France  Bike Tour Reviews (page 14)

  • Strasbourg to Mainz
    (4/5) Alfred B 6 months ago

    Biking along the Rhine

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

    If you are our age, 75-80, we recommend using an e-bike. We enjoyed the trip but definitely too hard with a touring bike at our age! The signage was 90% OK but there was about 10% questionable signage which needed google's help.
    In our modern times, where everybody uses a handy, all hotels should have USB outlets, which was not the case

    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Germany
  • Alsace Wine Country
    (4/5) Allen September 20, 2017

    Fabulously beautiful towns and good routes

    · Alsace Wine Country

    Bike Tours was excellent. Very helpful.
    E bikes helped. Good bikes
    Routes were varied and interesting with few busy roads.
    Route maps were frustrating at times because some roads poorly marked.
    Escape Rondonne's Thomas was poor for the introduction meeting- rushed and confusing; but the company did handle our bags well.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/16-20/17
    How many tours have you completed?
    18
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Loire a Velo
    (4/5) Allen Terrell 2 months ago

    Beautiful

    · Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic

    Of the nearly dozen bike trips we’ve taken, the sights and the bike paths were probably the best. Biketours.com was very helpful in organizing us for the trip.
    BUT THE E-BIKES WERE VERY HEAVY AND HARD TO MANAGE. LIGHTER WEIGHT E-BIKES WOULD BE SAFER.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2025
    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?
    France
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Bordeaux by Bike and Boat
    (4/5) Albikes September 11, 2018

    Bordeaux area by bike

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

    Great way to see this region. Most used E-bikes. Furnished GPS was very helpful, as printed directions were poor. Our group of 24 was great. Don't know how a maximum group of 80 would be.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Late August
    How many tours have you completed?
    Many
    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?
    France
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Loire a Velo
    (4/5) Andres Volosin 3 months ago

    Great location, not the best hotel choises

    · Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic

    You should do better in some locations with the hotels. The last 4 day, not much to see. Is just pedaling to get to the next town. Dont do the 14 day unless you just like to pedal. Better rent a car in Nantes and continue that way to Le Croisic.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 2025
    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
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • 4/5 Value
    • 1/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Burgundy Wine Trails
    (4/5) Fang-Ju Chang September 24, 2024

    Amazing journey between vineyard and greenways

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

    Highly recommend for wine lovers and nature! But it’s self guided tour requiring time for foreigners to pick up the familiarity on the navigation app!. After first days’ challenge, thing gets easy and handy. The design of routes is excellent for 5 rides. We could explore different perspectives of the region of Bourgogne. I will definitely come back again !

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/13-19
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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
    • Lovely landscape (photo by Fang-Ju Chang)
    • 2km tunnel (photo by Fang-Ju Chang)
    • Oldest bike way (photo by Fang-Ju Chang)
    • Voie vert( green way) (photo by Fang-Ju Chang)
    • Near canal central (photo by Fang-Ju Chang)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
    (4/5) Coasters September 18, 2017

    A glimpse of the Loire valley

    · Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour

    A fabulous way to experience the countryside around the Loire valley. GPS maps made this trip very pleasurable

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 11-17
    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
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • Three Lakes Tour
    (4/5) Gerard Hickey September 23, 2024

    Fun four days of biking

    · Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy

    Highs were the bicycle paths that for most of trip were separate to roads and vehicles. It really allowed you to relax
    Surprises: the videos had indicated that a bike computer would b provided with the tour directions. We were told the first day that is no longer the case and we were told use our phones. I had brought my garmin 1050 and would have liked to download the trails to it but the file was not compatible and cyclomundo could not provide directions
    Other surprise was some if the not being open until 4.30pm. This was a problem when you arrived wet after being riding in the rain.

    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Switzerland
  • Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
    (4/5) Stephen Graham October 19, 2023

    Great area, careful with cars in France

    · Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road

    Fascinating area, half German half French. French side has the cutest towns, German side the safest biking. Beware biking on the French side on weekends, as locals drive to the vineyard towns for lunch or overnights, and they drive fast. Often no shoulder or bike path, drivers not always courteous, a lot of energy on avoiding catastrophe for less-experienced riders instead of enjoying the scenery. Support was good, replacing a bike with brake problems mid-trip. Navigation had one major error, sending us to a small bridge across islands in the Rhine near Strasbourg that had in fact been closed for months. A bit stressful at the end of a long day riding, but we found another way across. Minimal guidance as to where to stop for cafes, lunch, etc.; could use a more detailed list of suggestions. Some of the budget hotels are not in charming locations or walking distance from restaurants. The Grand Hotel in Strasbourg has seen better days.

    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Germany
  • Three Lakes Tour
    (4/5) gsf1 August 8, 2017
    · Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy

    What was the date of your tour?
    7/9/17
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Switzerland
    • Stage 1: Near Ft. L'Ecluse (photo by gsf1)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Wine, Dine and Electric Bike in Burgundy
    (4/5) Charlotte F 6 months ago

    Wonderful sightseeing of the Burgundy countryside

    · Wine, Dine and Electric Bike in Burgundy

    We knew the standard of the trip was going to be high considering what we paid for it but most hotels exceeded our expectations as they were really the best of the best. The exception was only Maison Philippe Le Bon in Dijon, which was very quaint but was definitely a step down from the other hotels when it came to the room and breakfast standard. They also seemed totally unaware of the deal with activetours until we showed then the voucher (didn't happen anywhere else).
    The electrical bikes worked great but I would recommend to bring a cushioned seat cover if you're not used to biking regularly. If you are planning to bring a small bag to put on the rack behind the saddle, I would consider bringing en elastic strap or two to secure it on the bike as the straps on the bike are very tight and probably not elastic enough to hold anything bigger than a purse or an extra jacket.
    The navigational app was quite a hassle to get used to (we had not used it before) and we could not get the resume function after we had breaks but had to restart the whole route for the day every time and then "reconnect" to the route. Also, we would have appreciated a heads up that the routes provided were not exact. For example:
    1. The stops at wineries on the way were not exactly ON the route but in some places required quite the map reading skills to access. Even google maps struggled to find the right way.
    2. They did not always show the route to our hotel but to another hotel in the city. For example in Dijon we were about 1km off. We checked the routes before leaving but if we would have gotten a heads up to check our destination as we approached our destination, that would have made our lives a lot easier.
    3. Sometimes the routes were very illogical and for example when we biked along the Canal de Bourgogne it once wanted us to go to the other side of the canal for a few kilometres (a road with cars) instead of just continuing straight ahead on the walking/biking path, which we ended up doing. Getting out of Dijon we also struggled a lot as we had to go through, to bring up the most extreme examples, an alleyway that barely were wide enough to fit the handlebars of the bikes and an overgrown dirt path that was close to a stone wall on one side and had branches on the other side. Close to Chagny, a bridge we were supposed to cross didn't exixt anymore and was possibly under re-construction. This makes me question when these routes were last tested by the company.
    All in all though, we highly enjoyed our adventures but I'd encourage the company to send someone out to test the routes before ech season and also to be more clear when you present the routes that they don't exatly lead to the door step of either the wineries or your next hotel. Especially the route to Domain Duchemin needs a thorough description (don't trust google maps!).
    As for the difficulty level, some days were easier than expected and some harder. The route from Domaine de Rymska to Sainte Sabine is very long and we had a hard headwind for the last 20-30 km which made us almost empty our bike batteries that day. We are in average/good shape but appreciated A LOT that we had opted for e-bikes instead of traditional bikes.  SHOW MORE 

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was our first bike tour, probably not the last.
    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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Provence by Bike and Boat
    (4/5) Charlotte Dewar October 11, 2022

    A beautiful journey

    · · Provence by Bike and Boat

    We loved this trip. It was wonderful you hired a professional guide in Arles to spend 1.5 hours with us talking about the history, the Roman architecture and Van Gough. Provence is so beautiful and we are very blessed with the good weather and a wonderful group of travelers who cared for each other and enjoyed the company of each other on this trip.

    As a professional travel planner for 30 years, I wish to share my honest feedback so you may improve your tours for future clients.
    1. The chef Irene made the most delicious dinners for us every evening. We were always looking forward to her food at the end of long and exciting journey.
    2. Our Captain was excellent and so was the assistant Phillipo. 3 crew members worked together beautifully and treated us like royalty.
    3. Our guide Hens is not as professional. He never counted the number of guests. We had people falling off the bike everyday, no major injuries. Hens was out at the front riding quite fast. He rarely looked back and kept an eye on the group. Every time we had an accident, we had to send someone from behind to catch up with him and asked him to stop and wait for the folks falling behind.
    4. The internet on the boat is very choppy. I had important business to communicate with my travelers going to Asia. Most of the time I couldn't receive or send emails. My PayPal app, my airb&b app and my VRBO app all stopped working. I had free roaming data on my phone and that had issue working on your boat either. it's very important you have a functional internet on the boat so people like myself could still carry on business while we are on your trip.

    We love the concept of bike and boat! We will come back for more of your tours. I am considering introducing your product to my high-end Chinese clients.

    I am raving about this trip to all my friends in California. Thank you for putting together a fantastic journey for us.

    Countries included in this tour?
    France
  • Bordeaux by Bike and Boat
    (4/5) CLTH September 12, 2019
    · · Bordeaux by Bike and Boat: Castets-en-Dorthe to Libourne (and reverse)

    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 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
  • Alsace Wine Country
    (4/5) ozfamily September 20, 2017

    Beautiful Trip Needs Logistics Tweaks

    · Alsace Wine Country

    The positive: The route after the first day is spectacular - beautiful canals, villages, vineyards. Accommodations mostly fine, but see the needs improvement section. We especially liked the hotel in Sermersheim - tiny town but lovely place to stay. Bikes were great.
    Needs Improvement: The first day out of Strasbourg is mostly a wasted day. Even the person who gave us our orientation the first day said there is really nothing to see this first day. Coupled with the fact that it is a hellacious route to get out of Strasbourg - very complicated and not well explained by the guide or by the instructions given to us, I would have started the tour on day two (save for the accommodations that first night). Also, the instructions are not always accurate. Sometimes they said we could eat lunch in certain towns, but there were not places available, based on day of the week closures. It would be helpful to note towns where train stations are available in case someone is sick or injured.... I would not have people stay in Barr - there was absolutely nothing to do and most places to eat were closed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/15/17
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 2/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Loire a Velo
    (4/5) Cynthia Cook September 22, 2024

    Biking Loire Valley

    · Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic

    Nice ride, there is a fair amount of riding with traffic, it would be difficult with younger kids. The trail signage needs updated. Some were faded and others covered by trees or brush. There were a few spots on the ride that GPS was needed for sure. Some of the trails were very rough and bumpy. It would be nice to stay in smaller towns, in city centers it was not very nice nor necessary. The scenery was varied, from vineyards to vegetable fields, orchards and quaint towns. The chateau package was nice. We had the dinner package which is nice after a days ride to have your restaurant already set.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    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?
    France
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Three Lakes Tour
    (4/5) Damon Di Florio July 3, 2024

    Fun Way To See Europe

    · Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy

    Nice routes to get to each hotel, plenty of time to add in any extras, lots of pretty towns and villages along the way. Great breakfasts each morning at the hotels, very comfortable beds to sleep in and just enjoyable riding each day.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was my first self guided (solo) tour but have done 4 European group tours
    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?
    France, Switzerland
    • Beautiful Seyssel (photo by Damon Di Florio)
    • Lake Bourget near Aix-Les-Bains (photo by Damon Di Florio)
    • Cruet - Saint - Laurent (photo by Damon Di Florio)
    • Lake Annecy (photo by Damon Di Florio)
    • Beautiful Annecy (photo by Damon Di Florio)
    • Beautiful Annecy (photo by Damon Di Florio)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    (4/5) Anne Stanek 2 months ago

    Peaceful tour of some lovely countryside and beautiful little medieval villages.

    · South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

    We surely enjoyed this trip. The beginning in St. Gilhem le Desert was perfect - such a lovely little town nestled into the mountains. There were a lot of uphills and wonderful long downhills on quiet roads. It was a nice variety of scenery and towns. We were particularly grateful for our Ebikes as the hills would have been difficult and tiring without them. It was a most enjoyable bike tour all round.

    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • St. Gilhem le Desert (photo by Anne Stanek)
    •  (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Minerve (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • Vineyards and hills. (photo by Anne Stanek)
    • I didn't mean to include these last two! (photo by Anne Stanek)
  • Three Lakes Tour
    (4/5) Arik August 4, 2022

    Nice ride. Two complaints.

    · Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy

    1) The phone app didn't work at all (for three of us who tried). And the GPS they gave us as a backup is a decade outdated. Thank goodness for Google Maps, though that didn't always yield the most scenic routes.
    2) Too much time spent on bike routes that were really highway shoulders, with a bicycle silhouette stenciled on the asphalt.

    Great hotels, fantastic food, (and priceless company we provided ourselves).

    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Switzerland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
  • UNESCO World Heritage Sites
    (4/5) Helen Stowe 2 months ago

    Mostly Marvelous, Somewhat Scary

    · South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites

    For the most part, the trip was wonderful -- accommodations were varied, but all just fine for a shower after a long day on the road, comfortable beds, good breakfasts, and pleasant hosts. Countryside was beautiful, and we were blessed with perfect weather. However, we occasionally felt that we had too many miles to travel so we weren't able to take advantage of visiting the UNESCO sites mentioned in the guide book. Electric bikes were fun (a first for most of us) and essential for making it up the long hills. On the downside, the last 3km into Carcassonne was hair raising....so much traffic, trucks that weren't about to slow down or give us any leeway as we approached narrow bridges. We managed to find a pleasant bike path along the canal that took us right into the city, with only a few streets to navigate; and we wondered why your tour didn't direct us onto that bike path instead of along the dangerous and busy road...and if anyone in the company had actually ridden that route into Carcassonne. I was so unnerved that I chose to skip the last day's ride and walked around the city instead (and loved every minute of that!).

    Countries included in this tour?
    France
  • Discover the stunning region of Provence by bike!
    (4/5) Jan Barbeau 1 month ago

    First Bike Trip

    · Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon

    Overall, the e-bikes and service provided by Phillip were exceptional! Claire was also very helpful with check-in and the initial overview — much appreciated.

    We did encounter a few challenges with navigation. We didn’t receive all of the correct maps in advance, and the maps provided were a bit tricky to follow, though we managed in the end.

    The hotel in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue was disappointing. The bed consisted of two twin mattresses pushed together with a sheet, and the frame legs weren’t secured. Additionally, the hotel’s location on the edge of town made it inconvenient to walk to restaurants after a day of biking. Breakfast was quite minimal — one slice of ham, one slice of cheese, one roll, and a single cup of coffee.

    The first and third hotels were good overall.

    It would be great to have more suggested points of interest along the routes — for example, recommended stops at local wineries or scenic spots.

    Just FYI - I am a travel agent and will now be able to advise clients on bike tours experiences.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    First one!
    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?
    France
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection