Bike Tour Reviews (page 93)

★★★★★ (4/5) Reigh Walling November 8, 2022

A rich historical past and a vibrant and diverse present. That's Portugal.

· Castles and Wines of Portugal

If you told most people that you were going to cycle Portugal, they would only think of Lisbon. Well, that is a beautiful city, but an hour's train ride took us from coastal topography to a totally different landscape of rolling hills topped with cork trees and vineyards. The tour was a nice mix of ancient walled cities and rural rolling roads. Cows graze amid the monoliths. Sheep browse for grass under the olive trees, each wearing a tiny tinkle bell around its neck -- their movement producing a melodious windchime symphony. Accommodations ranged from a rustic farmhouse to an actual palace, and the route and attributes of the tour also bridged history and modern culture. But it's Portugal's people who are the real stars of the tour. And of course, the food.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 8
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?: Portugal

4/5 Value
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
4/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Cate Adams November 8, 2022

Loved every minute. Can’t wait todo another

· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal

My husband and I booked this trip with several friends but we made many new friends on the trip. The guides were so knowledgeable and they too became friends. Each day we would start with a delicious breakfast, make our sack lunch and head out to get our bikes. The days were filled with wonderful cities and gorgeous countrysides. I don’t think you could have this kind of experience in a car or bus. We would have a morning break for coffee and later a stop for lunch either in city pubs or country inns. We returned back to the boat to find appetizers and the bar ready to receive orders. We could return to the comfort of our room for a hot shower or go in the hot tub. Always places you could find to be alone. The days followed the same routine, but the sites an food were always changing. Speaking of food, our chef did a fantastic job cooking for all 30 of us. The ship Captain and crew all pitched in to get our meals out quickly. Evening were sometimes optional tours or casual strolls along the water. Each day was magical.

What was the date of your tour?: May 2022
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
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Belgium, Holland

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)

★★★★★ (5/5) Brianna Oehm November 8, 2022

First solo trip & first bike trip!

· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)

Absolutely would recommend this tour for anyone! I went in April which was a bit chilly, but had the trails to myself. I felt very supported by the staff if I needed, but was independent the whole time. Fairly flat and easy trail, but the mileage added up throughout the week. Hotels were easy to find and lovely to stay at!

What was the date of your tour?: April 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, Families with teens, Families with young kids
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Austria, Germany

4/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
3/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
4/5 Scenery
5/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Ethyl Will November 8, 2022

Wonderful Trip

· · Coastal Islands of Southern Dalmatia

Beautiful countryside and great biking. I loved every moment of it. We had a wonderful group on our boat. I particularly loved the long downhills into the towns (not as thrilled with the climbs out!).

Countries included in this tour?: Croatia

★★★★★ (5/5) Donald Allen November 8, 2022

Bike Trip V

· Wild Atlantic Way Cycling

Scenery was breathtaking, people were extremely accommodating and app was excellent for this type of route. Tour company was quick to deal with initial problems we had with bikes. The Ireland biking experience exceeded our expectations.

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?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Ireland

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
3/5 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
4/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (4/5) Sandra Page November 8, 2022

Trip of a lifetime

· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia

Two weeks of heaven. !! Was the perfect way to experience the coastline of Croatia and experience Split and Dubrovnik. Plenty of history combined with cycling, cruising and culinary delight. Wine, olives, chocolate, pottery and lavender for the local flare . Quaint towns, beautiful sunrise and sunsets from the boat. Our guides where amazing getting us to the best spots and being extremely knowledgeable and kept us safe !! Our guides we’re able to shift gears when needed and in the heat of July we’re able to accommodate a comfortable swim in a quiet cove everyday. The beautiful coves and swims turned out to be some of our most memorable moments.

What was the date of your tour?: July 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?: 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)

★★★★★ (5/5) Adam Pernsteiner November 8, 2022

A Great Scenic Bike Trip with a Lot of Interesting Side Excursions Along the Way

· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)

The Tauern Bike Path in and out of Salzburg, Austria was my 5th bicycle trip in Europe and once of the most scenic and beautiful bicycle tours I have experienced. The bicycle route itself is usually a paved path and primarily follows along river valleys, so the difficulty is easy to moderate and very manageable for a recreational rider like myself. I only walked my bike on a few short climbs and my 18-year old son had no issues with the difficulty. Navigation-wise, the tour company materials were fine and the route is well-marked, although I would recommend keeping a backup navigation aid or two in the form of google maps and perhaps a cycling map app. I was impressed by the high percentage of local Austrians cyclists who were using e-bikes along the path. So, if you are considering an e-bike but wondering if you would stand out - no worries, you will blend right in with the locals!
The thing that probably sets this tour apart from others in my mind is the impressive number interesting side adventures that you can have along the way - right next to the bicycle path. For us, these included medieval castles and falconry shows, hiking, waterfalls, mountaintop tram rides, and underground cave hiking - and we probably still missed a couple of other excursions we could have done along the way. Some of these are free and most do not cost more than the price of a tram ride.
As far as food and accommodations, they were excellent. I did the upgraded lodging option because I have back issues and I was thoroughly impressed. I would note that some the spa and health facilities at the properties are world class. The included breakfasts are great and we had no trouble finding restaurants with great food and drinks.
Overall, I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a scenic ride through Austria without too much difficulty, especially if you want to be able to hope off your bike once and a while and do a few side hikes and other adventures.

What was the date of your tour?: July 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 6
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

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
4/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Carol McClennan November 8, 2022

Very relaxing and scenic

· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip toward the end of September, specifically Sept. 22 was the day we started cycling. It was just my husband and myself. We had no issues with our bikes, or with the maps and directions. Our hotels were excellent with the upgrades. It was relaxing in that we took in the sites, chatted with occasional folks along the way and ate well! And enjoyed extra time in Vienna..

Countries included in this tour?: Austria, Germany

★★★★★ (3/5) Fred Inglis November 7, 2022

The hotels were first class and the staff very helpful. The trip itself was away from the Danube for most of the mileage covered and there were too many rough parts along the trail , i.e. tractor tracks with gravel ruts that were uncomfortable to traverse and longer than comfortable sections of heavily used roads. We took a day of rest in Gyor and this was a very pleasant place to spend time touring on foot. Vienna and Budapest are wonderful cities to explore on foot and via trams also.

· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)

Biking is a wonderful way to explore a different country and there were pleasant surprises in a couple of restaurants we came across in small towns along the way.
Unfortunately our maps were in German as they had run out of English versions, which made it more difficult to orient oursenves.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 9
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: No
Countries included in this tour?: Austria, Hungary

4/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
2/5 Scenery
2/5 Ease of navigation
2/5 Tour documents

★★★★★ (5/5) Donald Woodhouse November 7, 2022

A wonderful way to see the islands and small towns

· · South Dalmatia Bike/E-bike and Boat

Croatia has always had good reputation for an early and late season vacations. Our trip in mid-May was perfect, the Adriatic was warming up every day and the 75 degree weather was ideal. This affordable trip suppled us with comfortable rooms, a nice dining area and a shaded sunning area on top. The National Parks were beautiful and relatively uncrowded compared to the larger cities and the parks in the rest of Europe. We didn’t know anyone else on the tour when we arrived but soon found new friends for future travel experiences. Our guides were fun and helpful and e bikes made hilly sections much easier to navigate and quality of the bikes were first rate. We look forward to catching another tour on the Magellan or their sister boat in 23!

What was the date of your tour?: May 2022
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?: Croatia

5/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
4/5 Local tour company services
4/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Pamela Oberst November 7, 2022

Great introduction to Basque country

· Cycling Spain's Ebro River

We had a great time on the Basque wine country. Met 4 new friends on the tour and plan on riding with them again. Recommend this tour for everyone. Nice mileage and time to explore places of Interest.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 7
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

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

★★★★★ (4/5) Robert Sterndale November 7, 2022

A beautiful ride through mostly rural, agricultural France

· Garonne Canal: From Bordeaux to Toulouse

Bordeaux and Toulouse are interesting cities alright but most of our time was riding through an expansive agricultural area. Finding our way out of Bordeaux was not difficult. Once we reached the canal we "sailed" along the paved towpath all day, every day. The bike trail was mostly well maintained paved surface with a few stretches that were bumpy. We saw active pavement maintenance so it is being improved where needed.
The Roadbook navigating program served well as a way finder except on the last day when it took us to the wrong place in Toulouse a couple kilometers or more across the city from our hotel. That was a hassle.
Being of a certain age, we opted for e-bikes on this trip. These were pedal-assist type bikes which we all mastered quickly. The terrain was mostly very canal-flat but the e-boost was welcome for the occasional rise and toward the end of the day the boost was welcome. The hotels along the way were not right on the canal and some hill climbing was involved there.
Bikes were well maintained and thoughtfully configured for our various heights but no orientation or training was provided for the bikes, they were just left at the starting hotel.
We enjoyed the hotel/B&B stays. B&B hosts were gracious and accommodating. Rooms were clean and comfortable.
We did this in late September which is the end of their tourist season. Weather was fine. Bike traffic was light.
The canal trail provided a very scenic but repetitious view. We saw an interesting variety of agricultural activity along the way.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 9
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: No
Countries included in this tour?: France

4/5 Value
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
4/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
3/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Russ Gibfried November 7, 2022

Great locations, trip pace and places to stay

· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track

Perfect way to see Bavaria, Tyrol, the Dolomites and into Venice. Old train tracks have been converted to bike trails, so you see towns and places that you would miss in a car. The mobile app keeps you on track. I'm convinced this is the best way to see a country and all my future trips will include a one week bike tour (if possible)

Countries included in this tour?: Italy

★★★★★ (5/5) Carol McClennan November 7, 2022

Very relaxing and scenic

· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip toward the end of September, specifically Sept. 22 was the day we started cycling. It was just my husband and myself. We had no issues with our bikes, or with the maps and directions. Our hotels were excellent with the upgrades. It was relaxing in that we took in the sites, chatted with occasional folks along the way and ate well! And enjoyed extra time in Vienna..

Countries included in this tour?: Austria, Germany

★★★★★ (5/5) Aaron Schwartzbaum November 7, 2022

What a fun trip!

· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

My partner and I had a ton of fun on this trip, which was our honeymoon. The stops were nice, especially with the ability to upgrade accommodations. I'd highly recommend doing the extra day in Bled if you're looking to get some relaxation in, too. Some parts of the route, especially if you're not taking the train into Bled, are would be extremely strenuous without an electric bike, I'd highly recommend one in general. There are a couple of points where there's a bit of car traffic, but I felt safe enough in a high viz. But what a fun way to travel, we saw a lot of things we wouldn't have ordinarily and the route is SCENIC as can be!

What was the date of your tour?: August 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, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Italy, Slovenia, Austria

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) MF November 7, 2022

Made for an unforgettable honeymoon!

· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

This was a great tour through Austria and the upscale markup was definitely worth it. The trip went exceptionally smoothly and we had a great time! Great food and scenery that changed every day of the trip, comfortable accommodations, and no worries. Having the luggage forwarded each day made for an easy trip.

What was the date of your tour?: May 2022
How many tours have you completed?: 4
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
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)

★★★★★ (4/5) Evelyn Savage November 7, 2022

Adventure

· Medieval Villages of Catalonia

Medieval Villages of Catalonia was an adventurous, fun and challenging bike tour. The villages were very interesting, the hotels very nice, the ebikes great and self guided directions mostly good. We had a few challenges finding some of the paths and the terrain was much more mountain biking than expected. But we found our way and enjoyed the beautiful countryside. One should be an experienced cyclist or mountain biker to enjoy the trails have some experience with directions to do self guided. Overall a very good way to experience the Baja Emporda coast and Medieval towns.

What was the date of your tour?: October 2022
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?: Spain

4/5 Value
3/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Local tour company services
4/5 Route selection