Italian Lakes Region Bike Tour Reviews page 2
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★★★★★ Addee
Breaktaking Mountains and Scenic Lake Garda!
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
Disclosure: I went on this tour as a BikeTours.Com Staff Member.
I had no idea how beautiful both the Dolomites and Lake Garda would be until I arrived just as the leaves were changing and the weather was cool. Having the chance to cycle on quiet countrysides and towns while being surrounded by mountains constantly gave me an intimate connection between me and the gorgeous Italy. Lake Garda was crystal blue and was the perfect ending to this cycling vacation. The route was 95% on cycle paths, with 5% being on small roads as you enter the towns you'll be spending the night in. This tour was definitely a Level 2, however, being a first-timer, I had no issues cycling the few hills on this tour. I chose to do this tour with an eBike since I wanted a more relaxed cycling vacation, however, it is entirely possible to do this tour with hybrid bikes with no issues. Speaking of, the eBike I had on this tour was phenomenal and gave me power when I really needed it. The daily milage of this tour is low and can b cycled rather quickly, giving you more time to explore the local culture and cuisine. Taking this tour at the end of September was perfect for its cooler weather and autumn-colored leaves. I would recommend this tour to first-time travelers and cyclists who want to experience gorgeous Lake Garda and the Dolomites.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 09/29/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ TimHam
A spectacular trip - best yet with Bike Tours!
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
What a beautiful trip! The scenery of the Dolomites and Lake Garda was otherworldly, each day better than the day before. The town's and hotels were charming. The well marked dedicated paths and instructions were great, and traffic free most of the way. The Eurobike leader was fabulous, going out of her way to retrieve my backpack with passport that I'd left on the train in Austria. This was my 6th Bike Tours tour...they have all been great, but this one was tops. Oh by the way, we used e-bikes here which I'd highly recommend!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2021
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Dwight Chapman
All on bike trails
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
Seriously. First two days were outstanding forest and river stretches. Last couple of days were a bit more urban and flat, but still nice riding. And the towns were all beautiful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Margareta Hefti
Great scenario! Biketrails where very good
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
Perfect way to experience Italy!
Tirol was our favorite !- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Joseph Lutkenhaus
Great scenery
Dolomites to Lake Garda: Picturesque Cities and Stunning Scenery
This was a great trip mostly on bike paths and mostly downhill. The scenery was great and and we had gorgeous weather (end of Sept 2022). Two of the hotels were 4 star (in Brixen and Trento) and were fantastic. The other three were fine and all were bike friendly. The picture included above is typical of the scenery - apple orchards in a valley surrounded by mountains. We were surprised by the number of great looking apple orchards everywhere on the trip. The average distance was about 30 miles per day. On the first day we took the train only about half way which was maybe a mistake because they scenery on day 1 is the best in our opinion as it is higher up in the valley. We were surprised how little meals cost so that was great. Would like to do it again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Pekka60
Hot hot hot
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
We knew that things can get very hot in Italy on august, so in 2012 me and my wife decided to book a Tour, where it is possible either cycle, or just spend time on the beach, if its too hot. We have heard that Lake Garda, and the hole area is very nice, so this Tour seemed perfect.
We flew from Helsinki to Milano, then we had a train, approximately 2 hours, from Milano to Lake Garda. Our hotel was nice little family hotel in Desenzado, with a nice little own beach. On the first day our tour-operator came to meet us and brought our bicycles, maps and other equipment.
As you know, it can be very hot, but its never too hot to cycle. Every morning we started from the hotel, and we had a nice cycling in the area. One day we took a train to Torino, and we cycled back, 80 km, temperature was 38 C, 100 F.
Best day we had, was when our tour operator took us with a van to Trento. From Trento we cycled to Riva, in the north part of Lake Garda, and in Riva we took bicycles to a ferry, witch took us back to Dezensano.
This is very easy Tour to recommend for anyone. If you don"t want to cycle, you can just relax and enjoy your holiday, good food and wine, and atmosphere.- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ 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
-
★★★★★ love to bike europe
Loved our bike tour in Lake Garda, Italy!
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
We had the best time on our bike trip! It is based out of one hotel (which is on the lake and we swam everyday after biking). We did 3 of the 5 tours due to a limited amount of time. The guy that brought our bikes was friendly, and on the first day one of the bikes broke so he brought another bike without any problem. The only problem was the first day and 1 1/2 we were lost all the time because we couldn't find the signs and the written instructions were bad (and the "app" is just a map, it doesn't give instructions). But once we started finding the signs, it was a blast. The scenery is gorgeous (vineyards, lake, towns, etc etc). Such a great trip!! We also were able to purchase helmets which we kept as a fun momento.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- two
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Dennis A
Innsbruck to Lake Garda
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Beautiful is the only way to describe scenery. Only thing difficult about this trip were the directions! Had problems almost every day getting out of cities. Particularly difficult in Merano. Circled city in dangerous conditions trying to get to trail.
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★★★★★ Sheba
Great trip
Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
We had an amazing time on our Lake Garda trip. We were two people who have never done something like this before, but once we got the hang of things it was a dream. The first day (Trento) was tough because we got caught up with the spectacular scenery and forgot to take breaks and refuel. But the following days we got better at stopping at certain intervals to drink and eat.
We also did not understand at first from our contact person what the signs look like. They are stickers on signposts, and looking out for those helped at more complex intersections. We did not use the written directions at all - we just brought with us two bike mounts, put our phones there, and followed along on the app. You just follow the pink line on the map, and most of the time the bike path is very clear and straightforward anyways.
A final tip: we skipped Solferino and went to Sirmione for a day (we were based in Desenzano). Sirmione is a must-see for sure, so we were glad we did that. It is a very short ride (around 8-9 km).- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ 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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★★★★★ Nancy71
Far exceeded our hopes!
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The bike ride was a dream through beautiful orchards and vineyards! The bike paths were excellent and we had a trip to remember! We rented e-bikes, and we were very glad we did. The extra "boost" from time to time made the trip more enjoyable and didn't leave us exhausted at the end of the day - yet we got plenty of excercise. We did have 2 bikes run out of battery on the first day which was
disappointing. This particular bike tour is WONDERFUL!- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/16 - 6/23, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- 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, Italy
-
★★★★★ 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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