Bike Tour Reviews (page 36)

★★★★★ (5/5) BRAG November 12, 2017

Great Leadership and organization for a customized tour of the Camino!

· Camino de Santiago: From León to Santiago

Our 18-person group experienced the Camino by bike both on parallel paved roads and on the path, when feasible. We saw spectacular countryside, biked the back roads through quaint villages, talked with other pilgrims, visited churches and religious sights, enjoyed the local food, and stayed in comfortable inns and lodges each evening. Attending mass in the Cathedral of Santiago was a highlight. It's a good way for a group to experience the Camino in only 8 days and we earned the Compostela by biking 206 miles. .

What was the date of your tour?: Sept. 16, 2017
How many tours have you completed?: 8 with Bike Tours.com
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?: Spain

4/5 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
5/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Thomas November 13, 2017

This is a fun trip

· Castles and Wines of Portugal

Weather in October was pretty good , but we did get one day of 90oF which was unusual. The biking is not particularly strenuous, but the road conditions vary between paved and dirt so you are going to be riding double duty touring bikes that can handle the range. These make the 30 mile days feel longer than they would on a carbon road bike. There are lots of stops along the way at small farms, cafes, businesses and museums, neolithic sites, and of course, wineries and castles. I felt like we were exposed to Portugal in a way I would not have been otherwise.
As much as I like cycling, I like food and drink even more! This is where this tour really excels. The picnics every day were great, The organized meals at night were wonderful, and when in Evora without included meals there are great restaurants everywhere. Wine flows freely and is delicous. Everwhere you turn there seems to be something from the 15th or 16th century, and you don’t have to try too hard to find things from Roman times. The hotels are very nice and usually interesting historical buildings. The towns of Evora and Monseraz are especially striking. This is a fun tour and Teresa was a great guide with loads of historical and agricultual knowledge.

What was the date of your tour?: Mid October 2017
How many tours have you completed?: First guided tour
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?: Portugal

BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany November 14, 2017

As much as I like cycling, I like food and drink even more!"- I couldn't agree more with your sentiment. We're so glad to hear you had a great time on tour. Experiencing the best of Portugal by slow travel is hard to beat. Your pictures are fantastic, and we hope to help you again in the future!

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
3/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) LewB November 16, 2017

October Must Be Best

· Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula

My wife and I totally enjoyed our first bike tour together with the very pleasant Peloponnese itinerary. We had beautiful views on quiet roads through villages and hills. Every effort biking uphill was rewarded on the downhill, and with nice flat stretches in-between. The four nights based in Nafplio gave us the time to enjoy the special charms of that town. The local operator was great and BikeTour's guidance is reliable.

What was the date of your tour?: Oct 28 - Nov 4
How many tours have you completed?: None
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?: Greece

4/5 Value
3/5 Included meals
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
4/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
4/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Rasp November 24, 2017

BEST honeymoon ever!

· Tuscan Wine Classic: Pienza to Castellina via Siena

Well planned itinerary. Italian Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and Set us up quickly and efficiently. Accompanying materials had great suggestions and option to do long or short ride every day was terrific.

What was the date of your tour?: October-nov
How many tours have you completed?: Several
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
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
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (4/5) umcam256 November 26, 2017

Excellent first cycling trip - beautiful countryside and learned a lot

· Lake Constance Bicycle Path

Background: My friend and I are from Winnipeg MB. It is extremely flat where we live. This was also our first cycling trip. We paid the extra to have our overnight bags delivered to the next hotel. We started the cycling trip on August 25 and finished August 30 2017.

We booked the 5 day, 6 night self-guided cycling tour through Radweg Reisen. You receive a .pdf of maps and hotel logistics about a week before you arrive. Ideally this would be provided at time of booking so that you can download your own offline maps and determine where you will stop for the day. Although, in hindsight, with a little bit of effort we probably could have done this ourselves with a bit of research.

We started our tour in Constance, Germany. The company was most professional and very attentive to detail when we picked up our bikes. We were given a coiled booklet with the maps, written instructions on how to fix a bike tire, reattaching a bike chain and how to adjust your bike.

Please note, the bikes do not come with water bottle holders. First hand experience has taught me not to put your water bottle in the front basket with your phone unless you put your phone in a waterproof container (drowning your phone on day 1 puts a damper on how proud you should be of yourself for cycling all those hills!).

We were advised to cycle in 3rd or 4th gear when it was "flat" and in 1st or 2nd gear when cycling on an incline. Because where I live is extremely flat, and I'm short (5 foot), I ended up cycling in 5th or 6th gear most of the time, dropping down to 4 at my lowest. My friend who is average height was able to cycle in 4th gear and able to drop down to 2nd gear at her lowest.

The first day we cycled from Constance to Reichenau Island (to sightsee) and then on to Stein am Rhein. I would recommend visiting Reichenau Island on your own if you have a day in Constance. Cycling from Constance to Reichenau Island required us to cycle out of our way and back almost all the way to Constance to get back on the trail to Stein am Rhein. While it was an excellent place to visit, it wasn't worth expending energy that could be used elsewhere. The first day was mostly uphill, and included a hill with a 13% incline. If I were to do this trip again (and hopefully I will!), I would recommend taking your bikes on the train from Constance to Stein am Rhein. Dropping your bike off, and catching the train to the Rhein Falls. We desperately wanted to visit the falls but after all of those hills we were too tired to get there. This leg of the trip is mostly through farmers' fields so if you took the train, conserving your energy for the remainder of the trip, you aren't missing too much. Your legs will thank you and it will give you more time to visit the town of Stein am Rhein and/or the falls.

The rest of our journey was as follows:
Day 2: Stein am Rhein to Überlingen Note: you will end up cycling through Constance again (with stop in Arenenberg at the Napoleonic Museum and in Constance for a swim in the Rhine). SHOW MORE

The hotel that was booked for us by Radweg Reisen is at the top of a very large hill. The view was spectacular from our room! However, it was hard to enjoy because our legs were ready to commit mutiny. In hindsight, if we hadn't doubled back the day before and/or took the train to Stein am Rhein, the uphill cycle to our hotel in Überlingen wouldn't have a been so arduous.

Day 3: Überlingen to Kressbronn (with stop in Meersburg for the Old Castle and then took a shortcut on the ferry from Friedrichshafen (I think?) the rest of the way to Kressbronn)

Day 4: Kressbronn to Rorschach (with stop in Bregenz to take the cable car up to Mount Pfänder). Contrary to everything we read, Bregenz was the easiest city to navigate to, around, and out of, compared to any of the other towns/cities we cycled through.

It was in Bregenz that we found out from two British couples who were also completing the self-guided Radweg Reisen Lake Constance tour that you can request that the booking company give you an extra day in the middle of your trip. This gives your legs one day to rest, one day to sightsee a little bit more than the days you are on your bike and one extra night at one of the hotels. When I do this trip again, I will likely book my day off for Bregenz. There were lots of day trips you could take in that area or alternatively stick around in the town.

Day 5: Rorshach to Constance (with a stop in Arbon for a beach day).

Besides taking the train the first leg, booking a day off in the middle to rest your legs/sightsee a little more in depth, the only other thing I would recommend is to download offline maps to your smartphone for each of the cities you will be staying in and how to get to the hotels. The path itself is very easy to follow but when you enter the cities it becomes quite challenging to navigate to your hotel. We frequently found ourselves using the map provided as well as finding a local map once we entered the city and still often had to ask for directions.

If two flatlanders can cycle this, you can too! The scenery is stunning and it's honestly not too hard of a cycle if you are smart about it. There are plenty of things to see and do, but you will need to plan a bit in advance of booking if you want to take in certain things. Each day you are cycling about 75 km per day (hotel to hotel) and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it does take a full day to do. We found one sightseeing thing was all we could fit in a day, hence why next trip we will be booking a day off in the middle so we can visit more of the places we had hoped to see! That being said, you could tell who the locals were because entire families were on the trail (although I think most of them were just out for the day!).

Don't be afraid to hop off your bike and walk it uphill if you need to. You should note however that the bikes are quite heavy. (I ride a fixie and even compared to my little hipster bike, these touring bikes were quite bulky and heavy.)

On a final note, the hotels that were booked for us were much nicer than anything we would have booked on our own! And the breakfasts provided at each of them was delicious. I recommend picking up some snacks at the grocery stores in the town so you have something to munch on throughout the day.

You can drink the water in Switzerland from any fountain unless it says you can't. Even still, I would recommend bringing 2-3 water bottles with you because of how hot the weather can get.

SHOW LESS

What was the date of your tour?: August 25 - 30 2017
How many tours have you completed?: 1
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat harder
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Austria, Germany, Switzerland

5/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
3/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
2/5 Ease of navigation
2/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
4/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Granny on Wheels November 27, 2017

Saarburg to Koblenz Great Trip

· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat

A great way to get out and explore Germany and suitable for all levels of fitness. The staff was very friendly, caring and well organised, speaking English and German. Our October trip was a little wet but still beautiful....the colours of the Autumn Fall were spectacular. Riding through the quiet streets of the villages along the Moselle was like taking a step back in time. A great way to get a feel of Europe past and present. The meals and afternoon teas were amazing. Although the boat is old, it is well kept and extremely clean. Our bedding was much more comfortable than I expected judging from the photos and we slept well...no noises at night. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and felt very safe. Would highly recommend this trip.

What was the date of your tour?: 21 - 28th October 2017
How many tours have you completed?: This was our first
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Much easier
Who is this tour suitable for?: First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Germany

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
4/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Tour documents
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) happyPedals December 2, 2017

Variety, history, largely off roads

· Medieval Villages of Catalonia

I appreciated the variety in landscape, from hilly interior to craggy and beautiful coastline. The trails were varied, from slightly rough bike trails to quiet roads. Hotels were good. I went at the end of October. Some facilities were closed, but also this made things quiet which I like, and the weather was still warm. I would recommend this tour. The Creative Catalonia owners were very helpful.

What was the date of your tour?: 29 Oct start
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?: Spain

4/5 Value
5/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Tour documents
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (4/5) BYoung December 7, 2017

Fun Triangle Trip Through the Balkans

· Cycling the West Balkan Triangle

A wonderful guided trip along the sea and up into the hills of this beautiful part of the Balkans. Great scenery, idyllic vistas and deserted former rail lines converted to cycling routes; this trip has a little bit of everything. And if you are looking for multiple stamps in your passport while crossing borders on bicycle you will be able to fill a couple of pages on this trip.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2017
How many tours have you completed?: 10+
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?: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro

BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 8, 2017

Jim, our President, loves the Balkans, and we're so glad to hear you had a great time on tour! We'd love to help you in the future.

4/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
5/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection
5/5 Guides (if applicable)

★★★★★ (5/5) Jack Luther December 12, 2017

Slow and Easy Cycling the Loire Valley

· Loire Valley Châteaux & Gardens Tour

In the fall of 2016 my wife and I went on this adventure. This was our second Bike Tours vacation and again it exceeded our expectation in every way. Each day we enjoyed beautiful scenery and toured amazing chateaux followed by an evening relaxing with exceptional wines and cuisine in small French villages. As always the trip ended all too soon but the video I made and posted here helps us relive one of our best vacations ever.

What was the date of your tour?: September 2016
How many tours have you completed?: Three with Bike Tours. com
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?: France

Video: Cycling in the Loire Valley

BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 13, 2017

Jack, we're so glad to hear that you and your wife had such a great time on tour! Your video puts me in the valley immediately. We hope to help you with your next tour and thanks for taking the time to review.

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
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) Allen December 18, 2017

Fabulous

· Alsace Wine Country

The villages are incredibly beautiful; the biking is either on lovely canal paths or quiet roads in the wine country; and the inns and restaurants are terrific. It is a well organized and well supported trip.

What was the date of your tour?: Sept.2017
How many tours have you completed?: 12
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: As expected
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: France

BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 19, 2017

Allen, thanks for your kind review. We're so glad to hear you had a great time on tour! We look forward to helping you in the future.

4/5 Value
3/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
3/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
3/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (4/5) Chuck1 December 18, 2017

Great adventure !!!

· Algarve Coastal Route

This was a wonderful trip.
Other than 2 issues I thought this was a well planned trip, great hotels / flawless luggage connections / good route aided by supplied GPS.
The 2 issues were :
The bicycles were not very good. Shifting was erratic as they obviously hadn’t been tuned prior to our trip.
The other issue was the promosed transfer to the airport at the end of the trip did not happen, we waited almost an hour in the hotel lobby only to hear through the consierge that the ride to the airport was not happening forcing us to catch a cab and rushing to make our flight connection.

What was the date of your tour?: Oct 1st thru 7th
How many tours have you completed?: 3
Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?: Somewhat easier
Who is this tour suitable for?: Solo travelers, Families with teens
Do you recommend this tour?: Yes
Countries included in this tour?: Portugal

BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 19, 2017

Chuck, thanks so much for your thoughtful review. We're glad to hear that you had a great time but sorry that you had some troubles. I'll follow up with you via email to make things right. Thanks again!

5/5 Value
5/5 Included meals
2/5 Bikes + equipment
5/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
3/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) alda December 19, 2017

absolutely fabulous

· Venice to Trieste and Istria

What a wonderful itinerary with varied scenery from the lagoons and beaches of Italy to the more mountainous coast of Istria. Going through three countries was very interesting and the accomodations and places we visited were top notch.

What was the date of your tour?: Sept 24, 2017
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?: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia

BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany December 20, 2017

We're glad to hear you had a fantastic time on tour. Thank you for your review!

5/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
4/5 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
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (5/5) sunny17 December 20, 2017

nice travel experience

· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)

What was the date of your tour?: sep 25 to oct 1 2017
How many tours have you completed?: one
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?: Austria, Germany

5/5 Value
4/5 Bikes + equipment
4/5 Hotels or boat
5/5 Scenery
5/5 Ease of navigation
4/5 Tour documents
4/5 Local tour company services
5/5 Route selection

★★★★★ (4/5) carlosferreira January 9, 2018

· Florence to Rome

What was the date of your tour?: october 2017
How many tours have you completed?: 2
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

5/5 Value
4/5 Included meals
5/5 Bikes + equipment
1/5 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