Bike Tour Reviews page 125
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★★★★★ Morgan Baumann May 18, 2023Excellent Trails on which to explore a lovely part of Europe
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
Traveling by bike is a wonderful way to enjoy a new place. Our accommodations were Excellent. Our guide, Tony, (with us for the first days), was first rate!- so helpful. A couple of concerns: I would not rate this as a 2 for regular bikes - even with variants, it was a lot of biking and I was disappointed not to arrive in towns sooner. Everyone in our group was similarly disappointed including those on e-bikes. I would have liked a more leisurely pace and instead the days felt rushed. The directions however were my biggest problem. For the most part they were poor. We lost so much time just trying to figure out where to go! Our last stage, into Porec was by far the easiest and so even though the ride itself was more challenging, we arrived in Porec in good time to enjoy the town. This last stage was easier because the red arrows were frequent and well placed all along the route. You only needed to glance at the map and the written directions and then just keep following the arrows. In contrast, on many of the other stages, the arrows were few and far between and often were Not where we needed to make a turn! We spent far too much time studying the map and having to reverse direction to get back on the route. It would also help if the directions noted if we were generally following a set route that was already mapped out by those small brown signs. Those signs were well placed and easy to follow.
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★★★★★ Hutch September 10, 2019Not 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
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★★★★★ victoria August 30, 2019Great way to see region around Stockholm
· Stockholm Round-Trip Across Swedish History
This tour was a great way to see the region around Stockholm. Very scenic routes to view the landscape and good opportunities to see palace and historical buildings along the way. We were very happy with the hotels. It was difficult to shift gears on the bike that I rode because the bike was not properly tuned and the seat was uncomfortable because it wobbled. We were a group of four who requested four GPS units and received only one that functioned--an older model that does not offer the amenities of newer models. The written instructions they provided were sometimes hard to follow, which sometimes made it difficult to be sure we were on the right path. However, this could be easily fixed if they included more detail about the different kinds of roads and paths we would be take. All in all, I had a fantastic time and have no regrets.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 18, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Sweden
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe August 31, 2019
Victoria - thanks for the review. We'll be sure to pass your details onto the tour operator regarding the bikes, GPS, and written instructions. It sounds like a few simple adjustments could take this tour up a notch. We're delighted to hear you had a fantastic time and liked the hotels, sights, and route!
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★★★★★ Chris 77 August 14, 2019Interesting trip with contrast between route and hotels
· Andalusia: Southern Spain
Did get a picture of that region of Spain. The hotels were great but the route was not very interesting and some of the dirt roads were in very poor condition. The GPS was poor and the written instructions are necessary. Ebikes are not a bad idea. The tour should definitively give the bikes the night before the first day of riding to get an early start so you can enjoy the hotels after a not great first ride day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May
- How many tours have you completed?
- More than 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe August 15, 2019
Chris, we're sorry to hear you wouldn't recommend this tour. It sounds like this the terrain, region, and difficulty did not suit your touring style. Other feedback and the description of this tour indicate it has varied terrain and is a more difficult level. Perhaps other clients will use e-bikes as you have suggested. Thanks for the details regarding the GPS, instructions, and bike delivery timing -- very helpful feedback for the tour operator. Again, we're sorry to hear this wasn't your favorite, but we appreciate your feedback, and we're glad you enjoyed the hotels on this tour.
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★★★★★ Skipper August 6, 2019Nice trip- some days better than others.
· Bolzano to Verona: Orchards, Mountains & Timeless Culture
The trip was nice. The first three days had pretty scenery and nice riding. The fourth day was mostly on roads and some areas not very exciting. The last day retraced some of the fourth day and seemed like it wasn’t really necessary. The signage at certain points was unclear (e.g., the bike path ended and it was unclear what to do next) and there was an actual mistake in directions arriving at the hotel in Verona. The GPS was not particularly helpful. The bike was a good quality, but one of the bikes didn’t have working lights.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Two
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe August 7, 2019
We appreciate you letting us know that this wasn't your ideal trip. Based on other reviews and more tour details the last two days are overall more countryside riding when compared with the first few. We understand how this could seem less exciting. Thanks again for submitting a review; we hope we can book something better suited to your tastes next time!
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★★★★★ US cyclist July 31, 2019Difficult to navigate
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
I chose this tour because I was finishing up a week of hiking in the Dolomites in Balzano, and though that riding a bike back to Venice to catch my plane would be more interesting than taking the train. I saw that there were several reviewers who noted that they had difficulty navigating but thought, "I can just check Google Maps if I have a problem. How bad could it be?"
Well, it was bad. I found the step by step directions to be indecipherable. The maps made it look easy, but there was not enough detail to actually use them to follow the route. Google maps did not pick up the bike paths, so could not provide a cycling route. I spent a significant part of each day lost and frustrated, in addition to inadvertently ending up on roads with heavy traffic and adding extra miles to the trip. Towards the end of the week I discovered that there were several people from Belgium who were riding the same route I was, but had booked directly with the tour company rather than going through a third party. They were emailed the routes in digital format, and were able to download them to their Garmin. This was not offered to me.
The area is beautiful, bike paths nice, and local folks very friendly and helpful.- What was the date of your tour?
- Ended July 28, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe August 1, 2019
Many thanks for taking the time to write this review. We'll pass the feedback onto the tour operator regarding their directions and will consider this in our yearly review of our tour portfolio. I'm sorry that you were not made aware GPS tracks are available for this tour. As a note for future clients, many tours do offer GPS tracks upon request. We're glad to hear that, regardless of your troubles, you enjoyed the area, bike paths, and locals.
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★★★★★ pmr52 July 11, 2019· Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
- What was the date of your tour?
- 24 june - 1 july
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Z1201 July 6, 2019The bicycle trip was great the ship
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
- What was the date of your tour?
- 22.6.19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ u d i July 4, 2019Lovely landscape shame most of the cycling is on asphalt with fast cars ..
· Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast
We had great time riding at CORK area, the weather was on our side also. everything was green and blooming, we all had e-bikes which was a great descision to do since first 3 days we traveled more than 70KM each day.accomodation was very good and so was the food, especially fish and sea food, we also had one night stay at a lovely castle fron 16th century on the atlantic beach.since most on the track was dedicated to the West Atlantic Way and many parts of it on the N71 we changed it and went deep into the countryside which was eaven nicer, plenty of fields and woods as we went up and downhill.it is advisable to change parts of the route to offroad routs.
- What was the date of your tour?
- june 16 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is our 8th
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 5, 2019
Thanks kindly for your feedback. We're so glad to hear that you were able to improve your experience by altering your route. And thank goodness for e-bikes; they truly are a game changer! Love that you had wonderful weather, food, and accommodations. Thanks again for the review (and the pictures).
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★★★★★ Dmendrop July 2, 2019Vikes on Bikes
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
This tour was not exactly what we expected. We brought our own tandem, but were often on dirt or gravel roads for miles, which was difficult with our tires. The directions were confusing and not clear often, a GPS option would be so helpful. Sometimes there was construction on bike baths, obviously not new, which caused us to take alternate route. Accommodations were excellent, I loved seeing all the small towns along the way. Don’t be fooled, you are not often on the Danube.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 14-21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Hungary
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 3, 2019
We appreciate this feedback. Thanks for letting us know the directions were sometimes confusing; we can forward this feedback to the tour operator. GPS tracks are available (We can send the files to you after you have booked, although you'd need a GPS or appropriate device). And I'm sorry to hear your tandem was not ideally suited for this tour but so glad that you enjoyed all the small towns and accommodations. Thanks again for this review -- all very helpful information!
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★★★★★ Mycycle50 July 1, 2019Very beautiful but more difficult than advertised.
· Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
Our outfitter provided lots of info- maps, gps routes and suggested sites to visit. Some very rough roads, some steep hills.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 22 to June 15
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 2, 2019
Thanks kindly for your review. We're glad to hear that the operator provided material aplenty to guide you on your trip. We appreciate you letting us know that you experienced some rough roads and steep hills. That's wonderful information for future clients considering this tour to be aware of.
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★★★★★ Russ Deuell May 23, 2023
Trip of a lifetime that the guide fell short on!
· · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
Biking through Holland was an amazing adventure. Having an E-Bike made it much more relaxing since you could always turn on the power assist if needed, which we didn't need. THere were many great biking trails that were very relaxing to ride on and see the great scenery of Holland.
The boat, captain, chef and serving assistant made the trip very enjoyable.
The guide, well it seemed like it was the first time Annette did this trip. She easily got lost 3-4 times a day. She would ask for input on what we wanted and then ignore the input if it didn't match what she had planned for the day. Several times she ignored the bike crossing lights and almost got riders that were following hit. This made the rides very stressful. The group also asked to bike faster so we could spend more time at some of the sights. She insisted this was not possible but managed to do exactly that on the last day when weather was going to be an issue later in the afternoon. We also had a flat tire one day and she didn't have a replacement tube. She had to go find another group that had one and then had to have someone from the group change the tube because she couldn't do it herself She managed to make the daily rides very stressful. I would not recommend a trip with her.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ John Cooley June 20, 2023Great trip---but could have been better
· · Coastal Islands of Southern Dalmatia
This was a great trip, however the lead guide was difficult to get along with ---the second guide was new and fantastic. The lead guide was overly strict and a bit condescending. We did not bike one of the days because he decided since there was rain we would not cycle. That was VERY disappointing. I was on a boat bike trip in Belgium and Netherlands and we biked rain or shine. The time we started biking was a bit late too-----it did not leave much time for for activities after biking.
The saving grace for the trip was the staff was fantastic on the Yolo.
One additional note is that this should be E-bike only....there is no way for a regular bike to keep up with ebikes on the terrain on this trip. One of the passengers insisted on riding a regular bike and on two separate days had to switch bikes with the guide in the rear so he could make it. He should have been told to switch to an ebike by the guides.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Sharon Johnson July 5, 2023Sail and bike to picturesque villages and nature reserved
· · Sail & Bike to Picturesque Villages and Nature Reserves
Great experience on a tall ship sailing vessel. Food was average. Crew was very good but English translations on biking details was lacking.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Sheryl Slone July 17, 2023Disappointed
· Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine
We were disappointed in the inability of the app to work for route directions. Several detours were encountered that were clearly not recent detours but alternate directions were not given. We ended up just doing a Google bike route to get from city to city.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from JV July 18, 2023
Thanks for your feedback. We are actively working - as a cycling community in Europe - to improve the overall app experience but unfortunately it is still a very fragmented market. Thank you for your business!
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★★★★★ MAC July 21, 2023Pretty Area
· Alsace Wine Country
The vendor with whom you contracted has room for improvement. The documentation supplied by was inadequate. Using street names as a frame of reference in the towns we visited was the first issue. Street names are few and far between. It was not unusual to see other "green bags" (the color of the panier and handlebar bags used by this vendor) riding around in various directions looking for the same route as our group.
The two hotel rooms they booked for us in Kayserberg were not air conditioned! That day, the high was in the mid 80's and the route had multiple climbs. Riders need to be able to get their core temperature down for comfortable sleep.
Navigation out of town from the hotel and into the end town hotel was particularly poor. Luckily, We had programmed the addresses of each hotel into our contacts and relied on Siri most afternoons to find our hotel.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 30
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Jan 2018 September 24, 2018Beautiful 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!!!
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★★★★★ ArmannI September 17, 2018Nice 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
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★★★★★ Jonathan M September 16, 2018Great trails, not well organized
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
This trip follows well marked German bike trails which are very easy to navigate and quite scenic. The hotels are fabulous. However, we did not have a good experience with the German bike company (Radweg Reisen) that operates the trip on the ground. We were self-guided, and our information package was not available the day we arrived, so we didn't have maps and guiding information in advance. When the packet arrived the next morning, we discovered that it contained very little about sights near the tour route. We were able to Google plenty of side trips but wondered: isn't that the job of the tour company? Also, our bikes were delivered late on the day we were supposed to start, so we lost a morning of biking (and actually the bikes were eventually delivered not by the tour company but by an English family to whom the bikes had been misdelivered). We called Radweg Reisen but their corporate office was located hundreds of km away. We have been on lots of trips with biketours.com and find that the smaller shops are much more attentive and give better service. Radweg Reisen is too big to care about 2 self-guided bikers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8/25-8/30
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Water Bound September 15, 2018
Disappointed
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/1-9/7/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- -1- before this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
