Family Friendly Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)
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★★★★★ TannisR May 24, 2016Fabulous Family Experience!
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
If you are looking for a family adventure that you will remember for the rest of your life, this tour is for you! Our family had a truly enjoyable experience on the Danube family bike tour. It was a unique family holiday where we all worked together as a team - cycling along the Austrian countryside - to reach our destination. The scenery was breathtaking! The hotels were good to very good (what we expected). The pre tour arrangements, communication and maps provided were excellent. The bike service was excellent and assistance was provided promptly for the few challenges we had.
We are a family of 5 with kids aged 13, 11, and 8. The cycling, coupled with the heat (up to 28-30C most days) was a big challenge for our 8 year old but she did it and is very proud of herself. We had planned to get her a trail bike - to go behind my husband's bike - but it did not work out. The trail bike provided for her was tipping over when she was on it - attached to the adult bike. Maybe it was because the equipment was not good, maybe she was too big for it? That hiccup set us back 2 hours on our first morning which was frustrating. By 10:30 a.m. we were on our way, each of us on our own bike. The tour company linked us up with a bike shop that gladly swapped our trail bike for a 'real bike' for my daughter. Overall, the equipment provided was of excellent quality. The bikes were simple, but that's all we needed with the non-hilly paved terrain. We did not 'train' for our tour. Bring cycling shorts (padded) and gloves to help prevent chaffing. We used ours every day.
Another challenge was map reading. We were given detailed map books of roads and cycle trails. They were excellent maps. But in this digital age, we are used to using Google Maps to tell us how to get to our destination. It was sometimes a frustrating challenge to read the maps correctly.
The bike route we took was mostly along either dedicated bike paths along the Danube, or on country roads with little traffic. There were just a few areas where we needed to bike along a major road. In studying the map carefully, we chose to take the routes with less busy roads. One side of the river tended to have busy traffic roads and the other did not. The map was colour coded accordingly as to the type of path/road/country road. There were not many hills at all.
The hotels were all good. Some were more simple than others. We were not on this vacation for a luxury experience. We were worried that, being a family of 5, the hotels would squish us into one small room. On the contrary, we usually had two rooms or a suite, which was fabulous. The 'spa hotel' where we stayed for 2 nights mid-tour was nice. The pool was welcome, since the weather was quite warm. It was a true European experience when we saw two naked senior citizens enter the pool. At first, my family was shocked (being from modest Canada), but then, two of our kids jumped in naked as well (after the seniors left). When in Rome... SHOW MORE
The bike days were quite long. It took us about 6 hours of biking each day to reach our destination. Our speed was limited by my 8 year old daughter. She went as fast as her little legs could take her. I would recommend 8 as the youngest age for this tour. Ideally, kids would be age 10 and up - in order to ride a bigger faster bike.
Due to our 'slow' biking, we were not able to stop at many of the sights along the way. A few highlights were Pöstlingbergbahn and Grottenbahn in Linz, the Melk Abbey, town of Dürnstein (where we spent two nights), the Burgruine castle ruin in Dürnstein, and a lake between Dürnstein and Tulln where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and jumped in for a swim.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable and unique family experience for us. We would highly recommend it to family with kids age 10 and up (age 8 and up if your child is tall + athletic). A moderate fitness level is recommended.
SHOW LESS- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Terry Edeli June 14, 2023Amazing
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Lovely trip. The itinerary was expertly planned for the scenic and carefree routes. Hotels were great. Bikes excellent. Super service.
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★★★★★ TimHam January 5, 2022A spectacular trip - best yet with Bike Tours!
· Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
What a beautiful trip! The scenery of the Dolomites and Lake Garda was otherworldly, each day better than the day before. The town's and hotels were charming. The well marked dedicated paths and instructions were great, and traffic free most of the way. The Eurobike leader was fabulous, going out of her way to retrieve my backpack with passport that I'd left on the train in Austria. This was my 6th Bike Tours tour...they have all been great, but this one was tops. Oh by the way, we used e-bikes here which I'd highly recommend!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2021
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Tim H 2 months agoOne of the best!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
This was our 10th bike trip with Biketours and our group of 6 had a wonderful time. Basing in a single hotel was unique and worked well with no packing/unpacking. The routes and the app from Fun Active, the local provider were great. Scenery was spectacular. Would highly recommend Hotel Lauris with its included excellent spa (great after a day of biking) and their included nightly 7 course dinners (maybe too much food??). Taylor, from Bike Tours, was very responsive and helpful, as usual.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Crazy Canuck August 9, 2017
Everything we had dreamed of !!!
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
The trip along the Danube was great for the entire family, ranging in age from 11 to 66. The accomodations with breakfast along the route were great. Great service in getting the correct size of bike for everyone. The supplied maps and signage along the root were well detailed for finding our way. The bikes were great with waterproof front and side bag.
A great experience with awesome views. -
★★★★★ Lovetotravel July 28, 2019Lovely Tour
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
We arrived in Bavaria in the midst of a heatwave, which made the trip a little more challenging, but overall, was still enjoyable. Scenery was beautiful - while the tour is not always hugging the lake, the meadows, valleys and villages were quite lovely. There are some pretty steep hills on this trip, so if you're looking for a flat ride throughout, this is not it. The tour also went around some key towns (eg instead of riding thru Lindau, it took us thru an industrial area behind the town) - so room for improvement there. The hotels were quite lovely and I'm glad we chose the upscale lodging. Two had a/c which was welcomed after a day of riding in 35C+ heat. Again, the trails were beautiful, and had it not been so hot, we would have appreciated it even more. The bikes were in good shape and rode smoothly throughout (although my husband's gears started slipping midway). The villages and towns that we rode through and also stayed in were very charming and gave you a taste of Bavaria. In terms of navigation - this is a pro and a con - get the Kamoot app! If we had just used the physical maps, it would have been a challenge as there are many twists and turns that are easy to miss. The app got us there easily (and you can download prior so you don't have to use data). The only thing it doesn't help with is getting to your hotel - so that's where google came in. Also, the guide that has all scenery tips, history and dining/shopping tips is only in German - so you have to wing it on your own. The start of the tour was a little confusing - no one to greet you and no one communicated that our trip guide was actually at the hotel. We cabbed it to the Velotours office...twice! First to enquire about the trip itself and second to actually get the bikes. They need better communication to help get folks on their way. With all that said, we would do this again in a heartbeat (and in cooler weather!).
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Thomas Mitchell May 18, 2024Well planned. No problems at all.
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The e-bikes are a game changer for older people. Ours were perfectly maintained. They might have been new. The upscale hotels were excellent; a couple of them were beyond excellent. The towns we visited were charming and friendly. We would have spent an extra day in most of them if we had the trip do over. We had perfect weather but we understand that is highly unusual in early May. Our bags were moved reliably.
I recommend a phone holder if you want to use the excellent app for directions. When it's in the provided waterproof handlebar pack, glare makes it very difficult to see, and accessing it is a hassle.
The directions don't guide you all the way to your hotel. We used Google Maps for the final directions.
Overall it was a great trip for us. -
★★★★★ NancyLouWho October 13, 2019Nice way to experience Slovenia
· Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Two couples decided to do this trip together and I considered myself the weakest link - but thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it!
Being a non-biker with a dodgy knee and several decades on me, I feared I was in over my head. I relied on BikeTours assertion that reasonable fitness and good attitude would carry me through, and they were right! (I started riding my bike for an hour or two a few times a week about two months before the trip, which was an excellent idea.)
This was a level two trip, about 30 miles per day with some long hills included. I was able to ride it all, and readily agreed to every side trip included in the itinerary. Those added anywhere from 3-7 miles to the day’s riding - and also added some special experience to the trip. (Postojna Cave and the nearby castle were my favorites.)
Bikes were in excellent condition, comfortable and well-maintained, and the overnight accommodations everywhere were very nice. I especially liked the guest house in Kodreti, Hiša Posebne Sorte, where the meal was entirely locally sourced. The combination of maps, turn-by-turn instructions, odometer, and strategically placed stickers along the route made way-finding pretty straight forward. We only went off once, but realized it after about a mIle, and quickly got back on track.
Seeing this country by bicycle allowed us to get a real feel for the variations of city vs village, and hilly regions with an Austrian flair vs Mediterranean coast with an Italian vibe.
The couple we traveled with had done a few other trips with Bike Tours and say the quality has been consistent in each. I look forward to traveling with Bike Tours again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 28- Oct. 5, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my 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?
- Slovenia
-
★★★★★ Mary October 10, 201660th Birthday Ride!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Just returned from our ride around the Lake and it was the best way to celebrate my 60th birthday! The ride as outlined is pretty accurate with regards to level of difficulty, with the first two days of the ride the most challenging - only because of the two "hills" as we approached our hotel - we ended up having to walk the bike. The bikes were great and in top notch shape and there was more than enough storage for our 'stuff'. Each day, we started off with a healthy breakfast buffet which included options for everyone (even gluten free). Hotels were wonderful (however, if you like having a washcloth or hair conditioner; I'd suggest you bring your own as these are a little on the rare side). The trip book given to you at the start gives some wonderful 'to see' sights and is very much worth taking the time to read and review before each day's journey. Terrain was varied, as was the ride, itself. We went through villages, farm lands, the lake, campgrounds and monasteries. I felt very safe on the ride with both my personal safety and property. Very bike friendly countries and tour. Pictures show some of the sights we rode past. Enjoy the ride!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September/October 2106
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Pamela Oberst November 7, 2022Great introduction to Basque country
· Cycling Spain's Ebro River
We had a great time on the Basque wine country. Met 4 new friends on the tour and plan on riding with them again. Recommend this tour for everyone. Nice mileage and time to explore places of Interest.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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
-
★★★★★ Patrick M 4 months agoGreat experience
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
TL;DR summary - We had a great time and didn't realize biking the Mosel Valley was a bucket-list sort of vacation until we did it. One other item I would note is that this tour is listed as "family-friendly", but it's really geared to adults only.
The longer version - Overall, we had an excellent experience. I personally found the bike riding from the industrial area outside of Trier to Cochem as some of the most enjoyable bike riding I've done in my life. We generally stuck to the path near the Mosel and had lots of opportunities to enjoy small towns, get off the beaten path to hike/bike climb to beautiful views, and enjoy the scenery of the vineyards and hills around the Mosel. If I have the opportunity to bike around this area again, I'd jump at it.
The local tour operator was great. We had some issues on the road, and they were able to help us out including bringing a replacement bike and driving people from one stop to the next. They went above and beyond in my expectations.
I feel like there were some communication breakdowns between BikeTours and the local operator/hotel/vineyard that caused us some unneeded stress and center around having two kids as part of the biking party.
1. We were provided a biking option that didn't work - Prior to booking with BikeTours, I inquired about options for my 8 year-old daughter since this tour was labeled as "family friendly". BikeTours offered a Follow-me as the only option beyond a regular bike (a tandem and Tag-along were not options). I have one, and it worked well on other bike rides with my daughter when she was a little smaller so I was fine with it. When I followed up a couple weeks prior to the trip, BikeTours didn't have a Follow-me booked. I had to find the old email thread and send it over to BikeTours to show them what we had agreed to prior to the booking. Upon our arrival in Trier, the local tour operator had the Follow-me set up but seemed skeptical that it would work very well. They were right as the amount of weight on the back tire and back bike were too heavy to keep the bikes stable. My daughter ended up biking all by herself, and we never used the Follow-me. It would have been much better if we could have spoken with the local operator directly since they own the bikes to understand our options. BikeTours was a complicating and unnecessary middle-man.
2. We were booked at an Adults-only hotel. As best as I have been able to figure out, we booked this trip prior to an updated contract between the hotel and operator. I'm guessing the hotel changed over to adults-only recently but BikeTours did not communicate ages of my party to the hotel. The hotel was very accommodating and let us stay, but it was definitely awkward.
3. My two kids were booked for wine-tasting - again, the vineyard was accommodating and pulled out a couple grape juices for my kids to try, but it was definitely geared for adults. SHOW MOREWith that said, the local people made it work and the trip was still fun. It checked boxes for my brother and sister-in-law and for my family. However, I don't think BikeTours should mark this trip as "family friendly" - maybe more "family doable". The bike path is very flat and in good condition. The daily lengths are not super long. There are plenty of places to stop and get ice cream or other treat. Plus there is wine - lots and lots of it. But ultimately, this is a tour designed for adults, not for kids.
This is the second time we have used BikeTours. The first time was excellent all around (we did a family bike tour along the Danube - Linz to Vienna). This one was mostly good. Aside from the issues noted above, biking directions were clear, hotels were great, the route was spectacular, and booking was relatively painless.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2025
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Donna Parr October 4, 2023Fun way to see a beautiful area
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Really enjoyed the trip. Beautiful route getting into rolling hills although not difficult to bike with great off-road bike paths almost the whole way. Hotels were great with plentiful breakfasts.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1st
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
-
★★★★★ Tina September 8, 2018
Danube
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
My daughter and I loved the 7 day biking experience. The days were not too long. A great way to spend a week together exploring the Danube on a bike. Lots of opportunities to take in tourist destinations as well.
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★★★★★ Simon Butcher September 5, 2024Great biking trip
· Bohemian Getaway: Villages, River Valleys & Karlstejn Castle
A wonderful ay to see part of the Czech Republic. We picked up the bikes in Prague and set off with GPX files which were excellent. The person who gave us the bikes was friendly and really knew his stuff. Setting off unsupervised and on the wrong side of the road was daunting, but following the GPX route on my Garmin made it all really easy. The cycling was easy (made more so by the e-bikes) and so we had plenty of time to stop off for coffee and to enjoy the scenery. The hotels were all of a good standard and eating out is very good value for money. Our first e-bike trip and we will definitely do another
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic
-
★★★★★ Patrick McHugh July 3, 2024
Awesome trip from Passau to Vienna
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had a great time. Glad we spent an extra night in Passau before starting the trip. Bikes were in great shape and we had no mechanical problems. We spent an extra night in Melk and added a stopover in Enns. We wish we had spent an extra night in Linz. The last day ride from Tulln to Vienna was the least attractive part --- and there was a strong wind in our face --- so that was a challenge. Those in our group who elected the ebike had no problems... I would highly recommend this trip....
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★★★★★ Paula Renwick August 22, 2024Just stunning scenery and a great bike adventure
· Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes
Just loved cycling the romantic road. Acconodation were good, the scenery was spectacular. There was only one place are stayed with air conditioning. It was very hot at night so had trouble sleeping. Ask the breakfasts were great. The APP was amazing, made it very easy to find your way. So much to see and do just a brilliant time had but us. Bikes were comfortable and the panniers were fabulous for sorting extra gear. Briefing was good, however my bike didn't have some issues even before we started and Thomas had no tool kit with him and couldn't adjust our bikes. Bags picked to and delivered waiting for when we arrived.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5 plus
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ paula12 September 19, 2016I Would Go Back Tomorrow...
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
I've been to Europe a dozen times, but seeing the Salzburg
area by bike was the best trip yet. Such beautiful scenery.
Loved the e-bike!- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 12-19
- How many tours have you completed?
- no others
- 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?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Pekka60 January 5, 2016Hot hot hot
· Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
We knew that things can get very hot in Italy on august, so in 2012 me and my wife decided to book a Tour, where it is possible either cycle, or just spend time on the beach, if its too hot. We have heard that Lake Garda, and the hole area is very nice, so this Tour seemed perfect.
We flew from Helsinki to Milano, then we had a train, approximately 2 hours, from Milano to Lake Garda. Our hotel was nice little family hotel in Desenzado, with a nice little own beach. On the first day our tour-operator came to meet us and brought our bicycles, maps and other equipment.
As you know, it can be very hot, but its never too hot to cycle. Every morning we started from the hotel, and we had a nice cycling in the area. One day we took a train to Torino, and we cycled back, 80 km, temperature was 38 C, 100 F.
Best day we had, was when our tour operator took us with a van to Trento. From Trento we cycled to Riva, in the north part of Lake Garda, and in Riva we took bicycles to a ferry, witch took us back to Dezensano.
This is very easy Tour to recommend for anyone. If you don"t want to cycle, you can just relax and enjoy your holiday, good food and wine, and atmosphere.- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Peter Wiedenbeck July 10, 2024
Wonderful week of biking in a beautiful place
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
I’d like to give a 4-1/2 star rating because, although it was wonderful and we definitely recommend it, there is still room for improvement
Pros: Wonderful route – the vast majority of the time you are biking on paved dedicated bike paths along the river, separate from the roadway and train tracks. There are a few areas where the bike path is adjacent to the road (especially along the Rhine from St. Goar to Koblenz) and at least one short stretch on packed dirt through the woods. Most of the routes are extremely well-marked. You have to be watchful for turns in towns, where it can be easy to miss the small sign with the arrow to turn, especially when looking at all the sites in the towns. We did better when we stopped at each signpost and made sure we were headed the right way. The Hotels were all very nice and had generous breakfast buffets, which made for a great start every morning. Note that hotels in Germany don’t have AC and often don’t have fans. I had a spray bottle to mist myself while riding and that helped at night, too. Next time, I’ll bring a small fan to help on those hot nights. We didn’t opt for the dinner plan, but did eat in the hotels several times and had excellent meals and service. The organized wine tasting was fun and we did a few more on our own. Luggage transfers all went very well. We added an extra hotel night at each end (Trier and Koblenz), which we would do again. Trier has an amazing amount of Roman history and fabulous restaurants. The extra day also gave us time to ride the other way (upstream on the Mosel) to Saarburg. In Koblenz, we spent an entire day at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (take the cable car up and across the Rhine to get there). The map book was very helpful and detailed the type of trail for each section. But, oops, one page on the Rhine was replaced by a duplicate page along the Mosel. The specific directions packet included detailed distances between towns and possible sites to see. But…. See cons below.
Cons: Bikes: we had conventional bikes (not ebikes), and they could have been better maintained. The chains were a bit dry and downshifting often didn’t work. That was not a huge issue on the flat trail, but in towns, it was a problem. The odometer on one of the bikes quit working after 3 days. The seats are not touring seats – they are wide and therefore chafed. Despite doing lots of riding in prep and wearing padded shorts, we were painfully chafed by the end of the trip. We couldn’t figure out how to use the pump without letting out air, but were able to use a pump at one of the hotels. Detours: Our biggest issue is that it is clear the route was not checked early in the season and the directions adjusted. There was a lot of construction in many of the towns that invalidated the directions in the packet. Construction that clearly would be going on all summer. For example, Day 1, leaving Trier, the booklet says: “Start at Kaiser-Wilhelm bridge and cycle along the left bank of the Moselle” Well, the bike path itself is being reconstructed beneath the bridge - it is down to dirt, covered with equipment and bike path entrance blocked off. No detour signs giving you an alternate route. It took us an extra 10 km of going one way then another over a frustrating hour before we were on our way. Not a great start to the trip. There were similar long-term construction issues in at least two other places (Karden and Koblenz). If the route had been checked, a single sheet in addition to the bound booklet could have provided alternate ways to leave town/get to hotels with much less frustration.
All that said, it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend it. It is beautiful country, well-maintained bike paths, lovely vineyards and great wine. Being able to have the hotel reservations and luggage transfers all done for us was a pleasure. When there was an issue with the ferry to St Goar, customer service was very responsive and got things straightened out right away. Transportation to Trier and from Koblenz was very easy to arrange on the regional German trains. SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ The mangles cycle group June 14, 2019
Story book stuff
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
What a fantastic way to explore the German/ Swiss border area. Absolutely fantastic to see so much with no stress of driving or timetables. Brilliant
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
