First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)
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★★★★★ Chuck Gottschall 7 months agoGreat Trip!
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
Great way to see Europe! The biking was GREAT! The staff was GREAT! The food was GREAT!
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★★★★★ Ellen Speare 7 months ago
Danube waltz bike tour
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
I chose this trip for my 70th birthday with friends. riding through the beautiful countryside was wonderful. sitting on the deck going through the Danube river was so relaing and lovely. The food and accomadations fro perfect. Loved this whole trip.
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★★★★★ Joanna Havener 7 months agoLoved every minute!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Our tour leader was fun, knowledgeable and very safety conscious. The route was almost all flat, only one big climb on Wednesday. The ship's crew was helpful and saw to it that my husband had potato chips in his lunch. They accommodated my wish for vegetarian meals. The small towns were charming and I loved learning about their history. Highly recommend this trip. (My husband and I are in our 70s and the ebikes were a great help to us.)
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Annik Stahl 7 months ago
Could have been better
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The tour leader (Helmut) was great, as was the boat crew. There were some fun times biking but the miles and miles of harsh gravel was not in the description of the trip. (This was not "country roads" -- this was ROCKS and my back ached for days afterward.) Had I know, I would not have chosen this trip as I just had surgery. I found the food to be absolutely awful. The dinners were beond strange and hey, maybe something besides HAM HAM HAM every day for lunch? I lost 4 pounds during that trip.
While I know there are some great trips to be had with this company (my dad has been on several and said this one was the worst). this was not one of them. Like I said, some fun time biking but not enough to recommend this trip.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Jan Sjökvist 8 months agoPerfect tour
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Everything, indeed, worked perfectly. No problems whatsoever with bike, tour information was excellent, very good hotels always close to city centers. My luggage always waiting for me at the hotel of the day. I am impressed of how well everything worked out.
Generally the bike roads were good, with some exceptions, but a few kilometers with quite bumpy gravel is acceptable.- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Peter Van Zoost 8 months agoBeautiful trip
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
The first 3 days of biking were beautiful in the Alps. We stayed a couple extra days in Salzburg. Everything was well organized and went smoothly.
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★★★★★ Charles Stahl 8 months ago
A Bit Dissapointing
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Compared to the previous five bike/barge trips I have done with company this tour was disappointing. The boat and it's crew were great, the cabins were clean and as comfortable as possible. No problems there. The breakfasts and afternoon snacks were plentiful and good. However, the dinners were often not edible. The Italian cook was very sweet, but the food was often unrecognizable and tasteless. I am not a fussy eater, but I along with my dinner companions often sent the food back uneaten.
The printed material does say that riding is done mostly along country lanes, but the amount of riding on gravel was daunting. I feel that should be mentioned in the literature. The guide was extraordinary, both knowledgeable and well spoken, not to mention very approachable. The highlights were indeed highlights, but negotiating the busy streets while riding through small towns was scary at best. Perhaps doing this trip is mid-summer would be more picturesque, but the weather wouldn't be as perfect as it was for us in late August/early September. Had this been my first bike/barge adventure perhaps I would be less critical, but with many other tours co choose from, I would not recommend this particular tour.
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Daniela Veludo 8 months agoUnforgettable Danube
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Perfect way to see Bavaria and Austria, exercising safely with the bike and enjoying a very comfortable motor boat. Very good organization.
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★★★★★ Jimmie Ring 8 months agoSelf 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
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★★★★★ Jill Kaufman 8 months ago
Amazing experience!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The small barge experience turned our group of strangers into good friends; the food was excellent; the routes and countryside beautiful; the tour guide was knowledgeable, skilled, and fun! This tour exceeded our expectations.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late August 23
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Tim Yancy 8 months ago
Relaxed ride along the Danube River
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
We enjoyed the structure of the tour, with 3-4 hours of riding per day and details on the many sights to see along the way. Onboard service and meals were excellent, and the boat had a nice mix of people from all over the world. We also liked the time to explore several cities on non-ride days.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Robert Derge 8 months agoBiking the Danube
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was self guided using paper maps. Maps were generally good but written directions were profoundly inadequate in the very busy city of Vienna.
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★★★★★ Ihor Pidhorecky 8 months ago
Solid bike trip
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Great trip; great weather. Calm and peaceful. Beautiful scenery. Strongly recommend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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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★★★★★ Robert Taylor 8 months agoTaylor Family Tour
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
Overall a great experience for a family group of 13 ranging from ages 6 to 77. Bike sizing issues were sorted quickly (overnight after arrival and before planned departure) Comments: Would suggest to others to plan an extra night in Linz -- to settle in and see the city. Hotels and meals met expectation based on previous BikeTours trips. A couple of negatives: (1) my e-bike controller didn't work --never iuld get the speed, distance, etc. And a little more oa hinged on how the power system works -- not similar to my e-bike back home. (2) Daily distances on website differ from reality (real distances are longer) (3) Hotel location info is poor - saying it is on the bike path is nice, but not helpful.when it is a couple of km past the town or, I lnnthe case of Durnstien, BEFORE the town when you have been deliveredb into town by boat. But that IS part of the adventure! (3) Plain and simple, the tire pumps.provided are crap -- not just cheap but mising vital washers. Lucky we had se real to try. OVERALL: Would recommend this to any family wanting to explore their "family dynamics" Ours turned out great!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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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★★★★★ Peter Dworkin 8 months ago
Beautiful scenery; great bikes
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Relaxing and fun trip. Great bikes. Attractive hotels. Good itinerary. Negatives: Navigation app. Need to provide turn by turn instructions that integrate with Google maps. Would have preferred all hotels to be in cute small towns. Some were in modern less charming bigger towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 other
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Jenny Hager 8 months agoGreat trip for young teens and adults!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Our group of six, ranging in age from 13 to mid-thirties to mid-sixties, had a great time doing the Danube Classic in August 2023.
Throughout the planning process, BikeTours staff was helpful, courteous, and prompt - even when I kept making changes to our hotel and bike requirements.
Although the local tour operator - Radius Tours or Radreisefreunde - failed to show up for our scheduled bike fitting on the day before we starting riding, they provided good bikes and fabulous support van service. I would use them again.
We ordered support van service for the week. Our driver, Ernst, transported our luggage each day, followed us along the route as closely as he could, and provided suggestions on routes and places to stop. When the weather turned rainy or when we encountered the very rare hill that was too much of a challenge for a couple of us, he was there to give us a lift and put our bikes on the trailer. He arrived on time every morning no matter if we planned to start early or late and made sure we made it to our destination at the end of each day. His English was limited so it helped that one member of our group spoke some German. But we think we would have been able to communicate well-enough even if none of us spoke German. He was kind, cheerful, and courteous.
Riding along the Danube is easy - except on the very rare occasion when you have to get up a hill to reach a couple of the hotels. We ordered e-bikes for my thirteen year old nephew and for the adults who didn’t have a chance to get in shape before the trip, but two of us had traditional bikes. Those on e-bikes had no trouble reaching those hotels, but those of us with traditional bikes had to get off and walk - or be rescued by our driver.
Riding along the Danube is also very safe and lovely. Most of the time, you ride on a paved dedicated bike paths and quiet roads through towns and countryside. Sometimes the dedicated bike path runs next to busy roads but we felt safe. Sometimes you have to navigate through light traffic. The route is very well marked with signs. There are bridges and cute bike ferries that enable you to cross from one side of the river to another.
We chose the upgraded (Category A) hotels. They were all quite different, but all were clean and comfortable. All of them served breakfast. Some do not serve dinner, and it is important to know that before you finish riding for the day so that you can make arrangements - especially if your hotel is slightly out of town or up a hill. Based on other reviews, we did not choose the included dinner option at those hotels that offered it, so we were able to order from the menus.
We ordered twin beds for everyone on our trip. In Austria that seems to mean that you get a king-size mattress but two twin-size duvets. This arrangement worked fine for our group but might feel awkward if you’re not expecting it or if you are rooming with someone you don’t know well. SHOW MORE
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★★★★★ Jodie Lawlor 9 months ago
Fantastic Adventure!!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was our first bike tour-and we chose the self guided tour so we could take our time. It was fantastic-bikes were great, book with our route and all the details was a huge help, hotels were great and we had great weather. The towns and scenery were amazing. Highly recommend and would do again!
- 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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★★★★★ Linda Ewing 9 months ago
Provence Bike Trip into the Countryside
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Really enjoyed the bike trip through the Provence countryside which visited several picturesque towns along the way. Our guide Alex was wonderful; she had done her homework so was able to provide us the history of what we were seeing. Plus Alex was great fun and made sure everyone was safe and comfortable while riding. Barge on-board staff was also super responsive and friendly. All the local staff was excellent!
My only criticism of the trip is the business model used by the barge company. The 'Caprice' boat itself is 'past its prime' --- old, really cramped room accommodations. We were unlucky and assigned what appeared to be the smallest double twin room that didn't even have space for the tiniest sink in the bathroom (it was installed next to my bed's pillow). In fact, all the rooms were smaller than on other barge boats I've been on. Also, the dining area was so tight you couldn't get out of your chair without your neighbor also moving. Bottomline, the company owners are squeezing too many people on the boat so they get more revenue.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 15 - 22, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Mary Gallagher 9 months ago
Disappointing Accommodations
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Recently returned from Provence bike and barge and very disappointed with cabin accommodations. Bathroom sink located in main cabin from which we heard gurgling and draining from other cabins. Also heard loud banging from floor probably due to mechanical issues due to location of cabin - farthest on the bow. Overall not suitable for guests. Crew, guide and food were great- but cabin (#1) was not acceptable.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Robin Walton 9 months agoMost scenic bike tour
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
This was our 4th European bike tour and definitely the most scenic! The ride was a little more hilly than mentioned in the website, but fortunately I had an e-bike which made it no problem. My husband did not have an e bike and had no problem.
Each day was a very different route and made it exciting for what the next day would be. Beautiful Alps, waterfalls, villages with so much charm. We opted to upgrade to the deluxe tour and was well worth the money. Wish we would have stayed an extra day in Kaprun as there was much to see there. Would definitely recommend this tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Austria
