Croatia Bike Tour Reviews (page 8)
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★★★★★ Cycle2017 September 25, 2017Our Venice to Porec Challenge
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
This tour proved to be more challenging than anticipated, partly due to torrential rains on 2 days and windy conditions most of the week. Concerns included long riding distances with limited facilities between some of the planned stops -e.g. -few restaurants or stores to purchase snacks and more water. The signage didn't always match the tour directions, creating confusion and likely longer rides than planned. The final day -70 km, with 50% uphill is a challenge for casual riders. Casual recreational riders will find some of the days long and some of the terrain challenging. The local provider provided excellent support when we were flooded out of a hotel and unable to ride due to area flooding, and also assisted with transportation for the final transfer when a member of the group was ill, and weather conditions were miserable. Despite this, our group, 3 recreational riders and 1 experienced rider, enjoyed visiting the beautiful cities along the route -when the weather cooperated.
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★★★★★ MarknPat September 9, 2017
Expectations Exceeded
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
We spent a few extra days in Venice to start and 5 extra days in Porec at the end. Really glad we spent the extra time. Extending the bike rental was not a problem.
The tour in between was awesome. Accommodations were better than expected and all the towns were charming.I had a little trouble with my bike. The front hub was a little tight so the wheel didn't spin as freely as it should have. I noticed when we picked up the bikes but didn't think too much of it. After a couple days I contacted the tour company and they brought me a different and better bike. Kudos to the tour operator.
At one hotel there was confusion about a reservation for someone travelling with us. Again, the tour company stepped up. The real measure of the tour company is how they handle problems. They were terrific.
Had a couple directional issues. We have T-Mobile so GPS worked perfectly. Previously we had AT&T with the international package. It was underwhelming to say the least. I highly recommend T-Mobile.
Final day was a bit of a climbing challenge for Mrs. But we managed. The highlights of the tour were riding along the Adriatic, taking the occasional swim and the people we met.
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★★★★★ EDWH August 23, 2017Fun, but a few qualifications
· · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
We had a great time but the parks were not quite as interesting or attractive as we had hoped. And some of the bike rides (the 3rd day in particular) difficult hills with nothing at all to see. Description said a ride around Vraner Lake and we never even saw it. That was coupled with the hottest week in the summer as temps were near or over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Guides showed little flexibility in schedules or changes to accommodate the heat.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 29, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 25 or 30
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ barbara 427 August 17, 2017Another great bike tour
· · South Dalmatia Bike/E-bike and Boat, Magellan
It was a great way to see the southern Croatian islands. The guides were a lot of fun. The boat, the melody was beautiful, the crew was great. And the captain was so nice. The E-bikes are the way to go. It made the tour so much more pleasurable. I've done hills with a regular bike and it was rough But with the EBike it makes the tour fun and still allows you to get a great work out. The islands are so beautiful, and the people were so nice. I'm thinking about doing the northern islands next year.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 16-22
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ pizza girl August 17, 2017my bucket list
· Split to Dalmatian Islands
Just a wonderful way to see Croatia and it's islands! We highly recommend the self guided tour for people who want to explore independently yet don't have a lot of time to spend organizing ferries/schedules. It's all done for you...all you do is pick up your bike and start riding!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 30th to Aug 5th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2 independent tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Candida August 16, 2017Tough riding but worth it!
· Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
My husband and I really enjoyed this tour of the Balkan triangle. There was some amazing scenery and our climbs were always rewarded with incredible ocean and valley views. Tomi was a great guide, and kept us moving along. You could tell he really appreciates the beauty of his country and is happy to show it off. We couldn't have had a better van driver than Darco, who was always ready and willing to help, close by enough to support us with water, food and the occasional lift. The roads are narrow in these countries, which is a bit nerve wracking at the beginning, until you realize that everyone is used to passing in close quarters and you just get used to the narrowness of the roads. Much of the trip is on paths or quiet roads though. We loved the food and the accommodations on this tour as well.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15 to 22, 2107
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ DickZee August 12, 2017
Dalmatian Coasts up close
· · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
This trip met my expectations. Ebike made it easy (I'm 86) Well planned itinerary as trips started easy and progressed in difficulty.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 29-Aug 5, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- over a dozen
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Tottie July 13, 2017Stunning!
· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Fantastic hotels, service, information. Amazing scenery and routes on well maintained comfy bikes. Truely a trip in a million
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 29- July 5th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ carlye5 July 2, 2017Beautiful country sides!
· Croatian Vineyards and Villages of Undiscovered Istria
We had done a 4 week trip to Croatia and surrounding countries, and our bike trip was the last week of 4. It was beautiful weather and we had a great time!
Biketours.com did a great job organizing everything for us, and taking care of our needs.The third party tour company fiore tours was only average. We still had a great time, but there was plenty to improve on. The tour company gave us very poor instructions as to where we were meeting for the tour, and the emails given to us were incorrect. It was an adventure to get to the starting hotel to say the least. But we rented road bikes and they were great bikes. Very light, and the company offered many pedal types.
My only other concern was that the "itinerary" listed on the site mentions all these great things, but in reality you have to do a lot of work researching and planning where to stop each day. Many of the options they give us are only open in the afternoons, and are very close to where we were starting, so even if we started around 10am which was rather late, many wineries were still closed. After the first two days of being disappointed by not being able to find the suggested stops, and then finding them closed, we realized we had to do some leg work as far as finding stops along the route. Then the tour improved immensely.
My boyfriend and I are 23 and 25 and fit people, although not big cyclists. We chose an "easier" route so that we wouldn't be exhausted after each day. However, we were complete toast every single day. So if you aren't in good physical condition, I do not recommend this. Most of the route was rather hilly, especially day 3.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Mid June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- only this one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- Croatia
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson July 3, 2017
Thanks very much for this feedback. We'll address all of your points with Fiore in hopes of improving the experience for future travelers.
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★★★★★ Garbo 55 June 17, 2017
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
With this being our very first bike tour, and we had chosen the self-guided option we found the adjustment to the directions a little difficult (some vital information was lost in translation) but having said that, there was an incredible sense of accomplishment after completing each day. We also were not prepared for the climate we encountered, we had looked at the temps. before we left and it looked like 22/24 C., but ended up being in the high 20's and low 30's, this really depleted our energy levels. The destinations could not have been more diverse with each one having its own unique quality we really enjoyed. They all had an amazing breakfast to start the day with and were very helpful with storing the bikes etc... The journey through the countryside and along the coast was so spectacular, our only wish I guess would have been to have had more time to enjoy each day. After our first couple of days we were a little overwhelmed with trying to stay on track rather then enjoying the moment. Having been home for a couple of weeks now however and looking back we would challenge ourselves again in a different place.
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★★★★★ nlparker June 16, 2017
Gorgeous Country; Warm, Welcoming People; Challenging Climbs
· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Right choice for our family of 6. Cycling on islands was scenic and safe. Routes through small villages, wineries, along crystal blue Adriatic coasts. Thorough orientation by MeridienTen staff including additional & alternate route choices. Good bikes and good decision to bring our shoes & pedals for the climbs. Dependable transportation among islands. Excellent lodging & breakfasts especially in Dubrovnik, Korcula, Split. Furnished materials included informative Croatian history & culture. Perfect weather. Thanks to MeridienTen staff.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5.29-6.4.2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Doug Dvorak May 23, 2017
BALKANS TRIANGLE TOUR - WOW! WOW! WOW!
· Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
Jim and the entire Biketours.com Team did an incredible job on our recent Balkans Triangle Tour. The in-country representative as very friendly, knowledgeable and the equipment & accommodations were first class.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 17 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ kiki1970 October 21, 2016
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
The overall experience on this bike trip was good. The rain that occurred on 4 of the 7 days of the trip was unexpected. The locals informed us that it hadn't rained in 2 months so it caught up to us. The accommodations and food were excellent. The real problems were the maps that were provided. They need to be more tour specific. When arriving in the destination city, specific directions should be included in finding that hotel. We spent too much time looking for our hotel for the evening. Also the written instructions are a translation from the German guide. In some cases the instructions didn't match what we saw on the ground or what the sign posts indicated. In general, the people that we dealt with in the States and Italy were great. I only wish that we would have taken a day break some where in the middle(Trieste?) to refresh and recuperate. We didn't know we could do it. I highly recommend this before heading into Croatia.
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★★★★★ Pekka55 August 22, 2016
Over our expectations
· · South Dalmatia Bike/E-bike and Boat, Magellan
This was our first visit in Croatia, and this bike - boat tour really showed us the beauty of the Croation islands. We stayed 7 days at MY Melody, which was a real luxury yacht with big cabins, sundeck, very good staff, and the ship was also very clean.
Cycling routes were quit hard, because they started every day at the same way, right away to the uphill without any warm up. Cycling routes were in a very good condition and there were not much traffic. After the daily ride, they all finished in a long serpentine back to the port. Very nice cycling.
The atmosphere in the villages on the islands is pleasant, we liked it very much.
And last but not least, our very international group was superb, very much joy and laugh every day and all the time.
I think that we seriously consider that in the future we take apart to some other bike boat tour in Croatia, I hope so.
Pekka and Kirsi Finland- What was the date of your tour?
- 6 - 13.8.2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ brad rass July 18, 2016
Great ride with great food and even better scenery
· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
I am just back from my trip to Europe which included an altered bike tour from Dubrovnik to Split. I had shortened the trip to 4 days so to fit my other plans in Italy. What a mistake! Mistake 1. Make sure you have time to tour and visit Dubrovnik. We arrived in the late afternoon and had no time to visit the old city. It looked gorgeous as we passed it in a bus from the airport. Our hotel was very nice but a way from the old city. Mistake 2. Make plans to see the walls in Ston. They are stunning. Mistake 3. I dropped the extra day in Hvar. Lots to do in this fun packed town especially if you like the night life. Only spent about three hours in Split and it was very hectic compared to the other towns. Overall, what a ride! There are a number of climbs each day so the rating of 3 out of 5 should be closer to 4 out of 5. The route has limited traffic so safety is not a concern. The pre-ride prep on site was excellent. The bikes were in good order.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 5 to 9
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Jannie July 11, 2016
A wonderful experience!
· · South Dalmatia Bike/E-bike and Boat, Magellan
We enjoyed our experience very much! Our seven day tour was very challenging for my athletic husband and me who LOVED my e bike! I couldn't have done the trip with a regular bike due to the elevation and high temperatures during our tour. Don't hesitate to take an bike because you can still pedal and get a workout, but you can also get a boost when you need it on long inclines in high heat conditions.
Croatia is a beautiful country and our tour guides Ielena and Eugen were fantastic! Their knowledge of history and biking helped us to have a thoroughly informative and safe ride. The crew of the boat was very helpful and friendly too.
A couple things to keep in mind is the high heat requires light breathable synthetic fabric ( no Cotten clothing!) and head protection . I would suggest taking electrolyte supplement to add to water and it was difficult to stay hydrated. Perhaps we will travel here again during a cooler season but even so, we thoroughly enjoyed this trip!- What was the date of your tour?
- July 3 -10, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Lori July 11, 2016
Canada meets Croatia!
· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Croatia is a beautiful, welcoming country with so much to offer travelers from all over. The people, sights, cuisine and water (both drinking and swimming) of Croatia will not disappoint. BikeTours helped us have a see the country we wanted easily! If you are a 'recreational' rider I would highly recommend their e-bikes. There are some serious climbs and we were thankful for them daily! If you're a veteran, serious rider you're going to get the workout you're looking for. The hotels were all awesome, we felt spoiled and appreciated at each stop and our luggage was always there well ahead of our arrival. It was easy, fun and all in all a trip to remember! Put this part of the world at the top of your must see places!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2016
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ none July 10, 2016
Best Possible organization!
· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Aside from the beautiful scenery of Croatia, Tomislav and the folks at Meridien Ten travel provided really outstanding material for our self-guided tours. The route sheets were easy to follow and much clearer than I have seen on other tours, and all the arrangements were faultless. Also, our group had some complications during the first day, and Tomislav went out of his way to help us out. This involved some extra driving on his part and when I attempted to at least pay for the gasoline, and he refused. Really fabulous folks - I definitely recommend traveling with them in Croatia. The only thing I would change was the selection of the hotel Lacroma in Dubrovnik - for me this hotel was too large and crowded. The front desk was overwhelmed with tour groups and could not keep things straight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 10, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
