Bike Tour Reviews  page 39

  • Dolomites to Venice
    (5/5) Dean Beveridge July 15, 2024

    Amazing 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
    • Amazing scenery (photo by Dean Beveridge)
  • Amsterdam to Bruges: South Holland and Zeeland
    (5/5) Mary Juno July 15, 2024

    Beyond All Expectations

    · Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland

    This trip was SO MUCH FUN. My partner and I are not experienced cyclers (just recreational cyclers), and this was our first long distance bike trip. It had sounded like a brilliant idea months earlier, but when the day came we were a bit nervous and wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into. When we met our local contact, Pieter, in Abcoude, he put us right at ease. He kindly explained the GPS, maps, and bikes to us and assured us we could contact him if needed. He was funny and charming and we liked him very much. We set off through Holland and were so charmed by the beautiful countryside, medieval towns, delicious food, and friendly people. And we were thrilled with the hotel choices -- each one was stylish and comfortable (especially Villa Augustus in Dordrecht) with great restaurants either in the hotel or very nearby, and our luggage was always waiting for us in our room when we arrived after the day's ride. Holland is a great place to bike as a) it's flat, and b) the bike paths are (almost always) separate from the roads, making it safe and easy to navigate. Arriving in Bruges at the end of our trip felt like a dream.

    Overall we were very impressed with biketours. They thought of everything and made it easy for us to just show up and ride! We will definitely do another trip with biketours.com

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was the first.
    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?
    Belgium, Holland
    •  (photo by Mary Juno)
    •  (photo by Mary Juno)
    •  (photo by Mary Juno)
    •  (photo by Mary Juno)
    •  (photo by Mary Juno)
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from jan July 15, 2024

      Reviews like this make our day. Truly! Giving people memories of a lifetime never gets old. Have a great rest of your summer!

    • 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
  • Danube Bike Path
    (5/5) Jeff July 14, 2024

    Great trip.

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Beautiful ride. Healthy, interesting and fun. A nice way to see small towns and landscapes one would otherwise never visit. A real escape vacation.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    One
    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?
    Austria, Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 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)
  • Medieval Villages of Catalonia
    (5/5) Kathy K July 14, 2024

    Beautiful Villages and Stunning Sea!

    · Medieval Villages of Catalonia

    I recently did the self-guided trip as a mom and son getaway with my 14-year old. We did this on e-bikes. Daniel was kind and thoughtful and checked in on us along the way via text. He was on time for bike delivery and super organized, setting us up for success. The hotels selected were great even though we booked last minute. Each of our rooms along the mediterranean had views of the Sea which was stunning and exceeded our expectations. My son managed the GPS and all of the navigating and we had an easy time of this. The route itself was wonderful! A great mix of medieval and coast and I wonder if the tour title should give more emphasis to the time spent along the coast, which was absolutely beautiful! I was sad to leave Llafranc and put the sea behind us, but this was quickly replaced with fascination at the beauty of the small villages. Overall, this was a wonderful adventure. The weather was superb and the towns were not crowded with tourists (late June). I do recommend the e-bikes if you have varying levels of experience and want to stray off the tour routes at all to bike uphill to other towns not on the tour route. We had more than enough time and energy to add things like this because of the benefit of the pedal-assist.

    What was the date of your tour?
    late June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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?
    Spain
    • 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
  • Tuscany Getaway
    (4/5) Tera Hurst July 13, 2024

    Amazing 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
    • Day 4 in Montelciano (photo by Tera Hurst)
    • Heading to Siena (photo by Tera Hurst)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Wild Atlantic Way Cycling
    (5/5) Pauline Keener July 13, 2024

    Great experience

    · Wild Atlantic Way Cycling

    Tour operator so helpful and adjusted to me having an injury which actually kept me from riding. I would go again when my leg is healed.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Ireland
  • Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
    (5/5) Suzanne Kellett July 12, 2024

    Great ride through beautiful scenery

    · Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems

    A great ride for everyone even those who may not be regular cyclists. The schedule is not too taxing for e bike riders who only cycle occasionally. The route takes you through some really beautiful scenery albeit a bit hilly at times and the hotels were all in great locations.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    Five
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Slovenia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Prague - City of a Hundred Spires Bike and Boat
    (4/5) Barry Nashen July 12, 2024

    Pros and cons, as in most tours

    Prague - City of a Hundred Spires Bike and Boat

    Pros: Flawlessly organized, excellent food options, very attentive service, comfortable cabins, excellent choice of cycling itineraries.
    Cons: 100% of passengers were couples (50 yrs+), no possibility for changing tables at meal times for a variety of interactions, lack of events to encourage mingling/meeting others.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2024
    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?
    Czech Republic
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 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
  • Danube Bike Path
    (5/5) Charles Eberhard July 11, 2024

    Fabulous Ride, Scenery and Hotels

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Just a fantastic ride down the Danube. The river valley scenery was especially beautiful, but we all also enjoyed riding through the small towns along the way. Great choice of hotels which all had excellent breakfasts to start us on our day. The only real disappointment we had was the introduction to the tour and bikes by the representative of the tour company. He was late, didn't seem too interested in helping us, and didn't check that the bikes were adjusted correctly for each of us. We had to do some additional adjustments ourselves the next day which caused some problems and could have been totally avoided if he had just checked each of us and had tools to make final changes. That wasn't a good start, but after that, the ride, directions and hotels were all great. Also glad we did an unguided tour as we really didn't need a guide for this trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June '24
    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?
    Austria, Germany
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Marek Hartleb July 11, 2024

    Alpine pastures

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

    Although we went through all climate zones during our ride we find this vacation awesome. Selection of hotels and planning of bike routes was very good. Riding 40 to 65 km each day with e-bikes took 2-3 hours, therefore we had enough time to walk alpine pastures taken up by cable cars in Zell am See or Lofer. You may believe me that alpine meadows settled only by Milka cows is something that gives the best break from noisy and busy life.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
    •  (photo by Marek Hartleb)
  • Pearls of Dalmatia
    (5/5) Andrea Johnson July 11, 2024

    Wow, unforgettable adventure!

    · · Pearls of Dalmatia by Bike and Boat, Romantica

    Loved every moment, fantastic guides Ana and Srdan, wonderful traveling companions, delicious and plentiful food, great boat crew, and knowledgeable city guides. We loved seeing Croatia and would delight in a future trip with Bike Tours.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June/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, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • 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
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Mosel Bike Path
    (5/5) Peter Wiedenbeck July 10, 2024

    Wonderful week of biking in a beautiful place

    · Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz

    I’d like to give a 4-1/2 star rating because, although it was wonderful and we definitely recommend it, there is still room for improvement

    Pros: Wonderful route – the vast majority of the time you are biking on paved dedicated bike paths along the river, separate from the roadway and train tracks. There are a few areas where the bike path is adjacent to the road (especially along the Rhine from St. Goar to Koblenz) and at least one short stretch on packed dirt through the woods. Most of the routes are extremely well-marked. You have to be watchful for turns in towns, where it can be easy to miss the small sign with the arrow to turn, especially when looking at all the sites in the towns. We did better when we stopped at each signpost and made sure we were headed the right way. The Hotels were all very nice and had generous breakfast buffets, which made for a great start every morning. Note that hotels in Germany don’t have AC and often don’t have fans. I had a spray bottle to mist myself while riding and that helped at night, too. Next time, I’ll bring a small fan to help on those hot nights. We didn’t opt for the dinner plan, but did eat in the hotels several times and had excellent meals and service. The organized wine tasting was fun and we did a few more on our own. Luggage transfers all went very well. We added an extra hotel night at each end (Trier and Koblenz), which we would do again. Trier has an amazing amount of Roman history and fabulous restaurants. The extra day also gave us time to ride the other way (upstream on the Mosel) to Saarburg. In Koblenz, we spent an entire day at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (take the cable car up and across the Rhine to get there). The map book was very helpful and detailed the type of trail for each section. But, oops, one page on the Rhine was replaced by a duplicate page along the Mosel. The specific directions packet included detailed distances between towns and possible sites to see. But…. See cons below.

    Cons: Bikes: we had conventional bikes (not ebikes), and they could have been better maintained. The chains were a bit dry and downshifting often didn’t work. That was not a huge issue on the flat trail, but in towns, it was a problem. The odometer on one of the bikes quit working after 3 days. The seats are not touring seats – they are wide and therefore chafed. Despite doing lots of riding in prep and wearing padded shorts, we were painfully chafed by the end of the trip. We couldn’t figure out how to use the pump without letting out air, but were able to use a pump at one of the hotels. Detours: Our biggest issue is that it is clear the route was not checked early in the season and the directions adjusted. There was a lot of construction in many of the towns that invalidated the directions in the packet. Construction that clearly would be going on all summer. For example, Day 1, leaving Trier, the booklet says: “Start at Kaiser-Wilhelm bridge and cycle along the left bank of the Moselle” Well, the bike path itself is being reconstructed beneath the bridge - it is down to dirt, covered with equipment and bike path entrance blocked off. No detour signs giving you an alternate route. It took us an extra 10 km of going one way then another over a frustrating hour before we were on our way. Not a great start to the trip. There were similar long-term construction issues in at least two other places (Karden and Koblenz). If the route had been checked, a single sheet in addition to the bound booklet could have provided alternate ways to leave town/get to hotels with much less frustration.
    All that said, it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend it. It is beautiful country, well-maintained bike paths, lovely vineyards and great wine. Being able to have the hotel reservations and luggage transfers all done for us was a pleasure. When there was an issue with the ferry to St Goar, customer service was very responsive and got things straightened out right away. Transportation to Trier and from Koblenz was very easy to arrange on the regional German trains.  SHOW MORE 

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    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?
    Germany
    • Basilica in Trier (photo by Peter Wiedenbeck)
    • Villa Rustica in Mehring (photo by Peter Wiedenbeck)
    •  (photo by Peter Wiedenbeck)
    •  (photo by Peter Wiedenbeck)
    • Cable car to Ehrenbreitstein in Koblenz (photo by Peter Wiedenbeck)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Prague to Dresden
    (5/5) Johann Hjaltdal Thorsteinsson July 10, 2024

    The perfect bike holiday

    · Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers

    Everything was as good as described. Beautiful bikepaths, easy navigation, sturdy bikes and good quality hotels. I can recommend this trip for others to enjoy. Thank you.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 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?
    Czech Republic, Germany
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Be inspired by the island city
    (5/5) Lynne Herr July 9, 2024

    Andreas gave us a great tour around Alesund!

    · Alesund City E-Bike Tour

    Perfect way to explore on a sunny day! Those E-bikes are quality and make the hills enjoyable. Great tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    None
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Tuscany Getaway
    (5/5) Aaron Hurst July 9, 2024

    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
  • The true taste of Tallinn
    (5/5) Lis Ellis July 9, 2024

    A splendid tootle around town ending with an incredible meal

    · Tallinn Bike Tour with Market Visit & Food Tasting

    Enjoyed a small group ride. Roland was a top notch guide. Well informed about the history and culture but also had a great sense of humor. An easy pace ride through various Tallinn neighborhoods. Mostly outside of old town which is appreciative since old town is cobblestone heavy. A 20 mins stop at the market which was lovely so a nice bathroom break and quick refreshment but don’t eat to much because is coming! 90% flat but we were doing well on time so our guide took us to the top of Toompea area so we had a tiny portion of incline but well worth it. I am absolutely loved the food tasting was a sit down meal made by local chefs. The food was incredible and we enjoyed the fellowship and conversation with other travelers. Highly recommend.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    Over 15
    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
    •  (photo by Lis Ellis)
    •  (photo by Lis Ellis)
    •  (photo by Lis Ellis)
    •  (photo by Lis Ellis)
    •  (photo by Lis Ellis)
    •  (photo by Lis Ellis)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Bike Path
    (3/5) Jay Bonitt July 9, 2024

    Easy But Hard

    · Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)

    The App for the bike path route was VERY GOOD. However, at the end of each day the app and map took us to the city for that day's destination, NOT to our hotel. The hotel in Aschach was not near where the app ended the day; and the hotel in Enns, while on the bike path, was several miles (and across major highways). If the hotel was on he bike path, why didn't the app take us directly to it? Finally, when entering Vienna the end of the app was no where near the hotel (a 20 minute taxi ride in heavy traffic). This glitch could easily be fixed by the tour operator by guiding riders directly to their hotel each night. As it was, after a good day of cycling, the day often ended in confusion and nowhere near the destination hotel. The bikes (one a road bike the other an e-bike) were excellent. If the app took us directly to our hotel each day instead of guiding us to the center city, I would rate the trip excellent. Unfortunately the hotel destinations were left to us to figure out, and Google maps did not always work.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Jan July 12, 2024

      Thanks for your review. We are actively trying to standardize the apps used for rides like this and their configuration among all of our partners (and the industry in general) but this has been a slowly not always perfect process. Thanks for traveling with us and we hope to see you again!

    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Baltic Capitals
    (4/5) Marilyn Miller July 8, 2024

    Great combination of antiquities and nature

    · Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn

    All three Baltic countries were fascinating. We were happy we decided to go guided when we became acquainted with our guide, Minda. He is a great asset to the trip. So well organized, cordial, and full of interesting history and other facts.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
    •  (photo by Marilyn Miller)
    •  (photo by Marilyn Miller)