Staff Picks Bike Tour Reviews page 12
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
- ★★★★★ DebM
Beautiful ride through Dutch countryside
Best of Holland North: Dutch Villages, Landscapes & the Keukenhof
The local tour company designed a beautiful and varied route through nature preserves, parks, farmland, and old and picturesque towns. Each inn was delightful in its own way. I rated this harder than expected only because we had extremely windy weather.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late June
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2 on our own, 30+ years ago
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
- ★★★★★ Jim n Anne
Follow In the Footsteps of the Ancient Greeks
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
This tour was scenic, engaging, varied, enjoyable, rewarding. The route was well planned; we would arrive at the highlight of each day's ride just at noon when the big groups had left for lunch so we didn't have to contend with crowds. The Greek people are friendly, happy, and agreeable. The routes were scenic and just challenging enough. The rental bikes were well suited for the terrain and conditions, and the available GPS was a valuable aid. We loved the accommodations, and the luggage service was flawless.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several dozen
- 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?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Finellsmith
First cycling trip ~ but not our last!
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
Cycling along the coast and through the Dalmatian Islands was a great introduction to Croatia for us. April seemed like the perfect time of year for our cycling adventure ~ the weather was terrific and the crowds were minimal, although the swimming was cool! The boat was very comfortable, from our private room to the salon and upper deck. The bikes we used were in very good condition. The guides were very friendly, knowledgable and quick to attend to anyone's specific needs.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 21- 28/2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Julane
5 Stars!
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
5 Stars! We highly recommend Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula for its incredibly beautiful and spectacular landscapes, ancient history, significant archeological sites, and charming hotels in charming towns. Every Greek we met was friendly and helpful; the food was fresh and tasty; the culture was interesting. We were fortunate to be on this tour during Easter week and were able to observe several traditional practices including a religious procession and a community concert. The services offered by the local tour company, Arcas Travel, were top-notch: GPS routes along the coast, up and down mountains, through olive and citrus groves; well-maintained bikes; transfers to the start and finish of the tour; assistance a phone call away. It was a perfect cycling holiday!
- What was the date of your tour?
- March 31, 2018
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Trisha
Trip was a beautiful bike ride through the alps!
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
We had a wonderful bike trip from Innsbruck to Salzburg on electric bikes. The mountains and valleys we biked through were spectacular. I would recommend this trip. The hotels were very good and in great locations. Breakfast were also very good.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 4, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Laird
Amazing scenery and incredible Rioja wine region!
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Spain
BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany
Thank you very much for your review. We're delighted that you had a great time on tour!
- ★★★★★ Maria
Glorious wine country
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
What a fabulous country Spain is! We loved this tour. May is an excellent time to enjoy this area. Ibero Cycle gave us an incredibly thorough briefing before heading off and were available throughout if any problems came up. The roads we traveled were without cars even though we were sharing the road. Unbelievably quiet roads and stunning scenery. Small little villages were at our days end and accommodations were clean and comfortable. The terrain was mixed and many hills over the course of the week but we enjoyed every challenge. Arriving to Haro and then on to LaGuardia were real wine country. I would even suggest an extra night in LaGuardia to enjoy some more of the local sights and wine tours. Beautiful trip! Thank you Bike Tours for another great and memorable experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 21-27, 2018
- 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
- ★★★★★ kdorman
Amazing Trip!!!
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
This was my first cycling tour - and it completely converted me - this is the best way to see/experience a country. Love the fact that you use local biking companies - they really know their country and how best to see it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 20-27th
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was my first!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ jfred
One of our best trips.
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
We've taken lots of bike trips, and this was one of our favorites. Innsbruck is well worth a day. The first day down the Inn River is a little disappointing; valley is beautiful, but lots of light industry. After that it becomes spectacular. Up the Zillertal through farmlands, then over a high pass by van to Krimml and down the Salzach River all the way to Salzburg (not as interesting as Innsbruck unless you are really into Mozart memorabilia). We had electric bikes which were much appreciated, but it could be easily be done on conventional bikes. Accommodations were great as were the breakfasts. As for the Austrian food in general, enough with the pork already!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Started June 11, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- At least 10
- 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
- ★★★★★ KBogg
Great itinerary
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
Well planned tour with excellent hotels
Local bike tour staff were amazing- What was the date of your tour?
- 5/24
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Ottermom
Best bicycle tour company to date!
Castles and Wines of Portugal
This was our 5th self guided tour to date and Portugal's Best Cycling company was the best we have had in customer service. The bikes were perfect for the terrain. We felt safe on all of the routes even the ones that had more traffic than anticipated. All of the hotels were excellent although our personal preference is to stay away from the ones that cater to the large motorcoach tours (we had 2 that fell into that category.) Self-guided is for the adventurous and that is what we got. The dirt tracks were not for the inexperienced. Area had a rough winter and it took some technical riding to manuever safely on them. There were alternative paved routes but where is the fun in that? We added an extra 20 miles on one of our days to ride out to a fortress that was not on our itinerary. It was worth it. I would add pictures but it keeps telling me images are too large. Recommend adding 2 full days in Sintra just to enjoy.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 29, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
- ★★★★★ LuAnn
Beautiful countryside & amazing castles and wineries
Castles and Wines of Portugal
We had a great time cycling through The Alentejo region where wildflowers, castles, olive and cork tree groves, and fields of grapes were abundant. The bikes were in great shape, detailed directions and tour guides helpful!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 14-21,2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- Portugal
- ★★★★★ LewB
October Must Be Best
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
My wife and I totally enjoyed our first bike tour together with the very pleasant Peloponnese itinerary. We had beautiful views on quiet roads through villages and hills. Every effort biking uphill was rewarded on the downhill, and with nice flat stretches in-between. The four nights based in Nafplio gave us the time to enjoy the special charms of that town. The local operator was great and BikeTour's guidance is reliable.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 28 - Nov 4
- 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?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Thomas
This is a fun trip
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Weather in October was pretty good , but we did get one day of 90oF which was unusual. The biking is not particularly strenuous, but the road conditions vary between paved and dirt so you are going to be riding double duty touring bikes that can handle the range. These make the 30 mile days feel longer than they would on a carbon road bike. There are lots of stops along the way at small farms, cafes, businesses and museums, neolithic sites, and of course, wineries and castles. I felt like we were exposed to Portugal in a way I would not have been otherwise.
As much as I like cycling, I like food and drink even more! This is where this tour really excels. The picnics every day were great, The organized meals at night were wonderful, and when in Evora without included meals there are great restaurants everywhere. Wine flows freely and is delicous. Everwhere you turn there seems to be something from the 15th or 16th century, and you don’t have to try too hard to find things from Roman times. The hotels are very nice and usually interesting historical buildings. The towns of Evora and Monseraz are especially striking. This is a fun tour and Teresa was a great guide with loads of historical and agricultual knowledge.- What was the date of your tour?
- Mid October 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- First guided tour
- 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?
- Portugal
BikeTours.com staff reply from Brittany
As much as I like cycling, I like food and drink even more!"- I couldn't agree more with your sentiment. We're so glad to hear you had a great time on tour. Experiencing the best of Portugal by slow travel is hard to beat. Your pictures are fantastic, and we hope to help you again in the future!
- ★★★★★ Fizz
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Matt L
The Dalmatian life
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
This is a tour I will continue to dream about for many years to come. The tour was structured in a way that was relaxed but included a taste of Croatia’s culture and nature. On the first day, I arrived early to check in and they greeted me professionally and placed my bags in my cabin for me. This allowed me to explore the bustling but gorgeous city of Trogir for the next few hours. While on the boat, the local boat crew was always there willing to help. They were up before I woke up each morning (6:30 am) and did not go to bed until after the last guest was in their cabin (usually around midnight). They were a very well-oiled machine in making our experience a pleasant one. We always felt safe with them. Croatia is a beautiful country with lots of hills. Some days were easier than others, but every day we were all challenged at some point. I rented an e-bike and loved it. I can guarantee I was still getting a serious cardio workout each day even with a little help from the bike. It made the 15%-17% climbs doable (even though they were not every day). I would highly recommend an e-bike if you are someone who is not used to riding on a weekly basis or if you want to save your knees. The rides, for the most part, were on the backroads, but you still need to be careful of cars in some areas. I would not recommend this tour to anyone under the age of 13 and only if they are a very responsible rider due to the cars in some of the areas. Climbing to the top of the mountain and seeing our boat huffing along the islands besides us was breathtaking. Each small (and large) town we got to had a bell tower that always reminded us what time it was with a beautiful ring. I would highly recommend doing the second ride (sunset ride) on day 3 on Molat. It is a beautiful ride that allows you to explore a little on your own and maybe invest in some local goat cheese. The food was delicious. The chef never left you hungry. There was enough food each meal. Usually a three-course meal for lunch and dinner that was carefully and deliciously prepared. After each meal, the local tour guides would give us a briefing of the rest of the day or what we would be doing the next day, keeping us informed on what to expect. The guides (Marin and Lucija) in-depth knowledge and energy made this tour even better. They responded accordingly when problems would arise and communicated very well with the guests. They truly made it so you did not have to think about anything except relaxing and enjoying yourself. It was “turnkey” service at its finest. In Zadar, Sibenek, and Trogir, we had informative sunset tours (430/5pm) set up for us explaining the history and culture of the cities from a local tour guide that was from the given area. I loved the boat. The Princeza Diana is a steel hull boat with a wooden trim. This wooden trim gives the boat a homey and comforting feel like a “Woodie”. The cabins were pristine and spacious for a boat. The beds are very comfortable and made for a great rest each night. The public spaces were very eloquent but comfortable allowing everyone to enjoy the remarkable scenery and sunsets from the bow or stern of the boat. Somedays it was great to jump in the hot tub with a glass of wine while taking in the beautiful Kornati Park on the bow of the boat. If you have issues with going up and downstairs on land, I would recommend getting an upper deck cabin since the stairs to the lower deck cabins are a little steep (as is on most boats). One of my favorite aspects of the boat was the swimming platform on the back of the boat. Almost every day after our ride, we had the option to jump in for about 45 minutes to an hour, to cool off. Most people did. It was easy for everyone (25-82 years old) to get in and out of the water safely with a shower head available to rinse off. One last recommendation. If you have room in your luggage, bring a sleeping bag and sleep on the deck out under the stars. The deck beds are very comfortable. I did it the night we were docked in Molat and I am happy I did it. SHOW MORE
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 30, 2017
- 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?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Brittanyatbiketoursdotcom
The best of the mountains and the sea!
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
I went on this tour as a BikeTours.com staff member. The varied scenery on this tour continuously amazed me. Each day, we were cycling through orange, lemon, and olive groves. The fresh food was endless from fruit to cheese to lamb to seafood with olive oil at the center.
This is a well-rated level 3 tour with its rewarding daily hills. While cycling, we had a perfect view of the sea for miles traveling toward it while still in the mountains.The region is rich in culture and this tour opened my eyes to the ancient history of Greece. Some of the known archeological sites have been excavated and preserved while so many other sites are still buried under our feet. The people of Greece are as kind as I've met anywhere. They are lively, community-centered, and certainly welcoming to travelers.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 7, 2017
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
