Bike Tour Reviews: Sardinia A Mine Of Memories
Self guided from EUR € 928
Description:
Sardinia's southwest forms a rugged wedge of land that juts south of the main body of the island into the Mediterranean, its craggy coastline mitigated by some fine beaches. Forests cling to the slopes of its predominantly hilly landscape, which is…
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★★★★★ Michaela O. 9 months agoFabulous way to experience Sardinia!
This tour exceeded our expectations and was a wonderful way to experience the magnificent landscapes, fresh, tasty food and warm and friendly people in Sardinia. We took the tour in early April, which meant mild days, low traffic volumes and plenty of time to enjoy the fresh country and ocean air. The sea was just warm enough for us to swim. The tour took us through peaceful agricultural areas, spectacular craggy coasts, historical islands and working ancient villages. We stayed in delightful, sometimes funky, boutique hotels and beautiful rural retreats. The rides were manageable each day, with Day 2 being plenty challenging enough for us. Breakfasts were fresh and substantial and we always found places for dinner which offered quality local Sardinian cuisine and wine. The logistics of airport pickup and luggage transfer were perfectly managed. We’re already scheming how we can take this tour again!
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★★★★★ Dwight Chapman 12 months ago
Quiet streets in the offseason
We had a great tour. The local operator provided excellent support throughout. Though many restaurants are closed in the winter (we went in January), one can always find something. And the tradeoff is no traffic on the roads. For the final day ride along the coast we only had a handful of cars. It would be crazy busy in the summertime.
- What was the date of your tour?
- winter
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15 or more
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Kathryn Burnyeat October 16, 2023
Very Enjoyable Trip
Equipment supplied was generally very good. Enjoyed the e bikes very much. Scenery was spectacular along the coast. Nice blend of coastal scenes, countryside and local villages. Hotels were generally good. Maybe there was more cycling on busy highways and gravel trails than we expected. Overall, we enjoyed the trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Cheryl A Erlandson Erlandson October 16, 2023
We needed more information.
Day 2 was awful. The road is full of rocks and sand, not easy to bike on. Plus Marco told us to use eco or tour not to bother with sport or turbo which would have been good on the steep incline. Needed more information about how to use an ebike would have been very helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Mary Ricks September 30, 2023
Getting to see the real Sardinia
The tour as a whole was good. But getting our bikes and adjusting them to ride was really a nightmare. If this would have been my first trip with BikeTours I would have never come back again. We were pretty much in the town where we were getting our bikes and could have had plenty of time to get them in the afternoon and make sure everything was adjusted correctly. However we were not to get them until 6 pm, then it was changed to 6:30 and finally it was at 7. Everything was rushed and only one guy trying to get out 26 bikes. No communication. We were forced to try out bikes on the street in the dark with cars coming and going. Ebike riders were not told that they would probably have to stop and charge their battery on the really hard day or would run out of battery. And most riders were confused about which day was the day you could get assistance if needed. Again communication was missing.
Overall the hotels were great, staff at hotels were good, food was fine. The ride overall was good because of the people who were riding. We helped each other out when we didn't know the answer to questions. -
★★★★★ Pamela Oberst September 30, 2023
Island of Italy
Overall the trip was great. The hotels were wonderful and each had a pool which was very nice after a hot ride.
My only negative review is the company that sponsored the tour. The bikes came very late in the evening for setup. There was no time for questions and they were still setting up bikes after 21:00.
The communication was nil. I never could get the GPS to work after several attempts. Also it would be nice if each group could of had one printed map. As it was only one of our group had the route on the phone. I ask for help but the company reps were too busy. I have done several rides with Bike tours and by far the Dolcevita was the worst.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Six
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
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★★★★★ Beverly Langsch September 20, 2023
Ups and downs
We had A hotels and it was wonderful to have a swim after a hot (+30°C) day of riding. But, these hotels were often away from town centers. Route was very doable on ebike, but riders do need instruction from local operater, regarding battery range. Several in our group had to do last 10 km, uphill, without battery assist. Only GPS instructions were provided; no maps or written navigation cues for backup, so cyclists need to be used to this system. The heat was difficult, so I would never consider this ride in summer. I loved the long downhills, generally low traffic, views to coast on day 5 and 6. Day 4 was a slow, easy day with 2 ferries, but was much appreciated after the hill climbing and heat on days 2 and 3.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 9, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Many! Probably 15 or more
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Lisa Samson-Fang July 8, 2023
Had a great time!
Great week in Sardinia biking. Everything planned for us on a self-guided tour. Great accommodations. Great routes. Beautiful. I would consider upgrading bike to lighter bike next time (e.g. gravel bike). Otherwise, wouldn't change a thing,it was perfect.
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★★★★★ Sagan October 1, 2019
More challenging than leisurely
Unfortunately not the experience we expected and we were a bit disappointed given how much we enjoyed our previous tours.
The very hot weather and humidity may have been a factor but the route was much more challenging than expected and there were a lack of places to stop off that did not involve adding on extra KMs to the route.
We noticed many other self guided opted for e-bikes probably with good reason.- What was the date of your tour?
- 14th sept 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe October 2, 2019
Hi Sagan, and thanks for the review. We're sorry to hear that this tour was more challenging than you expected and therefore, less enjoyable. Heat and humidity can surely be factors in making a tour feel harder. As you noted, ebikes are an option on harder tours (this one is a rider level 3/4) to make them feel more leisurely. We appreciate your note that places to stop require some extra pedaling - very helpful information! Thanks again for the feedback
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★★★★★ Patricia October 12, 2017
Totally exceeded all expectations!
What a fantastic biking experience. Our guides - Encrio & Michela were the absolute best and 'made' the trip. It was awesome to see their eyes light up when they shared the history of Sardinia with us at every stop. So knowledgeable, so engaging, can't say enough! Everything planned down to the smallest details.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 22-29, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ NotLance October 11, 2017
Great way to experience Sardinia
The Sardinia: A Mine of Memories tour was great. We choose a guided trip and the two guides we were assigned were great fun, becoming family. Our group of 17 ranged from casual/infrequent riders to advanced, some on road bikes, hybrids, and some on e-bikes (all bikes in great shape), and it proved to be a great combination with everyone happy. Two days of significant elevation gain (which became known as "beautiful views") , others along rolling mostly coastal or scenic roads, all with fun breaks for coffee, lunch, gelato and beer. Great dinners and accommodations were all good. Sardinian drivers were really courteous in the short heavily trafficked stretches. Our second tour with Biketours.com and we will be back.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 20-27
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
