Bike Tour Reviews page 45
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★★★★★ Gretchen September 15, 2018Wonderful trip!
· Best of Holland North: Dutch Villages, Landscapes & the Keukenhof
A great way to see the Netherlands -- 40-50k per day was very doable, landscape and towns lovely, and the hotels were all very cozy and comfortable. Would highly recommend it, and will be doing another one for sure!
- What was the date of your tour?
- end of July
- How many tours have you completed?
- only this once
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ John 327 September 15, 2018Fun Trip
· Apulia and Basilicata: Alberobello to Lecce
We were on a self guided trip but wound up meeting several fun people we wound up riding with. Scenery was great, the bikes were excellent and well suited to the ride. The accommodations ranged from good to excellent and we found the locals to be engaging and often very helpful. It seemed as though they were happy we were there. One of the bigger surprises was the quality of the local wines. They were excellent and very reasonably priced. The written directions were sometimes a bit confusing, but frankly that added to the fun and adventure. On some of the longer stretches in the countryside it was difficult to find water so it is a good idea to carry an extra bottle in your pannier.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/2
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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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★★★★★ Bikinggrandma September 15, 2018Womderful boat, great crew and food, fun time
· · Amsterdam – Gouda – Bruges by Bike and Boat
We enjoyed the boat and barge trip from Amsterdam to Bruges. Our guide was great; very knowledgeable about a twisting route with an occasional detour and about the sights and towns we visited. In the evening he’d take those of us who were interested on a guided tour of the city where we’d docked. We were a very compatible group. It was a bit large (23 people) for one guide but our guide managed to keep us all together and on pace. The boat Sailing Home was delightful. Very clean and ship shape. The food was fantastic. We especially liked the gourmet dinners and stories the chef Eline told us about their origins.
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★★★★★ Karin September 15, 2018LIVE AND LOCAL
· · Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Going with my group made a big difference - we didn't always cycle together, but knowing there were others on the trail helped! Scenery, countryside, conviviality were awesome. Accommodations were spartan, but the meals were terrific, the crew excellent and the experience more than worthwhile. Recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 1-8 Sep 2018
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Jonathan M September 16, 2018Great trails, not well organized
· Cycling the Altmühl Valley - Round trip from Regensburg
This trip follows well marked German bike trails which are very easy to navigate and quite scenic. The hotels are fabulous. However, we did not have a good experience with the German bike company (Radweg Reisen) that operates the trip on the ground. We were self-guided, and our information package was not available the day we arrived, so we didn't have maps and guiding information in advance. When the packet arrived the next morning, we discovered that it contained very little about sights near the tour route. We were able to Google plenty of side trips but wondered: isn't that the job of the tour company? Also, our bikes were delivered late on the day we were supposed to start, so we lost a morning of biking (and actually the bikes were eventually delivered not by the tour company but by an English family to whom the bikes had been misdelivered). We called Radweg Reisen but their corporate office was located hundreds of km away. We have been on lots of trips with biketours.com and find that the smaller shops are much more attentive and give better service. Radweg Reisen is too big to care about 2 self-guided bikers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 8/25-8/30
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ KevinR September 16, 2018A good balance
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Nice balance of reasonable cost and comfortable accommodation with excellent bikes. Not all accommodation had air con but we were in an unusual heat wave so wouldn't normally be a problem. We enjoyed the variety and character of our overnights. cycling was easy , i wshed i had not chosen ebike and got more exercise. very smooth organisationally. Thanks
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★★★★★ Jim G September 16, 2018Going back in time.
· Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
We have ridden many bike paths in Europe. The Tauren Bike Path to date is our favorite. Dedicated bike path makes the trip totally relaxing, riding through the valley from up in the Alps, through small towns and village’s, pastures, forests, along the Salzach River, etc. Very well maintained and safe path to ride.
This was our second time riding the Tauren Path.
Strongly advise spending extra days in Krimml, Salzburg, and Passau.
Tour operator has done superior job with this tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- August, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
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★★★★★ fudledudle September 16, 2018Munich lakes tour
· Munich & the Bavarian Lakes
The Hotels were all very good and it was very easy to follow the route due to the Stickers placed on traffic sign posts, could have used an extra day in the Garmisch Partenkirchen area.
- What was the date of your tour?
- sept 1/18
- 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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★★★★★ vickiboys September 16, 2018Awesome experience
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
This trip on Magnifique III was our second after an equally great trip on Magnifique II last year. The boat and bikes were great and the group of 40 people from all over the world made for awesome conversation and fun. Our guide Hester (same as last year) was truly amazing and we were fortunate to have her again. The only negative aspect was the air conditioner broke down on the second day of our August trip which made for some very uncomfortable evenings on board.
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★★★★★ TJ8387 September 17, 2018My favorite way to travel!
· · Danube Discovery: Bike and Boat through Enchanting Capitals
I loved this tour! The bikes and cycle routes were great. The food was very good but unfortunately the the dining room on the boat was SO HOT that we could not enjoy our dinners. Thank goodness each stateroom had its own air conditioner. Fellow cyclists were very friendly and always willing to help if needed. Our guide seemed angry when people asked questions and responded in an aggressive manner (which made people hesitant to ask questions). We were told that there was internet on the boat in Austria but it was non-existent ... so it would have been better to advertise that there is NO WiFi.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 21-28
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
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★★★★★ Lillee September 17, 2018Greatest family vacation!
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Rhine biking is perfect combo of castles, beauty, history, food, beer/wine, and fun! Great exercise, not strenuous biking. Four college-age kids and three parents--something for all everyday. We will be back for another trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 7/23/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Brian1624 September 17, 2018Wonderful Bike Tour
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Easy Route to fallow with 90% bike paths. Good notes on what to see along the way. Hotels were good but WiFi was average.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug 20-26th 2018
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
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★★★★★ Miles September 17, 2018
Exceeded our expectations!
· Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
With perfect weather, my wife and I had a great ride. The first three days, about 44 miles each, was tiring but the last couple of days were just about right. Be warned that about 15-20% of the bike paths/roads next to the Danube were shared with cars and no designated bike lanes. They were more like side access roads to properties on the Danube but cars don’t slow down for bikes.
The rental bikes looked like they were new and performed flawlessly. We used one regular bike and one e-bike and charging the e-bike at each night at the hotels wasn't an issue. Although the entire ride was essentially flat, there were a couple of hotels (Maria Talferl and Hotel Steigenberger in Krems) which required quite a bit of effort to get to because they were up on a hill.
Each of the selected hotels were an added special experience as they were surprisingly high quality and provided a great breakfast.
Of special note on the hotels, the Schloss castle in Aschach was quite an experience with 15 foot tall ceilings and a main residence floor which was a museum. The hotel in Maria Talferl, which is up on a hill, had spectacular views of the Danube and the valley below.
We took our first bike trip with Biketours.com last year down the Neckar river where we ate and slept on a boat each night as we rode our bikes down the river. Although this time we were on our own when it came to lunch and dinner, we preferred this type of trip over the boat as you get to sleep in a nice, comfortable hotel at night and eat where you want in each town. Looking at Yelp reviews, we were able to find great restaurants in each destination town and that really added to the experience of getting to know the local environment.
Overall, this was a memorable and very enjoyable trip and one which we would highly recommend.- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug. 25-31 2018
- 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
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★★★★★ MichaelandErin September 17, 2018Spectacular Scenary
· Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
We thoroughly our cycling trip between Innsbruck and Salzburg. Day one was a nice scenic warm up ride mostly along a river. The second day ride, heading 'up' another valley (still fairly flat in valley, with beautiful mountains on either side) was enjoyable....but the highlight of that day was after the ride. Our transfer minibus picked us up (promptly) that took us up and over to another valley to the town of Krimml. Fortunately, we had enough energy left to hike up to the top of the Krimml falls (tallest series of waterfalls in Europe). Spectacular. Down another valley the next day to Zell am See, where we spent our rest day. Lot's to do there, if it's sunny....but alas, we were rained out (which we were relieved we were not cycling that day). Our highlight day followed, with the combo of stops...one heading inside an extensive cave network (trails inside for the public to travel a fair distance into the mountain), and another stop after that one involved a short hike trail up into a narrow gorge (bring rain gear, waterfalls and mist made it like walking thru a shower in places). Again, unexpected and very, very scenic. Our wrap up in Salzburg we were glad we tacked on a extra day to see some of the local sites.
Overall, we had a great time. The accommodations were just the right fit to our tastes...friendly, cozy and comfortable. The rental bikes sturdy. The route is mostly bike trails, usually paved, but not always...and with only modest time on side roads. The self guided bike map book was pretty good (although we did have to pull out our smartphone map app to clarify some directions at times). The distances were long enough to feel like we'd traveled someplace, but short enough that we still had time to enjoy the sights.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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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★★★★★ Martine September 17, 2018Good bike trip
· · Danube Delights: Cycling and Cruising in the Footsteps of Royalty
It was very nice to stay on board ship the whole week instead packing up and moving every few days. Food was delicious on board.
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★★★★★ TriaT September 17, 2018· Lake Garda (Based in One Hotel)
This was our fourth family European cycling holiday with Bike Tours and our first in Italy. We loved being based in the same hotel so could settle in for the week. The location on the shore of Lake Garda was beautiful and it was so pleasant in the evening to be able to stroll into Desenzano for dinner, with lots of restaurants 5-10 mins walk away.
The cycling itself wasn't as scenic as we'd experienced in Austria and Slovenia, and we missed the stunning views of the mountains we'd had in those countries (while still on relatively flat routes). The day cycling from Trento to the north of Lake Garda was the exception. That day was the best, though take a book for the very long ferry ride back to Desenzano. And make sure you know where the ferry departs from in Riva before you settle in for lunch. It's a long way from where you first reach the lake.
We found the printed directions frequently inadequate and relied heavily on our phones for accurate navigation so make sure you have a data plan that covers Europe.
If you want to have time to explore Verona properly then build an extra day into the itinerary, leave the bikes behind and take the train round trip.
We sacrificed the ride to Brescia, opting instead to have a full day cycling to and exploring Sirmione, which was definitely worth it. The castle has great views. The small town is swarming with tourists but few venture beyond the vicinity of the castle. There are amazing Roman ruins and swimming areas on the north tip of the peninsula so take a towel.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 1st 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- four
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ ArmannI September 17, 2018Nice mountain view
· Rhône River Route: Oberwald to Geneva
Good way to experiece Switzerland. More information needed regarding interesting places to visit. The first day was the most wonderful day
- What was the date of your tour?
- 26.8 - 30.8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
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★★★★★ Murphycreek September 18, 2018Can't think of a better way to see Holland
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
We did this tour in late August, 2018. We are reasonably fit early 70 year olds from California. Neither of us had been on a bicycle in years. We loved it. Some observations:
-Probably the best, unique thing was the route. We were given a little GPS thing that told us where to go, turn by turn. It didn't just go from A to B. It took us through charming town centers, on farm roads through the polders, along rivers and canals, by windmills, through North Sea dunes, through tiny villages and suburbs. Even through an industrial park (think bulb and flower industries).
-The hotels ranged from very charming to just fine, and all were within a stroll of the heart of town.
-The bicycles were top notch, like new, lovingly maintained.
-The distances were just right. At the end of each day, we felt exercised but hardly exhausted, and deeply appreciated a cold beer.
-The weather was good. Pleasantly warm, some sun and some overcast. It started to rain just once, and around the next bend was an appealing hotel with a good lunch.
-We liked Peter-the-bike-guy very much. He has a stringy tour de France look, speaks excellent Euro-English, gave us clear, concise instruction on how to do things, and was amusing. Also, he was quite gracious when we told him about the bike falling into the canal.
-If we were doing the trip again (or knew beforehand what we know now), we would have made one change. We would have arranged to stay two nights in Gouda and Delft, and would have arrived a day earlier in Utrecht (we did stay an extra day in Leiden). This would have allowed us to spend time with the museums and other charms of these wonderful cities.
-Finally, we loved being immersed in Dutch bike culture. Everybody bikes, bikes are everywhere, isolated bike lanes go most places, cars respect bike rights, and oh-by-the-way people looked conspicuously leaner than in the rest of Europe, let alone in America.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Sandy89 September 18, 2018
Tour Great/Less scenic than others
· Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
Loved the company, the equipment, and the guides! This is our third bike trip in Europe and we were on a very specific timetable. That being said, the itinerary was the only one available for our dates, and wasn't as scenic as other tours we have taken. A lot of the river paths were alongside industrial areas (as many river paths are), so some of the scenery wasn't ideal. That being said, the hotels and the meals were amazing, and the sites that we visited were interesting!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Czech Republic, Germany
