Bike Tour Reviews page 86
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★★★★★ Barbara 7 months agoBeautiful country with lots to see and do
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
Slovenia ranks as one of my favorite countries to cycle. Friendly, hard working people. Roads are in great condition ( minus a few construction zones due to recent flooding), and the routes offered are interesting and varied. From high mountain vistas and zigzagging descents to flat bike trails along the sea, each day brought a new adventure to the senses. We enjoyed getting off the bikes to explore caves, castles, waterfalls, and towns. Most of us opted to cycle and climb the first day to the high plateau of Pokljuka. It actually seemed like an easier climb than the second day to the high plateau of Jelovica. Two people used the shuttle the first day and were not particularly pleased at where they were let off on the route. Had they known better, they would have also cycled to Pokljuka with us. (they were on electric bikes).
The hotels were good. Regardless of the size of rooms, the beds were comfortable and the breakfasts were bountiful and varied. The hotel in Ljubljana was a 45 minute walk to the city center, but it allows one to see the sites and restaurants along the way. We downloaded the maps on our devices and they were adequate for navigation. It was helpful to have 3 navigators in our group of 8 people.
Bikes that we used were hybrid ones. They were a definite plus with all the climbing involved with this tour. Sometimes, the small towns we entered had short ascents of 10-12% grade, so it was helpful to have the low gears to pop into. There were a few problems with the bikes. One of the hybrids was not in good condition for riding and was replaced before we started our tour. It was helpful to have the bikes at the hotel the night before ( Day 1) so we could adjust and test ride the bikes. The one electric bike had a problem the first day while riding the hills. It was discovered that a sensory cable was not connected after going to a local bike shop to have it looked at after the second day of riding.
Bike Tours, the company, there were some problems with communication regarding bike choices. There were problems with obtaining the bikes that were unnecessarily stressful. Overall, they were good enough to use, and eventually the issues were resolved. Also, I'm not a big fan of putting a 75% deposit down 9 months before the tour date which is unusual from the other 6 self guided tours that I've done. Make sure to read the fine print regarding the tour. Extra luggage other than one piece is charged extra. Also, we opted to find our own transport options to and from airports/towns, which were cheaper than what is offered. Staying a night in Kranj after our arrival from Ljubljana airport, before going the next day to Bled, worked out wonderfully.
Discovering the Best of Slovenia was a treat. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is adventurous and curious. The food, the culture, the people, and the sites were incredible! SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- many
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Gerhard October 13, 2019· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Izzz October 1, 2016Pulia heel of the boot Italy
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
We 4 seniors really enjoyed our bike trip. The second last day was more challenging than we expected. Route was well signed with small arrows except into Lecce. Bikes heavy but reliable and comfortable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Spring 2015 Belgium
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over ten
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ KAY SINGLETON December 9, 2022
Most challenging of all bike trips we've done
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
There was a great sense of accomplishment each time we reached the hilltop towns, often after an over 1000m climb; all of the towns were beautiful with awesome views; the accomodations were excellent; we found the descents scary at times and were glad to have good brakes; sooo glad we got the road bikes! would not do this trip without them!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Charles Curtis September 11, 2022Second great trip to Croatia
· · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
We loved the first bike and boat trip to Croatia: Highlights of Dalmatia - that we booked this one. This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip but not quite as outstanding as the first. Not quite as many interesting stops and the food was good but not outstanding which is why we gave it only four stars.
There were hills but not as rigorous as the Highlights rides so several had regular bikes and we ebikers didn’t have to wait too long for them to catch up after a climb. The waterfalls at Krka National Park was a highlight- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Passenger2J September 4, 2017Vienna to Budapest Classic was a life changing experience
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
The Vienna to Budapest Classic was my Bike Tour. It will always remain as one of my best experiences in life. The Tour Operator was helpful and provided useful information in the travel documents. Majority of Tour stays on the EV6 route and allows you to see many beautiful things along the Danube. The best part of booking this tour is that you get to cross borders and cycle through 3 European Countries and Capitols. Highlights of tour include beautiful city of Vienna, Bratislava Castle and Budapest. I would definitely book with company again. Only change is some sections of the tour are challenging due to rough roads and crushed gravel for quite a few kilometers. Luckily my tires never gave way.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 19-26th of August 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First Tour
- 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?
- Austria, Hungary
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★★★★★ PeteN September 30, 2016Algarve Coastal Route
· Algarve Coastal Route
Very enjoyable scenic route. Great seafood, excellent weather (September). Good logistics. Challenging in parts however, due to traffic on roads and more hills than expected. We were glad to have ebikes. Tires supplied were not up to the trails and we suffered several punctures. I recommend checking equipment carefully before setting out.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 12, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the third
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ Terry Connolly September 12, 2022Very Smooth Arrangements
· Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
This worked pretty seamlessly. Bike rentals were in excellent shape, well equipped for storage and travel. Paper maps they gave us were good, but seems like should advise traveler to download Komoot or similar for detail of route map and GPS. All hotels were very nice. Bags got there ahead of us every day. Gyor to Esztergom is a long ride, on busy roads and non-paved surfaces. But overall a positive using BikeTours.
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★★★★★ Robert Civiak 9 months agoBaltic
· Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn
Trip was to the Baltic countries for biking and walking tours. I went on the trip.
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★★★★★ Jackie21 October 13, 2019Very Memorable
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Amazing way to see parts of Italy you couldn’t see any other way. I loved our guides and the fun places we stopped along the way, however, the biking was much harder and faster than expected. I was expecting to be able to stop and take pictures any time I saw something picture worthy, but that was not the case. I realized the first day that I was not as prepared as I should’ve been. We had a very large group and people of all skill levels and even though I bike regularly I was not prepared for all peddling and no coasting. I also found the bike trails to be very crowded and nerve wracking with racing cyclist both coming and going. I expected a relaxing daily 40miles and it was in fact rather stressful biking. We had an amazing group from all over the world and that really made the experience fun. Our guides, Alain and Diego, were very personable and fun. I would do it again, but I would get an E-bike for the hills.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- 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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★★★★★ skinut 7 June 17, 2019good trip with a few qualifiers
· · Danube Bike and Boat: Passau-Budapest-Passau – MS SE-Manon
The accommodation and food were good. The bikes were excellent.
The joining instructions were poor. We followed the bus directions after leaving the train and ended up with a 2 km trek with luggage to the boat-the bus took us to summer dock not winter.
There needs to be clearer advisories re trips in late May and possibly early June, that due to high water in the Danube, there is a greater likelihood of delays and alterations to plans. We were 4 hours late docking at Passau at the end and missed our flight from Vienna. We had arranged a transfer for 12noon as directed(not the scheduled time of 10am) but could not make our flight with a 2pm arrival.
Also our scheduled stop in Devin was not possible due to high water.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 20 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2 including this one
- 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
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★★★★★ Sara Ching September 12, 2022Beautiful scenario in the Bavarian alps
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
The route is breathtaking. From Innsbruck to salzburg, we opted for the rest day in zell am see (100% recommmended) where we got a day off to take the gondolas up to see the mountains, go to the glacier lakes in kaprun and swim in zell am see lake. The hotels and breakfasts were great! The bike company they use to source the bike was a bit disorganized, the bikes were ok though seats were the hard racer types. Bike company also an out of bags and locks. They didn’t give us enough baggage tags and when they split our groups across two hotels, the baggages were often at the wrong hotel. There weren’t a lot of recommendations on optional things to do and places to eat so you definitely have to do a lot of your own research. Overall I would recommend the tour because the itinerary and accommodations were very nice but the agency that ran the tour itself could be better organized.
Also note the second day of biking (day 3) has a lot more uphills and downhills than it seems. And it rained really hard the last three days of our tours so definitely make sure you have good rain gear if you go in September.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ sacman July 12, 2018Organized Adventure
· Three Lakes Tour: From Geneva to Annecy
Well organized trip down to the street. While normally I stay in design hotels, due to the nature of the trip and the remote locations, the team did a superb job in accommodating us. The Chateau was certainly the highlight.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Sagan September 29, 2016Follow along the path to glorious Santiago de Compostela
· Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
Started the trip in Astorga, we arrived on market day (Tuesday) so all the squares were packed with people and stalls.
Everyday our bags were picked up between 830 - 9am.
The Road book resetting of bike computers were invaluable and really easy to use.
This tour had more climbs than expected and on some days there were very steep and very long ascents.
Downhills were challenging too. We had trained but do not live somewhere with the same terrain. By day three you were used to it.
You are always on the road most road users are respectful to cyclists leaving plenty of room. The worst traffic was going into Santiago but only for 10Km
All hotels were easy to fiind and overall everyone was friendly. Best place was El Capricho de Josana in Las Herrerias the food was amazing.
I would recommend getting your Pilgrim passport and collecting stamps along the way a great souvenir to have and you can collect your certificate in Santiago.
Arriving in Santiago felt great and a real sense of achievement that we were not expecting.- What was the date of your tour?
- 6th Sept 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jeffrey Kuhl September 12, 2022second tour
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Day 1 - 3 were fantastic.
Day 4 was too long partly because of route, a few mistakes and a long detour to local bike repair shop. Broken seat was replaced quickly, but caused 3 or 4 stops to attempt to tighten seat with tools that didn't fix the problem. I could only ride a short distance before stopping to flatten seat. The issue was a broken ratchet that had to be replaced. Local tour company worked to find repair and notify them I would be there. I arrived right before closing.
Day 5 I just wanted it to be over.- What was the date of your tour?
- September 3
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Retired Teacher September 28, 2016Great Scenery, but... poor bikes
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The rental bikes were NOT up to standards. One bike had defective derailluer and and to be substituted. Pedals and seats were hard to replace with ours, mechanic had to return next day with WD430 and oversized wrenches to get pedals off.
The hotel was very cute and nice, but across plaza from 2 churches that ran LOUD bells. Hotel room had no AC and no screens on windows and we spend time killing flies! The breakfast was good, dinner was good except for one night...do not get venison (2 of 4 of us could not cut with serrated knife!) There was an alternate choice most nights had we know that is better choice.
This is NOT traditional Italian food. Villabassa and Toblach are in the German speaking section of Sud Tyrol. It is an interesting combination of Austrian and Italian 'fusion' food. White table cloths and waiters. Lots of local wines to choose from.
The bike routes were VERY Scenic and for the most part enjoyable. We got lucky and only had rain at night, but bring your rain gear just in case! There is some
gravel surface that gave some of the group tour we bumped into a little trouble, but we had no problems. Most of the rides do not take most of the day, so stop and take all the photos you want. The weather in Dolomites is about 10-15 degrees cooler than Lake Garda because it is about 4000 feet. We started with layers and soon got down to short sleeves on most days in late September.- What was the date of your tour?
- Mid-Late September
- How many tours have you completed?
- Lots
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Bob VG 6 months agoWonderful trip!
· · The Istrian Peninsula by Electric Bike
Explored the Istrian Peninsula by day while relaxing on the wonderful Andela Lora at night. Pro tip: Don't book a lesser boat! Staff was very attentive. Guide Yana was a delight with her bubbly enthusiasm. Appreciated many costal ports as well as old historic inland villages. Would have appreciated the opportunity to for upgraded bikes and more food variety. The booking process was smooth and we would defiantly go with BikeTours.com again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- one
- 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
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★★★★★ Yeenie September 27, 2016
Bolzano to Mestre, Italy bike trip
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 11th -- 17th, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- Nine
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Jessica Phelan September 12, 2022
Beautiful Scenery!
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
This trip was absolutely stunning. The views were beyond beautiful form everywhere. For the most part you are riding along the river and the ride is very relaxing. Most days are fairly flat with a few small hills and many downhills. The trails are well marked and the map by the guide company is pretty easy to follow. Our group did the trip with hybrid bikes, but if I were to do it again, I would definitely get an e-bike. There is one day with some really big climbs and an e-bike would have made the whole a thing a bit more leisurely. We also did not pack helmets since they wouldn't fit in our suitcases and the bike shop ran out of rentals. I would advise bringing one with you.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- 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
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★★★★★ Emily Hyde January 24, 2023Fun trip but bikes too heavy
· Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
All aspects of the trip were very well organized. The packet we were given was great. We had a problem with one of our bikes, and had a new one the next day! The tour company did a good job with helping when needed. Each hotel we stayed at knew we were coming. Check in was always smooth. Even though we arrived early each day, the hotels were very accommodating and our room was always ready. They all were prepared for our bike storage as well.
We wished we would have covered more mileage each day. Other than scenery, there wasn't much to do in some of the towns, so we would have liked to have covered more mileage. The last day was only a twelve mile ride, which was disappointing. That distance is covered in no time at all on an e-bike. We checked in to our hotel by 1 pm each day. Unfortunately for us it rained everyday except the last, so we didn't meander around as we hoped, we made it as fast as we could to each location. It took us about 3 1/2 hours each day to cover the distance we were supposed to ride. We probably would have stopped along the way had the weather been better.
Hotels:
Again, ALL were accommodating. Staff at every location welcomed us warmly!
The Hotel Ermitage in Schonreid was truly exceptional in each and every aspect. Will be going back one day! Wish we could have had our rest day there! The Gruyere Hotel staff went above and beyond. They welcomed us with hot cocoa when they saw how wet and cold we were. One of our group twisted their ankle, they helped with what we needed. They contacted the bike company for us with picking up one of the bikes that wasn't working. We also sent our bikes instead of riding because of the rain and they helped us arrange that.
We were very disappointed in the Seegarten Marina Hotel in Spiez. It was definitely not up to the quality of our other hotels. The room was incredibly small, as was the bathroom. We should have been given the option of two rooms in that hotel. We had three people with us on this trip, and it was the only time it was really uncomfortable. The third person slept on an actual cot. Unfortunately, it was also our "rest day," so we had two nights at that hotel. We were given the hotel list about two weeks prior to our trip. Perhaps a list of hotels ahead of time would be nice. It would have give us the option of making plans for things to do at each location, especially on the rest day.Bikes: Although we wondered before our trip about the mileage we would be covering, that, we found, was of no concern on an e-bike.
Didn't need to train, or get ready to sit for a long time on the seat each day. Those ended up not being an issue at all. The BIG issue was the weight of the bike. All three of us felt we would probably never do one of these tours again-completely because of the bike. We had rented e-bikes in the states before we came. Totally different. Your bikes were very, very heavy. We felt off-balance on the bike--ie--couldn't look back on the bike for fear of falling. Two of us did fall(just lots of bruising.). We all thought that should be mentioned somewhere in your literature. SHOW MOREA couple other items:
The funicular station in Vevey said "no bikes". So, we started riding them. Big mistake. We rode--well, walked, our bikes up one of the steepest sections of the trip. Send your bikes whenever it says to do so. Makes a big difference in your day!The timing of the chocolate factory wasn't great. Although it probably was the last timed ticket for the day, we missed the bus, which only came hourly, and had to take a $50 cab ride to make it there on time. This was the only day we got into town late (didn't use the funicular! and got lost)
The directions were good on the open road. Not as great in the city. Was usually hard to navigate from the hotel out of the city.
Rest day would be good in a different city. Not much to do in Spiez.
Would probably have been a wonderful trip if we saw the Alps, and the bikes were lighter!
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
