First Timers Bike Tour Reviews
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★★★★★ Jan V 1 month agoLeafde fan Fryslân is a stunning ship!
· · Netherlands Bike & Sail Adventure: Wadden Sea and IJsselmeer
I can't fully speak for the cycling part of this tour - though have personally biked all over Holland many times - but was on this ship for a private dinner event earlier this fall. It's truly a stunning boat (they recently expanded and refurbished it) and I'm 100% certain it will provide for an amazing holiday experience in and around an area that is also UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ T. Aspanadze 1 month agoJust WOW
· · Holland's Hanseatic Cycling Route
Amazing trip… So many small towns and villages that were cute. All parts of the trip were memorable. From the start to the finish.
A perfect experience - great staff - very flexible - excellent meals.The barge and room was very comfortable. Our guides were helpful and fun! They even offered walking tours thru some of the towns.
The Dutch are very warm and kind people!!
I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone!- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ J. Anderson 1 month ago
Glorious!
· · Holland's Hanseatic Cycling Route
This is an amazing way to see the heart of Holland and all its history. Our guides were fantastic, the weather in late October was on our side, and the accommodations, food, and staff on the Magnifique II did not disappoint.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ I. Anderson 1 month ago
An unforgettable trip: Exploring the Netherlands by bike and boat
· · Holland's Hanseatic Cycling Route
This tour was an incredible experience! I made wonderful friends and had a fantastic time cycling through beautiful landscapes and sailing along charming waterways—a truly unique way to explore the Netherlands. The Magnifique II was top-notch, featuring lovely, comfortable cabins, an elegant dining area, and a cozy lounge.
Each stop provided a perfect blend of history and nature, from the picturesque Hanseatic cities like Zwolle and Deventer to quiet coastal towns that felt like hidden gems. One highlight was the evening tour in Deventer, where we strolled through charming streets and enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere. The crew was outstanding—friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive to my dietary needs. The cycling routes were well-planned, accommodating all skill levels, and the views were stunning. Overall, this tour is a fantastic mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to have an amazing time exploring the Netherlands!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Brittney Brooks 1 month ago
Authentic Dutch Trip of Discovery
· · Holland's Hanseatic Cycling Route
This trip should be your one-stop-shop when seeking to experience authentic Holland. We spent a week sailing along the country's grand rivers, watching the authentic Dutch countryside drift by outside the window and biking out to discover the stunning architecture of the historical Hanseatic towns, as well as Amsterdam on the first and final day.
Our tour guides, Hans and Tom, almost felt like family by the end of the trip. Hans was upbeat and full of passion and Tom was full of recommendations when we explored each town.
The atmosphere on board the boat was great and the staff were exceptional. All of them were friendly, full of fun, and helpful so mealtimes were brilliant (as was the food). The boat was extremely clean and our cabins were very comfortable.
The biking itself was very enjoyable and at a pace that meant everyone could enjoy the experience of cycling and soaking up the rural views. My favourite sections were in the atmospheric forests with the dancing trees - we went in autumn so the colours were incredible!
Overall, this was a relaxing and comfortable way to bike and boat through Holland.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ O. Gray 1 month ago
The most delightful trip!
· · Holland's Hanseatic Cycling Route
This tour had the perfect mix of countryside and cityscapes! Most of the cycling was on cycle paths through the countryside, before we would navigate back towards town for a sweet treat and coffee about mid-way through the ride. Then we would follow the paths back through the woodlands or fields of heather. Then at the end of the day we would reach our destination with enough time to spend exploring town!
The guides did an excellent job making everyone feel comfortable on their bikes and in the group setting. They were knowledgable about the local landscapes and historic details of the towns that we would pass through. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how FUN the guides! They truly added to the experience, as did the rest of the crew!
The Magnifique II was very nice and the bedding was SO COMFORTABLE! The food was amazing for the entirety of the tour and the snacks when we arrived back from our ride was an added bonus.
I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Donald Weidinger 1 month agoLate October Excellent
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Self guided tour, equipment no issues worked well, all hotels were excellent--excellent breakfast food and service, and the best comment is how quickly Bike Tours reacted to unplanned items (1 of 4 bikes was not right size, BT delivered replacement before 9am on first day even though BT contact was 7pm the night before, ie, quick response. And, we mistakenly left a necklace and bag in Tulln, BT delivered the necklace and bag next day.) Every breakfast meal was excellent in quality and variety, many with 4-5 meats, fruits, vegetables, baked items. The map and directions were clear and easy to read. The 15euro train from Munich to Passau was easy and within walking distance to Passau's Hotel Wolf. We cannot wait to do another tour with BT. The weather Oct 10-17 was wet (no problem) with few other riders (no crowds no where), we believe the perfect time to go. Ages 67-70, 2 couples.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Carol Morningstar 2 months agoWonderful Bike Cruise and exceptional sites to see while biking
· · Holland by Bike and Boat, Northern Tour
Loved this cruise. We hope to book Croatia next year. The staff was wonderful and our director (Ken I think?) worked tirelessly to make everyone's trip wonderful. The food was good but we were disappointed that we had to pay to get water at dinner. This should always be free! Also we would have liked coffee available all day.
One complaint was our room. Others who also ordered the basic stateroom had twice the size of ours for the same price. We were in a back room that had minimal space and NO CLOSET space or anywhere to hang anything! We had two shelves each for our clothes. We think it was actually a staff room for one person, yet we had to share it. I needed to climb over my husband to get out of bed at night.
Not comfortable! That was disappointing but we got used to it and loved the cruise anyway. I do believe it should have been a much reduced price though.- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 24 2024
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Linda Cooper 2 months agoMade the most of being stuck at the dock.
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
An act of nature meant that the boat never left the dock. The company made a point to provide activities and bike routes for 7 days in Vienna. Bike Tours was non existent when it came to communicating the changing conditions before the tour started.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Biketours team October 21, 2024
Hi Linda, we do sincerely appreciate your willingness to make the most of an unexpected situation. Unfortunately the Danube flooding was an unprecedented and historic event which inevitably left a chaotic situation for all involved. I do apologize that Biketours team could not update you. With the dynamic situation we relied on the on board crew who had the best ability to give you the most up to date and pertinent information. I hope despite the frustrations you were able to bring home fond memories of your time in Austria.
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★★★★★ Sean Thomson 2 months ago
Amazing trip, wonderful memories
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
Overall the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the rides, the beautiful countryside, City tours and company of our fellow passengers. The boat and rooms were clean, the service was great and the food was delicious. The bikes worked great and the seats were very comfortable.
Communication could have been better. For example on the first day the boat couldn't make it into Passau so we showed up at the dock to busses with no notification. There were major floods about 10 days before our cruise and it would have been nice to get a general acknowledgement of the situation prior to the trip.
We felt fairly rushed on the bikes especially on the first day through the Danube Bend and from Vác to Esztergom. Even another hour could have made the trip more relaxed. The later route still had lots of mud and took a lot longer than expected.
The trip was comfortable and well organized. We plan to do another trip in the future.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 16, 2024
Hi Sean - thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We appreciate your suggestions regarding communication and pacing, and we’ll work on improving those aspects for future trips. Thank you for sharing, and we hope to welcome you aboard again!
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★★★★★ J Matthew Schley 2 months agoBeautiful fun
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Fluvius (and reverse)
Really good deal ship was very nice ,great group of people. Saw many beautiful sites. Some tough weather in October.
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★★★★★ Shirley Santucci 2 months agoDisappointed
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Total lack of communication in not informing us that our biking would end 2 days early, which meant missing out biking through the Wachau valley . When I contacted Bike Tours that my husband was ill and could not make the trip. I should have been informed then that there were changes to the scheduled tour. The welcome meeting & bike fitting was a joke. There was absolutely no value in that 15 minute meeting. I had to adjust the handle bars myself and struggle through removing the battery for charging at the 1st two hotels that did not offer charging in the bike storage area. The electric bike itself was very good quality and comfortable to ride. The printed trip itinerary was easy to follow but did not offer much in the way of "do not miss" highlights along the way. In my opinion, only three of the hotels were worth the upscale category. I would not recommend this bike tour for anyone that has experienced quality bike tours previously.
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★★★★★ Tammy Noteboom 2 months ago
Best trip ever!
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
I loved everything about our bike and boat tour down the Danube. The e-bikes were high quality and well-maintained and the ship and the pampering they gave us after our days biking was fabulous. Everything on board was perfect. We loved our waiter, Ayup, and our cruise director, Leslie. And the biking—it was so incredible. The entire trip exceeded our wildest expectations. We are already planning our next one!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September/October 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ James Ruzevick 2 months agoA nice tour but a few hiccups along the way
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
On the first day of the tour, our bags were not delivered by the 6:00 pm promised time. I called the emergency number and found out that they never were picked up from our departure hotel. The fault was with the Hotel Halm who said that we had never checked in the evening before. Our bags arrived at about 8:00pm but it kind of ruined a nice evening that I spent waiting in the lobby instead of enjoying a pleasant dinner. On the 3rd day just as we started our ride my wife had a flat rear tire on her e-bike. Our instructions stated to not attempt to change an e-bike rear tire. It was a Sunday and the bike shop in town was closed. I asked to have another bike delivered but was told that it was not possible. We were told to take a train to the next town where a replacement bike was to be delivered by 0900 the following day. The replacement bike arrived at about 10:45. The rest of the trip went according to plan. The weather on the 3rd day was really beautiful, so I regret that we were not able to ride on that day.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Amy Lynch 2 months ago
It was very nice but flooding kept us from boating on the Danube.
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
Vienna Austria was amazing. It’s a beautiful and friendly city. We saw many of the sights and enjoyed it so much.
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★★★★★ Ron Walker 2 months agoHighly Recommended Itinerary
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
This was a great trip and I'm giving it 4 stars rather than 5 only because I wasn't crazy about our boat, the Caprice. The dining area is just way too cramped when the boat is fully booked. From what I saw of the L'Estello, which does the same route, it might be a better choice. Otherwise, it was great. We did a ride out of Amsterdam earlier this year, and riding around Provence is about 100x more interesting than riding Friesland. I'd highly recommend that area to everyone. Specific to the local operator, the e-bikes were excellent, loved our guide, food was terrific and the team was very focused on providing a great experience for the guests.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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?
- France
