Slovakia  Bike Tour Reviews (page 6)

  • Danube Four Countries
    (4/5) Amy Lynch 8 months ago

    It was very nice but flooding kept us from boating on the Danube.

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Vienna Austria was amazing. It’s a beautiful and friendly city. We saw many of the sights and enjoyed it so much.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    Two
    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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Prague to Budapest
    (3/5) Mario Ceccanese 8 months ago

    Cycling adventure

    · Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest

    Navigation tools given(Garmin + maps) were very unreliable, especially entering and leaving cities - have had tours where line by line navigation instructions were provided as well as appropriate scale maps. Our group of 6 had 3 Garmins which were rarely in agreement - we then tried to follow whatever route on which 2 Garmins agreed. Czech Republic off road trails were very rough for the bikes provided - mountain bikes would have been more appropriate or better routes. We realize that due to unforeseen circumstances due to flooding on the Danube that route changes were necessary, but new routes were poorly described, and Garmins were now of no use- we resorted to Google Maps for navigation which occasionally placed us on roads which were too busy. Safety should be a prime concern, but navigation issues made this trip much more difficult and risky than originally described.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Tammy Noteboom 8 months ago

    Best trip ever!

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    I loved everything about our bike and boat tour down the Danube. The e-bikes were high quality and well-maintained and the ship and the pampering they gave us after our days biking was fabulous. Everything on board was perfect. We loved our waiter, Ayup, and our cruise director, Leslie. And the biking—it was so incredible. The entire trip exceeded our wildest expectations. We are already planning our next one!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September/October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    First one
    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
    • Biking through Austria’s wine country (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • So much beauty (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • 70s and 80s night on board the Vivienne (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • Stopping for our delicious sack lunch. (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • Loving the celebration of our 49th wedding anniversary (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • More beautiful countryside. (photo by Tammy Noteboom)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Sean Thomson 8 months ago

    Amazing trip, wonderful memories

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Overall the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the rides, the beautiful countryside, City tours and company of our fellow passengers. The boat and rooms were clean, the service was great and the food was delicious. The bikes worked great and the seats were very comfortable.

    Communication could have been better. For example on the first day the boat couldn't make it into Passau so we showed up at the dock to busses with no notification. There were major floods about 10 days before our cruise and it would have been nice to get a general acknowledgement of the situation prior to the trip.

    We felt fairly rushed on the bikes especially on the first day through the Danube Bend and from Vác to Esztergom. Even another hour could have made the trip more relaxed. The later route still had lots of mud and took a lot longer than expected.

    The trip was comfortable and well organized. We plan to do another trip in the future.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    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
    •  (photo by Sean Thomson)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (2/5) frank vaughan 8 months ago

    More of a boat trip than a bike trip

    · · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals

    We have been on 4 boat and bike tours. This was not a favorite. The boat company charges additional fees for anything- $15 daily fee for internet, $3.50 for a bottle of water, and $5+ for alcohol. They cover a long distance on the boat, so you do not have much time to ride the bike. When you do, it is a stringent timeline- off the ship at 9 am and meet the boat at 2:30 or you will miss the boat. It does not give you much time to look around. They have strictly enforced assigned seating at breakfast and dinner so it minimizes the chances of meeting other people. The guide was not very nice and did not ride the trails. They were covered in places with 4-6 inches of mud from the recent flooding and many were unrideable. Then the guide got mad when we returned to the boat covered in mud. The extra tours they sell were expensive and ok, but the guide on the Vienna tour left 2 of our group behind so they had to find their way back. The maps provided were ok, but somewhat confusing, and the briefing by the guide was rushed and not helpful. It's a German boat with German food and lots of retired Germans. There is nothing wrong with that, but many of them did not go on the rides described but just used the trip as a cheap river trip with some side rides.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    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
    • 2/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 1/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Experience
    (4/5) Toby Kerr 8 months ago

    Fair trip

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    All was great except confusing cycling directions from our tour director, Jurgen.

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 24
    How many tours have you completed?
    None
    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, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (4/5) Roxanne Green 8 months ago

    Countries visited were amazing!

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    The itinerary was perfect for exploring so many wonderful villages and towns in six countries along the Danube. The food was delicious and served beautifully by the waitstaff. Two major complaints - Bike service - my bike was handed to me on day 1 with totally flat tires, a fender rubbing on the front tire and gears that were stuck and screeching. The Captain (his crew) ran the boat onto a sandbar and we spent many hours sitting there watching other ships cross into the Iron Gates while we waited for a tugboat from Romania to pull us free. By the time we pushed off the sand, the weather had gotten bad and we didn’t get to travel to the Iron Gates. The explanation was “we can’t go to Iron Gates. Not our fault - blame the weather”. Though we had a wonderful experience on prior adventures in Denmark and Italy in 2017, I don’t know if I’d do another Biketours.com trip when bikes and boat captain were so poor with this one. But I gave it 4 stars because the Chefs, Wait Staff, Concierges, Bar Staff, Cleaning crew and overall ambience of the Swiss Crown was wonderful!

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 2/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Experience
    (3/5) Scott Jacobson 8 months ago

    Swiss crown bike tour

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    Due to captain error, and running the boat onto a sandbar, we weren’t able to see the Iron Gates. Very upsetting since that was the main purpose of paying for this trip. Due to captain error, didn’t dock in Passau, long bus ride to train station. Amwater ways went to Iron Gates same day we were supposed to. Next time, I will go with that boat tour.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
  • (3/5) Linda Cooper 8 months ago

    Made the most of being stuck at the dock.

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    An act of nature meant that the boat never left the dock. The company made a point to provide activities and bike routes for 7 days in Vienna. Bike Tours was non existent when it came to communicating the changing conditions before the tour started.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept. 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 3/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
  • Danube Cycle Path
    (5/5) Gregory Lebo 7 months ago

    Great way to experience the Danube

    · Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest

    The tour operator is very responsive to issues that arise on the route. There was flooding on the Danube and certain portions weren’t navigable and they arranged transportation to avoid the area. Bag delivery is usually very efficient and arrives before you to the hotel. In my case there was one day where my bag didn’t arrive but a quick call and they dispatched a special driver to deliver it. The maps are very good and the app makes navigation super easy. I went in the Fall and there were almost no other riders on the pathway. It’s a bit cooler and many of the bike specific restaurants aren’t open but there’s no shortage of services along the way.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sep 29
    How many tours have you completed?
    5+
    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
    •  (photo by Gregory Lebo)
    •  (photo by Gregory Lebo)
    •  (photo by Gregory Lebo)
    •  (photo by Gregory Lebo)
    •  (photo by Gregory Lebo)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (3/5) William Edsell 7 months ago

    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 Four Countries
    (5/5) Emily W 1 month ago

    Exceeded my expectations

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    I've gone on a number of bike/hotel tours and really loved them. Adding the river cruise exceeded my expectations. We met many new friends, enjoyed a very nice cabin for resting, and appreciated the very helpful staff. Having a daily talk meant we were very prepared, even though we selected the self-guided experience. The only "self" portion was on the route; every other step of the way, we had guidance. All of this, in addition to the exceptional route, helped make the trip so much fun. We did experience some country-specific issues that required rerouting for biking days 2 and 3, but the cruise director acted very quickly, and we made lemonade out of lemons. I would be happy to do this kind of trip again.

    If you're trying to decide between a bike/boat trip and bike/hotel trip, the major difference is that you do not have all day to complete your ride. You are on the riverboat schedule, which can make for odd timing and shortened riding days. If your primary goal is biking, then I would recommend a bike/hotel trip instead. The other downside is that you are rarely in a port during the evening. Walking around Budapest at night was a BIG highlight! On a bike/hotel tour, you can do that every night.

    Lastly, I was very happy with the biketours.com experience. Everything was handled very professionally. I would book through them again, especially if I were traveling to a country where I didn't know the language. Using the site was instrumental in my finding this amazing tour, and I look forward to looking for another tour again soon!

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • Getting off the boat, ready to go! (photo by Emily W)
    • Riding on the ferry (photo by Emily W)
    • Watching the boat coming into Bratislava (photo by Emily W)
    • One of many amazing bike paths (photo by Emily W)
    • Enjoying the sights from our incredible docking position in Budapest (photo by Emily W)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Four Countries
    (5/5) Michael 3 weeks ago

    Love active travel? You’ll love this!

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    Meals were good / not overwhelming. Rooms were fine (we chose the upper deck). Bikes were not to the level we are used to at home and for 50-60 km days were “adequate”. There weeent many hills. The optional bike tours were great in Budapest and Vienna although you need to expect traffic in Vienna. The landscape was beautiful. Great trip!

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • Random castle along the way. (photo by Michael)
  • Danube Experience
    (5/5) L Waldo 2 weeks ago

    Perfect active trip to celebrate grandson's graduation

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    Love riding through gorgeous bike paths during the day and then afternoon and evening relaxing on boat hotel. No need to pack up & move on until trip ended. fabulous food and gracious hosts.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    15
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • visit Danube River fortress w boat waiting. (photo by L Waldo)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Four Countries
    (5/5) Gladys M 2 weeks ago

    Beyond high expectations !

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    We've taken several boat and bike trips as we LUV floating hotels and active vacations, usually on smaller boats than the Vivienne, my concerns for number of guests were not necessary. The flexibility of schedule, ability to do self guided bike routes, and fellow guests were quite fun. The cabin, typical of boats, small with very good storage for clothes and accessories and stashing away luggage. Wifi was good throughout the trip. The meals were great and plentiful. We signed up for every 'optional' excursion and had the best guided experiences learning more about each capital visited. The Danube and Central Europe are not to be missed, rich with history and quiet roads to explore on two wheels. The crew gets a 10+, informative, attentive and friendly. Even with a ride in the rain this trip was 'over the top' in my memory. Evening theme parties, costumes provided on board - not to be missed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    Three
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    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
    • Wachua wine valley (photo by Gladys M)
    • 70's party (photo by Gladys M)
    • Docked across fm Budapest Parliament (photo by Gladys M)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)