Dalmatia  Bike Tour Reviews (page 6)

  • National Parks of Dalmatia
    (4/5) Carol McDonald September 29, 2022

    Beautiful Croatia

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    This is the perfect way to see this beautiful country! Our bike guides were great - knowledgeable, extremely competent, friendly and helpful. We felt very luck to have them with us.
    The food was a combination of very good, and sometimes not quite so good as it arrived luke warm. Salads scrimped on greens and the overly used combination of purple and green cabbage only as our source of greens wasn’t very good, especially since salad greens seemed readily available at our various stops.
    Most importantly, we were horrified by the number of plastic bottles used on this trip! My husband and I brought water bottles, as did most of the cyclists, and were happy to refill our bottles from the water cooler. I can’t imagine the tons of plastic waste caused by the number of bottles our ship alone used, and then multiplied by the number of boats over the course of the summer - the numbers of plastic bottles to deal with would be staggering. I am fully aware of the recycle program, but the energy used to do this is also staggering, especially for a small and financially struggling country like Croatia. I strongly urge you to commit to a more earth friendly form of water use.
    Lastly, and this is a small criticism, we’ve never been on a bike and boat (this was our fifth one), that charged a premium for tea and coffee. I completely support a charge for premium coffees and teas such as lattes, chai etc, but charging for hot water and a tea bag, or a simple cup of coffee seems very stingy on your part. Especially with a 50E pp charge for water, which again is something we had not encountered in the past.
    Overall, we had an incredibly wonderful trip and hope to return to Croatia again in the future!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    Five
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Johanna H.(Anita) Wood October 6, 2022

    Excellent introduction to E-bikes & Croatia; intrigued me to return

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Our guides were very professional and conscientious; knowledgeable about cycling, their country and it’s terrain. As a beginner cyclist I would have wished for a more clear explanation of the settings, gears and cadence I was meant to aim for. An individual look at how each cyclist was doing might have taught me how I might improve my posture, position as needed. I was able to have my seat adjusted for my short arms and small stature, and I was comfortable except for the last day’s length of downhill travel. I must have been tense because the following 3-4 days were painful for me in my thighs, in taking stairs especially. I had been forewarned...I should have been more experienced from the outset...I do feel so much more confident now.
    It was great to get a sense of the history of Croatia. It helped to understand what we were seeing in the country side, the architecture, the menus. It was important to appreciate what the land and it’s people had been through.
    While on-board and cycling, we were kept safe, fed and hydrated. It was regimented...I guess it had to be to insure that the whole group saw as much as we did, and to get where we needed to be, and to afford staff the opportunity for time off/siesta.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    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?
    Croatia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) PegS October 26, 2022

    Wonderful Guides, Lovely Tour

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Great way to experience Croatia. Our wonderful local guides, Dora and Mario, were cheerful, infinitely patient, organized, and full of helpful and interesting information. Improvements could be made on the boat with the WiFi, which was spotty, and the food, which was bland with lots of white sauce. We were surprised that the rides were so short, typically finished by noon. This was our first bike tour on an ebike, and that was fun. Some days we rode with it completely off to get a better workout.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    12
    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Dwaine Souveny October 11, 2023

    Croatia is certainly not the best or safest place to bike in Europe.

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Dora was a wonderful guide. She was well informed & interesting. The local guides were good. The boat was comfortable & the captain was skilled. The meals were good and the service was very good.
    However, the main reason we took this trip was for the ebiking & the ebiking did not feel safe. The bikes were basic e-bikes that generally worked ok. The trip itinerary changed due to the weather which of course you cannot control so we missed out on some areas we were hoping to see. We visited only 1 national park. The one swim we did off the boat was fun. The Konoba visit was fun.
    There were several incidents and injuries on the first day on an unplanned bike ride. The conditions were very windy & the guides did not know the route. One of the guides had never done this tour before. Instructions were not clear on the first bike ride about people at corners directing other bikers. We were shocked to be riding on busy roads with no shoulders and speeding highway traffic. We were anticipating rural roads (which we had only one day) & good bike trails. The rides were scenic but left people feeling vulnerable. I would recommend a boat trip in this region but would not recommend cycling in Croatia to anyone.
    We paid for an above deck cabin & spent many nights looking at other boats parked next to us & listening to their noise which was not what we expected.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was our first one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Jan Mowat October 23, 2023

    Great people on board!

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Our itinerary was derailed by a storm the first day, so we missed a couple anticipated parks and the sights they would have offered. Couldn’t be helped. ?‍♀️ We rode on busy roads more often than we should have for a sight-seeing tour. Being on high alert for traffic and travelling on roads with non-existent shoulders was unexpected and tense. However… we had so much fun!!! The group was great fun, the stops along the way were interesting and the weather cooperated. The food was simply amazing and the staff friendly and helpful. Dora and Pero were knowledgeable and eager to help in any way possible. Our room was below deck and it was great. The beds were comfortable with lots of room to store our stuff. And quiet too! It was a great way to see parts of a very beautiful country.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    One
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
  • Split to Dubrovnik
    (3/5) Brent September 30, 2018

    Beautiful scenery

    · Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia

    Excellent support
    Really challenging cycling
    Doublecheck that inner tubes have been properly fitted before you start

    What was the date of your tour?
    Aug. 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • National Parks of Dalmatia
    (3/5) EDWH August 23, 2017

    Fun, 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 2/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) Labia September 6, 2018

    Glad we did it - but too hot in August

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    This is our third bike tour. The boat was much nicer than others we have been on. The cabins were very large and a good size bathroom. The food was good (not great). It was nice to have two tour guides. The downside was that it was really hot and the sun too blazing to enjoy the bike rides a lot. The landscape I would also say is a bit repetitive. All in all I wish we could have done it some weeks later with fewer crowds in town and especially cooler weather.

    What was the date of your tour?
    18 August
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • South Dalmatia
    (3/5) John Cooley June 20, 2023

    Great trip---but could have been better

    · · Coastal Islands of Southern Dalmatia

    This was a great trip, however the lead guide was difficult to get along with ---the second guide was new and fantastic. The lead guide was overly strict and a bit condescending. We did not bike one of the days because he decided since there was rain we would not cycle. That was VERY disappointing. I was on a boat bike trip in Belgium and Netherlands and we biked rain or shine. The time we started biking was a bit late too-----it did not leave much time for for activities after biking.

    The saving grace for the trip was the staff was fantastic on the Yolo.

    One additional note is that this should be E-bike only....there is no way for a regular bike to keep up with ebikes on the terrain on this trip. One of the passengers insisted on riding a regular bike and on two separate days had to switch bikes with the guide in the rear so he could make it. He should have been told to switch to an ebike by the guides.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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?
    Croatia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)