First-Timers Bike Tour Reviews page 37
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
- ★★★★★ Retired Teacher
Great Scenery, but... poor bikes
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The rental bikes were NOT up to standards. One bike had defective derailluer and and to be substituted. Pedals and seats were hard to replace with ours, mechanic had to return next day with WD430 and oversized wrenches to get pedals off.
The hotel was very cute and nice, but across plaza from 2 churches that ran LOUD bells. Hotel room had no AC and no screens on windows and we spend time killing flies! The breakfast was good, dinner was good except for one night...do not get venison (2 of 4 of us could not cut with serrated knife!) There was an alternate choice most nights had we know that is better choice.
This is NOT traditional Italian food. Villabassa and Toblach are in the German speaking section of Sud Tyrol. It is an interesting combination of Austrian and Italian 'fusion' food. White table cloths and waiters. Lots of local wines to choose from.
The bike routes were VERY Scenic and for the most part enjoyable. We got lucky and only had rain at night, but bring your rain gear just in case! There is some
gravel surface that gave some of the group tour we bumped into a little trouble, but we had no problems. Most of the rides do not take most of the day, so stop and take all the photos you want. The weather in Dolomites is about 10-15 degrees cooler than Lake Garda because it is about 4000 feet. We started with layers and soon got down to short sleeves on most days in late September.- What was the date of your tour?
- Mid-Late September
- How many tours have you completed?
- Lots
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ roadrider56
Alittle bit of heaven
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We had an amazing time. This is our third tour with BTD and will definitely plan another tour in the future . The hotels were wonderful with amazing breakfast and some hotels had pools and offered spa packages. The routes were great although rated a level 2. I found a couple days a bit challenging considering I live in the low country yet I appreciated the challenge. The bikes were excellent considering their weight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September8, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- four
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Ron1
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9-8 to 9-16
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Halle96
One of Top 5 trips in 30 years travelling
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Just this one
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
- ★★★★★ Marko
Good experience overall
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We enjoyed the tour from Passau to Vienna very much, it was very scenic and overall a great experience. I would have rated the experience higher except some of the hotels were not really 4 star or better and the directions need to be improved.
In particular the Römerhof Hotel in Tulln (regardless of assigned rating) is just not very nice. The property is needs updating and painting. Our room was small, had ineffective air conditioning, needed painting and was really a 2 or 3 star experience. The Römerhof Hotel was by far the least desirable overnight stay on the trip, and we would not want to stay there again. I suggest the tour company reconsider this location for the "upscale lodging" tour.
For the most part the directions and maps were outstanding, except for the last day. The final day directions could really be improved for the area around Korneuburg and into Vienna. This is the most difficult section of the journey but the directions are the least descriptive. It was very hard to stay on track with the directions here. We met several other travelers that got off course in this section.
All in all we liked the tour and would recommend it. Thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback, we appreciate it! Marko and Janet
- ★★★★★ tyrrell2016
best trip ever!!
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
-flat great condition bike dedicated pavement path -90 percent of the time
-the places you are on the road, the roads are not too busy and there are so many cyclist and there are signs for drivers to be aware of cyclists
-we got the electric bikes...they were a lot of fun!
-trails marked well
-bike and equipment very nice. saddlebags are waterproof
-excellent staff, great support and guidance
-lots of bike shops along the path in case you break down. the company will reimburse you. you also have a small repair kit on board and the option to call them for assistance.
-this was our first bike tour.
-maps were good
-the bike path was not too crowded...but we did go after labor day.
-very scenic
-very safe
-we did the upscale hotels. they were solid-but considering we were going through small villages they were the best of the village. fyi...air conditioning is not like in the USA. I can't imagine doing the tour in July ugh
The hotels are very friendly and are very aware of the bike arrangement.
-we did self guided and felt very comfortable with this particular itinerarytips
-be prepared for rain...it can happen. we got water proof socks, pants, jacket, shoes and gloves. it came in very handy one day. Eddie Bauer waterproof shoes were great for us. Lightweight and comfortable. my husband wants to buy another pair for backup.
-hat for sun and bug protection. We did not wear helmets because we were on bike paths.
-sunscreen for face, body and lips
-lightweight sunglasses
-consider bike gloves....the last day i got sun poison on my hands
-bring baby wipes. my husband got oily adjusting his chain
-bring washcloths (disposable)-we got dusty on the trail and none of the hotels provided wash cloths. also...bring shampoo and conditioner. many of the hotels only offered a liquid body wash.
-bring a little pharmacy antibiotics, miralax, monistat, tylenol, allergy meds,
-plan on layers for clothing and packing
-get good socks from a running store...my feet got hot- What was the date of your tour?
- September 3rd thru 11th 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- our 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
- ★★★★★ paula12
I 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
- ★★★★★ diane g
Salzburg to Salzburg has fantastic scenery but directions provided are unbelievably poorly developed
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
Salzburg to Salzburg over 6 days is higher than a level 2. The terrain is hilly. I do not recommend this self guided tour because the german-speaking outfits they contract with provide totally inadequate self-guiding instructions. They do not know what a cue sheet is. They do not provide any directions as to north, south, east, west; they do not provide any street names. AND, the directions in English are very obviously translated very poorly from the German. In addition, there is no way to find your hotel once off the bike path. You have to depend upon good route finding skills for this hotel finding as well as the entire trip. We had this same experience with bike tours.com 7 years ago and thought they might have gotten better at directions. We gave bike tours feedback at that time, and our friends gave feedback on their german-speaking directions on their self-guided tour, and nothing changed. Hence I am writing this review without making a customer complaint becaue I do not believe bike tours will fix this problem. AND, THIS TOUR REQUIRES ONE TO CONSULT 3 SETS OF INSTRUCTIONS THROUGHOUT THE TRIP. 2 sets of friends had exactly the same experience. 2 stars are for getting our luggage to each hotel before we arrived; and the hotels were gracious and accommodating.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Cramaz
The Great Tour of Salzburg
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
This ride took us through some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. While there were a couple of difficult hills, the majority of the ride was quite manageable and structured so that there was plenty of time to sightsee on the way and at each destination. The towns we stayed in all had something a little different to offer and all had plenty of good places to eat and relax. As a self-guided tour, this would be hard to beat. The Tauern bike path is a great way to see this part of Austria.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 28th August to 5th September 2016
- 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
- ★★★★★ Julius
Lovely ride
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
I decided on the spur of the moment to treat myself to a bike tour. The Mainz to Cologne route appealed to me because I did it by boat many years ago. It was one of the most enjoyable holidays I've ever had. The scenery was impressive, the ride was nice and easy and the hotels were sufficiently comfortable. Having done bike trips before where I carted my own luggage it was an absolute luxury to have my luggage looked after by the tour company. This was done in a very efficient way. The trip is quite easy. Before this, the last time I was on a bike for more than 10km was about 10 years ago. I had no problems, other than some saddle soreness after the first day. I would recommend proper cycling shorts, that makes life in the saddle a little easier.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14-19 August 2016
- 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?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Marta72
Perfect family trip
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Very recommended trip for families with kids that can bike. Km per day were not demanding (around 30km). You can stop to visit, to have a bath in the lake, to take a boat...very nice environment, very safe and relax way to travel. All roates are well indicated.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6-12 August
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ kater
Great trip were almost everything offered was delivered
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The Danube valley and all the town along the way were beautiful. The Austrians were almost always friendly and helpful. The tandem bike was exceptionally well equipped being in good condition and plenty of detachable bags. The directions for the most part worked and the bike path was fantastic
- ★★★★★ Bernard D
Danube from Linz to Vienna with some Extra
Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
As a family of four (kids aged 10 and 11) we took six days to cover the 230 kilometers needed to pedal from Linz to Vienna. It was a fantastic way to discover beautiful country along one of the most picturesque stretches of European riverfront. 99.9% of the way is paved, and 80% is on dedicated bike paths (the remainder is biking on quiet country roads). With one rest day in the middle, the days represented between 35 and 55 kilometers of biking. Considering our younger one, our daughter, doesn't have the big leg muscles, our average speed was 14 km/h. We would set off between 9 and 10 am, and reach our accommodations in the early afternoon. The 55 kilometer day was a bit hard towards the end, but still very feasible. All hotels were very clean, quiet, with friendly staff and with delicious breakfast spreads included. We would highly recommend this trip, especially if you tag on a few days for culture in Vienna, at the end, as we did. It gave our kids and us the opportunity to have an active family trip in which we all felt a sense of accomplishment. And you don't have to do more than bring your suitcase up to your room and back down! The rest is taken care of. We are extremely happy with this trip. Thanks to BikeTours, and their Austrian associates (Rad Reiss Freunde) for making it all happen at a reasonable price and without a single hiccup! We could not have planned it better ourselves.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
- ★★★★★ RP8082
Danube Ride
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
A great ride. The hotels were wonderful. The scenery was beautiful. The directions for the route were good. A little more detail for directions to the hotel each day could be improved slightly. But the trip was awesome. Bikes were new and well tuned, and luggage was delivered flawlessly each day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8/1/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- This one only.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
- ★★★★★ chuck
Excellent bike tour of the Danube and surrounding Austria countryside!
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
This was our first bike tour and it was a wonderful experience! The hotels and luggage transport were all top notch. The bicycles were in excellent condition and performed flawlessly throughout the trip, but they were a bit heavy compared to our privately owned bikes. The saddle bags were invaluable and easily detached so you could carry them into the hotel room at the end of the day. The directions to get from city to city was great, but occasionally a little vague on getting to the hotel at the end of the day. Also, it should be noted that crossing the river by ferry was always easier than crossing at the bridges and dams.
- ★★★★★ bienchen
fantastic trip
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Very relaxing and fun way to experience three countries, stay at bed & breakfasts, cycle at your own pace during the day, stop at tourist sites, and check into your next hotel in the afternoon/evening and grab dinner at a local restaurant. Hotels varied from simple to four-star. We liked the ones close to town best because we were able to explore different places in the evenings.
Will definitely go with that company again in the future.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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
- ★★★★★ Grani Rae
Family celebration of my 80th year
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
An excellent trip--great hotel locations, marvelous breakfasts, great views from hotel terraces. An electric assisted bicycle allowed me (age 79) to enjoy bicycling with my two sons, their wives and four grandchildren (ages 12, 14, 14 and 17). The maps and directions provided for the self-guided tour took us on safe bike paths through forests, wheat fields, through small towns, past castles and churches, and of course, along the Danube River.
- ★★★★★ Female solo traveler
Incredibly scenic
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
- ★★★★★ Alpskier
Wonderful & Easy Biking Adventure for All
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was my 11th ride with Biketours and one of the easiest and most enjoyable! The mileage averaged around 25 miles, and except for a few hills on the second day, the ride was generally flat, on easily identifiable bike routes. It's nearly impossible to get lost, and for first-timers that's important. You simply follow a defined path around Lake Constance, also known as the Bodensee, and the Rhine River towards Shaffhausen. On some rides I've taken, you ride for 35 miles and wind up in a town that was selected as a place to lay your head rather than a destination of some interest. Each of the towns and cities as you ride from Germany, into Switzerland, eventually through Austrian, and back to Germany are wonderful places with well-preserved medieval old towns. So we'd leave our hotel by 9 and be in the next town by 1 with plenty to do for the rest of the day. Radweg-Reisen is the local tour provider. It's a first-class operation from top to bottom. You receive a detailed personalized tour packet with easy-to-understand route information as well as must-see sights to see in each town. My wife and I chose the A hotel options, which for about two hundred dollars more allowed us to stay in quaint 3 and 4 hotels. Each were literally on the bike route! As a top tip, I'd strongly recommend purchasing the meal plan which includes breakfast and a 3 course dinner. This keeps costs down and some of the meals were truly memorable. The bikes appeared new, and were perfect for touring. Sometimes the path was on crushed gravel or sand; other times you followed an asphalted route. The width of the tires was perfect for the task. The other thing about the bike was the number of adjustments you could make in order to personalize your bike. Here's another top top: when you shop in your start and stop city in Constance, or Konstanz, as it's known locally, you can immediately get 19% tax back by simply walking over to the customs office at the train station. Receive a stamp that you are not living in the EU and go back to your store and get cash back. Constance is a great place to shop, especially for shoes! Finally, the scenery around the lake is spectacular. It's a great choice for all.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
Email
Mailing Address
Office Hours