Bike Tour Reviews Cycling The West Balkan Triangle (page 3)
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
- Wales
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★★★★★ Dave Hajra 7 months ago
An epic trip!
It was our first bike trip (10/5/24 to 10/12/24) and exceeded our expectations on every level. It all felt seamless, from the ease of booking our guided tour through to the final transfer to the airport. The itinerary was well planned and each destination was captivating. The accommodations were very comfortable and charming. Our two guides, Alex and Alex (Juro) were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They went above and beyond in every way to make the journey especially memorable. Finally, the cost of this trip was reasonable compared to other operators offering similar tours. Will recommend this to anyone. Dave Hajra
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Pamela Lydon 7 months ago
Life Changing!
This trip will change how we vacation in the future!
There were 6 of us in our group, 5 on e-bikes, and 1 on a rode bike. We joined another group of 6 upon our arrival. Our guide Alex (Juro) provided us with a daily overview of the places we would be visiting and the terrain we would be covering. Our other guide was also Alex who followed behind the group in a van with our luggage and snacks. Together they helped to make the trip. They took our safety very seriously and shares some stories along the way of the places we were visiting. They were both engaging and worked hard to enhance our experience.
The ride covered all different types of terrain. We went on main roads, back quiet streets, flat roads, and covered grades as a steep as 12%. On an e-bike you took the hills at your own pace going both up and down. Juro would help guide the group, so we stayed together, and regrouped as needed. The important thing we all learned was to take time to enjoy the journey.
We stayed in lots of amazing places ranging from larger hotels to quaint 7 room hotels. The food and wine were wonderful everywhere we went, and the locals were so friendly. Lots of people spoke English and those who didn’t, Juro or Alex help as our interpreter.
The views were stunning. The pictures can’t begin to capture the breathtaking views of the mountains or along the sea. We were able to stop along the ride to take picture and Juro helped to make recommendations on where to stop for the best pictures.
The trip left us all wanting more. We agreed this trip changed how we want to vacation and explore other countries. We are already planning our next trip. Thank you to Juro, Alex, and BikeTours.com for a life changing experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first bike tour
- 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?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Carol Keys 7 months ago
Beautiful and varied tour taking in 3 fantastic countries
This was our first time visiting Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina & Montenegro and the tour provided a good flavour of all three countries.
We booked an extra day at the start of the tour to take in the sights of Dubrovnik. This was well worth it, with the highlight being a walk around the city walls in the old town and a boat trip out to Lokrum Island. On the downside, Dubrovnik was very crowded and prices were comparable to the UK. The rest of the tour was mainly in much quieter places, sometimes in the middle of nowhere and prices were very cheap in Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Our hotels varied from fairly basic to very nice but all of them met our needs.
The tour itself did include a few very busy roads which were not ideal but probably unavoidable. However, it did include some lovely stretches along the coastline in Montenegro and the ride in B&H along an old railway line was predominantly traffic free.
We did feel a bit under time pressure a couple of times when we were required to meet the van with our luggage at a border crossing, as it was difficult for us to estimate how long it would take us to get to the rendezvous.
Our only real frustration was with the one Garmin we were given to navigate. This was quite dated, not intuititive to use and didn't seem to recognise some of the new roads. We often found it difficult to get the correct information displayed on the screen at the right time. We had written notes but in places where navigation was tricky, the notes didn't help either. -
★★★★★ JBR 1 week ago
Excellent Tour
This was a great trip. We've previously done all tours DIY. I enjoyed not having to think about navigation, most of the meals, etc. Our guide was very knowledgeable. I enjoyed stopping for sites of historical significance, a winery, an olive farm, an others. I liked that we had a variety of scenery including the coast, mountains, along lakes. Some of it felt wonderfully remote.
I consider myself a moderate rider (50-70 miles per week, elevation gain 3000-4000 ft per week) and did it on a non-ebike. Some parts pushed me but not to the extreme. We had a inexperienced rider who completed it on an e-bike with some effort, the rest of the group were experienced and did it on e-bikes without problems
I would say that a small portion of it was on a busy road. If you are not experienced with sharing the road during those times it might be intimidating but I felt comfortable. You have the option of sitting out ANY portion you are not comfortable with.
Breaks are frequent, at least 2 per day, usually 3 per day so it is manageable. Our guide did a good job of letting us go at our own pace which varied significantly. The SAG person was great about attending to any concerns about water, snacks, etc. needed along the way.
All of the lodging was comfortable and clean but not necessarily luxurious if that is important to you. Some of the lodging was 1-2 km from sites of interest in the evening (say old town) but it was walkable. Also, there were always options very close for evening dining if chose to stay close.
I have no regrets, was a good experience and would recommend it.
