Bike Tour Reviews page 69
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★★★★★ John Maxfield August 15, 2023Beautiful Irish coast and fabulous cycling roads
· Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
This was an outstanding tour! The coast of County Donegal was breathtaking, and the roads / routes well chosen, with clear directions using both maps and GPS. I would suggest adding a longer mileage option for the circuit ride (Day 4) from Glenties; I did part of the circuit twice to get in a full day of cycling while my wife enjoyed the beach, waiting for the tide to go out for our walk to the island.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Alex Anderson August 15, 2023Great way to see Lisbon Hills on an ebike
· Hills of Lisbon E-Bike Tour
Guides were awesome, views spectacular, and if you like history this ride is for you. If you are not comfortable on a bike (or have never ridden an ebike) the cobble stone streets and tight traffic can be tricky but otherwise is was awesome.
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★★★★★ Maria Bachman August 14, 2023
Beyond All Expectations
· · Venice to Mantova by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This trip was beautifully executed from the minute we came on board. Our outstanding guide, Helmut made us feel welcome and was always attentive to our safety and comfort. The captain Jano was personable and we felt in capable hands with him as well as the engineer, Andrea. The food was 5 ⭐️! Sylvia and Alberto treated everyone with meals based on local traditions and mouth-watering flavors! It was easy to see that a lot of thought and planning went into creating a unique experience traveling through the countrysides of Italy. The charming tours and cappuccino stops along the way were perfectly timed and delightful. The crew fostered an ambience of comaraderie amongst the group. The social aspect of the tour made it even more memorable with lively conversations and the exchange of cultures. We could not have asked for a better vacation - already planning where to go next year!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July-August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Erik Coats August 14, 2023Great place to cycle
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
Lake Constance is beautiful and the cycling is great. 80% of the trip is on paved hike/bike paths, with about 10% on unpaved paths and 10% on regular roads (shared with cars). You should pay for the GPS aps on your phone to navigate as the maps and written directions are often insufficient. Most of the hotels were in lovely cities, but the spacing out was inconsistent, leading to some very short days of cycling and some very long days. Most days were short enough to give you time to explore the cities you're passing through and staying in. We had a couple issue and were able to reach the tour company for support, which is appreciated.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ A. Anderson August 14, 2023A glorious way to see Marrakech
· Marrakesh City Bike Tour
This tour was a truly unique way to see the old city of Medina (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the center of Marrakech). Cycling through the alleys of Marrakech with a wonderful local guide explaining what would otherwise be unseen by local tourists was fantastic. The pictures i added to this review don’t do it justice.
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★★★★★ Liliane August 14, 2023great family experience
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
We had a great family time. Following the tour was easy - one followed the map, the other the instructions - it was worth following the proposed route and not google maps.
On the 65km day, we arrived late at our destination and one of the highlights was already closed. Including a bit of info of the main cultural attractions would be helpful. Have Pellerines ready in your bile box - the weather changes quickly. Tanja was of great help and very responsive! Thank you!- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Anthony Ladson August 14, 2023Wonderful trip
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
I greatly enjoyed this ride and highly recommend it. The recommended routes were scenic and you could explore more if you wanted. The hotels were excellent and my gear was picked and moved every day without issue. I also loved the bike that was provided.
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★★★★★ Jett August 12, 2023Interesting ride through the city
· Bucharest Communist Bike Tour
A nice way to explore the city and it's turbulent past. Through the tour you get to know more about the recent history of the country.
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★★★★★ Vincent Pouliot August 12, 2023
Superbe Belgique !
· Highlights of Flanders: Belgium’s History, Art, Nature & Cuisine
Très belle façon de découvrir la Belgique et ses petits trésors de jours en jours sur deux roues !
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★★★★★ Edward Baker August 11, 2023
Could Have Been Amazing
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
The routes took us through some very interesting landscapes and towns. It would have been so much better if our daily information included more specifics about the areas where we traveled. Knowing more about the trails would also have been helpful. At one point, the directions were extremely confusing and led us onto an impassable trail. We understood that in some towns where we stayed the accommodations would be limited and might not have all of the amenities to which we are accustomed. With that we were fine. However, it was disappointing to see better accommodations that were available. Even worse was when the directions sent us to the better hotels only to be told that our reservation was not there and when we arrived at the hotel that was reserved, it was of a much lesser quality. This happened to us twice. At the very least, the route directions should list the correct destination hotel. We should not have to consult two different documents to find our hotel for the night. In our case, we had specifically explained that we would pay more, but wanted to have the best accommodations in each location. This did not happen, although we did pay a higher rate. Fortunately the staff at all of the hotels were exceptionally helpful, friendly, and professional. We were given very limited orientation before beginning the ride and felt that this company was unresponsive and left a lot for the rider to figure out alone. No helmets were provided which wasn't significant for us because we brought our own, but there was no communication indicating that helmets would not be provided. Having notes in the daily plan that noted restaurants along the way and at the destination each day would have been most helpful. In addition, it would have been nice to have known that in serveral locations, the only dining option would be at the hotel. We had a very enjoyable experience, but feel that it could have been far better with more information provided by the organization.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Alex Anderson August 9, 2023Great way to see a beautiful city on a bike
Porto Downtown & Sightseeing Bike Tour
Our guides were Porto locals so knew the town and its history inside out and backwards. We did a custom bike tour so got to see a bit more than usual which was all well worth it. If you are looking for a hotel recommendation, I can't recommend the Hospes Infante Sagres enough. It was one of the cooler old school hotels I've ever seen. When not on your bike, be sure the check out the nightlife along with its food and restaurants on both sides of the Douro River. We didn't get around to trying to some of the local port tastings (all of the major brands have huge cellars on the north side of the river) be had enough elsewhere. Also, there is a new shopping center on the north side of the river that we briefly biked past that is apparently also well worth seeing if you are into that sort of thing.
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★★★★★ Alex Anderson August 9, 2023
Great way to see Lisbon Hills on an ebike
· Hills of Lisbon E-Bike Tour
Guides were awesome, views spectacular, and if you like history this ride is for you. If you are not comfortable on a bike (or have never ridden an ebike) the cobble stone streets and tight traffic can be tricky but otherwise is was a fantastic experience.
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★★★★★ Jodie Lawlor August 7, 2023Fantastic Adventure!!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was our first bike tour-and we chose the self guided tour so we could take our time. It was fantastic-bikes were great, book with our route and all the details was a huge help, hotels were great and we had great weather. The towns and scenery were amazing. Highly recommend and would do again!
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Brian Hallgarth August 7, 2023Fantastic Bike/Barge Trip
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique IV (and reverse)
This Brugge to Amsterdam bike and barge trip exceeded our expectations in many ways. The barge was deluxe, clean and comfortable and the food was good. We had an upper level stateroom and think it was worth the cost.
The biking was easy although there were very strong winds a few times. We tried e bikes. About half the riders used them. This was our first experience with e bikes but at age 66 I will rent one again although we are long time , long distance cyclists.
We did expect more independent cycling and some cycling instruction for new riders riding in a large group. However, the route was tricky with so many paths to take so we stayed in the group. The small towns and scenery were a wonderful experience. The guides and boat crew were very knowledgeable and personable.
We will look for a similar experience in the future.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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, Holland
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★★★★★ John Matthew Schley August 7, 2023Fun and intellectually stimulating
· Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
Great bike trails. Great group of people to travel with. Really excellent guide. Searching out restaurants you can find excellent food. Dinners provide by tour were mediocre at best.
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★★★★★ Carol Addy August 7, 2023Terrific tour led by Paolo!
Sintra Bike Tour
Highly recommend the tour led by Paolo! He was personable and very knowledgeable about Sintra, Portugal, and the history.
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★★★★★ Joseph Braun August 5, 2023
Scenic journey but you better know how to read a map
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
The bikes were excellent and the company representative was helpful, knowledgeable and more than willing make sure we had a good trip. The hotel in Copenhagen was an average room but noisy and poor ventilation. Other hotel rooms were mostly average. Breakfast was excellent at all the hotels. Directions were average but confusing. It would be helpful to include city maps with the information so tourists can find street names instead of following the directions. Also, be warned that several routes are on gravel paths, not paved.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Brad Frank August 5, 2023Awesome experience. Great guide and great sights.
· Alesund City E-Bike Tour
Bikes were fun/easy to ride and our guide took us all over Alesund. Got to see highlights of the city and the surrounding nature (up to a mountain viewpoint, and along a park near the shoreline). Just a great way to see Alesund, and our guide was fantastic telling us great details along the way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7/26/2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Richard Robblee August 4, 2023Lovely rural trail and ancient towns; variable quality accommodations.
· Romantic Road from Würzburg to Donauwörth
The tour itself was fun and varied. We enjoyed every day, and every day was different from the one before. Some days were virtually all in rural settings; others followed lightly-traveled roads in flat farming country which allowed us a close-up view of life in the area. The route-finding at times was tricky, having to work with a German language map book, an English translation booklet, and Komoot. We usually just followed the small bike trail signs but on a couple of occasions got thrown off as the same sign is used for various other trails. We should have paid strict attention to the English translated booklet when approaching towns instead of relying on the signs. So there was some back-tracking but nothing too serious. As to the bikes, our two bikes did not come with a repair kit or pump, and none were delivered until the end of the third day of our six day trip (when we reached the tour company they offered to send help at their expense to us on the trail if needed but for whatever reason could not get us the repair kit/pump promptly). Our trip was delayed on the fifth day by a loose screw that secured the rear fender to the frame, which meant that the retaining clip rubbed against the rear tire. The bikes themselves were on the heavy/sturdy side but worked well. Baggage transfers were reliable. Accommodations were spotty: the GHotel in Würzberg was a characterless commercial hotel; surely there are local hotels in the old town that could have been selected. The Hotel Bronnbacher in Wertheim was among our favorites - the remarkably helpful proprietor, Kai, deserves special praise. The Ringhotel Bundschu in Bad Mergentheim, despite its luxurious room and common areas, was a disappointment; the proprietor was terse and came across to us as unwelcoming, and the room was impossible to ventilate. No fan was made available in this fanciest of all six hotels. The Hotel Gerberhaus in Rothenburg was wonderful in all ways. The Hotel Piazza in Dinkelsbühl was satisfactory but otherwise unremarkable. The only utterly unsatisfactory hotel was the Hotel Wengers Brettl in Nördlingen. The staff that greeted us spoke virtually no English; no fan was available; the smoke alarm was missing from its placement in the ceiling, and the breakfast service was comparatively scant with the only employee spending most of his time reading the newspaper at the counter. Finally, the Hotel Donau was one of our favorites; set up well for bicyclists and with helpful staff. All meals with the exception of the Hotel Wengers Brettl were excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Linda Ewing August 2, 2023
Provence Bike Trip into the Countryside
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Really enjoyed the bike trip through the Provence countryside which visited several picturesque towns along the way. Our guide Alex was wonderful; she had done her homework so was able to provide us the history of what we were seeing. Plus Alex was great fun and made sure everyone was safe and comfortable while riding. Barge on-board staff was also super responsive and friendly. All the local staff was excellent!
My only criticism of the trip is the business model used by the barge company. The 'Caprice' boat itself is 'past its prime' --- old, really cramped room accommodations. We were unlucky and assigned what appeared to be the smallest double twin room that didn't even have space for the tiniest sink in the bathroom (it was installed next to my bed's pillow). In fact, all the rooms were smaller than on other barge boats I've been on. Also, the dining area was so tight you couldn't get out of your chair without your neighbor also moving. Bottomline, the company owners are squeezing too many people on the boat so they get more revenue.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 15 - 22, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
