Staff Picks  Bike Tour Reviews (page 14)

  • Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
    (4/5) Wes Kenney 1 month ago

    Beautiful week in Slovenia

    · Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems

    We had a great time on the Emerald Tour. None of us had been to Slovenia before and were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the country and friendliness of the Slovenian people. We spent some extra time in Ljubljana and Lake Bled in advance of the tour. Definitely a must. Would highly recommend this trip to those who had not been to Slovenia and those who have and want a different perspective.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    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?
    Slovenia
    • Sanjel (photo by Wes Kenney)
    •  (photo by Wes Kenney)
    •  (photo by Wes Kenney)
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 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) David A. 4 weeks ago

    A great experience

    · Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems

    This was an unguided town-to-town bike trip, 6 days, from Ljubljana to Piran. I rented a (non-electric) bike.

    The bike (Trek FX2 gravel bike) was good, and fit me well. The rear derailleur was a bit out of alignment. They give you a spare tube and some tools, which I didn't need.

    The nav was pretty easy. You get a nav app (Guibo) that has some glitches but works OK. There are little arrow stickers along the way that confirm the directions, but don't replace the app

    The route was about 50% roads with fast cars and no shoulder, 30% paved village roads with few cars, 10% bike paths, and 10% gravel farm roads. This was more cars than I would have liked, but the tour has to work with what's there.

    The hotels were all excellent - generally the best available place in each town.

    The towns, and the associated attractions (castles, caves etc.) were great.

    The rides were moderate - 20-30 miles each day, some elevation gains. Day 2 gained 2000' and was a little hard. They generally took ~3 hours including breaks. Take your time, otherwise you might arrive too early to check in.

    In summary: a very well-planned and well-organized tour. I had a great time, and would definitely consider doing another tour with this company. Also, I thought the price was quite reasonable.

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2025
    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
    Countries included in this tour?
    Slovenia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • (5/5) Anne H 4 weeks ago

    Fabulous, scenic odyssey

    · Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems

    What a wonderful journey! The scenery was spectacular as we biked through rolling hills, quaint villages, and especially as we arrived at the Adriatic Sea. A few days consisted of biking up and down some fairly significant hills, so get an e-bike if you aren’t in shape for biking uphill, which we thought we were but we underestimated how challenging the hills would be. The route includes several gravel roads but the bikes handled the bumps just fine. Slovenian drivers seemed very accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists and were quite respectful. Almost all of the roads that we biked on were sparsely traveled. The hotels were nice and they all had good hearty breakfasts for us to stoke up on before our rides. The tour company was responsive and we appreciated having our luggage delivered to our destination each day. Slovenia is a beautiful country inhabited by welcoming, friendly people. We loved it!

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    2
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat 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?
    Slovenia
    • 5/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection
  • Medieval Transylvania Heritage
    (5/5) Renee 4 weeks ago

    Amazing cycling in Romania

    · Medieval Transylvania Heritage

    I cycled the Medieval Transylvania route solo with the support of local tour operator. I booked at very short notice but everything was perfectly organised. Great welcome, comprehensive travel notes and verbal information and a great Canondale bike (well serviced, all spares available and cycle panniers supplied). The daily routes (with accurate GPX files) were interesting and with diverse scenery. The routes were mainly on small quiet roads with only a few stretches of busier roads. Trip notes highlighted good places to stop for cultural visits, lunch and dinner. Oana helped book ahead at 2 places for lunch, which was greatly appreciated. The accommodation was fantastic (never been on a cycle holiday with such amazing accommodation before) - in castles and guesthouses. The proprietors were all kind, helpful and keen to explain the local history. Baggage transfer was efficient and easy. I've done many cycle holidays (in groups and solo) but this is one of the best! Definitely plan to go back to Romania for further cycle adventures. Thank you so much - especially to Oana who was amazing.

    Countries included in this tour?
    Romania
  • Cycling Spain's Ebro River
    (5/5) Paul 2 weeks ago

    Outstanding

    · Cycling Spain's Ebro River

    It was a great time. Had a few hills, but all were manageable with the electric bike. The company that ran the tour was excellent.

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2025
    How many tours have you completed?
    This was my 5th
    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?
    Spain
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 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