Italy Bike Tour Reviews (page 15)
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★★★★★ Francisco Averhoff April 25, 2023
great riding, great food
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
Great way to see and feel the country and the food was amazing. the restaurants selected by the tour company were all excellent, just a little too much food. the bike paths were also wonderful with very little street riding and when we did need to ride on the street, the traffic was light. The tour company could have given us better instructions regarding use of the GPS and odometer. We were never able to get the odometers to work. we missed the parmigiana tasting since the GPS instructions were not clear. the GPS loop rides were also not clear and we missed the turn offs on a few occasions.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Daniel Serventi June 30, 2023
An Exquisite Way To See Italy!
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
To be honest we did not fully know what we were getting ourselves in to - but this trip checked every box and surprised us with how well thought out it was. Each hotel was beautiful in accommodations and city placement. Dinner and activity recommendations were on point. And most importantly, the bike support and GPS were perfect. I would recommend this tour to everyone and anyone! Would recommend that you purchase the additional cooking class- It was the highlight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is our first!
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Joshua Klein May 23, 2024
Best way to see the region
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
This trip was amazing and everything we hoped it would be. The bikes and the hotels were great and everything was very smooth. Having the loop days being optional was great as we were able to choose to explore the different cities those days when we needed a day off from riding.
We did the optional dinner package and while the food was good the restaurants themselves seemed a bit confused and unprepared, if we were to change one thing we did it would be to not include that and just find dinner ourselves.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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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★★★★★ Rotsen June 21, 2016
A great way to embark on the endless search for a bad Tuscan wine.
· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
The only thing that wasn't absolutely perfect on this trip was the weather. The bikes provided were new and light, 25c tires, Shimano 105 11sp compact group w/32T cog for easy climbing.
The route selection was wonderful, with a loop the first day to get acclimated and a loop the last day to provide options. The route cue sheets and maps included profiles and were spot-on so we hardly even bothered using the GPS routes they gave us to upload. We didn't have as much freedom to actually "tour" and stop at all of the sites as we usually do on tours due to the nearly constant threat of rain. Still we mostly avoided the rain until it arrived within last 5 or 6 kilometers on three of the days.
The upside was that we had more time in the towns we spent the nights, for wine and cheese tastings, and of course Gelato (If you ever come across Pear-Pecorino-Honey gelato don't be shy.) The hotel accommodations were terrific! Our luggage always made it there before we did. The breakfasts, the only meals included, were above par Continental with great coffee and, at the least, hard boiled eggs.. A number of times we ate dinner at the Hotel Restaurant. Following our arduous afternoon and evening searches for bad wine we kind of liked being close to our beds.
I am happy to admit that we failed utterly in our quest for a less-than-great Tuscan wine. We didn't bring any of the terrific Brunello's or Rosso's or Chianti's that we drank back, but did return home with 22kg of Pecorino Cheese most notably the Formaggio di Fosse. (My apologies to those who shuttled our baggage.) Someday soon we will return to continue our search, perhaps during a more dependably dry part of the year.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Snowball September 27, 2016
Best local bike company ever!
· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
The local bike company were responsive to our needs and provided really excellent bikes. Accommodation was inspired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July
- How many tours have you completed?
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Rasp November 24, 2017
BEST honeymoon ever!
· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
Well planned itinerary. Italian Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and Set us up quickly and efficiently. Accompanying materials had great suggestions and option to do long or short ride every day was terrific.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October-nov
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Amanda De Wet August 10, 2022
Best holiday ever!
· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena
Tuscany is beautiful, and it was amazing exploring by bike. We had the best time! Organization was excellent, local company was amazing and helpful, hotel accommodation was perfect - really cannot fault anything. Highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first.
- 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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★★★★★ Elizabeth August 17, 2017
Awesome getaway!
· Tuscany Getaway: 4 Nights in Siena, Montalcino & Pienza
- What was the date of your tour?
- July
- How many tours have you completed?
- Lots
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ naamaza July 22, 2018
well planned trip
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
we were a group of 6, the planning was great. a guide came to our hotel on the first night with maps,and attractions to see on the road (though except restaurants, there are not that many attractions to see).
the roads were very convenient and well signed.
the weather was perfect and the whole experience left us with a taste of more :-)
I advise to review the hotels that are booked as default since they are very basic. you may want to upgrade.highly recommended route and company.
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★★★★★ San2C July 16, 2019
Wonderful Experience
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The greatest surprise was that every day was a different experience. Hotels were comfortable, and the change in landscape was delightful. A few of the days would have been extremely challenging for us without E-Bikes and a GPS for guidance.
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★★★★★ Stanthepianoman October 8, 2019
It was the trip of a lifetime.
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The scenery was amazing! The bike paths and back roads were awesome. With a couple of changes I would give the trip a 5 star review: First, they shouldn't give an option to ride the train to Jessenice to Bled. This town is scary and hard to navigate. The ride over the pass was minor from what we were told.
Second, the Hotel Roma in Civedale is a dump. Hard beds and rude employees. All the other hotels and inns ranged from nice to awesome.
Third, we should have stayed in Bled and extra day. Our own fault on this one.
Last, the ride in to Trieste was dangerous. It was like riding the gauntlet. I would have liked to drop off our bikes out of town and walked or Ubered in to the city. This is a big busy city and many in our group were unhappy with the danger involved. -
★★★★★ Kathy D August 5, 2022
MIghty Dolomity
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Truly enjoyed the trip. Great bike paths for most of the route. Beautiful scenery and great overnight stays. A few hotels didn't have air conditioning but that is not unusual in this part of the world. Unfortunately, Europe is experiencing a very hot summer in 2022. We greatly enjoyed the route and all there was to see and do along the way. The bikes were not what we had expected. Very heavy, more like a beach bike w 21 gears. If you take this trip and are used to a better bike, as we are, upgrade the bike you use. Very difficult riding these very heavy bikes up some of the hills. We took a train on Day 3 for a break - mostly because of the bikes. Saving grace - the train system is fantastic and they all have capacity for bikes at a minimal cost. The app was very good once we figured out how to use it. Would have been helpful if FunActive Tour Company had given us some instruction on how to use it prior to us departing.
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★★★★★ Rhonda Barton June 27, 2023
Beautiful views!
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The trip was beautiful! The views through the Dolomites and Julian Alps are constantly awe provoking. The hotels were also wonderful, our favorite being Alta Post in Feistritz an der Gail!
Bikes: We paid for the upgrade but it didnt feel as though we were upgraded. The bikes we received were not well maintained. We had a bike brake on the first day of our tour and the replacement bike had a loose peddle the rest of our tour. A few of our bikes were not tuned well and gears were either difficult to shift or couldn't be geared all the way up or down. In general, we would have appreciated better maintained bikes for a 230 mile tour, it would make the days much more enjoyable. We also had to swing by the rental place for a bike pump that had the correct valve for pumping up tires. The bikes were equipped with presta valves, but the pumps were schrader valves. We also recommend placing an allen key in the repair kit. We had several items that we had to adjust, angles of the header, tightness of the bells, etc. Having an allen key would have made these adjustments easier to make.
Bike Accessories: we think you should provide or tell the riders to bring a cell phone mount for the trip. The app was nice to have but we had to constantly get the phone out of our pockets to follow along. This can get quite dangerous on certain parts of the tour.
App: the phone app was a great perk to the trip although our main complaint is that every tour participant should have access to the app. It is challenging to have only one person with the app and it doesnt seem to make much sense to limit access. Give everyone who paid for the tour access please. -
★★★★★ Emily Magnavita July 3, 2023
Great trip
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Trip was great, however, there was lack of communication with the company as far as planning logistics. Directions were unclear and sometimes incorrect, got lost on the route multiple times due to lack of information and description in the directions.
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★★★★★ Diane Witters July 3, 2023
Great first trip with BikeTours.com
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Overall, we really enjoyed the experience and were impressed with the scenery, lodging, quality of the bikes (one of us had an e-bike and the other a “top bike “), and the multiple layers of navigation provided by Fun Active Tours, the local outfitter. We also appreciated the detailed instructions for the luggage and train transfers. We especially enjoyed the first 3 legs of the journey through the Dolomites of northern Italy, into Austria, and then the entry into Slovenia with views of the Julian Alps and into Lake Bled. Trieste may have its merits but the city was quite chaotic and difficult to navigate and find our hotel by bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was our first tour
- 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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★★★★★ Shayne palfreyman June 30, 2024
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 -
★★★★★ William Gibson 11 months ago
Dolomites to the sea in Trieste
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
This was a fun trip overall. The route begins with beautiful scenery thru mountain valleys with it's conclusion into the wine country north of Trieste. Numerous historical sites along the way with castles, churches and town centers to see. The lake in Bled is stunning.
Accommodations were mostly fantastic with excellent food for dinner and breakfast.
We had a few problems at the start with missing bike accessories for the e-bikes. Luckily this was easy to sort out at the bike shop in Dobbacio the evening before our ride.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Some self guided gravel biking in Colorado
- 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, Slovenia, Austria
-
★★★★★ ShopTherapy 2 months ago
Beautiful Scenery, 249 Miles Total
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Cividale del Friiuli, Bled, Udine, Trieste, beautiful cities. Special moments, the manager at the Aguntum Museum (near Lienz) gave an unforgettable welcome to our soggy group (it poured buckets the first day out) and Hannes Grimmer Holzdesign (near Reisach) - amazing wood carvings. Nice hotels overall. Only issues were an A/C outage at the Bled hotel, and "the outbuilding" at the Cividale del Friuli hotel - tiny rooms that were nicely appointed but it was a walk from the main hotel that posed a challenge for older bikers in our group with walking issues. Tour operator customer service was excellent - second tour with them, would definitely use them again. Ebikes were new with strong motors and the techs on site took care of changing the displays to English/miles for us. Recommend completing this tour by mid-June due to summer temps in Italy.
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★★★★★ Skippy September 22, 2018
Loved the Scenery!
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
Enjoyed each day! Length was good, even including the king day!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 8-15, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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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★★★★★ Bumble July 15, 2019
Beautiful Scenery
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
From the picturesque mountains in the north to the open flat lands of the south this was a joy to ride. The hotels were clean and welcoming.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Four
- 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?
- Italy