Ireland Bike Tour Reviews (page 2)
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★★★★★ Julane April 28, 2016A Most Excellent Adventure in Donegal County
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
From stunning scenery to quiet roads and a variety of climbing challenges, from lovely B&B’s and gracious hosts/hostesses to charming villages, from dependable bikes to near-perfect cue sheets and maps, Seamus Gallagher, owner of Ireland by Bike, has planned an adventure we will remember for years to come.
- How many tours have you completed?
- Europe-16; USA-7; Canada-1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ cdreby July 25, 2016
Our first bike tour
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
It was harder than expected with many more steep hills than described but the B&B's at the end of each day were a welcome reward. We had wet weather for most of our tour however, the beauty and the variety of the landscape came through the clouds and damp weather. Seamus was very helpful and fixed any problem we had right away.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 10-17 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ erinling May 27, 2019
Just Get the E-bike
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
Amazing way of seeing the countryside. County Donegal is gorgeous. Killybegs to Glencolmcille to Glenties were my favorite rides. I began day 1 of my journey on a hybrid bike thinking "I'm in shape, I can do this." WRONG. The terrain is very hilly and the hybrids heavy, so just go ahead and get that e-bike. Seamus was incredibly friendly and helpful and worked with me if a problem arose. All of the B&B hosts were great, though Letterkenny's was certainly my least favorite. My only regret is being too concerned about making good time and not taking more opportunities to hop off and hike around more.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 30/04/19 - 05/05/19
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Katya Spielberg 9 months ago
Fantastic Introduction to Ireland Countryside
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
A wonderful way to experience Donegal County in Ireland!! In spite of high winds 2 days and some rain most days, the beauty of the landscape and the loveliness of the Irish people made it one of my all-time favorite bike trips. Moreover, the customer service provided by Ireland by Bike was top notch -- from the maps and GPS to the history and daily recommendations provided, everything was made easy and accessible. Definitely appreciated the e-bikes given the number of hills and strong breezes on the coastline!! The quality of the B&B's did vary by location, but all were clean and hosts were friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend to my friends and family!!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ John Maxfield 8 months ago
Beautiful Irish coast and fabulous cycling roads
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
This was an outstanding tour! The coast of County Donegal was breathtaking, and the roads / routes well chosen, with clear directions using both maps and GPS. I would suggest adding a longer mileage option for the circuit ride (Day 4) from Glenties; I did part of the circuit twice to get in a full day of cycling while my wife enjoyed the beach, waiting for the tide to go out for our walk to the island.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Don j July 10, 2016Great cycling through beautiful countryside
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
Beautiful countryside, great cycling for riders of all abilities, very helpful outfitter, excellent hotels and meals.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Summer 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Jani S September 8, 2016
Amazing support!
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
Beautiful views every day! If we had any questions or problems, our host was always just a phone call away. We were very well cared for! I loved having the evening meals also included at the hotel where we stayed. After a long day of biking it was nice to be able just relax without having to go out in search of a Pub or restaurant for dinner.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 15, 2016
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Kiwi July 30, 2017
Personalized package
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
Amazing 7 days Every day great views, luxury hotels, gourmet food, friendly caring people. Don our local host.was always very professional, on time, clear instructions and full of inspiration. Nothing was a problem for him. You set your own pace but Don, turned up to rescue you if required. He made sure you did not miss out on any of the highlights. Likewise if you needed a more challenging route he could deliver that as well. (But I didn't need that service!!!). Thank you Don, for so many good memories.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Nil
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Darcyb July 1, 2018
Not to be missed!
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
The perfect way to experience Southern Ireland! The tour exceeded our expectations in every way.
Don, the tour operator, went above and beyond to ensure that we had the best possible tour and even adjusted our itinerary because of weather to optimize the experience The meals, especially the seafood along the coast, were delicious. If you take the tour, take the upgrade and stay in the castle one night.
The route is along the southern part of the Wild Atlantic Way and is incredibly beautiful. Because we were following the rugged coastline in some sections there were a few challenging hills, although Don tried to convince us that they were just “wee bumps”. We would highly recommend this trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 17
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Jimmie July 13, 2018
The Magic and Majesty of West Cork
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
I had been around Ireland three times, by tour bus, by car, and by bicycle. There is only one way to see Ireland…and that is by bike…and that is under the direction of our tour director, Don, who created and coordinated our incredible tour around West Cork. Having been to many countries around the world, I would rate undeveloped, magical, wild West Cork as the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. It was made more so by the fact that we were cycling and could take it in slowly.
It is very hard to keep the superlatives about Don to a minimum. As a person, he is warm, supportive, motivating, and professionally efficient with a dash of mischievousness thrown in. The hotels that Don booked for us were all first class, which is what we needed after a day of cycling. At our first meeting in Kinsale, he went over the whole tour and gave us all the maps that we would need, and a very detailed description of the route and its highlights each day to be received via email the morning of the ride. It was a great advantage to have Don pick up our luggage from the hotel after we were launched for the day and have it in place when we arrived at our destination. He kept track of us along the route, and we often came upon his parked car on the side of the road, whereupon he would hop out and enthusiastically tell us how well we were doing, and fib a little about the hills to come !
Don was continuously excited telling us about the scenery that we would see and the highlights along the way. His enthusiasm was contagious and motivated our tired legs to move forward once more. My partner and I chose to do a self-guided tour, but at the hotels we would catch up with another group of four who had cycled in many other countries. To a person, they agreed that Don’s was the best.
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thank you Don.
Respectfully,
Jim and Janice- What was the date of your tour?
- Jun 14,2018
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ jdwright November 19, 2018
Incredible trip!
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
There is no better way to see a country than on a bike. The scenery was incredible and breath-taking. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15-24, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Sylvie and Chris August 15, 2019
Beautiful Ireland
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
Best and healthy way to discover the beauty of Ireland and meet the irish people and their gentleness. Don was very accommodating and kept the tour fitting our level. The hotels were comfortable and the food delicious.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 12t to16 august
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ emma June 7, 2016Amazing adventure!
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
This was a great trip for 2 friends to take together! It was my first bike trip ever and I can't wait to go on another! The bikes were comfortable enough for me to ride without padded shorts and there was a lot of flexibility in extending or taking short cuts most days, to accommodate how we were feeling. It was great to feel active every day! Some of the hills were a challenge but we always made it. I commute to work on a bike in San Francisco but don't do any longer rides. The food was excellent and we had great luck with the weather. The trip was a great mix of beautiful scenery, small town charm, and history/culture. I highly recommend it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ PennyDreadful October 1, 2016
Lovely and Idyllic Trip!
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
Such green vistas, amazing coastal scenery, contrasted by the ubiquitous sheep splashed with color (never did manage to get a satisfactory picture of their markings), happy cows and Justin Bieber-looking Shetland Ponies. Fantastic side trips to solitary beaches & caves, a rowing trip to a ring fort island. Make sure to stay out late one night and marvel at the local and family feel of the music-makers at the pubs.
Recommend the trip in late May, we had almost perfect weather.- What was the date of your tour?
- late May
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ bluewindows October 19, 2016
Well wasn't that fun!
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
My wife and I decided to try our first biking vacation in Ireland. As we're both over 60 we found the hills to be a bit challenging at times. But when we needed a rest we'd just stop and be amazed at the views in every direction. From our first ride around Lake Eske to the cliffs near Carrick to the descent towards Ardara, we enjoyed all the memorable stops on our adventure. As another writer encouraged, try to catch some local music. Just excellent!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Martha July 20, 2017
So lovely! There were so many times during the week we said "THANK YOU SEAMUS" for finding the lovely tiny roads along spectacular scenery.
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
This was the perfect bike trip: BEAUTIFUL rides (THANK YOU SEAMUS!), comfortable places to stay with welcoming hosts and great food spots each town.
Bikes were perfect. The roads were bike friendly. The people welcoming. The side trips added adventure, history and new views.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15-23, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Steve M September 13, 2017
Beautiful scenery!
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
Routes were very good, scenic and mostly back roadshows. We found the terrain challenging though the daily Milage was reasonable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 6
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many 20+
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Cyndi2838 May 2, 2018
Fabulous ride in Ireland
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
What a great time we had riding the Irish coastline. Hilly and beautiful, the ride was so fun. Relaxing and really experiencing Ireland
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2018
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ margaret63 September 29, 2018
A cycling adventure
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
It was great to be cycling on the scenic backroads of county Donegal. The daily mileage was not too long so that we could do short recommended side trips or not be out too long if the weather was less than ideal. Staying 2 nights in Carrick allowed us to have our free day to enjoy a pedal to Slieve League. Staying 2 nights in Ardara meant we could pedal out to the Maghera strand to see the beach and caves and still have energy for the Corner Pub and listen to great Irish music.
Seamus was very helpful & explained the trip details thoroughly.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 6-13, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Island Chick August 29, 2019
Amazing way to celebrate my 50th Birthday! Exceeded my expectations!
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
Perfect way to see the Donegal Coast and rural countryside of West Ireland. Local operator Shemass was awesome! Accommodations were all very nice and innkeepers very helpful!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
