Italy Bike Tour Reviews (page 3)
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★★★★★ Jay Penner 6 months agoGood ride for e bikes.
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
This was the best electronic navigation we had ever seen. A phone holder for the bike made the navigation very easy. The weather was extremely hot the week we rode, but there were usually towns at good intervals to stop and hydrate. The local operator was responsive to any needs along the way and gave a good briefing the night before we started riding. The towns we stayed in offered great local flavor to the trip. The hotels were near the beaches so it was nice to swim in the Adriatic Sea at the end of the day. There were several stretches of road with considerable traffic but also a lot of bike paths and back roads with no traffic. The sights along the way were great and made for a memorable trip.
The last day had several hills that would have been challenging without the e-bike assistance. The bikes were in good shape and rode well. Wouldn’t recommend this for a first time cycle trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
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★★★★★ ShopTherapy 6 months agoStunning Views
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
This was our first biking trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. No problems with the ebikes although we were concerned that tools and a flat repair kit were not included. Appreciated the pannier to carry our stuff. App worked well at guiding us, just a few wrong turns. The packet with maps and history of sites was great. The Hotel Hubertushof was charming. It was about a mile from the center of town. Staff was friendly and efficient, and the multi-course dinners were a nice ending to each day. Highly recommend this trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ HM 6 months agoTrip worth taking
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
My wife and I recently embarked on the Dolomites to Trieste bike tour, and it was an unforgettable adventure filled with both challenges and breathtaking moments. The journey took us through some of the most stunning landscapes, starting from the majestic Dolomites and winding our way to the Adriatic coast.
The routes were indeed challenging, but the sense of accomplishment we felt at the end of each day was worth every pedal stroke. We made several stops at various nature points, each offering a unique and serene beauty. One of the highlights was swimming in a water park, which provided a refreshing break from the rigorous cycling.
The bike company did an excellent job of supporting us throughout the journey. They provided detailed maps and exploration tips along the route, which were incredibly helpful. Additionally, they offered an app with even more information, making it easy to navigate and learn about the areas we were passing through.
The culinary experiences were another highlight of our trip. We savored a variety of foods unique to each country we visited. Slovenia, in particular, stood out with its delicious and diverse cuisine. From hearty stews to delicate pastries, every meal was a delightful discovery.
The views of the Dolomite mountain range were simply breathtaking. The towering peaks and lush valleys provided a stunning backdrop to our journey, making every moment on the bike a visual feast.
Overall, this bike tour was a wonderful blend of physical challenge, natural beauty, and cultural exploration. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an adventurous and rewarding experience. I would highly recommend to someone looking for adventure and different experiences.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
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★★★★★ John Foster 6 months agoBeautiful bit challenging :)
· Cycling Sardinia's Rugged Beauty
Sardinia has long been on our "bucket list" and the scenery, wine, and food did not disappoint! The 3 different accommodations chosen were all great and each was a bit different. The staffs were great at all 3 and the on site coordinators were terrific! The routes were well laid out and Ride with GPS was a breeze to follow (though I use the app at home all the time) Some of the off-road trails were a bit rougher than anticipated and so they took a bit longer to complete than the estimates.
- How many tours have you completed?
- number 6 out of country, but first with Bike Tours
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Allan Starr 6 months ago
Enjoyed staying in one hotel for the week
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
Since we are all paying the same price for the tour, I was disappointed that we all didn’t get the route package as there was only one per room. I shared a room with a friend and we both didn’t ride at the same time and the same speed and there were times when we were separated and missed the correct trail directions because of lack of route information. The local tour company would not supply emergency repair tools if there was a flat tire while we were in an area that was not accessible to contact anyone for help. Since we had ebike’s we asked to coverer the digital display and phone, but they didn’t supply a phone holder for the bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Susan Roberts 6 months ago
Terrific!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The hotel was very convenient except for not having an elevator. Breakfast bar and 5 course dinners were excellent. All 5 bike routes and surfaces were good to excellent. Fun Active transportation was excellent. The weather was perfect and the mountain scenery was spectacular!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Susan Roberts 6 months ago
Terrific!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The hotel was very convenient except for not having an elevator. Breakfast bar and 5 course dinners were excellent. All 5 bike routes and surfaces were good to excellent. Transportation was excellent. The weather was perfect and the mountain scenery was spectacular!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Dean Ross 6 months agoGood ride Bolzano to Venice.
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Good routing along mostly paved paths through vineyards and orchards away from busy roads. Some of the 70km days were long in the near 40 degree heat, maybe a better tour for Sept. We paid for upgraded hotels some were but not all. Hotel Clarinet in Garda has very small rooms, they also don’t staff the front desk at night and there was no emergency contact given. This all became a reality when we went to leave the room in the morning and the deadbolt on the door just kept spinning. Called the front desk but there was no answer, luckily we had a bike repair tool that we were able to use to break out. Also worth noting that the ferry ride down the lake is a 4-5 hour trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3 with this company
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Lauren Hickman 7 months ago
Incredible trip!
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
This route exceeded our expectations! Each day had so much to see and experience. We so much enjoyed these smaller Italian cities with amazing vibes and hardly any crowds. And the ability to ride up and down the streets and take it in on a bike was a real gift. We were able to see so much more than on foot and go to places we never would’ve seen on a train or taxi. We loved this tour so much! So much architecture, so much history! I especially loved the transition from mountains to Mediterranean. The bikes we got on this trip had less comfortable seats than our last bike tour. Wish we brought our padded shorts! Also, highly recommend the e-bikes. Made the trip so enjoyable. Might have had some difficulty on regular bike. Do-able but quite tiring for a casual cyclist.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Richard Sany 7 months ago
Nice Scenery
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We have been on a previous biketours.com offered ride in Austria and had certain expectations. The scenery was great but the navigation maps (especially digital) were lacking. The app for navigation and it was not responsive enough for making correct turns. I downloaded the digital files and tried to load them onto a ride app, Ride With GPS, but the files were so disorganized I had to completely re-trace the route for the 3 of the days we rode. Unlike a previous reviewer, I think the last day route from Gradisca d'Isonzo to Treiste was not that treacherous, probably because we took the more hilly alternate route through the countryside. Not very many cars and the rest were respectful of bikes on the road. I was very glad I had a triple front chain ring though because I was in the lowest gear on many hills (my wife had an ebike and met me at the top of every hill :-) ).
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★★★★★ Matthew Waterbury 8 months agoPerfect 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).
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- 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, Italy
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★★★★★ John Presto 8 months agoGreat way to experience a portion of Palermo and its history
· Palermo Old Town Bike Tour
Claudio was a great guide, providing information and a taste of a Sicilian food.
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★★★★★ Dean Beveridge 8 months agoAmazing experience
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
Loved exploring Dolomites to Venice by bike. History, scenery, food and wine. Loved every minute.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Tera Hurst 8 months agoAmazing trip, highly recommend
· Tuscany Getaway: 4 Nights in Siena, Montalcino & Pienza
My brother wanted to do a bike trip for his 50th birthday. After months of research I finally landed on this itinerary and I am so glad we did it! Leading up to the trip bike tours staff was very responsive. The info they sent took awhile and wasn’t tailored to our trip, but they make up for that by answering all questions promptly and without making you feel like a burden!! We had some last minute changes they were very accommodating with as well. The local tour company was wonderful! They were very patient with all of our anxieties and questions. We had never done a trip like this and in a foreign country self guided was intimidating. They broke it down for us and it was amazing. The routes they gave us were stunning and we only made a few quick wrong turns. GPS app they use was helpful and easy to use and follow. We were directed to a different hotel than the one we were staying at twice which was a bit annoying but once we found our place it was lovely and so nice to jump in a cold pool after a hot long ride. Their lunch and dinner recs were delicious! And the one time we had an issue where our bike lock wouldn’t unlock they came out to our remote spot and helped! It’s such a magical place to experience by bike! They never made us feel like a burden and were so professional, accommodating and supportive. I highly recommend this trip. It’s totally worth the price.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Aaron Hurst 8 months ago
A perfect week
· Tuscany Getaway: 4 Nights in Siena, Montalcino & Pienza
The team was so friendly and helpful. The hotels were clean. The bikes worked great. Routes were incredible.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ robert cenna 8 months agoBook this trip—it’s exceptional!
· Pisa to Lucca Round-Trip Bike Tour
Our guide Dani was wonderful. The bikes were in great condition. The process was easy. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and helpful. Highly recommended.
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★★★★★ Hedda Othilie Hagen 8 months ago
Over all expectations
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We had self guided trip and we had so fun experiancing the different countries. It was the perfect way for us to travel. Its the best way to see italy, slovenia and austria
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★★★★★ victor dubugras 8 months agoI’m Giovanna’s fan
· Learning Italian from the Saddle: Language Classes & the Coast of Apulia
In overall the experience was fantastic.
The region is beautiful, the wines great, nice restaurants, nice bikes and most of all our teacher Giovanna. I became her fan. When I returned home in Milan, I could understand Italian much better and speak a little.
If the group was bigger than ours, two families only, an end of the line additional guide to look after the low speed participants would make the front group biking experience more pleasant.
We also had a small accident with no big consequences that was handled by the guide and one participant that was a doctor. But if anything worst happened, I’m not sure what type of rescue would be available.
Me and my wife were lucky that the other family was fantastic. The bond was 100% and only happy moments all the time happened.
In other tours with other companies, there was always someone that became an unpleasant weight for the group due to the attitudes.
I recommend this tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 22, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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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★★★★★ Susan Radtke 9 months ago
First time with a company organized bike trip
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
My husband and I have done a fair amount of biking in the U.S. and in Europe and this was the first time we used a company to plan and support the trip. The good: Some of the hotels that were booked were terrific - especially in the more rural places. The navigation app when it worked was really useful and when it didn't work it seemed to be more of an issue with our phones than the app itself. There was confusion over the timing of our bus transfer over a mountain pass and the woman at the help center worked really hard to sort it out. Also, the luggage transfer was always efficient. The not so good: The bikes were pretty beat and heavy. We had to have one replaced. Although the directions said we would have at least one handlebar bag per room, we had none. Also, we understood that we would have a handlebar mount for a phone and would have brought one from home had it been more clear that we would not. The worst thing was our final day biking into Trieste. The route put us on a road that was absolutely harrowing - no shoulder at times, fast moving traffic including busses and trucks. It felt decidedly unsafe and I would never have put cyclists on such a route. So all in all, we had a good time and saw some beautiful country but moving forward we decided we would go back to planning our own trips where we have more control over the quality of the bikes and the route, plus obviously it's cheaper to do the planning yourself.
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★★★★★ Shayne palfreyman 9 months ago
Beautiful scenery - well organised
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Cycling is an awesome way to see some beautiful scenery and experience the area. The tour itinerary is great - very achievable daily rides and the app showing the routes worked well though a couple of recent changes to the path need updating.
The luggage transfers and accommodations all were very well organised
