E-bikes Available Tour Reviews page 74
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★★★★★ Alpskier November 14, 2015A Great Trip Across a Great Country
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
Loved cycling through Slovenia. Warm, friendly people, terrific accommodations, and spectacular scenery made it very, very special. The ride begins in the majestic Julien Alps and courses its way through verdant farm lands, remote villages, the capital city of Ljubljana, and ends on Adriatic sea at the beautiful & ancient town of Piran. Accommodations were fine, some were truly charming, featuring architecture unique to Slovenia. The meal plan was a bargain and the foods and beers were delicious. The 9 day ride largely followed low-trafficked roads, where drivers were courteous. The well-devised road book made navigation manageable, as the route isn't as clearly marked the way it's done in most of Western Europe. Still, there were no worries at all, even as a solo rider. Surprisingly, English was widely spoken. The route featured rolling hills, none of which were too strenuous, nor was mileage an issue. There were lots of downhills as the trip starts high in the Alps and descends to the sea. The local tour operator was very helpful and the bikes were well maintained. Starting out in the fairy-book town of Lake Bled with its famous island church was a reward in itself. Here's a good tip: It's worth the 15 Euro to have a van bring you to the top of the mountain on the second day. Biking it seemed absurd. The capital city was accessible and having dinner near the famous three bridges confluence still brings a smile to my face as I remember the sea of young people going from bar to bar. It's all good, not to mention one of the great travel bargains in the Biketours universe.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Alpskier November 14, 2015I've Done 8 Trips. Here's My Favorite!
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
It's simply a magnificent ride. You begin in Venice, ride along the coast, passing beautiful beaches, going inland through rural farmland, and finally reaching Trieste, an old city that has a lot to offer. And that's just the Italian portion. The ride then takes you into Slovenia and ends in Croatia. For me, the century-old towns of Piran, Slovenia, and Porec, Croatia were magical - adult Disneyland. They are well-preserved and inviting as you aimlessly walk through narrow streets with stunning architecture. Locals were great. The ride is well-marked and the road book you're given is easy to follow. The local tour operator is most helpful. Most of the ride is easy, flat, doable miles per day - about 35. Once you get into Slovenia, you follow a beautiful paved bikeway along the rugged coast that brings you through one picturesque town after another. Finally, the last ride is a bit challenging as you reach hilly, yet doable terrain. I loved the hotels as they all were family-run and charming beyond belief. I guess it's the diversity of the journey. And riding a bike through a country is simply the best way to connect to the culture, people, and the land. Book this one. You won't be disappointed.
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★★★★★ Alpskier November 14, 2015The Rugged Beauty of the Emerald Isle
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
Highlights of the Highlands was one of my favorite trips. The affable local tour operator met us at our b&b in Donegal Town and told us what to expect. Bikes were great and the b&b lodgings were solid, including a satisfying breakfast. To be sure, the ride has parts that are truly rigorous, including a couple of long, steady inclines. And most of the ride follows low-trafficked roads, first along the rocky coast and later inland through national parks. The Irish were most welcoming and so were the pubs. But the beauty is in the land, resplendent vistas, hours of riding through glacial valleys. It was a pretty cool thing to ride through a pack of sheep. We road in the summer. Expect changeable weather, a bit chilly and rainy. Needless to say, bring a camera!
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ SWTA November 6, 2015
Slovenia: Europe's hidden gem!
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
We did this trip as a family of 4, including a 13 and 15 y/o. We have traveled extensively and we all found Slovenia wonderful. We all agreed this was one of the our best trips ever. Modern enough to be comfortable but still having a lot of old world charm. The hotels were comfortable and we had no trouble finding a good meal. The other positive is that everyone spoke English and we had no language barriers.
The biking was moderately challenging even as a 2 rated trip. But every day was was really great and different. From the mountains to the sea. We rented the bikes from the base company - Helia - and didn't have any equipment failures!
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Bikenfools November 5, 2015Apulia: Cycling the Heel of Italy’s Boot
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
We had a great trip to Apulia (Cycling the Heel of Italy’s Boot), loved the tour, would do it again and recommend to others. All 7 hotels had excellent service and all-round excellent accommodations. Our luggage was always waiting for us, breakfast was always very good and the bikes served us well. The guys at the bike shop where we picked-up our bikes were friendly and helpful, and made adjustments to the bikes before we left.
The locals we met along the way were always very friendly, warm and treated us like rock stars. Even though we do not speak Italian, we never had trouble communicating - there was always someone within the vicinity who spoke English and eager to help translate. Sometimes there would be 1/6 dozen locals all translating at the same time.
The first hotel in Matera, Locanda Di San Martino, was our favorite and wished we could take the spa, pool, steam-room, and hot tub with us to the other hotels.
The 2nd hotel was cool getting to stay in a Trulli.
The 3rd hotel in Ostuni, Relais Sant’Eligo, was special because of the service we received from Tonia and Abbes – they went “above and beyond” to make our stay enjoyable. I was having technical difficulties with my iPhone charger, and thought the outlet in my room was not working. I took everything to the front desk and Abbes examined all the components (charger, adapter, cord, and phone) determined my cord was not working. He then called several electronic stores trying to find a cord, and said he would drive me to a store to buy a new one.
The 4th hotel in Gallipoli, Hotel 33, was very nice and we were treated like royalty. When we arrived - hot, thirsty and tired - the staff had ice-cold lemon-aid, and water waiting for us in the lobby, plus a bowl of fresh olives to snack on. They told us to just leave the bikes by the door and they moved them to the garaged. Our luggage was already in our room. We received an excellent local restaurant recommendation that served the best fresh fish I had the entire trip. The next morning our bikes were waiting by the front door. Fantastic service.
The 5th hotel in Santa Maria Di Leuca was good and had a nice pool. The only draw-back was the hotel is located outside of town about 1 mile from the nearest restaurant and we would have to walk in the dark on a road to get to another restaurant. Luckily, the hotel had an ok restaurant.
The 6th hotel in Otranto, Hotel San Giuseppe was nice with good service. The location made it easy to walk to restaurants in the area.
The 7th hotel in Lecce, Hotel EOS, was very nice, and modern.
The only route we found hard to follow was the route between Alberobello and Ostuni. There are many turns, and a few more directional arrow stickers might have been helpful, but maybe not. I believe we missed some turns because we were too interested in seeing the sights and not paying close attention to the guide book. SHOW MORE
The routes on the other days were easy to follow and guided us through some amazing areas, with many sights to see. I was very surprised to find the roads practically vacant of cars and glad of it. I was expecting more traffic especially alone the coast. I guess traffic picks-up in the summer - we toured in early May.
SHOW LESS- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ 2travelers November 5, 2015Loved every minute
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
This was our first bike vacation and didn't know what to expect, we loved every minute! We chose Bike Tours Direct because they allowed us to change the itinerary to include 2 extr days in Lorch, the town that shares my husbands family name! After all this was his 60th birthday trip. We had a magically stay in Lorch, met the Mayor who gave us the town flag and put our picture on their FB page! Fun.
We never saw the team that picked up our luggage, but sure enough our bags were always waiting for us at our next stop. The entire bike trip was beatiful, historical and we can't wait to go again.
Thanks Bike Tours Direct, you rock!- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Emlaf November 5, 2015Solo trip in Umbria
· Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
Very great trip in beautifuls places, with greats accomodations and people, even in november.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Julie November 4, 2015Europe's hidden gem
· Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
A great trip! Explored big cities and small town! A little bit of everything! Busy city life, quiet cafes, horses, cobbled streets, castles, caves...
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Julie Griesert May 18, 2023Fabulous trip
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
This was our third self-guided bike trip and probably the most organized and well-planned. Daniel met us at the first hotel and was very thorough with instructions, giving us both a map with notes as well as a gps that worked great. He even made dinner reservations at one of the hotels (the restaurant is amazing and reservations must be made in advance). We loved the variety of areas the route took us through - country and coastal. The last 2 hotels were over the top, and the last one was our absolute favorite. Things to know when considering this trip: you have to want to bike most of the day, that's what these trips are about. We'd start our days with a great breakfast and then were on the road by 10 or 10:30, biking until the afternoon (anywhere from 2 - 4pm depending on the mileage). I had an e-bike but the other 2 of us had regular bikes. I was happy to have the assist so I could keep up. You will likely run into a few stretches that aren't pleasant; maybe next to a noisy road, or suddenly it gets super windy or rainy and bugs are flying into your eyes (I recommend eye wear of some kind) but then you are in blissful sections in the middle of a quiet forest on a rail-to-trail path, or rolling through sunny fields of wheat. The less pleasant bits were rare but do note that these trips are better for people who can handle a bit of rain or wind or whatever. Food tip: Meal times in Europe are skewed later and restaurants and stores may not be open when you want to eat. Try to plan ahead and either buy picnic food in town in the am so you can eat on the road later, or be prepared to eat a fixed price multi-course lunch in the later afternoon (unless you are in a bigger town that has more options). We managed to convince a couple places to do a lower fixed price lunch with fewer dishes but it's just not the norm. By the end of the trip we were so done with large meals. It was new for us to have the 2 night stays in 2 of the hotels but they were at our 2 favorite hotels and with the one on the coast, we ended up taking advantage of the 2 nights by not doing the second day's ride. It was cold, windy, and a bit rainy so we ended up taking a very slow morning until the rain subsided, then we walked the coastal footpath, which was gorgeous. It worked out well as a nice break. Also, I recommend not looking up the hotels in advance - one of the fun things about these trips is rolling up to the hotel in the afternoon and knowing nothing about it. On previous trips we've had some pretty odd mixes of places, including one semi-creepy place (not on this trip) that we still laugh about today and even kind of appreciate that we ended up there. All-in-all a great trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Allan Ruus May 19, 2023May Algarve Family Trip
· Algarve Coastal Route
This cycling trip was a wonderful way to see the Algarve, much better than driving to hotels/vrbo and walking around to see the sites. The coastal nature parks with all the birds are impressive. The hotels were great locations, clean, breakfasts excellent, staff friendly and helpful. GPS worked perfectly and Biketours replaced one of the bikes within 3 hours of when a couple spokes broke.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Donna Barron May 19, 2023
Great Way to Experience the Algarve
· Algarve Coastal Route
We had a wonderful adventure riding along the Algarve. We loved that we rode on different surfaces and saw a lot of variety. The GPS was a little slow at time with directions.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Ajit Venkatraman May 19, 2023Turaventur is a great your company
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
From start to finish the tour was excellent . Service was outstanding . Mario and Joanna were perfect hosts and guides . Deena at Evora farms house was great cook . Mario was very knowledgeable and gracious and is a perfect bike tour guide
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Jennifer Willans May 22, 2023Self guided Road cycle trip in Catalonia, Spain
· Catalonia Road Bike Tour: Girona to the Sea
The hotels were excellent. The trip was graded as moderate and this was appropriate. We were happy the operator provided options for making the days more difficult if we chose to. There was a very good variety in the routes and the scenery was excellent. The routes were very well planned and easy to follow on the device they provided. We felt safe on the roads (routes) provided. The tour operator was available over WhatsAPP and responded quickly.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jo-Ann Del Vecchio May 23, 2023Great ride but a few concerns
· Majorca: A Loop Tour of the Beautiful Balearic Island
First thing of concern is a water bottle, I bought my water bottle but the did not have a holder for the bottle
I also am not sure of the conditions of the Nikes my back tire was low at the starts and had to be looked at before taking off
The location for the paella was awful by the time we got there we were told they were closing and anytime we asked for a drink we were informed that we were keeping them open
Also the paella was awful the chicken was ful with Bones
The last town port de soller was absolutely gorgeous but the ride out was a concern to us and we opted not to ride
All in all it was a great trip- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jeanine JeffersWoolf May 23, 2023Great
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
Love the route planned and the suggested sites to see. Beautiful area. Responsive organization. Some of the directions were tricky
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Christine Cardinal May 24, 2023Best cycling ever
· Sparta and the Mediterranean Coast
The climbs were hard but you are rewarded with breathtaking scenery at the top. Lovely beaches to cool down on the way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 13-20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Amy Dosser May 24, 2023Beautiful River
· · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau
A lovely boat and lovely people. Great book and app to guide you on your biking. Food was wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
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★★★★★ John Gallagher May 24, 2023
Better than I had hoped
· · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau
Everything about the ship was five star. The food was shockingly good. I had been on other bike tour companies with the food was very good for almost twice the price. The staff were all wonderful especially our waiter Samir. The boat was very comfortable and exceedingly well-maintained. We booked through Biketours.com who did an excellent job. The tours can be booked directly with rad and risen an Austrian company but it was the same price. It was an excellent value and I’m already daydreaming about a river cruise with bike in barge in the future.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Kris Krause May 24, 2023Great way to see Belgium and Netherlands!
· · Bruges – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Being our first bike tour, we didn't know what to expect going into the tour, but we had a great time. The whole team was amazing from the first day to the last day. Having dietary restrictions, they were more than accommodating and didn't make it seem like a burden. All the stops along the way were great and our guide was so knowledgeable. Can't wait to do another one!
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★★★★★ Tamera Oswald May 24, 2023
Great tour!
· · Bruges – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
What a great way to experience the Netherlands. The country side was charming. Amsterdam was exciting. Gear place to visit.
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