Bike Tour Reviews  page 93

  • Venice to Trieste & Istria
    (3/5) Morgan Baumann May 18, 2023

    Excellent Trails on which to explore a lovely part of Europe

    · Venice to Trieste and Istria

    Traveling by bike is a wonderful way to enjoy a new place. Our accommodations were Excellent. Our guide, Tony, (with us for the first days), was first rate!- so helpful. A couple of concerns: I would not rate this as a 2 for regular bikes - even with variants, it was a lot of biking and I was disappointed not to arrive in towns sooner. Everyone in our group was similarly disappointed including those on e-bikes. I would have liked a more leisurely pace and instead the days felt rushed. The directions however were my biggest problem. For the most part they were poor. We lost so much time just trying to figure out where to go! Our last stage, into Porec was by far the easiest and so even though the ride itself was more challenging, we arrived in Porec in good time to enjoy the town. This last stage was easier because the red arrows were frequent and well placed all along the route. You only needed to glance at the map and the written directions and then just keep following the arrows. In contrast, on many of the other stages, the arrows were few and far between and often were Not where we needed to make a turn! We spent far too much time studying the map and having to reverse direction to get back on the route. It would also help if the directions noted if we were generally following a set route that was already mapped out by those small brown signs. Those signs were well placed and easy to follow.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
  • Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
    (4/5) Carla Myers May 18, 2023

    Windmills & Tulips

    · · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour

    The perfect way to experience the Netherlands. The guide was great, but if you wanted to go off on your own the roads/paths are marked, and you just follow what the book says.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 6, 2023
    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?
    Holland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
    (5/5) Julie Griesert May 18, 2023

    Fabulous trip

    · Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring

    This was our third self-guided bike trip and probably the most organized and well-planned. Daniel met us at the first hotel and was very thorough with instructions, giving us both a map with notes as well as a gps that worked great. He even made dinner reservations at one of the hotels (the restaurant is amazing and reservations must be made in advance). We loved the variety of areas the route took us through - country and coastal. The last 2 hotels were over the top, and the last one was our absolute favorite. Things to know when considering this trip: you have to want to bike most of the day, that's what these trips are about. We'd start our days with a great breakfast and then were on the road by 10 or 10:30, biking until the afternoon (anywhere from 2 - 4pm depending on the mileage). I had an e-bike but the other 2 of us had regular bikes. I was happy to have the assist so I could keep up. You will likely run into a few stretches that aren't pleasant; maybe next to a noisy road, or suddenly it gets super windy or rainy and bugs are flying into your eyes (I recommend eye wear of some kind) but then you are in blissful sections in the middle of a quiet forest on a rail-to-trail path, or rolling through sunny fields of wheat. The less pleasant bits were rare but do note that these trips are better for people who can handle a bit of rain or wind or whatever. Food tip: Meal times in Europe are skewed later and restaurants and stores may not be open when you want to eat. Try to plan ahead and either buy picnic food in town in the am so you can eat on the road later, or be prepared to eat a fixed price multi-course lunch in the later afternoon (unless you are in a bigger town that has more options). We managed to convince a couple places to do a lower fixed price lunch with fewer dishes but it's just not the norm. By the end of the trip we were so done with large meals. It was new for us to have the 2 night stays in 2 of the hotels but they were at our 2 favorite hotels and with the one on the coast, we ended up taking advantage of the 2 nights by not doing the second day's ride. It was cold, windy, and a bit rainy so we ended up taking a very slow morning until the rain subsided, then we walked the coastal footpath, which was gorgeous. It worked out well as a nice break. Also, I recommend not looking up the hotels in advance - one of the fun things about these trips is rolling up to the hotel in the afternoon and knowing nothing about it. On previous trips we've had some pretty odd mixes of places, including one semi-creepy place (not on this trip) that we still laugh about today and even kind of appreciate that we ended up there. All-in-all a great trip.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 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, Families with teens
    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
  • Algarve Coastal Route
    (5/5) Allan Ruus May 19, 2023

    May Algarve Family Trip

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    This cycling trip was a wonderful way to see the Algarve, much better than driving to hotels/vrbo and walking around to see the sites. The coastal nature parks with all the birds are impressive. The hotels were great locations, clean, breakfasts excellent, staff friendly and helpful. GPS worked perfectly and Biketours replaced one of the bikes within 3 hours of when a couple spokes broke.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
  • (5/5) Donna Barron May 19, 2023

    Great Way to Experience the Algarve

    · Algarve Coastal Route

    We had a wonderful adventure riding along the Algarve. We loved that we rode on different surfaces and saw a lot of variety. The GPS was a little slow at time with directions.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • Riding the Algarve (photo by Donna Barron)
  • Castles and Wines of Portugal
    (5/5) Ajit Venkatraman May 19, 2023

    Turaventur is a great your company

    · Castles and Wines of Portugal

    From start to finish the tour was excellent . Service was outstanding . Mario and Joanna were perfect hosts and guides . Deena at Evora farms house was great cook . Mario was very knowledgeable and gracious and is a perfect bike tour guide

    Countries included in this tour?
    Portugal
    • Coffee break (photo by Ajit Venkatraman)
    •  (photo by Ajit Venkatraman)
  • Discover the standout sightseeing spots of Poland's capital
    (5/5) DAVID BEERS May 20, 2023

    A natural tour guide educator

    · Warsaw Highlights Bike Tour

    Well done!
    Keep up the good work
    Add more cities

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 23
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    •  (photo by DAVID BEERS)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 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)
  • Catalonia Road Bike Tour
    (5/5) Jennifer Willans May 22, 2023

    Self guided Road cycle trip in Catalonia, Spain

    · Catalonia Road Bike Tour: Girona to the Sea

    The hotels were excellent. The trip was graded as moderate and this was appropriate. We were happy the operator provided options for making the days more difficult if we chose to. There was a very good variety in the routes and the scenery was excellent. The routes were very well planned and easy to follow on the device they provided. We felt safe on the roads (routes) provided. The tour operator was available over WhatsAPP and responded quickly.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Majorca
    (5/5) Jo-Ann Del Vecchio May 23, 2023

    Great ride but a few concerns

    · Majorca: A Loop Tour of the Beautiful Balearic Island

    First thing of concern is a water bottle, I bought my water bottle but the did not have a holder for the bottle
    I also am not sure of the conditions of the Nikes my back tire was low at the starts and had to be looked at before taking off
    The location for the paella was awful by the time we got there we were told they were closing and anytime we asked for a drink we were informed that we were keeping them open
    Also the paella was awful the chicken was ful with Bones
    The last town port de soller was absolutely gorgeous but the ride out was a concern to us and we opted not to ride
    All in all it was a great trip

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    •  (photo by Jo-Ann Del Vecchio)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 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
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Jeanine JeffersWoolf May 23, 2023

    Great

    · Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)

    Love the route planned and the suggested sites to see. Beautiful area. Responsive organization. Some of the directions were tricky

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    4
    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, Switzerland
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • Holland’s Super Tulip Tour
    (3/5) Russ Deuell May 23, 2023

    Trip of a lifetime that the guide fell short on!

    · · Holland’s Super Tulip Tour

    Biking through Holland was an amazing adventure. Having an E-Bike made it much more relaxing since you could always turn on the power assist if needed, which we didn't need. THere were many great biking trails that were very relaxing to ride on and see the great scenery of Holland.
    The boat, captain, chef and serving assistant made the trip very enjoyable.
    The guide, well it seemed like it was the first time Annette did this trip. She easily got lost 3-4 times a day. She would ask for input on what we wanted and then ignore the input if it didn't match what she had planned for the day. Several times she ignored the bike crossing lights and almost got riders that were following hit. This made the rides very stressful. The group also asked to bike faster so we could spend more time at some of the sights. She insisted this was not possible but managed to do exactly that on the last day when weather was going to be an issue later in the afternoon. We also had a flat tire one day and she didn't have a replacement tube. She had to go find another group that had one and then had to have someone from the group change the tube because she couldn't do it herself She managed to make the daily rides very stressful. I would not recommend a trip with her.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
    •  (photo by Russ Deuell)
    •  (photo by Russ Deuell)
    •  (photo by Russ Deuell)
    •  (photo by Russ Deuell)
    •  (photo by Russ Deuell)
    • 2/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Sparta & the Mediterranean Coast
    (5/5) Christine Cardinal May 24, 2023

    Best cycling ever

    · Sparta and the Mediterranean Coast

    The climbs were hard but you are rewarded with breathtaking scenery at the top. Lovely beaches to cool down on the way.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 13-20
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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?
    Greece
    • Ascending the road out of Neapoli on our way to Monemvasia (photo by Christine Cardinal)
    • A well deserved break at the top. (photo by Christine Cardinal)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Danube Experience
    (5/5) Amy Dosser May 24, 2023

    Beautiful River

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    A lovely boat and lovely people. Great book and app to guide you on your biking. Food was wonderful.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 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
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 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) John Gallagher May 24, 2023

    Better than I had hoped

    · · Danube Experience Bike and Boat Passau-Vienna-Budapest-Belgrade-Iron Gates-Passau

    Everything about the ship was five star. The food was shockingly good. I had been on other bike tour companies with the food was very good for almost twice the price. The staff were all wonderful especially our waiter Samir. The boat was very comfortable and exceedingly well-maintained. We booked through Biketours.com who did an excellent job. The tours can be booked directly with rad and risen an Austrian company but it was the same price. It was an excellent value and I’m already daydreaming about a river cruise with bike in barge in the future.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    7
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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?
    Austria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 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
  • (5/5) Kris Krause May 24, 2023

    Great way to see Belgium and Netherlands!

    · · Bruges – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat

    Being our first bike tour, we didn't know what to expect going into the tour, but we had a great time. The whole team was amazing from the first day to the last day. Having dietary restrictions, they were more than accommodating and didn't make it seem like a burden. All the stops along the way were great and our guide was so knowledgeable. Can't wait to do another one!

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    0
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Belgium, Holland
    • 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
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • Bruges to Amsterdam
    (5/5) Tamera Oswald May 24, 2023

    Great tour!

    · · Bruges – Amsterdam by Bike and Boat

    What a great way to experience the Netherlands. The country side was charming. Amsterdam was exciting. Gear place to visit.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Belgium, Holland
    •  (photo by Tamera Oswald)
  • Bohemian Getaway
    (5/5) Barry Greenberg May 24, 2023

    Prague castle tour

    · Bohemian Getaway: Villages, River Valleys & Karlstejn Castle

    Very good orientation to the trip and explanation of the routes on this self-guided tour.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    12
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Countries included in this tour?
    Czech Republic
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Danube Four Countries
    (4/5) Sandra Babich May 25, 2023

    Great Trip

    · · Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries

    This was a perfect way to see parts of Austria, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia. Everything is very well organized and there is the freedom to leave the boat and cycle at own pace following the well laid out bike trails. The food on the boat was very good, staff were very courteous and always helpful, and our room was clean. We added extra time to our trip in Vienna because there is so much to see. Would also be a good idea for Budapest. Even though we had a considerable amount of rain and some flooding on our trails it was still a great adventure and enjoyable trip. Our boat was recently renovated and that was a bonus.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
  • (4/5) Geri Lincoln May 25, 2023

    Wonderful trip

    · Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)

    We had an amazing time, our accomodations were eclectic and diverse which we appreciated. Tour book was well researched and informative. The ground handler that gave us our bikes was not very well informed and did not give any options, tools or advise for fitting the bikes correctly, we had no issues but some others, especially those on ebikes were not well served. GPS routing would be an excellent addition to the books provided. Hotel Donauschlinge seemed to be having a bad day and the restaurant staff was obviously rude to those of us without German language skills. All in all, very well done. Having only two experiences that were less than perfect for an 8 day tour is a job well done!

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    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, Families with young kids
    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
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection