers on signs) will also be necessary.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Dixon Leavitt
Great Way to Experience a Country and Culture
Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
We had a great time on this tour! The hotels were top notch, with great food and amazing spas. The routing was right on point, we really liked the EuroTrek app and the routes in there. That app along with Apple Maps got us everywhere we needed to go. We were lucky and did not have to use any of the tools or pump included. Bikes are a huge part of Swiss Culture. Travel on the roads, or on public transportation, was seamless.
The funicular in Vevey on day 1 saved a lot of climbing. I would highly suggest taking it! Same with the train over the Brunig Pass. The cycling demands were very manageable. There was some walking up hills, but the last 3 days were almost all flat or downhill. If you stay in Spiez, after your ride, I suggest taking the Nielsen Funicular to the peak. From there, you see the valley you ride down from Gstaad to Spiez.
Luggage transfer was seamless. The first day, our bags showed up at 5:30 pm. The rest of our days, the bags were already in our room when we arrived at the hotels.
Bike Tours and EuroTrek were great to work with. We will definitely do another trip like this one day! If you are interested in the tour and have questions, I am happy to answer them. Dwade39 at gmail dot com
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 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?
- Switzerland
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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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★★★★★ Sue Collins
Private tour with Fernando
Algarve Coastal Route
Such a fantastic day touring around Lagos area. Rose about 40km on mountain bikes through beautiful gravel trails and some roads. Stopped for lunch in Luz. Such a wonderful day!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ plumeria
Trip of my dreams!
Wine, Dine and Electric Bike in Burgundy
The perfect way to France! Our guide was great - a very knowledgeable local and wine. He loves his hometown (Burgundy) so much. We enjoyed our journey safely with him. The hotels were very charming and comfortable. The meals were perfect.
Exactly this tour was wine and dine!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Robert Anderson
The Algarve didn’t disappoint.
Algarve Coastal Route
The bike tour was a fantastic experience with great views and fantastic food. Cycling through the small fishing towns and visiting with the locals is a great way to explore the cultural. On our first day we experienced some minor issues with one of our bikes. We were able to continue riding and within a short time had a replacement bicycle delivered to us. The local bike tour company was very helpful. The trails and path’s took us by so many amazing sights it was hard to take it all in. The hotels, with the exception of one, were fantastic and had in great locations. The dining options are plentiful and prices were very reasonable. We used GPS navigation which makes the ride much more enjoyable as you don’t have to constantly be stopping to read instructions. We used the Garmin device from the tour company and they also provided the daily route information for us to load in the Ride With GPS app. The last two days we did experience some hills. My wife appreciated the e-bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Five
- 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?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Wendy Walton
The Quiet Side of Greece
Sparta and the Mediterranean Coast
After the hustle and bustle of Athens so enjoyed our cycling experience in much smaller Greek towns with more of a local atmosphere. The bike company did an outstanding job of route planning, a harder day followed by an easier one with the option to include a rest/ exploring day instead. The local accommodations were varied and all excellent and no issues checking in, sometimes earlier if we finished quicker. The luggage transfer was flawless. The hills and wind made it challenging but still so enjoyable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Susan Cleary
Amazing!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
My friend and I did the UNESCO Albania tour (self guided)and it exceeded all our expectations.
The routes were breathtaking. Riding through the mountains, even in the rain,
I felt like we were in a virtual reality ride.Our tour guide, Aldo was fantastic.
Every morning he checked our bikes and made sure we had everything we needed. He would also be seen in the hotels mornings and evenings helping serve meals and drinks.The sag driver, Fitim, was wonderful too.
He would wash bikes after rainy days, make sure we had water and occasionally give a whistle if we happened to take a wrong turn and he was in the vicinity.The hotels were great with one exception, however, the others certainly made up for it especially the first and last night.
Thank you for such a wonderful experience!
Thank you Aldo and Fitim!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 19
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Katherine (Kate) Karlson
Memorable and recommended!
Portugal's Atlantic Coast
Fantastic trip! 197 miles on the hybrid route with e-bikes. Hotels were all top notch and included buffet breakfast was a treat. Recommend wet weather gear if going early season. Skip the gps but bring an external battery pack. Bike tour staff were fantastic and extremely helpful. If you stay in Sintra I recommend you leave as early as possible o avoid the tour buses and other traffic.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ John Koester
Great Tour of Albania!
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The guided tour of Albania was awesome. The cycling was really good, maybe a little harder than expected in the mountains. But well worth it. We climbed Llogara Pass which was an epic ride, followed by a 20 mile downhill.
The food and accommodations were really super good. No complaints at all there.
But what made the tour standout was our guide Arjan, and the van driver Enis. Those guys were great and we were all family right off the bat. They took good care of us every day we were with them. We can’t recommend this tour highly enough. Albania is a beautiful country with super cool people.- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- 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?
- Albania
