Bike Tour Reviews page 35
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
- Wales
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ Richie November 24, 2015Diverse 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
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★★★★★ 1961flyer November 11, 2015Great ride through Austria.
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
We had a wonderful time on this ride. The hotels mostly had nice saunas to relax and enjoy. The markings on the trail were very good and it was easy to navigate. We enjoyed the day in Zell am See to recharge and see the sights, (we also got a nice massage in Zell am See). We would recommend an extra day in both Innsbruck and Salzburg as both cities have numerous things to see.
In preparation for the trip we reviewed Rick Steves books on Bavaria/Austria which offered insights and hints to our vacation.
The riding was easily done each day and was very comfortable with numerous options to stop and eat and drink along the way. The country side was delightful as we rode.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- 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?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Julie November 4, 2015Cheese, cocoa, windmills, clogs, delft, tulips...
· · Holland by Bike and Boat, Southern Tour
So many things to see that represent the Netherland: cheese, tulips, windmills, cocoa, clogs and delft pottery. It was amazing to see the bike culture there and that bikes have the right of way over everything! The network of bike paths was amazing too! It was a fun combination of boat and bike. Most of our meals were provided too, which was nice after a full day of riding and exploring!
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Richard Robblee August 4, 2023Lovely 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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★★★★★ Joseph Braun August 5, 2023Scenic 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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★★★★★ Jett August 12, 2023Interesting ride through the city
· Bucharest Communist Bike Tour
A nice way to explore the city and it's turbulent past. Through the tour you get to know more about the recent history of the country.
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★★★★★ Erik Coats August 14, 2023Great place to cycle
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
Lake Constance is beautiful and the cycling is great. 80% of the trip is on paved hike/bike paths, with about 10% on unpaved paths and 10% on regular roads (shared with cars). You should pay for the GPS aps on your phone to navigate as the maps and written directions are often insufficient. Most of the hotels were in lovely cities, but the spacing out was inconsistent, leading to some very short days of cycling and some very long days. Most days were short enough to give you time to explore the cities you're passing through and staying in. We had a couple issue and were able to reach the tour company for support, which is appreciated.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- 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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★★★★★ Debra Lapre August 21, 20232nd Bike and Barge trip
· · Altmühl Valley and Danube River
The beginning was not as picturesque as one would have hoped. The small towns were quaint and the guide Ilsa was great. She was very knowledgeable about each town and stopped at points of interest along the way. We were vegetarians and the food was somewhat lacking. The room on the barge was nice and the bathroom a good size.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
-
★★★★★ Linda MiolaFurrier August 22, 2023Great views - beautiful countryside
· Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
For the most part, this touring company did a good job. They dropped the ball a few times, but were quick & responsive to repairing the issues. Chosen navigation software did not work for us, thus we were forced to use our own - which was fine but not ideal. Definitely bring a backup phone battery on every ride. Hotels were adequate, clean, well positioned for our enjoyment of the area. We have done other bike trips, and this Swiss Lakes trip was the most scenic. We would do it again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- Switzerland
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★★★★★ Peter Dworkin August 26, 2023Beautiful scenery; great bikes
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Relaxing and fun trip. Great bikes. Attractive hotels. Good itinerary. Negatives: Navigation app. Need to provide turn by turn instructions that integrate with Google maps. Would have preferred all hotels to be in cute small towns. Some were in modern less charming bigger towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 other
- 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
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Phyllis Bressler August 31, 2023
Bike tour in Denmark
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
First, the positives - and there are many. The route took us through some beautiful historic towns and gorgeous countryside. We even took the ferry over to Sweden on the first night so that we could add another country to our list. The bikes were very good. Comfortable and sturdy on the somewhat bumpy gravel roads. The hotels we were booked at were all fantastic and in great locations to enable us to explore each town at night.
We do have some comments about things that might be improved:
- we arrived in Copenhagen on Thursday, 3 days ahead of the start of our bike trip, and were told our bikes would be delivered ~ 7pm on Sunday. They arrived on Thursday afternoon - with no advanced notice. It was fine, it just would have been nice to know to expect them.
- We received absolutely no orientation on the bikes, the route maps, etc. On prior trips we've had people quickly walk through the route, pointing out some recommendations, etc. Only when I asked were we given the opportunity to check the fit of the bikes before the delivery person left them. Fortunately, we've been on 6 or 7 other bike trips with biketours.com, so we were familiar w/ the operation of the bikes, and how to read the directions. We were lucky that we reviewed the daily routes before the start of our trip - otherwise we would not have known that on 3 of the 6 nights we were booked at hotels other than the ones listed in the daily directions.
- There were no 'addenda' to the bike routes to provide directions to the alternate hotels so we had to find them on our own.
- On a similar trip in Portugal we had the opportunity to use a GPS mapping system. Using that, we could immediately tell if we were, or were not on the proscribed route. On multiple occasions this trip the bike routes were overlapping. We went many kilometers without seeing the route number that was listed in the directions - never knowing for certain if we were on the correct path. On the last day, between Roskilde and Copenhagen, we somehow lost the trail just before the start of the C99 superhighway and spent ~ 2 hours trying to find that route again. Fortunately after asking several people we found an individual who knew exactly what we were looking for and put us back on the right track. Using the GPS system that one time enabled us to know in real time whether we were, or were not on track.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7 self guided and 1 guided
- 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?
- Denmark
-
★★★★★ Robert Derge September 3, 2023Biking the Danube
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was self guided using paper maps. Maps were generally good but written directions were profoundly inadequate in the very busy city of Vienna.
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★★★★★ Francis Farrell September 4, 2023A Family Danube Adventure
· · Danube Bike and Boat: Passau-Budapest-Passau – MS SE-Manon
As Grandpa, I organized this adventure for my daughter, son and his family. This seemed an ideal year to do it since my grandson, 16, wouldn't be bored and my granddaughter, 12 and the youngest passenger, would be able to manage the biking and appreciate the countries and cultures she'd experience.
The ship, cabins and, except for the grand kids, the meals were good.On the downside, there were very few English speakers including the tour director. He spoke only German but his wife would do a reasonably good job of translating. Many of the crew and other passengers were capable in English. Also, the cruise line offered a "Drink Plan" with unlimited alcohol for 15 Euros/day for all seven days. This would have been 630 Euros for us, all but me non-drinkers - ridiculous!
I'm sure we will take another "boat & bike" trip but I doubt with CD Cruise Lines.
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★★★★★ Karen Donnelly September 4, 2023Beautiful biking and barge
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Magnifique IV (and reverse)
The biking was easy and rode most of it unassisted with 3-5 others. But the first day was with a guide, who was very helpful and knowledgeable about the area. The App we were provided was very good and gave us various lengths of the routes we could follow and places to stop along the way.
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★★★★★ Allen Terrell September 6, 2023Great sites, good value
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
We had a wonderful trip. Many Thanks to your staff, Mariam and Taylor, in helping us..
For the price, the barge was fine, the food excellent and the barge crew terrific.
Caution you to except overly positive reviews from passengers who all filled out reviews on the last night while receiving free champagne. Aliso, while nice, the leader was not too helpful and not much of a mechanic [4 of the E bikes were not charged on our first ride].
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★★★★★ Tim Cooper September 8, 2023Trip of my dreams
· Dordogne Valley: Between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers
Need daily map detail of route and a GPS. The daily activity needed to have a specific start time, rest time, lunch time etc. and time to explore villages on our own. The guide was helpful to make sure we didn't get lost which was a likely possibility since there was not a detailed route map or GPS.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 26, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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
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★★★★★ Tim Cooper September 8, 2023Dream trip
· Nature, Villages & Castles of the Loire River Valley
The daily route map was good but it needed specific directions about where to turn and specific streets with noticeable landmarks. This is a critical factor especially when arriving in Ambois and. how to get to the designated hotel.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 19,02023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
