Bike Tour Reviews page 2
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★★★★★ Margaret Steyn 4 months agoFun trip as an introduction to cycling in Spain
· Andalusia: Southern Spain
We thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Had excellent instructions in a booklet. Having the GPS was good, although it would have been good to have a bigger screen as it was hard to read in the sunshine. There were 4 of us on the trip & we all felt the daily distance was good on the e-bikes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 26th - 30th, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- We have been on at least 12 trips previously
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Kathryn Staropoli 4 months agoThis trip exceeded all expectations!
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
This was the perfect trip! I love biking on a recreational level, and the friend I went with is a more avid biker, but it was great for both of us. It was challenging without being too difficult. We rode 20-25 miles a day on the self guided tour and loved it. We were on bike paths, trails, and dedicated bike lanes for almost the entire trip. We rode through farms and fields, along the sea, and through beautiful medieval villages without ever feeling like we had to rush to reach our destination, and we always felt safe. We met Daniel from Creative Catalonia, who set us up with the bikes, and he was incredibly kind and helpful. We had no trouble at all, so we never had to reach out for assistance, but I'm sure he would have been able to help us out if we were ever in need. They did let us know that the hotel restaurant where we would be having dinner was hosting an event the night we were staying there, and asked if we wanted them to make a reservation for us so we would still be able to eat there. We said yes and enjoyed a wonderful dinner thanks to their considerate outreach.
The GPS worked very well. My friend is very good with directions and she did a great job navigating. Some spots, those intersections with a number of options, were sometimes hard to correctly discern, but if we did choose the wrong path, the GPS quickly corrected us and we would be on our way after only a few extra minutes. The route they programmed for us was really great. We loved going through fields, farms, and wooded areas, riding along the Mediterranean was just beautiful, and we stopped in several of the medieval villages to explore, shop, or grab lunch. We didn't typically stop where they suggested we go for lunch or a coffee, but we were always able to find food and drink along the way. The stops they recommended for sightseeing were really great and we did stop for all of those. They were fun and varied. They included a botanical garden, the Dali museum, the ancient ruins of a city, and a lighthouse! The route they chose was exactly what we were hoping for.
They were also great about the luggage transfers. It was always at the hotel when we arrived and the hotels themselves were really nice, they were clean and comfortable, and each included a delicious breakfast.
We did go in the off season and really lucked out with the weather considering we were there the last week of October. It was perfect biking weather for me, clear and sunny, with temperatures in the high 60s and into the 70s every day. The fact that many cafes and restaurants were closed was not a big deal, we always found a place to eat. Quite honestly, it was a small price to pay for the lack of tourists. Everywhere we went was far less crowded than it would have been in season.
I highly recommend this tour and Creative Catalonia.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Kim Hopkins 5 months agoSimply Magical!!
· Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
It's difficult to find words to adequately describe this bike tour… 'Magical' is the one that comes the closest! We found breathtaking beauty and so much history at every turn on our trip. We couldn’t believe that each day could bring more wonderment than the last. We had to pinch ourselves on a regular basis to make sure we weren’t dreaming. The route was stunningly beautiful with distances of 30-50 miles per day. We upgraded our accommodations on day 3 to A+ and spent the night at Château de la Tour du Puits and would definitely recommend spending the extra money to do this! We would also recommend staying a few extra days in Annecy at the end of the tour. It is a beautiful city and there is much to experience and explore. The tour staff was very helpful and responsive whenever we had questions and communicated with our group via WhatsApp. Our group of 4 rented 2 gravel bikes and 2 ebikes. This was a great combination for us that allowed our group to keep the same pace. We are already brainstorming our next European bike tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 3-6, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my 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?
- France, Switzerland
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★★★★★ James Cieslak 5 months agoA Greay Way to Experience Greece
· Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
Enjoyed a quieter side of Greece and met wonderful people along the way. The mountains were beautiful, sea side riding scenic, the agricultural valleys relaxing, and the ancient sites were amazing. We were a group of experienced riders ( ages early 60's through late 70's). E-bikes made the physical part of the trip very enjoyable and not too difficult. The cycling routes kept us off of the main highways the vast majority of the time. Greek hospitality was everywhere. On our daily routes we were offered water, invited into a home for a meal, and received gifts of fruit and nuts all along the way. One of our best trips!
Points to consider for future cyclists on this trip:
1-The e-bikes were either Fuji (step over seat) or Breezer (step through) models. Request your preference when booking. Had a few problems charging batteries overnight. Double check that your bike is indeed charging before leaving it for the night.
2-Use the app 'Ride with GPS' for your routes. Much easier than the materials provided by the company.
3- Hotels in Vytina, Tripoli, and Napflio were very satisfactory. The hotel in Paralia Astros (Ariandne Hotel) was unsatisfactory. The pool was not maintained (green, filthy water present) which led to a mosquito problem throughout the hotel. A new hotel is needed.
4-None of the bikes had water bottle holders. Had to carry water in the pannier or strapped to the rear rack (bring a few short bungee cords for that purpose).
5-Request a full sized tire pump. Flats happen and you'll make changing tires much easier.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Stephen A 5 months agoQuiet roads and beautiful scenary
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
What a great way to see the sites along the Danube! Starting out the last week of September, the bike trail was very quiet. I enjoyed the solitude and how easy it was to just stop along the way and take in the sites. While the trail was nearly empty, the agricultural fields were busy with harvest activities.
Logistically, everything worked great. The accommodations were all nice and directions to them clear. My bag arrived at every stop.
I would take another tour with BikeTours!- What was the date of your tour?
- September/October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ David Reynolds 5 months agoWonderful Bike and Barge Trip from Perrone to Bruges
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This was our first bike and barge trip. A couple of our good friends were also on the trip. We were so fortunate that there were only seven guests on the barge and four crew members! The barge could accommidate 14 guests. All seven of us became good friends and enjoyed all parts of the trip together.
The crew was fantastic! Our guide, Sietse, made sure that we had a safe and memorable biking trip. He is very knowledgable about the route and the history of the region. Our chef cook, Hilde, is a gourmet cook and made every meal special. Henk, the mate is a jack of all trades helping navigate, take care of the barge and help Hilde in the kitchen. Marius, the captain, is a very knowledgable navigator and made sure that all aspects of the trip were comfortable.
Our cabin was small but comfortable and very clean. Each cabin has its own bathroom with a walk in shower.
The bikes were well maintained and if there was a problem, Sietse took care of it.
We did have rain off and on for a couple of days so make sure to take rain gear. The biking was not difficult but e-bikes are available.
We'd highly recommend this trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first bike and barge trip.
- 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?
- Belgium, France
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★★★★★ Fady Abiassaf 5 months agonice trip
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
nice trip, nice company, good organization, almost perfect, nice company people and always worry about every detail of our trip. Nice views along our trip, nice towns, nice people in Austria, Slovenia and Hungary.
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★★★★★ Lisa Schmitz 5 months agoBeautiful 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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★★★★★ Dayna Stern 5 months agoMy favorite bike tour
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I love this trip! Gentle cycling, stunning scenery and nice accommodations. We requested half board which exposed us to south Tyrolean food. Highly recommended! Remember to dress warmly because you’ll be in a wooded valley part of the first few days.
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★★★★★ Timothy Libassi 5 months agoBeautiful road biking through the Algarve countryside
· Best of the Algarve by Road Bike
Beautiful tour through the countryside of the Algarve. The routes provided kept you on quite almost car free roads for the most part and where it couldn’t you are still on well maintained secondary roads with a good shoulder to ride on. The weather was great, not too hot during the day and no rain while we were riding. The carbon fiber road bikes were high quality, well-tuned and setup for us on the first day. The hotels were good to great, we stayed an extra night in Sagres, which was not only a great way to break up the trip but also the nicest hotel on the tour. The Garmin provided worked fine, we had one glitch where it sent us to the wrong hotel, but since we had also downloaded the tours to our phone, we worked it out quickly. Communication was great with biketours.com and even better with the local tour company who kept track of my bag which the airline had lost and had it to me just in time for the first day of riding. Overall a fun trip, I would go back to Portugal in a heartbeat.
- What was the date of your tour?
- october 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Al Carruthers 5 months agoDirections too vague
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The bikes, biking, hotels, food and weather were all good. The route descriptions were too vague. We were given German maps which were no help. We were told they were out of English maps and were not getting them reprinted. Directions were particularly vague when trying to find hotels and how to leave hotels correctly in the mornings.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Austria, Hungary
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BikeTours.com staff reply from JV November 9, 2022
Thanks for your feedback, Al. Next year the German map language issue will no longer be problem as our new process will prevent this from happening. Cheers and happy cycling!
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★★★★★ Dawn Richardson 5 months agoUnique Vacation Experience
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique III (and reverse)
We had a great time on our first Boat Bike Tour and enjoyed the new traveling experience. I've never been on a cruise and was slightly intimidated by the prospect, but the small boat/barge and biking all day was a great way to see from a new perspective. I enjoyed the guided biking all day and the food on the boat was exceptional. The whole crew was great and it was fun being with folks from all over the world. Definitely considering another tour in the future! We had to postpone twice with the pandemic and were thankful to be able to go and feel safe a couple of years later. Thank you!
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★★★★★ Peter Keithly 5 months agoWell Organized Bicycle Tour of Dalmatia Coast
· · Bike and Boat Croatia’s Dalmatia Coast
Very well organized and comprehensive adventure. Probably best for those who want to use E-Bikes. Guides were energetic and fun to be around. Waiter was wonderful and very entertaining. Food was well prepared and plentiful. Our room was comfortable and kept cool for sleeping with A/C. Top deck could have been a bit more user friendly as there was no shade provided.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ James Davidson 5 months ago
Our Danube Cycling tour - Sept 20-29
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Before I get started I wanted to thank Penelope for all her help and assistance.
We had a fabulous time. We flew into Vienna and took the train to Passau
where our hotel shuttle picked us up at the train station. The Hotels that
were set up for us were great although there were some minor snafoos along the way.
The bikes were delivered along with maps and itenerary for us with path suggestions
hotel locations and contact information.When we got to our hotel in Ashach, the hotel looked closed and the hotel door was locked.
There was no note on the door as to what to do. We called the contact number and was
told how to check-in remotely but we had to wait until someone walked out of the
door to be able to go in. The placed still looked closed, no lights, etc, but we
did find our room keys at the front desk. Just a little weird but we got through
it.We ride a lot at home so 20-25 miles isn't a lot of distance for us so we opted
for the 7 day ride (6 actual days riding). We realized that riding some days
at 40+ miles, although easy to ride, really wasn't enough time to stop and smell
the roses! Our fault for picking this plan but I would suggest to others that
riding 8 days would give you more time to see the sites.We didn't think a lot of things through, like riding through the Wachau region on Sunday
when everything was closed! Bummer. Beautiful but not a lot open that day. I guess
that is why they ran the Wachau Marathon on that day. Being an ex-marathoner, it was
fun to see all the runners.We had an issue with the brakes on my bike and we were directed by the Eurobike contact
where to go for the repair in Kremms. It didn't cost a lot and not enough to be reimbursed,
just some time lost.The hotels really were marvelous and directions to them couldn't have been better.
Our ride day into Vienna was raining and cold so when we got to our hotel, they
were sorry for us as we shivered and had a coffee in the bar, so they upgraded our
room! Score!The path is fabulous on both sides of the Danube. There were "Donauradweg" signs everywhere,
maps of the path and areas, path suggestions into and our of the towns if you wanted to
get off the main path. Guesthouses and cafes along the path were great. We had a fabulous time
and would suggest it to anyone else who might want to ride this route.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 20, 2022 - September 29, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is the only 'tour' but have ridden many 400-500 mile week long cycling events in the United States
- 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, Germany
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★★★★★ Sandy Anderson 5 months agoLake Constance Upscale
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
This trip was good overall, yet we made a mistake by choosing Upscale Lodging because most of the hotels were not in the old towns, and we had to go through the city at rush hour with unclear directions. We would have preferred staying along the river in the old towns. Upscale lodging was not necessary.
Secondly, the KaMOOT app that we bought and tried to use was a disaster. It lead you along any trail that came up...whether it was for hikers, or a dog path, so we were constantly rerouting on the first day, until we gave up on it and used the written guide.
The bikepaths were wonderful and scenic and we loved that part of the ride.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2022
- 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, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Cindy Kinney 5 months agoGreat way to discover France
· Loire Valley Chateaux and Gardens Tour
We had a knowledgeable guide that helped us experience the beauty of France. We enjoyed the food, wine and people. Great biking and a wonderful adventure.
The gardens were amazing and the history of the area was fascinating.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Alex Beresniewicz 5 months agoNothing Special
· Berlin – Copenhagen
Mostly flat riding through the countryside without much opportunity to see anything historic or even scenic outside of the cities where you start and finish. The bikes provided were excellent and the hotels were for the most part good, (sometimes daily distance seems to have forced the choice of where to stop for the night, and that means hotel choices are few...). I didn't choose this tour, my partner did, and it's not one I would consider repeating or recommending.
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★★★★★ Gail Skutezky 5 months agoBest bike trip ever - so much history! Beautiful weather
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
The trip was very interesting, lots of very beautiful scenery, warm weather, we saw places that you cannot get to by car. An incredible marble quarry, beautiful cork oak tree forests and chromalechs you don't see from a car road. The cafes were so quaint and welcoming. The hotels were 15th century convents, and a beautiful farmhouse with animals, one night we stayed in a beautiful palace attached to a castle that you could climb.
The bikes were excellent. We had ebikes and they were very light. The food was excellent. The Portuguese love to please you!- What was the date of your tour?
- September 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Portugal
