Germany Bike Tour Reviews (page 8)
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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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★★★★★ umcam256 November 26, 2017
Excellent first cycling trip - beautiful countryside and learned a lot
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Background: My friend and I are from Winnipeg MB. It is extremely flat where we live. This was also our first cycling trip. We paid the extra to have our overnight bags delivered to the next hotel. We started the cycling trip on August 25 and finished August 30 2017.
We booked the 5 day, 6 night self-guided cycling tour through Radweg Reisen. You receive a .pdf of maps and hotel logistics about a week before you arrive. Ideally this would be provided at time of booking so that you can download your own offline maps and determine where you will stop for the day. Although, in hindsight, with a little bit of effort we probably could have done this ourselves with a bit of research.
We started our tour in Constance, Germany. The company was most professional and very attentive to detail when we picked up our bikes. We were given a coiled booklet with the maps, written instructions on how to fix a bike tire, reattaching a bike chain and how to adjust your bike.
Please note, the bikes do not come with water bottle holders. First hand experience has taught me not to put your water bottle in the front basket with your phone unless you put your phone in a waterproof container (drowning your phone on day 1 puts a damper on how proud you should be of yourself for cycling all those hills!).
We were advised to cycle in 3rd or 4th gear when it was "flat" and in 1st or 2nd gear when cycling on an incline. Because where I live is extremely flat, and I'm short (5 foot), I ended up cycling in 5th or 6th gear most of the time, dropping down to 4 at my lowest. My friend who is average height was able to cycle in 4th gear and able to drop down to 2nd gear at her lowest.
The first day we cycled from Constance to Reichenau Island (to sightsee) and then on to Stein am Rhein. I would recommend visiting Reichenau Island on your own if you have a day in Constance. Cycling from Constance to Reichenau Island required us to cycle out of our way and back almost all the way to Constance to get back on the trail to Stein am Rhein. While it was an excellent place to visit, it wasn't worth expending energy that could be used elsewhere. The first day was mostly uphill, and included a hill with a 13% incline. If I were to do this trip again (and hopefully I will!), I would recommend taking your bikes on the train from Constance to Stein am Rhein. Dropping your bike off, and catching the train to the Rhein Falls. We desperately wanted to visit the falls but after all of those hills we were too tired to get there. This leg of the trip is mostly through farmers' fields so if you took the train, conserving your energy for the remainder of the trip, you aren't missing too much. Your legs will thank you and it will give you more time to visit the town of Stein am Rhein and/or the falls.
The rest of our journey was as follows:
Day 2: Stein am Rhein to Überlingen Note: you will end up cycling through Constance again (with stop in Arenenberg at the Napoleonic Museum and in Constance for a swim in the Rhine). SHOW MOREThe hotel that was booked for us by Radweg Reisen is at the top of a very large hill. The view was spectacular from our room! However, it was hard to enjoy because our legs were ready to commit mutiny. In hindsight, if we hadn't doubled back the day before and/or took the train to Stein am Rhein, the uphill cycle to our hotel in Überlingen wouldn't have a been so arduous.
Day 3: Überlingen to Kressbronn (with stop in Meersburg for the Old Castle and then took a shortcut on the ferry from Friedrichshafen (I think?) the rest of the way to Kressbronn)
Day 4: Kressbronn to Rorschach (with stop in Bregenz to take the cable car up to Mount Pfänder). Contrary to everything we read, Bregenz was the easiest city to navigate to, around, and out of, compared to any of the other towns/cities we cycled through.
It was in Bregenz that we found out from two British couples who were also completing the self-guided Radweg Reisen Lake Constance tour that you can request that the booking company give you an extra day in the middle of your trip. This gives your legs one day to rest, one day to sightsee a little bit more than the days you are on your bike and one extra night at one of the hotels. When I do this trip again, I will likely book my day off for Bregenz. There were lots of day trips you could take in that area or alternatively stick around in the town.
Day 5: Rorshach to Constance (with a stop in Arbon for a beach day).
Besides taking the train the first leg, booking a day off in the middle to rest your legs/sightsee a little more in depth, the only other thing I would recommend is to download offline maps to your smartphone for each of the cities you will be staying in and how to get to the hotels. The path itself is very easy to follow but when you enter the cities it becomes quite challenging to navigate to your hotel. We frequently found ourselves using the map provided as well as finding a local map once we entered the city and still often had to ask for directions.
If two flatlanders can cycle this, you can too! The scenery is stunning and it's honestly not too hard of a cycle if you are smart about it. There are plenty of things to see and do, but you will need to plan a bit in advance of booking if you want to take in certain things. Each day you are cycling about 75 km per day (hotel to hotel) and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it does take a full day to do. We found one sightseeing thing was all we could fit in a day, hence why next trip we will be booking a day off in the middle so we can visit more of the places we had hoped to see! That being said, you could tell who the locals were because entire families were on the trail (although I think most of them were just out for the day!).
Don't be afraid to hop off your bike and walk it uphill if you need to. You should note however that the bikes are quite heavy. (I ride a fixie and even compared to my little hipster bike, these touring bikes were quite bulky and heavy.)
On a final note, the hotels that were booked for us were much nicer than anything we would have booked on our own! And the breakfasts provided at each of them was delicious. I recommend picking up some snacks at the grocery stores in the town so you have something to munch on throughout the day.
You can drink the water in Switzerland from any fountain unless it says you can't. Even still, I would recommend bringing 2-3 water bottles with you because of how hot the weather can get.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- August 25 - 30 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- 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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★★★★★ Crew dog November 11, 2018
Wonderful white wine .
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14 - 20 Oct 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 15
- 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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★★★★★ Mandy July 16, 2017Prague to Dresden Along the Vitava and Elbe Rivers July 30-July 7th 2017
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Overall great trip! Guides were great. Needed better handouts (not self guided for guided tour) and would cut the brewery where you pour your own beer.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1-July 6th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6+
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Beanaloca October 22, 2018
beautiful
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
This was a fun tour overall. I enjoyed biking along the rivers, it made for a scenic trip. A few of the towns we overnighted in were specatacular.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 7, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Bike Queen July 12, 2017
E-Bikes Are the Way to Go!
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
For the most part this was a GREAT trip. A few things (in no particular order) might be improved: More detailed descriptions of the routes, especially getting into and out of the larger towns. That's usually when we got lost even with the routes provided. Loved all the hotels, newer and older. Meals everywhere were great. The e-bikes were a lot of fun. They could have used a bit of an overhaul before we took them out, however. gears (especially 5 and 8) slipped. I had virtually no 5th gear. None of it was so difficult that we bothered to stop and get anything fixed. The scenery was fabulous. We had a couple of rainy days, but they didn't' interfere with our fun.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 4-9, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8-ish
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Merry Beckel August 2, 2022Nice trip!
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
The hotel stays were great! We felt the maps could have been much better. Thank goodness for the friendly local people who were willing to help us! Getting in and out of St. Gallen was scarey and difficult. A couple people in our party said they will never do another bike tour!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Moody Group October 11, 2018Fun Experience
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
The biking was a great experience based on something we have not done before. The bike route took us through the beautiful country side and charming communities of Austria and Germany. However, when the bicycles were delivered to our hotel in Salzburg no one from the bike company remained to provide assistance as we were lead to believe. Directions were not always clear so making decisions for the correct direction was sometimes difficult.
Accommodations in Salzburg and Obernburg am Inn were quaint, cozy and delightful and the staff were very pleasant and accommodating. However the accommodations at a couple of the other hotels were not very favorable. The Elevators/Lifts to the rooms at Hotel Gloecklhofer Burghausen were not available in our section of the hotel and the staff did not offer assistance. The staff at Hotel Spitzburg in Passau were not not very helpful or friendly. They seemed disinterested,. Example: On our last day in Passau we asked for an early wake up call to catch an early morning train. This did not happen. Fortunately we had set our own alarm and woke up on time. Then when we went down to the lobby that morning it was dark and no one was around. The door back to the rooms locked behind us and the lobby door to the street was locked. Fortunately we somehow managed to get the door open and were able to leave to catch our 7:25 AM train.Our overall experience was good and we did have a great time with our friends.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Started in Salzburg on Sept 18th.
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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
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★★★★★ debo June 17, 2016
Fun trip
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
All in all, a great trip. Some communication issues between cruise director and guides and cyclists. Cruise director clearly overwhelmed and attimes, Difficult To Follow. Bike was very comfortable and routes, interesting and scenic. Having trouble adding photos.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 22-29
- How many tours have you completed?
- many, but not lately
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Mikay July 5, 2017
Beautiful, Romantic, Historic, Adventurous
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
This trip was a blast! It was especially cool to see how the geography and culture changed as we moved out of Czech Republic and into Germany. This tour has a little bit of everything to satisfy everyone's tastes. Our favorites were the last two days: Hrensko, thermal bathes in Bad Schandau, Fortress in Koenigstein (well worth the hike to the top), and Bastei in Oberrathen (do the hike and visit the medieval fortress). Also, as far as navigation, we used the maps.me app and mounted our smart phone to the bike, which made getting around super easy. We had turn by turn directions throughout the tour.
A couple tips I wished the tour company had provided, major sites along the route are closed on Mondays. We traveled from Litomorice to Decin on Monday. Unfortunately the Strekov castle and restaurant was closed (we found that out after climbing to the top of the hill). Additionally when we reached Velke Brezno to visit the brewery we found out it also is closed on Mondays. Therefore, if a day of your tour falls on a Monday it would be good to prioritize scheduling one of the hiking days (e.g. Decin to Bad Schandau or Bad Schandau to Dresden). In general, it would be nice to know in advance what days the points of interest are closed, so the group can manage their time at other sites better. If the tour company does not provide this info, I would recommend looking it up in advance.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 23, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson July 6, 2017
Thanks very much for your feedback! We're glad you had a great time. We'll pass along your helpful suggestions to the local operator.
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★★★★★ ol_lo October 22, 2017Romantic Road - Bavarian Loop
· Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes
My family and I chose this trip for our annual biking trip due to its location and timing. We were able to catch Oktoberfest at the beginning of the trip prior to starting our ride. The paths, roads, and trails were great! Absolutely beautiful countryside and scenery. In previous years we chose level two trips. These were more rolling hills with lots of flats. This particular trip was noted as a level 3. We found it to be challenging on some days and a little more of a work-out then we were hoping for. But we literally pushed and pedal through the steep parts and had an overal amazing trip! We will continue to use BikeTours for our yearly European Bike trips!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 1, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Richard 69 June 8, 2016Gute fahren
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Let me begin by saying that we had an amazing time. The lake is very scenic with many interesting stops along the way. The Hotel Halm in Konstanz was lovely and across the street from the train station. It also has one of the most amazing breakfasts we've ever had. We had to take a bus to the tour company where we picked up our bikes. The people there made sure that our bikes were adjusted perfectly and off we went. Passed through many interesting towns and villages along the way. For us Mainau Island was a real highlight of our journey. Although it was mentioned in our tour book, it should have been listed as a total must see. The hotels we stayed at were all very comfortable. We especially enjoyed the Park Hotel St. Leonard. However we had to ride up an absolutely soul crushing hill to get there. The hotel at the marina seemed a little out of place near a working boatyard in the middle of nowhere. However we took a short walk and found an absolutely lovely restaurant and had a spectacular meal. In Bregenz we rode the cable car up the mountain for amazing view and a fantastic lunch. One thing that would have been helpful, that we've had on other tours, would be recommendations for restaurants that feature local foods. Overall this was a great trip and we were very glad we did it, but it didn't rate quite as high as the other tours we've taken along the Danube and the Mosul.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 26 - May 31
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Rob Gage August 4, 2022Great, but different from expectations
· Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
The mapping software was essential in staying on the recommended path, as sign posting wasn't always clear. The whole trip was more variable than we had expected, both from road quality and scenery.
One suggestion is that the instructions on picking up the bikes could have been sent out ahead of time and made clearer. -
★★★★★ Zacthecat June 28, 2017Great fun rolling down the river
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
As a group of four, 2 couples in our early 60s, we self-guided down the Rhine. Three of us had e-bikes and one did it the old fashioned way. We all loved the riding and we were lucky with the weather, which was fine and mostly sunny.
The information provided was very good, but we recommend a better description of how to find the hotels. In two cases the hotel wasn't on the map, so that needs to be improved. Perhaps draw a coloured line from the bike path to the hotel, with a different colour for each hotel.- What was the date of your tour?
- 12th - 17th June 2017
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ JustBob June 7, 2016
Land of Castle, Cruise Ships and Barges
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
After 18 day on a bus tour, a self-guided bike tour along the Rhine was a perfect way to regain some solitude. The tough decision were which of t many historic towns, castles and churches to sit and visit, and what kind of pastry go best with with late morning beer! It would be even better if the Bikeline guide we available in English.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 23 - 29, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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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★★★★★ DOROTHY STEIMKE 7 months agoLakes tour
· Munich & the Bavarian Lakes
Accommodations were good. GPS used way too much battery ran out of battery after 2 to 3 hours. Odometer on my bike was not set correctly. Wife’s E bike odometer correct. Scenery and lakes were stunning.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ BandB October 18, 2017Classy trip
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
We loved this tour. 60-70 km of flat riding during the day, lovely hotels and restaurants to experience at night. The transfer of our luggage was faultless. Some of the hotels were absolutely fabulous. One was disappointing. So much to see and experience during the day.
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★★★★★ Susan and Roger Kelly August 4, 2022
Awesome trip.
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Loved it but more km than we expected. Would have appreciated personal contact when we arrived but there was some confusion. Otherwise it was a beautiful way to experience Austria.
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★★★★★ larry137 June 26, 2017Donauworth to Budapest
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
This was self-guided but with accom and luggage transfers looked after by biketours. The accoms were very nice, and transfers reliable. Included buffet breakfasts were a highlight. Bikes were ok - heavy but route flat so not a problem. Gears and brakes worked well. Odometers mostly did not work - possibly batteries dead. Maps were quite good, but simultaneous verbal descriptions were sometimes ambiguous or wrong. The directions to the accommodations were a bit confusing and could be improved - we had to rely on our GPS for most of them. We like to stop for coffee or picnics, and for parts of our ride, there were no places to get a coffee or a drink enroute. There were parts of the ride with terrific smooth surfaces along the river but quite a few sections where cycling was on rough gravel or even grass.
What made the ride memorable were the beautiful vistas of the countryside and the spectacular art, architecture and history in the cities.
