Bike Tour Reviews page 128
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★★★★★ JamieinLA June 13, 2019Ride, eat and cook through Tuscany
· Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
The ride through Tuscany was breathtaking. Guiliana, Marco and their family planned a wonderful week. Even with the rain (we only ride 3 of the 5 days), they made the trip memorable. And our cooking experience was wonderful. I’m glad I booked an ebike. The hills are steep.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 24, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ 0341MM June 12, 2019Pretty Scenery and Wonderful People
· Florence to Rome
This is my third European bicycle trip but the first one in which I did not follow a river. The navigation was more difficult than I imagined.
I would strongly recommend three things: 1. Study your maps and instructions so you know what landmarks to expect on each day's ride. 2. Download the EuroBike app and be sure to load the gps coordinates into BEFORE your trip. (You may need a computer to do it.) You can find a helpful pdf document on how to do it via an internet search. 3. Watch for the cycling directional stickers at intersections. You hardly notice them when you first start the trip but rarely miss them once you get a hang of things. These stickers are very helpful and will keep you from making wrong turns.
Once I integrated these three things into my daily ride navigation was easy and I could just the beautiful Italian countryside and the wonderful villages.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18 - 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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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★★★★★ OR bikers June 12, 2019Couldn't ask for a better 1st bike tour experience
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
We did the self guided tour with another couple friend of ours. We all had ebikes which made it very enjoyable and easy to do the distances and the hills on the last 2 days. The stickers on street poles pointing the way along the routes were really helpful. The scenery along the routes were so pretty, many red poppy fields. The towns we passed through were fun to explore. We really enjoyed the routes along the water (sea, river, canals), which were many. We had one and a half days of rain, and there were some muddy dirt road we had to go through. We enjoyed the towns we stayed in overnight, pleased with the accommodations and the bountiful breakfast buffets. I would recommend staying an extra night in Porec (end of tour), just to get a little more time to explore, enjoy and relax before heading back to Venice on the early ferry
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25-June 1, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is our first one
- 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?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
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★★★★★ GobaGirl June 11, 2019An absolutely fabulous cycling experience.
· Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Cycling from Ljubljana to Piran, from the Julian Alps, through the Karst region, past vineyards and little villages, by caves and castles and eventually down a stunning descent and along the Adriatic Sea was a stunning experience. We cycled along back roads, cycle paths, through kilometer long tunnels, along gravel trails and even made a short jaunt through a flooded marsh! We have cycled in France and Germany and the Czech Republic and this beats them all. The tour company did a fine job - wayfinding materials were a bit intimidating at first but the Route was marked with stickers placed on sign posts and the written directions were (usually) accurate. Accommodations were good (Mantova not so much but Hisa Posebne Sorte blew us away). Stop and see the sights - the castles the caves the museums and the Lipizzaner farm. We had a breakdown one day but the company has mechanics at the ready with a voucher system - we were back in the road in no time. MY ADVICE: rent the Ebike. There were 14 people doing the same ride as us and 9 used ebikes. Three of the days have LOTS of feet of climb. I have done many, many weeklong bike rides and thought these climbs were challenging (I used the regular bike). Unless you are a pretty experienced cyclist, rent the ebike and enjoy the ride. This is a MUST vacation for everyone.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1, 2019 - June 8, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Tonzo June 9, 2019The Loire Valley Chateau and Garden Tour
· Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
What a wonderful experience and a lovey biking trip. So enjoyed our guide Bernard and his vast knowledge of the area. The accommodations were excellent and the food was great. What more can I say other than my husband and I had a great time.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18-25
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ franks June 8, 2019A great trip but you had better be in good shape!
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
This is an excellent trip. The scenery was incredible. It would be good to leave early in the morning or take some extra days so you can explore the towns; there is a lot to see. Hotels were a mix of great and medium quality. The food and wine were outstanding and very reasonable in price. We used the hybrid bikes which were very good, but a bit heavy. I would recommend the road bikes, although at times the roads are not so good. My wife and I are in good shape and experienced cyclists but had some difficulty with the very steep, long hills. Our sons are in their late 20's and did fine. Some of the climbs were more than 8 km long and quite steep, up to 15% grade. The directions in general were very good, but a bit vague at times, especially on leaving Todi and Orvieto. You had better be in good shape to do this tour. I would say it is closer to a level 4 than a 3. However, you cannot see Umbria or Tuscany on bike without doing a lot of steep hills. Overall a great experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 31 to June 7, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ ewarren574 June 7, 2019Trip of my dreams!
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ ManOnThreeWheels June 7, 2019Excellent Tour and Very Good Service
· Best of Holland North: Dutch Villages, Landscapes & the Keukenhof
Bike Tours personnel provided prompt and courteous service from the start to the conclusion of the tour selection and booking.
Recommend
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 19 to 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ Sharonna June 6, 2019
Nice tour for wine & cycling
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
We had a lovely time visiting vineyards and cycling through Burgundy. The trip was suitable for people who were not in tip-top shape and the terrain was mostly flat (except for one day where we were staying in Chassey-le-camp at the top of a very large hill -- totally unnecessary given that the route then cycled back to the same place we went the day before). If you are visiting a winery, you should call ahead and let them know when you will arrive. Many places close around lunch time. There are lots of picnic benches to stop along the way, especially near Dracy-le-fort, so I would recommend stopping at a grocery store, bakery, etc. in the morning (not to mention a winery!) and creating your own picnic for lunch. You might want to bring your own plates, cutlery, and cups.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Rob4056 June 6, 2019
Just right!
· Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
A wonderful combination of sights, food, friends and fun! Bernard was the consummate host, helping us through the markets to buy group picnic lunches that everyone loved, finding routes that were uncrowded with traffic and scenic, answering all questions and smoothing out any bumps with a smile. The hotels were just right - comfortable and not too fancy given that we were only there to sleep. Bikes and equipment (rain gear, panniers, etc.) were excellent, and Bernard had the skills and carried the tools necessary to fix anything that wasn’t quite right. And the chateaus were stunning, as were the countryside and small villages along the way. May was a perfect time - dealing with summer crowds and heat would have been less fun. Occasionally we felt a bit rushed going through a large chateau, but we saw the highlights, and there were always many more things waiting for us down the road - like the small winery where the owner explained her many challenges and the cave which grows amazing mushrooms. And every day was capped off by a wonderful dinner, good wine and great conversation. Thank you Bernard and tour organizers for a wonderful trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Kirk June 6, 2019Fantastic tour, exceeded all expectations
· Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
The Baltic Capitals Tour is ideal for getting to know all three countries. Our guide brought history to life, making the stories of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia exciting and fun. The pace was leisurely enough to allow for great sightseeing, and the biking was delightful. An amazing and unforgettable experience.
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★★★★★ Fletch June 6, 2019Fabulous scenery!
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We chose this tour because it stayed in the vicinity of the alps but was in the river valleys. The scenery did not disappoint. It was glorious when we had clear skies. We had some rain and snow when up on the mountains but even then the villages and farmland were wonderful. We spent extra days in Salzburg before the tour and spent an extra day in Zell am See in the middle of the tour. We were so glad we had those extra days because there was so much to see and do. We went up to the ice cave, up to the Krimml waterfall, and up to Kitzsteinhorn and had snow in all three places. It was like a winter wonderland. For the five of us from Florida, it was great.
The hotels were all good and provided great breakfasts. The luggage transfer went off without a hitch. Our bags were always at the hotels when we got there.
After a few days self supported from Passau to Salzburg we decided to upgrade to ebikes for this tour to make the climbs more manageable and to make it more likely that we would take side trips to see additional things along the way. We are really glad that the tour company was able to accommodate this last minute request. They were very helpful.
We found that the signs for the Tauern radweg changed part way through the ride. This is something to watch out for. We made a couple wrong turns but learned to keep our eyes peeled for signs.
It was a wonderful trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 10, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- 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
-
★★★★★ HeidiLang June 6, 2019This was an awesome trip!
· · Sail & Bike to Picturesque Villages and Nature Reserves
The ship ('t Wapen fan Fryslan) was incredibly beautiful! Cabins were small as expected, but clean and comfortable. Bathrooms were sufficient and everything worked well. The crew was incredible! The Captain (and ship owner) is the most pleasant, calm, confident and capable seaman I have ever met (we are sailors, too) and really seems to care about his guests and that they have a good time and everything is safe. He was an awesome host! It is obvious that he puts a great deal of work and love into his ship, and everyone seemed to acknowledge, appreciate and respect that. And the captain owns the sweetest dog!
Our itinerary changed during the first few days, but it was fine. The biking was easy and some paths took us through beautiful farm country, through some nature parks and forests, and through some lovely little villages and towns. We are not hard-fast bikers, but we were able to keep up with the pack. You do have to cross some roadways, and some can be busy, but everything worked out well for our group. Also being a sailing tour, we sailed on some of the days and the ship is absolutely gorgeous under sail! The first mate was so helpful and instructed us as to what to do so we could help raise, lower and trim the sails. Oh, and yes, there is a Jacuzzi on board that was opened on some of the nights when we were docked at port. Luxury!
Meals were awesome as well! Good wholesome food elegantly prepared and presented! It was obvious that the chef took pride in the meals she prepared. Everything was delicious, and even my son, who is quite picky, ate most everything and was pleased with the meals! One night, the chef even put on a barbecue on the deck with many varieties of meats, each one specially marinated, with several side dishes. It takes an enormous effort to pull that off on a sailboat, where everything must be toted up and down between the galley and the deck. (Note: Guests who have preferences are advised on the website to arrange special dietary requests in advance. We did not feel it was necessary, and we were fine. The Dutch do not necessarily have salads at each meal, but meals are well balanced and there are ample vegetables served!)
Can't say enough about this trip! THE BEST!!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
-
★★★★★ wilsom June 5, 2019Everyone should have a holiday like this
· Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes
It was such a good holiday. Even though there were challenging times with the weather, it was a great trip and the smile never faded from my face. I loved it so much I'm trying to go again this year.
10 out of 10, would do again, A++
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18th, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ JaneN June 5, 2019
The Perfect Bike Tour
· Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour
There was no guided Loire Valley Chateaux and Gardens Tour scheduled by the local tour operator in May 2019, which is when our group wanted to go. We asked, and the tour operator was happy to add our requested week since we were a group of 8.
In summary, the tour and guide exceeded our expectations and hopes.
May is a fabulous time to do this tour. The high temperatures were generally in the mid-60s (about 18 degrees C), perfect for riding, there were only a couple of times when we had very light rain for a couple of hours. The wild flowers and garden flowers are in full bloom and everything else is fresh and green as it is in mid-spring. This was prior to the start of the heavy tourist season, so traffic is lighter than in July and August.
Our tour guide was wonderful. He gladly accommodated a couple of special needs. He focused on giving us a local experience in the accommodations, food, sightseeing, and bike paths we never would have found on our own. While we were frequently on roads where cars could go, these were roads used mostly by local farmers or workers and there was almost no traffic. Frequently we were on bike/pedestrian only paths. Almost of the surfaces were paved and the few packed dirt paths easy for bicycles. Bernard gave us loads of information about the villages and sights we saw, the local history, and what is going on in the Loire Valley today.
The accommodations are very nice in that you stay in small 2- or 3-star hotels with character and charm run by independent owners. Breakfast was always varied and hearty enough for a good start to the day. Dinners were very good at selected restaurants that highlighted the wonderful and varied local cuisine. We frequently did picnics for lunch (not included in the tour cost), which is what our group preferred, and our guide steered us to local products which were fresh and excellent.
The bikes were in great condition, and we had confidence that our tour guide could readily fix anything that might go wrong along the way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 18-25 May 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Martin June 5, 2019Lovely trip along the Rhine
· Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
This trip starts in France and crosses into Germany on the first day of riding. The bicycling was very pleasant; the towns were interesting; the locals helpful and friendly. The written cycling directions were only marginally helpful, but the signage in both France and Germany is excellent. It helps to have google maps. Download the google map in your hotel the night before with hotel WiFi, or have a data plan. The hotels were fine. Ibis has very small but adequate rooms. It is somewhat generic. The non-ibis hotels were definitely more interesting and rooms were larger.
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★★★★★ Normbc June 4, 2019Enjoyed the biking and scenery, but time of year with high water slowed boat down
· · Danube Bike and Boat: Passau-Budapest-Passau – MS SE-Manon
This was my first experience on a bike and barge cruise. It was great to have to unpack only the once and have the same place to sleep each day. The rooms were very good, the staff excellent and the meals exceptional. The first couple of days we had rain (time of year) but we were still able to get out and bike (if you don't mind doing so with rain gear on). The timing between stops by the boat were really off because of high water. At one place we were not even able to dock to get off the boat to leave on bikes so that day we had to start where we should have ended and biked an extra 10 km to complete the circuit. Only 2 of us actually the did the entire cirucit due to the rain and wind conditions and distance. The rest of the trip the weather improved and we had some sunny beautiful days biking. We lost our free time to explore Vienna though because of the slow progress of the boat coming up-river where we arrived at 5:30 pm rather than 10 am as scheduled.
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★★★★★ Horned Frog June 4, 2019Fun time... but
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
I enjoyed the tour a great deal, but the route instructions were sketchy at best, and the bike weighed only slightly less than a Sherman tank.... which would not have been much of a problem except that the route had more hills than expected. The hotels selected were all very nice.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 21 May
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe June 5, 2019
We appreciate the feedback on this tour. We agree... the bikes on tour are often heavier than the ones you may use at home, and the first few days of this tour are moderately hilly. We will pass your notes regarding the route instructions on to the tour operator. Overall, we're glad you had fun and enjoyed the hotels!
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★★★★★ Scott June 4, 2019Great trip!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Toured the Danube path from Passau to Vienna. Hotels were all excellent. The bike path was mostly easy to follow but be careful to stay on route at any detours. Really enjoyed the flexibility of a self guided tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/18 - 5/23/2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- first overseas tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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
