Primarily Bike Paths Tour Reviews page 61
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- ★★★★★ Donte
Vienna to Budapest
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Beautiful trails. Exceptions were about 7 K in muddy conditions, 10-12 K on poorly packed gravel. Touring bicycle handled trails well and we're quite stable plowing through mud. Biking guide was inadequate with confusing written guidance separated from related maps. Need detailed cue sheets with clear details on turns, distance etc. Hotels mostly above my expectations although those with no elevators were burdensome.
- ★★★★★ Anna
Mosel bike Tour
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The tour was planned good. Very nice landscape and picturesque small towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Cramaz
The Great Tour of Salzburg
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
This ride took us through some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. While there were a couple of difficult hills, the majority of the ride was quite manageable and structured so that there was plenty of time to sightsee on the way and at each destination. The towns we stayed in all had something a little different to offer and all had plenty of good places to eat and relax. As a self-guided tour, this would be hard to beat. The Tauern bike path is a great way to see this part of Austria.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 28th August to 5th September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
- ★★★★★ Gilleanmac
Surpassed our expectations
Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
If you enjoy gourmet meals,wine, fresh air and exercise, you will love this tour. Perfect combination of smaller bed and breakfast and larger hotels. We opted for the supper meals included and we were so pleased with the restaurants chosen. Every meal will stay in my memory forever. We enjoyed less Kms per day ,which allowed us enough time for exploring, afternoon stops in cafe's for wine and salad with chèvre chaud! The scenery was beautiful and the biking was mostly easy on flat paved services. The tour operator was also very helpful when we had a issue with a squeaking bike wheel and replaced the bike for us promptly . We loved this tour and would highly recommend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 28-sept 5/2016
- 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?
- France
- ★★★★★ Jenny P
Beautiful Scenery, Nice Riding, and Excellent Wine
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
Excellent bike tour! Traveling as a couple, we found the hotels nice, and especially loved the Hotel Weinhaus Mayer in Zell. Our favorite stops on the trip include hiking up to Zummethöhe and having dinner at Hotel Zummethof after the first day of biking (Trittenheim); wine tasting at the Vino-thek in Bernkastel-Kues; and everything about our stay in Zell. Breakfasts were excellent, and kept us filled until the afternoon.
There were many other bike tourists on the route, including families with children of all ages. The route was fairly flat, and there seemed to be options for riding on either side of the river in most cases. The riding can be done in 2-4 hours, and there are plenty of villages to stop in along the way.
The bike path itself was generally wide and well-paved, although we experienced a few short bumpy segments. The first 10 or so miles of the bike path (leaving Trier) goes through a rather industrial area, but once you've gotten through that, the scenery on the rest of the tour is incredible. We did the tour in mid-July, and had generally great weather. If going in early August, you should be able to eat lots of wild blackberries! We had a great time and would highly recommend the tour to anyone looking for a scenic and relatively leisurely trip.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 14-20
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Julius
Lovely ride
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
I decided on the spur of the moment to treat myself to a bike tour. The Mainz to Cologne route appealed to me because I did it by boat many years ago. It was one of the most enjoyable holidays I've ever had. The scenery was impressive, the ride was nice and easy and the hotels were sufficiently comfortable. Having done bike trips before where I carted my own luggage it was an absolute luxury to have my luggage looked after by the tour company. This was done in a very efficient way. The trip is quite easy. Before this, the last time I was on a bike for more than 10km was about 10 years ago. I had no problems, other than some saddle soreness after the first day. I would recommend proper cycling shorts, that makes life in the saddle a little easier.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14-19 August 2016
- 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?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Marta72
Perfect family trip
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Very recommended trip for families with kids that can bike. Km per day were not demanding (around 30km). You can stop to visit, to have a bath in the lake, to take a boat...very nice environment, very safe and relax way to travel. All roates are well indicated.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6-12 August
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Ron USA
Perfect week
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
This was a perfect European week for us. We rode 5 days self-guided, and, speaking for myself, I would have loved to do another 5. I was in the groove.
The biketours and their contractors are a well-oiled machine. They do this well. Our 3 Bikes were perfectly designed for this trip and had no problems. The luggage were there waiting at our hotel like clockwork.
The route, Vienna to Budapest, has its spectacular moments especially coming into Esztergom (Hungary) and Budapest. and it has many tranquil lovely phases of riding right beside the Danube. There were a few duller stages early on-- riding for long stretches on the river levies-- but I didn't expect every moment to be picture-postcard. - ★★★★★ Frequent Traveller
Great tour and helpful staff
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The tour was well organised although there was an initial communication problem at the first hotel. We were told by the tour company to meet at 7 am on the day of the trip and it should have been 7 pm. With a bit of luck and good timing it worked out fine. The local company was amazing. One of our party had an illness in the middle of the trip and the local company took care of us and drove him to the next destination along with his bike and baggage which gave him the time to recover and continue the trip. Amazing service. Will definitely do another tour.
- ★★★★★ kater
Great trip were almost everything offered was delivered
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The Danube valley and all the town along the way were beautiful. The Austrians were almost always friendly and helpful. The tandem bike was exceptionally well equipped being in good condition and plenty of detachable bags. The directions for the most part worked and the bike path was fantastic
- ★★★★★ Bernard D
Danube from Linz to Vienna with some Extra
Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
As a family of four (kids aged 10 and 11) we took six days to cover the 230 kilometers needed to pedal from Linz to Vienna. It was a fantastic way to discover beautiful country along one of the most picturesque stretches of European riverfront. 99.9% of the way is paved, and 80% is on dedicated bike paths (the remainder is biking on quiet country roads). With one rest day in the middle, the days represented between 35 and 55 kilometers of biking. Considering our younger one, our daughter, doesn't have the big leg muscles, our average speed was 14 km/h. We would set off between 9 and 10 am, and reach our accommodations in the early afternoon. The 55 kilometer day was a bit hard towards the end, but still very feasible. All hotels were very clean, quiet, with friendly staff and with delicious breakfast spreads included. We would highly recommend this trip, especially if you tag on a few days for culture in Vienna, at the end, as we did. It gave our kids and us the opportunity to have an active family trip in which we all felt a sense of accomplishment. And you don't have to do more than bring your suitcase up to your room and back down! The rest is taken care of. We are extremely happy with this trip. Thanks to BikeTours, and their Austrian associates (Rad Reiss Freunde) for making it all happen at a reasonable price and without a single hiccup! We could not have planned it better ourselves.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
- ★★★★★ MelE
Tours to Angers
Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 7-12
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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?
- France
- ★★★★★ RP8082
Danube Ride
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
A great ride. The hotels were wonderful. The scenery was beautiful. The directions for the route were good. A little more detail for directions to the hotel each day could be improved slightly. But the trip was awesome. Bikes were new and well tuned, and luggage was delivered flawlessly each day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8/1/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- This one only.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
- ★★★★★ chuck
Excellent bike tour of the Danube and surrounding Austria countryside!
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
This was our first bike tour and it was a wonderful experience! The hotels and luggage transport were all top notch. The bicycles were in excellent condition and performed flawlessly throughout the trip, but they were a bit heavy compared to our privately owned bikes. The saddle bags were invaluable and easily detached so you could carry them into the hotel room at the end of the day. The directions to get from city to city was great, but occasionally a little vague on getting to the hotel at the end of the day. Also, it should be noted that crossing the river by ferry was always easier than crossing at the bridges and dams.
- ★★★★★ bienchen
fantastic trip
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Very relaxing and fun way to experience three countries, stay at bed & breakfasts, cycle at your own pace during the day, stop at tourist sites, and check into your next hotel in the afternoon/evening and grab dinner at a local restaurant. Hotels varied from simple to four-star. We liked the ones close to town best because we were able to explore different places in the evenings.
Will definitely go with that company again in the future.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Grani Rae
Family celebration of my 80th year
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
An excellent trip--great hotel locations, marvelous breakfasts, great views from hotel terraces. An electric assisted bicycle allowed me (age 79) to enjoy bicycling with my two sons, their wives and four grandchildren (ages 12, 14, 14 and 17). The maps and directions provided for the self-guided tour took us on safe bike paths through forests, wheat fields, through small towns, past castles and churches, and of course, along the Danube River.
- ★★★★★ Female solo traveler
Incredibly scenic
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Alpskier
Wonderful & Easy Biking Adventure for All
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was my 11th ride with Biketours and one of the easiest and most enjoyable! The mileage averaged around 25 miles, and except for a few hills on the second day, the ride was generally flat, on easily identifiable bike routes. It's nearly impossible to get lost, and for first-timers that's important. You simply follow a defined path around Lake Constance, also known as the Bodensee, and the Rhine River towards Shaffhausen. On some rides I've taken, you ride for 35 miles and wind up in a town that was selected as a place to lay your head rather than a destination of some interest. Each of the towns and cities as you ride from Germany, into Switzerland, eventually through Austrian, and back to Germany are wonderful places with well-preserved medieval old towns. So we'd leave our hotel by 9 and be in the next town by 1 with plenty to do for the rest of the day. Radweg-Reisen is the local tour provider. It's a first-class operation from top to bottom. You receive a detailed personalized tour packet with easy-to-understand route information as well as must-see sights to see in each town. My wife and I chose the A hotel options, which for about two hundred dollars more allowed us to stay in quaint 3 and 4 hotels. Each were literally on the bike route! As a top tip, I'd strongly recommend purchasing the meal plan which includes breakfast and a 3 course dinner. This keeps costs down and some of the meals were truly memorable. The bikes appeared new, and were perfect for touring. Sometimes the path was on crushed gravel or sand; other times you followed an asphalted route. The width of the tires was perfect for the task. The other thing about the bike was the number of adjustments you could make in order to personalize your bike. Here's another top top: when you shop in your start and stop city in Constance, or Konstanz, as it's known locally, you can immediately get 19% tax back by simply walking over to the customs office at the train station. Receive a stamp that you are not living in the EU and go back to your store and get cash back. Constance is a great place to shop, especially for shoes! Finally, the scenery around the lake is spectacular. It's a great choice for all.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Alpskier
Easy Riding Across Switzerland! And Free Water!
Aare Cycle Route: Along the Jura, Aare, and Rhine Rivers
This is my 11th ride with Biketours, and probably, oddly, the easiest! The ride starts in Interlaken and follows the Aare River to Constance, Germany. I'd recommend it for newbies, looking for a great ride. You simply followed the well-posted number 8 Aare River route. It's pretty difficult to get lost. And there are few hills, too. Along the way, you'll ride about 25 miles each day, arriving at a wonderful historic town or city whose Alstadt, or old town, remains perfectly preserved. Unlike most of Europe, wars haven't ravaged Switzerland's land in over 500 years. The medieval centers are unique, and a great opportunity for photographers. On the first day, you take a 3 hour boat ride from Interlaken to Thun, crossing the pristine and aqua-marine waters of Lake Thun, set against the glaciers and jagged peaks of the Alps. I'd strongly recommend that you take the meal plan. It's quite a bargain, trust me. Switzerland is very, very expensive. Make no doubt about that. I got breakfast and a 3-course dinner every night. Some of the hotels were built in the 16th century. If you're looking for Marriots and Holiday Inns, seek elsewhere, nor can you expect air-conditioning, a rarity in most of Europe's hotels. The local tour provider, Radweg Reisen, presented us with brand-new bikes, suitable for touring. Most of the ride follows dedicated bike paths or on gravel roads through forests and farmlands. Here's a top tip: either through Biketours, or through your own effort, get to the start city Interlaken a few days earlier and visits the Alps, taking a train to either Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. That's what I did. There is no more beautiful valley in the world than Lauterbrunnen. Final thing: Switzerland is expensive, but the water is free! Every town and city features dozens of water fountains. You simply fill up when you need water.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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?
- Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Danube fan
Nice country riding along the famous Danube
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Overall our trip was fun. The hotels ranged from wonderful (in Maria Taferi and Vienna), to pretty nice for the price.
We're fairly strong road cyclists but nevertheless found the rental bikes very heavy. The mileages for the first few days were long and with those heat bikes it was tiring. We would suggest a rest day around day 3 or 4, or alternatively lower mileages on some of the early days.
We loved Passau and would recommend spending an extra day there before the bike tour. Also a day in Vienna at the end.
