First Timers Bike Tour Reviews (page 23)
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★★★★★ Rachel Swerdlow April 13, 2023Gorgeous 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
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★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton 12 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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★★★★★ Bruce 11 months agoEarly Season Trip
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This bike route is in a gorgeous area of Europe and VERY POPULAR, even during Season B. During high season, the paths around Lake Constance must be like L.A. during rush hour traffic! The pathways are a mixture and dedicated for bicyclists, shared with pedestrians, shared with slow moving traffic and through busy towns and quiet villages. It's mostly paved and the scenery is generally good to great. You pass through some limited commercial/industrial areas. Be alert for packs of fast paced road bikers and keep to the right, thus allowing them to retain high speeds as they are training for imaginary slots in the Tour de France. Some e-bikers are in fast mode as well.
If traveling by train in Germany to/from Konstanz, the DB Navigator smartphone application is good. The initial/last accommodation, Hotel Halm, is located perfectly across the street from the bahnhof in Konstanz. You are given a local transit pass (that you've paid for indirectly), which allows you to hop on bus #6 at the bahnhof and puts you within about two blocks of the bike shop, where you will gather your rigs. Staff are great at the bike shop. Riding from the shop back to the hotel is easy and mostly on a bike path. Taking a taxi to the bike shop is spendy despite the short distance.
The bikes are heavy, entirely suitable and well maintained. They have a much higher center of gravity than typical bikes and are like a supertanker as to maneuvering in tight quarters. Adjust your riding style, mounting/dismounting techniques accordingly.
The mapping is inadequate. Refresh your vocabulary in advance. We loaded an inexpensive Airalo e-sim good for the region, is inexpensive (3 GB data, $13) and valuable. There were some cell phone dead zones, however. Almost all locals were more than helpful in redirecting us to the proper pathways. Adopt the concept of when first lost, immediately ask for help. Of note: departing Konstanz and staying on the bike route was a PITA. The same for transiting Radolzell.
The hotels were fine and served good to excellent breakfasts. Also provided is secure storage for bikes each night. How all bikes are stored during high season must require significant imagination by hotel staff. Two hotels were less than ideal as to locations, including Parkhotel St. Leonhard, which is on the edge of town and high on a bluff. The other is Hotel Restaurant Seegarten in Arbon, and located well away from the town and restaurants.
Staff at Bike Tours are superior...thanks for helping book this trip! Tip: membership in Adventure Cycling gains you a discount.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2023.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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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★★★★★ Stephanie St Cyr 11 months ago
Spectacular! We would do it all over again tomorrow
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
The perfect way to experience the plethora of quaint villages and perfect towns surrounding the lake. We would have done it all over again if we could have. The accommodations were perfect, luggage transport was seamless, breakfasts were delicious and bike paths were plentiful along the way. We will be doing another trek next year and another the year after.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- 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, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Bridget Harron 11 months ago
My first bike trip -definitely not my last!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
What a blast!! Great way to spend time with family. Such a friendly vacation spot. We had a little trouble losing the bike trail through the towns along the way -but clearly our lack of map-reading skills.
- What was the date of your tour?
- may 4, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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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★★★★★ Marion Van Kirk 11 months agoBeautiful Austria and Germany
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
Biking was more difficult than expected. Luckily the women had e-bikes. Most of the hotels were excellent and food was great. Trip started in Neukirchen am Grossvenediger instead of Krimml due to closed hotels. The hotel in vicinity of Burghausen was too far from the town to be able to enjoy the beautiful city and castle and this was a huge disappointment since there were 3 other hotels within the city.
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★★★★★ Joseph Tevaarwerk 11 months ago
Very nice trip and well organized. We have planned another one as well
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We had a great time on this bike trip. The routes were clearly planned and the hotels were great with very good beds and excellent breakfast. The bike rental place was very well organized with very pleasant technicians to help getting the correct adjustments. Our bikes were both nearly new (2022 and 2023). We had no snafus at all.
One suggestion: allow for at least two extra days after the ride to visit some of the sites that take more time. For example we did have one day left to visit the Pfahlenbauten Museum. We went by ferry across Lake Constance and spend nearly 4 hours at the museum, a very pleasant day. I would have liked a similar day to visit the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen and then visit Insel Mainau, but we were out of time. A lesson for next time.
We visited some beautiful places but the one that capped it all was from the top of a castle in Ueberlingen. It was just gorgeous.- What was the date of your tour?
- April 23-29
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Sandra Babich 11 months agoGreat Trip
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
This was a perfect way to see parts of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia. Everything is very well organized and there is the freedom to leave the boat and cycle at own pace following the well laid out bike trails. The food on the boat was very good, staff were very courteous and always helpful, and our room was clean. We added extra time to our trip in Vienna because there is so much to see. Would also be a good idea for Budapest. Even though we had a considerable amount of rain and some flooding on our trails it was still a great adventure and enjoyable trip. Our boat was recently renovated and that was a bonus.
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★★★★★ Geri Lincoln 11 months agoWonderful trip
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had an amazing time, our accomodations were eclectic and diverse which we appreciated. Tour book was well researched and informative. The ground handler that gave us our bikes was not very well informed and did not give any options, tools or advise for fitting the bikes correctly, we had no issues but some others, especially those on ebikes were not well served. GPS routing would be an excellent addition to the books provided. Hotel Donauschlinge seemed to be having a bad day and the restaurant staff was obviously rude to those of us without German language skills. All in all, very well done. Having only two experiences that were less than perfect for an 8 day tour is a job well done!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Kathy Jones 11 months ago
Wonderful Experience
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
The staff were very attentive to customer service. The boat was impressive & the cabins were always clean. The scenery was spectacular.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 11, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- First tour
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Todd Pulley 11 months ago
Beautiful countryside
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
This was a beautiful ride. There were two distinct parts of the trip, each with their own character. The first 3 days we rode through a variety of alpine landscapes... wide valleys, small villages, along crashing rivers, through narrow canyons and past lovely farms. Everything was pristine and with fantastic views. We finished that portion with a ride into Salzburg, where we spent an extra day. Good decision. Lots to see and do. We attended a Mozart concert high in the fortress and felt like it was a highlight of the trip. Recommend the SteiglKeller for lunch or dinner. Great views of the city. The second half from Salzburg to Passau was different ... flatter, less scenic, but had its own charm. Riding along the river was relaxing. The little towns were interesting, and the overnight stops were great. Again, lots to see and do along the way. A word of warning: the route coming into Salzburg is very confusing. Use your GPS on your phone for this section. Only glitch in the trip... our bags did not show up until 10 pm one night and not at all the next night (placed in a storage closet where no one thought to look. Very inconvenient, in that no we could not get anyone on the phone to address the problem. Also, if you are a cyclist, ask lots of questions about the bikes that they are supplying.
Overall, great trip and would highly recommend.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was our second
- 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
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★★★★★ Abdulla Alhebsi 11 months agoFirst bike trip
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Perfect trip in perfect time, highly recommended.
Started from Passau to vienna. Will be good to book extra night in Passau- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from jan May 26, 2023
Very cool pics! Thanks for your business.
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★★★★★ Christopher McAdam 11 months agoFantastic Ride
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
Loved the hotels loved the ride, loved the all day everyday view. We really like seeing and going through the little alpine towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6th
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Patricia Rose 11 months agoBucket List to Bruges
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
A beautiful way to truly see the Netherlands! Our self-guided group of eight cyclists pedaled from Amsterdam to Bruges. Pleased how everything flowed so seamlessly. The bicycles, panniers, GPS and route maps provided by Tulip Cycling were top notch. Would recommend this tour for any level of cycling.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Five
- 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?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ Christine 11 months ago
Fabulous trip!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We upgraded to e-bikes at the last minute and we’re glad we did since we had a 20 mph headwind the first three days. The bikes were a blast! Lovely scenery, good written directions and the app was useful too. The hotels were all very good, from rustic to lavish in Durnstein. We did our trip in late May, weather was great and the trail was not crowded. We found great outdoor restaurants for lunch every day. Some of these were recommended in the informational materials which was very helpful!
We loved our trip and highly recommend it!!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first bike tour
- 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
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★★★★★ Christine 11 months ago
Fabulous trip!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We upgraded to e-bikes at the last minute and we’re glad we did since we had a 20 mph headwind the first three days. The bikes were a blast! Lovely scenery, good written directions and the app was useful too. The hotels were all very good, from rustic to lavish in Durnstein. We did our trip in late May, weather was great and the trail was not crowded. We found great outdoor restaurants for lunch every day. Some of these were recommended in the informational materials which was very helpful!
We loved our trip and highly recommend it!!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first bike tour
- 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
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★★★★★ Geraldine Donato 10 months ago
Couldn’t have been better!
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
We did a self-guided tour with a 2-hour “tutorial” from Peter of Tulip Tours before we started out. He made sure we were fit properly to our bikes and understood everything about the navigation system so our ride was seamless! We planned an extra night in a couple of cities so we could enjoy more of the local activities and food (!) and decided to do more of that on our next tour. All the hotels were located convenient to town centers except the water hotel in Dordrecht, which was uniquely wonderful. Thank you to Tulip Tours for a wonderful biking experience in Holland and Belgium!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ John Whitworth 10 months ago
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had a fantastic week biking and exploring the towns and cities along the Danube in Austria. All of the accommodation and dinners that were booked for us by BikeTours.com were fantastic and certainly lived up to the "upscale lodging" description. They also did a fantastic job moving our luggage between our hotel making that process seamless. Would more than recommend this trip to anyone, also early June turned out to be a fantastic time to do this trip as we had perfect weather and beautiful spring flowers everywhere.
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★★★★★ Karen Goodkin 10 months ago
Water, windmills and tall skinny houses
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Loved everything about this trip. The route took us through beautiful areas, all avoiding cars and large roads. Accommodations were excellent and the choice of towns and small cities for overnight stays were charming and worth our while. Distinctive too. Bikes were incredible! All in all, an excellent bike trip.
