Venice Region Bike Tour Reviews page 3
- 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
-
★★★★★ Natalie Synhavsky
Loved it!
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
The scenery on this trip is truly amazing. The first two days were mostly on gravel paths before getting to paved connected trails and roads. The hotels weren't anything special, but we loved the biking route and would absolutely recommend this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ j59fj2046r
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
Great cycling and and absolute best way to see the Dolomites. The routes are great, with a little bit of climbing and some fun downhill sections each day. I commute to work and found the riding matched my ability, leaving enough time to stop here and there, and explore the city at the end of each stage.
TIP: The routes are mostly intuitive and easy to follow, but there are some challenges and confusing areas. If you ride this tour, skip wrestling with the paper map and use a GPS. I set aside some time before each ride to plot my route using the Komoot cycling app on my phone - I found I made fewer wrong turns and had more confidence to have fun with the ride and take in the scenery.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Sandy89
Unbelievable Scenery!
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
Our first time to the Dolomites - we will be back! The scenery was breathtaking. Everywhere you looked there was a photo opportunity. The hotels were quaint and the food was excellent although we would have liked more recommendations of food and sight seeing along the way (we were self guided). Totally recommend getting the GPS for one of the bikes if you self guide due to some tricky routing. Overall, loved this trip and would recommend it to our friends!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
We couldn't agree more; the scenery on this tour is amazing!
-
★★★★★ Eliz
beautiful trip
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
A very nice way to view this part of Italy - nice scenery all around, the selected roads were great and away from main ones, easily described and marked to follow
All good- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/19 - 6.25
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ CyclesInRoswell
Wonderful Anniversary Trip!
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
We did this tour in June 2016 and I neglected to write a review. Wonderful scenery, great little side trips if you want to add miles, and wonderful service and accommodations. We had a great time on our rented tandem (affectionately nicknamed "The Whale") and would do this tour again. BikeTours Direct service was excellent, and the tour company did a great job. A romantic way to spend our 25th anniversary.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- 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
-
★★★★★ Anne52
A gorgeous and adventurous trip!
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
This tour took us through stunning scenery on bike paths and small, very quiet roads where we were often out of sight of other bikers. The hotels we stayed at along the way were comfortable, often in beautiful settings and all had fantastic breakfasts. We loved the small towns and off the beaten track places that we were led to. Despite some lack of stickers where they were needed, we generally found the directions and maps to be fairly good. We opted for 7 gear bikes but we would highly recommend the 21 gear bikes. There were more uphills than we had expected and we had to push our bikes at times as 7 gears weren't adequate. Overall, we had a most enjoyable experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 6 - 13, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- One other
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Julie
Loving Italy!
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
We just finished this tour and it was amazing! My husband and I rode it with our two teenage daughters. It was the perfect level for all of us- not too difficult, but had some challenges. We loved the quaint Italian mountain towns. We rode on roads that the Giro d'Italia had done the week before. We bought cherries from an orchard that was right on our route. we had cappuccinos and gelato everyday! It was truly a wonderful experience!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
-
★★★★★ JimG
Northern Italy
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
I just finished riding the Dolomites to Venice tour. It's a marvelous tour. The tour company "Fun Active" are exceptional. I was all stressed out worrying about getting lost. They learned about my concern, contacted me at the starting hotel, and delivered, installed, and instructed me on a GPS which I rented.
The tour went seamlessly. Highly recommend this tour.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 1, 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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
-
★★★★★ Pedalann
A Spectacular Ride from the Austrian Border to Venice
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
This tour allowed us to experience the changing face of Italy from the quite Austrian north down though many medieval towns and into the coastal plain around Venice. The introduction and orientation by a representative from FunActive Tours was complete and included detailed maps, cue sheets and information about the areas and towns we would be traveling through. We enjoyed each day's ride and learned so much about the history of this part of the country as we went along. We were on the "self-guided" tour and were easily able to follow the route with our maps cue sheets and the route markers posted along the way. We missed our turns only a couple of times and quickly found our way again. The routes were mostly bikeways or very low traffic roads which made the ride especially enjoyable.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 25+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ artnscience
Spectacular experience with the most scenic and variable terrains, villages and accommodations
Dolomites to Venice Along the Old Dolomites Railway Track
I feel I have experienced the soul of Italy through the pedals of my bicycle as we passed from Niederdorf through the Dolomites, into beautiful towns and cities to Venice. Since we paired this tour with one starting in Venice two days after our arrival we had more time to explore it and it's out islands. I prepared a Google+ album with captions for the 306 photos from both tours. You may use any of these images with captions as you see fit. The four of us, two Anderson and two Abeles call ourselves the Four 'A's because we sally forth on adventures together. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOVdH6klghY5LXY0xRnJXgs3V22UOQqIrSTQtIZk-iBfOPD-HVh2ajAjWPV0rspkQ/photo/AF1QipMkVq17mKGDNdacKckMZOIwFVFSf3ZEwQI7lm8?key=MEQzNXNiWEVwM2MwSV8ycVExcWg4ZmFUU2kzM3h3
- How many tours have you completed?
- 14 European, 1 Canadian, 7 USA
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ James Allan Krause
Safe, well-marked trails, interesting stopover points, great accommodation and breakfasts, friendly culture
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
This was our fourth bike trip and second in Italy. Once again, it was rewarding. This ride began in Bolzano in a northeast region feeling more like Austria than Italy. With an extra day added at the beginning the Hotel Regina provided us with a gondola and train ride up to the mountain plateau to highland communities bordering the city. The nature and view there were worth the time. Back down in the orderly urban centre, we visited a museum devoted to Otiz, the 5000 year old iceman mummy discovered in the Alps several years ago. The exhibit accompanying this added significantly to our understanding of life in the region in former times and its development since. This all provided a wonderful start to the journey to follow we share with you.
The self guided bike tour itself was reasonable for the most part. We felt it was more aptly described as moderate for those choosing regular bikes, as we did. That being said, the equipment supplied was very good but only a single side pack limited carry along extras. One of the few drawbacks found was some of the legs of the journey were too long. Another irritant was the late checkin and early checkout times of hotels stayed in - still a carry over from the effects of covid. Really, the industry worldwide should revert back to former times in order to return some the value lost to consumers then.
One of the eight days was lost due to extreme rain and wind. Rather than brave hostile conditions, we decided to hop on a train and enjoyed a day touring Verona, a fascinating historical centre. Unfortunately, our suitcases were late in arriving so our time there was marked by having to walk about while still clad in our sports attire. Fortunately, this option was available to us on the day prior to a wildcat day long train strike - one of three such days occurring during the three plus weeks spent in Italy this May. The trains are really a great service but having a plan B in mind is a worthwhile travel strategy.
This bike trip had many unique features. A ferry ride on Lake Garda was one and took place on another day of (at time) heavy showers. The effect of this was the views could not be fully appreciated, but we dried off in a warm cabin after the four hour slog to the dock was completed. On board, the boat ride gave us more insight as to the lifestyle enjoyed and appeal of lakeside living on this massive body of water. Many stops were made on the lake to pick up and drop off passengers at communities on both sides of the lake and there was time for a few card games All in all, the added variety of the four plus hour long trip added to the overall experience.
Bike riding in May means being well prepared for all kinds of weather, from cool, rainy days to serious heat. As said, two days were affected by the former. However, the heat dome that followed began the day our trip ended and took temperatures into the 30s. Prepare well for the possibilities. Good rain gear is highly recommended and this includes waterproof jackets, shoe covers and shoes. All in all, there was enough just space in our bike bag to carry the basic equipment needed. SHOW MORE
Two other mentions would be to ensure navigation devices are capable of maintaining power for up to eight hours. Also, having a device carrier for phones on the handle bars is recommended. Although routes were well marked, having a single page backup map for each day stored in a waterproofed folder ensures no time is wasted staying on course.
The food was another reward. Continental breakfasts were rated good to excellent. A daily dose of Italian gelato found most everywhere added another highlight to each day. Every stopover point was well served with good restaurants and we supplemented meals with trips to supermarkets to add extras, such as fruit, nuts and other snacks. One advantage we found was being from northern lands we were used to eating earlier and restaurants were generally empty until after 7 pm.Italy has so much history and discoveries were made in all stopover points experienced. Venice was spectacular and worthy of the extra day spent there. We were able to take the tram directly from Mestre to Venice for a couple of dollars. The station was right around the corner from the hotel. Honestly, it is really hard to believe the city, with all its massive stone structures, was built on wooden pilings. Overall Italy, we found crowds were smaller in the mornings until around noon. Italians and other locals were generally found to come out en mass in the evenings. Tourist attractions and services can feel crowded then.
Italy is a favorite destination. All along the way, we found Italian people especially helpful and friendly, despite all the tourists. This was also a ‘major' highlight of the journey and experience. We highly recommend this tour to those valuing a warm culture in lands steeped with layers of history still so meaningful to the world at large. A memorable adventure.
SHOW LESS- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ bridget Harron
Self-guided Northern Italy
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Great ride, E Bikes, 3 adults in their 70's and 80's.
We had a wonderful self-guided ride about 220 miles on mostly- paved wide bike paths using the GPS tracks which we had previously downloaded and riding on our Girolibero bikes (which were in perfect shape). The travel guide emailed to us by Bike Tours was excellent, giving cultural information as well as the daily mileage requirement and tips on how to shorten our day using the local trains which we never found to be desired or necessary. The guide also included all the necessary vouchers for our hotels, ferry ride and free ice cream as well as travel info on getting to Bolzano. The ride itself was spectacularly beautiful, especially starting near the Dolomites and following the River Adige with mountains on the other side all the way down to Lake Garda.
There was a detour programmed into our GPS tracks and also a surprise one which was not. We navigated that short detour pretty well for not speaking Italian thanks to the very helpful/understandable signage. We had selected three star hotels which we might change to four star for our next ride. The first three days the hotels and the breakfasts were top notch but after that got progressively more like 2 star hotels ending in Venice/Mestre where we were escorted to a refurbished garage behind the main hotel, not what we had hoped for on our last and only night in Italy. In terms of the bike route itself we found the 4 hour ferry ride on Lake Garda unfortunate as there is a bike path around the lake which we would have preferred. The ferry ride was totally fogged in so we could not enjoy the beautiful sights and there was no food or drink available on board -a long 4 hours to think about a glass of wine. On the whole, we loved the trip and would do it again- the mountains, the exercise, the cuisine, the history, the people. Getting to Bolzano when our flights landed in Venice was our biggest problem - we had trouble trying to decipher the train system. But then the Bolzano funicula ride and the adventure on the ridge line overlooking the city and the Dolomites in the distance made up for getting bogged down catching trains. Looking forward to our next self-guided E-bike adventure.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 5-12, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- me two, my family10+
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Lauren Hickman
Incredible trip!
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
This route exceeded our expectations! Each day had so much to see and experience. We so much enjoyed these smaller Italian cities with amazing vibes and hardly any crowds. And the ability to ride up and down the streets and take it in on a bike was a real gift. We were able to see so much more than on foot and go to places we never would’ve seen on a train or taxi. We loved this tour so much! So much architecture, so much history! I especially loved the transition from mountains to Mediterranean. The bikes we got on this trip had less comfortable seats than our last bike tour. Wish we brought our padded shorts! Also, highly recommend the e-bikes. Made the trip so enjoyable. Might have had some difficulty on regular bike. Do-able but quite tiring for a casual cyclist.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Laura Peck
One of the best vacations I have ever taken
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
We did the self-guided, and loved it, the maps were fantastic, only got a little lost a few times, someone has done a lot of work on getting the logistics of this week nailed down very well, including luggage being moved. Great way to see parts of Italy no one else sees. Some of the hotels were AMAZING, a couple were a little run-down and needed to be crossed off the list, got locked out of one and ended up having to get another hotel (at our own expense, and without all of our luggage as it was in the original) that night because the front desk clerk went home at 10 pm (this was also one of the run-down places). Breakfasts were perfect at all locations. Route was gorgeous, Italy is absolutely beautiful. Overall, this was great and we are already talking about our next one.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 20 - 27, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Cousin
Loved it
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
This was such a great way to see the country. We loved the whole experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 11 to July 18
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first
- 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?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ Ken1126
Bolzano to Venice
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Overall the trip was very nice and I plan to use Bike Tours again soon. We arrived Bolzano via train from Munich and the scenery through the Austrian Alps was fantastic. Our first hotel is Bolzano, Hotel Scala, was very nice and we enjoyed the extra night we had booked, including a tram ride. We were a little surprised to have almost 30 people in our tour orientation. With so many people, there was little time for one on one instruction on the equipment and it was a struggle to get questions answered. The bikes, one e bike and one hybrid, were in great condition and were pleasant to ride. We were fortunate to have the tool kit which included a spare tube because on our last day the e bike had a flat in the back. The e bike had an extra (gear??) cable in the back we were not familiar with but managed to figure it out. It would be nice if the bikes had shocks to absorb the rough surfaces but I'm sure there is a reason they don't.
Our second hotel, in Trento, was not as nice as Bolzano and had no air conditioning. Since it was hot and humid the entire trip, ac turned out to be a big issue for us. Some hotels had it but it was not very effective or efficient. The next trip we book will include the upgraded hotel package.
Navigation into and out of the cities proved to be our biggest challenge. Following the arrows was great until you missed one and it required constant vigilance. Trying to follow the road book instructions was difficult, the mileage references never seemed to matched and street names were hard to find. I also found that often it would have been easier to join the route directly from our hotel rather than getting to a central starting point indicated in the road book.
We booked an extra night in Mestre and were glad we did. The Hotel Venezia Mestre had great ac, several English language tv stations, and great location to catch the bus to Venice and airport (VCE-Marco Polo).
Overall a great trip and looking forward to our next one.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 27, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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
-
★★★★★ pkbiking
The Best Way to Get to Venice!
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Each town we visited was unique. Bolzano had a very Austrian feel and Venice was magical. Glad that we chose the 4-star hotels because they were beautiful and roomy and worth the extra money! The self-guided tour allowed us the flexibility to seek out really cool local restaurants and go at our own pace. It was the trip of a lifetime and the recommendations and help from Matt and the staff at BikeTours was excellent.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- several
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
-
★★★★★ raystrach
Interesting Culture Great Scenery
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
We decided to do two week long bike tours in succession with this trip coming immediately after the previous tour finish in Lecce.
We caught an overnight train from Lecce to Bolzano which worked out quite well initially. The only problem was that our last couple of days were were getting a bit sick of moving in and out every day. We probably should have given ourselves a little more time in between trips.
The tour itself was fantastic, with the main surprise being the cultural differences between the south and north. The germanic influences were much stronger that i had expected. Also, being in the foothills of the dolomites, obviously means different architecture and traditions. This was all good.
The cycling itself was generally very easy and for the first few days followed a dedicated cycle way. There is plenty of time to take detours into the villages off the main track and still arrive at the next destination in plenty of time.
Although the tour was very well organised, the tour directions were quite poor in comparison to other tours we had taken, however because the trail itself is quite well marked, it is probably better to follow your nose and the o site directions rather than using the detailed guide book. (there have obviously been recent changes to the tour route itself)
if your are wanting a taste of the high italian mountains without having to climb any, this would be an ideal trip. there is a lot of spectacular scenery along the valley road and across lake garda before changing to a more typical italian countryside for the final couple of days towards venice.
just a note on the approach into vincenza, my wife decided that she did not want to take the hillier route (there is a choice) but then when she discovered we were staying at the hotel at the top of a big hill, she regretted it. Take the hillier route into vincenza.
for us, the apuglia tour was probably slightly better tour, but we have absolutely no regrets in doing this one as well.
- What was the date of your tour?
- late april 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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
-
★★★★★ Thomas Carr
Wonderful Trip
Venice to Trieste and Istria
We did this trip with two other couples who had never done a European bike tour before. We were so impressed with the efficiency of the staff, the accommodations and of course the beautiful route.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- 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?
- Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
-
★★★★★ Biabattistella
Great view, food, biking
Bolzano – Verona – Venice
The view was fantastic, especially Dolomitas. The tour was easy, but very nice.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 9th
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy
Email
Mailing Address
Office Hours