Top-Rated Tours Reviews page 23
- Albania
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and H…
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- England
- Estonia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Holland
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Vietnam
- ★★★★★ Susanne Graham
Wonderful experience!
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I can’t think of a better way to experience a trip through Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. The weather was perfect for our trip and the scenery was epic. We loved traveling by e-bike and seeing and feeling the small towns and beautiful and unspoiled territory. We met some wonderful fellow bikers along the way. We do not want to travel any other way.
- ★★★★★ Susanne Graham
Wonderful experience!
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
I can’t think of a better way to experience a trip through Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. The weather was perfect for our trip and the scenery was epic. We loved traveling by e-bike and seeing and feeling the small towns and beautiful and unspoiled territory. We met some wonderful fellow bikers along the way. We do not want to travel any other way.
- ★★★★★ Jeff Pinkerton
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UNESCO Sites of Albania
For half a century—in our lifetime--Albanians lived in a society not dissimilar to that of North Korea today—no freedom of speech, freedom of religion (in fact, Hoxha declared Albania to be the first “atheist state”) or even freedom of movement. People were encouraged to spy—then report—on their neighbors (even family members) who were subsequently detained and tortured; many executed. Factories were demolished; their education system was mostly just indoctrination. The citizens had little-to-no awareness of the outside world. The President convinced the citizens that they were under threat of attack, so they armed themselves and built defensive turrets pointed at the (ostensible) enemy. It’s only in the past quarter-century that the country emerged from darkness. Today it is a member of NATO but not yet a part of the EU; it is working its way back into the sunlight. Albania has a strong affinity for America. They thank Woodrow Wilson for ‘creating’ it following WW I and Bush I and Clinton for supporting their membership into NATO. We saw quite a number of American flags here.
My image of the country was something more ‘basic’ than has presented itself here in the capital of Tirana. First example: When arriving at the airport in any foreign country, you go through immigration. Typically, it’s cumbersome, lengthy and heavy on the bureaucracy. Here, you approach a ‘gate’, and scan your passport; then that gate opens, and you move forward a couple of steps to a camera. The image from your passport matches the photo from the camera and you’re in. Nothing to it! The US could learn from them.
The capital, Tirana, is fairly modern with notable architecture.
Looks like there’s nothing behind Are there warts Did someone take a
The façade growing alongside bite out of this one?Traffic moves swiftly, there are bike lanes and charging stations for taxis on the main drag downtown.
I spent quite a bit of time wandering around town. As Anthony Bourdain says when visiting a new place: “Get curious, get hungry, get lost”. I did—especially the latter.
We certainly don’t see these in Denver.They sell things in the capital of Tirana—but apparently you have to know what you’re looking for.
Shoes Purses JewelryThis is a pop-up library in the middle of a park downtown. And this fellow is guarding a bakery.
Why Albania, you may ask
Actually, Kathleen found it; we were scheduled to come here last year, but her skiing accident postponed that by a year. That fall spooked her, so she hung up her biking helmet. My interest in coming is to offset some of the recent experiences in Asia. This time I wanted a ride that was, shall I say, ‘civilized’ unlike the stupidly long days in Thailand, the humidity of Borneo, the challenging trails of Madagascar, the ineffective guide of Vietnam or the absolutely stupid obstacle course of Laos. Albania—being European—seemed to be more civilized’ and promised to be none of those. It’s also a place I’ve never been and heard that it had great scenery and great food. Both of which were born out. SHOW MOREQuestion: What do the following countries have in common: China, Russia, Viet Nam, Laos & Cuba? Answer: All communist countries where I’ve biked, so that just left Albania and North Korea that are ‘unbiked’; making that one more reason to go (that last one will probably have to wait).
The ride/ riders:
There are 19 of us on the bike tour: Three Germans, five Canadians, the rest from the UK and me—the only Yankee. All but one is >50 (he’s the son of one of the other riders). Three other solo travelers (one female), four couples and a platoon of Canadian women traveling together. A total of nine guys, ten women. I’m the oldest by a decade or so.Our Albanian guide speaks fluent English. The three Germans speak passable English. Of course, the platoon of Canadians is perfectly understandable. The British, however, continue to perversely insist that they speak English. They don’t. They think they do, they say they do, but they don’t. Jon Oliver, I understand; James Corden, I understand; this batch of Limeys, I don’t.
Eight days of riding, no more than 45 miles/day; 19,000 feet of elevation gain (Oof!).
Things that caught my eye:No, this is not an epithet, it means Apparently you need authorization to nudge your vehicle “for sale “ along
You see a lot of this here. There is very little mechanization of farming in the countryside.
What there is, though, is acres and acres of airable fields that are not being farmed. Apparently, there are not enough people to do the work necessary. Virtually every other place I’ve been, this land would be put to productive use.
There are natural springs all along the Defensive turrets (as mentioned previously)
way where the locals get their clean water
Isn’t “Money Get” a No, this restaurant does not Yes, there is really a person
better name for it anyhow? serve Mexican food under there
This is the name of a gas station.
After all, once I fill up aren’t I . . . On my way?
The saddles on donkeys are wooden—and
built such that the rider sits sideways
Food
As mentioned above, I had heard that the food in Albania was commendable. Serious understatement. If you want meat (or even a lot of fish), this isn’t the place. However, if you want vegetables and cheese presented in an unfathomable number of ways, this is where you belong. Further, dinner is served family style (probably, because we’re a congruent group), and comes in waves. First the salad, then the hummus (and its brothers), then the vegetable plate, then the bell peppers doused in cheese, then . . . I counted 8 servings in one night. Eight; no, that’s not a typo.We had fish—the whole damn thing—one night (we were staying at a fish farm) and lamb one other night (we were staying at a shepard’s lodge). Other than that, it was almost all veggies. Oh, and yes, they have good beer here. Food is served family style, which is basically a sit-down version of a pig-out buffet.
My only complaint is that their French fries are limp, and catsup is unknown in these parts.
Other observations:
Albania is 90% Muslim. That said, I never saw a mosque or a woman wearing traditional Muslim garb.Inter-religion marriage is OK. Marriage with the neighboring countries (Greece, Montenegro, Macedonia, . . ) OK. Homosexual marriage is not OK. In fact, those who are gay are still pretty much in the closet for fear of harassment.
Many roadside restaurants and gas stations lack toilet seats. Lids yes, but seats—not so much.
I saw no younger people outside of the main city—only older folks. There also appear only be white people here—no folks of color to be found anywhere
They do a good job with energy conservation: virtually all toilets are dual-flush, and they make good use of motion-detector lights. That said, though, it’s very common for the electricity to go out for a couple of minutes at a time.
Gasoline prices here are lower than the surrounding countries, so it’s typical for Montenegrins or Kosovars or Macedonians or Greeks to come over here to fill up their tanks. I also noticed that gas and diesel are the same price (for whatever reason, the price for diesel is substantially higher at home)
Things in general are inexpensive here. A beer from the minibar is $2.00 (whoever heard of a minibar price being low?). The entire tour which includes lodging, food, transportation, a guide, an assistant guide, a driver/van comes out to roughly $125day; one can hardly stay home for that amount.
In the rural areas, there are no younger people—they’ve all left for the cities for better opportunities. What’s left are older people to man the farms. What happens when they die off?
We had breakfast every morning at the hotel; every one of them served coco puffs (I didn’t know they were still around). Many meals come with French fries—soggy French fries; Kathleen would be appalled.
Electric switches are the opposite of ours. To turn a light on, you push it down.
The way the head guide handled drinks is genius: instead of each of us paying for drinks daily, getting change (times 20 people), he just said “I’ll tell you nightly how much a beer (wine, etc.) costs. You keep track of that amount nightly and pay me at the end of the trip”. Absolutely brilliant.
The gas stations / rest stops alongside the highways have full bars. So not only can you fill up your tank, but you can also get tanked.
Water in the countryside is clean, potable and plentiful. In the metro areas, you purchase bottled water.
In many cases, we were the only tourists there at the hotel / guest house / lodge where we stayed.Roughly five million people speak Albanian—98% of them are in Albania. The language is seldom spoken outside of Albania and Kosovo (which citizens of both countries consider to be an ‘annex’ of Albania)
Hot chocolate is an unknown here. The one time I thought I was successful in ordering one, they delivered something better described as ‘scalding hot chocolate pudding’.
The guides also function as waiters and busboys as well as guiding duties. They work awfully hard.
The ride:
Day 1: We took a short spur road that took us into the country of Macedonia to see a church where colorful angry birds guard the place
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In Macedonia, they speak a different language and use the Cyrillic alphabet.Day 2: Moderate climbing; verdant green everywhere. Did a pleasant lap around a lovely lake which reminded me of Penticton, BC. Near our hotel, we witnessed them taking dirt out of the lake to fill in a dock they were expanding.
(Yes, the scooper machine on the left is actually sitting in the water)And here it is in action: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jaGLrVavXhi5Hh8N7
At the end of the day, we stayed in a town that had this very
impressive Greek Orthodox church:Day 3 had 3800 feet of elevation gain. Many of the roads were under repair or rutted or potholed or gravelly. I got in just before the rain started. Whew. At one point, we had to stop the ride because there was traffic—this being on the main road through this part of the country.
Day 4 had some of the best scenery I’ve ever observed—anywhere. This place is green, green, green. It has mountains that rival the alps, beautiful valleys. I was sorry when the day ended (I must note, however, that is also had some of the worst roads I’ve experienced outside of SEAsia—albeit intermittently).
Day 5: Mostly downhill and again, stupendous scenery—jut more and more of it! This place has the green of Ireland, the hills of Bhutan, the rolling fields of Denmark and the bucolic-ness of Iceland. There were times I felt that we were riding in the Roaring Fork Valley or the lovely entrance into Telluride
The end of the day brought us to the town of Gjorokaster which is the location of an immense fort / castle at the top of a hill where they prefer you walk on the paved sidewalks:
This fort was built entirely of stones at the top of a hill back in the 12th century. It housed over 5000 soldiers and is huge
Many houses in Gjirokastër have a distinctive local style that has earned the city the nickname "City of Stone", because most of the old houses have roofs covered with flat dressed stones.
This is what they mean by having a tile roofDay 6 started out just right—a 10-mile shuttle to the top of a hill followed by a 10-mile coast down the other side with another spate of beautiful scenery along the way. Think of shuttling to the top of Rocky Mountain National Park, then coasting down. It was a hoot.
Part of the way we were alongside the border with Greece, so the signage is in both languages:
Clearly there is a lot of traffic between the two countriesWe ended up on the coastline after having visited some historically significant (to them) pile of rocks and ultimately at a hotel which is literally on the beach. Note, though, that the beaches here are rocky; not amenable to walking on. We even took a ferry ride that is pulled back and forth with cables
The van driver, Tani, is the handsome fellow there in frontDay 7 was another wonderful experience. We had to hump our way to the top (3300’ of elevation gain), but once we did, we had views of the ocean to the left and the mountains to the right with an occasional small village to make the scenery even more dramatic.
This is akin to the Amalfi coast of Italy, or, better yet, the Big Sur coast of central California (a route I’ve always wanted to bike, so ended up coming from 6,500 miles away to do a close approximation of it).
Once we descended, we were on the ocean—with fields and grape vineyards a part of the viewDay 8
This is the big honker. On our final day, we climb 5500 feet today—the equivalent of riding from Estes Park to Granby over the continental divide via Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park. I’m seriously apprehensive. I’ve not done that much of a climb anytime in the past decade.Worse yet, we started the ride by climbing out of the city where we spent the preceding night. Over the first 4 mile stretch we averaged 10% grade and hit steeps as much as 17% which is probably twice as much pitch as I’ve ever done. That led to the next stretch of 3300’ of up. No breaks.
This is what we looked at as we started the day
Traffic jam at the half-way point—looking down at what we’ve done so far
And this is what lies ahead of us at said half-way point
(The axes are in metric—we are one of only three countries that uses the English system)But the ride was worth it; the views were spectacular all along the way. [There is no photo from the top. It rained as we approached the peak, so we were all eager to get past that]. And of course, the wonderful descent that took us back to sea level. There was a sense of exhilaration and accomplishment as we approached our hotel. I actually was a bit wistful because I knew this was the end of the trip. Actually, sorry to see come to an end
Our hotel had a lovely setting and was a great way to cap off the rideSo, over the 8 days of riding, we started at sea level, we climbed to 3000’ and descended yet again. Overall, we climbed over 19,000 feet. We biked through larger cities and to villages that are little more than bumps in the road. We’ve seen a wide variety of foliage, foods, people and architectural styles. We saw several UNESCO cultural sites and beautiful churches (but not too many, though), swam in the Ionian Sea, ate wonderful meals (too many for sure). This is a very varied tour that provided a great representation of the country.
Ebike
I feel I’m confessing to having an STD or having fathered a child outside of marriage. Nevertheless, I fell off the wagon and used one for the first time. Here’s why: On prior trips I was almost always the last one in and felt like I was holding up the train. I didn’t want to stop to take a photo because that just put me all the further behind and wanted to avoid the not-entirely-pleasant biking experiences recently in Madagascar, Borneo, Vietnam and LaosHaving an ebike allowed me to see the surrounding scenery—not just fixate on my front tire and to occasionally even pass someone. I’m good at distance, but poor at speed and worse yet on the climbs (I’ve been passed by runners going uphill)
The overall ride has 19,000 feet of elevation gain. The last day requires a climb of 5500’. Two other days are >3500’. I haven’t done 3500’ since 2018; it’s been a decade since I’ve done 5500’ or more. I wanted to enjoy this ride, not torture myself. There were five other slackers such as me (three females, two other males). But I am consoled in that one of the other males is the head guide himself.
I didn’t turn on ‘power assist’ on the flats or even on modest inclines (which sounds noble of me; it’s not—these things are HEAVY—more than 50 pounds which makes it more than twice as heavy as my bike at home). Consequently, I feel that I got a workout and earned some number of calories I ingested along the way.
Summary
This was a very good ride. We had spectacular scenery, good weather (it tried to drizzle on two days, but was sunny most of the rest), no wind, never hot, not humid, great food (90% vegetables) and the best guide ever. The daily distances were just about right—we were typically in before 4:00 (even with what I consider to be an unnecessary and overly-long coffee stop each morning)Notably, this was good group of fellow riders. There were no whiners, no showboats, nobody was late. We even had two RNs and two MDs (one of whom did her own patch job when she torqued her Achilles—Wilderness First Responders at its finest.)
Dr. Kelly with her redneck ankle splintKelly went to Zanzibar and Cameroon as a part of her medical training (she also has the most delightful infectious laugh). The other MD (Rhonda) is not a biker, but she signed up for this, never whined, did the entire ride and did NOT have an ebike. Impressive. Kelly’s sister, Sheri was the spark plug of the week.
Both MDs, Kelly and Rhonda, are interested in volunteering for Narayan’s trip in Bhutan in November
I mentioned that I was the only Yank as it happens two couples have dual citizenship—one of whom has a brother in Longmont whom he visits from time to time. He, Murray, and his wife, Sue, are delightful; I spent quite a bit of time with them and hopefully we’ll get to see them in the future. Murry, by the way is a relative of Alex Lowe of mountaineering fame. He is also a PhD geologist who lent his expertise on several occasions. Sue is an RN and did part of her training in Uganda. Each are inveterate travelers.
My good buddies Murray & Sue
Another dual-citizenship couple live in Carbondale and for years owned/ran the Woody Creek Tavern just outside of Aspen. He, Kevin, is an extraordinary cyclist. At age 65 he was always first in the pack and rode apace with the head guide who had an ebike. (Kevin’s wife, Laura, was never far behind). Kevin has ridden the Leadville 100 14 times and even won it once (he still has the record as the oldest winner). They’ve also done several bike rides with Spice Roads—including some of the same ones I’ve done.The platoon of Canadian ladies was a hoot; I really enjoyed them. Only one was a serious rider; all were there to have a good time—which they did. I had a great time with them.
Next stop—the airport
“All our bags are packed, we’re ready to go.. .”Our super great guides—head guide, van driver, assistant guide
Erlis Tani Kristi
The group
I’ve done 29 of these bike tours now covering 19 different countries.
This one might be my most favorite trip ever. What makes a trip good?• A beautiful country with good food, good weather and good roads
• A strong guide staff who is knowledgeable, helpful and informative
• A great group of fellow ridersCheck, Check and Check
Onward
SHOW LESS- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
- ★★★★★ 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
- ★★★★★ 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
- ★★★★★ Roberta Lowe
UNESCO Sites of Albania
UNESCO Sites of Albania
Both the guide and the driver/mechanic/doer of countless other chores were superb. Had to van much of each day and they were totally supportive about this. Route showed off the lovely and impressive southern part of Albania. The food was unfailingly delicious and the overnight accomodations were all good, ranging from charming to grand for the final night. Much uphill and long distances. Most of the miles of road surfaces are good but there are sections that are no problem with a hybrid but not really suitable for a road bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
- ★★★★★ Tamera Oswald
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.
- ★★★★★ Tamera Oswald
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.
- ★★★★★ Kris Krause
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!
- ★★★★★ 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
- ★★★★★ Joseph Tevaarwerk
Very nice trip and well organized. We have planned another one as well
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We had a great time on this bike trip. The routes were clearly planned and the hotels were great with very good beds and excellent breakfast. The bike rental place was very well organized with very pleasant technicians to help getting the correct adjustments. Our bikes were both nearly new (2022 and 2023). We had no snafus at all.
One suggestion: allow for at least two extra days after the ride to visit some of the sites that take more time. For example we did have one day left to visit the Pfahlenbauten Museum. We went by ferry across Lake Constance and spend nearly 4 hours at the museum, a very pleasant day. I would have liked a similar day to visit the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen and then visit Insel Mainau, but we were out of time. A lesson for next time.
We visited some beautiful places but the one that capped it all was from the top of a castle in Ueberlingen. It was just gorgeous.- What was the date of your tour?
- April 23-29
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Bridget Harron
My first bike trip -definitely not my last!
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
What a blast!! Great way to spend time with family. Such a friendly vacation spot. We had a little trouble losing the bike trail through the towns along the way -but clearly our lack of map-reading skills.
- What was the date of your tour?
- may 4, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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
- ★★★★★ Joseph Bohonos
Balkans Introduction
Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
This trip was our introduction to supported touring. The cost was reasonable, hotels were charming, the guides were top notch. There were some areas that were not bike friendly---our guide did a remarkable job keeping us safe. The rented bicycles were high quality--no worries there. May/June, September/October are the times to go, summer is too hot.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- ★★★★★ Stephanie St Cyr
Spectacular! We would do it all over again tomorrow
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
The perfect way to experience the plethora of quaint villages and perfect towns surrounding the lake. We would have done it all over again if we could have. The accommodations were perfect, luggage transport was seamless, breakfasts were delicious and bike paths were plentiful along the way. We will be doing another trek next year and another the year after.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- None
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Bruce
Early Season Trip
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This bike route is in a gorgeous area of Europe and VERY POPULAR, even during Season B. During high season, the paths around Lake Constance must be like L.A. during rush hour traffic! The pathways are a mixture and dedicated for bicyclists, shared with pedestrians, shared with slow moving traffic and through busy towns and quiet villages. It's mostly paved and the scenery is generally good to great. You pass through some limited commercial/industrial areas. Be alert for packs of fast paced road bikers and keep to the right, thus allowing them to retain high speeds as they are training for imaginary slots in the Tour de France. Some e-bikers are in fast mode as well.
If traveling by train in Germany to/from Konstanz, the DB Navigator smartphone application is good. The initial/last accommodation, Hotel Halm, is located perfectly across the street from the bahnhof in Konstanz. You are given a local transit pass (that you've paid for indirectly), which allows you to hop on bus #6 at the bahnhof and puts you within about two blocks of the bike shop, where you will gather your rigs. Staff are great at the bike shop. Riding from the shop back to the hotel is easy and mostly on a bike path. Taking a taxi to the bike shop is spendy despite the short distance.
The bikes are heavy, entirely suitable and well maintained. They have a much higher center of gravity than typical bikes and are like a supertanker as to maneuvering in tight quarters. Adjust your riding style, mounting/dismounting techniques accordingly.
The mapping is inadequate. Refresh your vocabulary in advance. We loaded an inexpensive Airalo e-sim good for the region, is inexpensive (3 GB data, $13) and valuable. There were some cell phone dead zones, however. Almost all locals were more than helpful in redirecting us to the proper pathways. Adopt the concept of when first lost, immediately ask for help. Of note: departing Konstanz and staying on the bike route was a PITA. The same for transiting Radolzell.
The hotels were fine and served good to excellent breakfasts. Also provided is secure storage for bikes each night. How all bikes are stored during high season must require significant imagination by hotel staff. Two hotels were less than ideal as to locations, including Parkhotel St. Leonhard, which is on the edge of town and high on a bluff. The other is Hotel Restaurant Seegarten in Arbon, and located well away from the town and restaurants.
Staff at Bike Tours are superior...thanks for helping book this trip! Tip: membership in Adventure Cycling gains you a discount.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2023.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- 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
- ★★★★★ Jennifer Sutton
Beyond expectations!
Provence by Bike and Boat
This slow way of travelling is perfect for savouring Provence on all levels…
Captain Willy and crew were extremely friendly, attentive and helpful. Our bike tour guide Michela was very safety conscious as well as informative and inclusive, all done with her Italian humour! The schedule was packed but never rushed. It helped that our group was cohesive and respectful of each other…and punctual! The food was excellent and our bow berth beyond expectations.
I have already recommended this tour to others!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 22 from Avignon
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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?
- France
- ★★★★★ Rudo Clemens
Very Nice Biketour
Welcome to Tallinn Bike Tour
Today (27/4/23), we had a very Nice Biketour with our guide Toomas. We were with 6 people and saw a lot. Toomas knew a lot to tell and showed us beautifull places. It’s a real recommandation, thnx so much
- ★★★★★ Rachel Swerdlow
Gorgeous flat bike trip!
Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
We thoroughly enjoyed our ride. Adorable and interesting towns. We didn't have enough time to see and do everything there was to see and do. Hotels were charming. Great breakfast every morning. Recommend highly.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
- ★★★★★ Emily Hyde
Fun trip but bikes too heavy
Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
All aspects of the trip were very well organized. The packet we were given was great. We had a problem with one of our bikes, and had a new one the next day! The tour company did a good job with helping when needed. Each hotel we stayed at knew we were coming. Check in was always smooth. Even though we arrived early each day, the hotels were very accommodating and our room was always ready. They all were prepared for our bike storage as well.
We wished we would have covered more mileage each day. Other than scenery, there wasn't much to do in some of the towns, so we would have liked to have covered more mileage. The last day was only a twelve mile ride, which was disappointing. That distance is covered in no time at all on an e-bike. We checked in to our hotel by 1 pm each day. Unfortunately for us it rained everyday except the last, so we didn't meander around as we hoped, we made it as fast as we could to each location. It took us about 3 1/2 hours each day to cover the distance we were supposed to ride. We probably would have stopped along the way had the weather been better.
Hotels:
Again, ALL were accommodating. Staff at every location welcomed us warmly!
The Hotel Ermitage in Schonreid was truly exceptional in each and every aspect. Will be going back one day! Wish we could have had our rest day there! The Gruyere Hotel staff went above and beyond. They welcomed us with hot cocoa when they saw how wet and cold we were. One of our group twisted their ankle, they helped with what we needed. They contacted the bike company for us with picking up one of the bikes that wasn't working. We also sent our bikes instead of riding because of the rain and they helped us arrange that.
We were very disappointed in the Seegarten Marina Hotel in Spiez. It was definitely not up to the quality of our other hotels. The room was incredibly small, as was the bathroom. We should have been given the option of two rooms in that hotel. We had three people with us on this trip, and it was the only time it was really uncomfortable. The third person slept on an actual cot. Unfortunately, it was also our "rest day," so we had two nights at that hotel. We were given the hotel list about two weeks prior to our trip. Perhaps a list of hotels ahead of time would be nice. It would have give us the option of making plans for things to do at each location, especially on the rest day.Bikes: Although we wondered before our trip about the mileage we would be covering, that, we found, was of no concern on an e-bike.
Didn't need to train, or get ready to sit for a long time on the seat each day. Those ended up not being an issue at all. The BIG issue was the weight of the bike. All three of us felt we would probably never do one of these tours again-completely because of the bike. We had rented e-bikes in the states before we came. Totally different. Your bikes were very, very heavy. We felt off-balance on the bike--ie--couldn't look back on the bike for fear of falling. Two of us did fall(just lots of bruising.). We all thought that should be mentioned somewhere in your literature. SHOW MOREA couple other items:
The funicular station in Vevey said "no bikes". So, we started riding them. Big mistake. We rode--well, walked, our bikes up one of the steepest sections of the trip. Send your bikes whenever it says to do so. Makes a big difference in your day!The timing of the chocolate factory wasn't great. Although it probably was the last timed ticket for the day, we missed the bus, which only came hourly, and had to take a $50 cab ride to make it there on time. This was the only day we got into town late (didn't use the funicular! and got lost)
The directions were good on the open road. Not as great in the city. Was usually hard to navigate from the hotel out of the city.
Rest day would be good in a different city. Not much to do in Spiez.
Would probably have been a wonderful trip if we saw the Alps, and the bikes were lighter!
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Switzerland
- ★★★★★ 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
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