Primarily Bike Paths Tour Reviews page 6
-
★★★★★ Geri Lincoln 11 months ago
Wonderful trip
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We had an amazing time, our accomodations were eclectic and diverse which we appreciated. Tour book was well researched and informative. The ground handler that gave us our bikes was not very well informed and did not give any options, tools or advise for fitting the bikes correctly, we had no issues but some others, especially those on ebikes were not well served. GPS routing would be an excellent addition to the books provided. Hotel Donauschlinge seemed to be having a bad day and the restaurant staff was obviously rude to those of us without German language skills. All in all, very well done. Having only two experiences that were less than perfect for an 8 day tour is a job well done!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- 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
-
★★★★★ Karen Regin 11 months ago
Beautiful Austria
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The upscale lodging is absolutely wonderful. There was only one property that did not exceed expectations. The contact in Europe was less satisfying. Directions were sometimes hard to interpret, we ended up with directions to one town when our lodging was in another town, and there was not any help with GPS directions. But the bikes were nice and the lodging choices excellent overall.
The bike paths are wonderful and the country is beautiful. We really enjoyed riding through the small towns and eating at local cafes. There is not much English anywhere so be prepared for that. Overall, we loved the trip! -
★★★★★ Robert Derge 8 months ago
Biking the Danube
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was self guided using paper maps. Maps were generally good but written directions were profoundly inadequate in the very busy city of Vienna.
-
★★★★★ larry137 June 26, 2017Donauworth to Budapest
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
This was self-guided but with accom and luggage transfers looked after by biketours. The accoms were very nice, and transfers reliable. Included buffet breakfasts were a highlight. Bikes were ok - heavy but route flat so not a problem. Gears and brakes worked well. Odometers mostly did not work - possibly batteries dead. Maps were quite good, but simultaneous verbal descriptions were sometimes ambiguous or wrong. The directions to the accommodations were a bit confusing and could be improved - we had to rely on our GPS for most of them. We like to stop for coffee or picnics, and for parts of our ride, there were no places to get a coffee or a drink enroute. There were parts of the ride with terrific smooth surfaces along the river but quite a few sections where cycling was on rough gravel or even grass.
What made the ride memorable were the beautiful vistas of the countryside and the spectacular art, architecture and history in the cities. -
★★★★★ Bikers September 25, 2017
Passau to Budapest
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
A great way to explore parts of the Danube and its environs including historical and present day influences. Good hotels with local cuisine, culture and friendly hosts. A great way to meet like minded fellow travellers and get lots of fresh air with exercise.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 2 - 15 September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Nil
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ robbo1 June 14, 2019
Long way from home
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
A great ride overall especially the Passau to Vienna was superb. Vienna to Budapest was more of an adventure with the trail not so well developed.
-
★★★★★ Azmina Karim-Bondy August 5, 2022
The title is good and descriptive
· Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
Cycling is a great way to see the country. Having the self-guided books were great and the tour representatives were very responsive. However, we found sometimes the instructions in the booklets were not as clear as they could be and sometimes did not have the correct information for our trip. Overall, though we had a great experience, the hotels were good, the luggage transfer worked well and we saw some wonderful sights!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 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?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Donna Schultz August 27, 2022Ship needs better ventilation in dining room.
· · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau
We booked trip 3 years ago. It was cancelled twice. We are fully Covid vaccinated and boosted. The crew wore masks for the first 5 days. On day 7, my husband got Covid. The only place for exposure was the dining room. All the passengers ate together in a dining room that did not have good ventilation. There was no options for open air dining or room dining. We lost 4 days while he recovered.
After waiting so long for trip, it was disappointing there was not adequate controls to avoid virus spread.
After he got sick. I noticed at least 6 other people that were also coughing. No one was ill at beginning of trip.
We will not go on another bike boat trip that does not take precautions to reduce virus spread. There should be changes in table spacing, air flow & circulation, better air filtration, & open air dining option.
The boat was Swiss Crown.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- I have been on inn to inn tours. This was first bike boat tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Saint Malo September 5, 2017Pleasant bike ride
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
There are dedicated bike trails through the trip and the difficulty level is appropriate for a casual rider. Unfortunately, most of the hotels lacked air conditioning, which was sorely missed in the hot August nights after a long day of cycling. We wished we had an opportunity to opt for better hotels. In addition, the written directions were too brief and should have been more detailed. For example, we missed the segment with a boat ride because it did not appear in our booklet. The local operator was very accommodating and friendly. We appreciated the instructions from George.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 28th 2017
- 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 young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Susana September 5, 2018
Family trip
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
This trip is perfect for a family with small children. We have 2 kids, 6 and 8 years old and they have enjoyed everything! The bikes, the swimming pools at Mauthausen, the swims in the Danube, the playgrounds alond the way...We hired a one tag along bike (carried by his father :) and a children bike in order to change during the trip and make it easier for them.
-
★★★★★ Martine September 17, 2018Good bike trip
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
It was very nice to stay on board ship the whole week instead packing up and moving every few days. Food was delicious on board.
-
★★★★★ NewbieBiker August 4, 2019
Great vacation!
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Excellent way to see the Austrian countryside. Really enjoyed cycling thru each little town. The cycling was very easy with only a couple of hills during the entire week. There were a couple of times when we were on a very busy road for a short period of time, maybe a Kilometer or less but the drivers there are very accustom to cyclists. Most of the time was either on a designated bike path or country road with very few cars. The food on the boat was very good. The staff was very kind to tell us places to go or their favorite restaurant. Make sure to stop at some of the cafes while cycling and have a Knodel or other local delicacies. Don’t be intimidated by the distances to ride each day. We have never ridden more that 5 miles but found it very easy to bike the distance each day. I do recommend either biking shorts or a memory foam seat cover if you are not used to riding all day. Also recommend not getting a cabin on the bottom deck as the windows don’t open. Our only complaint was that the person giving the daily briefings on the routes was not very friendly and a couple of times the route wasn’t clearly marked. The rest of the staff was excellent.
-
★★★★★ Bryan Lee August 5, 2022
A great way to cycle tour along the Danube through Austria.
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
A great way to cycle tour along the Danube through Austria. Plenty of riding through beautiful, historic, picturesque towns and countryside during the day and to come back on board for the 5 star accommodation at night. Just enough exercise to not feel guilty going back for seconds at their magnificent buffets.
-
★★★★★ debo June 17, 2016Fun trip
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
All in all, a great trip. Some communication issues between cruise director and guides and cyclists. Cruise director clearly overwhelmed and attimes, Difficult To Follow. Bike was very comfortable and routes, interesting and scenic. Having trouble adding photos.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 22-29
- How many tours have you completed?
- many, but not lately
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ jfvb October 7, 2017
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/24/2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Sandra Babich 11 months ago
Great Trip
· · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
This was a perfect way to see parts of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia. Everything is very well organized and there is the freedom to leave the boat and cycle at own pace following the well laid out bike trails. The food on the boat was very good, staff were very courteous and always helpful, and our room was clean. We added extra time to our trip in Vienna because there is so much to see. Would also be a good idea for Budapest. Even though we had a considerable amount of rain and some flooding on our trails it was still a great adventure and enjoyable trip. Our boat was recently renovated and that was a bonus.
-
★★★★★ Thomas Albrecht 10 months agoFantastic Trip!
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The route is wonderfully scenic, riding through endless apple orchards and vineyards, with many picturesque villages along the way. Plenty of opportunities to stop for a nice piece of strudel and coffee/tea. The hotels were very nice, in fact a bit nicer than the BikeTours trip we took last year (Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled), and the bicycles were good quality and in perfect repair. Navigation on this trip is a bit challenging (although we were always able to figure things out using the various resources available — phone ap, map, and route signs. Once you get into Italy, the route signs are less helpful, since there are often multiple routes to the destination, and following signs won’t keep you on the recommend route (which usually really is better than the alternatives). One part of the route that perhaps should be simplified is the section just south of Merano, which seems needlessly complicated (for example, the southern part of Merano, and the diversion to Lana). It would be nice if printed maps showed locations of hotels in each town; we had to find them ourselves using our phone maps.
-
★★★★★ Glen Field 7 months ago
Very scenic biking tour
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The trip was very good, excellent bike paths, great scenery, very good hotels, excellent breakfast at all the hotels. A few communication problems stop me from giving this a 5 star review.
-
★★★★★ Paula Zoccano 7 months ago
Beautiful trail
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
Pros:The hotels were very good. Wonderful cycle routes. Lovely towns.
Cons: In Riva I would have preferred to be in the old town beside the water. We had 2 hotels who did not have all our group booked. Unfortunately one couple had to stay by the airport a taxi ride to join us in Innsbruck (still trying to get reimbursed for hotel and cabs) and in Riva another couple were not booked but the hotel was able to give them a room. We also learned in one town we were not booked in the same hotel, our group of 5 couples were split up. I found that strange.
The meet and greet at the beginning was not at the hotel the company booked us to stay. We were expected to go to another location to get our briefing and bikes. I’ve never had that when booking with other cycle companies. We missed that in our notes and not until 7:00pm when the hotel gave us our booklets did we realize we should have been somewhere else. As a result we never had a meet and greet and bikes fitted to us. My husbands bike had a brake dragging and he needed a torque head screw driver to make adjustments and no torque head screw driver was supplied. He had to find one. The bikes should have been tested,
No water bottle cages on the bikes. -
-
★★★★★ Jane Fletcher 7 months ago
Good trip - lots of orchards and vineyards
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
I enjoyed this trip through the Dolomites but didn’t see as much of the craggy Dolomites as I expected. We were almost always in the flat valley with the mountains along the side of the valley. As we went south the mountains seemed to shrink. I enjoyed the Germanic nature of northern Italy and was very interested to learn more about its history and how Austrian the residents still feel. It didn’t feel like we were in Italy until we arrived in Trento on market day. And then it was almost like a switch flipped and we were in Italy. The architecture as well as the countryside changed and became more Mediterranean influenced. Our ride was generally on bike paths that were very busy with cyclists. Weekends were especially busy but even during the week the paths were busy but it was great to see so many people out riding their bikes. Along the paths we found several bike bars that served drinks and snacks to cyclists and they were perfect places to find a WC. We enjoyed the scenery and marveled at the thousands of acres of apple orchards that we rode through. The hotels were generally fine but the hotel in Riva del Garda was a disappointment. I paid extra for single rooms after a friend had to cancel her trip and this room was a real disappointment, it was more like a cell.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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, Italy
