First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 7)
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★★★★★ Janet Witt 11 months agoFabulous!
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
There were 4 adults, 4 teens, and 1 6 year old in our group. The biking was very enjoyable and doable. The variety in the hotels, places, and activities piqued everyone’s interest. Well-planned trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 10-17 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Pedro Carlisle 11 months agoBeginner trip
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Great bikes and support from Tulip cycling, excellent routes and sightseeing. Hotels were all fine save for Martins in Bruges which I would not recommend, and out of character with rest. All in all a great trip
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★★★★★ Rebecca Hengemuhle 11 months ago
Such an adventurous way to explore Austria
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
We loved this bike tour and it was a great adventure for our family to explore Austria. Biketours was easy to work with and the local operator was helpful. We loved the hospitality at our hotels (except one). Our first night in Linz was wonderful and the museum electronica was amazing. The stay on the farm/ cideria Hotel Moser was such a highlight and was super family friendly. Our boys loved the soccer pitch and food. Maria Taferl was absolutely stunning but an epic ascent that most kids / adults without an e-bike won’t be able to do. There is a bike shuttle option up though. Durnstein was great and we enjoyed a day off to explore the town/ ruins/ pool. The ferry provided a different view of the Danube but probably wasn’t necessary as it didn’t save us too many kms. Tulln was okay with our half board dinner at a separate Greek restaurant (which was delicious) and in a different hotel from where we checked in and had breakfast. The staff at the Hotel Austria were incredibly helpful and helped us come up with a good itinerary and travel plans through Vienna. The Danube cycle path isn’t always on a separate bike road which made it a little more nerve wracking with kids but our kids soon learned good road etiquette and safety. The app/ guide book was good but we still needed our own gps to get to our hotels. I would recommend the half board option and extra night in Vienna. We all really loved this adventure. The scenery, food and hospitality through Austria was incredible.
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★★★★★ Greg Stoyles 11 months ago
Brilliant day out
· Bilbao Central E-Bike Tour
Roberto was a great guide. The best way to see a snapshot of the city. The E bikes were easy to use. A beautiful spot to visit.
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★★★★★ Pedro Carlisle 11 months ago
Beginner trip
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Great bikes and support from Tulip cycling, excellent routes and sightseeing. Hotels were all fine save for Martins in Bruges which I would not recommend, and out of character with rest. All in all a great trip
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★★★★★ CHRISTOPHER DRAIKIWICZ 11 months agoGreat trip
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Biking through the countryside was a great way to experience Austria. I hope to do another bike trip again. However I wish that the operator provided helmets, we instead purchased them in Passau before starting biking.
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★★★★★ Elizabeth Brehaut 11 months agoGood weather, amazing Dolomites
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
Based at a friendly family hotel where we were served bountiful delicious food prepared from local products, we were able to enjoy each days ride with energy and enthusiasm. Our bikes were comfortable and reliable. We appreciated the app to keep on track and to be alerted to places of interest to visit and to get to know the areas we visited. The locals were welcoming too.
The rides provided enough challenge for us without e-support although we could choose level of difficulty with the variations offered.
A great week in the South Tyrol valleys and meadows.- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Lee Chestnut 11 months agoGreat Scenery, History, and Acomommdations. Not much Support
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
We enjoyed seeing the Rhine Valley and historic villages. Our accommodations were great and the food was great.
Unfortunately, the Rhine was near flood stage and much of the given route was flooded. After contacting the local operator for direction, I was told to find my own route or take a train, at my own expense.
We found our own way using Google maps and talking with other cyclists.
The main reason I use a tour operator is to have local support when difficulties arise. We didn't receive that support.
It seems the operator could come up with secondary routes that are safe and beautiful (which we came up with on our own) and supply them to their guests as needed.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ J. Henderson 11 months agoPerfect Custom Bike Tour in Holland!
· Custom and Private Bike Tours in Holland
I've had the opportunity to bike all over the world, exploring many beautiful places. Among all these destinations, Holland stands out as a cyclist's paradise. As many of you know, Holland is renowned for its excellent biking infrastructure and scenic routes. When I decided to explore Holland, I chose to book through Biketours.com, and it turned out to be a fantastic decision. The team at Biketours.com was incredibly accommodating and tailored a custom tour just for us. They took care of everything, from planning the perfect routes to arranging comfortable hotels, delicious food, and immersive cultural experiences. Our custom tour in Holland was nothing short of perfect, thanks to Biketours.com.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Lisa LeRoy 11 months ago
Great way to start with self-guide cycling trips
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The Hotel Laurin in Toblach-Dobbiaco was a truly wonderful base from which to explore the Tres Clims area of the Dolomites. The hotel was beautiful, new and clean with great views from the balconies. The food was spectacular. Every meal was a work of art. The hotel staff were kind and helpful. The pool, saunas and spa were relaxing. The cycling paths are bike/pedestrian only paths and mostly well marked. The scenery is fantastic on all of the rides. Each town has something special about it. The bicycles are pretty good. The maps were fairly good and the GPS program that is provided is also pretty good. The navigation could be a little better. I'd recommend communicating with the local tour company in advance of starting the trip to get an orientation to ride packet and the GPS program. There are bus and train transfers needed which we didn't realize and did not have one for each person in our group - the hotel provided them when we asked. The tour company was unclear on how many people were in our group and that led to extra clarification that was important. The packets did not include all of the same materials.
Tour Operator is located near the hotel but they have a call center that is elsewhere and depending what language you speak, you might need staff members in one or the other location. The order of the daily rides may change depending on availability of vans for days when transfers to or from a ride start/end are needed. We didn't realize this before setting off on our first day. We also wished we had known that there was an Austrian holiday the day we went to Cortina because everything was closed and we could not visit the museum or other attractions. More communication with the local company would have helped us with better planning. It was rainy and cold the week of our trip and we had to buy extra waterproof gear which is easy in Dobbiacco because there are several sporting goods shops.We were a friend group of 4 women -- all experienced cyclists and intrepid travelers. This trip is perfect for that type of group.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
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★★★★★ GORD MAXWELL 11 months ago
Adult Family Trip of the Decade
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Did this trip with spouse and 3 adult children (+ significant other). Hotels were fantastic (call out on breakfasts), scenery awesome and great family bonding
Especially highly recommend Gästehaus Schloss Aschach (an old converted palace) and Hotel Schachner (worth the hill).
We had a few minor challanges but they were quickly sorted out by Biketours.com
- What was the date of your tour?
- May/June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Kimberly Sykes 11 months agoWell done!
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
The Swiss Crown ship was beautiful and clean. Our cabin was roomy and very comfortable. Food was delicious. The crew were exceptional! The cycling was easy and the routes were easy to follow. Would definitely do it again.
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★★★★★ Nils Bohlin 11 months ago
Trip with great scenery
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
All worked out according to expectations. The bikes worked fine, the map useful and the daytrips well balanced.
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★★★★★ Joanne Hamilton 11 months agoAn Amazing Experience
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We did the self-guided tour around Lake Konstanz. It was a wonderful trip. Right from the moment we got to Constance, we were impressed the attention to the details that made our trip very enjoyable. Tour operator was such a great bike rental company. They also had a very impressive book with maps and hotels that was detailed just for us. So it had all the updated info on our trip. We loved our bikes. They ran very smoothly. They were quite heavy..... and the only time that was a challenge was a couple of times when we stopped to walk our bikes up a hill. We rode through two days of rain and the paniers and map pouches stayed dry. The hotels were so, so nice. We stayed in 5 different hotels and 4 out of the 5 were, for us.... 5 star! The breakfast at each hotel was complimentary and all very tasty, extensive buffets, so we could fuel up for the day ahead. We found so many cute places to stop along the way for snacks and drinks and little breaks.
The one thing I would encourage bikers to do, is to figure out your GPS/data service for the road. There were a few times we lost the trail and our GPS's failed us because our data wasn't working. Gratefully people like to help out and we found some people who spoke English. By the third day we really had the GPS thing figured out. I will say that the company did give us EXCELLENT maps! So that too helped us find our way.
We had three days of sun, two days of rain, and one day of threatening rain (but did not rain). It was all great! We really felt like it was all part of the adventure. We cycled 30-60 km a day. Gratefully, the one day we were SOAKED and all our clothes and shoes were soaked, our hotel had radiators that worked and a towel warmer so we were able to dry out clothes. Another hotel had a towel dryer and radiator that did not work, so we would have really been challenged to dry out. All in all it was a great trip and we totally plan on using BikeTours.com again!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 19-24, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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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★★★★★ Sally Williams 11 months ago
A great tour of Bilbao
· Bilbao Central E-Bike Tour
We had a great tour with Milan on excellent e-bikes. We saw a lot of the city and learned a ton of local history. Would highly recommend!
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★★★★★ LINDA LYNCH 11 months ago
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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★★★★★ Howard Gilbert 11 months ago
Fun and Educational
· Bilbao Central E-Bike Tour
Perfect way to see Bilboa. We really enjoyed it! The guide was great and gave us tips where to go and eat afterwards. Even a little Basque lesson for certain words! Explaines a lot of the culture and history. It was very interesting!
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★★★★★ Howard Gilbert 12 months ago
Great way to see the city!
· Bilbao Central E-Bike Tour
Our guide was great and it was very informative. The bikes were brand new and of course worked perfectly!
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★★★★★ LINDA LYNCH 12 months ago
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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★★★★★ Wendy Geiger 12 months ago
Lovely Tour of South Holland and Bruges
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
This was my first supported bike travel vacation and it was lovely. Although the GPS stopped working on day 4, we were able to use the previously downloaded Maps on Ride with GPS. Luckily I brought my phone holder so it was convenient. There were some routes that were a bit more complex than necessary with the route going off on a tangent and then coming back to the original roadway- most likely to provide more scenic byways or to add mileage. We were often able to stop along the way at a cafe to have a drink or dessert or even lunch. I recommend using the ebikes for Holland due to the wind. We had great weather in early/mid- May but missed the blooming tulips. Next time we'll go in April to see the tulips (although the weather might offer more rain). We had beautiful weather with sun and 70 degree days (one into the 80s) with only 1-1/2 days with rain. Loved that someone took our bags on to the hotels for us and the charming B&Bs were luxury. Loved, loved, loved the last B&B (De Zomere) in Bruges. It was quite unique and my sister and her hubby were jealous of the accommodations as they were placed in the non-descript Martin's hotel along with half of Bruges' tourists! I would recommend for future bike tours that you list bringing along some anti-chafing "butter" for your derriere. The upright position of the bikes is a different sensation for those of us used to Road bikes and it made for a few uncomfortable days in the saddle. Overall, a wonderful way to spend part of a vacation.
