Top Rated Tours Reviews page 5
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★★★★★ Linda MiolaFurrier 7 months ago
Great views - beautiful countryside
· Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
For the most part, this touring company did a good job. They dropped the ball a few times, but were quick & responsive to repairing the issues. Chosen navigation software did not work for us, thus we were forced to use our own - which was fine but not ideal. Definitely bring a backup phone battery on every ride. Hotels were adequate, clean, well positioned for our enjoyment of the area. We have done other bike trips, and this Swiss Lakes trip was the most scenic. We would do it again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2023
- 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?
- Switzerland
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★★★★★ Jodie Lawlor 8 months ago
Fantastic Adventure!!
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was our first bike tour-and we chose the self guided tour so we could take our time. It was fantastic-bikes were great, book with our route and all the details was a huge help, hotels were great and we had great weather. The towns and scenery were amazing. Highly recommend and would do again!
- 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Linda Ewing 8 months ago
Provence Bike Trip into the Countryside
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Really enjoyed the bike trip through the Provence countryside which visited several picturesque towns along the way. Our guide Alex was wonderful; she had done her homework so was able to provide us the history of what we were seeing. Plus Alex was great fun and made sure everyone was safe and comfortable while riding. Barge on-board staff was also super responsive and friendly. All the local staff was excellent!
My only criticism of the trip is the business model used by the barge company. The 'Caprice' boat itself is 'past its prime' --- old, really cramped room accommodations. We were unlucky and assigned what appeared to be the smallest double twin room that didn't even have space for the tiniest sink in the bathroom (it was installed next to my bed's pillow). In fact, all the rooms were smaller than on other barge boats I've been on. Also, the dining area was so tight you couldn't get out of your chair without your neighbor also moving. Bottomline, the company owners are squeezing too many people on the boat so they get more revenue.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 15 - 22, 2023
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Mary Gallagher 8 months ago
Disappointing Accommodations
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Recently returned from Provence bike and barge and very disappointed with cabin accommodations. Bathroom sink located in main cabin from which we heard gurgling and draining from other cabins. Also heard loud banging from floor probably due to mechanical issues due to location of cabin - farthest on the bow. Overall not suitable for guests. Crew, guide and food were great- but cabin (#1) was not acceptable.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Jon Kramp 8 months ago
A fine tour with issues
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The bike/boat tour started off by my not being able to initially find the boat. The route of the tour is normally serviced by two boats with the boats sailing the route in opposite directions during each week. Due to low bookings, only one of the two boats servicing the route was in operation. The boat I expected to sail on was the one that was out of service and docked and it took some time to find the boat that was in service.
The boat I actually sailed on, Caprice, is a converted cargo barge. The cabins contained the expected features for a 'standard' category passenger river vessel. However, the cabins are on the small side. The dining/lounge area was also on the small side considering that the boat was operating at full passenger capacity. Food service was very good and the crew was helpful. Snacks and drinks were available at the end of the days cycling.
The biking route and sights seen along the way were as advertised. However, there were two cycling related issues:
1) The tour description of 'There will be some hills' is correct for most days but that there were two climbs each of about 5km length.
2) All but five of the tour members selected to book an electric bike for the tour. Only one of the tour members completed the tour without the use of a non-electric bike because of the slope and length of the climbs. Booking an electric bike for this tour is recommended for most people.One day of the tour included a continuous 5km stretch of gravel surface. The tour used multiple types of roads. The major roads were all in fine condition. The smaller one lane roads, mainly used by farmers to reach the fields, were often in poor condition with pot holes common. It should be noted that all of the bikes offered on the tour were if good quality and in good repair. During the tour there was only one minor issue with any of the bikes.
It should be noted that some days on this tour were a bit long considering that temperatures were in the mid 90'sF to just over 100F range. On one day, for example, biking started about 8 AM and ended slightly before 6 PM. Hydration was an issue but the biking part of the tour included multiple stops each day to refill water bottles and/or purchase drinks.
A printed map of the biking route was not provided and is not available. Those doing the tour non-guided, only done by 2 people on selected days on my tour departure, will need to have a mobile phone to access route information.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Mary Gallagher 8 months ago
Great biking - barge was ok
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Biking in Provence was outstanding- but the cabin we stayed in (Cabin 1) was not satisfactory. Crew we’re great and tour leader was knowledgeable and experienced. Unfortunate about our accommodations.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
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★★★★★ Timothy Mulligan 8 months ago
Amazingly good trip
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
This trip covers a lot of ground and a variety of spectacular scenery! My 4th bike trip and easily my favorite. We spent the extra day in Bled, which turned out to be a good decision and was a nice break after 3 days on the bikes.
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★★★★★ Mary 8 months ago
A lovely way to see Bilbao along the river
· Bilbao Underground Culture Bike Tour
It’s a great way to spend an afternoon in Bilbao. Our tour was on Sunday morning so the traffic was light. One of our cyclists fell off the bike but we were passing the bike shop on a loop of the river so they replaced the bike immediately and offered plasters and bandages. Our guide was very nice and showed us plenty of interesting street art en route. The tour was three hours long so you would need a moderate level of fitness. Good value and fun!
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★★★★★ Russell Fillmore 8 months ago
Each view better than the previous
· Munich & the Bavarian Lakes
I toured solo but with the provided itinerary. It was such a comfort knowing my fresh clothes and a soft bed were awaiting my arrival at each stop. Every town was wonderful. I spent a bit longer in Garmisch, just because I loved it so. I’m a 58 year old healthy guy, but didn’t train at all for this trip. Next time, I would opt for an eBike. Extra cost but I think I could have had more energy and time to explore more.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Christiane Niggemann 8 months ago
Funny, friendly and super service in marseille
· Marseille Highlights Bike Tour
We were dropped from cruise harbour by friendly local manager - and met our bike tour guide in the city Center - although it was hot and 14 July parade in Marseille we had a wonderful e bike tour with lots of interesting stories and learned a lot about coastline Marseille and the upcoming Olympic water sport city 2024 - thank you so much
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★★★★★ Louise C van Vonno 8 months ago
Fantastic but more challenging then we are used to!
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
My husband and I have done over 10 bike tours around the world and this was by far the most challenging. If we had received the itinerary earlier than 6:30pm the day before we started we might have requested some route adjustments but there just wasn't time. We were assured by the local cycling company that provided the excellent e-bikes that we should be careful about battery usage but we would be OK. We were ok but truly exhausted at the end of most days. The route was excellent and we wanted to go back to some of the towns we visited when we weren't so tired.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June/ July 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Mark Krueger 8 months ago
Our First E-Bike Trip
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Lake Constance is a beautiful lake with many quaint towns, varied terrain and an active boat scene.
Our E-bikes performed flawlessly with more than enough battery life. Each hotel provided secure overnight bike storage and battery charging.
We are seasoned long-haul cross country hikers but experienced daily logistical issues in that using maps and GPS we were unable to follow the bike paths; we often stopped to ask for directions.
Not sure why this route is advertised as family friendly. During our journey around the lake we did not see any young children riding with parents; certainly this route is not appropriate for pulling a child-trailer behind a bike.
I’d recommend renting the E-Bike and enjoy the journey as we did.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Ian Wilkes 8 months ago
Lovely cycle ride around Ljubljana
· Ljubljana Highlights Bike Tour
We had a day to see Ljubljana before heading off to Lake Bohinj, so a guided cycle ride around the town was the perfect way to see all the best parts of Ljubljana. The equipment was good. Safety was good, and the guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Our trip was on a Thursday morning and traffic was fine. Most of the route was on pedestrian areas., and predominantly flat so it wasn't very strenuous. We even had a stop at a restaurant for a drink. The group size was 6 people. We learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed it. Matius was the perfect guide. Would highly recommend.
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★★★★★ Michele Smith 8 months ago
Loved it!!
· UNESCO Sites of Albania
It was the perfect mix between challenging, beautiful, educational and pure enjoyment!! Our guide was extremely knowledgable and entertaining. There was great a mechanic for bike maintenance when there were any issues. Not only did I learn a great deal about the country I met a number of wonderful people throughout the trip. Food and lodging was great.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
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★★★★★ Mark Krueger 8 months ago
Our First E-Bike Trip
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Lake Constance is a beautiful lake with many quaint towns, varied terrain and an active boat scene.
Our E-bikes performed flawlessly with more than enough battery life. Each hotel provided secure overnight bike storage and battery charging.
We are seasoned long-haul cross country hikers but experienced daily logistical issues in that using maps and GPS we were unable to follow the bike paths; we often stopped to ask for directions.
Not sure why this route is advertised as family friendly. During our journey around the lake we did not see any young children riding with parents; certainly this route is not appropriate for pulling a child-trailer behind a bike.
I’d recommend renting the E-Bike and enjoy the journey as we did.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Christine Downing 9 months ago
Wonderful trip full of amazing cycling
· Swiss Lakes by E-bike: Lake Geneva to Lake Lucerne
We had a wonderful time! I rode an e-bike and my husband got the touring bike and that was perfect for us (as was the self-guided tour)! The tour company worked with us on changing our rest day location (to Lauterbrunnen, highly recommend) and everything was seemless. The hotels were very nice, although some of the places you stay are a little more ‘resorty’ then we would have preferred (although spending one afternoon in several saunas at a spa was perfect after some hard rides and a very hard hike—on our rest day). The provided guide and route and GPS is very easy to follow (it’s basically just an established bike route with signs). We appreciated the warnings about busy areas and climbs (although we ended up never taking any of the short cuts and we were fine)! I highly recommend the trip, if you want spent most of your days cycling with beautiful scenery (seriously amazing) with time each day to see a site or go for a bit of walk!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2023
- 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?
- Switzerland
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★★★★★ Carey 9 months ago
Exploring Slovenia by bike
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
This was our 5th self-guided cycling trip, and a great way to see Slovenia. The route was great and highlighted the different areas of the country, from the alps to the adriatic. There are some hills which can be challenging in the heat, but very manageable with some training. Most of the roads were fairly low traffic; even on the busier roads Slovenians seemed to be pretty courteous to cyclists. There were some gravel roads which were manageable. Note that there is some conflicting information about whether you'll receive a paper copy of the route directions - you won't unless you've requested this for a fee. And there was also supposed to be one odometer included per couple - there wasn't. So I strongly suggest having a phone with a data plan so that you can follow the GPS instructions. These were fairly easy to follow, but in some cases the app had trouble finding the route so having access to google maps, etc was handy.
Hotels were good for the most part with some being really great; a couple were only adequate, but that is likely due to what is available in the specific town. Included breakfasts were all fabulous. We arranged to spend an extra day in Ljubljana after day 3, which was a great idea. We also added extra days in Piran which we were happy with. For lunches and other stops during the riding day, there are recommendations that appear on the app. However, these don't seem to be in any order for each day, so it's probably worth while to take a look at them all before you set out for the day to see what they're recommending and where.
Overall a really great vacation! Biketours.com was great to work with for booking, and although we had no issues needing local support, we were happy with the planning and the bikes were perfectly adequate.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Diane Witters 9 months ago
Great first trip with BikeTours.com
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Overall, we really enjoyed the experience and were impressed with the scenery, lodging, quality of the bikes (one of us had an e-bike and the other a “top bike “), and the multiple layers of navigation provided by Fun Active Tours, the local outfitter. We also appreciated the detailed instructions for the luggage and train transfers. We especially enjoyed the first 3 legs of the journey through the Dolomites of northern Italy, into Austria, and then the entry into Slovenia with views of the Julian Alps and into Lake Bled. Trieste may have its merits but the city was quite chaotic and difficult to navigate and find our hotel by bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was our first tour
- 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?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
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★★★★★ Emily Magnavita 9 months ago
Great trip
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
Trip was great, however, there was lack of communication with the company as far as planning logistics. Directions were unclear and sometimes incorrect, got lost on the route multiple times due to lack of information and description in the directions.
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★★★★★ Kevin Pazaski 9 months ago
Outstanding Tour of Albania!
· UNESCO Sites of Albania
Seven of us arranged a private "semi-supported" private tour. We had a wonderful Albanian guide, Nicu, assist us with shuttling our luggage, providing van support, giving us dining recommendations, and helping us navigate Albania's beautiful landscape. No significant issues along the route, zero mechanical problems, and well-designed routes.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 9-17, 2023
- 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?
- Albania