Bike Tour Reviews page 87
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★★★★★ DeniseCS October 19, 2017By Far, the Best Bicycle Tour Ever
· A Taste of Italy: Emilia-Romagna
We encourage any cyclist with a spirit of adventure to take this tour. We call it a self-guided tour with training wheels! We have used other companies (Back Roads, VBT) but by far BikeTours.com and the local tour company (CycleEurope) was the best experience we ever had.
Even though this is a self-guided tour, the local representative, Giovanni, spent over two hours with us at the inception, going over every detail. They provided us with a huge binder with everything needed: maps, written instructions; points of interest; restaurant recommendations; info on each city we visited.
Their titanium framed bikes looked brand new and were maintained beautifully.
Giovanni informed and reassured us that if we had any trouble along the way, he could reach us within two hours maximum wherever we were.
Do take advantage of their provided GPS. It was the first time we used one on a bike and it was a blast.
The hotels were all 5 Star and our suites in Modena and Reggio Emilia were incredible. The cooking class included with Manuel was one of the best experiences. We learned so much and will use our new cooking skills at home. The included dinners were at top restaurants in that particular city and the food and staff were phenomenal. The included meal at the Agritourismo was one of the best we have ever had. The steak was truly the best beef we ever ate. The owner, Paolo and his wife Cecelia treated us like family.
Please do not miss this experience. The staff at BikeTours.com will make your self-guided tours the most fabulous trip of a lifetime.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/22/17 to 10/1/17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ BandB October 18, 2017Classy trip
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
We loved this tour. 60-70 km of flat riding during the day, lovely hotels and restaurants to experience at night. The transfer of our luggage was faultless. Some of the hotels were absolutely fabulous. One was disappointing. So much to see and experience during the day.
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★★★★★ mattybee October 17, 2017Enjoyed the whole adventure
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Great way to see 3 countries on one bike ride. Weather could have been better in the beginning. We started in mid September and encountered one day too wet to ride. But nevertheless made the most of it. Great accommodations all the way throughout the trip. Scenery was superb. Bike paths were wonderfully uncrowded. Rarely had to travel with any kind of vehicle traffic on any of the roadways. All luggage transfers and shuttles were seamless. Tour staff very friendly and helpful. The cycling itself wasn't particularly difficult, but a little endurance is needed because of the length of the daily rides. Didn't have GPS so we relied on the maps which were adequate in the outskirts and country, but could have used a bit better map in the city of Gorizia for sure. Don't miss the pizza a Al Lampione in Gorizia, and the strudel at Gasthof Post, in Oberdrauburg. We opted for the layover day in Lake Bled which was one of the highlights of the trip. Stunning. The walk around the lake with first snow on the mountains was spectacular. Nice way to spend a day. Also, would recommend a day after spent in Trieste. Plenty to do and see along the waterfront. We rented bikes from the Hotel and made another wonderful day of it. Would highly recommend this trip albeit maybe not as late in the season as when
we went.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- 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?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
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★★★★★ Catherine October 17, 2017excellent bike adventure
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Our barge crew was excellent, the group was wonderful and special, the food was very good and the trip a wonderful entry into bike and barging. Looking forward to more cycling and barging trips in the future.
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★★★★★ Cowboybob October 17, 2017Off-Road Adventure
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
My first tour with Creative Catalonia tours, and I would consider another. I was with a group of eight friends, one who managed the Garmin about 90% of the daily routes were on off-roadway, gravel trails through beautiful countryside. Staying on route required close reading of the route maps at times. The villages toured are amazing for their age and charm. Plenty of great cafes and restaurants along the way. The arranged hotel lodging was very good.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 6, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ KVWright October 16, 2017A wonderful tour of Umbria Valley
· Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
My friends and I have completed two similar bike tours (bike rental, luggage moved, etc). This was our first tour in Italy. Previously we had done a point A to point B ride. This tour consisted of only three location bases with day trips out and back. The routing was done in an attempt to keep us off as many of the main roads as possible. There were times when going onto busy streets was unfortunately necessary. The area does have some hills. None of us are avid riders and we managed the journey which did include walking up some of the grades. The maps provided mostly clear directions (we had a couple missed turns). It's a good idea to have a phone with a map as a back up. The accommodations were excellent: clean rooms, friendly staff, and great food.
The owner of the tour company personally met with us, went over the maps, and made any needed adjustments on the bikes before our journey. The bicycle were of good quality (mine was a 27 speed hybrid) and we were provided with one pannier for each bike.
Overall a great experience.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 8, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany October 17, 2017
Karen, we're so glad to hear you all had a great time in Umbria! The Umbrian towns are full of history and if walls could talk I can only imagine the stories they could tell. We hope to help you with another bike vacation!
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★★★★★ riverhiker October 16, 2017Best of both worlds, self-guided but with an accompanying driver
· UNESCO Sites of Albania
The scenery was amazing. I highly recommend this company and this trip. The roads varied from recent resurfaced smooth pavement to a slalom course of potholes. However, since on the pothole roads the traffic amounted to maybe seven cars an hour, there was plenty of space to dodge the holes. In all but a couple of stretches, the busier roads had good shoulders. And there were some roads that had both a good surface and little traffic. How often does that happen?Do be prepared to climb. Those elevation profiles don't lie.
Hotels varied from high end to very basic depending on the locale. If you are in the middle of nowhere and have great scenery and no traffic, there are going to be compromises. When I rate the accommodations a four instead of five, it is because of the limited options out in the countryside. This is through no fault of the tour company but it would not be fair to readers of this review to have them think everything is up to US standards.
Since we were self-guided, breakfast was the only meal provided. In all cases it was totally adequate and a couple of times, outstanding
The bicycles were quality and in good shape.
We did a self-guided trip and had thought that would involve just having the luggage moved for us. They gave us a driver that was with us the whole time. Not only did he transport our luggage, if the route out of town had any turns, he led us out and also waited at any tricky turns along the way. Great job Elvis!!!!
I can highly recommend this trip. Do go in the off season like we did so the coast is not crowded and go now. They are improving a lot of the roads which I am sure will lead to more traffic. Also, as the country becomes more affluent there will be more cars on the road.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 3rd
- How many tours have you completed?
- seven
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Doyle October 16, 2017
Italian Bike Tour
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Loved our bike tour. Great way to see the Italian countryside
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★★★★★ MungovanAJ October 15, 2017Awesome experience!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Our bicycle trip from Passau to Vienna was absolutely wonderful. BikeTours performed flawlessly for which we were very thankful.
We purchased the "Upscale Lodging" which was well worth the money. Some of our hotels were stunning chateaus, others ultra-modern glass edifices, but all were very nice and located in desireable locations.
The bikes are big and heavy but ride comfortably and smoothly.
Some advice to first-timers.
1. The bikes are very big. If you are not at least 5'8" you should probably consider getting the women's bike as the cross bar on the men's bike is unusually high compared to the typical American bike.
2. Bring a little pen light to help you find the bathroom at night without waking your partner. Staying in a different hotel each night can be a little disorienting, especially at 3 AM.
3. Bring good rain gear, gloves, and a layer of warm clothing. Our last day's ride into Vienna was cold and rainy and we were all freezing by the time we reached our hotel.
4. European hotels do not typically provide sheets. Instead, you get a single plush and very warm comforter. However, if the hotel room is warm it is hard to get the covers situated so you are not too warm or too cool. I would recommend packing a small sheet--or better yet a sleeping sack--to provide that "just right" sleeping temperature.
5. BikeTours will provide you a packet of maps and directions for your trip. Study them thoroughly before each day's ride to avoid making wrong turns, especially in the bigger towns or cities. (We made some wrong turns in Vienna.)
6. You will not have access to washers and dryers. To wash your underwear and socks bring a two gallon plastic storage bag and some liquid laundry detergents. (I used Woolite.) At your hotel fill the bag with water, detergent, and your dirty laundry. Agitate, soak, agitate, soak, agitate, soak, rinse, and then hang dry. If something is still wet in the morning affix it to your bike rack and let the wind and the sun dry it while you ride. It works perfectly.
7. Be gracious. Germans and Austrians are kind, friendly people. Compliment the many things they do well, they will be very appreciative.
8. Be excited, because you'll love the trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept'17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
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★★★★★ Gelc October 15, 2017Majorka loop tour
· Majorca: A Loop Tour of the Beautiful Balearic Island
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 1 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ From Canada October 15, 2017
Great trip.
· Majorca: A Loop Tour of the Beautiful Balearic Island
This was our first self guided tour. Almost everything was perfect. There are a couple of suggestions that may make the trip even better. Even though this was a self guided tour there were other people who were doing the tour at the same time. We saw them here and there but did not get to meet them and talk to them until 5th day at the luncheon. It would have been nice to have that lunch earlier so we could meet and interact sooner. We missed out on potential good friendship and interaction with others.
The WiFi service was poor in most places. I use it regularly to stay in touch with family back home. The last place we stayed gave us individual wifi codes and it worked great.
We would have loved to stay two nights at the Port de Soller instead of Can Picafort. That was the most beautiful area and we just did not have enough time to explore the area.
The food was hit and miss but OK overall.
I would suggest finding small restaurants with daily special menu for lunches. We had our best food on our trip in a little town in a very small restaurant.
We will definitely do this kind of trips again.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sep 29th
- How many tours have you completed?
- two
- 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
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★★★★★ Wrightriders October 14, 2017
· Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
- 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?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Steven October 13, 2017Fun trip
· Florence to Rome
Great way to see Medeval towns not jammed with tourists. Nice hotels, excellent local cuisine and sights. I wish the roads were better maintained with less car traffic and the bikes were lighter.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 22-29
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Patricia October 12, 2017Totally exceeded all expectations!
· Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
What a fantastic biking experience. Our guides - Encrio & Michela were the absolute best and 'made' the trip. It was awesome to see their eyes light up when they shared the history of Sardinia with us at every stop. So knowledgeable, so engaging, can't say enough! Everything planned down to the smallest details.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 22-29, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Chelle October 11, 2017· Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
Our guide was excellent. The trip was as advertised, and very enjoyable. I think we should have spent an extra day in Tallinn and one less day in the previous location. The stairs in the Riga hotel were difficult for some people.
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★★★★★ NotLance October 11, 2017
Great way to experience Sardinia
· Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
The Sardinia: A Mine of Memories tour was great. We choose a guided trip and the two guides we were assigned were great fun, becoming family. Our group of 17 ranged from casual/infrequent riders to advanced, some on road bikes, hybrids, and some on e-bikes (all bikes in great shape), and it proved to be a great combination with everyone happy. Two days of significant elevation gain (which became known as "beautiful views") , others along rolling mostly coastal or scenic roads, all with fun breaks for coffee, lunch, gelato and beer. Great dinners and accommodations were all good. Sardinian drivers were really courteous in the short heavily trafficked stretches. Our second tour with Biketours.com and we will be back.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 20-27
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
