Spain Bike Tour Reviews (page 4)
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★★★★★ Julie Griesert 11 months agoFabulous 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
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★★★★★ Theresa Schwingenschloegl 11 months ago
A fabulous 7 days
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Our e bike tour was meticulously routed by our guide Daniel. With his planning we adapted our North American stomachs to a later lunch which was always timed perfectly for the 4 of us to to end our day, allowing us to relax and enjoy a delicious main meal accompanied by wonderful local wines and beers. It was a surprise to us that our bike tour was just the four of us but it turned out to be a wonderful active holiday at just the right pace. A mirror and a bell for my e bike are the only suggestions I could make. We were mostly on well packed trails but also had fabulous downhill riding on quiet well paved roads where you could see a good distance ahead, which gave confidence to a novice rider. The weather cooperated, our accomadations were very comfortable, our bags were always there ahead of us, the bikes were great. What wonderful holiday.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Theresa Schwingenschloegl 11 months ago
A fabulous 7 days
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
Our e bike tour was meticulously routed by our guide Daniel. With his planning we adapted our North American stomachs to a later lunch which was always timed perfectly for the 4 of us to to end our day, allowing us to relax and enjoy a delicious main meal accompanied by wonderful local wines and beers. It was a surprise to us that our bike tour was just the four of us but it turned out to be a wonderful active holiday at just the right pace. A mirror and a bell for my e bike are the only suggestions I could make. We were mostly on well packed trails but also had fabulous downhill riding on quiet well paved roads where you could see a good distance ahead, which gave confidence to a novice rider. The weather cooperated, our accomadations were very comfortable, our bags were always there ahead of us, the bikes were great. What wonderful holiday.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Anne Stanek 6 months ago
Second time on this trip and it was well worth a second visit!
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
This trip is extremely well organized, with lovely hotels, great breakfasts and so much variety in the bike routes. Although it has some challenging uphills, a lot of it is down hill, which is great fun. There is so much scenic beauty - going from the Pyrenees down to the Mediterranean Coast. It was really nice to stay in the same hotel two separate times (one right on the Mediterranean and another next to a castle) but still do loop rides which were fun. We found Daniel, owner of Creative Catalonia, was a most personable and easy going guy. We had a problem with a bike and within two hours (during which time we enjoyed one of the many superb lunches we had along the way) he had arrived where we were and fixed the bike. This is still one of my most favorite rides out of the ten tours that we have done over the years.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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
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★★★★★ Vijay DSouza 3 days ago
Beautiful and fun experience
· Best of Catalonia Cycle Touring
This trip surpassed our expectations. The scenery was beautiful. The food was delicious and the hotels were really unique places with character. Most of the trip is on paths and gravel or dirt roads, so you and your bike will get dusty. Also you should try to eat between 1 and 4, as small towns may not have anything open outside those hours. Logistics were great and it was nice to be provided a GPS so we didn't have to use our own phones. Definitely would recommend this to anyone. If you are not a strong cyclist there's a few spots where you might want an e bike or else will be walking, but generally it's a pretty easy ride. Daniel from the tour company was very responsive via WhatsApp to us.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ mikie November 2, 2017Very nice ride. Seeing the pilgrims on the trail was heartwarming. Our guides were outstanidng.
· Camino de Santiago: From León to Santiago
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/15 to 9/24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 30
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ 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
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★★★★★ DougC October 9, 2019
Great trip through beautiful country!
· Camino de Santiago: From León to Santiago
This was my fifth trip I've booked through BikeTours.com and it reinforced why I keep coming back. The itinerary was great and the riding was spectacular. It was a nice mix of road riding and trail riding. We toured medieval castles, monasteries, churches and countless small villages and hamlets. Our guides were fantastic. They knew the route extremely well so were able to get us to the best places, from an old monastery slightly off the route that many miss to the best restaurants in each town. Jose (our bike guide) and David (our support van driver) were both incredible. Though no technical single track, there was some spectacular trail riding interspersed with road riding on country roads. There are a few days of big hill climbs but each one had views that made it all worthwhile. I highly recommend this trip to anyone with an itch to explore NW Spain by bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 22-28 SEP 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
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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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★★★★★ Gillhart September 29, 2019
Cosmic!
· Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
Cycling the Camino was a
revelation! The routes chosen, the hotels (minus one loud one in Sarria), the food, the transport of luggage, everything was thoughtfully organized and otherwise excellent. I highly recommend this trip! (I do have some suggestions about maps and directions which will make the trip even better. Let me know if you’d like them, Biketours!!)- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Matthew Rogers August 4, 2022
Great adventure
· Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
So many great stops. Really loved Las Ferrerías even tho it’s the smallest town - low cultural interest but great people. Two improvements - for O Pino either stay in the town (rather than outside, we had to bike to dinner) or skip that stop. Would be a long day from Palas de Rei (another favorite) but might be worth it. Add another day/night in Santiago to make up for it. Loved Molinaseca - very lively town beach on the river. There are too many great memories to list here, but you guys really did a great job. O Cebreiro beautiful. The Galician castle detour highly recommended. I loved your throwback book of directions. Had to keep in our toes but getting lost sometimes is part of the fun. Going to hit you here with things to improve but it does not mean we did not enjoy our time. The bike I had was in terrible shape - your non e-bike fleet needs some help. By the way, you should tell people who are planning to not use ebikes that this is fairly strenuous! I’m a fairly strong cyclist and I was wasted after most days on the mechanical bike. Maybe it was the extreme heat though that made it seem tougher. Family loved the e-bikes, but the keys were broken, making it more difficult to charge at night. I think your mechanic in Astorga should have checked my back wheel better and should have had the tools to fix the key situation.
Many thanks for a super memorable experience. Will recommend 100%!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- 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
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★★★★★ Fabio Freire de Carvalho Matos September 6, 2022
One of the best journey in my live
· Camino de Santiago: A Pilgrim’s Route From Astorga to Santiago
The bike was not so good, but de experience was great. Galícia is a wonderfull place and its people are so kind and happy. I love the organization, all the hostel and hotels, the food, and the maps is very importants for de tourists.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ BobF September 15, 2016Best trip ever
· Catalonia Road Bike Tour: Girona to the Sea
Creative Catalonia (Daniel & Lucy) did an excellent job. Got us started and checked in with us midway. Maps, bikes and hotels could not have been better. I highly recommend this tour
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9/1/16 - 98/16
- How many tours have you completed?
- three
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Timr October 18, 2016
Spectacular Scenery; Great Bikes and Accommodations
· Catalonia Road Bike Tour: Girona to the Sea
Creative Catalonia provided quality road bikes, great accommodations, and a good itinerary with a nice mix of countryside, spectacular seaside, and interesting medieval towns. We went in early October and the weather was perfect for riding. Mornings sometimes required long sleeves but that would quickly change to shirt sleeves. Just a bit cool for swimming in the sea. Roads were in great condition, and traffic was light. Because the area has a lot of bikers, drivers seem to be more aware and tend to give plenty of room. The routes provided could also be tailored to provide longer rides, if desired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Jennifer Willans 11 months ago
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
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★★★★★ Big Wave Dave June 24, 2016A Beautiful Ride With Great Accommodations
· Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors
This was our tenth self-directed tours with BikeTours.com and was one of the best. The seven of us - three quite fit mid-sixties and four thirty-somethings - had a fun time exploring the very pretty countryside and ancient towns. The Paradors were spectacular - the best accommodations we've had on a trip. The rides were challenging with a good bit of ups and downs. The bikes were relatively new and in good shape. As usually happens, we had a couple of mechanical challenges, but the support team was excellent and made the issues into an adventure rather than a detriment.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 11
- 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?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Long legs June 21, 2018
Challenging and wonderful!
· Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors
To be in the Extremadura on a bike was a dream. Many hills but wonderful rewards. A lot of beautiful solitude in varied remote and rural landscapes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/12/18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
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★★★★★ Amy M August 8, 2018
Unbelievably Amazing
· Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors
My husband and I took this self-guided tour in mid-June. It was the fourth trip booked through biketours. Despite hot weather (above 90 degrees farenheit every day) and elevation profiles that were definitely a bit more than anticipated, we loved this tour. The route was interesting, with lots to see. The Paradors were some of the nicest, most comfortable hotels I have stayed in as part of a cycling tour. The bikes were in good working order, and we didn't need assistance. The only thing to keep in mind is that Extremadura shuts down on Sundays, and services, especially groceries, are hard to come by. With the help of biketours and the local company, we booked a second night in the Monfrague National Park, which provided a much-needed day off the saddle, and the opportunity to take a bird watching tour with Monfrague Vivo. The trip was definitely an experience we won't soon forget!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 14-20, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Brad2008 November 28, 2018
very nice lodging and service
· Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors
Great places to stay and eat. Great service. It was definitely hilly but beautful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- 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
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★★★★★ Miguel7844 October 21, 2019
Amazing Cycling Experience
· Cycling Spain’s Land of the Conquistadors
What a great trip! Just imagine staying in old castles as lodging and cycling from one castle to another going past ancient rivers and seeing condors fly right above you. That’s what you have in this trip. The cycling was challenging enough to keep myself engaged as an avid cyclist. The best part if this trip was going thru small towns and cycling in a part of Spain that isn’t talked about enough. Extremadura is an amazing place to visit!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 5, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
