Czech Republic Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Mario Ceccanese 3 months agoCycling adventure
· Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
Navigation tools given(Garmin + maps) were very unreliable, especially entering and leaving cities - have had tours where line by line navigation instructions were provided as well as appropriate scale maps. Our group of 6 had 3 Garmins which were rarely in agreement - we then tried to follow whatever route on which 2 Garmins agreed. Czech Republic off road trails were very rough for the bikes provided - mountain bikes would have been more appropriate or better routes. We realize that due to unforeseen circumstances due to flooding on the Danube that route changes were necessary, but new routes were poorly described, and Garmins were now of no use- we resorted to Google Maps for navigation which occasionally placed us on roads which were too busy. Safety should be a prime concern, but navigation issues made this trip much more difficult and risky than originally described.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Elizabeth Hinz 3 months ago
Great adventure!
· Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
Given the conditions of Danube flood and its aftermath, this was a bigger adventure than expected in problem solving logistics. People along the way were welcoming and helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ wayne graham 3 months agoWonderful route through two countries
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
This is as advertised. Mainly along the river with a variety of terrain. Very flat! Tour company was very responsive. We had a slight hiccup on one issue on a Sunday and they were super proactive. Hotels are very convenient and the routing is very well done. Trip was better than expected and the operator had lots to do with that.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Three
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 2, 2024
Hi Wayne, we're thrilled to hear the trip exceeded your expectations. We appreciate your feedback and are always here to help ensure a great experience. Hope to see you on another adventure soon!
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★★★★★ Karen Canon 3 months ago
Continuing our Danube Journey
· Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
The route took us through four countries and four capital cities. We planned in several rest days which were well needed as the first part of the trio through Czech Republic and Austria were challenging! The route along the Danube would have been fantastic but unfortunately Storm Boris flooded the whole region, making biking the path impassable. The tour company did a good job of keeping us informed of route conditions (we were on a self-guided tour) and helping to arrange alternate transportation when biking was impossible due to heavy rain and flooding.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Anne Wood 3 months agoFour years in the making
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
Our group planned a self guided tour from Prague to Budapest for April, 2020. It was cancelled due to Covid. In September, 2024, we did an abbreviated Prague to Vienna self guided tour. It was well worth the wait even though Boris shut down several days of biking. The Czech Republic is a biking wonderland.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- 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, Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Donald Allen 3 months ago
Improvisation on the river
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Due to the flooding of the Elbe river much of the bike pass was under water. The tour company rep, Lukas, did it wonderful job of working out a route for us each day. Unfortunately we had to bike some of our journey on busy highways, there just was no other way. Everything went smoothly, no small matter with the situation at hand, and we were again pleased with our trip. Looking forward to our next adventure with Bike Tours.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ MHK 4 months ago
Lots of fun! Well organized!
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Loved the accommodations especially in the smaller towns. Breakfast was wonderful. Bikes were in good condition. Our local contacts responded very quickly to any questions we had along the way. Would use them again. 😊
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ MHK 4 months ago
Lots of fun! Well organized!
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Loved the accommodations especially in the smaller towns. Breakfast was wonderful. Bikes were in good condition. Our local contacts responded very quickly to any questions we had along the way. Would use them again. 😊
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Simon Butcher 4 months agoGreat biking trip
· Bohemian Getaway: Villages, River Valleys & Karlstejn Castle
A wonderful ay to see part of the Czech Republic. We picked up the bikes in Prague and set off with GPX files which were excellent. The person who gave us the bikes was friendly and really knew his stuff. Setting off unsupervised and on the wrong side of the road was daunting, but following the GPX route on my Garmin made it all really easy. The cycling was easy (made more so by the e-bikes) and so we had plenty of time to stop off for coffee and to enjoy the scenery. The hotels were all of a good standard and eating out is very good value for money. Our first e-bike trip and we will definitely do another
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Barry Nashen 6 months agoPros and cons, as in most tours
Prague - City of a Hundred Spires Bike and Boat
Pros: Flawlessly organized, excellent food options, very attentive service, comfortable cabins, excellent choice of cycling itineraries.
Cons: 100% of passengers were couples (50 yrs+), no possibility for changing tables at meal times for a variety of interactions, lack of events to encourage mingling/meeting others.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Johann Hjaltdal Thorsteinsson 6 months ago
The perfect bike holiday
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Everything was as good as described. Beautiful bikepaths, easy navigation, sturdy bikes and good quality hotels. I can recommend this trip for others to enjoy. Thank you.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Glen E. 6 months ago
a nice way to see authentic Czechia
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
I enjoyed it! I got what I view as an authentic look at the Czech landscape with a Czech guide. Jitka took us to obscure places that I would have never found on my own, and even with a GPS, I wouldn't have known the significance of some places without her there to describe them. Henry was great as a driver and rest stop provider, etc, and went above-and-beyond the call of duty, even finding obscure screws when my bike broke down in a small town of 800 people. (Note, I was riding my own bike; from what I saw with the other people, they had no problems with the rental bikes.)
We had a group of 6 people + ride leader + driver. Everyone was easy to get along with.
The one thing that surprised me about the trip was that we all rode together; there was no breaking up into different groups based on riding speeds (as I have experienced on other bicycle tours I have done). There were times when I would have liked to go a little faster. Occasionally, I did get ahead of the group and would wait in the next town or when we were coming to a turn. I would just say, this is a trip to see the Czech countryside, not to race and finish the riding day fast. But overall, it wasn't a big problem and I enjoyed the tour.
The tour was about 35-40 miles per day and was fairly hilly. It wasn't monstrously hilly, but every day except one had a few significant climbs. Cyclists either need to be accustomed to hill-climbing, or else rent an e-bike. Our group was split half-and-half between normal bikes and e-bikes. The e-bike people sometimes tried to make less use of the "e" part, but they had the security of knowing they could turn up the dial and go up any hill easily if they wanted to.
One comfort I was missing from the USA was air conditioning in the hotels. Most days weren't that hot (avg highs were low 20s Celsius, though a couple days got into the high 20s, maybe even 30); but even so, in the evenings it can be stuffy and a bit humid in a hotel room. 1 or 2 hotels had AC, 1 or 2 had a room fan, and the other 4 or so were, just open a window. I don't fault the bike tour for a lack of hotel AC, I think most hotels in Czechia are that way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- about 60
- 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, Czech Republic
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BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac July 5, 2024
Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled you enjoyed an authentic look at the Czech landscape with Jitka's expert guidance. Also, it's great to hear Henry went above and beyond to assist you. We look forward to welcoming you on another tour soon!
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★★★★★ Kathleen Wilford 6 months ago
Scenic and interesting
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Overall--a great trip.
There was some confusion at the beginning, as we were given a different hotel name than the one we were actually scheduled to stay in. Also, connecting with the taxi driver took several calls and emails. Things went smoothly after that--we were met by the tour leaders for an informative meeting.
The maps and information were basically good. But the information should stress more strongly that riders should look for the little yellow signs. This works much better than trying to follow the maps. We also found the GPS app NOT helpful. The turn by turn uses too much battery, and the downloaded maps are no better than the paper maps.
The route was well set up, with appropriate biking distances each day and good tips on sights to see along the way. We loved the Czech Swiss national park.
Hotels were reasonable except for the U Zamku in Melnik. The room was primitive and smelled musty, and the breakfast was terrible.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Renee Goertzen 7 months ago
Great views
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
My friend and I did the self-guided tour, which we loved. The hill on the first day was rough, but after that the ride was almost always flat. The views were varied - rivers, mountains, castles, sometimes through small villages or fields, but mostly along thewater. The guide provided was just what we needed - enough detail for navigating (supplemented by the app) and recommendations of things to see and where to eat.
The bikes were sturdy touring bikes - not light, but able to handle the bumps of the road. We did not have any mechanical trouble, so we didn´t call on the company for any bike support. The app showing the route was very useful, although it was mildly annoying that it didn´t track your location - you had to manually scroll the map throughout the day. I think this is an app option that you can choose to pay for, though.
The hotels booked for us were always lovely and clean, and the breakfasts provided lots of options, even for the one vegetarian in our group.
I would recommend this tour in a heartbeat!- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Gib Egge 7 months ago
Nice ride for cultural imersion
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Nice ride between two wonderful cities. Mainly along bike paths with the occasional road bike lane and urban, on-the-street moments when riding within larger cities. Ride has a manageable climb the first day but otherwise, not too much climbing unless you decide to embark on some optional side visits along the way. Outside of Prague, few people spoke good English, so have a good translator app with you. One member of our group had to ride the train for part of the journey and it was difficult to get him a ticket not speaking Czech. We were able to find a German-speaking ticket vendor and someone in our group could speak German. Just be aware of the language barrier in this part of Czechia. Parts of the trail on the first couple days were a bit muddy and more like a mountain bike trails. Took a bit more effort to traverse these sections. Hotels were very nice and the towns we stayed in were as well. Didn't see any other Americans along the ride. The food was very good and most places were even able to accommodate a vegan that was riding with us. We did have some mechanical issues with our bicycles that were addressed by the local tour company. Used the vendor for airport transfers and those were perfect. Navigation involved downloading Mapy.cz on our smartphones and uploading their trail maps. Maps were accurate and more or less essential for an optimum riding experience. Our hotel room the last two evenings, and the dinner we pre-paid for with biketours.com were not pre-paid by the vendor at arrival so we needed to pay for it. Currently working with them to get that refunded. If you're looking for less-traveled, easy/intermediate ride, and you are ok with navigating the language barrier, this is a good choice.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Linda Farnworth 7 months ago
Not impressed with Ave
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
The bikes were not good. One day the range of ebike battery barely made it, my chain came off twice, seat kept slipping down, other equipment not great, and worst of all the seats were TERRIBLE.
The ride was nice though with good scenery and a challenging ride.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Joseph Tevaarwerk 8 months ago
Nice trip, but some issues.
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
The trip overall was good. The hotels were from very nice to adequate, and the weather was good for biking. Luggage handling was perfect.
The issue we had was with the bikes. In our case the bikes we rented were delivered to our hotel. I had emailed specific instructions about my wife's bike set-up regarding saddle height and handle bar height. When the bikes arrived we noticed that the saddle could not be adjusted low enough for her comfort. We had to call the AVE rep and he had to bring a different saddle stem to fix that problem.
Another problem was with my bike. The frame size was too small for me, and the handle bars were too low for comfort. Since we had already lost time to get my wife's bike corrected, I decided that I could manage with the bike that was delivered. That was my mistake!
Half way into the trip the front telescopic forks collapsed and I had to ride nose down, which was very uncomfortable and outright dangerous. We managed to get it pumped up at a bike shop, but they lost pressure again while biking.Last year we had none of these problems. The big difference was that last year we had to collect our bikes at the rental shop the day before. This gave us the opportunity to have both bikes adjusted to the right settings, and to make sure that they were of the correct frame size.
I don't need to stress how important a reliable and well fitting bike is for these bike tours. I suggest that you make it essential that the bikes are collected at the rental site the day before the trips start. This will give the participants the opportunity to make essential corrections.
Myself, for our next trip I will insist that we will collect the bikes at the rental shop the day before the trip starts, and that they are reliable and well fitted bikes.
I think it is wise if you make this part of your overall policy as well.Joseph.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
