Bike Tour Reviews page 87
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★★★★★ Mary Ricks September 21, 2022A way to see some more of Spain.
· Rioja: Hidden Spain - Land of Wine
The ride was great after the first day. Three of us were together and one bike kept losing its chain and something was rubbing. We called BikeTours and they delivered a different bike and we had no more problems. Ignacio from BikeTours was great as he kept in touch with all of us during the trip.
The first day did not offer much in scenery. Would have liked to start the ride with second day itinerary and continue.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 11-18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20; not all same company
- 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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★★★★★ Bikedad October 7, 2019Beautiful scenery through some stunning valleys.
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
Beautiful scenery through some stunning valleys. The quaint villages and accommodations were perfect. Day one passes through urban and industrial areas but the pathways are fine.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- Dozens
- 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?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Donte September 18, 2016Vienna to Budapest
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Beautiful trails. Exceptions were about 7 K in muddy conditions, 10-12 K on poorly packed gravel. Touring bicycle handled trails well and we're quite stable plowing through mud. Biking guide was inadequate with confusing written guidance separated from related maps. Need detailed cue sheets with clear details on turns, distance etc. Hotels mostly above my expectations although those with no elevators were burdensome.
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★★★★★ Annej October 7, 2019Deep immersion in foothills of the Bavarian Alps
· Romantic Road and Bavarian Lakes
Did this tour in the fall when it was too cool to swim. Lots of beautiful scenery of Bavarian farm life. Loved the charming local inns. Needed more guidance on what to see along the routes. The Eurobike arrows made it easy to trace the route. At times the route was very rough- gravel- but bikes had front suspension which helped.
Biggest suggestion is to inform us what days local markets are scheduled and when hotel restaurants as well as those recommended, are closed. one night we had to bike 30 minutes in the dark to find food. The hotel was too isolated.
In Augsburg it was extremely inconvenient to be at a hotel so far from train station. We did appreciate having our request to meet at our hotel honored.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 20-28
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Brink June 13, 2019Beautiful way to see small Czech and German towns
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
The bike path was generally well marked along the rivers and the towns picturesque. People were friendly, the food good and the hotels good, except for the hotel in Dresden.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 25 May—31 May 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Colorado Bill July 2, 2018First step to the Atlantic
· Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
We arrived a day early. Orleans was great city. Big church.
The trip was seamless. Bikes hotels maps road food just what you would expect fro. FRANCE. .... We wish we had taken the time into week 2 or 3 to complete the Loire.
We will return.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Richard Robblee 4 months agoLovely rural trail and ancient towns; variable quality accommodations.
· Romantic Road from Würzburg to Donauwörth
The tour itself was fun and varied. We enjoyed every day, and every day was different from the one before. Some days were virtually all in rural settings; others followed lightly-traveled roads in flat farming country which allowed us a close-up view of life in the area. The route-finding at times was tricky, having to work with a German language map book, an English translation booklet, and Komoot. We usually just followed the small bike trail signs but on a couple of occasions got thrown off as the same sign is used for various other trails. We should have paid strict attention to the English translated booklet when approaching towns instead of relying on the signs. So there was some back-tracking but nothing too serious. As to the bikes, our two bikes did not come with a repair kit or pump, and none were delivered until the end of the third day of our six day trip (when we reached the tour company they offered to send help at their expense to us on the trail if needed but for whatever reason could not get us the repair kit/pump promptly). Our trip was delayed on the fifth day by a loose screw that secured the rear fender to the frame, which meant that the retaining clip rubbed against the rear tire. The bikes themselves were on the heavy/sturdy side but worked well. Baggage transfers were reliable. Accommodations were spotty: the GHotel in Würzberg was a characterless commercial hotel; surely there are local hotels in the old town that could have been selected. The Hotel Bronnbacher in Wertheim was among our favorites - the remarkably helpful proprietor, Kai, deserves special praise. The Ringhotel Bundschu in Bad Mergentheim, despite its luxurious room and common areas, was a disappointment; the proprietor was terse and came across to us as unwelcoming, and the room was impossible to ventilate. No fan was made available in this fanciest of all six hotels. The Hotel Gerberhaus in Rothenburg was wonderful in all ways. The Hotel Piazza in Dinkelsbühl was satisfactory but otherwise unremarkable. The only utterly unsatisfactory hotel was the Hotel Wengers Brettl in Nördlingen. The staff that greeted us spoke virtually no English; no fan was available; the smoke alarm was missing from its placement in the ceiling, and the breakfast service was comparatively scant with the only employee spending most of his time reading the newspaper at the counter. Finally, the Hotel Donau was one of our favorites; set up well for bicyclists and with helpful staff. All meals with the exception of the Hotel Wengers Brettl were excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Ryan C. 7 months agoThe best monuments/memorials in one tour
· Washington DC Monuments & Memorials Bike Tour
I can't think of a better way to see all the monuments/memorials in one trip. Of course you can't drive your car to each of the monuments and park. I suppose you could walk it, but it would be a very long walk. So seeing them by bike is about perfect.
Despite growing up in DC, I learned a lot on this tour. For instance, I didn't realize that the Washington Monument was at one time the tallest building in the world (later surpassed by the Eiffel Tower). And that it remains the tallest unreinforced stone structure in the world (no steel, just stone). (The wording used by the guide was something about "tallest free standing" structure, but I think he meant "tallest unreinforced structure".)
Every monument and memorial is a highlight. For me the MLK one was especially cool as I had not seen before. I just thought it was really well done and the guide really described it well. Another highlight was at the end, standing on the steps of the Jefferson memorial, you could see many of the monuments/memorials visited earlier, the White House, the Potomac, National Cathedral and all over DC actually. It's a great view. I had also not seen the FDR memorial before, and while I found it interesting, its message was not quite as easy to grasp as the others, for me at least.
There were two tour guides in our group of nearly 20 people, and they were knowledgeable about each monument. During each stop, one guide would keep an eye on all the bikes so that we could walk around and explore the monument for 10, 15 or 20 minutes, depending on the monument/memorial. It was really well organized and planned. The guides were friendly and available for questions and also had tools to help adjust the bikes if needed. One guide was wearing a badge on his shirt about how he wanted tips. I didn't know that ahead of time and didn't bring cash, and wouldn't know what they'd expect even if I had. So I kind of wish there was more communication and clarity on this aspect, as it made me wonder if the guides are already paid or if they are volunteers. In any case, the guides were great.
The bikes were good quality, well maintained, comfortable and easy to ride. I think the bike I rode was a Cannondale, which I understand is a very good quality bike. The starting location was very convenient and Unlimited Biking has a great location in DC. Along the ride there were opportunities for food and bathroom breaks, and it was overall a very easy and educational day tour.
I recommend this tour if you are interested in an easy and fun way to see all the monuments. This really is the easiest way to do that. I don't recommend this tour if you are looking for lots of exercise on a bike, as there really isn't all that much actual bike riding on this tour. But luckily, we were able to keep riding the bikes afterwards (without the guides) so we rode on to Old Town Alexandria and back, which was a nice ride for both exercise and scenery. Highly recommended. SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
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★★★★★ Helayn October 7, 2019More than I expected
· UNESCO Sites of Albania
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 23
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- 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?
- Albania
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★★★★★ 0341MM June 12, 2019Pretty Scenery and Wonderful People
· Florence to Rome
This is my third European bicycle trip but the first one in which I did not follow a river. The navigation was more difficult than I imagined.
I would strongly recommend three things: 1. Study your maps and instructions so you know what landmarks to expect on each day's ride. 2. Download the EuroBike app and be sure to load the gps coordinates into BEFORE your trip. (You may need a computer to do it.) You can find a helpful pdf document on how to do it via an internet search. 3. Watch for the cycling directional stickers at intersections. You hardly notice them when you first start the trip but rarely miss them once you get a hang of things. These stickers are very helpful and will keep you from making wrong turns.
Once I integrated these three things into my daily ride navigation was easy and I could just the beautiful Italian countryside and the wonderful villages.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 18 - 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Don Thain September 23, 2022Mostly fantastic
· Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
This trip used rental bikes and was self-guided. The basics worked well with hotel bookings and luggage transfers. The bikes were fine for this but had minor deficiencies. The joining instructions were incorrect but were sorted out with a phone call. Routings were chosen to highlight scenery and views while avoiding traffic. The map sets were disappointing as directions were muddled. Other cyclists had the same complaint. But it was a great trip nonetheless.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ JB 7 months ago
Great way to see the monuments
· Washington DC Monuments & Memorials Bike Tour
Great bike tour of DC’s most popular monuments. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us ample time to explore the sites at each stop. Not too much biking so perfect for unexperienced riders, looking to learn but not break a sweat. Would recommend!
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★★★★★ Genevieve August 21, 2017A great experience
· Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
A great way to visit Austria! But the mountain part is quite demanding. More of a Grade 3 than a Grade 2. For the mountain part, navigation was difficult because lack of information on distance.
Lodging and breakfasts were great, except for the inn in Bad Kreuzen - far from everything and bad Internet connection. Not adequate for international travellers.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Anna September 17, 2016Mosel bike Tour
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The tour was planned good. Very nice landscape and picturesque small towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Joseph Braun 4 months agoScenic journey but you better know how to read a map
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
The bikes were excellent and the company representative was helpful, knowledgeable and more than willing make sure we had a good trip. The hotel in Copenhagen was an average room but noisy and poor ventilation. Other hotel rooms were mostly average. Breakfast was excellent at all the hotels. Directions were average but confusing. It would be helpful to include city maps with the information so tourists can find street names instead of following the directions. Also, be warned that several routes are on gravel paths, not paved.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Claudia Hodkinson 7 months ago
A relaxed and fun way to explore the iconic monuments of DC!
· Washington DC Monuments & Memorials Bike Tour
This was a well-organized tour with informative guides. Biking from one monument to the next by bike was a really fun way to get around and see the sites easily and quickly. At each spot, we were given enough time to explore the monuments on foot . Biking was easy and bikes were in good condition. A great experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 29, 2023
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ ireneski October 5, 2019Great trip except for first destination.
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This is the second time I've taken this tour with my friends. We liked it so much 6 years ago that we were interested in returning. All the destinations and accommodations were better than previously except for the first destination. Instead of stopping in Stein am Rhein, a beautiful medieval town, they booked us into Gailingen, a town that took us another hour to get to, and was not the charming experience we had to forgo. The trail up the steep hill was more suitable for a mountain bike, not the hybrids that we had. As we came down the steep hill the next morning one of our group had a nasty fall and had to rent an ebike to complete the trip. The hotel staff was also not friendly. They refused to serve us tap water and would only offer bottled water at 6 euros/bottle. This was a terrible way to start our trip. If you go around this beautiful lake, insist on staying in Stein am Rhein.
Also, we stayed an extra night in Uberlingen. Definitely worth an extra day to spend time at the thermal baths.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 12, 2019
- 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 teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ franks June 8, 2019A great trip but you had better be in good shape!
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
This is an excellent trip. The scenery was incredible. It would be good to leave early in the morning or take some extra days so you can explore the towns; there is a lot to see. Hotels were a mix of great and medium quality. The food and wine were outstanding and very reasonable in price. We used the hybrid bikes which were very good, but a bit heavy. I would recommend the road bikes, although at times the roads are not so good. My wife and I are in good shape and experienced cyclists but had some difficulty with the very steep, long hills. Our sons are in their late 20's and did fine. Some of the climbs were more than 8 km long and quite steep, up to 15% grade. The directions in general were very good, but a bit vague at times, especially on leaving Todi and Orvieto. You had better be in good shape to do this tour. I would say it is closer to a level 4 than a 3. However, you cannot see Umbria or Tuscany on bike without doing a lot of steep hills. Overall a great experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 31 to June 7, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Tony VanGarderen September 23, 2022Beautiful area of France!
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
A great way to experience the beauty of Burgundy. Loved cycling through the vineyards as well as along the Voire Verte. The hotels had a lot of character. The bikes were great, one ebike and one regular.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Henry 7 months ago
A fun and interesting ride around the monuments
· Washington DC Monuments & Memorials Bike Tour
Our guides showed us around the monuments of DC at a relaxed pace and were full of fun and interesting facts about each monument. Even while visiting the ones I had already seen before I learned a lot!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
