Top Rated Tours Reviews page 9
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★★★★★ Shlomo November 12, 2017
Great trip in the Loire
· Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
It was my first multi-day bike trip and it was great. All the equipment and instructions were 100% .
2 comments: No one from the local company met us (so, for example, I couldn't ask how to reset the distance meter). And, there was no mobile number to which I could WhatsApp in case of problem (and I had no local calls package). Other than that it was great.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct. 6th 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Thomas November 13, 2017
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
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★★★★★ umcam256 November 26, 2017
Excellent first cycling trip - beautiful countryside and learned a lot
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Background: My friend and I are from Winnipeg MB. It is extremely flat where we live. This was also our first cycling trip. We paid the extra to have our overnight bags delivered to the next hotel. We started the cycling trip on August 25 and finished August 30 2017.
We booked the 5 day, 6 night self-guided cycling tour through Radweg Reisen. You receive a .pdf of maps and hotel logistics about a week before you arrive. Ideally this would be provided at time of booking so that you can download your own offline maps and determine where you will stop for the day. Although, in hindsight, with a little bit of effort we probably could have done this ourselves with a bit of research.
We started our tour in Constance, Germany. The company was most professional and very attentive to detail when we picked up our bikes. We were given a coiled booklet with the maps, written instructions on how to fix a bike tire, reattaching a bike chain and how to adjust your bike.
Please note, the bikes do not come with water bottle holders. First hand experience has taught me not to put your water bottle in the front basket with your phone unless you put your phone in a waterproof container (drowning your phone on day 1 puts a damper on how proud you should be of yourself for cycling all those hills!).
We were advised to cycle in 3rd or 4th gear when it was "flat" and in 1st or 2nd gear when cycling on an incline. Because where I live is extremely flat, and I'm short (5 foot), I ended up cycling in 5th or 6th gear most of the time, dropping down to 4 at my lowest. My friend who is average height was able to cycle in 4th gear and able to drop down to 2nd gear at her lowest.
The first day we cycled from Constance to Reichenau Island (to sightsee) and then on to Stein am Rhein. I would recommend visiting Reichenau Island on your own if you have a day in Constance. Cycling from Constance to Reichenau Island required us to cycle out of our way and back almost all the way to Constance to get back on the trail to Stein am Rhein. While it was an excellent place to visit, it wasn't worth expending energy that could be used elsewhere. The first day was mostly uphill, and included a hill with a 13% incline. If I were to do this trip again (and hopefully I will!), I would recommend taking your bikes on the train from Constance to Stein am Rhein. Dropping your bike off, and catching the train to the Rhein Falls. We desperately wanted to visit the falls but after all of those hills we were too tired to get there. This leg of the trip is mostly through farmers' fields so if you took the train, conserving your energy for the remainder of the trip, you aren't missing too much. Your legs will thank you and it will give you more time to visit the town of Stein am Rhein and/or the falls.
The rest of our journey was as follows:
Day 2: Stein am Rhein to Überlingen Note: you will end up cycling through Constance again (with stop in Arenenberg at the Napoleonic Museum and in Constance for a swim in the Rhine). SHOW MOREThe hotel that was booked for us by Radweg Reisen is at the top of a very large hill. The view was spectacular from our room! However, it was hard to enjoy because our legs were ready to commit mutiny. In hindsight, if we hadn't doubled back the day before and/or took the train to Stein am Rhein, the uphill cycle to our hotel in Überlingen wouldn't have a been so arduous.
Day 3: Überlingen to Kressbronn (with stop in Meersburg for the Old Castle and then took a shortcut on the ferry from Friedrichshafen (I think?) the rest of the way to Kressbronn)
Day 4: Kressbronn to Rorschach (with stop in Bregenz to take the cable car up to Mount Pfänder). Contrary to everything we read, Bregenz was the easiest city to navigate to, around, and out of, compared to any of the other towns/cities we cycled through.
It was in Bregenz that we found out from two British couples who were also completing the self-guided Radweg Reisen Lake Constance tour that you can request that the booking company give you an extra day in the middle of your trip. This gives your legs one day to rest, one day to sightsee a little bit more than the days you are on your bike and one extra night at one of the hotels. When I do this trip again, I will likely book my day off for Bregenz. There were lots of day trips you could take in that area or alternatively stick around in the town.
Day 5: Rorshach to Constance (with a stop in Arbon for a beach day).
Besides taking the train the first leg, booking a day off in the middle to rest your legs/sightsee a little more in depth, the only other thing I would recommend is to download offline maps to your smartphone for each of the cities you will be staying in and how to get to the hotels. The path itself is very easy to follow but when you enter the cities it becomes quite challenging to navigate to your hotel. We frequently found ourselves using the map provided as well as finding a local map once we entered the city and still often had to ask for directions.
If two flatlanders can cycle this, you can too! The scenery is stunning and it's honestly not too hard of a cycle if you are smart about it. There are plenty of things to see and do, but you will need to plan a bit in advance of booking if you want to take in certain things. Each day you are cycling about 75 km per day (hotel to hotel) and while that doesn't seem like a lot, it does take a full day to do. We found one sightseeing thing was all we could fit in a day, hence why next trip we will be booking a day off in the middle so we can visit more of the places we had hoped to see! That being said, you could tell who the locals were because entire families were on the trail (although I think most of them were just out for the day!).
Don't be afraid to hop off your bike and walk it uphill if you need to. You should note however that the bikes are quite heavy. (I ride a fixie and even compared to my little hipster bike, these touring bikes were quite bulky and heavy.)
On a final note, the hotels that were booked for us were much nicer than anything we would have booked on our own! And the breakfasts provided at each of them was delicious. I recommend picking up some snacks at the grocery stores in the town so you have something to munch on throughout the day.
You can drink the water in Switzerland from any fountain unless it says you can't. Even still, I would recommend bringing 2-3 water bottles with you because of how hot the weather can get.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- August 25 - 30 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ happyPedals December 2, 2017Variety, history, largely off roads
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
I appreciated the variety in landscape, from hilly interior to craggy and beautiful coastline. The trails were varied, from slightly rough bike trails to quiet roads. Hotels were good. I went at the end of October. Some facilities were closed, but also this made things quiet which I like, and the weather was still warm. I would recommend this tour. The Creative Catalonia owners were very helpful.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 29 Oct start
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ BYoung December 7, 2017Fun Triangle Trip Through the Balkans
· Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
A wonderful guided trip along the sea and up into the hills of this beautiful part of the Balkans. Great scenery, idyllic vistas and deserted former rail lines converted to cycling routes; this trip has a little bit of everything. And if you are looking for multiple stamps in your passport while crossing borders on bicycle you will be able to fill a couple of pages on this trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- 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?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ Cyclemom April 28, 2018
Great Experience!
· Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
First I have to mention our great guide and support Mario and Darco. They helped make this such an incredible trip. They were accommodating, flexible, funny and full of history about the area. I know my daughter loved talking with them about their life growing up in Croatia and the incredible history of the area. We fell in love with Croatia and Bosnia Hertsagovina. I know I just spelled that incorrectly I apologize.
My husband and I used the electric bikes which had multiple settings so we had great workouts everyday while not holding back our daughter from getting a great workout on her regular bike up with the guide. Electric bikes are genius and really the way to go especially if the people you are traveling with may be in a little better shape. Their bikes were excellent.
I loved the lunch breaks on the side of the road each day and as soon as Darco realized the type of food we liked while exercising he added it the next day (oranges never tasted so good!) together with his own favorites it was perfect.
We again can not say enough about Mario. His sweet disposition and willingness to do whatever he could to make our trip memorable was greatly appreciated.
The mileage each day was not bad but the climbs gave us such a great
workout!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 13-
- How many tours have you completed?
- Second 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?
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro
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★★★★★ LuAnn April 28, 2018
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
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★★★★★ TooTall6foot7 May 15, 2018
Great trip!
· Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
Our trip was fantastic! Our local tour provider at Tulip Cycling, Peter Vos, couldn’t have been better. The bikes were brand new, the Garmin GPS worked perfectly and the routes and hotels he selected were awesome. The Belvedere Hotel in Schoonhoven was especially memorable. This was truly a trip of a lifetime that we hope is repeated soon! Thanks to Bike Tours for making it happen! We will be booking with you again!
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 21 to April 26
- How many tours have you completed?
- 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?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Ottermom June 15, 2018
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
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★★★★★ Dave64 June 19, 2018Loved this tour!
· Tuscany and Umbria: Cycling in the Heart of Italy
We enjoyed our tour very much. We loved this method of touring the Italian countryside. The itinerary took us on very quiet country roads (sometimes on dirt roads) where we could stop at our leisure and take pictures. We are both 64 years old, and ended up using e-bikes for this trip, which turned out to be a very good decision. We worked just hard enough, we could enjoy the countryside, get a good physical challenge each day, but have enough gas in our tank to enjoy the evening tour and meal in town. The towns we visited were very enjoyable, a break from the crowds in Florence and Venice. Other bikers we met on our travels were friendly and helpful with tips. The Italian drivers were very courteous to bikers. It was a fantastic trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 17-24 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Only this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
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★★★★★ jfred June 20, 2018One 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
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★★★★★ ualift June 20, 2018Could not have been better
· Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Well thought out routes and hotel selection. Three 60 and 70 something guys on level 3 Salzburg Takes Tour had great trip with moderate riding. Variety of light to moderate terrain with scenery unparalleled on post cards was fantastic.
Everyone we encountered from booking to bike and route briefings was outstanding, helpful and seemed to love what they do.
I'll be looking at future trips as this one ranked very highlly!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 01 May 2018
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Star June 20, 2018
Dolomites to Trieste
· Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We had a great time. The accommodations were great and all staff very helpful.
We had some rainy days but hotel staff were very welcoming. Local vendors for bikes very helpful especially when we had a bike malfunction.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 19,2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- Never before
- 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?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
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★★★★★ johnkrue June 21, 2018
Lakeside Spinners at Lake Constance
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was our very first bike tour, and self-guided tour. We met up with friends who had taken a few tours in the past with biketours.com. We had an absolute fabulous time. The hotels selected by Biketours were awesome. The route was spectacular. The bikes and the bike company were great to us. And being with 10 friends for 6 days was the best time of our lives.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May, 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our first!
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Paco June 21, 2018
Adventure
· Split to Dalmatian Islands
One of the best ways to introduce in the culture of the country where you are free to explore
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 20
- 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?
- Croatia
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★★★★★ Kimmer June 21, 2018
Girona - Great Trip!
· Medieval Villages of Catalonia
This was my first bike trip so I was a bit nervous but Lucy was amazing, she kindly installed the upright handlebars that I'd brought so that I could ride more upright. Lucy and Daniel gave us a very thorough briefing with maps and GPS devices. We had such an amazing trip I would highly recommend them!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1st, 2018
- 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, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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★★★★★ Pamela Jo June 22, 2018Wonderful experience
· Wine & Bike in Hungary’s Balaton Uplands
We had a great time in Hungary. Gabor is a terrific host even for a self guided ride. great cycling and even better wine!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Hungary
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★★★★★ Breno Ok June 24, 2018Great Tour to the Best of Slovenia
· Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
It was really beyond my expectations. Surely one of the best self-ride bike tour I have ever had.
Staff was great from the time we started talking until the last minute of the tour. Even in an event of a cancelled flight they managed the situation and rearranged the transfer to Bled with no extras.
Bike worked very well and was in perfect conditions. I opted to get the MTB bike and this proved to be the right thing for this tour. Hybrid ones may work fine as well.
Scenary is awesome. Each day a highlight to tell. Terrain was not a big issue, except for the second day, with a 12-km hard climb. But if you are in good condition you can try it. Other than that I found the entire tour easily rideable.
Hotels are very good on average. One or another was slightly below the expectation. Breakfast was also great. I did not booked other meals because I wanted some free choice along the way.
Roads are in good condition. Some of them has considerable traffic, but I felt a nice respect from drivers. Just assume caution and stay focused on the way. Others were so tranquil and peaceful with jaw-dropping views.
Cue cards were accurate but there are some tricky parts. Not a big issue though. They can also send gps files so that you can load them to your device if you have one. Just ask in advance.
Luggage transfer was on time everyday. It was really handy.
All in all, great tour where you will definitely glimpse the best of Slovenia.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2018
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
