France  Bike Tour Reviews (page 12)

  • Bruges to Paris
    (3/5) JEC65 June 25, 2018

    A different biking experience

    · · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)

    Thirteen days of easy to moderate biking. The crew were friendly and helpful. The food was excellent! Lots of extra sightseeing excursions to choose from. Very old boat with very small cabins was the only drawback but price was reasonable.Generally the routes were on quiet roads on all types of surfaces.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 9-23
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    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?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Belgium, France
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 1/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 2/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Gnat June 21, 2018

    Fabulous trip

    · · Bordeaux by Bike and Boat: Castets-en-Dorthe to Libourne (and reverse)

    Our boat-bike trip was wonderful. The bike guide paced the day perfectly; he had stops planned for food and the sights. I still am amazed how many kms I traveled each day.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 12-19 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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?
    France
    • Stop for coffee (photo by Gnat)
    • Our cabin (photo by Gnat)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Strasbourg to Mainz
    (4/5) MaryF June 21, 2018

    Strasbourg France to Mainz Germany

    · Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine

    Great value. Would have appreciated option for rooms with AC even if it meant a higher cost. Would have appreciated a sticker with the arrow and the E in order to see the actual size. The signage was much smaller than we expected and did not find any until the second day. Also, the instructions need to be rewritten by a native speaker who is actually biking the route. The instructions appear to be translated from another language. Much was lost in translation. The instructions were confusing. We originally thought the instructions were in British English until we met up with couple on the same tour from Manchester who found the instructions as confusing as we did. (There was a brand new app for navigation this year but none of us were able to get it to function on our trip. Once the bugs are ironed out, I suspect this will help a lot. We used Google maps to assist in navigation.) I would suggest giving stickers to actual bicyclists to place over top faded stickers or to add stickers in areas of confusion. Overall, it was a good experience and am very glad we did this tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 31 to June 9, 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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?
    France, Germany
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
  • French Alpes Tour
    (5/5) oldjoe June 19, 2018

    Fantastic scenery!

    · French Alpes Tour: Alpes and Ventoux

    A great mix of Alpine and Provence scenery. Wonderful small hotels with charming hosts and gourmet food! Challenging but not intimidating terrain with easy navigation. Would love to go back!

    What was the date of your tour?
    6/1-7/18
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Allen December 18, 2017

    Fabulous

    · Alsace Wine Country

    The villages are incredibly beautiful; the biking is either on lovely canal paths or quiet roads in the wine country; and the inns and restaurants are terrific. It is a well organized and well supported trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept.2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    12
    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?
    France
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
    (5/5) Jack Luther December 12, 2017

    Slow and Easy Cycling the Loire Valley

    Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour

    In the fall of 2016 my wife and I went on this adventure. This was our second Bike Tours vacation and again it exceeded our expectation in every way. Each day we enjoyed beautiful scenery and toured amazing chateaux followed by an evening relaxing with exceptional wines and cuisine in small French villages. As always the trip ended all too soon but the video I made and posted here helps us relive one of our best vacations ever.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2016
    How many tours have you completed?
    Three with Bike Tours. com
    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?
    France
    Video: Cycling in the Loire Valley
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 13, 2017

      Jack, we're so glad to hear that you and your wife had such a great time on tour! Your video puts me in the valley immediately. We hope to help you with your next tour and thanks for taking the time to review.

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Loire a Velo
    (4/5) Shlomo November 12, 2017

    Great trip in the Loire

    · Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic

    It was my first multi-day bike trip and it was great. All the equipment and instructions were 100% .
    2 comments: No one from the local company met us (so, for example, I couldn't ask how to reset the distance meter). And, there was no mobile number to which I could WhatsApp in case of problem (and I had no local calls package). Other than that it was great.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Oct. 6th 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    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?
    France
    • Photo 1 (photo by Shlomo)
    • Photo 2 (photo by Shlomo)
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Strasbourg to Mainz
    (5/5) Jack Luther October 30, 2017

    Beer and Wine Along the Rhine with Martin Luther as a Travel Companion

    · Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine

    My wife and I have previously done the BikeTours.com tour from Munich to Salzburg as well as the Loire Garden and Chateaux Tour and greatly enjoyed both of those. We invited good friends who are also cyclists to join us on this tour. All of us agreed that it was one of our best vacations ever and having
    friends riding with us added to the pleasure. We do the tours "self guided" and enjoy the freedom of being able to explore off route if we want to. For example, on this trip we rode up into the vineyards near Nierstein, Germany which was not on the route but gave us some beautiful views and a wine tasting at the Huff Winery. There were a few days with some light rain but nothing that we were not prepared for. We stayed in the Category A hotels which were all of excellent quality and located close to the attractions we were interested in seeing. The written directions and the "E" stickers on posts along the way were often missing or confusing but the GPS offered by BikeTours worked very well. I would strongly recommend that anyone doing this tour "self-guided" absolutely plan to use the GPS mapping. The local tour company, Eurobike, does an excellent job. We have never had even the first problem with the bicycles or any of the services they provide.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 17 - 22, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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?
    France, Germany
    Video: Video 1
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany October 31, 2017

      We're delighted to have helped you on your third BikeTours.com tour and to hear that it was a great success! Your experience is exactly what we hope to bring to clients on each tour. It's a pleasure to have the time to explore sites, scenery, and of course, vineyards. We think these are some of the best parts of a vacation. We'll be sure to work with our partner operators and improve at keeping you on the right path. Thank you very much for your feedback!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Provence by Bike and Boat
    (5/5) Lori22 October 22, 2017

    Best trip ever!

    · · Provence by Bike and Boat

    Couldn’t have asked for a better guide for my first bike tour. Hugo was so much fun, so enthusiastic, shared so much history and knowledge about the area and even made movies with the video and pics that he took which captured all the different things and places we experienced. The crew and the other bikers were so much fun as well. For my friend and I, who do not bike much, the e-bike was the ticket. Loved my e-bike.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 7, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was my first bike tour
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • Our last night, so we had to hit a pub. (photo by Lori22)
    • Our guide, Hugo (photo by Lori22)
    • Getting ourselves ready to start our day of riding. (photo by Lori22)
    • The bikes (photo by Lori22)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
    (5/5) Dona2017 October 9, 2017
    · Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/24/17 to 10/1/17
    How many tours have you completed?
    First one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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?
    France, Germany
    • Rust (photo by Dona2017)
    • St. Hippolyte (photo by Dona2017)
    • Colmar (photo by Dona2017)
    • Malterdingen (photo by Dona2017)
    • Obernai to St. Hippolyte (photo by Dona2017)
    • To Strasbourg (photo by Dona2017)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany October 10, 2017

      We're glad you enjoyed your cycling vacation. Thank you for the review and the great pictures!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Alsace Wine Country
    (4/5) Croissant Lovers October 9, 2017

    Early Fall Wine Country Tour

    · Alsace Wine Country

    Beautiful countryside, quaint towns, idyllic bike paths along canals, vineyards forever. Lodging was excellent even on the lower priced end. Included breakfasts were excellent. Found that opportunities for lunch were nonexistent or limited so we learned to buy lunch food & wine first thing in the morning. Route finding was challenging at times as we were self guided. Local tour operator provided good orientation. 21 speed bikes were very heavy and awkward with handlebar pack.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 26-October 1
    How many tours have you completed?
    First 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?
    France
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany October 10, 2017

      We're glad you had a great time on tour and great advice for future clients regarding lunch along the way! I love the handlebar bag but I understand it isn's for everyone as they can be bulky. We hope to help you plan a future tour.

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Alsace Wine Country
    (5/5) mamacababy October 6, 2017

    One of our best bike tours ever

    · Alsace Wine Country

    This bike tour was way more than we expected. Espace Randonnee gave us wonderful maps, directions, and bikes. I had an ebike for the first time and it was awesome. We rode down beautiful canal paths, and into picture book villages, laced with window boxes of geraniums. The accommodations were good to excellent, and we opted for the meal plan which we love because dinner was always arranged for you, and local specialties were served. The weather was perfect - all things considered, this was one of our top 2 bike tours ever!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 25, 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    9
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (4/5) Coco October 5, 2017

    Biking in Burgundy--fabulous!

    · Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”

    This was a perfect way to spend a birthday with 5 close friends! The bike routes wound through vineyards in the midst of the crush, or on paved paths through forests and alongside canals.

    What was the date of your tour?
    mid-September
    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 teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection