First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 8)
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★★★★★ Richard Butler September 5, 2022Great trip
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Our August trip onboard the Caprice was fantastic. Good weather, a little windy at times, but not many hills. No equipment problems and the boat operated without a flaw (no AC problems, thank God). Guides Helmut and Alex were excellent, as was the assistance of the captain, Filippo. But if you want the best, highest quality cuisine aboard any bike/barge trip...just look to see if Chef Sara is listed. She was exceptional at combining the wines and flavors of Provence with her meals.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ John DesRosier September 28, 2022
First bike trip was a great success
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
We had never been on a bike tour before and absolutely loved the Provence tour. The ebikes made a big difference in making the trip so enjoyable. The food on the boat was excellent night after night and the staff friendly and helpful. Special thanks to Claudia, our tour guide, for making the week wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Nancy Mackay October 12, 2022
Great experience
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
This trip was a wonderful way to see the areas from Aigues Mortes to Avignon with a very experienced guide. Much information was shared with our group that was beyond our expectations. The pace of the daily ride was comfortable and our skilled and enthusiastic cook always had a great treat waiting for us when we arrived back at the boat. The crew on the Caprice are thoughtful and kind and made us feel at ease.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton May 3, 2023
Beyond expectations!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
This slow way of travelling is perfect for savouring Provence on all levels…
Captain Willy and crew were extremely friendly, attentive and helpful. Our bike tour guide Michela was very safety conscious as well as informative and inclusive, all done with her Italian humour! The schedule was packed but never rushed. It helped that our group was cohesive and respectful of each other…and punctual! The food was excellent and our bow berth beyond expectations.
I have already recommended this tour to others!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 22 from Avignon
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Jill Kaufman September 6, 2023
Amazing experience!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The small barge experience turned our group of strangers into good friends; the food was excellent; the routes and countryside beautiful; the tour guide was knowledgeable, skilled, and fun! This tour exceeded our expectations.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late August 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Joanna Havener September 14, 2023
Loved every minute!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Our tour leader was fun, knowledgeable and very safety conscious. The route was almost all flat, only one big climb on Wednesday. The ship's crew was helpful and saw to it that my husband had potato chips in his lunch. They accommodated my wish for vegetarian meals. The small towns were charming and I loved learning about their history. Highly recommend this trip. (My husband and I are in our 70s and the ebikes were a great help to us.)
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ ALEX BERESNIEWICZ October 8, 2024
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
-
★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton 4 months ago
Beyond expectations!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
This slow way of travelling is perfect for savouring Provence on all levels…
Captain Willy and crew were extremely friendly, attentive and helpful. Our bike tour guide Michela was very safety conscious as well as informative and inclusive, all done with her Italian humour! The schedule was packed but never rushed. It helped that our group was cohesive and respectful of each other…and punctual! The food was excellent and our bow berth beyond expectations.
I have already recommended this tour to others!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 22 from Avignon
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton 4 months ago
Beyond expectations!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
This slow way of travelling is perfect for savouring Provence on all levels…
Captain Willy and crew were extremely friendly, attentive and helpful. Our bike tour guide Michela was very safety conscious as well as informative and inclusive, all done with her Italian humour! The schedule was packed but never rushed. It helped that our group was cohesive and respectful of each other…and punctual! The food was excellent and our bow berth beyond expectations.
I have already recommended this tour to others!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 22 from Avignon
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Roger and Pam Riedel 3 months ago
We all enjoyed everything about our trip!!!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
We absolutely enjoyed our stay on the Caprice. Georgio was our guide and I don't think we could have enjoyed anyone better. He is very knowledgeable and witty! We would love to ride another tour with him in the future. We were a group of 5 and we all had the best experience. The Caprice staff treated us very well. The ship was always clean and comfy. The post ride snacks were perfect after riding in 97-degree weather every day. All the food was more than we expected, and we were thrilled with the vegetarian options for those of us that are veggie preferred people!
Still going thru all the photos and reliving the trip. We made great memories and hope to meet up with Georgio again in the near future. Thank you all for this very memorable trip.- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Easy cycler July 15, 2016Beautiful Bavarian countryside
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
Each day was a unique experience. Starting with the Danube path, then the lush fields and rocky backdrop of the Altmuhl valley, and the ferry rides along the Danube gorge and the canal. The villages along the way were so picturesque.
The maps and descriptions provided us with a wonderful guide to the sights along the way. The hotels were comfortable, centrally located, and very helpful about what to see and good restaurants for dinner. Our overnights were in towns with rich history and traditions, and there were always interesting spots to stop along the way.
We finished the tour knowing that we would like to go back.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 27, 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ THB123 July 13, 2017
Great first-time bike tour
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
We went on this tour with our 9- and 12-year-old boys. It was an adventure at times, but everyone loved it.
We averaged about 36 miles per day, with the longest ride 43 miles. With a couple exceptions (detour on second day; climb to scenic vista on beginning of third day), the route was generally flat and easy to ride. Outside of towns, the route follows dedicated bike paths and quiet roads. There were a couple spots, both at Danube river crossings that we found a bit intimidating with the kids, but they were ultimately no problem. With our stops and side trips, we typically had long days (arriving at hotel between 4:30 and 6 or 7), but the rides were not overly taxing physically.
The scenery was interesting and the towns were charming. Not too many other tourists on the route or in the towns during the week, but on Friday and Saturday there more tourists, mainly Germans cyclists, kayakers, hikers. A couple of the hotels were outstanding, a couple others were merely acceptable. We had quad rooms everywhere, except one hotel provided adjoining double. Included continental breakfasts were good, more or less as expected. Luggage was picked up from and delivered to the next hotel each day without problem.
Bikes were about as expected, but could have been better. A bit heavy, and could have used tune ups. We did have a flat tire, and the included tools were sufficient to get the tire changed (which we had never done before).
Signs were typically excellent, but there were a couple missing signs. It is helpful to know when you are following a long-distance or primary bike route (shown on area maps provided) because there's additional signs. For the most part, following bike route signs to the next town was sufficient. We missed turns a few times, but we got better at reading the maps and following the routes after the first day or so.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/26 to 7/2/2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ jhnyc September 22, 2018
Fantastic!
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
My 10 year old nephew and I had a wonderful ride through the Altmuehl Valley. The riding was safe (almost entirely on bike paths) and very doable for a 10 year old. Beautiful scenery every day and plenty of fun things to explore along the way. The hotels were quaint and lovely - all offered great breakfasts to get us started each day. The bikes were nice and maps generally very helpful. I would definitely book another trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ RonC July 3, 2016Beautiful Country, Food and Wine Outstanding
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Easy ride along bike paths. Time to view castles, churches, and vineyards along the way. Met interesting fellow travelers from Australia and New Zealand. Saarburg was a great place to explore before the tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 18-25
- How many tours have you completed?
- Three
- 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
-
★★★★★ Debi October 3, 2016
Wonderful trip
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Great boat staff and excellent dinners, wonderful scenery, excellent on board guide. Overall a great trip. I would highly recommend this trip if you want to see beautiful German villages, wine country, biking along a lovely river and learning German history.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 17-24
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ PattyN October 18, 2016
Mosel Wine and Cake
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
The staff on the boat spoke English and most, including our guide were completely fluent. Language was not an issue. The food was varied and healthy, although favorite part of the services onboard was tea and cake at 3pm. Although they were comfortable to sit on, the bicycles were quite heavy. Not a big deal on the flat route we were biking, but they did require more effort to pedal than I would have preferred.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- Scores
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Granny on Wheels November 27, 2017
Saarburg to Koblenz Great Trip
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
A great way to get out and explore Germany and suitable for all levels of fitness. The staff was very friendly, caring and well organised, speaking English and German. Our October trip was a little wet but still beautiful....the colours of the Autumn Fall were spectacular. Riding through the quiet streets of the villages along the Moselle was like taking a step back in time. A great way to get a feel of Europe past and present. The meals and afternoon teas were amazing. Although the boat is old, it is well kept and extremely clean. Our bedding was much more comfortable than I expected judging from the photos and we slept well...no noises at night. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and felt very safe. Would highly recommend this trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 21 - 28th October 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ MarcieB July 6, 2018
Life on a Mosel/Saar River Barge is good!
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Not our first self-guided bike tour, BUT our first barge/bike "all inclusive" ride. We loved it. The barge rooms were small, but clean. The on-board meals and "make your own lunch from breakfast buffet offerings" were excellent! Kudos to the chef of the MS Patria. Staff from Czech Republic and Poland were hard working and friendly. Dagomar, the activities director, was enthusiastic and dedicated to making sure everyone was taken care of. Seating assignments in dining room were well thought out, placing the two of us (Oregon) with traveling relatives from BC. The rest of the table consisted of a group of eight Danish folks who spoke English! Bikes were 7-speed models and with a headwind, I was regretting not having an e-bike. Live and learn. Excursions/field trips were interesting and offered cultural highlights. The Mosel/Saar River valleys are simply breathtaking. There was a mix-up the day of our arrival in Koblenz, as we had not received the e-mail regarding the change in mooring. Our German friend was able to call the Harbormaster to locate the MS Patria, and after a rather long walk pulling our suitcases, we located a small local ferry that took us to the opposite shore (Rhine) where we boarded the boat. I don't think I would have thought to call the Harbormaster, and my husband's phone (with contact info) was out of battery power. Technology! All's well that end's well.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 16, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our NINTH tour!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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
-
★★★★★ Karin September 15, 2018
LIVE AND LOCAL
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Going with my group made a big difference - we didn't always cycle together, but knowing there were others on the trail helped! Scenery, countryside, conviviality were awesome. Accommodations were spartan, but the meals were terrific, the crew excellent and the experience more than worthwhile. Recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 1-8 Sep 2018
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Joyce September 18, 2018
The Mosel Valley Bike & Barge adventure is a perfect combination of stunning scenery, exercise and wine!
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Excellent help from the BikeTours.com staff – especially Liv! Comfortable accommodations aboard the MS Patria, delicious food, staff exceeded all expectations, bikes were good, pedaling was easy, scenery beautiful, route went thru interesting and historic villages and cities. With a group of 29, there was something for everyone – every day – and no complaints from anyone!
BTC staff review “Liv helped our group of 29 get booked……and was accommodating with every change and request along the way. Everyone thought a group that large would be impossible to book…but, Liv made it easy!- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 1 - Sept 8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
