E-bikes Available Tour Reviews page 78
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★★★★★ Charlene Cestroni June 29, 2023Do it! You won’t regret it!
· Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
Loved, loved, loved it!! Giovanna, our guide and instructor was THE BEST!! She had varied teaching styles and lessons, addressed the different levels of proficiency well, and was a really fun person to share time with. She was very knowledgeable about the various cultural sites we visited and incorporated them into our lessons. Throughout the whole experience I felt like family. We literally spent time w different members of families of the tour operators and staff - you don’t see that everyday! The level of biking was easy. The excursions were excellent! I was even able to take a private yoga class at one location. The accommodations were very good. We were a small group so we were able to stay at a couple masserias - very charming. One had a couple small service issues due to lack of staffing but nothing significant. Masserias were Uber charming but the standout hotels for me were in SM de Leuca and Arco Vecchio in Lecce. I was always in a single room and they were all very nice, comfortable, and had showers bigger than a phone booth (important to me!) If you want to have fun, enjoy diverse experiences, do a little biking, and be immersed in the Italian culture and language (with support,) then this is the trip for you!! Thank you Giovanna and Salento Bici Tours for this incredibly fun experience. I can’t wait to hear about your next tour offering!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Robyn Larkin June 30, 2023A great week of biking & enjoying champagne!
· Champagne Getaway: Charming Villages & Regional Wine Cellars
We have done several bike tours in Europe, with varying experiences. This was among our favourite trips, and we recommend this for anyone interested in cycling, chmpagne or visiting France!
First, the not so great part of the review: it is a challenging route! We did not use electric bikes, and that made it feel like every hill was a hard won accomplishment.
Also, having a specific map earlier in the planning process would have helped to make tasting reservations at wineries since many of them require advance bookings.
The things we loved about this:
- bags were always on time when we arrived
- accommodations where great with extremely helpful staff (although it helps at the Epernay chambre d’hotes if you speak French as the hosts do not speak English - but are super friendly)
- we did the dinner package & while we would have preferred choosing off the regular menu most nights, all but one place was a fabulous recommendation of where to dine each night (the Brasserie la Banque in Epernay was the place we didn’t enjoy at all)
- bike drop off in Reims was smooth - and the operator was there early to give us our initial briefingI guess my one idea for improvement was to offer additional bookings of champagne house tours/tastings/visits as it is not easy to research ahead of time. Early morning or late afternoon would allow for easier planning and there are options for both almost every day. I certainly would pay for that. At the very least, a list of some places that are friendly to tours/visits would be helpful if we need to plan our own.
But overall, it was a lovely, relaxing, and champagne filled experience - exactly what we wanted when booking this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Daniel Serventi June 30, 2023An Exquisite Way To See Italy!
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
To be honest we did not fully know what we were getting ourselves in to - but this trip checked every box and surprised us with how well thought out it was. Each hotel was beautiful in accommodations and city placement. Dinner and activity recommendations were on point. And most importantly, the bike support and GPS were perfect. I would recommend this tour to everyone and anyone! Would recommend that you purchase the additional cooking class- It was the highlight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first!
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Monica Zack June 30, 2023Wonderful French Countryside
· Dordogne Valley: Between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers
This trip was beyond my greatest expectations. Chain Gang is an exceptional company. They checked in on us several times to ensure we arrived on our self guided tour. The hotels were lovely and the staff friendly and helpful. The bikes we had were in fabulous shape and were equipped with panniers, a computer mount and high quality rain gear. The route was lovely. We rode through a variety of small villages with beautiful hillsides, rivers and quaint countryside. I cannot be happier. I highly recommend both Bernard and Sam and their fabulous company. We are looking at another tour with them in 2024.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 16, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Kevin Pazaski June 30, 2023Outstanding Tour of Albania!
· UNESCO Sites of Albania
Seven of us arranged a private "semi-supported" private tour. We had a wonderful Albanian guide, Nicu, assist us with shuttling our luggage, providing van support, giving us dining recommendations, and helping us navigate Albania's beautiful landscape. No significant issues along the route, zero mechanical problems, and well-designed routes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 9-17, 2023
- 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?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Clark Woodland June 30, 2023
Exceeded expectations
· Dordogne Valley: Between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers
Unlike most Chain Gang tours in the Dordogne, our tour was self guided with our luggage being transported to our next hotel. Someone else in our group was the main contact with Bike Tours and Chain Gang, I was just along for the ride, so to speak. I was very pleased with everything about the tour - the bikes (almost new Trek hybrids), the routes, the towns we visited, the hotels we stayed in, the restaurant recommendations and Chain Gang's willingness to respond to our requests for minor changes in our itinerary.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Constanza Bahamondes July 1, 2023Nice and best way to know Brugges
· Bruges City Bike Tour
Excelent way to know Brugges with amd excellent guiade. She told us a lot history about the city and every was very clear. I recommend that tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 29th 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Vanessa Van Sickle July 1, 2023
Best cycle trip ever!
· Dordogne Valley: Between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers
I have been cycle touring for over 20 years. We did this tour, as we do most, as a self guided tour. The bikes were excellent, the assistance from the bike tour company was fabulous. The bike route through the Dordogne was a lovely combination of changing countryside and medieval villages. It was planned well around various tourist sites. The road surfaces were excellent. The accommodation and included continental breakfasts were all good. I would definitely recommend this bike tour company and this particular tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15 +/-
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Anne Nurse July 3, 2023Easy, fun, and beautiful
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
We loved this tour. The biking was beautiful and the distances manageable. The tour company was super supportive--they provide paper maps plus an app. Our luggage always arrived on time and the hotels were excellent. In the past we have biked on our own but this was so much easier and it was nice to know that if something went wrong a local person had our back. Highly recommend.
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★★★★★ Helen Beban July 4, 2023Languedoc Adventure
· South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Did this tour as a couple in our early seventies. We have done many cycle trips mostly self guided carrying our own luggage. This time we hired ebikes. Bikes were perfect. Hotels stunning. The trip notes comprehensive and the GPS really excellent. We had good communication. Meals average.
We have feedback for Adventure France about the route: on the Canal day MIDI Day the trip notes and GPS gave different routes. This was unexpected and a bit confusing.
We followed the Canal du MIDI using the trip notes it worked well. The route to the hotel in Carcassonne used many small roads with 4 way intersections. Difficult. Also used the traffic bridge and main roads. Using the cycle/ pedestrian bridge would have been much better. We loved the routes especially the fascinating rock formations on the first cycling day and the high route above the lake. Magic.- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Paula Seliga July 4, 2023Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
· Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
We had excellent guides, hosts, chefs, restaurants, sites to see, bikes, fellow tourists, and accommodations. The only thing I would have changed is to begin the cooking classes earlier, so we could have eaten earlier. Difficult to pass up all that gorgeous food, but if you ate it, difficult to go to sleep with such a full stomach, and then get up and eat again!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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BikeTours.com staff reply from JV July 5, 2023
Thanks for your business, the pics, and a glorious review. Hope to help you again on another glutinous journey. :)
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★★★★★ Debbie McLaughlin July 5, 2023An amazing, exhilarating and exciting trip
· Andalusia: Southern Spain
My husband and I are so happy we chose to explore southern Spain by bike. This was a very different trip than we were used to but it was the best way to see this beautiful part of the country. Even our mis-adventures (truth be told, the way out of Seville in 90 plus weather was tough and some of the directions were a little off) left us laughing like kids (we are in our 60s)! We will definitely explore other bike tour options with this company. I will never forget the beautiful and endless landscape of sunflowers. Breathtaking! And the accommodations after a long, hot ride were simply outstanding. We would do it again in a heartbeat!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Carey July 5, 2023Exploring Slovenia by bike
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
This was our 5th self-guided cycling trip, and a great way to see Slovenia. The route was great and highlighted the different areas of the country, from the alps to the adriatic. There are some hills which can be challenging in the heat, but very manageable with some training. Most of the roads were fairly low traffic; even on the busier roads Slovenians seemed to be pretty courteous to cyclists. There were some gravel roads which were manageable. Note that there is some conflicting information about whether you'll receive a paper copy of the route directions - you won't unless you've requested this for a fee. And there was also supposed to be one odometer included per couple - there wasn't. So I strongly suggest having a phone with a data plan so that you can follow the GPS instructions. These were fairly easy to follow, but in some cases the app had trouble finding the route so having access to google maps, etc was handy.
Hotels were good for the most part with some being really great; a couple were only adequate, but that is likely due to what is available in the specific town. Included breakfasts were all fabulous. We arranged to spend an extra day in Ljubljana after day 3, which was a great idea. We also added extra days in Piran which we were happy with. For lunches and other stops during the riding day, there are recommendations that appear on the app. However, these don't seem to be in any order for each day, so it's probably worth while to take a look at them all before you set out for the day to see what they're recommending and where.
Overall a really great vacation! Biketours.com was great to work with for booking, and although we had no issues needing local support, we were happy with the planning and the bikes were perfectly adequate.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Ronan Gardiner July 6, 2023Incredible Trip
· Atlantic Coast of France
From spectacular coastline to fields of sunflowers to rolling vineyards, this tour offers a "nature bath" that ignites all the senses. Add to that, beautiful overnight towns, historic hotels and incredible food and wine - what's not to love!
This was our second bicycle trip in France (the first was in the equally incredible Loire Valley) and it will certainly not be our last. The distances were just right (the shorter but hillier day was actually the toughest), the bikes were terrific, as was the Roadbook for Discovery AP that served as our guide. Our bags were waiting for us at every overnight town and the entire trip was seamless.
We traveled in late June / early July and there were surprisingly few tourists in the towns we visited. Restaurants and sight seeing activities were therefore easily accessible, requiring no advance reservations. We added a couple of nights in La Rochelle pre-trip and in Bordeaux post, which we would highly recommend, we actually wished we'd had more time in Bordeaux - a spectacular city with lot's to see and do .... and eat and drink. Bon voyage!- What was the date of your tour?
- June/July 23
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Patti Hinsdale July 7, 2023Perfect
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
A few mistakes with our booking. The last night Comwell Portside did not have our booking. They straightened it out fortunately.
The downloaded electronic trail quide was incorrect for two of the hotel locations we were to stay at.Still the trip was more than I expected Absolutely, lovely!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ David Doehr July 7, 2023Holland is Bike-Centric!!!
· Best of Holland North: Dutch Villages, Landscapes & the Keukenhof
Holland was a wonderful tour, and here is specifically why:
The entire country is bike-centric - which means everyone (in cars) yields to bikes,
The bike lanes are impeccable in quality,
Our bikes (rented from Tulip Tours) were outstanding 8-speed, belt drive, touring bikes (best yet out of 4 European tours I have done),
Hotels were all 4/3 star in quality - no losers in the entire route (sometimes there are),
Dutch prefer to speak English if you don't know Dutch, so there is no issue if you don't speak Dutch,
Pieter, from Tulip Tours, did an outstanding set-up and send-off with us (spent over an hour putting on our pedals, making sure we had our equipment setup properly, and then he went thru the Garmin device in detail, as well as showed us all of the printed dailies he made for us, and ensured that we had emergency contact numbers etc., (this proved vital as we had two circumstances when we needed help, and it was handled efficiently and effectively in a short (20 minutes) matter of time,
Our routes (programmed into the Garmin) were expertly designed by a cyclist, and included loops that were spectacular (Kroller Mueller National Park), this made each day special,
Landscapes were beautiful, big skies and clouds, at times the winds blew and it rained, but it just made me appreciate the Dutch resolve, as they were all riding bikes in it.
I highly recommend this tour, we capped it with three days in Amsterdam, which allowed us to take in all of the museums (NDSM is a must!) and a Heineken brewery tour which were all delightful.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Four European tours of 1 - 2 weeks
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Donald Zirkelbach July 7, 2023
A great family trip - highly recommend
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Family of 6 adults. 4 were first timers on a bike vacation. 2 had never been to Europe. Trip was enjoyed by all and went very smoothly. Hotels were good. 2 E bikes and all 6 bikes were in good condition with no issues.
In researching the trip last year, the one thing that came up multiple times were that the trail wasn't always clearly marked and the paper map/ instructions weren't always easy to follow. They have an App now that goes along with the paper instructions. It marks your location to the route. This is the 1st year for the App. I rate it very good. It could be excellent if they made a few mods. Would be happy to share my thoughts on those if they ask.
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★★★★★ Lisa Samson-Fang July 8, 2023Had a great time!
· Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
Great week in Sardinia biking. Everything planned for us on a self-guided tour. Great accommodations. Great routes. Beautiful. I would consider upgrading bike to lighter bike next time (e.g. gravel bike). Otherwise, wouldn't change a thing,it was perfect.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
