Client Favorites Bike Tour Reviews (page 5)
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★★★★★ Alan Burnet 11 months ago
Great circular cycling route
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Really enjoyed our cycle tour of lake Konstanz. The luggage pickup and drop offs were very efficient and the hotels provided secure locations to lockup our bikes. All the hotels had great breakfast buffets and mostly great rooms. The standout hotel was probably in Lindau as it was the only one with a pool and spa. We appreciated having daily recommendations for stops and sightseeing which we could plan the day before and it was fun to find random lake swim spots.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Renata Ostwald 11 months ago
Self guided tours
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Great experience, hotels were great and luggage transit even better. The only thing disappointment I had was regarding the routes…. It’s so easy in Europe ( once you know what path to take since it’s all signed ). Guidance regarding which sign should be followed would have been helpful. But it was an great trip
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Francine Steger 11 months ago
Lake Konstanz Biking in September
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Great time of year to do this trip. Not crowded. Weather was perfect, not too hot and mostly dry. E-bikes were great, even for first-time users.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ charlotte lenssen 11 months ago
Adventures around the Bodensee
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
It was a super fun trip experiencing the different towns and landscapes. All hotels were acceptable and some were exceptional. My favorites were Lindau and Konstanz. We had 2 rainy days, so got lucky with weather. Austrias Fänder bahn was worth it too.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2024
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Al Coop 11 months ago
Wonderful Experience
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
My wife and I went on a self guided tour and had a wonderful experience. We feel so fortunate to have found biketours.com. Overall I would rate the tour company good to excellent. The only suggestions I have are that my wife’s e-bike frame was not fit properly for her smaller body size. Secondly, we initially used Google Maps which guided us on more main roads than we expected. Not until a couple of days in to our tour did other cyclist suggest downloading a cycling app which their tour company suggested. Their app guided us on more scenic off-road trails. I now understand why when the booklet says 30 km to 40 km the shorter distance is on more main roads and not off roads. As a first timer I think biketours.com could be clearer in their correspondences or booklet and possibly suggest such apps. Overall everything was first class and we had a fantastic and memorable experience. Thank you and hopefully we will use biketour.com for future trips.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ James Ruzevick 11 months ago
A nice tour but a few hiccups along the way
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
On the first day of the tour, our bags were not delivered by the 6:00 pm promised time. I called the emergency number and found out that they never were picked up from our departure hotel. The fault was with the Hotel Halm who said that we had never checked in the evening before. Our bags arrived at about 8:00pm but it kind of ruined a nice evening that I spent waiting in the lobby instead of enjoying a pleasant dinner. On the 3rd day just as we started our ride my wife had a flat rear tire on her e-bike. Our instructions stated to not attempt to change an e-bike rear tire. It was a Sunday and the bike shop in town was closed. I asked to have another bike delivered but was told that it was not possible. We were told to take a train to the next town where a replacement bike was to be delivered by 0900 the following day. The replacement bike arrived at about 10:45. The rest of the trip went according to plan. The weather on the 3rd day was really beautiful, so I regret that we were not able to ride on that day.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Halloran911 September 14, 2017
Awesome trip
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
Best way to see Czech Republic. Guides could not have been better. Total knowledge, kind and considerate and always following up on everything. Luggage always made it to the room. The tour company AVE is awesome and is not frilly but high quality. Rooms were great. No AC in rooms but not really a problem. Clean. Bring your own washcloths. One complaint. 2 hour heavy lunches were silly. Give us a snack and let us move on so we can have more time to relax when we get to the next village.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 5-13
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic
-
★★★★★ Stacey October 16, 2018
Challenging hills then scenic plains
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
Czechia is such a beautiful country, and this tour across southern Bohemia and Moravia was just fantastic. However, it is very hilly for the first few days. 50 miles per day with some very steep hills the first couple days. The countryside starts to flatten out more after you reach Znojmo. Once outside Prague, most folks do not speak English, so some knowledge of Czech and/or German is very helpful. Vlastimil, the local tour operator for Ave Travel, was very responsive and helpful.
I did ask for and received a GPX file to preload into my Garmin, as navigation is always a challenge on bike tours. Further, the local tour company recommended a couple of Czech specific apps which you can use to predownload the local maps for use when you arrive, and this was extremely helpful, if you have an international cell plan for your phone.
A couple of caveats: the GPX file included alternate routes instead of a single path, as this tour has optional legs that you may or may not want to go on. This negated my ability to use the navigation on my Garmin edge, since it couldn't know which route i wanted to take, and could only tell me when I was off course. Also, as others have mentioned, there was no opportunity to see our rented bikes and make sure they were appropriately sized prior to being picked up by the van for our transfer to Cesky Krumlov. Two of the four bikes we rented could have used newer tires; however they were clearly equal to the task of getting us across the CR.
I would say this is a wonderful route that is off the beaten path, but challenging. If you are unsure whether your fitness level is up to the task, an e-bike rental would probably be a great idea. I will also probably upgrade to a better Garmin that can actually do turn-by-turn navigation, which mine can't do. However, getting lost and finding your way is half the fun on these trips!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Austria, Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Hawkeye November 7, 2016
Still Great Even In The Rain
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
This is the fifth bike and barge tour that my wife and I have done in Europe. Overall very enjoyable even though we had rain and cool weather! The boat was very comfortable and provided great meals. Our guide Paul was very knowledgable and patient in guiding a large group of cyclists through at times congested trails. The terraine was flat but cycling in Holland can be demanding.
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★★★★★ JustBob October 30, 2017
Great Way to See The Countryside
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
The Magnifique and its crew met all of our expectations -- comfortable and friendly. The pace of the cycling was leisurely -- slower than I might usually ride but then who needs to finish the day`s ride by noon. Would recommend this ride to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the countryside.
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★★★★★ John Parsons December 7, 2015
Really great trip.
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
To start off with the Sound of Music Tours and then fairly leisurely riverside roads and fantastic food and culture - we just loved it. One of the towns was not as good as the rest but for the most part just great
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Genevieve August 21, 2017
A great experience
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
A great way to visit Austria! But the mountain part is quite demanding. More of a Grade 3 than a Grade 2. For the mountain part, navigation was difficult because lack of information on distance.
Lodging and breakfasts were great, except for the inn in Bad Kreuzen - far from everything and bad Internet connection. Not adequate for international travellers.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2017
- 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?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Middle Europe September 27, 2019
one of the best
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 6
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Geezer Biker October 20, 2019
A good trip with its ups and downs
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
This self-guided ride from Salzburg to Vienna had a lot of really great moments and some that left me wishing for better. A few of the hotels are barely 3 star and some are solid 3 Star+. Mostly quiet and mostly friendly staffs, mostly spoke good to excellent english which really helped us. The hotel next to the castle in Grein was a high point: Super rooms and excellent dining. Every breakfast was quite good and lots of it.
The two free bottles of wine from the lovely shop in the little town across the river from our hotel in Mitterarnsdorf were delicious. It took us 20 minutes to find the shop, but a couple of locals were kind enough to point us the right way.
Consider taking your own bike or renting from a Salzburg shop (if you are returning to Salzburg). We've been on 5 bike and barge/boat, etc. tours in Europe and these bikes were the heaviest and poorest quality, making the long-ride days grueling, but doable.
Our luggage showed up on time every day. No fuss no worry there.
The maps they provided were marginal at best A couple of times we'd have been quite lost without my wife's adroit use of Google maps on her iPhone. Don't go without Google maps or some other app to clarify the routes. The tour company management should be required to ride the trip based on their own directions and see how they do.
BUT---the countryside and the villages were beautiful and friendly. Much of the ride was on bike trails and back-back roads with no traffic. There were several places where we were direct to ride on somewhat busier roads, but the Austrian drivers were nearly always patient and courteous to us. The final few kilometers from the train station to the hotel in Vienna were partly on busy city streets, which I found quite imtimidating after a long hard riding day.
Bottom line: Do the ride. It's a very good experience. But quiz the tour company about a bike upgrade and definitely take your own backup route finding app (which is probably a necessity regardless of the tour map accuracy).
Happy cycling!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Sunil Savara September 14, 2022
Time of my life with my family!
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
Everything was great, except for the documentation and organisation around that. Three changes you should make, and I will share this with Carla and Thomas as well:
1. Please provide an English map and booklet. In fact, when booking the tour, you can ask preferences for languages, and ensure that its followed through by the appropriate documentation.
2. When booking the tour, check if this is a first tour and/or use of the e-bikes, and if it is, offer the option of someone spending an hour to rope the persons in... there can be a small charge for it..
3. Share information on online maps, aside of Google Maps. I downloaded on the 3rd day an application that was very helpful, and which made it easier for me to figure things out.- What was the date of your tour?
- 1-7 Sep 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ suze July 15, 2016
Danube River Bike tour
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We loved this bike tour. Even though Tom and I couldnt cycle due to a recent bike accident, we followed our group by car. The villages were stunning, the hotels great, except maybe the one in Tulln. All the meals were great, except maybe the one in Linz, but I think that is because there was a wedding in the hotel. Fabulous hotel in Linz. The rest of our group loved the biking part. Highlight was definetly the boatride from the hotel in Durnstein along the Danube!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30-July 7
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Marko September 23, 2016
Good experience overall
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We enjoyed the tour from Passau to Vienna very much, it was very scenic and overall a great experience. I would have rated the experience higher except some of the hotels were not really 4 star or better and the directions need to be improved.
In particular the Römerhof Hotel in Tulln (regardless of assigned rating) is just not very nice. The property is needs updating and painting. Our room was small, had ineffective air conditioning, needed painting and was really a 2 or 3 star experience. The Römerhof Hotel was by far the least desirable overnight stay on the trip, and we would not want to stay there again. I suggest the tour company reconsider this location for the "upscale lodging" tour.
For the most part the directions and maps were outstanding, except for the last day. The final day directions could really be improved for the area around Korneuburg and into Vienna. This is the most difficult section of the journey but the directions are the least descriptive. It was very hard to stay on track with the directions here. We met several other travelers that got off course in this section.
All in all we liked the tour and would recommend it. Thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback, we appreciate it! Marko and Janet
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★★★★★ Wiederholen September 12, 2017
A great tour with good friends
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Overall, a wonderful trip. Highlights included the Engelzell and Melk Abbeys, the towns of Dürnstein and Tulln, and the finish with an extra night in Vienna. The best scenery was in the Wachau, where we cruised through beautiful vineyards and lovely villages. On a couple of days the scenery was rather ordinary, and made the short rides seem longer out of boredom. Although the route was very flat, we did have a couple of short but steep climbs, the biggest being out of Melk to cross the bridge. This being our third bike tour in this region, I'm not sure the "upscale" lodging was worth the extra cost - some of the hotels were great (Schloß Dürnstein and Steigenberger Vienna) but most were not of any better quality than the standard tours. Biggest disappointments were the Hotel am Domplatz in Linz (where they charged us 20€ to garage our four bikes) and the Diamond City in Tulln, which was not "upscale" at all. The local tour operator was great - they provided us with a face-to-face briefing the night before we started riding - and the bikes were solid. We had a great time on this trip, despite two days of steady rain, but if I had to do it again I'd seriously consider the 7-night standard tour and save a few hundred Euros.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 31-AUG to 6-SEPT 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our third in this region
- 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
-
★★★★★ T and C June 23, 2019
Well organized, no drama, couple hotels ehh
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Biketours.com was very helpful. I emailed lots of questions to them and always got a prompt reply.
The ebikes were great, I couldn’t have done the trip without them. We had a couple of 60km days because of sightseeing, which was too far. 40-45 km should be the distance for upscale in my opinion. We also had 3 hotels with NO air conditioning, Surprising and disappointing considering we paid for upscale lodging. Apparently you can state A/C as a requirement at booking time, I just assumed with the upscale hotel fee that would be included..live and learn.
To me the trip was not completely flat, I mean it is mostly flat, but no way would I do this without ebikes.
Route is well marked, but still an adventure. If you like a vacation that is a bit different, do this one!
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★★★★★ oktobeerfest September 30, 2019
Wonderful way to truly experience Austria
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The maps and suggestions of places to see along the way were very informative. So many beautiful hamlets to visit. There just wasn't enough time to see everything! The route suggestions were very helpful and the upscale lodging was mostly superb. Breakfast accommodations exceeded our expectations! We would highly recommend this trip to anyone, even non-bikers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 14 - 21, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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