Catalonia Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)
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★★★★★ Theresa Schwingenschloegl May 26, 2023
A fabulous 7 days
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Our e bike tour was meticulously routed by our guide Daniel. With his planning we adapted our North American stomachs to a later lunch which was always timed perfectly for the 4 of us to to end our day, allowing us to relax and enjoy a delicious main meal accompanied by wonderful local wines and beers. It was a surprise to us that our bike tour was just the four of us but it turned out to be a wonderful active holiday at just the right pace. A mirror and a bell for my e bike are the only suggestions I could make. We were mostly on well packed trails but also had fabulous downhill riding on quiet well paved roads where you could see a good distance ahead, which gave confidence to a novice rider. The weather cooperated, our accomadations were very comfortable, our bags were always there ahead of us, the bikes were great. What wonderful holiday.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Timr October 18, 2016
Spectacular Scenery; Great Bikes and Accommodations
· Catalonia Road Bike Tour: Girona to the Sea
Creative Catalonia provided quality road bikes, great accommodations, and a good itinerary with a nice mix of countryside, spectacular seaside, and interesting medieval towns. We went in early October and the weather was perfect for riding. Mornings sometimes required long sleeves but that would quickly change to shirt sleeves. Just a bit cool for swimming in the sea. Roads were in great condition, and traffic was light. Because the area has a lot of bikers, drivers seem to be more aware and tend to give plenty of room. The routes provided could also be tailored to provide longer rides, if desired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Ulla Dueck May 11, 2023
Great adventure!
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
This was our first visit to Spain and what a fabulous way to see part of the country. Our guide (Daniel) was the best. The terrain varied many times along the route, but was always manageable. The hotels were great and the food was delicious. Loved the abundance of seafood.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Craig Williams April 28, 2023
Loved all the old cities!
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Great route, the cities we rode thru and old rail trails were safer than city/country roads. The guide was fantastic with educational info, language skills and expertise on coffee and lunch/dinner stops.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ StuNH October 14, 2021
A tour far exceeding expectations!
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Reading previous reviews, what most needs to be said is praise for this tour is not over rated. It was an exceptional tour! We did the tour in late September into October. The high tourist season was past, so our entire tour was quiet, peaceful, relaxing. The weather was very pleasant, and swimming in the Mediterranean was delightful. We had 3 days on the coast to enjoy that. We loved the various cycling experiences - the "Carrilet", the coast (Costa Brava), and the medieval villages. The hotels were all outstanding.
Even though the tour was self guided, the tour operator remained in touch and was exceptional.- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/28/21 - 10/6/21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+ (I've lost count)
- 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
-
★★★★★ GregS June 25, 2018
Wonderful Trip, Great Experience
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Great service, Hotels and staff were the best. Level 3 was a little tough for a beginner, but I made it.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5-8-18/5-18-18
- How many tours have you completed?
- First
- 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
-
★★★★★ george October 3, 2017
Surprisingly luxurious biking
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
the biking was largely on old railroad right of ways or farm roads. the sections on paved roads were nearly deserted of traffic. The Costa Brava was gorgeous. Lots of medieval stone hilltop towns. The hotels were just fabulous. Great lunches and dinners for relatively little money. A side trip to the Dali museum.
- What was the date of your tour?
- mid-September
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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
-
★★★★★ Anne52 October 2, 2017
An idyllic, romantic and gorgeous bike trip!
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
This was our first self guided bike trip and what a lucky choice it was! Daniel and Lucy of Creative Catalonia are a dynamic couple who were so personable and helpful. They have organized a fascinating and beautiful bike trip. We were amazed at the often paved bike paths that wound through gorgeous country side, from the mountains to the sea. The places we stayed were super, we were often alone on the paths, the side trips were interesting, the restaurant recommendations were outstanding... We can't rave enough about this outstanding bike tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 14 - 21, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first.
- 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
-
★★★★★ Rosie September 26, 2017
One of the best researched and organized tours I've ever been on
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Creative Catalonia selected absolutely the best routes through beautiful countryside and seaside scenery as well as taking one through picturesque villages and selecting really great hotels in interesting cities and villages. We had a great variety of scenery and experiences. Additionally their equipment was great and their maps and instructions were very clear. Their assessments of distances and difficulty were right on and they kept us on small farm roads or streets with very few cars as much as possible. They also provided one garmen for every group that had the route programmed into it. It was impossible to get lost. They were also helpful with he small changes we wanted to make and had great suggestions for restaurants and other experiences along the way.
This is an exceptional outfitter.
Rosemary Heil
fall 2017- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
-
★★★★★ Bonita September 25, 2017
Great scenery, great food & good biking trails
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
Our guide, Daniel with Creative Catalonia, was always aware of our safety. He was knowledgeable about the things we were seeing. If he didn't know the answer to questions, we'd often receive an email that evening containing an answer. We got to see some amazing sites. The hotels were very nice & resturants we were directed to were usually really good. He made sure that our bikes were all in good, working condition.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ bikebuddies September 20, 2017
Muy Bueno!
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
A great way to see and experience this area of Spain. The hotels were very nice to exceptional; especially the Hotel Los Arcs in Monells with its very gracious host/owner family and wonderful food. The maps and Garmin GPS made route finding almost flawless and the tour operators (Lucy and Daniel ) checked in with us during the week to see how things were going and if we needed anything. Don't miss seeing the Botanical Gardens midway through the trip on one of the loop rides; it is very well worth a visit. We have done over a dozen self-guided bike tours in Europe and this is one of the best organized and planned.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 11-16, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 13
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Adriano B. 5 months ago
Perfect for families
· Greenways of Girona Family Tour 5 Nights
Our route was great and easy to run, Vias Verdes are very pleasant. Hotels were good, but we loved Can Garay e Can Dionís. Our family will never forget this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- March 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Jae-Jae S. 1 month ago
Excellent family trip!
· Greenways of Girona Family Tour 5 Nights
This was a perfect trip for our family--2 adults and a 10 year old. Distances and terrain was manageable, lots to see and do, and very nice accommodations (especially the ones with pools as it was very hot!). We especially loved the beach day in St. Feliu.
Two suggestions: One of the hotels did not start breakfast until 9am (Can de Garay). With the temperatures near 40C that day, we really would have liked to start earlier that day to ride more when it was less hot. Perhaps another hotel would be better in summer. Also, some additional details of how to get from the train station in Girona to the hotel in Olot would have been helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ ErinH March 21, 2016
Beyond Awesome!
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
I had an absolutely wonderful time! Daniel and Lucy (AKA Creative Catalonia) went out of their way to make this a fabulous trip. The scenery is terrific, the hotels were great! Food was out of this world! Particularly good if you like history, which I do. This was my first trip to Spain, but it will NOT be the last! I went on the off-season, so it was quiet, which I enjoy
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is my second
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ BikingNana September 21, 2016
Fabulous vacation pedaling by the Sea
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
This trip was a blast. I love seeing the world from the back of a bicycle. We had great weather the entire trip. There were a lot of gravel roads but not much traffic. We were self-guided with maps and a Garmin so we enjoyed getting off course a few times at first with lots of laughs. We ate in some fabulous restaurants suggested by the super nice lady who gave us our bikes and packets. She was very helpful and insightful with great ideas. The villages were full of nice people, historical castles and churches. I really enjoyed staying in the towns by the Mediterranean Sea and going to the beaches. Girona is a beautiful city. I liked the narrow old streets lined with little shops and walking the wall built around the city. We rode our bikes up and over Els Angels on our last day and it was a nice view from the top. We only had one small issue when our luggage was taken to the wrong hotel but it arrived within an hour. I highly recommend this bike tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 09/07/2016-09/12/2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Mattman October 25, 2016
Wonderful Cycling Vacation
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
This trip was exactly what we we're hoping for. Casual cycling along the coast and villages. The bikes we're fantastic and comfortable. All the hotels were first class and the food and ambiance in the hotels and small restaurants throughout the trip were delightful. GPS was adequate, but be sure you can read a map! The tour briefing was helpful beforehand and be sure you understand how to change a tire before you embark. There is some incredibly beautiful country on this ride, and since it is 6 days long, I think if we we're to do it again we might have skipped a day of riding in Calella de Palafrugel in favor of a hike along the coastline. There are some lovely hiking trails that were begging to be explored. Also, by traveling in early October we missed the european vacationers and essentially had all the beaches and villages to ourselves. Never a worry with busy roads or vehicle traffic. Looking forward to our next adventure.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
-
★★★★★ Cindy 1 month ago
Good variety; excellent hosts
· Catalonia Road Bike Tour: Girona to the Sea
This was our second trip with www.biketours.com. We were excited because the host company uses the same road bikes that we own. Daniel, working for a local operator, was great. He not only met us to give us our bikes, but he changed the pedals (we brought our own) and he watched you ride to make sure it fit. He was super communicative throughout the trip. Girona was great. It's busy but the motorists are actually courteous to cyclists--which was a treat compared to many places in the states. The first hotel is in a great location--however it can be noisy since it's a busy city. Watch out for glass walls & doors--they are everywhere down there. We highly recommend Eat Sleep Cycle as a place to grab food and or drinks after. We watched the tour there after. Many cyclists come there after their rides. Our favorite was the second stop--Costa Brava. It was gorgeous and such a relaxing hotel!! Definitely recommend doing the walk to the left of the hotel. The views are great. The ride along Costa Brava was a challenging one but the views made the work worth it. Monells was way more quiet with only a few restaurants. The hotel was fantastic. Excellent customer service and restaurant. Very relaxing. The ride was okay--not as exciting as the other days. We modified the second day here not to overlap Pals. We ate lunch both days in Corca--just 2.5 miles up from Monells at Raku. Great food. Takes awhile but it's outside with a canopy of trees. You get a three course meal with a glass of wine or coffee for 21 euro. We always did it after our ride so we could just relax after. Highly recommend. We did the climb back to Girona. NOT easy but beautiful, and rewarding--a great way to end the trip. We took the fast train back to Barcelona Sants. We had a day and a half before our flight and rather than tackle busy and loud Barcelona, we stayed in Castelldefels--it's along the sea and only 10 miles from the airport. A beach view hotel room cost the same as downtown Barcelona and it was super relaxing with lots of restaurants and a very long beach walk. We stayed at Hotel dONNA. I recommend it.
A couple of travel tips:
We landed in terminal 1. The train station is in terminal 2. You have to take an airport shuttle and then figure out the trains to take a regional one to Barcelona Sants and then jump on the fast train to Girona. I would recommend just taking a taxi from the airport to Barcelona Sants. The train stations in Barcelona are a bit nuts. If you can, I also recommend buying your train ticket ahead of time--the train station at Barcelona Sants was insane and not easy to navigate. It all ended up okay, but it was the most stressful part of our journey especially after being up all night.
There's not an abundance of water everywhere. I recommend buying big bottles to fill up your water bottles and also carry one around because even most restaurants make you pay for water.
My husband is a photographer and took a billion photos. Once he has them all processed, I hope I can come back on and add them! SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ Bonita September 16, 2017
This Tour went beyond our expectations!
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ HelC June 4, 2017
Excellent from start to finish!
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
This is a great introduction to the region, mixing coast and countryside, modern and ancient. We took the guided option to spare ourselves the map reading, the routes are generally well signposted but a few turnings could be tricky to spot. We've done previous tours in Tuscany I'd say the grade 2 rating is appropriate for the length of daily ride (up to 40km) plus the hills are fewer and generally shorter than the grade 2 Tuscany rides. Recommend taking the coastal walk option on day three, the botanical gardens are lovely even for a non-botanist. Bikes are very high quality, not a single problem all week, and even at a leisurely pace we were at our hotels by 4pm and able to enjoy a relaxed evening. No complaints at all, it was a great week!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ RegW June 29, 2017
Fabulous family trip.
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
We had a group age 9 - 60 that thoroughly enjoyed this trip. You have two separate hotels where you stay for two nights each which made for a relaxing vacation. We had no problems with bikes, luggage or accommodations. The local tour company was very professional and the maps and GPS quite thorough. Make sure you know when lunch is in the area as we missed the mark once or twice and arrived for an American lunch hour to find it was siesta time. Also, you might want to verify sea views. The local tour company tries to ensure them but we arrived on a very busy week and it was a problem for our three in one room. The suggestions from Lucy (the local tour operator) were very good and she checked on us a couple of times during the trip because there was a heat wave happening that week. The sights, food and people of Spain were marvelous and I would highly recommend this trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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?
- Spain