Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 114
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★★★★★ MarcieB
The Wild Atlantic Way of Ireland is not to be missed!
Dublin and West Ireland E-Bike Tour
There were two dates for the E-bike tour (Dublin and West Ireland). . . July and August. We selected the August date and packed rain/wind gear . . . just in case! When we received the advanced brochure for the trip, it was in English and the bike tour company was indicated: Rotalis ~ Die Radreise Manufaktur. Hmmm, I thought. An e-bike tour of Ireland by a German outfitter will probably be a mixed group of English and German speakers. That was true, up to a point. Of the thirteen members of the group, eleven were German speakers and we were the two English speakers. Several in the German group told us they take Rotalis trips on a regular basis and wondered how we had ended up in a predominately German tour. The good news is that I understand some conversational German. Although attempts were made to converse with us in English, among themselves it was natural to speak their own language. The Dublin city guide assumed everybody spoke German and off we went. My husband and I had to return to the hotel within 15 minutes because it was a bit overwhelming for me to try and translate all the architectural/historical details the guide was providing. She felt badly to see us go and said she could have provided an English translation, but she was providing a lot of information and we felt we would have slowed down their pace.
So, other than the language issue, I would highly recommend this tour if the number of English speakers could bring the ratio to 50-50. The two guides (a driver/chef/mechanic and the tour guide/mechanic/group leader) were extremely helpful and always spoke to us in English.
The E-bikes had already served several groups and were beginning to show some signs of wear. Chains would periodically fall off and need attention and some of the hand brakes were only working on one side. At one point, they ended up renting an additional bike for my husband in Clifden so he could continue riding. They mentioned that 2020 would bring a new fleet of e-bikes. With Bosch components they were pretty impressive as far as ease of use and power choices were concerned.
Staying two nights in three different locales was fabulous. The food, snacks and activities were always locally sourced and culturally authentic. The pacing was good, the stops were timely and the adventures unforgettable! I don't think any of us will forget the turbulent little ferry ride to Inishmore in the Aran Islands. Yes, there was some rain, some wind and some challenges, but we all made it and made some new friendships.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 3-10, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was our 10th Biketours.com
- 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?
- Ireland
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe
Marcie - thanks kindly for the review. We're glad you enjoyed the tour despite the language issue. You never quite know what the make-up of a group tour will be, but it always makes things interesting! The guides on this tour are always bilingual and able to provide an English version of the information - don't hesitate to utilize it! Thanks also for noting about the e-bikes and their imminent replacement. We're so glad you enjoyed your trip overall, and we LOVE the photos, thanks for posting them! And, 10 BikeTours.com tours, WOW! Thank you!
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★★★★★ MarcieB
So good the first time, we repeated the Bodensee circuit a second time!
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Two years ago, we opted for the 11-day self-guided Bodensee Bike Tour . . . complete with museum vouchers, boat rides and suggestions for side trips. We enjoyed it so much, we decided to look at the 6-day self-guided tour because it followed a slightly different itinerary. We were not disappointed! We discovered new towns, restaurants and bike paths. Truly a cultural patchwork between Germany, Austria and Switzerland!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 21-27, 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was bike tour #7!
- 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, Switzerland
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Jim Johnson, Founder and president
Thanks for the great report and photos, Marcie! We love repeat clients, but it's especially gratifying when clients like a tour so much they do it again!
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★★★★★ Richard Bushnell
Good ride second time around.
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
Redid this ride as we wanted to include a few places we missed the first time. Our day hiking around Lago de Braies was not a stage, but worth the extra day. Also rode all the way out to Santa Magdalena. A very beautiful ride. Bikes were top line. Only difficulties were with transfer days due to mis-information & drivers who were not aware of meeting points. In all some great rides.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September, 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 20
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Marcie B
Worth the return to complete additional Dolomites adventures
Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
It's often said that one cannot return and expect the same or better results. On our second self-guided tour, we accomplished at least three new activities we didn't have time for last year. We took the Toblach/Dobbiaco public bus to Lago de Braies and hiked around the lake (about 2 hours); we rode our bikes from Bruneck/Brunico to Sand in Taufers; and we parked our bikes near the Sol Paradiso Hotel in San Candido and hiked to the Jora Refugio for a delightful lunch and killer views. The Hotel Laurin (again our second stay) was just as lovely, the weather was cooperative (only one rainy day), but the schedule we received had incorrect dates and confusion resulted. In Lienz, we were waiting at the designated place with two other German couples, but no shuttle. After 20 minutes of waiting, one of the Germans called the office and was told the shuttle was on its way. We waited . . . no shuttle. He called again, and we were told we were in the wrong place (all six of us, really)?? We pedaled back to the taxi stand at the Lienz Train statin, where a private taxi with a bike trailer was waiting. The driver didn't even know where we were going (fortunately we were all going back to Toblach). Not sure what happened, but the transfers were either non existent, late or we were told to take the train back (we did this from Bruneck). Not a good look. Made some suggestions for future self-guided tours with transfers with the TO's office.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- A dozen, at least.
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ jackie20
Good trip
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Most hotels were excellent, however two (in St Goar and Bad Godesberg) had our rooms on either the second or third floor and no elevators. Best hotel and service were at the Baron in Rudesheim. In addition, the maps and directions to hotel in Bad Godesberg and Cologne were poor. Lastly, recommend sightseeing trip to Monastery Eberbach include distance, we never found the place after riding 10km. Overall, good trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14 May 2017
- 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?
- Germany
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★★★★★ psteckler
Good sampler for western Slovenia
Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran
No one told me about the cows. On the riding first day, in a rural area, I encountered a trio of cows blocking the road. I wasn't sure about the protocol for dealing with them, but we all managed to get by one another without any injuries.
I really lucked out with the weather. I started in mid-October, and every day ended in sunshine. There was no rain at all. For the first few days, most mornings were chilly and overcast, sometimes even foggy. By the end of the ride, I got full days of sunshine. Don't expect this weather every October!
For the most part, I liked the route. The climb on the second riding day would have been a nice challenge on my road bike; on the rented touring bike, it was pretty hard, and I had to walk much of it. The Helia truck came by and offered me a lift, but I was determined to get to the top under my own power. There were some gravel sections, and a couple of stretches along busy roads that were unpleasant. Much of the route was on lightly-traveled roads, and many roads were nearly-vacant farm or forest roads. With a couple of exceptions, the drivers gave me a wide berth.
The rented bike was predictably sturdy and heavy. I had no mechanical issues during the ride, other than a squeaky back brake.
The accommodation was very good, for the most part. Yes, I found a cockroach in one room; that gives me a story to tell. The electricity went out at Hotel Tartini in Piran on the final morning, but breakfast was already prepared; another story to tell. The hotel staff was very helpful everywhere. The breakfasts were all good, perhaps too good. Too bad I don't like to ride after eating a lot.
There were some confusing bits in the cue sheets, and I got lost a couple of times. I've written to Helia about the issues I found. For the most part, the cue sheets were adequate. Asking locals and Google Maps set me straight.
I flew in and out of Ljubljana. To get to Bled at the start, and back from Piran at the end, I used ordinary commercial bus services, which worked well.
I really enjoyed Slovenia, and hope to visit again to see more of the country.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 9 October 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- Over 20
- 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
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★★★★★ Stephanie Koussaya
Beautiful part of Ireland
Connemara Lazy Days Cycling
The Connemara region is truly beautiful and worth visiting. Our family enjoyed exploring the scenery and castles on the way. I wish the accommodations had been more consistent (similar from one another) and that we had been communicated that hotels/hostels would be located far from services such as restaurants, given that we had 2 children with us. We also biked mostly on a road shared with cars, which was stressful when managing kids. Overall, we enjoyed our trip but would not recommend for kids under the age of 12.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Ireland
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★★★★★ Casual Cruisers
Pedaling in the Polders
Best of Holland South: Canals, Windmills & Historic Towns
Peter of Tulip Cycling met us on the morning of our first cycling day. He was on time, the bikes were well prepared and Peter, a very personable host, was very patient and thorough in explaining everything to us.
Cycling was as described: flat, mostly trails or roads that see very little if any vehicle traffic.
Hotels were mostly fine. The Mastrichter Dom in Gouda was a disappointment: the room was clean and the attendant friendly enough but the room was small, awkward and noisy. Peter explained later that there have not been any appealing in-town hotels in Gouda but that the situation was being remedied with the opening of a new hotel presently.
The Hotel de Plataan in Delft was charmingly decorated and nicely equipped but the elevator didn’t go to the top floor (You’ve heard if such things?) and our rooms were on the top floor. Emergency egress wasn’t up to US standards but we otherwise enjoyed the stay.
The use of GPS for route tracking was nearly a winner. Peter has carefully prepared the GPS routes with many waypoints so that it’s generally very easy to know where to go. A couple practical limitations with the GPS displays caused some consternation: the displays are small and not bright enough for the brightest daylight conditions. We often had trouble discriminating between the colored line for the travelled route and those for streets in general. This necessitated frequent stops to peer at the display while shading it or stooping to get close to it.
As a route tracking strategy I think it is a great innovation (I have done half a dozen trips following the map and narrative system). With a better display this would be an obvious choice.
The cycling is not strenuous. The paths, roads and terrain were friendly. By the fourth day we had seen enough of the polders! They are charming and scenic enough but a bit repetitive after a while! The towns and cities were very interesting. We wished we had had more time to spend exploring those.
Our last day did not go according to plan as Tulip Cycling required the return of the bikes at 4:00 PM. We asked for an extension but it was not allowed. We could not complete the route in the available time so we hopped on a train for the last several miles. This was not a major disappointment for us but it certainly might be for some travelers. This detail should be clear at booking time.- What was the date of your tour?
- late Sept. 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
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
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★★★★★ Steve Chodat
A "watered-down" cycling trip
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
No fault of your operator, we arrived in Vienna in midst of Storm Boris, and historic Danube flooding. While the tour operator did great job trying to accomodate for ever changing conditions, we only managed to cycle 3 of 6 days... Flooding made sections impassable, including last couple days. What we did see while cycling was not particularly scenic. And I'd heard that the Vienna/Budapest ride was not the best of sections to ride along the Danube, but my experience was limited. Bratislava was definitely worth a stay over and Budapest is a city we enjoyed very much throughout our extended stay (5 nights).
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★★★★★ Steven
Fun trip
Florence to Rome
Great way to see Medeval towns not jammed with tourists. Nice hotels, excellent local cuisine and sights. I wish the roads were better maintained with less car traffic and the bikes were lighter.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 22-29
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
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★★★★★ Michelle2019
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
I would not recommend ChainGang as a tour operator for this area. Far better and more savvy operators with better maps and navigation are out there. At the end of the trip no one from the company checked in with us. A bit strange having all their equipment. Their printed material in a folder was ridiculous. We asked for map holders and ended up using clothes pegs and a plastic bag. Why the maps?
- What was the date of your tour?
- 17 Sept - 3 Oct
- How many tours have you completed?
- Several
- 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Colorado Bill
First step to the Atlantic
Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
We arrived a day early. Orleans was great city. Big church.
The trip was seamless. Bikes hotels maps road food just what you would expect fro. FRANCE. .... We wish we had taken the time into week 2 or 3 to complete the Loire.
We will return.- What was the date of your tour?
- June 24
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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?
- France
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★★★★★ Susan Ferrante-Collier
Girls on Bikes
Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
It was an amazing trip, we are very appreciative for the assistance of bike tours in making the trip as lovely as it was. My only complaint is that one of the hotels was in the middle of a huge construction situation and there were unpleasant septic issues. Choosing another hotel would have been preferable
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 4-16
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Susana
Family trip
Danube Family Tour 7 Nights
This trip is perfect for a family with small children. We have 2 kids, 6 and 8 years old and they have enjoyed everything! The bikes, the swimming pools at Mauthausen, the swims in the Danube, the playgrounds alond the way...We hired a one tag along bike (carried by his father :) and a children bike in order to change during the trip and make it easier for them.
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★★★★★ Susan and Roger Kelly
Awesome trip.
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Loved it but more km than we expected. Would have appreciated personal contact when we arrived but there was some confusion. Otherwise it was a beautiful way to experience Austria.
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★★★★★ Susanne Graham
Lovely trip
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
This was a lovely way to see various small cities along the beautiful scenery of the Danube River. The hotels were all so unique and had such character of their own. The e-bikes were perfect.
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★★★★★ Susan Roberts
Beautiful scenery!
Salzburg Lakes Tour: Around the Lakes within the Foothills of the Alps
Nice variety of towns and rural countryside. Hills on the last day especially were more like level 4 than level 2 - quite challenging, even on ebikes. Hotels were varying but adequate.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ suze
Danube River Bike tour
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We loved this bike tour. Even though Tom and I couldnt cycle due to a recent bike accident, we followed our group by car. The villages were stunning, the hotels great, except maybe the one in Tulln. All the meals were great, except maybe the one in Linz, but I think that is because there was a wedding in the hotel. Fabulous hotel in Linz. The rest of our group loved the biking part. Highlight was definetly the boatride from the hotel in Durnstein along the Danube!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 30-July 7
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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
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★★★★★ Steve H
Castle Corridor - Rhine River Valley
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
Castle after Castle. Wine, Wine, Everywhere Wine!!! Velociped App was sensational guiding us on the route, getting us to our specific hotel, sites to see along the way. A few bike issues on the front end but Velociped finally took care of it. BikeTours followed up to make sure all was well. Hotels were 4 and 5 star (by European standards) with the exception of Hotel Sum Adler in Bad Godesberg. Good hotel, clean, good breakfast, but our room was the size of a phone booth! We actually had a bit of a chuckle about it. We were blessed with perfect weather for the entire ride. Rheinfels Schloss Hotel is a must!!!!!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2026
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Bev Langsch
Lots of ups and downs, super on Ebike
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
Our group of three ebikers, average age 75, enjoyed zooming up the long, steep hills and then drifting down again. The route was on paved roads, with very little traffic. Wind and clouds in mid-September were with us, but rain came in late afternoon, and by then, we were resting in our new hotel. Scenery with mountains, very small towns and old churches was interesting. Hotels were varied, from very simple near Frias to renovated mill to luxurious in LaGuardia. The GPS routes were very helpful, but we usually read and reread the written information. The written notes would be more helpful if the actual number of the road was included. We had a bit of trouble adapting to Spanish meal times, but loved the tapas served in bars (only until 3 or 4 pm) and waited anxiously for dinner after 8.30. Three other bikers were doing the same route and joined us at mealtimes. The six of us had a wonderful time together.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 11, 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
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