Germany  Bike Tour Reviews (page 5)

  • Danube Four Countries
    (3/5) Linda Cooper 10 months ago

    Made the most of being stuck at the dock.

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    An act of nature meant that the boat never left the dock. The company made a point to provide activities and bike routes for 7 days in Vienna. Bike Tours was non existent when it came to communicating the changing conditions before the tour started.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept. 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • Danube Experience
    (3/5) Scott Jacobson 10 months ago

    Swiss crown bike tour

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    Due to captain error, and running the boat onto a sandbar, we weren’t able to see the Iron Gates. Very upsetting since that was the main purpose of paying for this trip. Due to captain error, didn’t dock in Passau, long bus ride to train station. Amwater ways went to Iron Gates same day we were supposed to. Next time, I will go with that boat tour.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
  • (4/5) Roxanne Green 10 months ago

    Countries visited were amazing!

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    The itinerary was perfect for exploring so many wonderful villages and towns in six countries along the Danube. The food was delicious and served beautifully by the waitstaff. Two major complaints - Bike service - my bike was handed to me on day 1 with totally flat tires, a fender rubbing on the front tire and gears that were stuck and screeching. The Captain (his crew) ran the boat onto a sandbar and we spent many hours sitting there watching other ships cross into the Iron Gates while we waited for a tugboat from Romania to pull us free. By the time we pushed off the sand, the weather had gotten bad and we didn’t get to travel to the Iron Gates. The explanation was “we can’t go to Iron Gates. Not our fault - blame the weather”. Though we had a wonderful experience on prior adventures in Denmark and Italy in 2017, I don’t know if I’d do another Biketours.com trip when bikes and boat captain were so poor with this one. But I gave it 4 stars because the Chefs, Wait Staff, Concierges, Bar Staff, Cleaning crew and overall ambience of the Swiss Crown was wonderful!

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 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
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Toby Kerr 10 months ago

    Fair trip

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    All was great except confusing cycling directions from our tour director, Jurgen.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 24
    How many tours have you completed?
    None
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (2/5) frank vaughan 10 months ago

    More of a boat trip than a bike trip

    · · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    We have been on 4 boat and bike tours. This was not a favorite. The boat company charges additional fees for anything- $15 daily fee for internet, $3.50 for a bottle of water, and $5+ for alcohol. They cover a long distance on the boat, so you do not have much time to ride the bike. When you do, it is a stringent timeline- off the ship at 9 am and meet the boat at 2:30 or you will miss the boat. It does not give you much time to look around. They have strictly enforced assigned seating at breakfast and dinner so it minimizes the chances of meeting other people. The guide was not very nice and did not ride the trails. They were covered in places with 4-6 inches of mud from the recent flooding and many were unrideable. Then the guide got mad when we returned to the boat covered in mud. The extra tours they sell were expensive and ok, but the guide on the Vienna tour left 2 of our group behind so they had to find their way back. The maps provided were ok, but somewhat confusing, and the briefing by the guide was rushed and not helpful. It's a German boat with German food and lots of retired Germans. There is nothing wrong with that, but many of them did not go on the rides described but just used the trip as a cheap river trip with some side rides.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 2/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Four Countries
    (5/5) Sean Thomson 10 months ago

    Amazing trip, wonderful memories

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Overall the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the rides, the beautiful countryside, City tours and company of our fellow passengers. The boat and rooms were clean, the service was great and the food was delicious. The bikes worked great and the seats were very comfortable.

    Communication could have been better. For example on the first day the boat couldn't make it into Passau so we showed up at the dock to busses with no notification. There were major floods about 10 days before our cruise and it would have been nice to get a general acknowledgement of the situation prior to the trip.

    We felt fairly rushed on the bikes especially on the first day through the Danube Bend and from Vác to Esztergom. Even another hour could have made the trip more relaxed. The later route still had lots of mud and took a lot longer than expected.

    The trip was comfortable and well organized. We plan to do another trip in the future.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    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?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    •  (photo by Sean Thomson)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 16, 2024

      Hi Sean - thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We appreciate your suggestions regarding communication and pacing, and we’ll work on improving those aspects for future trips. Thank you for sharing, and we hope to welcome you aboard again!

    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Mosel Bike Path
    (5/5) Helen Seton 10 months ago

    What a great bike ride

    · Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz

    We really had a splendid tour. The hotels were comfortable and the trail well marked. The scenery and historic villages were beautiful.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Germany
  • Danube Bike Path
    (2/5) Shirley Santucci 10 months ago

    Disappointed

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Total lack of communication in not informing us that our biking would end 2 days early, which meant missing out biking through the Wachau valley . When I contacted Bike Tours that my husband was ill and could not make the trip. I should have been informed then that there were changes to the scheduled tour. The welcome meeting & bike fitting was a joke. There was absolutely no value in that 15 minute meeting. I had to adjust the handle bars myself and struggle through removing the battery for charging at the 1st two hotels that did not offer charging in the bike storage area. The electric bike itself was very good quality and comfortable to ride. The printed trip itinerary was easy to follow but did not offer much in the way of "do not miss" highlights along the way. In my opinion, only three of the hotels were worth the upscale category. I would not recommend this bike tour for anyone that has experienced quality bike tours previously.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 26 to October 3
    How many tours have you completed?
    three
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    • 2/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 2/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • Danube Four Countries
    (5/5) Tammy Noteboom 10 months ago

    Best trip ever!

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    I loved everything about our bike and boat tour down the Danube. The e-bikes were high quality and well-maintained and the ship and the pampering they gave us after our days biking was fabulous. Everything on board was perfect. We loved our waiter, Ayup, and our cruise director, Leslie. And the biking—it was so incredible. The entire trip exceeded our wildest expectations. We are already planning our next one!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September/October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    First one
    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?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • Biking through Austria’s wine country (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • So much beauty (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • 70s and 80s night on board the Vivienne (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • Stopping for our delicious sack lunch. (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • Loving the celebration of our 49th wedding anniversary (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • More beautiful countryside. (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Lake Constance Bike Path
    (4/5) James Ruzevick 10 months ago

    A nice tour but a few hiccups along the way

    · Lake Constance Bicycle Path

    On the first day of the tour, our bags were not delivered by the 6:00 pm promised time. I called the emergency number and found out that they never were picked up from our departure hotel. The fault was with the Hotel Halm who said that we had never checked in the evening before. Our bags arrived at about 8:00pm but it kind of ruined a nice evening that I spent waiting in the lobby instead of enjoying a pleasant dinner. On the 3rd day just as we started our ride my wife had a flat rear tire on her e-bike. Our instructions stated to not attempt to change an e-bike rear tire. It was a Sunday and the bike shop in town was closed. I asked to have another bike delivered but was told that it was not possible. We were told to take a train to the next town where a replacement bike was to be delivered by 0900 the following day. The replacement bike arrived at about 10:45. The rest of the trip went according to plan. The weather on the 3rd day was really beautiful, so I regret that we were not able to ride on that day.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
  • Danube Four Countries
    (4/5) Amy Lynch 10 months ago

    It was very nice but flooding kept us from boating on the Danube.

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Vienna Austria was amazing. It’s a beautiful and friendly city. We saw many of the sights and enjoyed it so much.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    Two
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Lake Constance Classic
    (5/5) Christine Ritson 10 months ago

    Fabulous trip!

    · Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)

    It was a great way to travel to see the beautiful country side and small towns with friends. The accommodations and breakfasts were always good. The only issue we had being a self guided tour was the information given in the guide book was sometimes not clear and found ourselves lost a few times. We did not receive the gps track. Luckily we had some data on our phones and good navigators. Overall a fabulous trip!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike Path
    (1/5) Richard Severson 11 months ago

    Very dissatisfied

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Our trip was shortened due to previous rains which had damaged the trail and sections were closed. We were not informed of this issue until we had been biking for two days. We were unable to ride the final two days as the trail was closed.
    We should have been notified of this situation prior to our leaving home. We would have cancelled the trip (we had trip insurance) and rebooked for next year. VERY disappointed in the way this information was withheld from us. It is a clear case of the bike touring company looking out for themselves and totally disregarding us, the customer.
    Also, one member of our party had to cancel due to medical reasons. This information must not have reached the provider as 4 bikes were delivered and all hotels were expecting 4 people.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from jan October 9, 2024

      The unprecedented storm that hit the region of your trip completely overwhelmed everyone in the region so many balls were unfortunately dropped. Though this is no excuse, there simply were not enough resources to update and help all of our travelers. This was a problem for everyone in the industry. Our apologies the weather - and the massive fallout is caused - did not cooperate. We hope you'll give us a chance on another trip.

  • Danube Four Countries
    (3/5) Joann Schmidt 11 months ago

    Not what I was expecting

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Our river/bike cruise turned into a floating hotel in Vienna. Our boat never left the dock all week because of historical flooding on the Danube. The boat and cruise personnel were all fine but just wish we could of actually seen something of the countries we were hoping to see on the river. Not sure if I would ever sign up for one of these again.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    just this one
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from jan October 7, 2024

      The storm that hit your area during your trip effected 1000s of travelers and overwhelmed our local partners and ground crews. Our apologies but we cannot control mother nature. Thanks for your business and we hope you'll give us another chance!.

    • 2/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
  • Lake Constance Bike Path
    (4/5) Al Coop 11 months ago

    Wonderful Experience

    · Lake Constance Bicycle Path

    My wife and I went on a self guided tour and had a wonderful experience. We feel so fortunate to have found biketours.com. Overall I would rate the tour company good to excellent. The only suggestions I have are that my wife’s e-bike frame was not fit properly for her smaller body size. Secondly, we initially used Google Maps which guided us on more main roads than we expected. Not until a couple of days in to our tour did other cyclist suggest downloading a cycling app which their tour company suggested. Their app guided us on more scenic off-road trails. I now understand why when the booklet says 30 km to 40 km the shorter distance is on more main roads and not off roads. As a first timer I think biketours.com could be clearer in their correspondences or booklet and possibly suggest such apps. Overall everything was first class and we had a fantastic and memorable experience. Thank you and hopefully we will use biketour.com for future trips.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was our first
    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
    • 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
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike Path
    (5/5) Don Ference 11 months ago

    Fantastic experience! Loved it!

    · Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)

    Great way to see Austria, the scenery was spectacular. The local partner was very well organized and accommodating, they went above and beyond expectations. We were really impressed with the hotels selected and the food was delicious!

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
  • Danube Four Countries
    (3/5) Mary Schmidt 11 months ago

    Unable to review as the Vivienne never left port in Vienna - Please contact me. I would have loved to have been able to review.

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Dear Team at BikeTours.com,

    I hope you all are doing well. I am writing regarding my recent river cruise, Danube Delights aboard the Vivienne on September 15, which unfortunately was impacted by flooding, causing the cancellation of several key ports of call and remained docked in Vienna for 7 nights. While I understand that weather conditions are beyond anyone’s control, missing out on many destinations left me disappointed, as I had been looking forward to the full experience. My husband and I had been planning this for over a year and celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary.

    Our cruise director did his best to keep the passengers entertained and informed but was getting very mixed messages from someone. It started the first day in Passau with the hired transportation did not have a concrete deportation location. It was 2:30pm before we were even contacted to tell us to go to the bus station and we would be transported to Vienna. After boarding the Vivienne we were told that we would be docked in Vienna for a couple of days and for those interested we could take the bus to Budapest and Bratislava on the next two days. It was a very long bus ride but a nice trip to both.

    Starting on Wednesday, day 3, we were then told we MAY leave every evening, so we needed to be back on boat at 5 or maybe a different time and were not able to take any extended excursions due to the possibility of debarking. Thursday we were led to believe we may leave later in the night. Then Friday, we were instructed to be back on the boat at 11:00 am because we might leave. It was determined after we came back that we were not going to be able to leave. We would have loved to have taken the train to visit another location Wednesday - Friday. The last day, Saturday, was the worst, we had to sit on the boat because there would be announcements at 9:00 am, then stay on because we might leave at 11:00am, then wait again until after 1:00pm and then there was a decision to let us off. It was obvious the boat wasn’t going anywhere due to the 24 hours it would have taken to cruise back to Passau and there was another cruise scheduled. Also, we were extremely far back in the line of boats that would have moved before us.

    Given these unforeseen circumstances, I am inquiring about a future cruise credit (FCC) toward another cruise or a refund. We were so excited to do our first River cruise as a way to travel and have the ability to bicycle and I would love the opportunity to schedule another boat/bike cruise and fully experience the journey.

    I appreciate your understanding and consideration of this request, and I look forward to your response.

    Sincerely,
    Mary Schmidt

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 15, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    This would have been our first but can't count due to not leaving port.
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)