E-bikes Available Tour Reviews page 108
-
★★★★★ Alpskier August 2, 2016Easy Riding Across Switzerland! And Free Water!
· Aare Cycle Route: Along the Jura, Aare, and Rhine Rivers
This is my 11th ride with Biketours, and probably, oddly, the easiest! The ride starts in Interlaken and follows the Aare River to Constance, Germany. I'd recommend it for newbies, looking for a great ride. You simply followed the well-posted number 8 Aare River route. It's pretty difficult to get lost. And there are few hills, too. Along the way, you'll ride about 25 miles each day, arriving at a wonderful historic town or city whose Alstadt, or old town, remains perfectly preserved. Unlike most of Europe, wars haven't ravaged Switzerland's land in over 500 years. The medieval centers are unique, and a great opportunity for photographers. On the first day, you take a 3 hour boat ride from Interlaken to Thun, crossing the pristine and aqua-marine waters of Lake Thun, set against the glaciers and jagged peaks of the Alps. I'd strongly recommend that you take the meal plan. It's quite a bargain, trust me. Switzerland is very, very expensive. Make no doubt about that. I got breakfast and a 3-course dinner every night. Some of the hotels were built in the 16th century. If you're looking for Marriots and Holiday Inns, seek elsewhere, nor can you expect air-conditioning, a rarity in most of Europe's hotels. The local tour provider, Radweg Reisen, presented us with brand-new bikes, suitable for touring. Most of the ride follows dedicated bike paths or on gravel roads through forests and farmlands. Here's a top tip: either through Biketours, or through your own effort, get to the start city Interlaken a few days earlier and visits the Alps, taking a train to either Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. That's what I did. There is no more beautiful valley in the world than Lauterbrunnen. Final thing: Switzerland is expensive, but the water is free! Every town and city features dozens of water fountains. You simply fill up when you need water.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Janie7 August 1, 2016Excellent family tour
· Berlin – Copenhagen
Our family of 4 just returned from an excellent 11 night, 10 day self-guided ride from Berlin to Copenhagen. We found the Mecklenburg Radtour company to be extremely well organized, have good equipment and would recommend anyone interested in a great, active holiday to give this a try! This was our first experience with Biketours.com, but we met 4-5 groups of bikers who had done multiple trips with other outfitters who felt this was particularly well organized. The hotels ranged from fine to excellent, and all had terrific breakfasts! The majority of the 400 miles was on well maintained paths and roads with only a few difficult areas.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 18-28
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Denmark, Germany
-
★★★★★ Danube fan July 31, 2016Nice country riding along the famous Danube
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Overall our trip was fun. The hotels ranged from wonderful (in Maria Taferi and Vienna), to pretty nice for the price.
We're fairly strong road cyclists but nevertheless found the rental bikes very heavy. The mileages for the first few days were long and with those heat bikes it was tiring. We would suggest a rest day around day 3 or 4, or alternatively lower mileages on some of the early days.
We loved Passau and would recommend spending an extra day there before the bike tour. Also a day in Vienna at the end.
-
★★★★★ hbth July 29, 2016Great tour from Dolomites to lake Garda
· Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
We chose self guided tour which was perfect for our group. We biked through amazing landscape and beautiful villages with nice restaurants and friendly people.
The travel documents were very helpful and the luggage transfer was perfect. It was
just a great tour!- What was the date of your tour?
- 3.-10. July
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Whereisrick July 26, 2016Absolutely Fantastic time!
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
We just finished the ten lakes tour in June, 2016 and had the time of our life. Bike Tours Direct set us up with a local tour provider and delivered everything we hoped for. We opted for the eBikes and those are way too cool. These guys took our luggage from Gasthaus to Gasthaus (okay - inn to inn) and it was sure nice to arrive the next location and find our luggage waiting for us. Our tour took us through some amazing countryside, farms and especially the lakes. We would get to small villages in mid afternoon (i.e. - no tourists!), enjoy a local meal and head off to our next location in the morning. All the lodgings were fantastic with very friendly inn keepers. We will do this again and we will use Bike Tours Direct.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Bughollow July 26, 2016Exceeded All Expectations!
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
This was our first tour and definitely not our last. We were nervous about the distance and how our 13 year old would handle the daily routine. My worst fear was that we would be counting down the days or taking the train to avoid meltdowns, by mother and/or daughter. This was never the case, even in the rain. We were so sad when it was over, we would have happily continued for another week. Cycling, swimming, and picnicking our way around the route made for a stress free and amazing holiday.
We cycle frequently, but didn't purchase any special clothing. My secret weapon for fhe saddle was a custom knit seat cover by a close friend.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 11 - 22
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first of many.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ slatts July 25, 2016
Great Trip!
· Berlin – Copenhagen
Fantastic way to see the countryside of Germany and Denmark - small towns, great bike paths, beautiful vistas of lakes, rivers, canals, and the Baltic Sea!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 12-23
- How many tours have you completed?
- my first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark, Germany
-
★★★★★ cdreby July 25, 2016Our first bike tour
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
It was harder than expected with many more steep hills than described but the B&B's at the end of each day were a welcome reward. We had wet weather for most of our tour however, the beauty and the variety of the landscape came through the clouds and damp weather. Seamus was very helpful and fixed any problem we had right away.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 10-17 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ UdiA July 23, 2016Great Trip
· Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
Hotels (upgraded) + Maps and Navigation Story + Overall service (Paulo) were good. That plus the charms of Umbria (in particular during the Jazz festival in Perugia made our trip very enjoyable
- What was the date of your tour?
- July
- How many tours have you completed?
- Few
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ alev July 21, 2016Great value, relaxing scenic tour
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Our first boat-bike tour, this was a wonderful experience. The guide was perfect - knowledgeable, personable, and fluent in all languages spoken among the 30+ passengers. Provided urban bikes are comfortable and appropriate for the type of ride. The pace is leisurely (no hard-core exertion here). Protected bike paths meander through beautiful agricultural country and behind meticulously tended garden backyards. Meals were astonishingly good, with all manner of breakfast foods and four-course gourmet dinners. Our only suggestion is to find ways for smaller groups to travel off on their
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 25-July 2, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is the first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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?
- Belgium, Holland
-
★★★★★ Dave22 July 19, 2016Bordeaux, France Boat and Bike Trip
· · Bordeaux by Bike and Boat: Castets-en-Dorthe to Libourne (and reverse)
This tour gave my wife and I many fond memories. We took the guided tour because we knew that the local guide would be able to provide information and regarding the local history and interests as well as take us to the out of the way locations. We were not disappointed. We would recommend this tour to anyone!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 25 through July 25, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ brad rass July 18, 2016Great 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
-
★★★★★ quin101 July 18, 2016Beautiful area but hectic pace
· Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
We did experience the Baltic Countries and we went to places we never would have seen. But, there are issues about the tour, that others should be aware of, the cycling was much faster then we thought, often cycling on roads, busy roads,it was not a relaxed pace, one guide for 15 riders, people often got lost/left behind. We never arrived to the hotel until at least 8pm No free time, no time to shop, take pictures. We feel the guide was unorganized, no care for the slower riders. When we booked this tour it was rated as a 1 in difficulty. This is too low for the terrain and pace that we encountered.
That said we are still glad we did the tour as we did see beautiful and interesting places. I hope the company makes some changes to the tour to make it more enjoyable to all. -
★★★★★ Anne and Bob July 18, 2016Albania: best unheard of destination in Europe!
· UNESCO Sites of Albania
If we had any concerns about choosing an unusual destination in Europe for our first international cycling tour, it was quickly put out of our heads as soon as we landed in Tirana. All arrangements were taken care of by our local tour company, Cycle Albania. A very friendly Albanian man picked us up promptly at the airport and took us to our hotel. We met our group and guide (Junid) for the next 2 weeks and set off on the adventure of a lifetime. A van transferred us to our starting point and we began to see a country that has a long difficult history of oppression, but is fully alive and growing into the 21st century. From carts pulled by donkeys, goatherds in the middle of the road, young boys shouting out greetings to us, fields of crops, vegetables, flowers, magnificent mountain views, wonderful seacoast panoramas, and visits to UNESCO world heritage sites, we are totally convinced that bicycle tourism is the way to go Some members of our group chose to ride e-bikes and that was helpful in maneuvering the many hills/mountains of our routes, but still giving the complete bicycle experience.
Junid was the best guide ever.....his knowledge of his country and ability to translate for us gave us a complete Albanian experience. He was ever eager to accommodate us in all ways. We stayed in hotels which were top of the line to the best that was available...always clean and adequate. All our meals were in restaurants along our route and more than adequate. We ate so much, we were never hungry!! Junid chose dishes that were Albanian and locally grown and prepared. Always lots of fresh vegetables.
After 8 days of cycling and 3 days of kayaking and relaxing on the Albanian Riviera, we returned home completely satisfied with our experience and will now be looking for ways to find another adventure off the beaten path.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1 - 13, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Only 1 international
- 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?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ Granny Annie July 18, 2016Perfect Family Trip
· Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
We were a family of 12 ranging in age from 11 to 86. It was PERFECT! Wonderful hotels, fantastic food, a beautiful trail, good bikes, short rides each day so we could enjoy the features along the way like the chateaux and the Magic Museum in Blois.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1-8
- How many tours have you completed?
- Lots
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ JEAN1999 July 16, 2016
Unforgettable Experience
· Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
Tour did not meet my expectations.
The pace was actually 12 to 15 mph and not 8 -9 mph as advertised, we always seemed to be late; and the only time that could be made up was during the riding. I would not describe the pace as casual. Unless you were a strong rider or had an e-bike, we felt we could not stop for pictures for the fear of getting lost. One rider dropped a bottle at the start of the ride and by the time it was put away, she could not see anyone up the road and did not know which way to go, so she decided to get on the sag wagon. On-going bicycle problems which should have been resolved the first day. Riders kept getting 'lost' due to inadequate group management which caused delays. Some riders kept having problems with their bikes, brakes improperly adjusted, loose handlebars (to store the bikes in the trailer, handlebars are loosened), group start riding despite not everyone being ready. Riders brought much more luggage than is recommended and there was inadequate space on the bus for all the luggage which ended up in aisle. Every seat on the bus was occupied; back row of bus has inadequate viewing and cannot hear instructions, sight descriptions over the speakers. One bus driver had unhealthy health habits, such as directly drinking from the 5 liter jugs used to fill up rider water bottles; he was always the first off and last one on despite record temperatures (one time after everyone got on-board, he went for a smoke with bus off); the other two drivers kept bus comfortable at all times and never got lost using their Garmin. Five nights were in hotels without AC, which is generally not a problem except that we had near record temperatures of 32 deg C on those days. Even though riding miles on the beach is considered 'fun', most of us did not consider it safe having to dodge bathers and children (it was record heat and the beach was very crowded). Your suggested tipping is ridiculous; seasoned Europeans riders within our group recommended a maximum of 20 Euros per person for the entire trip (bus driver was tipped separately). We had 15 riders, two guides would have been helpful to avoid losing riders along the way. I had never been on a multi-day bike tour, but others in the group had been on several and they did not think this tour met expectations.
Now the positives. The bus broke down on the worst possible day but we were able to proceed after a 6 hour delay for a new bus to arrive (this was handled well). The tour guide was very knowledgeable and had lots of information to share.
I will post more details on TripAdvisor- What was the date of your tour?
- 06/19/2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- First multi-day tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay Nash July 17, 2016
Dear Jean,
I know we've already been in touch with others in your party regarding your feedback on this tour but I just want to reiterate our apologies for your experience. We've taken this feedback to the operator so they'll know about it as well. In the past, we've only received very positive feedback and we're sorry this wasn't your experience.
-
★★★★★ suze July 15, 2016Danube River Bike tour
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We loved this bike tour. Even though Tom and I couldnt cycle due to a recent bike accident, we followed our group by car. The villages were stunning, the hotels great, except maybe the one in Tulln. All the meals were great, except maybe the one in Linz, but I think that is because there was a wedding in the hotel. Fabulous hotel in Linz. The rest of our group loved the biking part. Highlight was definetly the boatride from the hotel in Durnstein along the Danube!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30-July 7
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Easy cycler July 15, 2016Beautiful Bavarian countryside
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
Each day was a unique experience. Starting with the Danube path, then the lush fields and rocky backdrop of the Altmuhl valley, and the ferry rides along the Danube gorge and the canal. The villages along the way were so picturesque.
The maps and descriptions provided us with a wonderful guide to the sights along the way. The hotels were comfortable, centrally located, and very helpful about what to see and good restaurants for dinner. Our overnights were in towns with rich history and traditions, and there were always interesting spots to stop along the way.
We finished the tour knowing that we would like to go back.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 27, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Mully July 14, 2016Great way to experience Europe
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
A wonderful experience. I have traveled to Europe many times, but this was the best way to see it in my opinion. I would recommend taking an extra day here and there along the ride to spend some additional time in areas that you have interest in so the focus isn't always.getting to the next destination. I think what makes this type of trip unique is that you are better immersed in the local sights and culture...you are on a bike, not in a bus or car. The countryside trickles by at a comfortable rate that encourages exploration. The lake portion of this particular trip involved considerable road travel which was a bit unexpected, but drivers were courteous and we quickly became used to it.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 25
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Austria
