Bike Tour Reviews  page 82

  • Swiss Lakes by Ebike
    (5/5) Clifford Davis September 23, 2022

    Epic beautiful tour

    · Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne

    This is a great way to get out of the main cities and see some of the most incredible Swiss country. Spectacular lakes and mountains and wonderful towns on every day of the ride. Unless you are a very well trained cyclist accustomed to bigger climbs, go for the ebike option. I didn’t and had to walk some hills. Hybrid bike could have used some maintenance - the front brake pads were nearly completely gone. Also navigating requires paying close attention to the route markers. Do download the Swiss mobility app and be aware of your route throughout your ride. All in all a fabulous trip!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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?
    Switzerland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike Path
    (5/5) Cathy September 23, 2022

    I've wanted to do this for years!

    · Danube Bike Path 5-nights (Active)

    Way back in 2005 I took a river boat cruise down the Danube and saw people cycling along the bank. Finally, after retiring and after covid, my dream ride happened. We weren't sure about the distance from Passau to Vienna, so we chose to take the ferry from Passau to Linz and start from there. We rode ebikes. This was a difficult choice for us because we ride quite a bit weekly in the States, but we were glad to have the ebikes. The bikes are a little heavy so riding on the econo mode gave us the feel of a regular weight bike. That detail aside, the ride, the hotels, the meals, and of course the people, were all fantastic. We planned to dress in layers and that served us well; mornings would start cool and afternoons could warm to the low 70's in early September. The scenery was amazing. Each hotel was lovely and if not directly on the trail, quite easy to find in the town/city. Because we rode through small towns, we saw a part of Austria that you cannot see from a boat or bus tour. The route was mostly well marked and when we did get off the beaten path, there was always someone who could point us in the right direction even if we don't speak the native language. We ate in our hotels, in small pubs, and a grocery store on Marback where we had a freshly made sandwich eaten on the deck at the edge of the river. It was all delicious. The beautifully refurbished family home in Mitterkirchen was lovely as was Stephanie, the owner, who greeted us. We sampled local wines as we traveled through the towns and Wachau Valley and had a fabulous dinner at the Hotel Schloss in Durnstein, while overlooking the Danube. We met people young and older from vairous parts of Germany, the UK, Canada, and local Austrians. I was a little worried about getting to the hotel in Vienna as we had to go down a main road and around a rotary, but Austria is such a bike friendly country that designated bike routes took us from the bridge to our hotel. An added bonus, when we did have to leave, the hotel was about 300 yards from the train station that took us directly to the airport. We won't wait years for the next bike trip, we're already looking at Vienna to Budapest!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 10, 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    First bike tour
    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?
    Austria, Germany
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Innsbruck to Salzburg
    (5/5) Nicolas Roggeman September 23, 2022

    Amazing Austrian Alpine

    · Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails

    From Innsbruck through the Zillertal Valley, to Krimml and down toward Zell am See, Lofer and ending up in Salzburg – what an adventure, what great sights, doesn't get any better. The hotels were spectacular, and in spite of the rain in late September, we had a fantastic time.

    What was the date of your tour?
    mid September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    3-5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Families with teens, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria
    • Innsbruck at 5 (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Gasthof Post Hotel Infinity pool (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Pastures that go up forever (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Safe cycle paths most of the way (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Even the rain couldn't deter us (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • Great sightseeing in Salzburg (photo by Nicolas Roggeman)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • Burgundy Wine Trails
    (4/5) Tony VanGarderen September 23, 2022

    Beautiful area of France!

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

    A great way to experience the beauty of Burgundy. Loved cycling through the vineyards as well as along the Voire Verte. The hotels had a lot of character. The bikes were great, one ebike and one regular.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    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, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    France
    • 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
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Danube Bike Path
    (5/5) Michael Mccutcheon September 24, 2022

    Wonderful bike trip

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    Glad we added days in melk and durnstein. It helped us enjoy the towns more. We also stayed a few days in Passau, before our bike trip which we really enjoyed. Did not like Goldenes Kreuz in Grein. Hotel would not let us check in even though we were wet. Favorite hotels were Schloss Durnstein and Gierlinger in Schlogen, Zur Post in Melk.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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?
    Austria, Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 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
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • National Parks of Dalmatia
    (5/5) Keith Fowler September 24, 2022

    Great trip

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Guides were very good and knowledgeable. Also very concerned for our safety. Food excellent, plentiful and well presented. The bikes are old and have high mileage. We had a few issues Cabins were clean. Beds need upgrading.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 16
    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?
    Croatia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 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 Guides (if applicable)
  • (5/5) Cathy Faiazza September 24, 2022

    Amazing trip with old friends and made many new friends.

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    From the moment we got on board the Melody in Trogir we felt welcomed and
    comfortable. The rooms were spacious and very well maintained. The crew was helpful and very qualified. The food was plentiful and good. Selection of bar drinks were also great. Opportunities to swim off the back of the boat were amazing and much enjoyed. The bike ride was really fun and the e-bikes made it a most enjoyable ride. The guides Ivan and Tara were some of the best we have ever had. Fun, knowledgeable and kept us all safe and informed each and every day. Thank you so very much.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 16 -23
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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?
    Croatia
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Andalusia: Southern Spain
    (3/5) Karen Metsos September 24, 2022

    Not the Best

    · Andalusia: Southern Spain

    This was our third bike tour and to be honest we were disappointed in general. While the hotel accomodations and the towns that you slept in were great and places I would visit again, but the overall biking experience was a different story. The bike journey each day was mostly about trying to get to the next town. The experience along the way in terms of where you cycled and the towns you went through was a let down. For example having done the Passau to Vienna cycle a few years back the lunch stops and places to take breaks were amazing, charming, convenient and scenic. This trip didn't offer any of that. The lunch locations were simply a place to rest and keep going. The tour operator in the self guided books didn't offer any recommendations of where to stop for lunch or breaks compared to the previous 2 tours we did (Passau to Vienna and Puglia). On the previous two tours these types of tips and recommendations added extreme value to our trip.
    A couple of tips... if you do decide to do this cycle definitely spend the extra 30 euros for the GPS as it will vastly improve the navigation experience as bikes aren't set up to display the guide book and if the tour operator is reading this, having an upgraded room option would be a good idea as the hotels were great as well as the towns. On a couple of the locations we paid extra for an upgraded room upon checkin and it made a difference!

    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from jan September 25, 2022

      First, thanks for your business and feedback as we and our partners slowly climb out of the covid reboot. Though the tourism industry is rebounding we are doing so after much fatigue so it certainly hasn't been perfect for us or our partners. Starting next year we will be providing our own branded travel packets which will do much to address the overall travel experience, options, and directions. Thanks again for your support!

    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Medieval Villages of Catalonia
    (5/5) Veronica Calderon September 24, 2022

    Better than expected!

    · Medieval Villages of Catalonia

    Very organized, hotels were amazing, people were friendly. Never felt lost or like i didn't know what to do. Couldn't recommend more, will definitely using biketours.com again. Thanks for everything!

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    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?
    Spain
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest
    (5/5) Olafur Gudlaugsson September 25, 2022

    First bike trip in the Czech Republic.

    Best of South Bohemia: Czech Republic to Its Fullest

    Great service and well organized.
    And good reception by Petr Jonota, thank you!
    If there were questions, problems, or anything, he answered them with a smile ☺
    Nice how different the days are and what we can see each day

    Countries included in this tour?
    Czech Republic
  • Highlights of Flanders
    (5/5) Roberta King September 25, 2022

    A Splendid Ride

    · Highlights of Flanders: Belgium’s History, Art, Nature & Cuisine

    This was a great, straightforward ride across Belgium.
    We arrived in Brugge a day early to enjoy the town and met with Peter to get our bikes and gear for the ride.

    The navigation tool (a GPS) proved to be problematic, it was quite small and for us to read as we ride and was hard to follow and the paper map provided was not detailed enough to use for navigation.

    We picked up a local bike map in Ghent and then a map book in Antwerp. With the map book we ditched the GPS and designed our own route on Belgium’s super amazing cycling network.

    The bike network in Belgium is fantastic and we ride on dedicated roads, two tracks and canals to the Netherlands.

    The bikes were great, belt drives instead of chains, which took some getting used to, but were comfortable and easy to use.

    The hotels were super charming , unique and for the most part easy to find with help from google maps. Breakfasts were excellent on all stops.

    Memorable moment is taking our bikes down and up two escalators to ride the river tunnel into Antwerp, slightly terrifying as we’d never done that before (and hope to not repeat).

    The terrain was mostly flat with a few hills on the last day. The towns are lovely and we had fun exploring them.

    Highly recommend this adventure, but secure the maps or books before you go.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    Five
    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?
    Belgium, Holland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • National Parks of Dalmatia
    (5/5) Linda Stephenson Shier September 26, 2022

    Beautiful trip

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Great way to see Croatia! Our guides were excellent, very knowledgeable, fun, and friendly,
    They had their meals with us giving us the opportunity to get to know them. Food and crew were fabulous. Lots of opportunity to explore towns in the islands

    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
  • (5/5) Linda Stephenson Shier September 26, 2022

    Beautiful trip

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    Great way to see Croatia! Our guides were excellent, very knowledgeable, fun, and friendly,
    They had their meals with us giving us the opportunity to get to know them. Food and crew were fabulous. Lots of opportunity to explore towns in the islands

    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia
  • Camino de Santiago
    (5/5) Chris Moolman September 26, 2022

    Fabulous trip!

    · Camino de Santiago: From Porto to Santiago de Compostela

    We really enjoyed the entire trip. Everything was arranged and organized just as it was promised: we were picked up and dropped off at airports - just as we had hoped for, the equipment was in good condition, our luggage was on time every time and in good condition - all in all just a fabulous experience. Some hotels were fabulous (and some nearly). Thank you so much, Biketours, for a fabulous experience - great memories that will remain with us.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal, Spain
  • Highlights of Flanders
    (5/5) Amy Smith September 26, 2022

    Great way to explore Belgium!

    · Highlights of Flanders: Belgium’s History, Art, Nature & Cuisine

    We enjoyed this tour greatly. Peter Fos, who owns the company, welcomed us in Bruges and gave us great bikes for the week. The tour included a Garmin Oregon 700, which is necessary to follow the route's many turns and bridges. One thing we really enjoyed was that each day's route ended at our hotel, which has not been the case on other tours. We appreciated the opportunity to shorten a couple of days by train. Hotels were nice, especially in Mechelen and Hasselt. All were located near the city center - not always the case on other self-guided tours. Be sure to request the brewery tour of Het Anker - it was one of our favorite parts of the trip and others on the tour who had not previously booked were unable to purchase tickets (sold out). We chose this tour in early September, which was a blessing and curse. Temperatures were comfortable, but there were several days with rain, although not the full day.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 4, 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    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?
    Belgium, Holland
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (5/5) Jean Olson September 27, 2022

    Beautiful Scenery

    · Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

    The Dolomites were amazing. The bike paths were good and traveled through some beautiful areas. The hotels were all great. The drections from the maps and app were good, we only got a little off track a couple of times. We rode regular bikes and although the hills were tough, they were doable. I definitely want to go back to the area between Toblack and Bled and explore more.

    The roads into Trieste were busy but there was a good shoulder most of the time. The views were worth the busy road. Castello Duino was cool.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    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?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 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
  • National Parks of Dalmatia
    (5/5) Adele McDonald September 27, 2022

    Best bike and boat tour we've done!

    · · National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat

    This was an absolutely fabulous tour. The scenery, the boat, the cycling, and other activities such as park tours, hikes, swimming, paddle boarding and city tours were just perfect. The guides were knowledgeable and made our days safe and fun in what could be fairly challenging cycling. We booked with a group of 22 people and there were another 10 people on our boat. We all had an absolute blast! Highly recommend this tour!

    What was the date of your tour?
    september 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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?
    Croatia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Dolomites to Trieste
    (5/5) Nancy Nestler September 28, 2022

    Even better than I imagined!!!

    · Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

    We did the self-guided tour. The routes were well described. They were beautiful and varied, from bike paths in remote areas to bike lanes in busy cities. I always felt safe. The scenery was amazing from river valleys to mountain views. There were options to explore along the way. The length of each day's ride was a good amount, and it often offered a shorter or longer version so you could decide along the way what you wanted to do. The hotels were also a nice variety. I thoroughly enjoyed each day. I would highly recommend this tour. I went with a friend, but hope to do it again and take my husband.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    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?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 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
    • 5/5 Route selection