Bike Tour Reviews page 5
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★★★★★ Jgr1 May 27, 2016Really fun
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
Perfect amount of time. Good accommodations. Easy route. Very nice people. Beautiful countryside
- What was the date of your tour?
- April
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Gramps May 31, 2016A great way for a grandfather to take grandchildren captive
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
I had done the Danube ride with my son in 1991. We brought our own bikes to Europe that year and did the trip using only a map and the excellent signposts for guidance and finding overnight accommodations on the fly. I turned 78 last summer; and after waiting years for his children (there are 4 of them whose ages last summer ranged from 15 - 21) to get to an age where I could feel safe with them in my charge, they agreed to come on this ride with me. To be sure, the bikes that were provided were not road bikes or even high quality hybrids; but they were reliable and comfortable to the point that my non-biking grandchildren had no problem with saddle sores or other discomfort. While the overnight hotel facilities for which Biketours had arranged were not of 5 star quality, without exception they were very, very good (comparable, I would say, with Embassy Suites and similar) The hotel keepers were especially hospitable; and the food offerings were varied and of very good quality. Biketours delivered on every single thing that was promised. In fact, they exceeded expectations. Most important, it was a memorable experience that I'll look back upon for the rest of the years that have been allotted to me; and the kids had a grand experience and a fun time. Assuming that travel to Europe is still worthwhile when they have teen aged children of their own, I know my grandchildren will want to take them on a Danube Family Adventure.
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★★★★★ Robert June 4, 2016Great way to experience the Camino
· Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
The tour was well organised with bikes in good order and daily luggage transfers between hotels very effecient. All the hotels were clean, comfortable and friendly, and we found plenty of good and cheap restaurants for dinner. The food and wine were a highlight for our group. The daily rides were varied and apart from the last day to Santiago, the roads were uncrowded with little traffic. On the last day we found local roads to avoid the busy main roads which was easy to do and extended the day's ride to about 50kms. Highly recommended and we are now looking to book another ride later in the year.
- What was the date of your tour?
- end april / early may
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Pedalann June 5, 2016A wonderful way to discover old Holland
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
This tour focused on the historic cities of Utrecht, Schoonhoven, Gouda, Delft and Leiden. Mr. Vos from Tulip Cycling met us at our hotel in Utrecht with the bicycles, maps, GPS and lots of helpful information. It was my first time using a GPS to navigate a bicycle ride and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In fact, I'm not certain we would have been able to do the trip as comfortably without it.
The hotels chosen by Tulip Cycling were located close to or in the old parts of the cities making it easy for us to walk around, visit museums and just enjoy the streets and canals of these old towns. The routes between the cities took us past interesting sites and through beautiful nature areas. I was happy that we had planned an extra day in Utrecht and in Leiden - and I was sorry the tour was so short.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 17 - 21, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- At least 15 of this type.
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ adortman June 5, 2016
The best tour in 4 years
· Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
The tour was perfect for the beginners. Beautiful views, good hotels and food, excellent guidance before tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 1st September 2015
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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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★★★★★ Pedalann June 6, 2016Beautiful, green Holland
· Best of Holland North: Dutch Villages, Landscapes & the Keukenhof
We combined this tour with Ancient and Medieval Cities of Holland, South and rode this tour in reverse, Leiden to Amersfoort. We were impressed with the route as we skirted the Amsterdam sprawl. Instead we spent our days cycling through small villages, lovely nature areas, past polders and along scenic canals as we rode from Leiden to Haarlem, Eden, Weesp and finished in Amersfoort. The tour information, equipment and the GPS were perfect and the hotels, especially those in Edam, Weesp and Amersfoort were especially lovely. We were constantly impressed by the fact that bicycles were the major form of transportation.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 22 - 27, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- More than 15 of this type
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Isaac June 7, 2016excellent guided bike trip
· Castles and Wines of Portugal
I am participating bike trip almost 30 years and this was the best one .
The service , very good guided tour explanations in every spot we visited .
The food ,restaurants are great. Worth every penny.- What was the date of your tour?
- 21May ,2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- 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?
- Portugal
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★★★★★ emma June 7, 2016Amazing adventure!
· Treasures of the Donegal Coast
This was a great trip for 2 friends to take together! It was my first bike trip ever and I can't wait to go on another! The bikes were comfortable enough for me to ride without padded shorts and there was a lot of flexibility in extending or taking short cuts most days, to accommodate how we were feeling. It was great to feel active every day! Some of the hills were a challenge but we always made it. I commute to work on a bike in San Francisco but don't do any longer rides. The food was excellent and we had great luck with the weather. The trip was a great mix of beautiful scenery, small town charm, and history/culture. I highly recommend it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ JustBob June 7, 2016Land of Castle, Cruise Ships and Barges
· Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
After 18 day on a bus tour, a self-guided bike tour along the Rhine was a perfect way to regain some solitude. The tough decision were which of t many historic towns, castles and churches to sit and visit, and what kind of pastry go best with with late morning beer! It would be even better if the Bikeline guide we available in English.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 23 - 29, 2016
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Richard 69 June 8, 2016Gute fahren
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Let me begin by saying that we had an amazing time. The lake is very scenic with many interesting stops along the way. The Hotel Halm in Konstanz was lovely and across the street from the train station. It also has one of the most amazing breakfasts we've ever had. We had to take a bus to the tour company where we picked up our bikes. The people there made sure that our bikes were adjusted perfectly and off we went. Passed through many interesting towns and villages along the way. For us Mainau Island was a real highlight of our journey. Although it was mentioned in our tour book, it should have been listed as a total must see. The hotels we stayed at were all very comfortable. We especially enjoyed the Park Hotel St. Leonard. However we had to ride up an absolutely soul crushing hill to get there. The hotel at the marina seemed a little out of place near a working boatyard in the middle of nowhere. However we took a short walk and found an absolutely lovely restaurant and had a spectacular meal. In Bregenz we rode the cable car up the mountain for amazing view and a fantastic lunch. One thing that would have been helpful, that we've had on other tours, would be recommendations for restaurants that feature local foods. Overall this was a great trip and we were very glad we did it, but it didn't rate quite as high as the other tours we've taken along the Danube and the Mosul.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 26 - May 31
- 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, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Ginny50 June 8, 2016· · Neckar & Rhine Rivers by Bike and Boat
This was an enjoyable bike/boat tour. The crew and staff were very nice. The riding days were usually short and manageable. The rainy weather was an issue which made for slippery riding on cobblestones. Due to the rains the Neckar River was closed and our ship was diverted. The company handled the diversion to the best of their ability and these detoured riding days were okay. We ended up in the town of Speyer, which was our favorite stop of the entire tour. One major complaint was the rooms on the ship were very small. They did state that in the promotional information, but we were not expecting that tiny. Everyone complained about the tiny rooms. We just laughed and dealt with it but it did make for close quarters. If you travel in May bring rain gear!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May/June 2016
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Ginny50 June 8, 2016
A Challenging and Rainy Ride
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was a good tour and we enjoyed the adventure, but I can honestly say I would not recommend it to a beginner. Many of the reviews said this was a good ride for beginners. My husband and I started riding 2 years ago so we are slow but steady riders. We rode the Danube path (Passau to Vienna) last year with no problems so this one sounded like a good tour for us.
We booked this ride based on the level 2 status and the few reviews we saw. In my opinion it is more of a level 3-4. The gently rolling hills were very steep on the first 2 days. It would have been easier with an e-bike but for beginners it was almost impossible with a regular bike. Most of the time the paths were paved but several sections were packed “gravel.” These paths were well maintained and easy, but often a bumpy ride. The biggest problem was these paths were not much more than 2 feet wide so if you are a slow rider you tend to collect 30 faster bikers behind you with no way to pass.
The Lake Constance cycle route is one of the most popular bicycle routes in Europe.
This just about sums it up - the most popular path in Europe. It was over-crowed almost to the point of being dangerous in many sections. We wondered about the high level of bike traffic during the month of May, until we were enlightened that we were enjoying “Pentecost Holidays” with the throngs of locals.
The bikes provided by the company were wonderful. I highly recommend this tour company/bike shop and crew. My husband was not happy with his first bike and they quickly swapped it out with no question.
When we received our tour documents we noticed one day stated that the ride was 35miles/55km. Most of those miles were on a shared road with cars - Not a dedicated bike path. Cars whizzing past you on a busy road is not fun for us. That day our bikes took a train ride! FYI - When I asked one of the tour guides if many people ditched this ride mid-way he did say that quite a few riders just gave up. I can see why!
Each hotel was fabulous. The rooms were lovely and the food excellent.
We really did enjoy this trip and we pushed ourselves more than we ever thought we could. We had 2 good days of seeing the lake and views, but missed seeing the beautiful scenery because of the incessant rain and many detours. Better rain gear will be on our wish list before we ride again. It was a challenge that we were proud to complete.- What was the date of your tour?
- May, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Nicsteiner June 9, 2016Amazing trip and guides
· · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
Everything was great!!! The trip, the guides, the tripulation, the food one of the best trips ever!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- This is the first
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ NancyR June 11, 2016
Fantastic trip with great biking and wine
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
This was a great way to explore Lake Balaton. Our guides were knowledgable, caring, and flexible. The biking was safe, the wine tours fun, the food and hotels beyond expectations. Learnt lots about the region and the history of Hungary.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25-June 1/16
- 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?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ doedoe June 12, 2016Know what you are getting.
· · Amsterdam – Bruges by Bike and Boat – Princesse Royal
Mostly older folks (50 and up). Nice and comfortable ship. Not luxury. Small but adequate room, like any cruise room. Towels were rough/worn. Put out daily the following in the am scrambled eggs, bacon, bread, condiments, lunch meat to make your own lunch (tomatoes and cucumbers), fruit, greek yogert, cereal, coffee , tea, 1 bottle of water. Dinner food was excellent, no choices, given plates of food at dinner (including appetizer and desert), no seconds but it was adequate, nobody complained. Tea/coffee before dinner 4pm to 5pm and at breakfast but none after dinner like Americans usually do, but you could buy some at the bar. We took this cruise because they advertised that you would be given maps and directions if you wanted to do the route yourself rather than go with the guide. The guide discouraged this and said if you got lost the ship would leave without you if you were late. The directions were really not adequate to do it yourself. He was a bit rude at times throughout the trip. Consequently the pace was fast without time for pictures, seeing the sites, enjoying the scenery. Just a fast paced ride through beautiful scenery with occasional brief predetermined stops. The routes were very scenic but can't say I fully enjoyed them. Stressful to worry about losing the group if you stopped to take off your coat or take a picture. Rest of crew was very nice but very overworked. Not bad for the price but not what we were looking for and they should advertise more truthfully. Would not have done it if we had known. Also $50 extra for gluten free but not much extra was provided (just gluten free bread and I had to ask for it most days). Bring your own bread and save $50.
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★★★★★ CMSM June 13, 2016
Bike from Prague to Vienna or Salzburg! (or close enough)
· Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest
This company knows exactly what it is doing and makes a carefree adventure of it all. We took the self-guided, electric bike tour and every time we wondered about a particular detail, we learned that they had already thought of it and handled it all. Biking route instructions were very precise and helpful (this tour runs just a small amount of time in Austria and their biking signs are not as precise as Czech Rep, no fault of the tour operator). The countryside was so gorgeous that we kept thinking it all must be fake. But 20 minutes later, we would find another dream scene. Each day was a joy and we would recommend it all very highly. Found fantastic restaurants as well. Hats off to Petr J in Czech Republic. He is the local tour operator and is top notch in all respects.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one!
- 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?
- Czech Republic
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★★★★★ bam47 June 14, 2016Simply fabulous.
· Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest
We chose the unguided tour but the directions were excellent (when we followed them) with both text and photos to guide us. The hotels were wonderful and alway located in the Old Town Square. The breakfasts were great, too. And all the extras that Pter Janota threw in couldn't have been more fun or informative. Petr was fun and funny and very smart and we couldn't have been more impressed by his support on the road and his bike tour operation. His recommendations for restaurants in Czecky Krumlov (Papas) were great.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25-June 1.
- How many tours have you completed?
- none
- 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?
- Czech Republic
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★★★★★ Agnes June 14, 2016Best girls biking trip to date!!!
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
This bike tour far exceeded our expectations. Our guides Gabor, Kornel and Akos were amazing. They treated us like royalty, the food was delicious, the wine tasting was great and the cycling was awesome. Hungary is a beautiful country and Gabor taught us so much about it's history. It is so nice to have all your meals and wine included. We had so much fun that is was very hard to say goodbye on our last day. I have done cycling tours in many countries and this is by far the best. Keep up the good work Gabor, don't change a thing!!! I highly recommend this tour to everyone!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 25, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ B and L June 15, 2016
Easy trail through historic Burgundy
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
Wonderful historic sites in Cluny and Cormatin. Picturesque ride through the vineyards between Santenay and Beaune. We enjoyed detours into small towns along the way. The trail was well marked and an easy ride
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/30/16-6/4/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- France
