Italian Lakes Region Bike Tour Reviews page 2
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★★★★★ Addee
Gorgeous Lake Garda!
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
Disclosure: I went on a small portion of this tour as a BikeTours.Com Staff Member.
I was lucky enough to arrive to the start of my tour in Sirmione by a relaxing 4-hour ferry ride from town of Riva. Since this tour is based out of one hotel, you have ultimate flexibility in spending your cycling vacation in Lake Garda the way YOU want to! The daily rides are fairly short and will give you plenty of time to experience the local cuisine and culture. Since I only had one day to cycle in Lake Garda, I was recommended by the tour company staff member at my welcome briefing to cycle to Brescia. The ride to Brescia took me through quiet cycle paths to beautiful and picturesque countrysides. Just from this day’s ride, I would say 90% of this day’s ride was on cycle paths, with 10% being on quiet roads. This tour was Level 2, but being a first timer, I had no issues cycling the few hills I encountered during my ride to and from Brescia. For those who want a more relaxed ride, I’d highly recommend the eBike as it gives you power when you really need it! The one provided on this tour was in top condition and well-constructed. I took this tour at the beginning of October and it was perfect weather to cycle in the cool morning yet still enjoy the warm water of Lake Garda during the day. I would recommend this tour to first-time travelers and those who’d like to spend a few days exploring beautiful Lake Garda!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/3/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Meg Bates
Riding Lake Garda
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
It was a great trip and the hotel and local setting were wonderful.
Our experience in getting assistance from the local partner, however, was not satisfactory. We had to contact them a couple times about bike needs and malfunctions. The "hotline" is merely place that tell you who else to call. Their communication to resolve issues was horrible.There should be more detail about some aspects for the ride. One thing is the availability of public toilet facilities. On at least one ride, there were none.
Also, the route info was often a problem. It was at time not accurate. You should sonderusing using Rides with GPS, which was a better option.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Margaret Ann MacGregor
All great—although the weather did not cooperate, but we had rain gear!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Navigation worked well. Some hotels had great saunas! Breakfasts were all good!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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, Italy
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★★★★★ Laird
Breathtaking Scenery and Gorgeous Destinations!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
We had the BEST cycling trip ever! The daily routes were a perfect combination of historic sites, excellent paved cycling paths, stunning scenery and achievable level 2 terrain! The bike tour operators information was accurate and sufficient for easy navigation. We never lost our way and the hotels were easy to find.
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★★★★★ AmyandBruce
Pretty amazing
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
We especially enjoyed the changing scenery, climate, culture and architecture as we traveled from Innsbruck to Lake Garda. This tour is extremely beautiful. The accommodations were consistently clean and comfortable, a very good value for the price of the tour. The breakfast buffets are nothing like what you get at motels in the United States. They are way, way nicer.
Most of the tour involved low stress biking along well maintained and predominately paved bike paths. Some was along quiet roads or narrow city streets. Twice we had to deal with heavy volume and no shoulder. Once was biking around 3 km uphill to our hotel in Imst, Austria (such a pleasure when we finally arrived), and once on approach to Auer in Italy. Also be aware that the bike paths are more heavily used in Austria and Italy. This is generally not a problem, but there are a number of "sport cyclists" who come up on you quickly and silently, so no automobile traffic does not mean that you don't have to pay attention. Also be aware that while much of the route is flat (or more accurately a gentle uphill or downhill as it follows a river), there are sections that are rolling or even hilly.
In addition, we encountered head winds around 80% of the time. Of course, in other weather conditions, it might have been a tail wind! But the wind does blow through these steep sided, canyon like valleys. Also be aware that it does rain quite a bit in the Austrian Alps, and can get hot as you proceed southward. For the most part, though, we had very nice weather.
The material provided by the local tour company was useful and included sightseeing information. We branched out a bit and did our own research. We found an amazing waterfall in Parcines (near Moreno) that was a bit off the beaten path and a few miles from the bike route.
The bicycles we rented were different from what I'm used to even though they are hybrids and I ride a hybrid for transportation. Much more upright, and I was unable to adjust the handlebar height or change the height of the seat without impacting the position of my legs, which was perfect. So it took a couple of days for my arms to get used to the (what was for me) unusual position. The seat was more comfortable than I feared it would be. I had no problem with that. The partner, EuroBikes, provides a high quality water proof panier and handlebar bag. Also lights (the rear ones had run out of batteries and didn't work well for me or at all for my husband, but the front lights were fine) and an odometer. You also get tools, a pump, and a spare tube. Your riding will be during the day, but I like to use lights when it rains.
The tour company was very prompt and accurate with transporting our luggage, so that was never a problem.
Our only real problem was with directions, and that was mainly due to a communication snafu. Most of the cyclists on this route are German speakers, so the lady that gave the orientation needed to speak to the different groups in different languages, which made it a bit awkward. My husband speaks a little German, but I didn't speak any before this tour. English was not her first language. We are used to more detailed cue sheets or route markings on pavement. The cue sheets are not at all detailed. However, the tour company affixes small stickers to poles at intersections, and this takes care of the problem. All the tour companies do this so you just have to look for your company's sticker. Although we were given an orientation and the material does show the symbol for the company, no one explained that they were tiny stickers on poles. I'm guessing the cyclists in Europe know this, but we didn't. We eventually met another group of cyclists from England and Scotland who explained this to us. After that, it was obvious. So if you take this tour, please be aware of these stickers. It will make life ever so much easier for you and you will not make the wrong turns and add the extra miles that we did. SHOW MORE
All in all, this was not a difficult tour. Most people with at least some cycling experience should be fine with it. But because there are some hills and head winds, do yourself a favor and do a little bit of training if you do not bicycle regularly.
But absolutely take this tour. All things considered (especially if you keep those stickers in mind), it was an incredible experience. I would not hesitate to recommend it to others.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- July 6 to July 13, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- around 15
- 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, Italy
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
Thanks kindly for taking the time to share this detailed review. We love it and are sure other future travelers will, too. We love the sticker navigation method, it's super helpful. We're so glad you figured it out, despite the communication snafu. Again, many thanks for the in-depth review. Our fingers are crossed for tailwinds on your next tour!
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★★★★★ Laird
Best trip ever!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
We loved every aspect of this trip! The scenery was stunning. The bike path was paved and easy to follow. The directions were so clear and mentioned the easy two hills we encountered.
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★★★★★ Lisa Schmitz
Beautiful scenery every minute
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Great trip, but an e-bike would have been a better choice. Beginning days were very challenging, especially with heavy touring bikes. The downhills, though, were exhilarating. We relied on Google maps because the route maps were not up to date and less efficient.
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★★★★★ Mike Brinkley
Spectacular
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Spectacular scenery with an excellent local bike company who was very organized and helpful. Maps were good and the bike paths well marked in almost every place. The hotels were good and mostly in locations easy to find. Excellent trip.
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★★★★★ Anthony Ladson
Wonderful trip
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
I greatly enjoyed this ride and highly recommend it. The recommended routes were scenic and you could explore more if you wanted. The hotels were excellent and my gear was picked and moved every day without issue. I also loved the bike that was provided.
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★★★★★ Anthony Ladson
Wonderful bike tour
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
I had a great time. Everything went well. The scenery was great. The biking was just at the right level of challenge. Hotels were comfortable. I loved it all and highly recommend this tour to others.
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★★★★★ Shelley Vercoe
Great trip
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
We enjoyed this trip very much. The small medieval town centers were beautiful. Nice hotels and the tour company adjusted the schedule so we could visit Otzi. The scenery is gorgeous especially when the route veers away from the main roads.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2024
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Italy
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★★★★★ Llewellyn F.
Fabulous Views and Vistas
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
It was a great trip! Just amazing views of the mountains through Austria and then Italy. Was generally flat or downhill so not difficult. Allowed us to enjoy the cycling and then enjoy the towns we stayed in.
Mainly separate bike paths that were perfectly maintained. Best I've seen. Signage for our route was very good. Easy to find coffee/strudel/beer stops along the way. Only issue was that instead of a GPS we were given an app. While the app explained the route, it just had a picture map with a purple line that sort of followed the route. We had to use Google Maps to figure out exactly where we were related to the map. Not very easy to do. I've been on tours with a GPS and it was perfect. Note that when approaching Lake Garda on the last day, the map showed us going off the bike route to a road that looked dangerous along the mountain. We stayed on the bike path that led us to amazing views down to Lake Garda and the route that all other cyclists were going.
There was a little issue with the timing of the shuttle on the way back to Innsbruck. Very thankful for Stephano (the local tour operator) who stepped in and personally picked up another client, so that we could leave earlier and reach Innsbruck by noon to catch a bus to the Munich airport. Next time will try not to have immediate plans after the tour. Can't say enough about Stephano and his team. One thing to consider, is for the local tour operators to be accessible via WhatsApp. Not all of us had voice access on our phones, only data.
Hotels were very nice except one in Mals...more like a two-star. Elevator had no light. Shower had little water pressure. Breakfast very limited. The one in Lake Garda was perfectly located with amazing views. All were easy to get to from the main bike path.
Some sights worth doing: just past the Italy border at Lago di Resia Reschensee stay on the right side of the lake on a beautiful bike path with picnic tables to stop and take in the view (brings snacks and drinks), Mendel Cable Car/Funicular (cool on top, there's a little town there), Wiengut Waldthaler wine tasting in Ora (Clemens was amazing and joined us for pizza where we ordered his wine), most towns have nice parks and areas to walk before/after dinner.
I've done several bike tours and this one was one of the best in terms of route, paths and scenery.
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★★★★★ Matthew Waterbury
Perfect way to experience the Alps and the Tyrol Region!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Fantastic experience. Great scenery with great back paths throughout the trip. Every day was unique enough that you felt it was a new experience. All our hotels were fine. A little noisy in IMST from road traffic. A great view from our Hotel room in St. Valentin. Great location in Riva del Garda. Each breakfast provided by the hotels were outstanding (sliced meat, cheese, eggs, etc.). Assistance from Stefano when required was readily available. We had not issues with bikes (better than mine).
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★★★★★ Olafur Olafsson
Six days of pleasure
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Wonderful way of experiencing the beauty of Tirol. The trip was coordinated in a perfect way with a very nice cycle paths and the hotels was fine. We will definately go again. Highly recommended
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★★★★★ Om Apte
Perfect way to enjoy Italian Alps
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The tour experience was great. All the stays were perfect. The mobile app was very helpful to navigate from point A to B. All instructions in the docket were easy to understand and follow. This was my 2 tour with bike tours and I found the quality of services was as good as it was on our last tour.
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★★★★★ Jane Fletcher
Great to have one hotel as a home base
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
Lake Garda was beautiful and we enjoyed staying in Desenzano. Our hotel in Desenzano was in the perfect location, right on the water and close enough to the old town to walk to dinner.
The day trips for biking out of Desenzano were variable in terms of how much we enjoyed them. We really liked Verona but the biking back from Verona was not very enjoyable because of the traffic and a lot of not very scenic areas. However, the day we rode to Brescia, another city, was a good biking day as the route we were on had pretty good cycling infrastructure that kept us separated from cars even though we were entering the city. There was, however, on that day a closed road that we had to navigate around. Luckily with both google maps and ride with gps we were able to find a good alternate route to get around the closure. We used rides with gps to navigate the routes provided by the tour company rather than their app as rides with gps allowed us to enter our individual hotel and ride directly there. It was also better with turn by turn directions. The tour literature said that their app would work on airplane mode if you downloaded the maps ahead of time, we didn’t find that to be the case. Also, their app tended to lose where we were while rides with gps did not lose us.
Our favorite riding day was the day we rode a loop route in the countryside without a city destination. Lots of nice scenic views without having to negotiate city traffic.
One day I had a problem with my e-bike, it wouldn’t change power levels, so I called the emergency number and they wanted me to call the guy who manages the bikes but since we were out on the tour I asked if she could call him for me. She said she would and that he would call me back. He never called back. The next day one of our group decided not to ride so I used her bike. However, there were several other bikes that had been delivered. I called the emergency number again later that day to say that I had not gotten a call back but that several bikes had been delivered and was one of them for me. She didn’t know but again told me to call the guy who manages the bikes. This time I did call him and he seemed to imply that the bike that said reserved was for me. We had a little bit of a language barrier. So, the next day I rode the reserved bike and all was good. All of that to say it would be great if the tour company could work on their communication with customers. The replacement bike for me was apparently there the morning after I called but I didn’t know that.
All in all it was a good trip and we saw some wonderful sites from Lake Garda to Verona to Brescia and in the countryside.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Jane Fletcher
Good trip - lots of orchards and vineyards
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
I enjoyed this trip through the Dolomites but didn’t see as much of the craggy Dolomites as I expected. We were almost always in the flat valley with the mountains along the side of the valley. As we went south the mountains seemed to shrink. I enjoyed the Germanic nature of northern Italy and was very interested to learn more about its history and how Austrian the residents still feel. It didn’t feel like we were in Italy until we arrived in Trento on market day. And then it was almost like a switch flipped and we were in Italy. The architecture as well as the countryside changed and became more Mediterranean influenced. Our ride was generally on bike paths that were very busy with cyclists. Weekends were especially busy but even during the week the paths were busy but it was great to see so many people out riding their bikes. Along the paths we found several bike bars that served drinks and snacks to cyclists and they were perfect places to find a WC. We enjoyed the scenery and marveled at the thousands of acres of apple orchards that we rode through. The hotels were generally fine but the hotel in Riva del Garda was a disappointment. I paid extra for single rooms after a friend had to cancel her trip and this room was a real disappointment, it was more like a cell.
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★★★★★ Thomas Albrecht
Fantastic Trip!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The route is wonderfully scenic, riding through endless apple orchards and vineyards, with many picturesque villages along the way. Plenty of opportunities to stop for a nice piece of strudel and coffee/tea. The hotels were very nice, in fact a bit nicer than the BikeTours trip we took last year (Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled), and the bicycles were good quality and in perfect repair. Navigation on this trip is a bit challenging (although we were always able to figure things out using the various resources available — phone ap, map, and route signs. Once you get into Italy, the route signs are less helpful, since there are often multiple routes to the destination, and following signs won’t keep you on the recommend route (which usually really is better than the alternatives). One part of the route that perhaps should be simplified is the section just south of Merano, which seems needlessly complicated (for example, the southern part of Merano, and the diversion to Lana). It would be nice if printed maps showed locations of hotels in each town; we had to find them ourselves using our phone maps.
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★★★★★ JDMM
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20
- 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?
- Italy
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