Bike Tour Reviews page 10
-
★★★★★ PDBB May 17, 2017Challenging and Beautiful Trip across Costa Brava and Baix Emporda
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
Just completed this cycle trip. Scenery was stunning, as promised. Weather (May) was also very good (showers on 1 day only); temps mostly in mid-teens celsius. Bikes of excellent quality; maps could have been better (larger scale of font, better readability). Cycle routes were mostly well marked; but you can never have enough signage. I would not agree that the routes wind "gently" through the region. Hotels (even the 2-star) were very good; breakfasts Good to VG. The regional food is delicious; local bike company provided useful recommendations for restaurants and advice. This was our second cycling trip (4 seniors), and it was definitely more challenging (even with shorter daily distances) than the last (Danube) trip.The terrain is not "mostly flat with few hills to climb"; some hills were daunting/steep and long. We completed the tour but were never able to do the suggested/offered "optional extra cycling rides" after the day's cycling; simply too much for us to tackle. Others might be more accomplished or fit, but we rarely rolled into the next destination before 6 PM. We choose self-guided; but local cycling company was always available to assist if needed (we emailed regularly). This was not a Level 1 tour; nor does it claim to be. But it may not even be a Level 2 tour? Scenery of Mediterranean coast was stunning and the medieval villages were beautiful. All of us are glad to have taken the tour, and to have finished the cycling challenges. It's a beautiful part of Spain.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 previously (Level 1)
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ MacS July 24, 2019Wonderful vistas
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7/6- 7/13
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ David Coleman November 7, 2022Trip of my dreams
· Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
Still looking for my refund from Bernard for an overpayment.
Can get anyone to respond to my emails.Hope someone will respond to this inquiry. The trip was very enjoyable, great group of people. Sam was a wonderful guide- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Gudrun58 September 28, 2017Group of friends
· Lake Garda (based in one hotel)
Hotel was very good and the staff also. Italy is so beautiful and charming.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14.09-19.09.2017
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Brittany at BikeTours December 3, 2015· Wild Atlantic Way Cycling
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. Connemara is a dreamy, scenic region of Ireland! The views were magnificent. The route was 95% on quiet back roads. The cycling is definitely a level two tour, with intermittent rolling hills. As this tour has very low mileage, there is plenty of time to meander and take in the surroundings. I went at the end of the season (mid October), and I experienced closed establishments for the upcoming winter. However, there were 1 or 2 dining places to choose from in each village, even with the closures. I would recommend this tour to first-time travelers and travelers that want to have an off-the-beaten-path experience.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Rhonda Barton 10 months agoBeautiful views!
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The trip was beautiful! The views through the Dolomites and Julian Alps are constantly awe provoking. The hotels were also wonderful, our favorite being Alta Post in Feistritz an der Gail!
Bikes: We paid for the upgrade but it didnt feel as though we were upgraded. The bikes we received were not well maintained. We had a bike brake on the first day of our tour and the replacement bike had a loose peddle the rest of our tour. A few of our bikes were not tuned well and gears were either difficult to shift or couldn't be geared all the way up or down. In general, we would have appreciated better maintained bikes for a 230 mile tour, it would make the days much more enjoyable. We also had to swing by the rental place for a bike pump that had the correct valve for pumping up tires. The bikes were equipped with presta valves, but the pumps were schrader valves. We also recommend placing an allen key in the repair kit. We had several items that we had to adjust, angles of the header, tightness of the bells, etc. Having an allen key would have made these adjustments easier to make.
Bike Accessories: we think you should provide or tell the riders to bring a cell phone mount for the trip. The app was nice to have but we had to constantly get the phone out of our pockets to follow along. This can get quite dangerous on certain parts of the tour.
App: the phone app was a great perk to the trip although our main complaint is that every tour participant should have access to the app. It is challenging to have only one person with the app and it doesnt seem to make much sense to limit access. Give everyone who paid for the tour access please. -
★★★★★ JimJ December 3, 2015First time in Bulgaria won't be last!
· Danube River and Black Sea
(Staff review) Bulgaria did not disappoint! During this tour, we explored seacoast and farmland, toured castles and monasteries, and ate in fine restaurants and village homes. Our guides were excellent--committed, knowledgeable and cordial. One of them was a bird expert, and we learned so much about the fauna in the region. After a day along the Danube in Romania, we overnighted in a tiny farm village where we became the main attraction. We couldn't speak Romanian, and the farm folks couldn't speak English, but we all made ourselves known. And three of our party even got invited into a private home to enjoy the local home made brandy! Some days were on routes that sometimes had too much traffic for my taste, and we've advised the local tour operator on ways to avoid or bridge these sections.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 35
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Bulgaria, Romania
-
★★★★★ Audrey Block November 7, 2022
Great way to experience Slovenia
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
Overall, we really enjoyed the trip. Hotels were nice with the exception of one, which was so-so. Route was interesting and showed off the beauty of the country. Beware -- one should be in good shape and expect to face a few steep hills, some on gravel backroads. Most of the roads were low traffic but even on busier roads Slovenians are courteous to cyclists.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6-8
- 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?
- Slovenia
-
★★★★★ Thomas Albrecht 10 months agoFantastic Trip!
· Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
The route is wonderfully scenic, riding through endless apple orchards and vineyards, with many picturesque villages along the way. Plenty of opportunities to stop for a nice piece of strudel and coffee/tea. The hotels were very nice, in fact a bit nicer than the BikeTours trip we took last year (Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled), and the bicycles were good quality and in perfect repair. Navigation on this trip is a bit challenging (although we were always able to figure things out using the various resources available — phone ap, map, and route signs. Once you get into Italy, the route signs are less helpful, since there are often multiple routes to the destination, and following signs won’t keep you on the recommend route (which usually really is better than the alternatives). One part of the route that perhaps should be simplified is the section just south of Merano, which seems needlessly complicated (for example, the southern part of Merano, and the diversion to Lana). It would be nice if printed maps showed locations of hotels in each town; we had to find them ourselves using our phone maps.
-
★★★★★ Cosmo September 27, 2017great way to see Umbria at a great value
· Umbria’s Green Valleys From the Pilgrimage Town of Assisi
the tour staff were competent, friendly, helpful and responsive. the tour itself gave plenty of options and instructions were usually good although with a very few glitches. hotels were very good three stars. Casco d'Aqua was really a treat and very peaceful. all the towns included were just great.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5+
- 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
-
★★★★★ MaryB May 4, 2017Biking Adventure of a Lifetime!
· Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
This was the perfect bike tour for us to combine with a visit with our son and his family who were living in Freiburg for the year. The bike company was very accommodating and let us rent the bikes a few days early so that we could ride around Freiburg with our kids. Getting the bikes early was a good chance to get
familiar with the bikes so that we could exchange one of them when we found out
that it was too big. Although we gave our height so that the tour company could estimate the right size bikes for us, it might have been more helpful to give our inseam length to determine if our legs could swing over the bar or touch the ground from the seat. Estimate your height a little lower than you actually are to get the right fit bike. The bikes were a great weight, had nice sized tires for the type of terrain we rode over, and they shifted very well. The saddlebag was roomy and held all my day gear, but the weight of it tended to tip the bike over on slanted hills. You might want to get a saddlebag on each size to balance out the weight more evenly. There is no mirror or water bottle holder on the bikes. I carried my water bottle in my back pack and trusted the cars and bikes behind me to pass carefully! I loved the countryside and trails through the woods. Riding on the Rhine was awesome. The quaint villages we rode through and stayed in were beautiful. Our hotels were all lovely and had delicious breakfasts. Our luggage arrived every day on time or early and we had secure locations to park and lock up our bikes every night. We did have trouble following the maps and directions given. It was almost like going on a scavenger hunt when you aren't sure that you are interpreting the clues correctly. The map was way too small to read and the written directions were on a separate page from the map so you had to keep flipping back and forth to get the full picture of where you were going. It seems that the directions and/or maps were old and had not been updated recently. We ran into construction along the Rhine River path and had to take a long detour----following the German signs was hard and it added many miles to that day's ride. We also had construction in two other cities and had to find our way on our own as the detour was not obvious. Sometimes there are bike signs at an intersection that say you can go in directly opposite ways to the same place. Quite confusing. One time we were told to turn right in our written directions but according to the map we should have gone left....what to do? We were directed to ride on one way streets going the wrong way. There were no directions to get to the hotel in Strasbourg if you took the new bike path over the river. That was very difficult. We were quite frustrated with having to figure out if we were on the right path or not. My suggestion is to have the tour company check the current directions before each trip and indicate detours and update street names. Definitely provide new directions for getting into Strasbourg over the bike bridge. The German tour company should try following their directions with someone who is not familiar with the route and who does not speak German - then correct each turn where it is confusing. That would saved a lot of frustration and make the trip more enjoyable. Or, provide GPS devices for everyone. If we had had one, it would have been easier. It costs $10 per day to use our smartphone as a GPS device so we opted not to. It might have been worth it. I think adding an option of staying an extra day in Strasbourg and Colmar would be nice...a break from biking every day and a chance to see more of the cities. Other than the directions, we loved the trip and felt a real sense of accomplishment when we were done. Our kids and grandkids were very proud of us for going on such an adventurous bike tour! SHOW MORE- What was the date of your tour?
- April 24 - 30, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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, Germany
-
★★★★★ Brittany at BikeTours December 3, 2015Beautiful scenery and quaint villages!
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking! The tour is 80% downhill. This made for cycling near the Austrian Alps fantastic. This tour is mostly on dedicated bike paths and quiet back roads, except for brief moments of cycling near the main road. The route maps are more basic which allow for more adventure. I would recommend this tour for a first-time traveler and casual cyclist.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ HenryOne September 27, 2017
Great way to know the center and southern Portugal. Wonderful sightseeing, nice people and great weather
Bike and Boat with Bob and Jeanette along the Danube from Passau to Budapest to Passau
The good:
1) The kind staff (Jose Carlos was great), 2) the transportation van, 3) the equipment (nice new MTB X-Caliber 9 TREK bikes, GPS and trackers), 4) the hotels, and 5) Certainly, the sightseeing
The not so good:
1) The package was sold as "luxury on wheels" and it was fairly good, but not "luxurious" in any way (except the price).
2) They missed every opportunity to enrich the bike experience with greater knowledge and meaning. They give no written material (or verbal) with local tips, history, food recommendations, etc. Basically, they only provide a GPS that you should follow mindlessly.
3) We spent 6 days with the tour, but slept in 3 hotels only. So, we had three days biking on "loops". We much prefer moving and discovering different places everyday, so biking two days in the same roads feels like a waste. In fact, we felt the tour could have been at least one day shorter (and cheaper) and not miss anything. Specially the first day back and forth in Grandola felt of low value added.
4) The hotels are very nice and all had nice rooms and food, but are in located in the middle of the countryside and far away from everything. Only the last hotel was next to a town (Odeceixe) with the chance to walk, know the place and dine around. On the other two we felt a bit "trapped".
On the same idea, the tour is sold as "bike the coast", so we expected to have time to chill out on the beaches, specially at the end of biking journeys. We were wrong, as for the first four days the hotels were at 20 miles from the beaches.
5) I understand Portugal is becoming more and more popular as a biking destination but is still far far away from other more established places. 80% of the biking was on paved two lane roads shared with cars and trucks going at high speeds (with a few truly nervewrecking miles north of Cercal) and dirt roads were in very poor condition (constant and unpleasant washboarding).- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 17th-23rd 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
-
★★★★★ Wignh September 15, 2018Met my expectations
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Excellent barge, with welcoming A/C in southern France in mid-summer. Dinners were varied and tasty - but desserts were magnifique! Make-your-own lunch to go on the bike - which is standard bike/barge arrangement - becomes boring after a few days. But what I will remember is this once-in-a-lifetime highlight: watching France win World Cup at a jammed packed outside bar in a small town!
- What was the date of your tour?
- mid-july
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Chloek1234 December 2, 2015Great trip for leisurely bikers seeking variety and leisurely travel
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member, and I think this is a great tour for a variety of folks. There are big cities, forests, small towns, ancient ruins, vineyards, and more. The cycling is very easy and simple to navigate. The directions and maps are basic, and leave you to discover things on your own. The tour is 95% or more on bike paths. You do have to leave the bike path oftentimes to venture to the night's accommodations. All of the accommodations were quite lovely, and breakfast ranged from adequate to delicious! I think I could take my entire family on this tour, from my grandma to my baby cousin and everyone would love it. It's really is the quintessential European bike tour experience.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, Families with young kids, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
-
★★★★★ Puiyee Tse November 7, 2022Too short of the bike ride
· · UNESCO Highlights of Dalmatia by E-bike and Boat
The bike ride was too short. I would like to have double the bike ride time instead of staying on the boat. The island are great but not enough time to explore each place. The boat food was terrible.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
-
★★★★★ None99 July 20, 2019
Great tour of Northern Italy
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Unfortunately the guide had never done the tour before!!! Why wouldn’t he be an assistant guide once then lead the tour???
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 6-13
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 21, 2019
So glad you enjoyed the Bolzano - Verona - Venice tour. Thanks for letting us know about the novice guide experience. We'll pass that feedback onto the tour operator so that they may improve their operations.
-
★★★★★ Chris 77 September 27, 2017
Good way to visit two great cities
· Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Rated a four out of five only because we have done many of these self guided tours and some have been better based mostly on scenery and route
-
★★★★★ Richie November 24, 2015
Diverse cycling through three countries
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Diversity is the theme of this tour. From the Dolomites, to the Julian Alps, to the dreamy Lake Bled, to the Friuli Italian wine country, to the Adriatic Coast, this tour has it all. Riding in three countries in one day is an awesome experience as well.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
-
★★★★★ Vickie Brunstetter November 7, 2022
Central Portugal is delightful by bike
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
It was wonderful to ride through vineyards, cork trees and small towns. Staying in the posadas and other quaint accommodations really added to the trip. Of course the wine tastings were wonderful as well. It was very educational to visit different wineries. Our only issue was with the bikes that did not consistently maintain the power assist.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 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?
- Portugal
