Bike Tour Reviews page 3
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★★★★★ mountain broad December 9, 2015Perfect Pleasure Times Two
· · Venice to Mantua by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This was such a wonderful trip when my husband and I experienced it the first time for our thirtieth wedding anniversary, we took it again, in the opposite direction, two years later!
The small towns we traveled through were charming and welcoming. We saw places that were unique and off-the-beaten path of the general tourist. Chioggia, Ferrara, Zelo: they each kept beckoning us back.
Then, too, the Vita Pugna was any thing but "hard life". The staff treated us like treasured family members. The fed us local cuisine that was fresh, creative, and oh, so satisfying. They were enthusiastic and welcoming every day of the journey. Our bicycling guides, on each trip, revealed history, culture, and sites, that only the well-informed local would usually enjoy.My husband and I have traveled on five bike trips with biketours.com, and we have plans of cycling again to an, as yet, undiscovered destination. The company makes our travel dreams affordable, successful, and worth repeating.
These memories are golden!
- How many tours have you completed?
- six
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Rebecca Heersink 10 months agoGreat family vacation
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
We completed this tour with our 2 year old in the infant trailer. The route provided great stops for everyone in the family including great playgrounds for the little one and wine/beer for mom and dad. We enjoyed visiting castles, small medival towns and cable cars rides. The bike riding was manageable but pulling the bike trailer in the heat wave did prove hard some days, maybe an ebike would have helped in retrospect. Hotels were nice and all provided an infant bed. Can't wait to do another cycling tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Girowise July 26, 2019Dream Tour
· Split to Dubrovnik: the Islands and Coastline of Croatia
We have done about 10 bike tours in Europe, so we have seen and experienced a wide range of things. This tour was wonderful. The tour company was extremely organized, the tour was well-designed, the hotels were great. In addition to the maps and instructions, the tour company made many valuable recommendations for things to see, restaurants, etc. There are several serious but not terrible climbs (~400 m elevation) on the tour, which people should be aware of. They yield amazing views.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 11 July 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Peterm October 2, 2017Excellent format - Barge Bike tour
· · Bruges – Antwerp – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat
Very enjoyable tour. Excellent crew. Excellent food. Excellent company. It is a good mixture of bike & barge travel. The cycling is gentle and Holland is flat. It is good to have a guide as it is impossible to get lost. Cycle routes in Belgium & Holland are very well organised, safe with minimum traffic and great scenery. Would recommend it. Note cabins are small.
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★★★★★ Doug Dvorak May 23, 2017BALKANS TRIANGLE TOUR - WOW! WOW! WOW!
· Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
Jim and the entire Biketours.com Team did an incredible job on our recent Balkans Triangle Tour. The in-country representative as very friendly, knowledgeable and the equipment & accommodations were first class.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 17 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ Natalie123 December 9, 2015Outstanding itinerary and tour company
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I went on this tour as a staff member at BikeTours.com. I did this itinerary, but not on the Fluvius (the boat described on this page). I was on the Magnifique, which can also be booked on this site. Here are the parts of my review that you can find on the Magnifique's tour page that apply to this same program on the Fluvius...
Biking is such a part of Dutch culture, so we got to explore the country like the locals live it while benefiting from great infrastructure (dedicated bike paths, good signage, friendly drivers). The landscapes were charming: gardens around every cottage, wide green fields divided by canals, windmills. The Belgian countryside was also beautiful and you're often following river paths, but the Netherlands' villages stole my heart.
The cycling is leisurely: flat, distances not too long, plenty of breaks for snacks and stretching. The guide was great, but my friend and I decided to go off on our own a couple of days, armed with the route numbers that the group would be following so we could catch up to them if needed and find our way back to the boat. We got a bit lost one day on our own, but that became its own adventure and we didn't mind at all.
The thing I like the least about touring is having to pack and unpack every day, so it was a small luxury to be able to unpack on day 1 and not think about bags again since we were in the same cabin all week.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- 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?
- Belgium, Holland
Video: A typical scene along the route - cows and sheep aplenty, quiet and well maintained bike path, and of course windmills!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nczbAMMMCM4 (404)
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★★★★★ MarcieB May 22, 2022Tulips, Windmills, Canals and Camaraderie!
· · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
The Super Tulip Tour (Barge: Zwaan @ 14 passengers and 4 crew) was truly a delight from beginning to end. Our group of 8 Americans, 2 Canadians, 2 Norwegians and 2 French enjoyed polder pedaling, canal crossings and windmill wonders while taking in the tulip fields/gardens. The meals were served family style and were amazing! The rooms were well equipped with wifi, hair dryers, etc. and the crew was eager to please.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 30 - May 7, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- More than seven!
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Chuck54 July 26, 2019· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7-12-18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Shub May 23, 2017My First Cycling Trip
· · Danube Impressions Bike and Boat Passau – Vienna – Passau
Very well organised tour. Every detail was taken into consideration and therefore there were no delays.
The Theodor Kroner offered a very comfortable stay with excellent breakfast and dinner. The staff of the boat was very attentive and courteous which contributed immensely to the great experience on board. -
★★★★★ Kari Abrahamson 10 months agoAmazing trip for the whole family.
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Excellent route. Family friendly. Good accomodations. Very happy we went with BikeTours again for yet another amazing family vacation.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- Three
- 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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★★★★★ musicmama44 May 17, 2022See the real Greece!
· Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
Our tour was the perfect blend of Ancient sites, beautiful nature and authentic Greek culture. The hotels we were put up at were all run by the nicest people and generally in great locations with easy walking to the center of the towns we were in. We especially enjoyed our stay in Nafplio. The local company helping us, Arcas, was easy to communicate with on the road. We experienced a broken chain on day 1 and they had someone out to rescue us in 30 minutes and a new bike by that evening. We did hit a national holiday 1 day and so the sites we were supposed to see were not going to be open, it happened to rain a bunch that day as well and we probably wouldn't have wanted to ride out there if it was open, so it worked out, but it would have been nice to have some pre trip notice or an alternative plan for a ride that day. Both companies, Arcas, and bike tours were great with answering our questions and helping us prepare for the trip. We had some specifics we needed help with like bed requests and we decided to bring our own saddles, and everyone got back to us with answers to our questions within 24 hours each time. The phone app used by the company does not require internet and gave easy turn-by-turn directions as well as historical info and all kinds of other trip info like where the hills were and far you had to go.
I have a little feedback about this particular trip if you need some particulars or aren't sure it is right for you. We are E bikers here in the US, we ride several times a week 9 months out of the year, mostly on a greenbelt system (10-25 miles range per trip). We are in our late 40's, in good health, could be in better shape and I have a knee injury that affects my riding. This trip was a 2 out of 4 difficulties, in my mind, this seemed more like what I thought a 3 would be, maybe a 2.5. While the riding was doable, it was definitely more challenging in spots than we anticipated. The batteries provided did not hold a charge as long as we expected so we were really having to push ourselves on the uphills more than we anticipated to ration the battery. Definitely download the manual for the control panel, there were all sorts of ways to customize its use as well as instructions about how to get it to recharge in the downhills, not a lot, but it did help. With the exception of the very first ascent which was very long, most of them were shorter, but the places to stop and recharge were far and few so you had to really watch your charge. The roads for the most part were back roads and/or unused older highways and that was wonderful, little to no traffic and wide open spaces and beautiful scenery. When you did have to be on a highway, however, there was a lot more traffic, and they were moving pretty fast, so it was a little intimidating at times.I'd say you were on main highways about 10% of the time, the rest was more remote. We don't do much highway riding here, I would absolutely do it again, this is just info that I would have found helpful. I think the difference in expectation on the difficulty of the trip had more to do with us and our vision than what was communicated to us, we are kinda wimpy, in other words!
We would absolutely recommend a bike tour to our friends and family, we plan to do more and this trip was unforgettable and a great learning experience for us as well. If you want to see the real Greece (we met so many nice locals and ate SOOOO well), this is the way to do it.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May1-8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
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★★★★★ Petty July 26, 2019Was great!!
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
I have already written to you about tour - really enjoyed every moment! Hotels were great and personnel very friendly
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9-16 july
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
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★★★★★ KevinR September 16, 2018A good balance
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Nice balance of reasonable cost and comfortable accommodation with excellent bikes. Not all accommodation had air con but we were in an unusual heat wave so wouldn't normally be a problem. We enjoyed the variety and character of our overnights. cycling was easy , i wshed i had not chosen ebike and got more exercise. very smooth organisationally. Thanks
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★★★★★ Tina Turner September 30, 2017Loved every minute!
· · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Adam May 20, 2017Great Trip Around Lake Constance with our Three-Year Old Daughter
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was our second bicycle tour and we would definitely recommend it! We did the tour with our 3 year-old daughter, who rode along in a child trailer. There are lots of parks and playgrounds along this route, which is primarily a designated cycle path - so it is very kid friendly with only a couple short climbs. We did picnics every day of the tour.
The bikes were excellent. I broke one bike chain but had no problem getting help from a local bike shop, which was listed in the tour materials and next to our hotel. Navigation on this route is pretty straightforward, although you may wish to check your gps on your smart phone in a couple of places near some of the hotels.
The breakfasts and accommodations were excellent, and a few of the hotels were resort-level properties.
Overall, highly recommended!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ marka3 April 4, 2022wonderful bike tour
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
Medieval Villages of Catalonia was a great cycling tour for us. We went in late March, and had very little rain and no traffic/crowds. Daniel was an excellent tour organizer. Very friendly, helpful , organized. The GPS systems( 2 of them) along with the maps made it impossible to get lost on our self guided tour. The hotels were good, and the bikes were very good. Highly recommend this tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 19/3 to 1/4
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 others
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jim G September 16, 2018Going back in time.
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
We have ridden many bike paths in Europe. The Tauren Bike Path to date is our favorite. Dedicated bike path makes the trip totally relaxing, riding through the valley from up in the Alps, through small towns and village’s, pastures, forests, along the Salzach River, etc. Very well maintained and safe path to ride.
This was our second time riding the Tauren Path.
Strongly advise spending extra days in Krimml, Salzburg, and Passau.
Tour operator has done superior job with this tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- August, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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
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★★★★★ Jaya May 18, 2017
A dream come true
· · Danube Impressions Bike and Boat Passau – Vienna – Passau
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6 may 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Two
- 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
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★★★★★ Natalie123 December 7, 2015
Leisurely luxury through classic Europe
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. I was excited to check out this ever-popular bike and boat tour because our clients usually give it rave reviews. Now I know why!
Biking is such a part of Dutch culture, so we got to explore the country like the locals live it while benefiting from great infrastructure (dedicated bike paths, good signage, friendly drivers). The landscapes were charming: gardens around every cottage, wide green fields divided by canals, windmills. The Belgian countryside was also beautiful and you're often following river paths, but the Netherlands' villages stole my heart.
The cycling is leisurely: flat, distances not too long, plenty of breaks for snacks and stretching. The guide was great, but my friend and I decided to go off on our own a couple of days, armed with the route numbers that the group would be following so we could catch up to them if needed and find our way back to the boat. We got a bit lost one day on our own, but that became its own adventure and we didn't mind at all.
The Magnifique is cozy. The cabins are small (as expected) but comfortable, the dining room and bar are nice communal spaces for relaxing with new friends, and the hot tub on deck is the very best place to watch the passing scenery! The food is excellent, and the guide took us on a walking tour each night after dinner to learn about whichever city we were docked in overnight.
The thing I like the least about touring is having to pack and unpack every day, so it was a small luxury to be able to unpack on day 1 and not think about bags again since we were in the same cabin all week.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- 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?
- Belgium, Holland
Video: Pedaling along a canal-side bike path in Bruges
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WgZNJQ3t40 (404)
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★★★★★ Sandra Page 10 months ago
Never would we have ever dreamed !
· Split to Dubrovnik: the Islands and Coastline of Croatia
This tour is the best way to see all the Croatia has to offer, mountains to the coastline and everything in between! Get up close and personal with the Croatian history that dates back to 300 BC. We were on San Snova the boat was very comfortable and space for everyone to spread out. The crew made it even more special ! Tending to our every want and need ! Everyone should have an Andro in their life at least once! There was always plenty of tasty food you won't lose any weight on this active vacation. Our guides (Ivan and Helena) were very knowledgable. They always got us safely to the best spots. They were very proud of their home country and happy to share all of it with us. The visit to the bee keeper, lunch on the local farm,city tours,winery and white water rafting trips were among our favorites besides the cycling of course. The cycling is challenging you start at sea level and go up from there to a beautiful view point. The e-bike was a lifesaver and allowed for an enjoyable cycling experience. Never would we have ever dreamed we would have a trip like this one !
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- first
- 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?
- Croatia
