First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)
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★★★★★ Yuvi September 3, 2017· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8/29-9/3
- 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?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ Aussie jeff August 8, 2017
Top planning and execution
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
Perfect route to see Hungary and the elements of country\villages
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ Icebikers August 8, 2017
Hungary was on my list, cycling is good way to travel there!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
The tour was wery well organized and a great way to see and visit many places. I did like very much the vine farms and restaurants on my bike tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 1. July to 8. July 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ peyster June 30, 2017
I am 68, don't bike much, and loved the experience.
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
The tour was all that I had hoped for.
I picked this tour in part because I am 68 years old and, because of where I live, don't bike much. I went self guided partly so as to not hold up a group. As it turned out the riding was no problem. The longest day was 50 K, and while there were some hills, nothng arduous. So my main consideration turned out not to be an issue and everything else was fantastic.
The highlights, apart from the scenery, were the accommodations, the food, and the guys who ran the tour. The places we stayed, especially the Grand Anna Hotel, were outstanding. The breakfasts and food we ate on the way were what you would expect in Hungary: and since we were riding, we felt free to eat all we wanted. The tour operators were like friends or family; they couldn't do enough.
My wife fell ill on the fourth riding day - not sure why, but those things happen when you travel and eat and drink freely. The host who would normally transport the baggage took her and her bike to the last two hotels and also took her to a doctor and got her a priscription.
The biking might be too easy for someone more fit than I, but we were given good maps and could have explored all of the countryside we desired.
We flew to Budapest five days before the tour started and took the train to Veszprem. Budapest merits at least that much time, and getting the train is a piece of cake.
I don't make many good decisions, but taking this tour was one of my best- What was the date of your tour?
- June 4, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Two and RAGBRAI
- 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?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ Agnes June 14, 2016
Best girls biking trip to date!!!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
This bike tour far exceeded our expectations. Our guides Gabor, Kornel and Akos were amazing. They treated us like royalty, the food was delicious, the wine tasting was great and the cycling was awesome. Hungary is a beautiful country and Gabor taught us so much about it's history. It is so nice to have all your meals and wine included. We had so much fun that is was very hard to say goodbye on our last day. I have done cycling tours in many countries and this is by far the best. Keep up the good work Gabor, don't change a thing!!! I highly recommend this tour to everyone!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ NancyR June 11, 2016
Fantastic trip with great biking and wine
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
This was a great way to explore Lake Balaton. Our guides were knowledgable, caring, and flexible. The biking was safe, the wine tours fun, the food and hotels beyond expectations. Learnt lots about the region and the history of Hungary.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25-June 1/16
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ MeliBoiles October 19, 2015
This tour was absolutely as dreamy as described!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
Our family of four (age 68, 55, 26 and 24) from Nacogdoches, Texas took this tour and will remember it dreamily for the rest of our lives. It was our "last hurrah" before 20-something kids got married and started having kids. Our personable tour directors picked us up in Budapest and took us off to our starting point in Veszprem--a gorgeous medieval town with colorful skyline. Every day we had a manageable ride--even for 68 year old dad--giving us wonderful lunch stop suggestions, and winery options. Take the guides' suggestions--they are awesome places! We were definitely off the beaten path, with villages along cobblestone Roman roads and dedicated bike paths most of the way. Hotels were small but elegant and the breakfasts and dinners very nice with quality local wines included. We were given bikes in good condition and a well-programmed GPS that allowed our son to guide us along the way through the quiet countryside, many times with lake views of Balaton. The trip put this beautiful country on the map for us, along with empathy for its history and people and all the trials they have survived. We chose this tour because it was one of the more affordable ones, but it left us with a lifetime of rich experience.
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our only one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ Sue L 15 hours agoBrilliantly organized, fabulous, interesting route
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
A huge thanks for a fabulous trip! Pieter patiently spent over an hour at the start of the trip explaining the finer details of the bike’s operation and security guidelines and the ride with gps app was the perfect way to provide autonomy without having the hassle of working out your own route. The route was interesting and varied with each night spent in a charming town oozing character but away from the main tourist traps. The luggage transfer was perfectly executed and Pieter checked in regularly to make sure everything was okay. Bravo and merci! Highly recommend and would happily do another trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 24
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Stephanie L. 1 month ago
Excellent Tour
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
A cycling tour of South Holland was an excellent way to experience the beauty of the Netherlands. The routes showcased a stunning variety of landscapes, including canals, cities, windmills, farms, ferry crossings, and coastal sand dunes. The modern hotels offered warm welcomes and hearty breakfasts, making the journey both comfortable and enjoyable. Highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2025
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Ben Goebel 7 months ago
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
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★★★★★ Rachel Swerdlow April 13, 2023
Gorgeous flat bike trip!
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
We thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Adorable and interesting towns. We didn't have enough time to see and do everything there was to see and do. Hotels were charming. Great breakfast every morning. Recommend highly.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ Julane July 28, 2019
Holland is better by bike!
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
We combined this tour with the Best of Holland North tour (Dutch Villages, Landscapes, and the Keukenhof), starting in Utrecht and ending in Amersfoort. The owners of Tulip Cycling, Peter Vos and Liesbeth van Vulpen, did a fabulous job arranging charming and centrally located accommodations and providing excellent bikes with spot-on GPS routing. These two tours offered everything (and more) of what you expect to see in Holland: windmills, tulips, quaint towns, history, art, architecture. We recommend doing these tours in April when tulip, daffodil and hyacinth fields are in peak bloom and the Keukenhof is open.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Murphycreek September 18, 2018
Can't think of a better way to see Holland
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
We did this tour in late August, 2018. We are reasonably fit early 70 year olds from California. Neither of us had been on a bicycle in years. We loved it. Some observations:
-Probably the best, unique thing was the route. We were given a little GPS thing that told us where to go, turn by turn. It didn't just go from A to B. It took us through charming town centers, on farm roads through the polders, along rivers and canals, by windmills, through North Sea dunes, through tiny villages and suburbs. Even through an industrial park (think bulb and flower industries).
-The hotels ranged from very charming to just fine, and all were within a stroll of the heart of town.
-The bicycles were top notch, like new, lovingly maintained.
-The distances were just right. At the end of each day, we felt exercised but hardly exhausted, and deeply appreciated a cold beer.
-The weather was good. Pleasantly warm, some sun and some overcast. It started to rain just once, and around the next bend was an appealing hotel with a good lunch.
-We liked Peter-the-bike-guy very much. He has a stringy tour de France look, speaks excellent Euro-English, gave us clear, concise instruction on how to do things, and was amusing. Also, he was quite gracious when we told him about the bike falling into the canal.
-If we were doing the trip again (or knew beforehand what we know now), we would have made one change. We would have arranged to stay two nights in Gouda and Delft, and would have arrived a day earlier in Utrecht (we did stay an extra day in Leiden). This would have allowed us to spend time with the museums and other charms of these wonderful cities.
-Finally, we loved being immersed in Dutch bike culture. Everybody bikes, bikes are everywhere, isolated bike lanes go most places, cars respect bike rights, and oh-by-the-way people looked conspicuously leaner than in the rest of Europe, let alone in America.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 19
- 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?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ Juls September 5, 2018
Fantastic family trip!
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
Our family of 4 (2 parents, 2 teenagers) had an absolutely wonderful time exploring Holland on bike. This trip was our first trial of a family biking trip, and we’re hooked! The routes took us through incredibly picturesque fields and towns, riding along canals while seeing windmills and farms and cottages galore! Each night we’d arrive in a different enchanting town. Peter of Tulip Tours was terrific - he was waiting for us at our first hotel and made sure we were comfortable on our bicycles (which were quite nice) and understood the GPS and had all of the information we’d need to manage our self-guided tour. We highly recommend this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Early August
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ TooTall6foot7 May 15, 2018
Great trip!
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
Our trip was fantastic! Our local tour provider at Tulip Cycling, Peter Vos, couldn’t have been better. The bikes were brand new, the Garmin GPS worked perfectly and the routes and hotels he selected were awesome. The Belvedere Hotel in Schoonhoven was especially memorable. This was truly a trip of a lifetime that we hope is repeated soon! Thanks to Bike Tours for making it happen! We will be booking with you again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 21 to April 26
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Suekimnye September 19, 2017
Everything was perfect
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
This was a well thought out route. The hotels were all all interesting and unique. We loved the cities we visited and the sites were amazing.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 5 - 10
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ kellyandvicky July 8, 2019Well-planned tour that showed the best of Holland!
· Cycling the Dutch Countryside from Zaandam to Kampen
We had a wonderful trip through the northern coastal areas of Holland; the route was perfect and the hotels were excellent. More specific to our situation: our children (3 and 5) got a little bored after too much time on the bike, but that is not a fault of the tour operators. I suspect that we are in the minority in terms of age range?
Having said that, we had a wonderful time and experienced so many things that we know our children (and us!) will remember throughout our lives. Beautiful scenery, friendly people, comfortable accommodations, and the amazing cycling experience that is Holland. I would recommend doing this tour in combination with 1-2 full days in the larger cities so that you get the experience of the smaller towns (and daily life in Holland) in combination with the excitement and sights of the metropolitan areas.
Specific to cycling: the itinerary and cycling routes were perfect; the tour operators have clearly researched the best paths to take through the country. Coming from the chaotic mess of cycling in America, we were very happy to ride with our children along the suggested routes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ like2bike June 22, 2018
Outstanding Tour Operator, Lovely trip in the Netherlands
· Cycling the Dutch Countryside from Zaandam to Kampen
We have been on around 8 bike trips and speaking from experience, Tulip Cycling is top notch/one of the best, if not the best. Peter provided all that was needed for an excellent adventure. Peter was friendly, positive, and he was meticulous in ensuring that the cyclists have a positive experience. He takes care of each group of cyclists, on an individual basis, so that each group gets the attention that they need to operate the Garmin device.
Positives:
* GPS/Garmin navigation, so you can simply rely on the Garmin to direct you. This is very useful, since there are so many opportunities to turn the wrong way in the Netherlands. Using a Garmin made a huge difference.* Detailed maps in case you get lost (we didn't).
* Ability to contact tour operator any time. Individualized service, including an interview at the end of the trip.
* Bikes were excellent, well maintained, locks worked well, breakdown assistance was available.
* We got really bad colds/bronchitis on day 3 of the trip, and we couldn't bike for the rest of the trip. But the trip wasn't over--we took buses and trains to get to each hotel, which worked out well. Peter brought our bikes to each hotel, in case we might want to use them. Incredible extra service!
* Hotels were excellent, and they were at or near the town centers. This is an important point--many other tour operators book top notch hotels outside of town. Being at the center of town, you can easily explore the town and select a suitable place for dinner. Also, most of the hotels had charm/grandeur and many were high end establishments. They were each unique and were not mainstream establishments.
* This tour is excellent. The tour takes you to small charming villages/cities in the Netherlands, heading north of Amsterdam. This is an excellent tour if you want to avoid large cities and traffic. The charming towns and villages were each unique and there was much to see and explore. A lovely trip, we would highly recommend this tour. The route was flat and landscapes were nice. The route was designed well to avoid traffic.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ Paula Renwick 9 months agoJust stunning scenery and a great bike adventure
· Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes
Just loved cycling the romantic road. Acconodation were good, the scenery was spectacular. There was only one place are stayed with air conditioning. It was very hot at night so had trouble sleeping. Ask the breakfasts were great. The APP was amazing, made it very easy to find your way. So much to see and do just a brilliant time had but us. Bikes were comfortable and the panniers were fabulous for sorting extra gear. Briefing was good, however my bike didn't have some issues even before we started and Thomas had no tool kit with him and couldn't adjust our bikes. Bags picked to and delivered waiting for when we arrived.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5 plus
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Pedalann June 5, 2016
A wonderful way to discover old Holland
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
This tour focused on the historic cities of Utrecht, Schoonhoven, Gouda, Delft and Leiden. Mr. Vos from Tulip Cycling met us at our hotel in Utrecht with the bicycles, maps, GPS and lots of helpful information. It was my first time using a GPS to navigate a bicycle ride and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In fact, I'm not certain we would have been able to do the trip as comfortably without it.
The hotels chosen by Tulip Cycling were located close to or in the old parts of the cities making it easy for us to walk around, visit museums and just enjoy the streets and canals of these old towns. The routes between the cities took us past interesting sites and through beautiful nature areas. I was happy that we had planned an extra day in Utrecht and in Leiden - and I was sorry the tour was so short.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 17 - 21, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- At least 15 of this type.
- 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?
- Holland
