Austria Bike Tour Reviews page 36
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- ★★★★★ AmyandBruce
Pretty amazing
Innsbruck to Lake Garda Across the Southern Slopes of the Alps
We especially enjoyed the changing scenery, climate, culture and architecture as we traveled from Innsbruck to Lake Garda. This tour is extremely beautiful. The accommodations were consistently clean and comfortable, a very good value for the price of the tour. The breakfast buffets are nothing like what you get at motels in the United States. They are way, way nicer.
Most of the tour involved low stress biking along well maintained and predominately paved bike paths. Some was along quiet roads or narrow city streets. Twice we had to deal with heavy volume and no shoulder. Once was biking around 3 km uphill to our hotel in Imst, Austria (such a pleasure when we finally arrived), and once on approach to Auer in Italy. Also be aware that the bike paths are more heavily used in Austria and Italy. This is generally not a problem, but there are a number of "sport cyclists" who come up on you quickly and silently, so no automobile traffic does not mean that you don't have to pay attention. Also be aware that while much of the route is flat (or more accurately a gentle uphill or downhill as it follows a river), there are sections that are rolling or even hilly.
In addition, we encountered head winds around 80% of the time. Of course, in other weather conditions, it might have been a tail wind! But the wind does blow through these steep sided, canyon like valleys. Also be aware that it does rain quite a bit in the Austrian Alps, and can get hot as you proceed southward. For the most part, though, we had very nice weather.
The material provided by the local tour company was useful and included sightseeing information. We branched out a bit and did our own research. We found an amazing waterfall in Parcines (near Moreno) that was a bit off the beaten path and a few miles from the bike route.
The bicycles we rented were different from what I'm used to even though they are hybrids and I ride a hybrid for transportation. Much more upright, and I was unable to adjust the handlebar height or change the height of the seat without impacting the position of my legs, which was perfect. So it took a couple of days for my arms to get used to the (what was for me) unusual position. The seat was more comfortable than I feared it would be. I had no problem with that. The partner, EuroBikes, provides a high quality water proof panier and handlebar bag. Also lights (the rear ones had run out of batteries and didn't work well for me or at all for my husband, but the front lights were fine) and an odometer. You also get tools, a pump, and a spare tube. Your riding will be during the day, but I like to use lights when it rains.
The tour company was very prompt and accurate with transporting our luggage, so that was never a problem.
Our only real problem was with directions, and that was mainly due to a communication snafu. Most of the cyclists on this route are German speakers, so the lady that gave the orientation needed to speak to the different groups in different languages, which made it a bit awkward. My husband speaks a little German, but I didn't speak any before this tour. English was not her first language. We are used to more detailed cue sheets or route markings on pavement. The cue sheets are not at all detailed. However, the tour company affixes small stickers to poles at intersections, and this takes care of the problem. All the tour companies do this so you just have to look for your company's sticker. Although we were given an orientation and the material does show the symbol for the company, no one explained that they were tiny stickers on poles. I'm guessing the cyclists in Europe know this, but we didn't. We eventually met another group of cyclists from England and Scotland who explained this to us. After that, it was obvious. So if you take this tour, please be aware of these stickers. It will make life ever so much easier for you and you will not make the wrong turns and add the extra miles that we did. SHOW MORE
All in all, this was not a difficult tour. Most people with at least some cycling experience should be fine with it. But because there are some hills and head winds, do yourself a favor and do a little bit of training if you do not bicycle regularly.
But absolutely take this tour. All things considered (especially if you keep those stickers in mind), it was an incredible experience. I would not hesitate to recommend it to others.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- July 6 to July 13, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- around 15
- 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, Italy
BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
Thanks kindly for taking the time to share this detailed review. We love it and are sure other future travelers will, too. We love the sticker navigation method, it's super helpful. We're so glad you figured it out, despite the communication snafu. Again, many thanks for the in-depth review. Our fingers are crossed for tailwinds on your next tour!
- ★★★★★ Robyn
Beautiful Austria
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
I loved this tour.
We stayed in Innsbruck an extra night, got the Innsbruck Card and went up in the gondolas to the surrounding mountains. The hotels we stayed in were very clean and nice. It was hot so we went swimming in some of the lakes that we passed. My favorite is the ZellamSee . We hiked to the top of Krimml falls which is an amazing waterfall. We hiked up the gorges along the way. In ZellamSee we took the gondola up and traversed the top of the mountain and then took a chairlift down. At the end of our trip in Salzburg we stopped at a local pool and relaxed on the green grass under the trees and reflected in what a wonderful trip we had.!- What was the date of your tour?
- June 23-30
- How many tours have you completed?
- 15
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Nellyyy91
Amazing experience
Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
Such an incredible way to explore parts of Germany and Switzerland I feel I would’ve never visited had it not been for this bike tour. Amazing views and a different experience (I am not an avid biker). Some trails were more intense than others, but it added to the fun. Anytime something came up the staff at Radweg were super helpful, friendly and readily available. Would absolutely recommend this trip to friends and family, and also participate in another one somewhere else.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 02/07/2019-12/07/2019
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Victor Gonzalez
My first leasure biek trip
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
Everyuthing was perfect. Since the metting to give us all the details, the bikes, the hotels, the suitcase transportation, etc. But the best was the views and the roads
- ★★★★★ San2C
Wonderful Experience
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
The greatest surprise was that every day was a different experience. Hotels were comfortable, and the change in landscape was delightful. A few of the days would have been extremely challenging for us without E-Bikes and a GPS for guidance.
- ★★★★★ Trez
Exceeded our expectations in every way
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
Very organized and stress-free. The bikes were excellent, the hotels were great and the orientation meeting the evening before the trip was very beneficial in explaining the details. The variety in hotel styles; from modern to classic at the Schloss was a great way to experience the cities and villages we stayed in.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30- July 06, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with young kids, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany
- ★★★★★ KLVM
Biking in the Shoulder Season
Salzburg to Vienna, Lakes Option
Cold weather and rain did not prevent us from having a wonderful biking experience. The scenery was beautiful, hotels were in lovely locations, the people were friendly, and the tourist sites were virtually empty.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 12-18, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- 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
- ★★★★★ pmr52
Lake Constance Bicycle Path (Upscale Lodging)
- What was the date of your tour?
- 24 june - 1 july
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ jackie20
Danube Delights: Biking through Four Countries
- What was the date of your tour?
- Jun 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- 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, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
- ★★★★★ Lisa C
Beautiful tour through the Alps!
Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)
We had an amazing trip along the Tauern bike path. We traveled as a family of four (10 and 8 year old children- the 8 year old on a tag along). The scenery was fantastic, and the stopover locations were great. The first three days were relatively easy, the last three were a bit more challenging for our ten year old to handle with the longer uphill sections. We ended up having to change out our daughters bike two times due to a mechanical issue with the derailleur and a flat tire, but the staff responded very quickly and appropriately. It would have been helpful to have a spare tube in the bike kit for the children's bike. We also had some issues getting extra paniers, but by the third day it was resolved. We were very impressed with the lodging. I would recommend an extra night in zell am see, the area was so beautiful. We also appreciated how the company was able to find appropriate lodging for a family of four. We woul highly recommend this tour, but be ready for a bit of work on the second half of the tour. But it was defiantly worth it! We also had a lot of difficulty finding three of our hotels, more specific directions to the exact lodging would have been helpful for the lodging that was not directly on or close to the bike path. Luckily we met helpful Germans along the way who helped us find our lodging!
- ★★★★★ RS52
Overall Great Experience from Start to End!!
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
This was our first bike tour as a family, but based on our experience, it won't be our last. Overall, everything went smoothly and was great!! BikeTours was responsive to my many questions and easy to work with. The representative from the tour company brought the bikes and documentation as expected, and was flexible when one bike didn't fit correctly (our error) and needed to be exchanged. Service at every stop was very good to outstanding, and the accommodations were very comfortable and clean without exception! Our luggage was smoothly transported from one day to the next. The bikes were comfortable, and riding along the Danube was really special!
I agree with another reviewer who suggested reading through the touring documents each evening to decide on where to stop the next day. That worked well for us too. We also brought snacks and water, and made a point of stopping regularly, given particularly warm weather. I would also recommend having at least one phone with a GPS application, as finding the specific hotels was sometimes challenging, particularly in the larger cities.
Biking through small cities and towns provided a different type of vacation experience for us, as we are used to visiting larger cities. We really enjoyed seeing the country in this way. I found a few of the longer days of biking to be challenging, but as promised, the path was flat to slightly downhill and we were on bike paths for the majority of the time. Even in Vienna, there were bike lanes in the city to get us to the hotel. The paths were well traveled and always felt safe.
Overall, everything was great and I would do it again in a second!
(There were 4 of us traveling...my husband, me and our 2 children in their early 20's. We really liked the flexibility of being self-guided.)
- ★★★★★ Hermann Vestri
Good trip, wish I had more time
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
- What was the date of your tour?
- Every day were good
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1 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?
- Austria, Hungary
- ★★★★★ ned75
excellent trip very worth doing
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
the landscape was great, the bike tracks were equally good. Cannot fault the hotels either.
just one little problem the suitcases arrived late only on one day and it was the rainy day and we looked at sitting around in wet bike gear for three hours. the good thing was that the hotel in Lofer the Hotel St; Hubertus gave us a dressing gown and cakes (at no charge) until the bags arrived. what a nice gesture- What was the date of your tour?
- 16/June 23/June
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4th
- 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?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Dmendrop
Vikes on Bikes
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
This tour was not exactly what we expected. We brought our own tandem, but were often on dirt or gravel roads for miles, which was difficult with our tires. The directions were confusing and not clear often, a GPS option would be so helpful. Sometimes there was construction on bike baths, obviously not new, which caused us to take alternate route. Accommodations were excellent, I loved seeing all the small towns along the way. Don’t be fooled, you are not often on the Danube.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 14-21
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Hungary
BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
We appreciate this feedback. Thanks for letting us know the directions were sometimes confusing; we can forward this feedback to the tour operator. GPS tracks are available (We can send the files to you after you have booked, although you'd need a GPS or appropriate device). And I'm sorry to hear your tandem was not ideally suited for this tour but so glad that you enjoyed all the small towns and accommodations. Thanks again for this review -- all very helpful information!
- ★★★★★ Mycycle50
Very beautiful but more difficult than advertised.
Prague-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest
Our outfitter provided lots of info- maps, gps routes and suggested sites to visit. Some very rough roads, some steep hills.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 22 to June 15
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
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