Staff Picks Bike Tour Reviews page 10
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- ★★★★★ James Cieslak
A Greay Way to Experience Greece
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
Enjoyed a quieter side of Greece and met wonderful people along the way. The mountains were beautiful, sea side riding scenic, the agricultural valleys relaxing, and the ancient sites were amazing. We were a group of experienced riders ( ages early 60's through late 70's). E-bikes made the physical part of the trip very enjoyable and not too difficult. The cycling routes kept us off of the main highways the vast majority of the time. Greek hospitality was everywhere. On our daily routes we were offered water, invited into a home for a meal, and received gifts of fruit and nuts all along the way. One of our best trips!
Points to consider for future cyclists on this trip:
1-The e-bikes were either Fuji (step over seat) or Breezer (step through) models. Request your preference when booking. Had a few problems charging batteries overnight. Double check that your bike is indeed charging before leaving it for the night.
2-Use the app 'Ride with GPS' for your routes. Much easier than the materials provided by the company.
3- Hotels in Vytina, Tripoli, and Napflio were very satisfactory. The hotel in Paralia Astros (Ariandne Hotel) was unsatisfactory. The pool was not maintained (green, filthy water present) which led to a mosquito problem throughout the hotel. A new hotel is needed.
4-None of the bikes had water bottle holders. Had to carry water in the pannier or strapped to the rear rack (bring a few short bungee cords for that purpose).
5-Request a full sized tire pump. Flats happen and you'll make changing tires much easier.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Amy Reller
Epic trip!
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
We did a self-guided tour (two couples) and it could not have been better! From the first night trip orientation in our Ljubljana hotel to our final stopping point in Piran, we couldn't stop talking about how smoothly everything went. The hotels were well familiar with the electric bike routine, our luggage was always waiting for us upon arrival in the lobby, the routes took us through beautiful Slovenian countryside and stopped at points of interest and historical sites that were worth the side trip. Our detailed route map (provided by local bike tour group Helia) was experienced enough to mention ideal locations to stop for lunch along the way which proved helpful when traveling through small villages with limited spots to stop to eat. We lucked out on the early October weather and had no rain which was a bonus. Having breakfast in our hotel before departing each morning made it easy to pack up and get back on the road. Would highly recommend this trip!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
- ★★★★★ Larry Chambers
A Bike Trip You Don't Want To Pass Up
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
Let me start by says this is a great ride!!! The ride is generally flat, some very small hills. Our group consisted of seasoned and beginner riders. Two in our group used E-Bikes with no problems. So, if you feel that you could not ride the whole trip peddling manually, get an E-Bike, worked great!
Your first two days you will be working your way to Zell Am Ziller, transfer point over the mountain. Zell Am Ziller is nice little town. Has a brewery, shopping and a nice little restaurant by the river. The train station in town is the pickup point. The drive over the mountain to Krimml is roughly an hour.
Krimml sits at the top of the canyon, so the ride going forward will be a slow downhill, flat spots, and a couple small rolling hills. The waterfall at Krimml is incredible. The 10/15-minute walk to the base is worth it. Now, if you really want to see more of the fall, be hike ready. It took us over 40 minutes to get to the café that is two-thirds up the falls. Nice stopping point. If you decide to climb the last section, it does get steeper. Honestly, if you stop at the café, that’s good enough. Also, give yourself roughly 3 hours if you climb the falls.
When you leave Krimml the next day, this will be your longest stretch. Don’t be intimidated, the route is straight forward. Take you time, enjoy the view, stop in Mittersill and have lunch in the square.
Zallar Am See is touristy, but still a beautiful city. We spent our day off going up to the top of the ski slopes. Great views if its not cloudy, just wear a jacket. Plenty of shopping and site seeing in town. The lake is also a good place to hang out.
Your trip to Lofer will offer a walk-in cave and gorges. The cave was interesting, takes 30 minutes. The gorge is a ride uphill. E-Bike for anyone who struggles with hills. Lofer is a small quiet town. Good stop to rest.
Finally, heading to Salzburg. I didn’t think we would see anything as good as the previous days, but I was wrong. This stretch offers farmland views and various things to stop and see. We decided to head straight to Salzburg because of our limited time. I would recommend you book an additional day in Salzburg, lots to see. One stop I would recommend is the brewery called “Augustiner”. As Americans, we don’t see breweries like this. You don’t have to be a beer drinker to enjoy the beer garden or even the beer halls inside. It’s just cool!!! I would also recommend the fortress above the old part of Salzburg. Go early!!
One thing I do need to note. The map and directions that are provided can be confusing in some spots (usually when leaving or getting into larger towns). I recommend using a GPS. If you do run into issues, the locals are very helpful.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- 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
- ★★★★★ James Krause
Greek hospitality and history combine to make this an unforgettable experience
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
How better to learn than while enjoying something so good for the body? This trip, our third biking adventure, feeds the muscles and mind. The hospitality enjoyed was, without question, some of the best enjoyed anywhere. This all leaves an enduring impression.
Stories are told as new ones are created. Over the course of this adventure, the Greek philosophers remind you of the value of a healthy body, healthy mind. History has a way of reminding us of our roots and progress. The journey was refreshing.
It was a tour of contrasts, high in the mountains, down to the sea. We experienced life in villages and larger centers. We felt safe throughout and the tour operators responded immediately to all questions or concerns. For us, little things matter much and we were satisfied by those enjoyed.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Daria Zubakova
Best Trip ever!
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
This trip was just an AMAZING experience. It was my first time in Croatia (as well as on the bike&boat tour), and I fall in love with this country. Our beautiful guides were always so positive and supportive - for that we are very grateful.
There were times when I was too tired from cycling uphill (I was using the regular bike), and our guide Srdian was helping me by pushing myself up (with the help of the e-bike) - we made a great team :)
The whole trip was very well planned, every day was reach of diverse experience, new places, amazing views. And the food on board - YUMMY!
I loved EVERYTHING in this trip except of one tiny thing - waking up at 7:30 in the morning was a bit tough as I'm totally not an early person.Thank you for having such a great experience! Hope to see you again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 28th - May 5th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ James Krause
Greek hospitality and history combine to make this an unforgettable experience
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
How better to learn than while enjoying something so good for the body? This trip, our third biking adventure, feeds the muscles and mind. The hospitality enjoyed was, without question, some of the best enjoyed anywhere. This all leaves an enduring impression.
Stories are told as new ones are created. Over the course of this adventure, the Greek philosophers remind you of the value of a healthy body, healthy mind. History has a way of reminding us of our roots and progress. The journey was refreshing.
It was a tour of contrasts, high in the mountains, down to the sea. We experienced life in villages and larger centers. We felt safe throughout and the tour operators responded immediately to all questions or concerns. For us, little things matter much and we were satisfied by those enjoyed.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Ajit Venkatraman
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
- ★★★★★ Christopher McAdam
Fantastic Ride
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
Loved the hotels loved the ride, loved the all day everyday view. We really like seeing and going through the little alpine towns.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6th
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Lisa Sobieniak
Great Trip
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Local guides were excellent, responsive and knowledgable. He went out of his way to make everything work for us.
Only problem was that bike tours .com did not let us know we needed to book winery tours in advance. Local guide did his best to fit us in.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Portugal
- ★★★★★ Janice Guimond
Loving Greece!
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
We had a really good tour. We love the self-guided approach, so that we can go at our own pace. The RideWithGPS app worked very well, and the turn-by-turn directions on it were excellent. We really appreciated the excellent restaurant recommendations (the food was SO good). The mix of scenery and culture were what we were seeking. The only reason I give this 4* instead of 5* is the issue of dogs. We were given a safety briefing and told how to deal with aggressive dogs, and that worked mostly, as long as we had time to react. There is a dog between Piana and Tripoli that raced out (with two other dogs) and I had no time to react and was bit on my leg. The bite broke the skin so I had to go to the hospital to get antibiotics and a tetanus shot. One of the other riders on the same itinerary was also bit by the very same dog! In Tripoli, we spoke to some locals who said, "we know that dog." So, this is a known issue, yet apparently no one has addressed it. One other rider on our itinerary got bit on a different day, by a different dog. So, that's 3 of 9 of us that got bitten. If not for the dog problem, this would be an excellent tour. As is, I still recommend it, but feel that riders should be aware of this issue. We had some very special interactions with locals, enjoyed the small towns along the route, LOVED Nafplio, and it was really fun to have three nights in Nafplio so that we didn't have to pack up our things as much. The bikes were very good. We didn't have any mechanical issues r flats, and the helmets were good (with visors). Things were organized well.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Philip Weickhardt
Highly enjoyable and well organised
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
We greatly enjoyed the beautiful and ever changing landscapes we rode through. The e-bikes we chose were greatly appreciated as there was quite a bit of climbing at some points each day. The routes chosen were good - mostly the roads we rode on were quiet with few cars. The hotels were mostly small and rural, but the hosts were excellent, the food good and the accommodation comfortable. The quality of the bikes, the orientation briefing and the collection at the end of the trip left nothing to complain about. The route guidance maps provided to preload onto the Ride with GPS App worked really well.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ gerald murphy
Tauren bike path
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
The ride through this part of Austria was great - the snow capped mountains, green countryside and friendly people made for a great cycling adventure - the only disappointing aspect was the poor detailing in the maps that were provided.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Michael Parrett
The Best trip ever
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
Every aspect of our tour was first rate and we would recommend this trip to everyone. From the moment we arrived at the gang plank to a couple of hours after we departed the Magellan, we were treated to first rate service by the land support staff and onboard crew. The tour, the sights and the cities visited were tremendous. The size of the tour (30), allowed us to get to know the entire group of travellers and we were fortunate to be joined by many interesting and enthusiastic adventurers . The single best aspect of our trip were our two guides, Dora and Serge. Their professionalism, enthusiasm and pride in their country made every part of the journey fun, interesting and an experience never to forget.
Regards
Beverley and Mike- What was the date of your tour?
- June 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?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Paula Seliga
Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
Cycling and Cooking in Tuscany
We had excellent guides, hosts, chefs, restaurants, sites to see, bikes, fellow tourists, and accommodations. The only thing I would have changed is to begin the cooking classes earlier, so we could have eaten earlier. Difficult to pass up all that gorgeous food, but if you ate it, difficult to go to sleep with such a full stomach, and then get up and eat again!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
BikeTours.com staff reply from JV
Thanks for your business, the pics, and a glorious review. Hope to help you again on another glutinous journey. :)
- ★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI
Beautiful area
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI
Beautiful area
Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ David Doehr
Holland is Bike-Centric!!!
Best of Holland North: Dutch Villages, Landscapes & the Keukenhof
Holland was a wonderful tour, and here is specifically why:
The entire country is bike-centric - which means everyone (in cars) yields to bikes,
The bike lanes are impeccable in quality,
Our bikes (rented from Tulip Tours) were outstanding 8-speed, belt drive, touring bikes (best yet out of 4 European tours I have done),
Hotels were all 4/3 star in quality - no losers in the entire route (sometimes there are),
Dutch prefer to speak English if you don't know Dutch, so there is no issue if you don't speak Dutch,
Pieter, from Tulip Tours, did an outstanding set-up and send-off with us (spent over an hour putting on our pedals, making sure we had our equipment setup properly, and then he went thru the Garmin device in detail, as well as showed us all of the printed dailies he made for us, and ensured that we had emergency contact numbers etc., (this proved vital as we had two circumstances when we needed help, and it was handled efficiently and effectively in a short (20 minutes) matter of time,
Our routes (programmed into the Garmin) were expertly designed by a cyclist, and included loops that were spectacular (Kroller Mueller National Park), this made each day special,
Landscapes were beautiful, big skies and clouds, at times the winds blew and it rained, but it just made me appreciate the Dutch resolve, as they were all riding bikes in it.
I highly recommend this tour, we capped it with three days in Amsterdam, which allowed us to take in all of the museums (NDSM is a must!) and a Heineken brewery tour which were all delightful.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Four European tours of 1 - 2 weeks
- 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
- ★★★★★ Pieter Van Niekerk
Quiet, beautiful and well organized.
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Excellent cycling roads with beautiful scenery. Well-spaced stops. Excellent GPS app. Good hotels. Good bikes and helpful upfront orientation.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
- ★★★★★ Michael Schwartz
Great Exposure to a Slovenia not seen by tourists
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
The bike tour of the Gems of Slovenia afforded us a glimpse into the hidden life of the country, at least the part we saw. The hotels were comfortable, especially the M Hotel in Ljubljana. Breakfast at the M Hotel and the Hotel Piran were great; the others middling to OK. The luggage delivery to each hotel was excellent. The routes from Ljubljana to Piran were good, although our navigation system failed us after the second day. The company faxed us paper directions but they were in black and white and were repeat documents of what we had already.
A few suggestions for change:
1. Provision of a cell phone holder (the plastic bag with velcro strips did not work)
2. A better GPS app
3. Two, not one, but two panniers
4. A way to ensure the charger for the E-bike does not fall out or be removed (someone removed my charger whether accidentally or intentionally I don't know)
5. A way to do laundry, either in town or at the hotel with turn around time to keep the momentum of the trip goingI would also consider making a town in Slovenia a central location with day trips to the surrounding environments.
Good job!
Michael
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 4 - 11
- How many tours have you completed?
- Two including this one
- 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?
- Slovenia
