First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 28)
- Albania
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- Estonia
- France
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- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
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- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
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★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton 3 months agoBeyond 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
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★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton 3 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
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★★★★★ Roger and Pam Riedel 1 month 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ RS52 July 8, 2019Overall Great Experience from Start to End!!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was our first bike tour as a family, but based on our experience, it won't be our last. Overall, everything went smoothly and was great!! BikeTours was responsive to my many questions and easy to work with. The representative from the tour company brought the bikes and documentation as expected, and was flexible when one bike didn't fit correctly (our error) and needed to be exchanged. Service at every stop was very good to outstanding, and the accommodations were very comfortable and clean without exception! Our luggage was smoothly transported from one day to the next. The bikes were comfortable, and riding along the Danube was really special!
I agree with another reviewer who suggested reading through the touring documents each evening to decide on where to stop the next day. That worked well for us too. We also brought snacks and water, and made a point of stopping regularly, given particularly warm weather. I would also recommend having at least one phone with a GPS application, as finding the specific hotels was sometimes challenging, particularly in the larger cities.
Biking through small cities and towns provided a different type of vacation experience for us, as we are used to visiting larger cities. We really enjoyed seeing the country in this way. I found a few of the longer days of biking to be challenging, but as promised, the path was flat to slightly downhill and we were on bike paths for the majority of the time. Even in Vienna, there were bike lanes in the city to get us to the hotel. The paths were well traveled and always felt safe.
Overall, everything was great and I would do it again in a second!
(There were 4 of us traveling...my husband, me and our 2 children in their early 20's. We really liked the flexibility of being self-guided.)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Just this one
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Trez July 15, 2019
Exceeded our expectations in every way
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Very organized and stress-free. The bikes were excellent, the hotels were great and the orientation meeting the evening before the trip was very beneficial in explaining the details. The variety in hotel styles; from modern to classic at the Schloss was a great way to experience the cities and villages we stayed in.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30- July 06, 2019
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Ricksweetca July 22, 2019
Awesome Adventure
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was a a beautiful ride through mostly flat terrain. I ride a lot and my wife rides a limited amount. She enjoyed this tour so much that she suggested that we do a bike tour next summer also. The lodging was excellent and the food was good to excellent.
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★★★★★ Estrella55 August 1, 2019
Wonderful Family Experience!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
A great way to experience Austria's Danube!
This was a fun family adventure! we were close to nature, met new people, tasted the local food, found camaraderie with fellow travelers! I loved the scenery, I felt safe and free to customize our day as needed. The company was very helpful.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 7 - 14, 2019
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Oldcoupleinlove August 9, 2019
Trip of our lives
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This trip exceeded all expectations. My wife and I gave this to ourselves as an anniversary present, and it was a great choice. We are both in our 60s and reasonably fit, and this tour was at exactly the right pace. All the stops along the Danube were amazing. Passau, Linz, Melk, Tulln and of course, the beautiful city of Vienna. All the hotel arrangements were excellent, the maps and trail guides were good, and the bikes were in great condition. I highly recommend this trip to any couple who needs an adventurous trip that can still be romantic. I especially liked the wine country around Durnstein. We will definitely take more of these bike tours.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 22 to July 30 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Rodhonaker October 11, 2019
Very good bike tour
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Very relaxed enjoyable ride down the Danube. Lots of places to stop for local food and drink. Flat trail all the way from Vienna to Passau and an opportunity to take bikes on ferry boats to shorten the daily travel. Bike tours provided an excellent biking experience and we will likely book another tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug31, 2019 to Sept 12
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ JCost October 26, 2019
Nice ride, great accommodations
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The ride was beautiful in places, often stunning. The accommodations were amazing. Each one different, all of them lovely.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Matt F August 5, 2022
Loved it!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was a fantastic way to see Austria. The hotels were excellent and the food was to die for. No problems at all with bikes, luggage, navigation, or reservations. Stunning views that change with each leg of the trip and excellent opportunities to see some off-the-beaten-path sights. Very much recommend.
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★★★★★ Jason Hartford August 7, 2022
Memorable trip well organized
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had a great experience with Bike Tours. Positive: good communication pre trip and the night before. Good pre-trip description of the hotel locations, hotels, and what to expect from the bikes. Night prior, very good review of what to expect. We rented the premium bikes and glad we did--worked very well. On the tour, very good ideas of what to see, and the distance between towns seemed to be well thought out with the first and last legs the shortest. Hotels were great. A diversity of new and classic and all had more to them than what I expected. Often ate at the hotel restaurants which were very good.
On the negative side, not much. Directions into and out of town accurate except the last leg going into Vienna -- on that one Google maps was much better.
We will definitely do another trip with Bike Tours and even this exact one-- it was memorable and fun and want to experience it with more friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ James Sinnott August 8, 2022
Everything I had hoped for!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
What a great way to see a beautiful part of the world. I had wanted to do this fr nearly 50 years and the E-bikes made it possible. The accomodations were great and bike friendly. Food was always well prepared and tasty. My wife has a very strict vegan diet and all the facilities were aware of it and most helpful. My brother fell and cracked his wrist and the hotel was most helpful and got us to great care. (Note to biker: do not try to take pictures with a phone in the right hand and then try to brake with just the left hand....a go-pro would have been worth it) We extended in Vienna and enjoyed tours there and a day to Budapest.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- one now but 50 years ago my wife and I biked through Southern Norway
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Gary Grellman August 31, 2022
Our 2022 Cycling Adventure
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Overall, we had a wonderful time and have mostly positive, if not effusive, things to say about the trip. The upgraded accommodations met and, in a couple of instances, exceeded our expectations. The premium bikes were in excellent condition and performed exceptionally well. For the most part, the route description was accurate and helpful (with a few exceptions as noted below). The luggage transfer from hotel to hotel was seamless. Our bags were always at each hotel when we arrived at the end of the day's ride. The staff was exceptionally helpful when we decided not to ride one day because of particularly inclement weather. They transferred our bikes to the next hotel while we took a taxi.
Minor Critiques:
1) The meeting with the staff member at the beginning of the ride was not helpful. Firstly, he seemed rushed and came across as if he wanted to get the briefing over with as quickly as possible. He only spent 5 minutes with us. He gave us confusing instructions on how to get out of Passau and was not able to answer questions about how to use and reset the odometer.
2) The directions on how to bike to Ottensheim were incomplete which caused us to unnecessarily cross the river twice.
3) There were two different sets of directions to Hotel Schatzkammer. Furthermore, one incorrectly stated that the bus would pick us up in Grein at 4:35 pm. The actual pickup time is 4:00 pm. We almost missed the bus because of this.
4) The odometer on one of the bicycles did not work.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
