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Primarily Bike Paths Tour Reviews  page 60

  • (3/5) Bob Sterndale October 3, 2024

    Beautiful trip but problems

    Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)

    The scenery was breathtaking, the bike paths mostly fine but with seriously difficult and dangerous exceptions, the hotels very pleasant and the e-bikes fine with one exception.
    The trip started on the wrong foot at the first hotel: Hotel Krimml Fälle. We were assigned a room with no heat (as were others) on a cold day. After two hours of lame diversions and excuses, while we sat in the lobby to keep warm, we were given a heated room. In all other respects the hotel and restaurant were fine.
    Getting to Krimml is a bit confusing. OBB will sell you a train ticket (from Salzburg for us) all the way to Krimml. The trip involves a narrow-gauge train from Sell am See to Mittersill hbf (end of line) and a bus trip from Mittersill to Krimml. There is a bus stop in the middle of Krimml village, steps from our hotel.
    The first day of biking were delightful. The hotel in Sell am See was beyond our expectations.
    The second day of biking started well but we encountered a long section of closed trail. We were in a narrow valley with little development. The only parallel path was a shoulder-less two-lane highway with plenty of high-speed traffic, not an acceptable bike route. Trees and brush had been trimmed along the nice paved bike path recently. All the slash had been left on the path, for 2 or 3 days from its appearance. We picked our way through the mess for maybe a couple kilometers. Then we came to a section with blown down trees obstructing the path, another ½ to 1 Km. Getting through this required some bushwhacking with the heavy e-bikes. Not fun.
    Day three of biking was fine until we came to a flooded underpass on the outskirts of Salzburg. We needed to cross the A1 highway to get to Salzburg. A bad storm a few days before had caused numerous problems across Austria. We did find an alternate route but advance knowledge would have saved us a few Km of pedaling.
    Day 4, however, brought us to highway biking. As we approached the village of St. Radegund we were directed onto a busy, shoulder-less two-lane road for a steep ascent of a kilometer or more. It was a strenuous ride even with the e-bikes. Your web sites offers this description of the tour:
    “The tour route is mainly on dedicated bicycle paths (about 80% of the time). The remainder of the tour is on quiet roads and dirt or gravel roads. This tour is suitable for families with children.”
    This stretch alone disqualifies the tour as a family-safe route. The experience continues:
    A short distance beyond the scary hill climb is a 5.2 Km stretch of riding on the same road. The tour map shows this section as a bike path on the side of the road pavement. The “bike path” in this area is about 18” wide, separated from the high-speed traffic by a 4” wide white stripe. Narrative direction for this day’s route were not helpful, signage was poor, the “pink” house referred to is now yellow.
    The unpleasant day was capped by a steep climb to the hotel in Burghausen. Pushing a heavy e-bike up a hill doesn’t work! You need to pedal it up so that it assists with its own heavy weight.
    Day 5 brought us to Bad Fussing. This day was mostly uneventful. Directions to the hotel in Bad Fussing were vague, calling for riding 4 Km on a busy road with no shoulder. Instead, we found a bike path at the German side of the bridge that led right in to downtown Bad Fussing. The directions should include this route. Plan your day to allow an hour or two at one of the baths, you will be glad you did!
    Day 6 was uneventful, mainly along the Inn River to Passau.
    One e-bike problem: the rear disc brake on one of the 4 bikes was useless, apparently the brake pads were worn away (bikes had coaster brakes too). In all other respects bikes were fine. Battery capacity was generous. I think the lowest reserve at the end of any day for any of us was 50%.
    An otherwise delightful trip was marred by surprise bike path closures and stretches of unsafe highway biking. This is not for children. The scenery was awe inspiring. Hotels were good to excellent. E-bikes were good except for one problem that didn’t spoil the trip.
    We would have wished for more current information on bike path conditions from the local partner. We provided reports to them of closed paths as we encountered them.
    Your tour description misrepresents the conditions of the route. We would not have booked the trip if had been accurately described.  SHOW MORE 

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 16, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    about ten
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    Tauern Bike Path
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Bicycling in Philly August 26, 2017
    Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option

    What was the date of your tour?
    Aug 13-19
    How many tours have you completed?
    Greater than 10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    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
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson August 27, 2017

      We're sorry you didn't enjoy your Salzburg to Vienna bicycle tour. It's actually one of my personal favorites! Could you please send along to me any further information on what was not to your satisfaction? We'd love to advise the local tour company, so they can make improvements. Thank you!

    Salzburg to Vienna
    • 2/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Jackie10 June 14, 2019

    Recommend with caution

    Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option

    This bike tour is through the most beautiful Austrian countryside. The accommodations are great, luggage transfers flawless and great breakfasts included. The directions are horrible, especially the 1st and 3 rd days. Make sure you have a GPS with you. The poor directions added unnecessary frustration to the trip. The bikes are up right commuter bikes and uncomfortable for the mileage involved. If you are accustomed to a decent road bike you probably won't be happy. Most cyclists we saw were on e-bikes which makes the poor ergonomics more tolerable. This tour would be a 5 star with accurate directions and decent equipment. So bring a GPS and your own bike and have a blast!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    Two
    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
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe June 15, 2019

      Glad to hear many aspects of this tour were enjoyable! We will pass your feedback to the tour operator that the directions can be improved upon. We're sorry to hear this was a source of frustration for you. Thanks, additionally, for the notes about the bikes. This tour is offered on hybrid touring bikes and e-bikes, which, if you are accustomed to a road bike, could be uncomfortable.

    Salzburg to Vienna
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Jan 2018 September 24, 2018

    Beautiful bike tour through Austria !

    Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    Our room on the ship had a broken thermostat so we were freezing most of the time...the food was good but we wanted more green veggie salads..the tour guide was very hard to understand, but the bike baths were smooth and mostly flat, so the biking through little villages was unforgettable!!!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept. 10-17
    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?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    Danube Bike and Boat
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) timothy mcfarren August 21, 2024

    Cruise not my thing

    Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    Too much time on boat, not enough time exploring on land. Would have liked more time to be able to see the sights.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    Danube Bike and Boat
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) William Edsell October 23, 2024

    bike tour with friends

    Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    the bike and boat tour is a good way to sample some of the countries on the Danube. Unfortunately the boat was very old and had many problems. The main issues for me were the rooms were very musty and caused problems with my sinus and no way to let fresh air into the cabin. Also there seemed to be limited or no internet on the boat and because we traveled through remote areas it was not possible to use mobile phone connection. You would think a starlink antenna would solve that problem. The staff were great, very friendly and helpful with everything. The bar had limited options. Food options were Ok but seemed inconsistent. Overall I enjoyed the experience with my friends but disappointed in the boat. On our last day the boat broke down and we have to wait several hours to get on the boat and then take a bus to Passeau to catch our train.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    Danube Bike and Boat
  • (3/5) Elizabeth Gray September 19, 2023

    Beautiful trip on the Danube

    Danube Bike and Boat: Passau-Budapest-Passau – MS SE-Manon

    This scenic trip is beyond description!!! Boating on this beautiful river, in and out of small towns, bustling cities and incredible mountain and grapevine views was fabulous!
    The boat was nice, clean ( very cold pool) and plenty of service, however; instructions were poor at best.
    There were a couple that provided directions on the routes and many other events upon the boat, SE Mannon, however one spoke no English and the other struggled with describing in English the sometimes complicated routes. 85% of the travelers were non English speakers and were well informed by the German speaking gentleman. Many English speakers became lost in Bratislava and some in Vienna. The routes were beautiful and not too challenging to ride if you paid close attention during the briefings and asked a lot of clarifying questions. When you are t quite sure, ask again until you do. We found not understanding the German and Austrian speakers frustrated them a great deal but don’t get offended. You need the correctly translated information. As simple as “up stream or down stream” can be miscommunicated.
    We had one bike that needed to be changed out, however, the people checking the bike said it was ok and we suffered 2 days with a bike that was not shifting properly. Day 3, new bike, no more problems.
    Do not waste your money on ANy of the drink packages! It is only honored after 4 pm, even soda or coffee is charged outside the 4 pm- 11 pm hours. Dinner drinks are included in restaurant. Breakfast includes coffee but not soda as many drink in AM. Bring snacks back on board if you want anything to eat outside breakfast or dinner.
    Now for the food: we had “guess that dish” every night Everything was covered in some kind of gravy. Pork for dinner the first 3 nights! Desserts were the most disappointing. Very bland puddings, and some had breakfast cereals mixed in. After day 2, we started eating dinner out when possible. One night we had spaghetti which wasn’t too bad however we couldn’t get any Parmesan cheese or extra bread to fill up. Breakfasts offered many options, however, the omelettes were not always cooked through. Stick with the waffles, they were good. Plenty of meats and bread to make sandwiches for your lunch ride. We generally stopped at a pub or beer garden for goulash or French fries and beer! Lots of little places to choose from although good places could be recommended in the route book! No one on board would suggest any restaurants in the towns. That was disappointing. We found a great restaurant on top of a hotel in Vienna with a fabulous view of the city and river.
    In our info from Biketours. Com, we were told not to book travel from the boat before 12. The boat wanted us out of our cabins by 8:30. We waited up on top of the boat until our taxi arrived at 11:00. We were the last party to leave. None of the Americans got off the boat until 10-10:30. Lack of communication again.
    It was nice unpacking only once for our bike tour, however we will probably stick with the bike/hotel version in the future! Croatia here we come in 2024!!! Still had a blast with our party of 6! Thanks Biketours!  SHOW MORE 

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    Danube Bike and Boat
    • Photo by Elizabeth Gray
    • Photo by Elizabeth Gray
    • Photo by Elizabeth Gray
    • Photo by Elizabeth Gray
    • Photo by Elizabeth Gray
    • Photo by Elizabeth Gray
  • (3/5) Diane Griffin November 21, 2023

    Disappointing - don't go during shoulder season

    Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)

    I've done four self-guided trips and this trip was my least favorite. The marketing material pitches "storybook villages" but most days are spent riding through corn fields. The hotels were outside of towns and hard to walk to restaurants. Because it was shoulder season, there were very few restaurants open.
    First day's hotel was outside of town and front desk advised that we go to the mall for lunch. Fortunately we found a fun restuarant down on the river. The initial meeting with the bike company was disorganized and very brief. He barely talked about the tour, he didn't have tools to swap out pedals, there were too many of us attending the meeting and he said he didn't have time to answer questions - only 60 minutes alotted. We asked for spare tubes for the two road bikes but never got them. Skinny tires get flats!!
    The "castle" we stayed in one night was not nice. It was clearly getting renovated - the rooms were nice but there were only five rooms. The property was overgrown and rundown, and with only five rooms it felt very creepy and unoccupied.
    Breakfast at the castle - no protein - no eggs, no yogurt. We're on a bike tour and need energy! No fruit, no granola. Breakfast was just six slices of cucumbers, 10 cherry tomatoes, hard rolls, deli meat/cheese. Bar wasn't open for post-ride beer/wine.
    Donauhotel Letternof - 11k from Enns, very remote, had to walk to a campground for food. Closest restaurant is cash only, need reservations. Front desk tried to make res but couldn't get through. The ONLY local taxi was working in Linz, not available for us. It was due to rain very hard. Hotel loaned us umbrellas and we went back to the campground for dinner.

    Day 3 - arrived at Cafe Braun (the meeting point) at 4:30 and called for shuttle (runs 3-6pm) told to go to a camping store(?) and get the bus as they don't have anyone to pick us up. One guy in our party was willing to make the 3k very steep climb to get us a ride. This hotel was nice but since it was past high season everything in this cute village was closed. Only one restaurant was open.
    Last day - Vienna - hotel was so far from center city and far from anything interesting. Very long and confusing ride through busy city. Very limited restaurants. Shortest riding day and yet our bags didn't arrive until 5pm.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    Four
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    Danube Bike Path
    • 2/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 2/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Lee Chestnut June 17, 2024

    Great Scenery, History, and Acomommdations. Not much Support

    Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne

    We enjoyed seeing the Rhine Valley and historic villages. Our accommodations were great and the food was great.
    Unfortunately, the Rhine was near flood stage and much of the given route was flooded. After contacting the local operator for direction, I was told to find my own route or take a train, at my own expense.
    We found our own way using Google maps and talking with other cyclists.
    The main reason I use a tour operator is to have local support when difficulties arise. We didn't receive that support.
    It seems the operator could come up with secondary routes that are safe and beautiful (which we came up with on our own) and supply them to their guests as needed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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?
    Germany
    Rhine Bike Path
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Larry Mark Robbins September 22, 2024

    Hotels with Charm?

    Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne

    As expected, the tour was beautiful, flat, and easy to follow. This is said to be the most scenic segment of the Rhine and I have no reason to doubt that. The bikes were excellent. We selected e-bikes, a first for me, that were useful since we encountered several cool days with a headwind. We chose the Charme category and travelled between seasons 2 and 3. Unfortunately, we were informed that four of the six hotels advertised were unavailable. Quote "Some of the hotels that were booked (due to availability) only offer Category A, however the highest room category was booked at all the Category A hotels. For Rüdesheim and Cologne we can offer a discount of 20,00 € per person/night." Ok, reasonable we thought and agreed. Here are how the switches worked out:

    Mainz: H2 hotel: Brand new hotel, residential neighborhood but walkable to Old Town, overall nice. Room was good (clean & modern) tho not exceptional. More basic hotel than luxury hotel as Favorite Parkhotel appeared in pictures. Differential between the two hotels on Expedia for two nights is €80. No compensation offered.

    Rudesheim: Central Hotel: As the name implies, central to tourist area. Room was Ok but not great. Certainly not "the highest room category was booked at all the Category A hotels" as promised. Breuer's Rüdesheim Castle, the brochure hotel, is €60 more expensive per night and pictures appear significantly more upscale. Compensated €40.

    St Goar: Schlosshotel Rheinfels: This is the brochure hotel. Relais & Chateaux level hotel. Outstanding. Don't miss dinner in hotel dining room as sun sets.

    Koblenz: Diehls Hotel: Located on the other side of the river from Koblenz but this was not a problem for us. Very fine hotel, received an upgraded room. Had an excellent dinner at hotel. Left the next morning from this side of the river. This was not either of the brochure hotels, but was excellent.

    Bad Godesburg: Boutique Hotel Dreesen: This was the brochure hotel. Upscale as expected in a beautiful neighborhood. Restaurant Rheinzeit nearby should not be excluded.

    Cologne: Hotel Eden am Dom: Top notch location next to cathedral and other tourist sites but just OK hotel. No upgraded room. At least €40 per night cheaper than the advertised Steigenberger per their own individual websites x 2 nights = €80. Given €40 compensation. Again, nothing wrong with this hotel, but not the experience advertised and not adequately compensated. Life isn't perfect but given this was mid-September, there were shortcomings.

    NB: The ICE train returning from Koln to the Frankfurt airport is not the Hauptbahnhof next to the cathedral. That train leaves from the Messe/Deutz Bahnhof across the river.  SHOW MORE 

    Countries included in this tour?
    Germany
    Rhine Bike Path
  • (3/5) Susan Radtke July 1, 2024

    First time with a company organized bike trip

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

    My husband and I have done a fair amount of biking in the U.S. and in Europe and this was the first time we used a company to plan and support the trip. The good: Some of the hotels that were booked were terrific - especially in the more rural places. The navigation app when it worked was really useful and when it didn't work it seemed to be more of an issue with our phones than the app itself. There was confusion over the timing of our bus transfer over a mountain pass and the woman at the help center worked really hard to sort it out. Also, the luggage transfer was always efficient. The not so good: The bikes were pretty beat and heavy. We had to have one replaced. Although the directions said we would have at least one handlebar bag per room, we had none. Also, we understood that we would have a handlebar mount for a phone and would have brought one from home had it been more clear that we would not. The worst thing was our final day biking into Trieste. The route put us on a road that was absolutely harrowing - no shoulder at times, fast moving traffic including busses and trucks. It felt decidedly unsafe and I would never have put cyclists on such a route. So all in all, we had a good time and saw some beautiful country but moving forward we decided we would go back to planning our own trips where we have more control over the quality of the bikes and the route, plus obviously it's cheaper to do the planning yourself.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    Dolomites to Trieste
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Richard Sany August 12, 2024

    Nice Scenery

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

    We have been on a previous biketours.com offered ride in Austria and had certain expectations. The scenery was great but the navigation maps (especially digital) were lacking. The app for navigation and it was not responsive enough for making correct turns. I downloaded the digital files and tried to load them onto a ride app, Ride With GPS, but the files were so disorganized I had to completely re-trace the route for the 3 of the days we rode. Unlike a previous reviewer, I think the last day route from Gradisca d'Isonzo to Treiste was not that treacherous, probably because we took the more hilly alternate route through the countryside. Not very many cars and the rest were respectful of bikes on the road. I was very glad I had a triple front chain ring though because I was in the lowest gear on many hills (my wife had an ebike and met me at the top of every hill :-) ).

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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, Slovenia, Austria
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Tom Jones June 19, 2025

    Memorable bike tour

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

    Just wrapped up a memorable bike tour from the Dolomites to Trieste — and wanted to share a few highlights and lessons learned.

    First, a big shoutout to Taylor at BikeTours.com, who was a fantastic Tour Advisor. When our bikes didn’t show up at the first hotel as expected, we gave her a call — and she jumped in right away. Thanks to her help, the bikes arrived in time for us to start riding the next morning without delay.

    What I learned:
    • Expect the unexpected. Our first day brought heavy rain — and we got soaked. If you’re doing a similar trip, pack good rain gear!
    • Bring biking tools. While the bikes were in excellent shape, having a small tool kit (for tightening loose seats or making minor adjustments) came in handy.
    • Stay connected. I recommend buying an eSIM for mobile data before the trip. Just don’t forget to turn on data roaming!
    • Be prepared for little expenses. Public WCs often cost 1€, so keep some coins handy. And at hotels, you’ll need to pay a local tax (around 3€) — some places only accept cash for that.
    • Illness can happen. I haven’t been sick in years, but picked up a cough midway through the trip. I ended up skipping the last day of riding — and that meant a taxi ride to the next hotel, which cost about $100 USD.
    • Extra hotel nights aren’t cheap. If you decide to extend your stay somewhere, budget about $200 USD per night, especially if you want breakfast included.

    The ride itself:

    The scenery was absolutely beautiful (except for the rainy day), and the routes between hotels didn’t have too many steep climbs. That said, for me, it was still a challenging ride — definitely pushed my limits, but in a good way.

    All in all, a wonderful trip with a few good reminders: plan ahead, be flexible, and enjoy the ride

    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    Dolomites to Trieste
  • (3/5) Hutch September 10, 2019

    Not what was expected.

    Aare Cycle Route: Along the Jura, Aare, and Rhine Rivers

    This was our 9th bike trip in Europe, previous ratings and reviews of trips had been pretty acurate. But this trip was not what we expected. We might have a different view if we were in our 20s or 30s so any review submitted should be evaluated with that in mind. The trip was very intensive even with ebikes (our first use of ebikes) and only serious cyclists should forego those. There were many large hills and rough surfaces (30-40% gravel). Sporadic beautiful scenery, but not even close to what we have experienced before. Hotels were all clean and about half were really nice, but several were positioned away from main points of interest and the bike route and since the stopover sites were larger cities they were hard to find (maps to hotels were not detailed, thankfully we had google maps). On the positive side, the bike route is signed very well and we had no trouble finding our way between cities. Finding good stops along the route for lunch/coffee/etc was not as easy as we had experienced on previous trips. In short, we would not classify this route as recreational or recommend it as a family trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Aug 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    11
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    Aare Cycle Route
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
  • (3/5) Dagbjört September 9, 2018
    Rhône River Route: Oberwald to Geneva

    * It was our 3d tour that we have booked with BikeTours and always been very pleased with the organizing, until now, we are sad to say.
    * We never meet anyone from the tour company and that was very strange.
    * Accommodation on one of the "hotels" was very poor, very cheep hotel, that was right across the street from the train/bus station and that was very disturbing through the night.
    * It was only breakfast that was incl in the price. Maybe you should considered to have dinner incl. also.

    What was the date of your tour?
    26th of august 2018
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    Rhône River Route
    • 2/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) ArmannI September 17, 2018

    Nice mountain view

    Rhône River Route: Oberwald to Geneva

    Good way to experiece Switzerland. More information needed regarding interesting places to visit. The first day was the most wonderful day

    What was the date of your tour?
    26.8 - 30.8
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Switzerland
    • 3/5 Value
    • 1/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) James Hutcherson September 26, 2024

    Flood of decades

    Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Can’t change the weather. Boat crew and food was excellent. Everyone tried their best to make the trip as good as they could. Kudos to all involved. Bikes were excellent and well maintained.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
  • (3/5) PAULINE MOENCH September 27, 2024

    TRIP OF DREAMS THAT FELL FAR SHORT

    Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Not much to say here since our boat never left the dock. Our host, Lesley, was a peach and completely competent. If not for him, we would have left on day two. My biggest disappointment was only having bus tours to Budapest and Bratislava. I would have appreciated a little creativity added in to take us to a couple more places. The tour people were awful with their communication, telling us for three days in a row that we might leave when we knew we were going nowhere. The crew was great, the food was not the greatest, but no complaints. I have a special diet that they were over the top accommodating of. You drastically need to improve your beverage packages—not enough provided for the $$$ we paid up front. 498 euros for the two of us when we wound up spending most of our day off the boat was out of line. If we had been cycling every day, I would not have purchased a package, considering you did not include what are everyday cocktails in the USA, like Manhattans.

    For the rooms, rather than having that dopey pull-out at the end of the bed, leave that area under the bed open for luggage storage. Also, get rid of the carpet. Beds were very comfortable. We would have liked to have left our sliding door open a bit. Some kind of stop at the base so they can be open six or eight inches would have been appreciated. I’m sure the daily bike routes would have been great if we had been able to utilize them.

    What was the date of your tour?
    SEPT 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 1/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Mary Schmidt October 5, 2024

    Unable to review as the Vivienne never left port in Vienna - Please contact me. I would have loved to have been able to review.

    Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Dear Team at BikeTours.com,

    I hope you all are doing well. I am writing regarding my recent river cruise, Danube Delights aboard the Vivienne on September 15, which unfortunately was impacted by flooding, causing the cancellation of several key ports of call and remained docked in Vienna for 7 nights. While I understand that weather conditions are beyond anyone’s control, missing out on many destinations left me disappointed, as I had been looking forward to the full experience. My husband and I had been planning this for over a year and celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary.

    Our cruise director did his best to keep the passengers entertained and informed but was getting very mixed messages from someone. It started the first day in Passau with the hired transportation did not have a concrete deportation location. It was 2:30pm before we were even contacted to tell us to go to the bus station and we would be transported to Vienna. After boarding the Vivienne we were told that we would be docked in Vienna for a couple of days and for those interested we could take the bus to Budapest and Bratislava on the next two days. It was a very long bus ride but a nice trip to both.

    Starting on Wednesday, day 3, we were then told we MAY leave every evening, so we needed to be back on boat at 5 or maybe a different time and were not able to take any extended excursions due to the possibility of debarking. Thursday we were led to believe we may leave later in the night. Then Friday, we were instructed to be back on the boat at 11:00 am because we might leave. It was determined after we came back that we were not going to be able to leave. We would have loved to have taken the train to visit another location Wednesday - Friday. The last day, Saturday, was the worst, we had to sit on the boat because there would be announcements at 9:00 am, then stay on because we might leave at 11:00am, then wait again until after 1:00pm and then there was a decision to let us off. It was obvious the boat wasn’t going anywhere due to the 24 hours it would have taken to cruise back to Passau and there was another cruise scheduled. Also, we were extremely far back in the line of boats that would have moved before us.

    Given these unforeseen circumstances, I am inquiring about a future cruise credit (FCC) toward another cruise or a refund. We were so excited to do our first River cruise as a way to travel and have the ability to bicycle and I would love the opportunity to schedule another boat/bike cruise and fully experience the journey.

    I appreciate your understanding and consideration of this request, and I look forward to your response.

    Sincerely,
    Mary Schmidt

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 15, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    This would have been our first but can't count due to not leaving port.
    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, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) Joann Schmidt October 6, 2024

    Not what I was expecting

    Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Our river/bike cruise turned into a floating hotel in Vienna. Our boat never left the dock all week because of historical flooding on the Danube. The boat and cruise personnel were all fine but just wish we could of actually seen something of the countries we were hoping to see on the river. Not sure if I would ever sign up for one of these again.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    just this one
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 2/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery

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