Bike Tour Reviews UNESCO Sites Of Albania (page 2)
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★★★★★ Colin Mable 7 months ago
UNESCO Sites Albania Bike Tour
The Tour was very good. The Tour guide was excellent. Spoke perfect English and was very informative with sites along the way. His Assistant who followed us from behind was also excellent. The electric bikes were Giant in good condition and we had no problems and travelled 450km on the roads of Albania. My only issue was the meals at some locations were a bit light on and we felt hungry after the meals. It would have been good to supply some snacks along the rides each day. I was very glad I did the ride with an electric bike as there were lots of very big hills to travel through Albania. The electric bikes made the ride very enjoyable and gave you opportunity to observe the scenery rather than pushing hard to get up the hills.
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★★★★★ Patricia Hill 7 months agopassed all my expectations.
We had a group of 20 and we were all likeminded people who loved cycling. The E-bike we had was nearly brand new and were amazing and made the hilly cycling trip so much more enjoyable. The guide we had had was very experienced and helpful. I was sick for a few hours one day and I couldn't cycle and the leader organised for the support vehicle to pick me up and take me to the hotel.
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★★★★★ Paul Banken 9 months ago
Awesome trip
I rarely post reviews but wanted to share my experience with a recent cycling tour; the 10 day UNESCO tour of Albania. The tour was led by Armand and Mario. It was a fantastic experience. The tour was well organized, really well run, fun, the country beautiful, the local people friendly, the food incredible and quite varied. Our group of 19 were from many countries but really bonded well. The last days ride was unnerving for some due to strong winds and large vehicles; but the sag van was usually close behind if someone wanted to take a break. Not everything went perfectly, but Armand’s upbeat, energetic, and positive attitude in quickly handling the issues made things go quite smoothly. All in all; one of the very best, most enjoyable tours I have taken out of the 20+ to date.
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★★★★★ Tina Nef 11 months ago
Fantastic trip
This was a wonderful tour. Everything was perfect. The biking and scenery were top notch - a few days in the high mountains of Albania and then a few days biking along the coast with swimming in the Ionian Sea after a day in the saddle. The guide was super knowledgeable and organized. He ran a great tour. The food, bikes, hotels etc were all top notch. There is one very long climb on the last day (over 5,000 ft). That would have been a good day for an e-bike!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Kathleen Rush 11 months ago
Excellent trip
The tour was very well organized by our local guide and his family. Our hotel and food stops were planned ahead of time and everything was ready as soon as we arrived; we didn't have to wait to eat or to get a shower! Food was plentiful and varied and our accommodations were very comfortable. The cycling part was a bit more challenging than expected but our group worked well together as half were on regular hybrid bikes and half on ebikes. Temperatures were perfect, if not a bit warm, for mid May. I definitely recommend the guided over self-guided for this trip as parts were remote and not a lot of services during the day.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5 or 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Stephanie H 11 months ago
Such a beautiful country!
We had wonderful support from our guide and our driver. The food was delicious and it was a treat to experience the amazing terrain and sights. The hills could be strenuous at times and the diesel fumes unpleasant.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Julane Anderson 12 months ago
Amazing tour!
An excellent introduction to the beauty and charms of Albania. Our guide, Arjan, and driver, Enes, went above and beyond to keep our group of 17 cyclists safe and comfortable. Family-style meals were delicious with a variety of foods chosen for us.
I recommend arriving in Tirana one to two days before the start of the tour to experience the offerings of the capital and to learn about the country's history with communism. I also recommend that cyclists be familiar with riding with traffic and riding on different road surfaces. My husband and I were glad to have rented e-bikes as the promised climbs were challenging!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ John Koester 12 months ago
Great Tour of Albania!
The guided tour of Albania was awesome. The cycling was really good, maybe a little harder than expected in the mountains. But well worth it. We climbed Llogara Pass which was an epic ride, followed by a 20 mile downhill.
The food and accommodations were really super good. No complaints at all there.
But what made the tour standout was our guide Arjan, and the van driver Enis. Those guys were great and we were all family right off the bat. They took good care of us every day we were with them. We can’t recommend this tour highly enough. Albania is a beautiful country with super cool people.- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- 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
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★★★★★ Susan Cleary 12 months ago
Amazing!
My friend and I did the UNESCO Albania tour (self guided)and it exceeded all our expectations.
The routes were breathtaking. Riding through the mountains, even in the rain,
I felt like we were in a virtual reality ride.Our tour guide, Aldo was fantastic.
Every morning he checked our bikes and made sure we had everything we needed. He would also be seen in the hotels mornings and evenings helping serve meals and drinks.The sag driver, Fitim, was wonderful too.
He would wash bikes after rainy days, make sure we had water and occasionally give a whistle if we happened to take a wrong turn and he was in the vicinity.The hotels were great with one exception, however, the others certainly made up for it especially the first and last night.
Thank you for such a wonderful experience!
Thank you Aldo and Fitim!- What was the date of your tour?
- April 19
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Lisa Luyckx 12 months ago
A Don’t Miss Tour
We just completed the ten day Albania UNESCO self-guided tour and I can’t say enough good things about it. Our tour guide Aldo made our experience in Albania all the more richer. He was available always for any help we needed, from servicing our bikes, to serving food, to making sure we were all set with our hotels to answering any questions we had. He did all of the above with a smile on his face. Our sag driver Fitim, who also helped keep the bikes clean and serviced, was always at the ready with water and a smile. We were in awe of the beautiful countryside and the friendliness of the hard working people of Albania. We truly felt like we saw the real
Albania on this beautiful route. I would recommend this tour whole heartedly.- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
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★★★★★ Richard Radonis October 25, 2023
Albania unleashed
From sea level to 7000 feet, Ionian Sea to hairpin mountaintop switchbacks, beautiful countryside abound.
Lodging was so different from the day before with local cuisine 3x a day. Vineyards, olive orchards, apple orchards, etc, fruit trees everywhere. Ebikes made it all possible for the average biker, but doable for the hard-core pedal pusher. Arjan, our guide, was awesome. He made it so much more enjoyable and seamless- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
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★★★★★ Richard Radonis October 21, 2023
Majestic Albania
Wow, we biked 300 miles in so many different terrains, saw how the rural Albanians live. They were very friendly. Seeing castles, monasteries, historic homes and beautiful countryside. One particular day we coasted downhill for about 20 miles
What a rush. Tour guide Arjan was awesome, fun, personable and knowledgeable.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Sharon Charpentier October 20, 2023
Only One Road - biking in Albania
Great 10 day cycling vacation in Albania. Our Guide, Arjan was amazing. He thoroughly reviewed each days bike route the night before and morning of to be sure we understood the plan for the day. He would tell us “only one road”. That was pretty accurate in the country side. I loved seeing the locals living a simple life with their mules or donkey with a hand made saddle, or the Shepard with his flock of sheep and sheep dogs to corral them in. The Mountain Views were incredible as well as the lake and sea views. The food was plentiful and served family style. Wine and beer for purchase was very reasonably priced. Most accommodations were nice and comfortable. One night we stayed in cabins on a farm! We saw so much- toured ruins from 400 BC, toured a castle and homestead as well as a monastery. The ride was well supported. Our van driver was always close by should we need assistance with our bikes or a fill up of water. I chose to rent an e-bike and glad I did as many roads had a steep incline. The e-bike allowed me to enjoy my vacation and not struggle to make it through the day. I’m glad I chose this tour!
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ David Hodgson October 17, 2023
Challenging cycling
Physically challenging; 14 of 18 folks on our tour used an e-bike and were glad they made that choice. The guide was excellent and I would recommend the guided package rather than self guided, especially as the meals were included. Excellent scenery. We traveled in mid-September and the weather was comfortable, not too hot. The bikes were of good quality compared to those provided on other European bike tours.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Betsy Alles October 7, 2023
Way Beyond Our Expectations
From start to finish this Albania tour was excellent in every way. The guides. The support van. The itinerary. The details. The hotels. The food. I could go on an on! What made it great were the guides first and foremost. Dimitri, Mateo and our van driver VC...all were friendly, professional and made sure every special request was granted. Even the coffee stops were at magical places -- all selected for their views, their historic significance and the culture. I just can't even describe what a wonderful time we had...and the group we traveled with were wonderful too! No whiners!! I had suffered a compression fracture in my back a few weeks prior to the trip so had to occasionally ride in the support van and Dimitri let me know if there were any rough roads that day. There were very few gravel sections, btw. The e-bikes we rented were top quality too! I say GO...before Albania is crowded with tourists!! We have traveled around the world and Albania was among the most gorgeous countries we have experienced! And you cannot beat the price of a guided trip!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 12
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Patricia ONeill September 24, 2023
Albania September 2023
Good guides and routes. Somewhat unsatisfactory accommodations because on Day 5 and Day 9, there were not enough reserved hotel rooms, so 2 x I and another solo traveler had to share a room [and bathroom] because the hotel had given 1 of our rooms away. One night was tolerable, but not really acceptable 2 x. It was a large group with the majority of people on e-bikes but we spent a lot of time [sometimes almost an hour] waiting for the non-e bikers [no fault of theirs]. This put pressure on the non-e bikers, guide, and meant that we arrived at the hotels later than expected, with less downtime to enjoy the destination. Our guide was very good, but our group would have enjoyed more cultural and historical conversations since this was billed as the UNESCO tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Guy Levy September 11, 2023
Great trip with some annoying snags
We were a group of 8 members who did a self guided tour with e-bikes. the route of the tour exposed us to Albania's beautiful landscape, heritage and lovely and warm people. The route is quite challenging due to the mountainous terrain and we were glad that we chose to use e-bikes. All in all we really loved it. Yet, we encountered a few troublesome matters that with due attention can be solved.(i) we had numerous problems with the e-bikes, mostly related to chain falling w/o any reason, back cog-wheel that became loose etc., that ended with replacing two of our bikes and a number cases where on road assistance was required. We understood from comments made by the local agents that these had been common problems with the type of bikes we had been given, hence either bike maintenance needs improvement or a different bike brand should be used. (ii) A much greater portion of the tour then described in the website was on main roads with heavy traffic, which we felt made cycling not very safe and certainly not relaxing/enjoyable. (iii) The maps provided together with the e-files of the routes were not always consistent with actual conditions. A more frequent adaptation, of especially the e-routes, to actual roads conditions seems in order. (iv) the hotels provided could be somewhat upgraded. In many cases they were not up to a par with 3 star hotels in Europe (this had been our 9th cycling tour in Europe so we do have some experience).
- What was the date of your tour?
- August-September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Michele Smith July 19, 2023
Loved it!!
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.
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★★★★★ Kevin Pazaski June 30, 2023
Outstanding Tour 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
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★★★★★ Karen Norlin June 16, 2023
Albania is a wonderful destination!
The tour was great!. The bikes were in excellent condition. I didn't realize that the terrain was so mountainous, so I'm really glad I went for an e-bike. I really liked that most days included a side trip by bike or walking to explore the area. Each day had just the right amount of stops for coffee, snacks and lunch. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and courteous, and went out of his way to accommodate special requests. The food was great, all local, fresh, and authentic. Accomodations ranged from nice hotels in the cities to rustic cabins in the countryside to seaside resorts, which made me feel like I was experiencing the diversity of the country. One negative is that our group had 20 participants, which is the maximum for this trip. Although our guide and driver were able to easily handle this large a group, I would probably prefer being in a smaller group. I also would have liked a rest day in the middle of the trip, to allow some time to recover before the last 2 big climbing days, and provide an opportunity to spend a day exploring outside of the tour itinerary. I have been raving about this trip to my friends and family, and would not hesitate to recommend this trip to anyone looking for a biking adventure in Europe.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 3, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my fourth group bike tour
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
