Bike Tour Reviews  page 32

  • Vienna to Budapest
    (4/5) Emmanuel June 23, 2019
    · Vienna to Budapest (Classic)

    Excellent trip around the Danube, with plenty of sights and lovely lodging. Sadly tainted by really bad weather (4 days of storm and heavy rain) at the end of May.

    What was the date of your tour?
    2019/05/26
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    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
    • Photo 1 (photo by Emmanuel)
    • Photo 2 (photo by Emmanuel)
    • Photo 3 (photo by Emmanuel)
    • Photo 4 (photo by Emmanuel)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Stockholm Round-Trip
    (4/5) Sweden June 23, 2019

    Stockholm and beyond

    · Stockholm Round-Trip Across Swedish History

    Cycling in the area south of Stockholm was very pleasant. Empty roads and beautiful scenery, lakes, forests, rocky hillsides and the occasional herd of deer. Route directions were generally clear and easy to follow and the hills mentioned were far less intimidating than we had expected. Some of the gravel roads were ‘interesting’, but nothing that the hire bikes couldn’t cope with. The local rep, Frank, was excellent both for his briefing and for seamlessly transferring our luggage every day. I would have added some photos but unfortunately this part of your review specification doesn’t seem to work!

    What was the date of your tour?
    10 June 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Sweden
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike Path
    (4/5) T and C June 23, 2019

    Well organized, no drama, couple hotels ehh

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Biketours.com was very helpful. I emailed lots of questions to them and always got a prompt reply.

    The ebikes were great, I couldn’t have done the trip without them. We had a couple of 60km days because of sightseeing, which was too far. 40-45 km should be the distance for upscale in my opinion. We also had 3 hotels with NO air conditioning, Surprising and disappointing considering we paid for upscale lodging. Apparently you can state A/C as a requirement at booking time, I just assumed with the upscale hotel fee that would be included..live and learn.

    To me the trip was not completely flat, I mean it is mostly flat, but no way would I do this without ebikes.

    Route is well marked, but still an adventure. If you like a vacation that is a bit different, do this one!

    What was the date of your tour?
    Early june
    How many tours have you completed?
    First 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) Poetry64 June 22, 2019

    Guide made the trip superior.

    · Florence to Rome: Bike through the Heart of Italy

    The elderly people on my tour kicked my butt with their level of skill in bike riding.
    The guide was fluent in English and very experienced leading groups, she was fantastic.
    The driver had no problem negotiating small turns with a trailer full of bicycles. He also prepared picnic lunches. The food was superior.
    I feel lucky that the weather was somewhat hot, but no rain.

    What was the date of your tour?
    June 8
    How many tours have you completed?
    First time
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (4/5) skinut 7 June 17, 2019

    good 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • UNESCO Highlights of Dalmatia by E-bike and Boat
    (4/5) Cory June 14, 2019

    Dubrovnik to Split on bikes

    · · UNESCO Highlights of Dalmatia by E-bike and Boat

    This is the way to travel! Board your sailboat and unpack once! We enjoyed our stay on the Harmonia. The Bike Tours/Inselhupfen guides went out of their way to make sure everyone had a good time, that we were safe, and that any needs were addressed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
    • The Harmonia (photo by Cory)
    • Dubrovnik. “Walk of Shame” staircase (photo by Cory)
    • Sipan (photo by Cory)
    • Hvar (photo by Cory)
    • Poppies on Mljet (photo by Cory)
    • Loved our bikes! (photo by Cory)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 2/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Danube Cycle Path
    (4/5) robbo1 June 14, 2019

    Long way from home

    · Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest

    A great ride overall especially the Passau to Vienna was superb. Vienna to Budapest was more of an adventure with the trail not so well developed.

    What was the date of your tour?
    19th May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    1 previous
    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?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Rhine Bike Path
    (4/5) Nonickname59 June 14, 2019

    Two wheeled wonder

    · Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne

    Best way to see the sites on the Rhine. Great accommodations along the way.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 30, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    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?
    Germany
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Andalusia: Southern Spain
    (4/5) Chris 77 June 14, 2019

    Lots of history

    · Andalusia: Southern Spain

    Interesting cities and great accommodations. Would recommend ebikes for those of us over 75. Definitely suggest the tour company issue the bikes the evening before the first day as the day is long with lots of dirt track - best to get an early start to enjoy the destination.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May
    How many tours have you completed?
    17
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Bruges to Paris
    (4/5) Whydoyouneedthis June 13, 2019
    · · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)

    France between Bruges and Paris is pretty flat and not to scenic. Very historic. Small towns are pretty well deserted and therefore not very interesting. The agriculture is industrialized. Canals, locks and industry of the canals was interesting. Two weeks is a long time seeing castles, churches and industrial farms.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    50+
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Belgium, France
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 2/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Mosel and Saar
    (4/5) Gecko June 13, 2019
    · · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat

    Beautiful countryside, quaint villages. Food on the boat (Patria) was excellent. Crew was very friendly and engaging

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 4, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Prague to Dresden
    (4/5) Brink June 13, 2019

    Beautiful 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
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Florence to Rome
    (4/5) 0341MM June 12, 2019

    Pretty 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
    • 5/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Tuscany and Umbria
    (4/5) franks June 8, 2019

    A 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
    • Cathedral in Orvieto (photo by franks)
    • The family taking a break (photo by franks)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Burgundy Wine Trails
    (4/5) Sharonna June 6, 2019

    Nice tour for wine & cycling

    · Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”

    We had a lovely time visiting vineyards and cycling through Burgundy. The trip was suitable for people who were not in tip-top shape and the terrain was mostly flat (except for one day where we were staying in Chassey-le-camp at the top of a very large hill -- totally unnecessary given that the route then cycled back to the same place we went the day before). If you are visiting a winery, you should call ahead and let them know when you will arrive. Many places close around lunch time. There are lots of picnic benches to stop along the way, especially near Dracy-le-fort, so I would recommend stopping at a grocery store, bakery, etc. in the morning (not to mention a winery!) and creating your own picnic for lunch. You might want to bring your own plates, cutlery, and cups.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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
    • 2/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Strasbourg to Mainz
    (4/5) Martin June 5, 2019

    Lovely trip along the Rhine

    · Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine

    This trip starts in France and crosses into Germany on the first day of riding. The bicycling was very pleasant; the towns were interesting; the locals helpful and friendly. The written cycling directions were only marginally helpful, but the signage in both France and Germany is excellent. It helps to have google maps. Download the google map in your hotel the night before with hotel WiFi, or have a data plan. The hotels were fine. Ibis has very small but adequate rooms. It is somewhat generic. The non-ibis hotels were definitely more interesting and rooms were larger.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 22-30
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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?
    France, Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike and Boat
    (4/5) Normbc June 4, 2019

    Enjoyed the biking and scenery, but time of year with high water slowed boat down

    · · Danube Bike and Boat: Passau-Budapest-Passau – MS SE-Manon

    This was my first experience on a bike and barge cruise. It was great to have to unpack only the once and have the same place to sleep each day. The rooms were very good, the staff excellent and the meals exceptional. The first couple of days we had rain (time of year) but we were still able to get out and bike (if you don't mind doing so with rain gear on). The timing between stops by the boat were really off because of high water. At one place we were not even able to dock to get off the boat to leave on bikes so that day we had to start where we should have ended and biked an extra 10 km to complete the circuit. Only 2 of us actually the did the entire cirucit due to the rain and wind conditions and distance. The rest of the trip the weather improved and we had some sunny beautiful days biking. We lost our free time to explore Vienna though because of the slow progress of the boat coming up-river where we arrived at 5:30 pm rather than 10 am as scheduled.

    How many tours have you completed?
    May 19 - 26
    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?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Holland Bike & Boat Southern Tour
    (4/5) Terrell May 17, 2019

    The Best Way I can Think Of to See Holland!

    · · Holland by Bike and Boat, Southern Tour

    This tour lived up to my expectations. Holland was beautiful. The boat accommodations and staff were great! The bike tour guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and very personable. The miles per day on the bike was not for the faint of heart. Do your research and get a e-bike (electric bike) for anyone who is not used to biking. If you are an American, bring your GPS.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 27 to May 4, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    one, including this one
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
    (4/5) Jfletc3233 May 16, 2019

    The tulips were beautiful

    · · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour

    Overall the tour was very good. The ship’s crew was excellent and the food was wonderful. We were able to see a lot of tulips even though the tulips bloomed early this year. The tulips at Keukenhof were fabulous and not to be missed. I wish we could have had more time there. We saw lots of windmills and also happened upon a miller setting up his mill for operation it was fascinating. We learned about the creation of polders from sea and spend a fair amount of time on the polders. The scenery was really beautiful. On the negative side, we had to do a lot of riding in congested areas that weren’t especially interesting or historic. I wasn’t expecting this. Some of that may have been because a canal was closed and the boat couldn’t meet us where it was supposed to. Additionally, we had two guides during our tour one who started off with us for 2 days and another for the rest of the tour. Neither of them taught the inexperienced riders in our group how to ride as a group, communicate with each other about hazards coming up or when the group was slowing or stopping. As a result several people fell during the ride. Some of the riders on the tour explained those things to the newer riders and after that people rode better as a group.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 27, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    Many on our own.
    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?
    Holland
    • Tulips in the fields (photo by Jfletc3233)
    • Windmill (photo by Jfletc3233)
    • Beautiful tulips st Keukenhof (photo by Jfletc3233)
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 3/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Amsterdam to Bruges
    (4/5) Kokapelli May 12, 2019

    Great bycycling trip by boat

    · · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Fluvius (and reverse)

    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?
    Belgium, Holland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)