E-bikes Available Tour Reviews page 92
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★★★★★ San2C July 16, 2019Wonderful Experience
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The greatest surprise was that every day was a different experience. Hotels were comfortable, and the change in landscape was delightful. A few of the days would have been extremely challenging for us without E-Bikes and a GPS for guidance.
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★★★★★ Love2ride July 15, 2019Great way to see Greece!
· Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
Overall, we were highly satisfied with our experience on this self guided bike trip. The scenery was great, starting in the (relatively cooler) mountain town of Vytina, cycling down into Tripoli. We enjoyed the day trip to the Kapsia Caves. The ride from Tripoli to Astros was scenic, with a very noticeable flora change as we dropped over the pass and started to head down to the (much warmer) seaside. The dip in the Aegean to cool off after the day's ride was exultant. The ride along the coast to Nafplio was beautiful, and we enjoyed the ancient sights along the way (Agros). Nafplio is a charming town, absolutely worth staging out of for the final few days.
Pluses: Hotel and staff in Vytina, Tripoli, Nafplio. The ancient sights to visit got better and better with each day (Argos, Mycenea, Epidaurus). The charming towns, intimate small lanes and shops, late night restaurants out in the squares or along pedestrian streets in Paralion Astros, Vytina, Nafplio were a delight. Dips to cool off in the Aegean a joy.
We found the Greeks, those with the local tour company, the shuttle pick up and drop off, the Hotels and well, just about everywhere along the way, to be friendly and eager to engage and to help. Also, the relative cost of goods, meals, etc. were quite affordable.
Specific to the bike tour company...friendly and prompt pick up at the airport, and the GPS units provided (50 EURO refunded deposit) had each days routes preloaded and worked out quite well (given the routing had a lot of zigs and zags at times, I don't think we'd have been able to follow the route with a paper map/sticker process common to other bike company rides). Baggage transfers went without a hitch. Very accommodating for our request to switch bike types at the start of the ride.As for 'room for improvement'...there were a few items. Relative to the info we were sent, this tour was a bit thin on details on where and when to expect to see some of the sights...just that 'we'd bike by them' (and we did, but at the 10 mile point, 15 mile point or ? - the GPS path did not indicate that type of info). One minor irritation, was our third day leg (Tripoli to Astros). We found the ancient site and museum at Tegea per the route description, only to find it was closed on that particular day we were routed to bike thru it. Also, the GPS, as stated it was overall very useful (only steered us off in a minor way once, and we were able to figure out where to go well enough). But the unit would tell us we'd be at the destination...and we'd look around and not see our hotels. We'd spend time walking around, circling about to find it (and the small hotel in Paralion Astros had the hotel name in subtle letters on a glass door...we walked right by it). Similar experience in Nafplio, I had to plug in the name of the hotel in my own smartphone to have it navigate us down side street alleyways to the hotel entrance. So a bit better directions on how to find our hotel upon arrival would have saved us some time out of the sun (already tired after a hot day cycling). And finally along those lines, there was a switch in our hotel in Nafplio versus our stated first night destination (we'd not been told this). That killed time trying to sort that out. Again, more a nuisance level...folks at both hotels quickly helped us figure out the slip up. SHOW MORE
As for any general observations about the tour. Unlike some other countries we've ridden thru, there really are no bike trails. However, much of this route is on back roads, where traffic was sparse. In the more congested (streets are narrow) towns, they were pretty small, and so we'd be thru them pretty quick and back on rural side roads. We had no issues with Greek drivers, even got a few friendly honks and waves (other cyclists were few and far between). We did note a lot of stray dogs, but fortunately the only times we encountered any aggressive barking, those dogs were behind fences. We switched to the tours hybrid bikes (I had originally booked road bikes, not knowing the details of the roads and routes), and we were glad we did. There were sections of (flat) gravel roads, particularly on the second bike day, more easily handled with wider tires and upright stance vs narrow tires and drop bars of a road bike. My partner appreciated their better climbing gears, not that the hilly sections weren't beyond our expectations, but in July, the combination of hills and heat (unfortunately, we hit it during a bit of a heatwave) made for slower paced riding. Regarding temperatures, full disclosure, towards the end of the tour, it was forecast to be well over 100 degrees F....we elected to hire a car and guide versus riding (no regrets, it actually hit 105 F that day). We knew this was going to be a hot time of year for this tour (my partner is a public school teacher, though, which limits our major vacation times). If we were not otherwise constrained, this tour in May or in September would be ideal.
SHOW LESS
To summarize, our glitches were minor, and we thoroughly enjoyed this tour and we're glad we did it.- What was the date of your tour?
- First week of July, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- ~6
- 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?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Bumble July 15, 2019Beautiful Scenery
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
From the picturesque mountains in the north to the open flat lands of the south this was a joy to ride. The hotels were clean and welcoming.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Four
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Trez July 15, 2019Exceeded our expectations in every way
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Very organized and stress-free. The bikes were excellent, the hotels were great and the orientation meeting the evening before the trip was very beneficial in explaining the details. The variety in hotel styles; from modern to classic at the Schloss was a great way to experience the cities and villages we stayed in.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30- July 06, 2019
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 16, 2019
So glad you guys enjoyed! LOVE the shirts!
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★★★★★ JJ47 July 13, 2019Wonderful Trip!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Our first trip to Europe! It was a beautiful journey through the towns and countryside of North Belgium and Southern Netherlands. Our Guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. The accommodations on the boat were spectacular and all of the staff were friendly and welcoming.
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★★★★★ pmr52 July 11, 2019· Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
- What was the date of your tour?
- 24 june - 1 july
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ KLVM July 11, 2019Biking in the Shoulder Season
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
Cold weather and rain did not prevent us from having a wonderful biking experience. The scenery was beautiful, hotels were in lovely locations, the people were friendly, and the tourist sites were virtually empty.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 12-18, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Biking Pete July 11, 2019Magical Medieval Villages of Bavaria
· Romantic Road from Würzburg to Donauwörth
We loved our biking in Bavaria, even though it was during an extreme heat wave. We left early and took beer and water breaks in cute villages along the way. Then we showered and napped in our charming accommodations, before enjoying a stroll and dinner in the cooler evening. This was a great way to visit the romantic medieval towns in Bavaria. Rottenburg was such a treat with the Nightwatchman tour and the world famous Christmas shop.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/22/19 - 6/28/19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 12, 2019
So glad to hear you did not let the heat get you down and that you so enjoyed your tour! Great recommendations for Rottenburg.
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★★★★★ Eliz July 9, 2019
beautiful trip
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
A very nice way to view this part of Italy - nice scenery all around, the selected roads were great and away from main ones, easily described and marked to follow
All good- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/19 - 6.25
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ jackie20 July 9, 2019· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
- What was the date of your tour?
- Jun 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Lisa C July 8, 2019Beautiful tour through the Alps!
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
We had an amazing trip along the Tauern bike path. We traveled as a family of four (10 and 8 year old children- the 8 year old on a tag along). The scenery was fantastic, and the stopover locations were great. The first three days were relatively easy, the last three were a bit more challenging for our ten year old to handle with the longer uphill sections. We ended up having to change out our daughters bike two times due to a mechanical issue with the derailleur and a flat tire, but the staff responded very quickly and appropriately. It would have been helpful to have a spare tube in the bike kit for the children's bike. We also had some issues getting extra paniers, but by the third day it was resolved. We were very impressed with the lodging. I would recommend an extra night in zell am see, the area was so beautiful. We also appreciated how the company was able to find appropriate lodging for a family of four. We woul highly recommend this tour, but be ready for a bit of work on the second half of the tour. But it was defiantly worth it! We also had a lot of difficulty finding three of our hotels, more specific directions to the exact lodging would have been helpful for the lodging that was not directly on or close to the bike path. Luckily we met helpful Germans along the way who helped us find our lodging!
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★★★★★ nippy1 July 8, 2019One of our favorit family trips!
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
This ws one of our favorite trips ever! It was our first really active trip with our kids (11 and 13). Up to this point our travel has been mostly cities, museums, tours, and short hikes. It was more difficult than we thought it would be mainly because the kids go slower than if it were just adults so each day had around two additional hours due to more frequent breaks. That said, we felt so accomplished at the end of each day, it was a wonderful confidence boosts for our kids. And it was very bike friendly -- only one day was on heavily traveled roads otherwise it was quite a few bike trails and backroads. And the scenery is stunning. We got a little lost in some of the cities, but it was part of the adventure. Instructions and equipment were top notch and we always felt well cared for. Fabulous adventure -- we highly recommend it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ RS52 July 8, 2019
Overall Great Experience from Start to End!!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was our first bike tour as a family, but based on our experience, it won't be our last. Overall, everything went smoothly and was great!! BikeTours was responsive to my many questions and easy to work with. The representative from the tour company brought the bikes and documentation as expected, and was flexible when one bike didn't fit correctly (our error) and needed to be exchanged. Service at every stop was very good to outstanding, and the accommodations were very comfortable and clean without exception! Our luggage was smoothly transported from one day to the next. The bikes were comfortable, and riding along the Danube was really special!
I agree with another reviewer who suggested reading through the touring documents each evening to decide on where to stop the next day. That worked well for us too. We also brought snacks and water, and made a point of stopping regularly, given particularly warm weather. I would also recommend having at least one phone with a GPS application, as finding the specific hotels was sometimes challenging, particularly in the larger cities.
Biking through small cities and towns provided a different type of vacation experience for us, as we are used to visiting larger cities. We really enjoyed seeing the country in this way. I found a few of the longer days of biking to be challenging, but as promised, the path was flat to slightly downhill and we were on bike paths for the majority of the time. Even in Vienna, there were bike lanes in the city to get us to the hotel. The paths were well traveled and always felt safe.
Overall, everything was great and I would do it again in a second!
(There were 4 of us traveling...my husband, me and our 2 children in their early 20's. We really liked the flexibility of being self-guided.)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Just this 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?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Marshall July 6, 2019This was our 4th trip with this company and always great
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7/22-29/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Hermann Vestri July 6, 2019Good trip, wish I had more time
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
- What was the date of your tour?
- Every day were good
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 before
- 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, Hungary
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★★★★★ Klp1 July 6, 2019
Wonderful, unique experience!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
The Netherlands is beautiful and the people are very friendly. No real complaints about the experience but one must be flexible in these situations. We had a very nice group of people on our boat. The tour guides were very friendly and accomodating to our skill levels. Pack for all kinds of weather because you never know. We loved the guided city tours after dinner. The food was excellent and plentiful but few vegetarian options.
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★★★★★ Z1201 July 6, 2019The bicycle trip was great the ship
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
- What was the date of your tour?
- 22.6.19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Shmil July 6, 2019
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
- What was the date of your tour?
- 22.06
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Germany
