Primarily Bike Paths Tour Reviews page 43
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★★★★★ Karen Canon
Continuing our Danube Journey
Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
The route took us through four countries and four capital cities. We planned in several rest days which were well needed as the first part of the trio through Czech Republic and Austria were challenging! The route along the Danube would have been fantastic but unfortunately Storm Boris flooded the whole region, making biking the path impassable. The tour company did a good job of keeping us informed of route conditions (we were on a self-guided tour) and helping to arrange alternate transportation when biking was impossible due to heavy rain and flooding.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Elizabeth Hinz
Great adventure!
Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
Given the conditions of Danube flood and its aftermath, this was a bigger adventure than expected in problem solving logistics. People along the way were welcoming and helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Halloran911
Awesome trip
Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
Best way to see Czech Republic. Guides could not have been better. Total knowledge, kind and considerate and always following up on everything. Luggage always made it to the room. The tour company AVE is awesome and is not frilly but high quality. Rooms were great. No AC in rooms but not really a problem. Clean. Bring your own washcloths. One complaint. 2 hour heavy lunches were silly. Give us a snack and let us move on so we can have more time to relax when we get to the next village.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 5-13
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Stacey
Challenging hills then scenic plains
Prague to Vienna via Cesky Krumlov
Czechia is such a beautiful country, and this tour across southern Bohemia and Moravia was just fantastic. However, it is very hilly for the first few days. 50 miles per day with some very steep hills the first couple days. The countryside starts to flatten out more after you reach Znojmo. Once outside Prague, most folks do not speak English, so some knowledge of Czech and/or German is very helpful. Vlastimil, the local tour operator for Ave Travel, was very responsive and helpful.
I did ask for and received a GPX file to preload into my Garmin, as navigation is always a challenge on bike tours. Further, the local tour company recommended a couple of Czech specific apps which you can use to predownload the local maps for use when you arrive, and this was extremely helpful, if you have an international cell plan for your phone.
A couple of caveats: the GPX file included alternate routes instead of a single path, as this tour has optional legs that you may or may not want to go on. This negated my ability to use the navigation on my Garmin edge, since it couldn't know which route i wanted to take, and could only tell me when I was off course. Also, as others have mentioned, there was no opportunity to see our rented bikes and make sure they were appropriately sized prior to being picked up by the van for our transfer to Cesky Krumlov. Two of the four bikes we rented could have used newer tires; however they were clearly equal to the task of getting us across the CR.
I would say this is a wonderful route that is off the beaten path, but challenging. If you are unsure whether your fitness level is up to the task, an e-bike rental would probably be a great idea. I will also probably upgrade to a better Garmin that can actually do turn-by-turn navigation, which mine can't do. However, getting lost and finding your way is half the fun on these trips!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Austria, Czech Republic
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★★★★★ gerald murphy
Tauren bike path
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
The ride through this part of Austria was great - the snow capped mountains, green countryside and friendly people made for a great cycling adventure - the only disappointing aspect was the poor detailing in the maps that were provided.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI
Beautiful area
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI
Beautiful area
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Stacey Davey
Beautiful countryside and charming hotels
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
I thoroughly enjoyed the villages and sights along our six day Tauren/Salzburg self-guided trip. The countryside was breathtaking, our hotels were charming and our hotel bookings and luggage transfers were seamless. The route also took great advantage of the amazing bike routes and on our 300 kM journey, I think only 10 or 15 kM was on a major highway. The trip was considered “moderate” and involved some climbs on the first few days of our trip—particularly if you wanted to visit some of the suggested sights along the way. The one detracting factor to our experience was the quality of the bikes. They were extremely heavy and cumbersome and did not help with navigating some of the hillier terrain. The bells and the odometers (essential for way finding) did not work properly on the two women’s bikes. The vast majority of the people we came across were on e-bikes and while the route was doable on what I would consider steel townies, it limited some of the sights we visited as after we climbed the almost 4 kM hill to visit the salt mine, we started considering elevation gains before deciding which sights to take in. However, I will say that the seats were comfortable! All in all, I enjoyed the trip and would definitely recommend it to others.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Cynthia Ord
Loved everything about this tour (except the rental bikes)
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
I recommend the Vienna to Budapest 5-night tour, especially as an inter-generational adventure. We were a group of two 30-somethings and a 72-year-old dad, and it was a great fit for all of us. This is really a premier section of the full Eurovelo 6 cross-Europe route. I was especially impressed with bikeways and great signage all along the route. We were impressed by the variety and quality of the hotels, and the destination town or city at the end of each day was well-chosen. It was such a treat to go exploring each evening after getting off the bikes!
Squeezing it all into the four-day sporty/active itinerary, however, was challenging on heavy cruiser-style rental bikes, so I'd advise either slowing it down or bringing your own bike.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- 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?
- Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
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BikeTours.com staff reply from kirsten
Hi Cynthia!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this tour! We are happy to hear it was a great fit for your group. Your pictures are fantastic and really capture the joy of your adventure! Seeing those smiling faces is why we do what we do. Thank you again for choosing to travel with us!
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★★★★★ Terry Connolly
Very Smooth Arrangements
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
This worked pretty seamlessly. Bike rentals were in excellent shape, well equipped for storage and travel. Paper maps they gave us were good, but seems like should advise traveler to download Komoot or similar for detail of route map and GPS. All hotels were very nice. Bags got there ahead of us every day. Gyor to Esztergom is a long ride, on busy roads and non-paved surfaces. But overall a positive using BikeTours.
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★★★★★ David Klaeser
Danube River Tour
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
Initial communications with BikeTours was challenging due to not knowing there was an 8 hour time zone difference. The hotel in Bratislava was located several km from the bike trail and it was difficult to navigate through town to get there plus staff were not friendly. Directions to this hotel in the app would have been helpful. The hotels in Gyor, Estergom and Budapest were easier to get to and had excellent service. The trip app was easy to use and provided lots of good information. The bikes were ok. A water bottle holder and phone holder on handlebars would make navigation safer and easier.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ John Zentner
A quick trip along the Danube
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
This trip is a quick way to see the Velo six path between Vienna and Budapest. The days are relatively long running between 80 to 90+ KM per day but almost entirely on bike path. There are some alternate routes available that would be more pleasant, but would probably add length to fairly long days. The bike path is well used and especially on the weekends includes families with children, touring folks and bike bozos trying to beat the speed record.
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★★★★★ Anita E
Good Value
Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
A friend was supposed to join me on this bike tour but she had to bail and I ended up riding Solo which was kind of lonely. That said that route was excellent and pretty easy to follow. The TO's team was very responsive to my questions and concerns and it went a long way in making me confident on my solo ride. My only complaint was the e-bike. It was much heavier than what I'm used to riding which meant I needed to use more assistance. This gave me battery anxiety. The saddle/seat was very rigid and even with padded bike shorts I was very sore at the end of each day. I say this as a long distance endurance cyclist so I am used to being on a saddle for hours and hours. I usually don't get saddle sore. I got sick at the midpoint on the last day and TO help me figure out what to do with the bike and how to get to my final hotel. I appreciate their efforts.
- 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?
- Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Staff member
Anita,
Thank you for your thoughtful review!
We're really glad to hear the team was able to support you and help you feel confident throughout your ride, and that you enjoyed the route.
Sorry that the e-bike and saddle didn’t meet your expectations, especially given your experience as a cyclist. Your feedback is truly appreciated and will help improve moving forward.
Bozena
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★★★★★ 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.
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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.
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★★★★★ Wayne
New Mexico Touring Society (NMTS) Vienna to Budapest
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Overall a great ride, but some issues with the tour company in Austria.
Bikes were excellent and the route for most of the trip was well marked. We were on highways a very short period of time. Traffic on the highways was not an issue. We had about 10 kilometers of non-paved bike path. Unfortunately, we rode that in the rain, but we made it without any incidents.
Our complaint about the tour company is that they cheated us on the trip materials that we were promised. Not every rider received a map of the route. Because people doubled up in the hotel rooms, they only provide one map per hotel room. The pre-ride briefing was very poor and the tour person appeared to be in a hurry to complete the briefing. The route out of Vienna can be confusing, but we had rented city bikes the day before and scouted the route ourselves. The tour company only gave us very general instructions on how to leave the city.
He did do a good job of fitting everyone to their bikes. I asked him for a floor bike pump, but he never responded to my text message requests and the tour company never returned my phone calls. The small bike air pumps that are in the bike saddle bike are not adequate to fully pump up a tire.
The bikes were excellent and perfect for the route with the variation in road surfaces and occasional gravel stretches. We had no flat tires during the trip. We were a group of 17 riders, so that is a remarkable feat.
The hotels were all excellent except for the hotel outside of Esztergom, the Hotel Bellevue. In addition to being in a remote location, it was well past its prime. The only dinner option was a buffet which ran out of food before some of our group had the opportunity to dine. The breakfast was once again a poor selection of items, most of which ran out early. The rooms were dark and poorly equipped with the usual features.
Everyone’s favorite city was Gyor. The hotel was excellent and the large city plaza with the historical buildings surrounding it was fascinating. Dining options were excellent.
The boat ride into Budapest was excellent and a nice way to finish the trip.
Overall, a terrify ride with the exceptions noted above. Not every rider having a map was an ongoing frustration that caused some confusion on the occasions when the group got separated into smaller groups.
Wayne Friesen
Albuquerque, NM
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★★★★★ Calgary
Beautiful route!
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
A perfect way to enjoy the warmth, hospitality, food and beautiful landscapes of Hungary! The bikes provided were well maintained and comfortable, the hotels and buffet breakfasts were excellent and it was nice to know that we had a local contact to call if we ran into difficulties. I am already looking at another cycle trip for next year!
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★★★★★ marni55
went off without a hitch
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Very enjoyable trip. Rad + Reisen supplied bikes that were in great working order and no problems at all with repair issues. We never had to wait for our luggage; they reported luggage would be delivered by 6pm each day, but our luggage was delivered before we arrived every day, even when arriving early, around 1300 or sooner. The hotels were comfortable and generally in good locations, although I might consider spending a bit extra next time in order to be in a more central location in the large cities (Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest).
Much of the riding was on peaceful and beautiful country bike trails. There were some parts that were on gravel or poorly paved roads, but that was the minority.
The only reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is due to rather poorly written directions, mainly in the direction booklet showing the way from the end of the day's route to the hotel. We got lost many times trying to find our hotels. By the end, we gave up on using their directions to the hotel and just looked at the map. I would recommend revising these directions with more landmarks and STREET NAMES.
I would definitely use this company again.- What was the date of your tour?
- June30-July 6, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was the first
- 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, Hungary
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson
Thanks for your feedback! We're glad you had a great time. We'll pass along your comments about the directions to Rad & Reisen.
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★★★★★ Fishchico
Biking from Vienna to Budapest
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The Vienna to Budapest Classic was the last portion of three trips linked together. We cycled along flat levees and country roads through small villages and sunny fields of sunflowers. Weather was perfect for biking with no rain. We had a wonderful fellow for support who gave us so many suggestions for stops along the way at bike cafes and points of interest.
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★★★★★ Chris 77
Another good trip via Biketours
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Would have spent an extra day in Bratislava - route was clear save one left turn near Budapest. Overall we enjoyed the the self guided tour. Note we only gave four stars because we have to compare it with about a dozen others we have done.
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