Germany Bike Tour Reviews (page 12)
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★★★★★ bienchen August 11, 2016fantastic trip
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Very relaxing and fun way to experience three countries, stay at bed & breakfasts, cycle at your own pace during the day, stop at tourist sites, and check into your next hotel in the afternoon/evening and grab dinner at a local restaurant. Hotels varied from simple to four-star. We liked the ones close to town best because we were able to explore different places in the evenings.
Will definitely go with that company again in the future.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ vacationsmakemehappy May 16, 2019Nice LONG ride
· Danube Bike Path 5-nights (Active)
Disclaimer - I loved the vacation pedaling along in pretty much isolation, just my husband and I, and peaceful time in beautiful scenery. We loved the hotels we stayed at along the trail. For the average Joe though, the sport version isn't for you. That's why I wouldn't recommend this sporty trip to most people.
See below for more detailsThe sporty ride was just that. Long days in the saddle, which we expected since my husband wanted to do the short (meaning less days not miles) due to work obligations. The 45-50 mile days seemed fine, but the 57 mile day was long.
The sporty version left little time for sight seeing along the way. We had to strategically plan out where we were going to spend our 2-2.5 hours of sightseeing time each day, because there was no possible way to see everything. We were on the bikes riding each day by 7:45-8:15, typically had a picnic lunch somewhere along the way with food we either carried with us or picked up along the way at a grocery store. (One of our picnics was standing by a rock waiting for the taxi to pick us up at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp to take us back to the taxi station downtown - would highly recommend the taxi unless you are VERY sporty or have an e-bike-info said there was a longer more gentle route, but we were having difficulty following some of the directions included.)
If going early in the season or on days with poor weather, I highly recommend taking some food and WATER with you. Only on the first ride day and the last ride day were any of the 'trail magic' stops open for an unexpected cup of coffee, beer, or food. Most things were shut down tight. It was in the low 40s when we started out 3 mornings and also raining 2 of those. Make sure you have GOOD rain gear -not water resistant - and waterproof gloves. Wringing out your cycling gloves and then having to put them back on isn't really very comfortable. Luckily our rain gear (except gloves was superb) Make sure your rain coat has a hood to put up under your helmet or take a waterproof helmet cover.
There were many places where we had detours (even on the bike path) due to various construction projects which made parts of the trip seem a bit harder navigating than they would otherwise have been. This seemed to happen both long ride days which made those days even longer.
Take toilet paper with you and be prepared to take a squat ladies - and men. There were long stretches with nothing in sight at times, and when you have to go...! I kind of expected this, so we were prepared.
The bikes we had didn't have cages to hold water bottles, so we had to carry the water in the pouches included on the bike. But to get a drink you had to stop unhook snaps, drink, rehook or roll down waterproof bags, and start again. I can't imagine we would have been able to or wanted to carry that much water (heavy) for warmer weather. Without easy access to water, the trip was extended about 5 minutes for every drink stop. Not that long but over 50+ miles, it adds up and takes away from time you could be doing more interesting touring. SHOW MORE
The bikes in general were heavy. We didn't get the road bikes though, because we knew we would have to be carrying supplies and the road bikes didn't offer that.
We LOVED our hotel room in Feldkirchen an der Donau -- Faustschlössl Hotel-Restaurant. The food was FABULOUS! Salmon with pesto and asparagus
We also LOVED our hotel room in Gasthof „Zur Donaubrücke“ and eating in the dining room - NOT lounge. The only thing we didn't like about this hotel was that reception/lobby was in the bar which is smoking permitted. On the day we checked in, it was so smoking I waited in the hallway. I wasn't willing to duck under the smoke cloud to get checked in. I'm not a smoker and have asthma. It was NOT happening.
We'd been to Melk Abbey before so didn't do that. But we did go into town. There is a great little bakery coffee shop on the left side of the left fork (probably main shopping street) kind of across from the butcher store which would be in the center of that fork mentioned when you go into town from the bike path. Great espresso and desserts. And they had GLUTEN FREE CAKES which made this GF necessary girl extremely happy!!!
Make sure you take an extra day in the Wachau/Krems/Durnstein area. It is FABULOUS!!!!!
The luggage transfers went off without a hitch - thank goodness!!!
SHOW LESS
Be prepared to carry your luggage up to the top floor of every hotel. -
★★★★★ Senior Adventurer May 16, 20192019 Mosel Bike Path After Action Report
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The best way to explore the beautiful Mosel River Valley from Trier to Koblenz, and then the Rhine from Koblenz to St. Goar. The bikes were in excellent shape and the in-country issue and briefing was perfect. The hotels were very good. For our late April early May trip the weather cooperated perfectly. The morning temperatures were cool but by mid-day we could enjoy lunch at a sidewalk at one of the many scenic small towns along the route. We booked 2 extra days in Trier with the tour company to allow us to explore the city before departure. We were very happy with the hotel they chose and the competitive price we paid for the extra nights.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 28 April-4 May 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Candan August 14, 2017Copenhagen and Southward
· Berlin – Copenhagen
I would recommend this tour for anyone who wishes to discover south Zealand and the Mecklenburger lakes region by bicycle. For the most part by dedicated paved cycle paths and very good support from the Mecklenburger team. Excellent!
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★★★★★ Dancing Bear May 14, 2019What a way to go
· Romantic Road from Würzburg to Donauwörth
- What was the date of your tour?
- 1May-8May
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ JulieG August 8, 2016
Loved it!
· Berlin – Copenhagen
A great trip to get the flavor of both Germany and Denmark (it was fun to observe the differences). Each day you wake up to a great buffet breakfast and then cycle all day - and I do mean all day. If, like me, you are not a strong cyclist, you will find it challenging. Stronger cyclists (and people who get up earlier than 8 am) may find more time to stop and see things along the way, but for us, there was little time to linger. The actual mileage (the bikes had odometers) was about 10 km longer (each day) than listed. We rode until around 4pm (with occasional stops) and then relaxed at the hotel a bit before exploring the town and going for dinner. I think the trip is great for people who really want an active vacation. With the exception of 2 of the hotels in Germany, we loved the accommodations. The tour was very well organized both with the local tour company and Bike Tours.com (who were very
helpful when booking). Traveling like this is so much more fun than the conventional way. We loved biking through the tiny towns, quiet woods and farmlands.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 25, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark, Germany
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★★★★★ Arliene August 13, 2017Amazing!!!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The biking was perfect for families, exercise with the ability to stop along the way for food or sights of interest. Hotels were charming, very clean, friendly and the food was great. I am already looking into another bike trip next year with bike tours, perhaps Ireland. Need I saw more.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 28-Aug 4, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our 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?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ Grani Rae August 7, 2016
Family celebration of my 80th year
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
An excellent trip--great hotel locations, marvelous breakfasts, great views from hotel terraces. An electric assisted bicycle allowed me (age 79) to enjoy bicycling with my two sons, their wives and four grandchildren (ages 12, 14, 14 and 17). The maps and directions provided for the self-guided tour took us on safe bike paths through forests, wheat fields, through small towns, past castles and churches, and of course, along the Danube River.
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★★★★★ Robert Taylor 7 months agoBest family trip ever
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
There were 13 of us in total from three generations ranging form 77 years to 6 years of age. Reception at trip start was great, accommodating swapping bike sizes for one of the children and a great send off. Some difficulty finding one of the accommodations. We were in several sub-groups and each of us got lost in Krems in our own way BUT no one was stressed because of the enjoyment we had from cycling such beautiful paths.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 203
- How many tours have you completed?
- Six
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ DWSt June 22, 2018Great way to experience the local culture
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
We just finished the trip around Lake Constance and all in all, I can say that it was a wonderful experience. We felt like we much better understood the German and Swiss culture as a result of riding bikes. Most people we met spoke English "a little", some better than others. Their English was certainly better in most cases than my "a little" German.
A couple of suggestions. First, pack light as I had packed too much, especially too many warm clothes. Secondly, download Google Maps for the whole area before you begin the trip. Location on Google Maps works on an iPhone even if you don't have a functional sim. At times you will get lost, but Google Maps saved us more than once.
We enjoyed some hotels more than others, but there was always Wi-Fi and breakfast. The ride to St. Gallen through the mountains was the most difficult, but had great scenery. My wife appreciated her electric bike on that day.
Documentation was pretty good. Since none of us read German very well, we missed using some of the supplied coupons and ended up paying twice. The explanation on the first day may have been missed because there was just too much to process.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 06/2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is the first
- 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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★★★★★ San30 May 5, 2019A trip like never before
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
The bike tour was an amazing first time experience. The crew of Patria are charming and kind and helpful. Thank you for a once in a lifetime kind of trip
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 20th 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- My First one
- 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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★★★★★ Alpskier August 4, 2016
Wonderful & Easy Biking Adventure for All
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was my 11th ride with Biketours and one of the easiest and most enjoyable! The mileage averaged around 25 miles, and except for a few hills on the second day, the ride was generally flat, on easily identifiable bike routes. It's nearly impossible to get lost, and for first-timers that's important. You simply follow a defined path around Lake Constance, also known as the Bodensee, and the Rhine River towards Shaffhausen. On some rides I've taken, you ride for 35 miles and wind up in a town that was selected as a place to lay your head rather than a destination of some interest. Each of the towns and cities as you ride from Germany, into Switzerland, eventually through Austrian, and back to Germany are wonderful places with well-preserved medieval old towns. So we'd leave our hotel by 9 and be in the next town by 1 with plenty to do for the rest of the day. Radweg-Reisen is the local tour provider. It's a first-class operation from top to bottom. You receive a detailed personalized tour packet with easy-to-understand route information as well as must-see sights to see in each town. My wife and I chose the A hotel options, which for about two hundred dollars more allowed us to stay in quaint 3 and 4 hotels. Each were literally on the bike route! As a top tip, I'd strongly recommend purchasing the meal plan which includes breakfast and a 3 course dinner. This keeps costs down and some of the meals were truly memorable. The bikes appeared new, and were perfect for touring. Sometimes the path was on crushed gravel or sand; other times you followed an asphalted route. The width of the tires was perfect for the task. The other thing about the bike was the number of adjustments you could make in order to personalize your bike. Here's another top top: when you shop in your start and stop city in Constance, or Konstanz, as it's known locally, you can immediately get 19% tax back by simply walking over to the customs office at the train station. Receive a stamp that you are not living in the EU and go back to your store and get cash back. Constance is a great place to shop, especially for shoes! Finally, the scenery around the lake is spectacular. It's a great choice for all.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Bridget Harron May 14, 2023
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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★★★★★ lenzylamb September 27, 2019
Wonderful!
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
We had a wonderful time! We got lost a few times due to lack of understanding the road signs(our fault) but once we got the hang of everything we were good to go! Wouldn’t hesitate booking through BikeTours again!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Joseph Tevaarwerk May 15, 2023
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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★★★★★ sandivet2003 May 3, 2019Surpassed our expectations!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This tour surpassed our expectations in many ways. We were provided with reliable, sturdy hybrid bicycles that were well maintained, comfortable to ride, and decked out with a headlight, tail light, a (rather challenging to open at times) cable combination bike lock, large waterproof handlebar bag (that allowed easy viewing of directions and maps), bike computer, waterproof pannier, and bike tools/flat repair kit (which we never needed). Who cares if they weren't Trek bikes? (They were better than my own Trek.)
On the evening of our arrival in Passau (day 1), we were met at our hotel by a tour representative (fluent English-speaking) who provided us with the bikes (which fit us well), maps and cue sheets as well as an overview of our planned tour and ideas for places/activities to check out on the way. Each hotel we stayed at appeared to have been thoughtfully chosen to provide us with the best local experience--the least "upscale" one was in Schlogen, Austria (the room was quite basic and we needed ear plugs), but we had a spectacular view. The most upscale was Schloss Duernstein--it was like a castle! All breakfasts were terrific (lots of selection, hearty options, and the best breads I've had anywhere). Furthermore, the actual route was terrific--safe, low traffic and chockful of spectacular views! I was originally concerned that we started out on cobblestones and dirt paths for a bit in Passau, but the bikes were so sturdy and had such good suspension that didn't matter. I felt in control of the ride at all times. Most of the time, public restrooms were available on the route and were adequately spaced out so I only needed to do the "hide behind a tree or bush" thing a couple of times.
A couple of warnings to future travelers: 1) We went in April, and only the final hotel (in Vienna) had legitimate air conditioning (per North American standards). It was unexpectedly warm in the evenings, and we wished we had brought a fan (only the first hotel in Passau provided us with one), particularly since all hotel beds had thick duvets for covers. I can't imagine what it'd be like for people traveling during the summer. 2) Do some research before arriving in Melk. This was the only place we got lost and had to use our cellphones for GPS because the cue sheets weren't specific to our particular circumstances (they covered only instructions for people staying at certain hotels there, which we were not). But we did eventually find our way, and we're already thinking about planning our next trip!
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★★★★★ johnkrue June 21, 2018
Lakeside Spinners at Lake Constance
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was our very first bike tour, and self-guided tour. We met up with friends who had taken a few tours in the past with biketours.com. We had an absolute fabulous time. The hotels selected by Biketours were awesome. The route was spectacular. The bikes and the bike company were great to us. And being with 10 friends for 6 days was the best time of our lives.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first!
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ JimS April 30, 2019Great bike ride...mostly on paved bike paths
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
AVE provide a very good experience. Would definitely use them again. The trip listed a couple of short hills. There were two hills on the first day and they were steeper than I expected and also longer. That is just a minor thing and in no way diminished the trip. The bicycles were very good and their initial service was great...however, I would have preferred that they bring the bicycles the day before we started the trip instead of the morning of the trip. It meant that we started about 2 hours later than we would have. That also is a minor thing and didn’t, take away from the trip. All of the hotels were excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 17, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ bike beasty August 10, 2017A perfect first tour!
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
This tour definitely met with our expectations, and was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. The information given beforehand was really comprehensive and the recommendations for meals and excursions really helpful. This was bought as a 70th birthday present for my husband and he/we had a great time! A bottle of bubbly awaited him on the first evening of the ride, as a present from the company, which he was very touched by! We were very lucky with the weather too, so all in all a great little adventure!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/07 - 16/07/2017
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Bughollow July 26, 2016
Exceeded All Expectations!
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
This was our first tour and definitely not our last. We were nervous about the distance and how our 13 year old would handle the daily routine. My worst fear was that we would be counting down the days or taking the train to avoid meltdowns, by mother and/or daughter. This was never the case, even in the rain. We were so sad when it was over, we would have happily continued for another week. Cycling, swimming, and picnicking our way around the route made for a stress free and amazing holiday.
We cycle frequently, but didn't purchase any special clothing. My secret weapon for fhe saddle was a custom knit seat cover by a close friend.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 11 - 22
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first of many.
- 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, Switzerland
