Family Friendly Bike Tour Reviews (page 34)
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Norway
- Poland
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★★★★★ eb53 June 17, 2018extraordinary trip across Austria
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
This trip was truly stunningly beautiful. We were amazed at how much beauty and variety could be packed into one trip. Even though the directions were sometimes confusing, it was easy to figure your way around--the signage is fantastic and people are exceedingly kind and friendly. We really loved the self-guided option--it increased the sense of adventure, freedom and self-reliance. All accommodations were splendid as were the breakfasts. We were amazed at how great the bike infrastructure is in Austria--way better than in the US. Everyone bikes and cyclists are respected. Motorists were very considerate of cyclists. Temperatures in Austria were WAY ABOVE NORMAL this year. The lakes part of the trip was some of the best riding we have ever done; we also loved the Wachau region. We wished that
this part had been longer. If we had it to do over, we would add a day to the lakes and maybe take a train over sections of the Danube. . . Do not miss the ecological gardens in Tullin! We wished we could have spent a day there.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is our first long tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Ellie June 30, 2018Lake Constance
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This self guided trip around Lake Constance was the best biking trip we have taken this far. The scenery was simply fantastic. As boaters it was great to visit the many marinas along the lake. The hotels for the most part were very good. I would recommend that you request hotels with air conditioning . Two hotels we were at did not have air and we were quite uncomfortable. One hotel had very poor bedding as well. Several good pillows and blankets really should be a given.
We also did feel that more detailed maps between towns would have been advantageous. The maps we received on our previous Danube trip were excellent. We recommend that the Lake Constance trip have the same . Sometimes we ended up off the route because of lack of detail.I also recomnend that the tour offer van service to the park hotel. After a full day of biking that long ride uphill is not fun.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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, Switzerland
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★★★★★ DanubeNewbie August 6, 2019Lovely relaxing week
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
My husband & I did this tour without kids! We are occasional cyclists, in our 50s & chose this trip to allow for easy going days with time to explore, & because we liked the idea of a rest day in the middle. It was great. Gentle, flat cycle, 99% away from cars, beautiful countryside & interesting villages. Accommodation was great. Half board option kept our lives simple & dinners were varied & very good.
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★★★★★ Emily Eich 3 months ago
Perfect Family Trip!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was the perfect self-guided tour for our family of 3. My son is 14. The length of each day riding was perfect. We loved each hotel that was selected. We look forward to our next bike trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ GobaGirl June 11, 2019An absolutely fabulous cycling experience.
· Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Cycling from Ljubljana to Piran, from the Julian Alps, through the Karst region, past vineyards and little villages, by caves and castles and eventually down a stunning descent and along the Adriatic Sea was a stunning experience. We cycled along back roads, cycle paths, through kilometer long tunnels, along gravel trails and even made a short jaunt through a flooded marsh! We have cycled in France and Germany and the Czech Republic and this beats them all. The tour company did a fine job - wayfinding materials were a bit intimidating at first but the Route was marked with stickers placed on sign posts and the written directions were (usually) accurate. Accommodations were good (Mantova not so much but Hisa Posebne Sorte blew us away). Stop and see the sights - the castles the caves the museums and the Lipizzaner farm. We had a breakdown one day but the company has mechanics at the ready with a voucher system - we were back in the road in no time. MY ADVICE: rent the Ebike. There were 14 people doing the same ride as us and 9 used ebikes. Three of the days have LOTS of feet of climb. I have done many, many weeklong bike rides and thought these climbs were challenging (I used the regular bike). Unless you are a pretty experienced cyclist, rent the ebike and enjoy the ride. This is a MUST vacation for everyone.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1, 2019 - June 8, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ GobaGirl June 6, 2017Wonderful way to see the Czech Republic
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
We did the self guided trip (more on that option later) and the actual bicycle trip was fantastic. The cities we stayed in were great - Melnik was amazing - and the route along the Elbe was just stunning. The experience was just wonderful. Food, beer, wine, lodgings, villages - all perfect. The only caution is if you opt for the self guided trip. Although the bike paths were generally well marked, it was sort of stressful always having to watch for the twists and turns. A guide would have made the whole experience far more relaxing and enjoyable. And we would not have found ourselves lost quite so often.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 12-18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2 guided tours and many cross state
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Robert and Kathy England October 1, 2023Great trip for a group of five people with mixed biking abilities
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The sights on this trip were perfect and so enjoyable. Everyone felt that generally speaking the cycling was the right level and the scenery was everything we hoped for. There was a section of the bike path going into Linz that was on a narrow sidewalk next to a busy road that was not suitable for the less experienced members of our group. Also generally speaking our daily mileages as recorded by our GPS watches were several miles longer than the distances noted in the tour description on the website. On the whole, the hotels were charming and the service to move luggage was very effective. Luggage was often early and never past the promised time of 6 PM, although the last day cut it close! Trail directions were excellent, among the best we've had on several bike tours we have taken. Directions to specific hotels were mostly good, except for the directions to Landgasthof Winter in Ardagger Stift. Those directions were really terrible and caused us to get seriously lost. In addition, that hotel was very very charming, but not in a great location as it was a ways off the trail and up a steep hill. In the time before the trip BikeTours.com was slow in responding to questions and requests. Regardless of some of these points, on the whole we all absolutely loved this trip, would recommend it to others, and would look for one like it to do again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 8, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7+ like this, 10+ do our own route, carry our own luggage in panniers
- 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
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★★★★★ Heidy December 3, 2015Beautiful Scenic Bike Tour
· Connemara Lazy Days Cycling
The perfect way to experience Ireland! My husband and I biked this tour in September 2014 and were totally taken away by beautiful Connemara region. Along the way, we enjoyed beer and seafood in local pubs and a smoked mackerel and champagne in Ballynahinch Castle. The bicycles were in good condition and the accommodation in B&Bs was fine for us. The hosts were friendly, the facilities clean and the Irish breakfast huge and delicious. I bought us all the rain-gear I could find, but we did not need it once. Some mornings were foggy but it only added to the charm of the countryside.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Senior Adventurer May 16, 20192019 Mosel Bike Path After Action Report
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The best way to explore the beautiful Mosel River Valley from Trier to Koblenz, and then the Rhine from Koblenz to St. Goar. The bikes were in excellent shape and the in-country issue and briefing was perfect. The hotels were very good. For our late April early May trip the weather cooperated perfectly. The morning temperatures were cool but by mid-day we could enjoy lunch at a sidewalk at one of the many scenic small towns along the route. We booked 2 extra days in Trier with the tour company to allow us to explore the city before departure. We were very happy with the hotel they chose and the competitive price we paid for the extra nights.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 28 April-4 May 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Senior Adventurer July 3, 2018
Perfect Danube Bike Tour
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Very enjoyable tour of a lifetime without crowds, with beautiful scenery, and with great lodging. My wife, whose last biking adventures were in her middle and high school days, proved a super biker, enjoying the exercise, scenery and challenge of biking the scenic Danube bike path. The bikes, delivered at our start hotel along with the tour package, were in excellent condition and functioned perfectly. A knowledgeable in-country guide met us at the start hotel to explain the tour information, the route instructions, bikes and equipment. The provided materials allowed us to effortlessly self navigate. After hours each day on the bike the upscale lodging met or exceeded our expectations and was greatly enjoyed. The weather mostly cooperated, spring beauty abounded, and the temperatures were perfect. We are planning our next biking adventure on the Mosel and Rhine and plan to again use BikeTours.com.
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★★★★★ darylln October 5, 2017
Best Vacation Ever!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
My wife and I have travelled extensively mainly on our own to remote places of the world for extended periods of time; however decided due to the shorter duration, to go with a self-guided tour so that our Hotel accommodations and meals and luggage would be taken care off and we need not have to hassle about it while we cycled for the day.
This was that perfect holiday. The communication with Bike Tours was excellent despite our several questions and they were extremely patient with us. The accommodations was top notch and we were glad that we added the meal plan to the package as it save us all the hassle from trying to find places to eat after a day of cycling and then trying to figure out the menu at a restaurant as we don't speak German.
Highly recommend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 27th, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- 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, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ David A. 3 months ago
A great experience
· Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
This was an unguided town-to-town bike trip, 6 days, from Ljubljana to Piran. I rented a (non-electric) bike.
The bike (Trek FX2 gravel bike) was good, and fit me well. The rear derailleur was a bit out of alignment. They give you a spare tube and some tools, which I didn't need.
The nav was pretty easy. You get a nav app (Guibo) that has some glitches but works OK. There are little arrow stickers along the way that confirm the directions, but don't replace the app
The route was about 50% roads with fast cars and no shoulder, 30% paved village roads with few cars, 10% bike paths, and 10% gravel farm roads. This was more cars than I would have liked, but the tour has to work with what's there.
The hotels were all excellent - generally the best available place in each town.
The towns, and the associated attractions (castles, caves etc.) were great.
The rides were moderate - 20-30 miles each day, some elevation gains. Day 2 gained 2000' and was a little hard. They generally took ~3 hours including breaks. Take your time, otherwise you might arrive too early to check in.
In summary: a very well-planned and well-organized tour. I had a great time, and would definitely consider doing another tour with this company. Also, I thought the price was quite reasonable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Jimmie Ring September 6, 2023Self guided tour of the Rhine
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
My spouse and I elected to take a self guided tour of the Rhine from Mainz to Cologne. We could not have been happier with the support, hotels or the route. The daily length of the ride was PERFECT for allowing plenty of time to explore along the way. The hotels were awesome - located always close to the things we wanted to see, comfortable, and breakfasts were fantastic. The support- from the information provided before the tour to the daily pickup and drop off of luggage - was perfection. The bikes were also very good and comfortable. We were very happy with the whole experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ David Reynolds September 14, 2024Orleans to Angers - great chateaus
· Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
Great tour. Biking route was easy to follow and attractions were amazing, esp for chateau lovers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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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★★★★★ Dawn Smith August 24, 2024Super fun and a great time
· Amsterdam Extended Countryside E-Bike Tour
This is a great way to see Amsterdam. Our guide, Christian, was fantastic and well-informed. We loved the cheese tour and seeing the countryside. Thank you for a great day.
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★★★★★ Dave Carlstrom June 10, 2023On the road again... our third Biketours.com adventure
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
Thankfully I’m not unduly worse for wear after almost three weeks and hundreds of kilometers of European cycling… though I did take four tumbles. The most serious (and ignominious) was in an Austrian grocery store parking lot when my pants cuff caught on the pedal and over I went – hard, attracting the immediate attention of several shoppers (“Carnage on lane one”) who with some difficulty got me back on my feet. At first I was pretty sure I’d broken something important, but all limbs are yet attached and seemingly intact… albeit a bit looser.
I pedaled the balance of the day’s distance but at my compatriots’ urging skipped the following day’s segment in favor of bus/train passage to St. Gallen, Switzerland. The next day was a scheduled no biking day so I had two days to recover, sorta. The next day – our last of actual cycling – with some anxiety I got back on my trusty velocipede and, sure enough, one click later fell again… though this time comparatively softly albeit in front of a bus. I made it the remaining 45K to destination without further incident.
Our merry band included Seattleites Curt and Brenda Burnett, Gerry Champagne, and friends until recently from Fairbanks Ron and Jeanine Woolf. Fine folks all, we really did have a good time together.
Our odyssey began with six days at a rental house in Eguisheim, France, followed by an eleven day clockwise circumnavigation of Lake Constance that touched Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Here are a few day-by-day snippets of my adventure:
Sunday, April 30th. Aloft en route to Paris Delta served the worst dinner I’ve ever ingested on an international flight: the “beef” entre was the consistency of spam, reminiscent of the mystery meat of junior high cafeteria days, and dished out in a biodegradable cardboard clamshell.
Monday, May 1st. Having hobbled off the plane I was semi-involuntarily consigned to a wheelchair for the lengthy transfer to the airport train station. Manly hombre that I am, I dared not disclose to the friendly pusher that I had come to Europe for three weeks of cycling. Arrived Colmar, in Alsace, just before midnight via a 180 MPH TGV with a transfer in Strasbourg and, coincidentally, six minutes prior to the Woolfs’ arrival. Settled into our very nice rental house.
Tuesday, May 2nd - Thursday, May 4th. Daily e-bike excursions to nearby picture-perfect towns with eat-in dinners crafted by chefs Burnett and Woolf. Imbibed copious amouints of wine, certainly did our part for the local viticulture industry.
I developed a serious case of ABC – Asymmetrical Butt Chafing – which was ameliorated by liberal bi-daily nether regions applications of Bag Balm – my personal favorite posterior palliative, see https://bagbalm.com/. SHOW MORE
Friday, May 5th. Hung out at the house, pas mal.
Saturday, May 6th. Day trip with Burnetts to the tourist mecca of Colmar where, alas and alack, Curt was pickpocketed! Charge and debit card cancellations ensued, not good.
Sunday, May 7th. Auto trip to a German mountain hiking lodge, an intermediate stop on our way to Konstantz, the starting and ending point of our main event circumnavigation of the eponymous lake.
Monday, May 8th. Had to beat feet to get Burnetts’ rental car back by a 10:30 am deadline… made it with a full five minutes to spare. Checked in at the stunning four star Hotel Halm where the breakfast buffet includes champagne and cheesecake. Woolfs arrived by train, Gerry direct from Seattle via Zurich. Got our e-bikes.
Tuesday, May 9th. Pedaled forty some K to Gailingen, a bit of a shakedown cruise. Great scenery and picture postcard-worthy medieval villages. Adequate lodging, but not a Hotel Halm.
Wednesday, May 10th. Roundtrip to Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest. Second night in Gailingen, first of nearly nightly self-catered hotel room team happy hours.
On previous European bike tours we’ve grumbled about route instructions encrypted by by non-native English speakers. This time the tour operator-provided guidebook was completely devoid of route guidance… we were on our own, taking turns as Google Maps-assisted trail breaking pathfinders with plenty of navigational errors. But we always (eventually) got to where we were going.
Thursday, May 11th. Return to Konstanz for a Hotel Halm reprise. Got soaked during the last couple clicks of the day’s ride.
Friday, May 12th. To Radolfzell via Mainau Island, the latter a facsimile of sorts of Butchart Gardens.
Saturday, May 13th. A mere sixteen K to Ludwigshafen.
Sunday, May 14th. Forty K to Friedrichshafen, home of the Zeppelin Museum to which I made a solo afternoon excursion via city buses. Turns out the Hindenberg was 245 meters from stem to stern, almost three football fields.
Monday, May 15th. Day of my aforementioned parking lot tumble. Overnight in Bregnz, Austria. I was very sore, somewhat bruised, had marginal repose.
Tuesday, May 16th. Having shipped my bike with the luggage I patronized buses and trains to our next destination, St. Gallen, Switzerland. As it happened today was Jeanine’s turn to tumble, hard, while passing a path-blocking truck.
Wednesday, May 17th. Today was a scheduled non-cycling day so while others toured about (monastery, waterfalls chocolate factory, shopping) I rested my bruised corpus in the hope that I might be sufficiently healed for the morrow’s last lap back to Konstanz.
Thursday, May 18th. 14K of almost continuous downhill on the 46 K journey back to our starting point. Celebratory dinner, a bit melancholy to be soon parting ways.
Friday, May 19th. Train to Zurich for a twelve hour Swissair flight to San Francisco and a connection home to Seattle.
Great trip, a good time had by all (despite bumps and bruises).
D. Carlstrom. May, 2023
SHOW LESS- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Traveldeb October 18, 2016
A Family Ride on the Danube
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
I was looking for a relatively easy ride for a group that included two grandchildren. This was perfect. The equipment (trailer and tag along) were just right, the easy paved course let everyone enjoy the scenery, and the accommodations were wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 21 - 29
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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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★★★★★ LINDA LYNCH May 22, 2024
Surpassed all expectations
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Though we "trained" for this trip, (this trip is rolling hills and a relatively level course), there are several long ride days. And in truth, we are more tourists than competitive bikers, so wanted to sightsee the villages, which are rich in history and architecture. So, we connected with Caroline and Natasha at the BikeTours bike partner and were very fortunate to switch to ebikes midway. Truly suggest this option to begin with, as it made the journey more pleasant and our time well spent learning about UNESCO sites, ancient Churches and the area surrounding Lake Constanze. Simply, all the hotels were superior, they provided peaceful settings, clean accommodations and tremendous breakfasts, though Alte Post front desk and breakfast staff and St. Leonard Park Hotel were true overachievers. The Hotel front desk staff in all were great and answered our many questions. At present, we are reading about and studying countries for our next trip with Bike Tours!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ LINDA LYNCH May 27, 2024
Stunning Lake, country and villages
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Our first bike tour introduced many picturesque villages, as well as kind hotel staff. The hotels were nicely spaced along Lake Constanze with great breakfasts each morning. First moment, I recognized the absolute quiet of our peaceful settings. The villages and country were not just charming, they were calming and quiet. Day 4 we switched to Ebikes, as they allowed us to visit more of the Historic and UNESCO sites along the route and facilitating the hills. Suggest better cell phone research, as our "just change to new sim card" did not go to plan. It is 3 different countries, so 3 sim cards by the number of phones... Alte Post in Constanze front desk manager was amazing in her ability to answer our many questions, as well as Nadia at the bike company.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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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