First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 5)
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★★★★★ BruceB September 24, 2017Really great trip
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
We loved Hungary, it is a beautiful part of the world and riding through the countryside and winelands was just the break we needed. The bike tour organisation was great (we went self guided), the bikes were very well maintained and our hotels were perfect. What I enjoyed most was the food - we elected to go with the package inclusive of dinner. I would highly recommend this tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7 September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
-
★★★★★ Pamela Jo June 22, 2018
Wonderful experience
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
We had a great time in Hungary. Gabor is a terrific host even for a self guided ride. great cycling and even better wine!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
-
★★★★★ clk14 September 7, 2018
Beautiful and relaxing trip!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
The Balaton is a beautiful area to bike in and to vacation where the Hungarians vacation. Hotel Olivia and the town of Veszprém were perfect places to start and end the trip and we had perfect timing with a weeklong jazz festival occurring on both our start and finish evenings in Veszprém. We liked the Anna Grand Hotel but loved the rest of the hotels and had many wonderful dinners. We chose to go unguided because this summer we needed/wanted to relax and go at our own pace. If you want lots of activities and wine tasting, then go for the guided tours--based on our experience with the tour company, we expect the guided tours would be wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
-
★★★★★ Ro Riders June 14, 2019
Ro's Riders: Our Wonderful Journey
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
I want to start with appreciation for our in country tour operator. Gabor and his team went out of their way to make us feel at home (historical briefing, welcome drink, bottle of wine) in his country and to administer to all of our needs. (the weather was so bad one day (rain, 25 mile per hour winds, cold) that he arranged transportation to get us from one hotel to another). The countryside was beautiful and the route was easy to follow. The availability of bike paths for most of the trip was an added benefit. Very little road travel. The accommodations were well situated and excellent. The meal plan that we chose was a life saver. The food was very good and after a long ride, it's nice to have a drink, relax and eat in one place. We spent one night at a winery and that was special. We tasted all their varieties and then had the best meal of the trip. Having the opportunity to talk with the staff in a home setting was also special. The length and level of difficulty was as advertised and did not exhaust our 70 something group.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 12-19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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
-
★★★★★ Marce August 8, 2019
Everything we were hoping for.
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
We both loved this trip great biking, lodging wine and food
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 19-26
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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
-
★★★★★ Marce August 9, 2019
wonderful trip
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
Great experience, upscale accommodations, inviting and easy country to visit, stunning hillside vineyard scenery and lakeside vacation activity at once elegant, lively and easy going.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 21 -28
- How many tours have you completed?
- only 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?
- Hungary
-
★★★★★ Boise cyclist October 2, 2019
Hidden Gem!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
What a great trip - Gabor was an amazing host and guide. Bright, entertaining and so knowledgable about the history and culture of the area. Food and wine were plentiful and delicious. The scenery was wonderful, biking through the vineyards and along the lakeside delightful at a leisurely pace on great bike paths and low traffic roads. The hotel selections were great and the local people we met all gracious and friendly. The E-bike option makes this tour a really easy cruising pace, but is not necessary, as the mileage distances and routes never felt excessive. Our entire group of mixed level cyclists all handled the routes without difficulty. The highlight for me was Gabor's knowledge of his country. Every day we were treated to detailed discussions about the sites we visited as well as insight into the history, culture and economics of the area, both from his perspective and also that of his parents and grandparent's generation's experiences. Gave me new appreciation for the complex history of Hungary. Heartily recommend the guided version of this trip. Thanks Gabor!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12-15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
-
★★★★★ PattyN October 4, 2019
Wine, Food and Culture - and a Bit of Biking
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
This was an amazing tour of the high quality food and wine in Hungary's Balaton region. There was a bit of biking involved, but mostly that was just to get to the next fabulous meal and wine cellar. My group also enjoyed the castles, monasteries and churches along the route, and Gabor's explanation of how they fit into Hungary's history and his family's experiences.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- hundreds
- 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
-
★★★★★ Gudrun Agisdottir October 1, 2023
Great trip 👌
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
Beatyful landscape very good food and wines ? hotels was charming.
Nice whether rain for one day maby better to come week earlier. All the information that we got in the beginning was perfect thanks Gàbor Zàvodi for all your help.- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
-
★★★★★ Gudrun Agisdottir October 6, 2023
Nice trip 👌
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
Very beatyful landscape all the hotel was and the local vine was so good.
Gàbor our guide was so nice and helpful.- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
-
★★★★★ Becca August 26, 2017Dolomite Area Bike
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
Varied rides with extensions for adding more sites and miles. Great local company. Bikes are best for easy bike rides. Adding all extensions to day ride made it better for us. FYI, there are two names for everything here. One in German, one Italian. The culture and food is mostly German. This trip begins in Niederdorf/Villabassa, not Toblach/Dobbiaco. That was confusing and biketours.com should update that.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Dotty October 12, 2019
Our favorite bike trip ever!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
This was a beautiful bike tour on bike paths of the Dolomites. So nice to not have to navigate on busy roads. Each day we either started or ended with a shuttle or train. Some of the paths were paved, others were gravel. Spectacular mountain scenery.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/15/19 - 9/20/19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Daniel Villegas June 22, 2023
Great rides, not so great organization
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The rides to beautiful valleys was amazing and very enjoyable. The company FunActive was not well organized in terms of transfers to start or end points. Bicycles required better maintenance and bicycles were misplaced by the company on the first day. In hindsight if I was to do this again, I would book my own hotel, rent the bikes for a week and do the routes independently.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Linda Croft September 23, 2023
A Scenic Paradise
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
What an outstanding cycling paradise! The Dolomites are breathtaking. The bike tour operator in Italy was fabulous. I rented an e-bike and it was brand new! The information package was well organized and the trail maps were great. I had no problems with the shuttle on the day I took it. The cycling paths were very well marked with no question as to which way to my destination. The hotel was beyond expectations! I stayed in Dobbiaco at Hotel Laurin’s. The staff were fabulous. The breakfasts were delicious and the 5 course dinner was outstanding every night! The garden, spa and pool area were so relaxing. The value for a solo traveller like myself was unbelievable. I highly recommend this trip!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Lisa LeRoy June 10, 2024
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
-
★★★★★ Elizabeth Brehaut June 17, 2024
Good 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
-
★★★★★ Susan Roberts 12 months ago
Terrific!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The hotel was very convenient except for not having an elevator. Breakfast bar and 5 course dinners were excellent. All 5 bike routes and surfaces were good to excellent. Transportation was excellent. The weather was perfect and the mountain scenery was spectacular!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Susan Roberts 12 months ago
Terrific!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The hotel was very convenient except for not having an elevator. Breakfast bar and 5 course dinners were excellent. All 5 bike routes and surfaces were good to excellent. Fun Active transportation was excellent. The weather was perfect and the mountain scenery was spectacular!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Allan Starr 12 months ago
Enjoyed staying in one hotel for the week
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
Since we are all paying the same price for the tour, I was disappointed that we all didn’t get the route package as there was only one per room. I shared a room with a friend and we both didn’t ride at the same time and the same speed and there were times when we were separated and missed the correct trail directions because of lack of route information. The local tour company would not supply emergency repair tools if there was a flat tire while we were in an area that was not accessible to contact anyone for help. Since we had ebike’s we asked to coverer the digital display and phone, but they didn’t supply a phone holder for the bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ ShopTherapy 12 months ago
Stunning Views
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
This was our first biking trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. No problems with the ebikes although we were concerned that tools and a flat repair kit were not included. Appreciated the pannier to carry our stuff. App worked well at guiding us, just a few wrong turns. The packet with maps and history of sites was great. The Hotel Hubertushof was charming. It was about a mile from the center of town. Staff was friendly and efficient, and the multi-course dinners were a nice ending to each day. Highly recommend this trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
