Vienna To Budapest Classic) Bike Tour Reviews (page 5
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- ★★★★★ Wayne
New Mexico Touring Society (NMTS) Vienna to Budapest
Overall a great ride, but some issues with the tour company in Austria.
Bikes were excellent and the route for most of the trip was well marked. We were on highways a very short period of time. Traffic on the highways was not an issue. We had about 10 kilometers of non-paved bike path. Unfortunately, we rode that in the rain, but we made it without any incidents.
Our complaint about the tour company is that they cheated us on the trip materials that we were promised. Not every rider received a map of the route. Because people doubled up in the hotel rooms, they only provide one map per hotel room. The pre-ride briefing was very poor and the tour person appeared to be in a hurry to complete the briefing. The route out of Vienna can be confusing, but we had rented city bikes the day before and scouted the route ourselves. The tour company only gave us very general instructions on how to leave the city.
He did do a good job of fitting everyone to their bikes. I asked him for a floor bike pump, but he never responded to my text message requests and the tour company never returned my phone calls. The small bike air pumps that are in the bike saddle bike are not adequate to fully pump up a tire.
The bikes were excellent and perfect for the route with the variation in road surfaces and occasional gravel stretches. We had no flat tires during the trip. We were a group of 17 riders, so that is a remarkable feat.
The hotels were all excellent except for the hotel outside of Esztergom, the Hotel Bellevue. In addition to being in a remote location, it was well past its prime. The only dinner option was a buffet which ran out of food before some of our group had the opportunity to dine. The breakfast was once again a poor selection of items, most of which ran out early. The rooms were dark and poorly equipped with the usual features.
Everyone’s favorite city was Gyor. The hotel was excellent and the large city plaza with the historical buildings surrounding it was fascinating. Dining options were excellent.
The boat ride into Budapest was excellent and a nice way to finish the trip.
Overall, a terrify ride with the exceptions noted above. Not every rider having a map was an ongoing frustration that caused some confusion on the occasions when the group got separated into smaller groups.
Wayne Friesen
Albuquerque, NM- What was the date of your tour?
- 2 - 8 Sep 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay Nash
Dear Wayne,
Thanks very much for your feedback and your 4-star rating of this popular tour. We're so glad to hear, overall, your tour was terrific!
It's a typical practice that tour operators in Europe provide one route map and details per room (2 people). However, in the future, we can work with you to make special requests about this on future tours.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, and for helping us spread the joy of bicycle tourism!
- ★★★★★ Sphen
Great way to tour!
The tour was excellent from beginning to end. Joseph was a very knowledgeable guide. The route was explained clearly and was as leisurely or challenging as we wanted to make it. The hotels chosen were excellent and well located for checking out museums, restaurants, shopping and historical sites. All in all, a terrific experience and one that I would do again with this company!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 22 - Oct 2
- 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
- ★★★★★ Donte
Vienna to Budapest
Beautiful trails. Exceptions were about 7 K in muddy conditions, 10-12 K on poorly packed gravel. Touring bicycle handled trails well and we're quite stable plowing through mud. Biking guide was inadequate with confusing written guidance separated from related maps. Need detailed cue sheets with clear details on turns, distance etc. Hotels mostly above my expectations although those with no elevators were burdensome.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 2 to 8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10+
- 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
- ★★★★★ Ron USA
Perfect week
This was a perfect European week for us. We rode 5 days self-guided, and, speaking for myself, I would have loved to do another 5. I was in the groove.
The biketours and their contractors are a well-oiled machine. They do this well. Our 3 Bikes were perfectly designed for this trip and had no problems. The luggage were there waiting at our hotel like clockwork.
The route, Vienna to Budapest, has its spectacular moments especially coming into Esztergom (Hungary) and Budapest. and it has many tranquil lovely phases of riding right beside the Danube. There were a few duller stages early on-- riding for long stretches on the river levies-- but I didn't expect every moment to be picture-postcard.- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- zero
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Frequent Traveller
Great tour and helpful staff
The tour was well organised although there was an initial communication problem at the first hotel. We were told by the tour company to meet at 7 am on the day of the trip and it should have been 7 pm. With a bit of luck and good timing it worked out fine. The local company was amazing. One of our party had an illness in the middle of the trip and the local company took care of us and drove him to the next destination along with his bike and baggage which gave him the time to recover and continue the trip. Amazing service. Will definitely do another tour.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 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
- ★★★★★ Neal
Fabulous week on a bike
Jozef and his staff took care of the logistics and my wife and I just rode. The sights beyond belief. The only issue, beyond control of the tour, is there were a few segments of pretty rough road. Highly recommended
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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