Bike Tour Reviews page 81
-
★★★★★ Wayne October 27, 2016New Mexico Touring Society (NMTS) Vienna to Budapest
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Overall a great ride, but some issues with the tour company in Austria.
Bikes were excellent and the route for most of the trip was well marked. We were on highways a very short period of time. Traffic on the highways was not an issue. We had about 10 kilometers of non-paved bike path. Unfortunately, we rode that in the rain, but we made it without any incidents.
Our complaint about the tour company is that they cheated us on the trip materials that we were promised. Not every rider received a map of the route. Because people doubled up in the hotel rooms, they only provide one map per hotel room. The pre-ride briefing was very poor and the tour person appeared to be in a hurry to complete the briefing. The route out of Vienna can be confusing, but we had rented city bikes the day before and scouted the route ourselves. The tour company only gave us very general instructions on how to leave the city.
He did do a good job of fitting everyone to their bikes. I asked him for a floor bike pump, but he never responded to my text message requests and the tour company never returned my phone calls. The small bike air pumps that are in the bike saddle bike are not adequate to fully pump up a tire.
The bikes were excellent and perfect for the route with the variation in road surfaces and occasional gravel stretches. We had no flat tires during the trip. We were a group of 17 riders, so that is a remarkable feat.
The hotels were all excellent except for the hotel outside of Esztergom, the Hotel Bellevue. In addition to being in a remote location, it was well past its prime. The only dinner option was a buffet which ran out of food before some of our group had the opportunity to dine. The breakfast was once again a poor selection of items, most of which ran out early. The rooms were dark and poorly equipped with the usual features.
Everyone’s favorite city was Gyor. The hotel was excellent and the large city plaza with the historical buildings surrounding it was fascinating. Dining options were excellent.
The boat ride into Budapest was excellent and a nice way to finish the trip.
Overall, a terrify ride with the exceptions noted above. Not every rider having a map was an ongoing frustration that caused some confusion on the occasions when the group got separated into smaller groups.
Wayne Friesen
Albuquerque, NM -
★★★★★ Sandra Page November 8, 2022Trip of a lifetime
· Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Two weeks of heaven. !! Was the perfect way to experience the coastline of Croatia and experience Split and Dubrovnik. Plenty of history combined with cycling, cruising and culinary delight. Wine, olives, chocolate, pottery and lavender for the local flare . Quaint towns, beautiful sunrise and sunsets from the boat. Our guides where amazing getting us to the best spots and being extremely knowledgeable and kept us safe !! Our guides we’re able to shift gears when needed and in the heat of July we’re able to accommodate a comfortable swim in a quiet cove everyday. The beautiful coves and swims turned out to be some of our most memorable moments.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- 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?
- Croatia
-
★★★★★ Cynthia Dees August 15, 2022swim and bike tour
· · Bike and Boat Croatia’s Dalmatia Coast
They shortened the bike rides due to heat I imagine and spent too much time swimming. I would have preferred for them to give us choices...who would like to go on planned mileage...who wants it shortened?
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
-
★★★★★ Thom October 25, 2016Lovely trip on the Danube River with biking to keep us in shape!
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
A great trip to four cities and capitals in Eastern Europe. Comfortable accommodations, friendly staff, good meals, easy biking. Weather was chilly and grey at this time of the year. The Danube is NOT blue if the sky is grey and it is drizzling!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 1-8, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 European bike trips
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ Bob Weinschenk August 16, 2022
Amazing trip meeting great friends
· · Bike and Boat Croatia’s Dalmatia Coast
Great opportunity to see a lot of Croatia and experience some local wineries and businesses
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Croatia
-
★★★★★ Todd Kadas 7 months agoItalian countryside, Slovenian coast, Croatian beaches. What more could you want?!
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
This trip offered a nice mix of countryside and coastal routes with plenty of options to shorten or lengthen each day's itinerary. We were lucky enough to arrive in the second town on the same night as their annual grape harvest parade. So much fun! Tractors pulling floats, free wine, marching bands, and views from the restaurants on the street.
We chose the self-guided option for this tour and met up with at least a dozen other cyclists who were doing the same. We were never alone, had amazing weather, and every day except for one (when we cycled too fast and didn't stop frequently enough), our bags were waiting for us on arrival at the hotel. -
★★★★★ Mauriciom September 21, 2017MY FIRST BIKE TOUR IN EUROPE
· Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes
Our trip was an enjoyable one due to both fantastic scenes and excellent organization. Bike network routes in south Germany are beautiful, with all the indications and directions perfectly well posted. All hotels were rather good, ones better than others especially regarding bathrooms. Hotel service was always excellent. One thing that helped us a lot was your having emailed all the rides for the app Ride with GPS. Highly recommendable. Also all recommended restaurants we tried were very good.
Your local agent was very helpful and flexible.
On the room-to-improve side I suggest that you be more specific on the definitions of Difficulty levels of the tours. We took Level 3 with normal bikes. It was some time quite challenging to us. I am 62 and in fantastic shape. Nevertheless the road specially the 3rd and 4rd days showed quite demanding.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 10-17 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Ron Walker August 18, 2022Beautiful Ride; a Bit More Challenging Than Expected
· Berlin – Copenhagen
The area between Berlin and Copenhagen is gorgeous, and this is a great way to experience it. It was a bit more challenging than the website description led me to believe; it's important to remember that this is a route, not a path. Some of the surfaces you'll ride on are not great and that impacts the fatigue factor. 50 miles on new asphalt is easier than 50 miles on patched roads, gravel paths and even some cobblestone. I'd estimate two-thirds of the trail surfaces were very good. Don't be dissuaded; just consider this when deciding if you're up for the distance. I agree with another reviewer who suggested packing a lunch each day -- it took us a few days to learn that, and it was helpful since sometimes finding lunch was inconvenient and time-consuming. The navigation factor of a self-guided tour can occasionally be tedious. This route is very well marked but not perfect. The printed materials provided by the tour operator were good; they were supplemented by GPS files that were excellent and extremely helpful. The rental bikes were high quality and a pleasure to ride. Overall the hotels exceeded expectations, but there were exceptions, and be prepared for stairs. If I could do this again, I'd bring less stuff -- this was complicated by the fact that it's a one-way trip and we were spending a week on either end. But you don't need much for riding, and I wish we'd figured a way to send some of our stuff to the final hotel.
-
★★★★★ Jim G September 21, 2017Rainy Days
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Beautiful bike path, superior bike path route signs. Very historical cities and sites.
We booked Class A lodging package with dinner plan and were very pleased with everything except our stay at the Diamond City Hotel, Tulin. Although the Hotel was new and very nice, they sent us to the Albrechtsstuben Gasthof restaurant. It was a totally bad experience. Only 1 other couple dining, all sent from the Diamond Hotel.
Horrible food, although hungry, neither Bonnie or I could eat much. Requested tap water to drink, restaurant would only provide $4 euros bottles of water.
Spoke with other couple in restaurant, and they concurred, "very bad"
Upon return to hotel, I expressed our disappointment with the restaurant.
I was informed that I was the only person that ever complained, everyone else loved the restaurant.
It was obvious, there is a family connection, we saw the women who waited on us, with the desk clerk, together the next day. (All related)
Overall, great ride- What was the date of your tour?
- September, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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
-
★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI 9 months agoBeautiful area
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Chris 77 September 6, 2018Good tour of the Atlantic coast
· Wild Atlantic Way Cycling
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug. 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 14
- 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?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Boot September 21, 2017Weather restricted tour
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Unfortunately we ran into a patch of bad weather...snow, rain etc so we were not able to enjoy the gorgeous scenery so much....we know we missed a lot of countryside and we don't have many pictures to show from our trip...these are the chances you take when signing up!
-
★★★★★ M And D October 23, 2016
So enjoyable!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
We had such a good time going from Passau to Vienna. The bikes were great and the signage along the route made it so easy to stay on course. Sometimes making it through a larger town &/or making it into Vienna proved to be an adventure because of the "traffic"
and quick choices to make at those times, but that's part of the charm! Accommodation was different in amenities from day to day but all lovely. Staff were wonderful at every spot. Would definitely recommend it and looking forward to trying another.
Day- What was the date of your tour?
- September 23,2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- 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
-
★★★★★ Cynthia Ord August 21, 2022Loved everything about this tour (except the rental bikes)
· Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
I recommend the Vienna to Budapest 5-night tour, especially as an inter-generational adventure. We were a group of two 30-somethings and a 72-year-old dad, and it was a great fit for all of us. This is really a premier section of the full Eurovelo 6 cross-Europe route. I was especially impressed with bikeways and great signage all along the route. We were impressed by the variety and quality of the hotels, and the destination town or city at the end of each day was well-chosen. It was such a treat to go exploring each evening after getting off the bikes!
Squeezing it all into the four-day sporty/active itinerary, however, was challenging on heavy cruiser-style rental bikes, so I'd advise either slowing it down or bringing your own bike.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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, Hungary, Slovakia
-
★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI 9 months ago
Beautiful area
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Hermann Vestri July 6, 2019
Good trip, wish I had more time
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
- What was the date of your tour?
- Every day were good
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 before
- 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, Hungary
-
★★★★★ Allen September 20, 2017Fabulously beautiful towns and good routes
· Alsace Wine Country
Bike Tours was excellent. Very helpful.
E bikes helped. Good bikes
Routes were varied and interesting with few busy roads.
Route maps were frustrating at times because some roads poorly marked.
Escape Rondonne's Thomas was poor for the introduction meeting- rushed and confusing; but the company did handle our bags well.- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/16-20/17
- How many tours have you completed?
- 18
- 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
-
★★★★★ kiki1970 October 21, 2016
· Venice to Trieste and Istria
The overall experience on this bike trip was good. The rain that occurred on 4 of the 7 days of the trip was unexpected. The locals informed us that it hadn't rained in 2 months so it caught up to us. The accommodations and food were excellent. The real problems were the maps that were provided. They need to be more tour specific. When arriving in the destination city, specific directions should be included in finding that hotel. We spent too much time looking for our hotel for the evening. Also the written instructions are a translation from the German guide. In some cases the instructions didn't match what we saw on the ground or what the sign posts indicated. In general, the people that we dealt with in the States and Italy were great. I only wish that we would have taken a day break some where in the middle(Trieste?) to refresh and recuperate. We didn't know we could do it. I highly recommend this before heading into Croatia.
-
★★★★★ Reigh Walling November 8, 2022A rich historical past and a vibrant and diverse present. That's Portugal.
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
If you told most people that you were going to cycle Portugal, they would only think of Lisbon. Well, that is a beautiful city, but an hour's train ride took us from coastal topography to a totally different landscape of rolling hills topped with cork trees and vineyards. The tour was a nice mix of ancient walled cities and rural rolling roads. Cows graze amid the monoliths. Sheep browse for grass under the olive trees, each wearing a tiny tinkle bell around its neck -- their movement producing a melodious windchime symphony. Accommodations ranged from a rustic farmhouse to an actual palace, and the route and attributes of the tour also bridged history and modern culture. But it's Portugal's people who are the real stars of the tour. And of course, the food.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
-
★★★★★ Rich Wilkin 7 months agoWhich way to Santiago
· Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
E-bikes review
3 of the 4 bikes were great, they had13.5 ah batteries. They gave me a different larger bike that had a 11ah battery. Out of the 6 days , ran out of battery power 4 days. Trying to pedal uphill on a dead battery on a E-battery was very difficult and delayed us everyday. Not good, we need compensated for faulty eqyuipment. The other 3 batteries, barely had enough power to last throughout the day. We had to charge at lunch the one 11ah battery and still did not last. Either need larger batteriesHad one flat tire. The tread on this front tire had no tread at all. When we replaced , found that the tube had a repair patch that blew out.
The one white bike had missing chain guard. My right pant leg got all grease marks
Which has to be trashed and thrown awayHotel review -
All hotels were excellent, good rooms, good breakfast, great service. Thank you
Customer service review
We had one person who got hurt on a bike crash the second day and could not continue to bike. Venessa at customer service was excellent in coordinating and getting her to next stop for rest of tour
Other concerns -
We got a gps unit, was useless, did not help one bit, not worth renting
We used phone directions when we got off trackAs directions on flip chart several days got us off track and added many miles to the day. Suggestions to add more landmarks to turns
Will definitely use Biketours.com again
This was first time users, and kinda know now what toexpectThank you Rich, Rosemay, Lisa, Francine
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Spain
