Bike Tour Reviews  page 113

  • Danube Bike Path
    (4/5) jpatrick October 9, 2019

    Danube upscale bike path trip report

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Our group of five guys in their 50's and 60's had a great experience biking down the Danube. We booked separate rooms with the upscale lodging option. All hotels except one were very good to excellent. The route was well identified with maps provided at the briefing, the bicycles were great (21 speed, upright style) and the scenery was superb. All details with Bike Tours were without incident. Daily rides were generally in the 40
    miles/day range which was not an issue for our group. The terrain is flat to down hill. although we did have a significant headwind the last couple of days. I would rebook with Bike Tours without hesitation.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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?
    Austria, Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Prague to Budapest
    (5/5) Timr October 9, 2019

    Great Long Tour of Czechia, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary

    · Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest

    We had never been to this part of the world but were intrigued by the great cities of Prague, Vienna and Budapest as well as by the innumerable castles, chateaus, and charming small towns. We were not disappointed. Nearly 3 weeks of cycling the area satisfied exceeded our expectations. As we self-guided, we had to be ever vigilant with navigation, but the Garmin never failed to deliver (although some unexpected road construction sometimes required creative navigation). Hotels were all in the range of good to excellent. Tour provider CZ Tours was always responsive to our concerns and always made sure luggage and other transfers happened in a timely way. Very happy with this excellent adventure.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 18-October 9, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Cycling in Western Spain
    (4/5) DRC1 October 8, 2019

    Great intro to Extremadura

    · Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors

    An area with tons of sites and (relatively) little visited. Can you say Juradilla de la Vera? The Paradors are outstanding. Only down side of trip is that it involves a substantial amount of blacktop. Plus side of that is that it is usually lightly trafficked. We had ebikes and grateful we did because some of the days are long and with a difficulty greater than I would have otherwise enjoyed. The bikes were first rate, German built with Bosch drives. Can’t comment on support because we needed none.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept/Oct 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (4/5) 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.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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, Slovenia, Austria
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Romantic Road & Bavarian Lakes
    (4/5) Annej October 7, 2019

    Deep immersion in foothills of the Bavarian Alps

    · Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes

    Did this tour in the fall when it was too cool to swim. Lots of beautiful scenery of Bavarian farm life. Loved the charming local inns. Needed more guidance on what to see along the routes. The Eurobike arrows made it easy to trace the route. At times the route was very rough- gravel- but bikes had front suspension which helped.
    Biggest suggestion is to inform us what days local markets are scheduled and when hotel restaurants as well as those recommended, are closed. one night we had to bike 30 minutes in the dark to find food. The hotel was too isolated.
    In Augsburg it was extremely inconvenient to be at a hotel so far from train station. We did appreciate having our request to meet at our hotel honored.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 20-28
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Germany
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (4/5) Bikedad October 7, 2019

    Beautiful scenery through some stunning valleys.

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    Beautiful scenery through some stunning valleys. The quaint villages and accommodations were perfect. Day one passes through urban and industrial areas but the pathways are fine.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    Dozens
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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?
    Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • UNESCO Sites of Albania
    (4/5) Helayn October 7, 2019

    More than I expected

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 23
    How many tours have you completed?
    15
    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?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Balkan Treasures
    (5/5) Soloist October 7, 2019

    The most amazing cycle route

    · Balkan Treasures

    What an amazing experience. This was my first self guided solo tour on a bicycle and I admit I was very nervous before the trip that I would get lost! The guides Drazen and Zoran ensures that did not happen talking me through each day and providing maps and detailed instructions. The scenery is phenomenal and I was blessed with perfect weather
    Prior to the trip the office team were quick to respond to any questions I had , in particular Brittany was a real gem.
    The only thing I would say if I had to list a negative would be the hotels. When I reviewed them online they seemed great but the room I actually got was often the worst one in the building. The first night in Cavtat I do believe the bathroom had been a former closet judging by the door and size. Not that i spent much time in a hotel room so it wasn’t a major concern.
    I wiould definitely recommend this company and now I’ve gained confidence in touring solo I’ll most likely use them again.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia, Albania, Montenegro
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • UNESCO Sites of Albania
    (5/5) Pedal October 7, 2019

    Wonderful surprise

    · UNESCO Sites of Albania

    Beautiful country, great food. We had a wonderful guide, Ted

    What was the date of your tour?
    Started on Sept 23
    How many tours have you completed?
    A number in the US
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Albania
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Provence Getaway
    (4/5) lifejazz October 7, 2019

    Amazing Sights in Provence

    · Provence Getaway: The Secrets of Southern France (4 nights)

    We enjoyed our bike tour through Provence. Our first time to use e-bikes, which given the winds and the hills, seemed like the thing to do. Really enjoyed the e-bikes for their ease of use and making the windy or hilly sections enjoyable. The orientation was very thorough and the combination of the gps and the paper charts made navigation very easy. The two hotels were, not to understate it, wonderful. Excellent accommodations, lovely people, great food. We even got attached to a French Bulldog, Cinquante, belonging the owners of the hotel in Collias. Quite the character! On the whole the ride was through vineyards and side roads. The only unpleasant bit was from Collias to Tarascon. We spend too much time on heavily trafficked shoulder-less roads with trucks and cars whizzing by at 50 miles an hour a couple of feet from us. We've been riding for several decades and as a practice, I would never ride on that kind of road. So that bit needs some adjustment (which is why this is a four star instead of a five star review). But other than that, the rest of the ride was a delight.

    What was the date of your tour?
    9/16-20
    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?
    France
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Florence to Rome
    (5/5) Ricard60 October 7, 2019

    Fantastic holiday

    · Florence to Rome: Bike through the Heart of Italy

    Our trip through Italy was wonderful. Our guides Florian and Nicki looked after us in everyway. Very informative and worked so hard to make our trip memorable. Every hotel was top quality. Every meal delicious and excellent guided tours around Florence, Rome, Assisi and Perusia. This was our first cycling holiday, we we're a bit wary, but we loved it and it won't be our last.

    What was the date of your tour?
    24 sep
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
    (5/5) BadgerBiker October 6, 2019

    Provence self-guided

    · Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park

    Excellent tour through spectacular scenery & history. Good hybrid bikes & hotels. Only complaint is self-guided directions are a little sketchy. GPS routing definitely a big help, but had a couple glitches too (e.g. bridge out on one back-road trail!). Highly recommend this tour, would be perfect if GPS routing was spot on.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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?
    France
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (2/5) GregR October 6, 2019

    Too much highway biking

    · Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe October 7, 2019

      Hi Greg, we're sorry that you felt this tour had too much highway biking. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to provide more details.

    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 2/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
  • Lake Constance Bike Path
    (4/5) ireneski October 5, 2019

    Great trip except for first destination.

    · Lake Constance Bicycle Path

    This is the second time I've taken this tour with my friends. We liked it so much 6 years ago that we were interested in returning. All the destinations and accommodations were better than previously except for the first destination. Instead of stopping in Stein am Rhein, a beautiful medieval town, they booked us into Gailingen, a town that took us another hour to get to, and was not the charming experience we had to forgo. The trail up the steep hill was more suitable for a mountain bike, not the hybrids that we had. As we came down the steep hill the next morning one of our group had a nasty fall and had to rent an ebike to complete the trip. The hotel staff was also not friendly. They refused to serve us tap water and would only offer bottled water at 6 euros/bottle. This was a terrible way to start our trip. If you go around this beautiful lake, insist on staying in Stein am Rhein.
    Also, we stayed an extra night in Uberlingen. Definitely worth an extra day to spend time at the thermal baths.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept. 12, 2019
    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, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe October 6, 2019

      Thanks kindly for this review. We're sorry to hear about the hotel experience in Gailingen. We'll be sure to inform the tour operator this is not the preferred choice when booking this tour. (But sometimes, it may be the only option available.) We hope that your group member has recovered! And we're so glad they were able to complete the tour via ebike! Thanks again for your feedback, and we're overjoyed you had a great trip.

    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Lake Garda
    (5/5) Laird October 5, 2019

    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.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Holland’s Southern Tour
    (5/5) guimaraes October 4, 2019

    Very nice bike and boat trip

    · · Holland’s Southern Tour Bike and Barge

    Perfect way to feeling the best of holland. One good ideia is to offer the same tour but with the possibility of the bikers to choose by themselves the dinner in local restaurants.
    I could experience the culinary culture accurately.

    What was the date of your tour?
    14 -21 ?09/2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    two
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Wine & Bike Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
    (5/5) PattyN October 4, 2019

    Wine, Food and Culture - and a Bit of Biking

    · Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands

    This was an amazing tour of the high quality food and wine in Hungary's Balaton region. There was a bit of biking involved, but mostly that was just to get to the next fabulous meal and wine cellar. My group also enjoyed the castles, monasteries and churches along the route, and Gabor's explanation of how they fit into Hungary's history and his family's experiences.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    hundreds
    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?
    Hungary
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Bike Path
    (4/5) cruzinrx October 4, 2019

    Take your time and savor every moment of this scenic ride

    · Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)

    I visited the Wachau wine valley on a day tour last year and just had to come back to see more of this trail and I was not disappointed. Such spectacular scenery with mostly dedicated bike trails and even the special bike ferries! As a solo female traveler, I felt very safe the whole time.Very clean, no graffiti, no weirdos living in the bushes. Although the mileage for this bike tour was considered "average", I really would not have minded even shorter riding days. So many places to stop and see along the way...beautiful churches, architecture, cute towns (Melk, just wow!), abbeys, monasteries, museums, coffee and beer breaks. On the longer riding days (60+km), I had to be careful not to spend too much time in one place so I could make it to my hotel before daylight ran out. Signage for the route was clearly posted however it is easy to get distracted by the scenic views. It is advisable to study the map ahead of time and watch for the bridge if you want to cross the river to see a particular monument. Be aware of adding the extra dinner package. You have to select from a special limited menu and it's the same 3 choices no matter what city/hotel you are in. If I were to choose from the regular menu, I would have picked other foods and it would have been significantly cheaper. Overall, I would do this ride again. My advise for future travelers, is to take your time and savor every moment of this beautiful ride.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 18
    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 young kids, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    • View from Passau Fortress (photo by cruzinrx)
    • Engelharszell Monastery (photo by cruzinrx)
    • Engelhartszell church (photo by cruzinrx)
    • Melk Abbey (photo by cruzinrx)
    • View from Melk Abbey (photo by cruzinrx)
    • Church by the river (Pyrawang) (photo by cruzinrx)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection