Bike Tour Reviews page 15
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★★★★★ Lisa C July 8, 2019Beautiful tour through the Alps!
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
We had an amazing trip along the Tauern bike path. We traveled as a family of four (10 and 8 year old children- the 8 year old on a tag along). The scenery was fantastic, and the stopover locations were great. The first three days were relatively easy, the last three were a bit more challenging for our ten year old to handle with the longer uphill sections. We ended up having to change out our daughters bike two times due to a mechanical issue with the derailleur and a flat tire, but the staff responded very quickly and appropriately. It would have been helpful to have a spare tube in the bike kit for the children's bike. We also had some issues getting extra paniers, but by the third day it was resolved. We were very impressed with the lodging. I would recommend an extra night in zell am see, the area was so beautiful. We also appreciated how the company was able to find appropriate lodging for a family of four. We woul highly recommend this tour, but be ready for a bit of work on the second half of the tour. But it was defiantly worth it! We also had a lot of difficulty finding three of our hotels, more specific directions to the exact lodging would have been helpful for the lodging that was not directly on or close to the bike path. Luckily we met helpful Germans along the way who helped us find our lodging!
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★★★★★ clk14 September 7, 2018Beautiful and relaxing trip!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
The Balaton is a beautiful area to bike in and to vacation where the Hungarians vacation. Hotel Olivia and the town of Veszprém were perfect places to start and end the trip and we had perfect timing with a weeklong jazz festival occurring on both our start and finish evenings in Veszprém. We liked the Anna Grand Hotel but loved the rest of the hotels and had many wonderful dinners. We chose to go unguided because this summer we needed/wanted to relax and go at our own pace. If you want lots of activities and wine tasting, then go for the guided tours--based on our experience with the tour company, we expect the guided tours would be wonderful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ KZ2016 October 25, 2016Outstanding Trip
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
Richie Daigle with Bike Tours did an outstanding job on our club's bike and boat trip on the Danube. We had 38 people and many of them said it was one of our best trips ever. Throughout the planning process Richie answered all our questions in a timely manner. During the trip all contracted items were as promised or better. Many of our participants said it was one of the best vacations they have ever had.
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★★★★★ Hildur September 27, 2015
A trip to recommend
Bike and Boat with Bob and Jeanette along the Danube from Passau to Budapest to Passau
Very nice scenery and the paths were both easy and very challenging (hilly). The hotel staff where extremely friendly and changed this trip from average to super
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
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★★★★★ Debbie McLaughlin 10 months agoAn amazing, exhilarating and exciting trip
· Andalusia: Southern Spain
My husband and I are so happy we chose to explore southern Spain by bike. This was a very different trip than we were used to but it was the best way to see this beautiful part of the country. Even our mis-adventures (truth be told, the way out of Seville in 90 plus weather was tough and some of the directions were a little off) left us laughing like kids (we are in our 60s)! We will definitely explore other bike tour options with this company. I will never forget the beautiful and endless landscape of sunflowers. Breathtaking! And the accommodations after a long, hot ride were simply outstanding. We would do it again in a heartbeat!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Mark F 2 weeks agoCycling around Bruges
· Bruges City Bike Tour
Joost was our tour guide. He's local and speaks English very well. Joost used stories to tell us about the history of Bruges. The ride is on cobblestone, but the bicycle seats are very comfortable so I did not notice any discomfort. We traveled about 7 or 8 km. It was an easy ride with many stops. We never felt rushed and was free to ask any questions. We had time to take photos at each stop. A very nice tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 29, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
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★★★★★ Kathy B October 28, 2019Something for everyone
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Roman ruins, midieval hilltop castles and walls, vistas and views that will take your breath away. Our crew and guide were outstanding, informative and fun. The food was fabulous: local, interesting, well prepared and well presented. This could have qualified as a food tour alone!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 12, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ nippy1 July 8, 2019One of our favorit family trips!
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
This ws one of our favorite trips ever! It was our first really active trip with our kids (11 and 13). Up to this point our travel has been mostly cities, museums, tours, and short hikes. It was more difficult than we thought it would be mainly because the kids go slower than if it were just adults so each day had around two additional hours due to more frequent breaks. That said, we felt so accomplished at the end of each day, it was a wonderful confidence boosts for our kids. And it was very bike friendly -- only one day was on heavily traveled roads otherwise it was quite a few bike trails and backroads. And the scenery is stunning. We got a little lost in some of the cities, but it was part of the adventure. Instructions and equipment were top notch and we always felt well cared for. Fabulous adventure -- we highly recommend it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Buffalo September 7, 2018Simply Fantastic
· Alsace Wine Country
The trip was excellent. The hotels selected were generally good (one was exceptional, one was mildly disappointing, the rest were all just good). The tour was well planned and pretty easy to follow. The first leg of the trip was in the valley. This helped to acclimate our group for the wine hills to come. The little villages and wine were exceptionally beautiful. We found the customer service of bike tours and the partner tour operator were also very good. We will definitely use bike tours sometime in the not too distant future.
Important note: with an E-Bike the trip was pretty easy (according to my wife). However, with a standard bicycle, I found some of the hills to be quite challanging. The second to last day I burned roughly 2900 calories.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 15 - 20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 with biketours.com
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Susan October 24, 2016Wild Atlantic Way - Late August 2016
· Wild Atlantic Way Cycling
Varied scenery with the ocean, so many lakes and mountain views, we did not expect. The people were all so friendly and helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 26 - September 2
- How many tours have you completed?
- Three
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ chonaker September 23, 2015
Danube 9- day deluxe tour, self guided
Bike and Boat with Bob and Jeanette along the Danube from Passau to Budapest to Passau
This is a very nice tour. I have done it with my daughter for the 3rd time. (Lake Constance tour twice). The distances are relatively short, and flat. What I relly liked aout this tour is this: Almost every segnent allows for the option to take a boat or train to the next town. A boat ride or two is nice, especially in inclimate weather. Most hotels on Deluxe are airconditioned and the 2 or 3 others are cool enough unless temp over 94. Simon from Bike Tours is extremely helpful and returns all phone calls , if he doesnt answer himself, and responds to all emails. I cant say enough about how helpful Simon is. I highly recommend this tour
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
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★★★★★ Carey 10 months agoExploring Slovenia by bike
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
This was our 5th self-guided cycling trip, and a great way to see Slovenia. The route was great and highlighted the different areas of the country, from the alps to the adriatic. There are some hills which can be challenging in the heat, but very manageable with some training. Most of the roads were fairly low traffic; even on the busier roads Slovenians seemed to be pretty courteous to cyclists. There were some gravel roads which were manageable. Note that there is some conflicting information about whether you'll receive a paper copy of the route directions - you won't unless you've requested this for a fee. And there was also supposed to be one odometer included per couple - there wasn't. So I strongly suggest having a phone with a data plan so that you can follow the GPS instructions. These were fairly easy to follow, but in some cases the app had trouble finding the route so having access to google maps, etc was handy.
Hotels were good for the most part with some being really great; a couple were only adequate, but that is likely due to what is available in the specific town. Included breakfasts were all fabulous. We arranged to spend an extra day in Ljubljana after day 3, which was a great idea. We also added extra days in Piran which we were happy with. For lunches and other stops during the riding day, there are recommendations that appear on the app. However, these don't seem to be in any order for each day, so it's probably worth while to take a look at them all before you set out for the day to see what they're recommending and where.
Overall a really great vacation! Biketours.com was great to work with for booking, and although we had no issues needing local support, we were happy with the planning and the bikes were perfectly adequate.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ David Baker 8 months agoFirst time bike-barge touring
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This was our first time doing a bike-barge tour. We chose this tour based on positive recommendations from friends who had been on it before. Their recommendations and suggestions were spot on so when we took the tour we were well prepared. The crew of the barge were very pleasant and accommodating. If you're expecting five star cruise accommodations you'll be disappointed, but the dinners were outstanding and the cabins fulfilled our needs. There was maintenance on our original route so the captain had to take another route which meant all our rides had to be redone by the ride leader. We still had interesting and enjoyable rides. It's important to be a flexible traveler in order to truly enjoy this type of tour. We stayed in Bruge two days before the trip and we stayed two more days in Belgium after the tour and would recommend anyone taking this trip to do likewise.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, France
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★★★★★ Dixon Leavitt 2 weeks agoGreat Way to Experience a Country and Culture
· Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
We had a great time on this tour! The hotels were top notch, with great food and amazing spas. The routing was right on point, we really liked the EuroTrek app and the routes in there. That app along with Apple Maps got us everywhere we needed to go. We were lucky and did not have to use any of the tools or pump included. Bikes are a huge part of Swiss Culture. Travel on the roads, or on public transportation, was seamless.
The funicular in Vevey on day 1 saved a lot of climbing. I would highly suggest taking it! Same with the train over the Brunig Pass. The cycling demands were very manageable. There was some walking up hills, but the last 3 days were almost all flat or downhill. If you stay in Spiez, after your ride, I suggest taking the Nielsen Funicular to the peak. From there, you see the valley you ride down from Gstaad to Spiez.
Luggage transfer was seamless. The first day, our bags showed up at 5:30 pm. The rest of our days, the bags were already in our room when we arrived at the hotels.
Bike Tours and EuroTrek were great to work with. We will definitely do another trip like this one day! If you are interested in the tour and have questions, I am happy to answer them. Dwade39 at gmail dot com
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
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★★★★★ susan25 October 28, 2019Way better than we even anticipated!!!!!
· Balkan Treasures
This tour is truly a collection of "gems"! Here's why we rated the tour a 5 star.
1. the level of support from the tour guide was amazing! The tour includes being transported to several different locations so that all of your time is spent on truly beautiful rides. Our guide was very patient, informative and friendly!!
2. We were on the extended version so we got to be in four countries in 8 days! we learned so much about the politics and history of the region.
3. All of the accommodations were great but a couple were outstanding! Again we learned so much about the culture and cuisine of the different countries through these experiences.
4. The routes deserve special mention. We were amazed to discover beautiful scenic rides day after day.
5. The rides were quite easy, especially for seasoned riders. This did not bother us because the overall experience was so rich.
6. We relied primarily on an app for directions. this was supported by written materials. we thought this was a great way to tour.
7. Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina have yet to be discovered by most tourist. They are gorgeous, safe (for the most part) and inexpensive by the standards most Westerners are used to. This is a great time to see those incredible countries!
We absolutely loved this trip. If you are considering, my advise is sign up! You will thank yourself!- What was the date of your tour?
- October 6-14.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Albania, Montenegro
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★★★★★ RS52 July 8, 2019Overall Great Experience from Start to End!!
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was our first bike tour as a family, but based on our experience, it won't be our last. Overall, everything went smoothly and was great!! BikeTours was responsive to my many questions and easy to work with. The representative from the tour company brought the bikes and documentation as expected, and was flexible when one bike didn't fit correctly (our error) and needed to be exchanged. Service at every stop was very good to outstanding, and the accommodations were very comfortable and clean without exception! Our luggage was smoothly transported from one day to the next. The bikes were comfortable, and riding along the Danube was really special!
I agree with another reviewer who suggested reading through the touring documents each evening to decide on where to stop the next day. That worked well for us too. We also brought snacks and water, and made a point of stopping regularly, given particularly warm weather. I would also recommend having at least one phone with a GPS application, as finding the specific hotels was sometimes challenging, particularly in the larger cities.
Biking through small cities and towns provided a different type of vacation experience for us, as we are used to visiting larger cities. We really enjoyed seeing the country in this way. I found a few of the longer days of biking to be challenging, but as promised, the path was flat to slightly downhill and we were on bike paths for the majority of the time. Even in Vienna, there were bike lanes in the city to get us to the hotel. The paths were well traveled and always felt safe.
Overall, everything was great and I would do it again in a second!
(There were 4 of us traveling...my husband, me and our 2 children in their early 20's. We really liked the flexibility of being self-guided.)
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Just this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ BobD September 6, 2018
Scout trip
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
10 members of our Scout troop did this as our 'High Adventure' for the summer. We flew into (and out of) Munich and spent one day there to get over jetlag and then headed to Krimml. Upon arrival we checked in at the hotel and headed up to tour the waterfalls. A surprise benefit was a pass provided by the hotel to cover our entry costs. The bikes, locks, bike bags and maps were already there waiting for us.
We only had one flat time and some gear issues but we were able to take the bikes to a shop in Zell am See where they were checked and corrected.
Two of the hotels were on pedestrian zones, so plenty of cafes, ice cream shops and restaurants within a few minutes walk.
The first three days, up to Salzburg, had the Alps as the back drop to a number of great pictures and the smaller alpine villages. The next three days were along the River Inn and more farm land, but the towns were a bit bigger with more things to see.
The trail is very well marked and with the printed cue sheets and maps, when we got off the trail and into a town, it was easy to get back on track.
All the hotels were excellent with friendly and helpful staff.
There is some road riding but it was nice to note that the drivers would wait behind the bikes until safe to pass and then put as much space between the car and bikes as possible.
There were a few steep hills but since we were in no hurry, we pushed the bikes up the hill and enjoyed the walk.
The trail towards the end was more dirt path or older, cracked cement, so the ride was a bit bumpy.
An excellent trip with many photos and memories.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 15th, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- 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
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★★★★★ frank September 21, 2017
Amazing way to experience a the Ireland West Coast!
· Wild Atlantic Way Cycling
We were absolutely blown away by the scenery, the service and the nice friendly people we met at each stop. The local pubs were huge fun, the cycling was challenging enough but with enough time to stop and breathe in the countryside. Bring bike lights if you stay in a local pub past dark. I recommend high vis clothes because you are on busy roads occasionally. The bikes were ok, serviceable hybrids, and able to meet the demands. The B&B's chosen by the company were excellent, friendly and helpful.
This was an amazing experience and far surpassed our expectations.- What was the date of your tour?
- 09/11/2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ GatorDavid October 24, 2016Fantastic Way to Tour Netherlands and Belgium!
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
We had never been on a barge trip, and did not know what to expect. The boat was very well maintained, the food was great, the cabin was clean, comfortable, and adequately sized so that we could sit in the cabin when we didn't want to be in the common spaces. The crew, staff, and guide were friendly, approachable, accommodating .... they really went out of their way to make guests comfortable. The bar was well stocked, and very reasonably priced. The guide (Paul) was knowledgeable, patient, and was fine if we rode with his group or out on our own (which we did most days). Overall, this bike tour was a great value considering the accommodations, service, food and quality of food, bikes, guide services.
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★★★★★ Ronan Gardiner 10 months agoIncredible Trip
· Atlantic Coast of France
From spectacular coastline to fields of sunflowers to rolling vineyards, this tour offers a "nature bath" that ignites all the senses. Add to that, beautiful overnight towns, historic hotels and incredible food and wine - what's not to love!
This was our second bicycle trip in France (the first was in the equally incredible Loire Valley) and it will certainly not be our last. The distances were just right (the shorter but hillier day was actually the toughest), the bikes were terrific, as was the Roadbook for Discovery AP that served as our guide. Our bags were waiting for us at every overnight town and the entire trip was seamless.
We traveled in late June / early July and there were surprisingly few tourists in the towns we visited. Restaurants and sight seeing activities were therefore easily accessible, requiring no advance reservations. We added a couple of nights in La Rochelle pre-trip and in Bordeaux post, which we would highly recommend, we actually wished we'd had more time in Bordeaux - a spectacular city with lot's to see and do .... and eat and drink. Bon voyage!- What was the date of your tour?
- June/July 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- France
