First-Timers Bike Tour Reviews page 7
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- ★★★★★ Sean Thomson
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.
- ★★★★★ J Matthew Schley
Beautiful 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.
- ★★★★★ Shirley Santucci
Disappointed
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.
- ★★★★★ Tammy Noteboom
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
- ★★★★★ James Ruzevick
A 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
- ★★★★★ Amy Lynch
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.
- ★★★★★ Ron Walker
Highly 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
- ★★★★★ Richard Severson
Very dissatisfied
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Our trip was shortened due to previous rains which had damaged the trail and sections were closed. We were not informed of this issue until we had been biking for two days. We were unable to ride the final two days as the trail was closed.
We should have been notified of this situation prior to our leaving home. We would have cancelled the trip (we had trip insurance) and rebooked for next year. VERY disappointed in the way this information was withheld from us. It is a clear case of the bike touring company looking out for themselves and totally disregarding us, the customer.
Also, one member of our party had to cancel due to medical reasons. This information must not have reached the provider as 4 bikes were delivered and all hotels were expecting 4 people.
- ★★★★★ Marcie B.
Dazzling Dolomites and so much more!
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
An excellent introduction to the Sud Tirol region via out-and-back bicycle day tours. Returning to our beautiful nest at the Hotel Laurin every evening was exceptional and we enjoyed a feast for the senses every single dinner. We had a reserved table for our entire stay (breakfast buffet and gourmet multiple course dinners) and the reception and wait staff were friendly, efficient and very customer service oriented. We selected e-bikes and are glad we did (we are 80 and 79 years of age and love E-bikes)! The itinerary had slightly changed from the original program, but it was easy to adjust our expectations based on shuttle availability. The routes were well marked and the app's instructions were clear. We knew there wouldn't be a handlebar phone mount, so brought one. Also we upgraded our T-Mobile coverage for 5G coverage for the month we were abroad.
We also appreciated the brand new pair of panniers and the handlebar bag (one per room).
The only day we encountered an unpaved route was the Cortina d'Ampezzo former rail to trail route. The drop off shuttle pointed in the general direction of the bicycle path, but it took the SIX of us to figure out it wasn't immediately visible. We had to pedal past the bobsled shed/track and push the bikes up a relatively steep embankment to access the then well-marked and mostly packed gravel trail into Cortina.
Fall weather can be fickle, but we biked every day in a different direction without issue. Raingear was indispensable on two of the five cycling days.
The ride to Lago di Braies can involve some traffic the closer one gets, but cyclists don't have to pay for parking and it's well worth the long climb.
All in all, we would rate this tour company, the hotel facilities and the quality of the instructions to all the bike destinations highly.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- 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?
- Italy
- ★★★★★ ALEX BERESNIEWICZ
Great trip
Provence by Bike and Boat
Beautiful countryside with little climbing made for a totally enjoyable trip. Our guide, Alex, was absolutely amazing, our care on board the boat was flawless, and the meals at dinner were all excellent. Five stars!!
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
- ★★★★★ Ben Goebel
Yes, it described it very well
Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
It truly was a fabulous way to experience the countryside, would not have done this otherwise. We enjoyed every minute of the landscape, architecture and people we met along the way,
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
- ★★★★★ Joann Schmidt
Not what I was expecting
Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
Our river/bike cruise turned into a floating hotel in Vienna. Our boat never left the dock all week because of historical flooding on the Danube. The boat and cruise personnel were all fine but just wish we could of actually seen something of the countries we were hoping to see on the river. Not sure if I would ever sign up for one of these again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- just this one
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
BikeTours.com staff reply from jan
The storm that hit your area during your trip effected 1000s of travelers and overwhelmed our local partners and ground crews. Our apologies but we cannot control mother nature. Thanks for your business and we hope you'll give us another chance!.
- ★★★★★ Al Coop
Wonderful Experience
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
My wife and I went on a self guided tour and had a wonderful experience. We feel so fortunate to have found biketours.com. Overall I would rate the tour company good to excellent. The only suggestions I have are that my wife’s e-bike frame was not fit properly for her smaller body size. Secondly, we initially used Google Maps which guided us on more main roads than we expected. Not until a couple of days in to our tour did other cyclist suggest downloading a cycling app which their tour company suggested. Their app guided us on more scenic off-road trails. I now understand why when the booklet says 30 km to 40 km the shorter distance is on more main roads and not off roads. As a first timer I think biketours.com could be clearer in their correspondences or booklet and possibly suggest such apps. Overall everything was first class and we had a fantastic and memorable experience. Thank you and hopefully we will use biketour.com for future trips.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Don Ference
Fantastic experience! Loved it!
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Great way to see Austria, the scenery was spectacular. The local partner was very well organized and accommodating, they went above and beyond expectations. We were really impressed with the hotels selected and the food was delicious!
- ★★★★★ Mary Schmidt
Unable to review as the Vivienne never left port in Vienna - Please contact me. I would have loved to have been able to review.
Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
Dear Team at BikeTours.com,
I hope you all are doing well. I am writing regarding my recent river cruise, Danube Delights aboard the Vivienne on September 15, which unfortunately was impacted by flooding, causing the cancellation of several key ports of call and remained docked in Vienna for 7 nights. While I understand that weather conditions are beyond anyone’s control, missing out on many destinations left me disappointed, as I had been looking forward to the full experience. My husband and I had been planning this for over a year and celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary.
Our cruise director did his best to keep the passengers entertained and informed but was getting very mixed messages from someone. It started the first day in Passau with the hired transportation did not have a concrete deportation location. It was 2:30pm before we were even contacted to tell us to go to the bus station and we would be transported to Vienna. After boarding the Vivienne we were told that we would be docked in Vienna for a couple of days and for those interested we could take the bus to Budapest and Bratislava on the next two days. It was a very long bus ride but a nice trip to both.
Starting on Wednesday, day 3, we were then told we MAY leave every evening, so we needed to be back on boat at 5 or maybe a different time and were not able to take any extended excursions due to the possibility of debarking. Thursday we were led to believe we may leave later in the night. Then Friday, we were instructed to be back on the boat at 11:00 am because we might leave. It was determined after we came back that we were not going to be able to leave. We would have loved to have taken the train to visit another location Wednesday - Friday. The last day, Saturday, was the worst, we had to sit on the boat because there would be announcements at 9:00 am, then stay on because we might leave at 11:00am, then wait again until after 1:00pm and then there was a decision to let us off. It was obvious the boat wasn’t going anywhere due to the 24 hours it would have taken to cruise back to Passau and there was another cruise scheduled. Also, we were extremely far back in the line of boats that would have moved before us.
Given these unforeseen circumstances, I am inquiring about a future cruise credit (FCC) toward another cruise or a refund. We were so excited to do our first River cruise as a way to travel and have the ability to bicycle and I would love the opportunity to schedule another boat/bike cruise and fully experience the journey.
I appreciate your understanding and consideration of this request, and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Mary Schmidt- What was the date of your tour?
- September 15, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- This would have been our first but can't count due to not leaving port.
- 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
- ★★★★★ Brenda Brown Wright
Biking across the Danube
Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
It was a great experience, Leslie and Barbara plus the guides did an outstanding job. We were
Lucky to be able to explore some
Of the area, during flooding. Or near flooding . - ★★★★★ Diana Ortiz
First Bike trip to Europe
Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
What a great way to visit 4 countries! Leslie was amazing making sure everyone was taken care of and making necessary changes to make our trip memorable! The crew was friendly and accommodating as well. Rooms were clean and beds made early!
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