Czech Republic Bike Tour Reviews (page 2)
- 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
-
★★★★★ bam47 June 14, 2016Simply fabulous.
Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest
We chose the unguided tour but the directions were excellent (when we followed them) with both text and photos to guide us. The hotels were wonderful and alway located in the Old Town Square. The breakfasts were great, too. And all the extras that Pter Janota threw in couldn't have been more fun or informative. Petr was fun and funny and very smart and we couldn't have been more impressed by his support on the road and his bike tour operation. His recommendations for restaurants in Czecky Krumlov (Papas) were great.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25-June 1.
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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
-
★★★★★ CMSM June 13, 2016
Bike from Prague to Vienna or Salzburg! (or close enough)
Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest
This company knows exactly what it is doing and makes a carefree adventure of it all. We took the self-guided, electric bike tour and every time we wondered about a particular detail, we learned that they had already thought of it and handled it all. Biking route instructions were very precise and helpful (this tour runs just a small amount of time in Austria and their biking signs are not as precise as Czech Rep, no fault of the tour operator). The countryside was so gorgeous that we kept thinking it all must be fake. But 20 minutes later, we would find another dream scene. Each day was a joy and we would recommend it all very highly. Found fantastic restaurants as well. Hats off to Petr J in Czech Republic. He is the local tour operator and is top notch in all respects.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 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?
- Czech Republic
-
★★★★★ Jeff66 June 29, 2018
Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 28 thru june 4
- 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
-
★★★★★ Anne Wood 7 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
-
★★★★★ Glen E. 10 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
-
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!
-
★★★★★ Htim November 21, 2019
Historic Cities,Castles and Countryside
· Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
Delightful and sometimes challenging tour through southern Chechia, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Good to excellent accommodations. Many old castles, chateaus, and classic walled medieval towns made for an enchanting experience. The tour provider was excellent. The routes were interesting and sometimes challenging. Most cycling was on paved roads but there were several stretches of unsaved roads and even trails. Navigation with the Garmin unit provided proved generally very good, but some independent navigation skills were sometimes needed, such as when there were unexpected detours for construction. Bicycles were adequate.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September to October 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- 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?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Harvey Wilds July 11, 2023
Wonderful tour of Czech and Austrian countryside
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
My wife and I had an excellent time on our self guided tour. The accomodations and logistics were perfect! We are definitely planning our next trip already.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic
-
★★★★★ Maria June 26, 2017
What an adventure!
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
What a gorgeous country the Czech Republic is. It was fantastic cycling through this incredibly varied and lush countryside with 7 friends. Navigating had it's challenges and we got lost daily as sometimes the directions were off but our crew of navigators prevailed and got us to our final destination every day where we knew the beer would be cold and well deserved! There were lots of hills and we learned to love each and every one. We had some long hot days. Getting into town at days end and getting out of town the next morning were always challenging. Better signage would have made this easier. We used a lot of hand signals and met so many lovely people willing to stop and try to help us find our way. The terrain varies from beautiful wide shaded asphalt bike paths through national parks to narrow roads also used by cars to farmer's fields to gravel pathways. The combo mountain bike/road bike provided is ideal for this terrain. On the downside there was no real orientation once we arrived in Cesky Krumlov to understand the e-bikes some had or the GPS. We would have appreciated checking out the equipment before starting the tour so that we had the right size bike for each cyclist. Ave Tours did work closely with us to get us the right equipment eventually. Getting picked up in Mistelbach was the way to go rather than trying to cycle into Vienna. All in all it was an outstanding experience and adventure. It was really to our benefit to have experienced cyclists who'd been on previous cycling trips before to help us navigate our way through the country. I loved every minute of it. It was challenging but it is Level 3. Such an accomplishment. I think we are all really proud of ourselves! Thank you Bike Tours! Great memories have been made by the Czech Mates!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 12-20
- 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
-
★★★★★ Kathy B October 11, 2018
An excellent adventure!
· Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
This was my first bike trip and I can't wait to do it again. Our guides were enthusiastic and fun and our driver could not have been more helpful transporting luggage, providing snacks and water at stops, and keeping our bikes tuned up.
We rode through picturesque villages, fairy-tale forests, along rivers and lakes, and up and down hills with eye-popping views and sweeping vistas of farmland, vineyards, and distant highlands. We saw numerous castles dating from the 13th to the 19th century and toured several of them. We climbed on/up WWII military bunkers and anti-tank fortifications and a soviet era watch tower. Our guides were very knowledgeable and provided historical context for all of it.
The hills were more demanding than most of our group anticipated and there was some challenging terrain, but with the support of our guides and driver everyone rode all day even though the van was available for breaks. However I do recommend e-bikes if you have not done much riding. About half of our group did and they were happy with their choice.
The accommodations were basic but comfortable and ran the gamut as far as architecture and design. We enjoyed the local cuisine, wine, and I think the best beer anywhere!
Prague is magical and Vienna is filled with music and art, but I really loved getting off the beaten track in between. If you are looking for adventure, culture, and a bit of a challenge, you will love this trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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?
- Austria, Czech Republic
-
★★★★★ Barry Nashen 10 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
-
★★★★★ Donald Allen 7 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
-
★★★★★ Karen Canon 7 months agoContinuing 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
-
★★★★★ Elizabeth Hinz 7 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
-
★★★★★ Kathleen Wilford 10 months agoScenic 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
-
★★★★★ Gib Egge 11 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
-
★★★★★ Karen Hanson October 17, 2023
Beautiful (and manageable) trip
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Following the Vltava and Elbe rivers, with mostly excellent bike paths and a reasonable amount of miles per day, made for a lovely honeymoon trip! The Czech countryside was about to hit fall colors, and chestnuts were aplenty. The bikes they provided were in great shape (Trek and Specialized), and the gps files worked well. Highly recommend showing up at least two or three days early to spend extra time in Prague and get used to the time change. We weren’t able to take advantage of many of the optional side visits and biergardens along the way because many were closed already for the season, but we still enjoyed passing through small/tiny towns. And we made sure to pack our own wine and cheese for breaks! In the high season, we imagine it must be a much different scene. Overall, really enjoyed the trip and would recommend it for those who are looking for a relaxing vacation.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
-
★★★★★ 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
-
★★★★★ Brink June 13, 2019
Beautiful way to see small Czech and German towns
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
The bike path was generally well marked along the rivers and the towns picturesque. People were friendly, the food good and the hotels good, except for the hotel in Dresden.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 25 May—31 May 2019
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
-
★★★★★ 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
-
★★★★★ Beanaloca October 22, 2018
beautiful
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
This was a fun tour overall. I enjoyed biking along the rivers, it made for a scenic trip. A few of the towns we overnighted in were specatacular.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 7, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
