Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews page 96
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★★★★★ riverhiker
Best of both worlds, self-guided but with an accompanying driver
UNESCO Sites of Albania
The scenery was amazing. I highly recommend this company and this trip. The roads varied from recent resurfaced smooth pavement to a slalom course of potholes. However, since on the pothole roads the traffic amounted to maybe seven cars an hour, there was plenty of space to dodge the holes. In all but a couple of stretches, the busier roads had good shoulders. And there were some roads that had both a good surface and little traffic. How often does that happen?Do be prepared to climb. Those elevation profiles don't lie.
Hotels varied from high end to very basic depending on the locale. If you are in the middle of nowhere and have great scenery and no traffic, there are going to be compromises. When I rate the accommodations a four instead of five, it is because of the limited options out in the countryside. This is through no fault of the tour company but it would not be fair to readers of this review to have them think everything is up to US standards.
Since we were self-guided, breakfast was the only meal provided. In all cases it was totally adequate and a couple of times, outstanding
The bicycles were quality and in good shape.
We did a self-guided trip and had thought that would involve just having the luggage moved for us. They gave us a driver that was with us the whole time. Not only did he transport our luggage, if the route out of town had any turns, he led us out and also waited at any tricky turns along the way. Great job Elvis!!!!
I can highly recommend this trip. Do go in the off season like we did so the coast is not crowded and go now. They are improving a lot of the roads which I am sure will lead to more traffic. Also, as the country becomes more affluent there will be more cars on the road.- What was the date of your tour?
- Oct 3rd
- How many tours have you completed?
- seven
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Albania
-
★★★★★ donfrank
Mosel River Bike Tour
Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2nd
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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
-
★★★★★ Donna Ehlers
Fantastic journey!
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We did a self guided tour. We had so much fun in the villages with great food and accommodations, most were in the center of the towns. Great breakfasts and service in general. Felt fantastic to ride on the safe bike trails about 3/4 hours daily. We took time off to swim in the lake and get ice cream and relax in the many parks. Great history and a way to immerse more authentically in the vulture. I give this type of holiday my highest recommendation.
Staff was always available for our concerns and questions.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
-
★★★★★ Donna
Fantastic experience!
Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest
Our self-guided bike tour from Passau to Budapest was fantastic! Bike Tours transported our luggage (LOVED that) and provided excellent ebikes and mostly excellent hotels. The bike paths were mostly easy to follow but even with the Pedalo App and map books provided with the bikes, I would have gotten hopelessly lost if we didn't have internet and maps to use too. Especially after Vienna when some paths got so rough I thought they couldn't possibly be part of the EV6/R1... BUT THEY WERE!!! But, most of the paths were great. I absolutely, thoroughly recommend a Danube bike tour. The best part (and I think this is true to most people judging by how many cyclists and guided bike tours were going on there) was Wachau around Durnstein.
We went in Autumn and I think that was brilliant because it wasn't so busy and watching the trees turn golden as we progressed was a beautiful surprise.
Some cycling days were 60km which I believe was too long because we had no time to explore the towns at the end of the day. We just wanted to use the pool and sauna when available. I was SO glad when the hotel had those facilities. Best thing ever at the end of a long day of riding. Especially when it was wet and cold, which, unfortunately we had for the first few days. I definitely recommend paying extra to get more accommodation with saunas. All the hotel staff were used to cyclists and some had excellent storage. Others, didn't, but the staff were always helpful. Pack as lightly as you can, because even though the luggage is transferred for us, some hotels were walk-ups! Not good. Even worse there was a train journey in a town that only had stairs between platforms! With bikes! Awful. IF you can avoid the train, that's probably best.
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★★★★★ Donnan Party
Amazing Trip With Lots of Hills
Split to Dubrovnik: The Islands and Coastline of Croatia
Our Croatian adventure exceeded all expectations! The routes were very scenic, the locals were so friendly, and the food was delicious and totally fresh! We've done several bike trips in Europe, and this was definitely one of our favorites.
We paid a little more for the hotels and were very pleased with the accommodations. The breakfasts were very generous, and the rooms were spacious and clean. Hotel staff was great at all locations, too. There were two nights at each hotel, which was nice, since we weren't constantly packing and unpacking.
Our booking experience was great. There were 8 in our party, with all different itineraries, and everyone signed up at different times, which created hotel booking challenges. Brittany was so patient and answered all of our emails promptly. Most of us needed to add nights onto the basic package, and Brittany took care of that for us, too.
I can't say enough good things about the local tour company. We were self-guided, but when we ran into a little trouble on our first day (someone in our group fell off the bike), the local company was incredibly responsive and there when we needed them. There was constant communication throughout the trip, and they made sure everything went smoothly. Our luggage was transferred without incident and was always waiting for us in our room at the end of our travel days.
The directions on the route sheets were easy to follow, and with odometers on all the bikes, we never really got lost (which is a first for us). Having a choice of rides on most days, and the details on restaurants and points of interest in each of the towns we passed through made the rides even more enjoyable. The bikes were comfortable and everything we needed was supplied: tire repair kits, spare tubes, pumps, locks, etc. The collapsible panniers were awesome and transported wine very nicely!
The only negative thing I could say about the trip is that we were on main roads more than I would have liked. On previous trips to Italy and France, there were more back road options. But there wasn't a whole lot of traffic, and the cars generally gave us a comfortable amount of space when passing. The ride was definitely hillier and more difficult than we expected from a difficulty rating of 3, but the uphills weren't too steep and they were definitely worth it for the views!
- What was the date of your tour?
- 6/11/2016
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia
-
★★★★★ GobaGirl
An absolutely fabulous cycling experience.
Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Cycling from Ljubljana to Piran, from the Julian Alps, through the Karst region, past vineyards and little villages, by caves and castles and eventually down a stunning descent and along the Adriatic Sea was a stunning experience. We cycled along back roads, cycle paths, through kilometer long tunnels, along gravel trails and even made a short jaunt through a flooded marsh! We have cycled in France and Germany and the Czech Republic and this beats them all. The tour company did a fine job - wayfinding materials were a bit intimidating at first but the Route was marked with stickers placed on sign posts and the written directions were (usually) accurate. Accommodations were good (Mantova not so much but Hisa Posebne Sorte blew us away). Stop and see the sights - the castles the caves the museums and the Lipizzaner farm. We had a breakdown one day but the company has mechanics at the ready with a voucher system - we were back in the road in no time. MY ADVICE: rent the Ebike. There were 14 people doing the same ride as us and 9 used ebikes. Three of the days have LOTS of feet of climb. I have done many, many weeklong bike rides and thought these climbs were challenging (I used the regular bike). Unless you are a pretty experienced cyclist, rent the ebike and enjoy the ride. This is a MUST vacation for everyone.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 1, 2019 - June 8, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Slovenia
-
★★★★★ GobaGirl
Wonderful way to see the Czech Republic
Prague to Dresden Along the Vltava & Elbe Rivers
We did the self guided trip (more on that option later) and the actual bicycle trip was fantastic. The cities we stayed in were great - Melnik was amazing - and the route along the Elbe was just stunning. The experience was just wonderful. Food, beer, wine, lodgings, villages - all perfect. The only caution is if you opt for the self guided trip. Although the bike paths were generally well marked, it was sort of stressful always having to watch for the twists and turns. A guide would have made the whole experience far more relaxing and enjoyable. And we would not have found ourselves lost quite so often.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 12-18
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2 guided tours and many cross state
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Czech Republic, Germany
-
★★★★★ Gretchen Jones
Stunning trip through the coast of Ireland
Treasures of the Donegal Coast
This was my fourth bicycle trip in Europe and was one of my favorites. We used ebikes which made the entire trip enjoyable and manageable (altogether, we rode about 130 miles and had just under 10K feet of climb). Scenery was unsurpassed. Just stunning. Area is very remote. Accommodations were fine but nothing special (except the beginning/ending B&B). We did self guided and directions/Garmin were impeccable. Just a great way to see Ireland
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 9+
- 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?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Gretchen Jones
Amazing trip up the west coast of Sweden
Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg
This is a must see part of the world!! This was my fifth bicycle trip in Europe and one of the best. The west coast of Sweden was absolutely stunning - beautiful beaches, cute villages, wonderful countryside. The people were tremendous. Language was not an issue. The bicycle trail is well traveled and easy to follow. It was a wonderful experience.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Sweden
-
★★★★★ RobertH
Innsbruck to Salzburg Austria: OUTSTANDING!!
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
This is a very well run self-guided tour that takes you through beautiful Austria. I was out of the regular "American tourist" areas and experienced true Austria. I had the 7-day tour with a rest day in Zell Am See - highly recommend this option. I did some hiking and a boat trip during my "rest day"! Beautiful mountains and lakes. All my B&B's / hotels were excellent and the staffs were so nice. I also did an extra day at the end of the tour in Salzburg. Wonderful city. The bike was excellent and the represented on Day #1 was very nice and explained working the GPS.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 14 to 20 August
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8 to 10
- 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?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
-
★★★★★ Robert and Kathy England
Great trip for a group of five people with mixed biking abilities
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The sights on this trip were perfect and so enjoyable. Everyone felt that generally speaking the cycling was the right level and the scenery was everything we hoped for. There was a section of the bike path going into Linz that was on a narrow sidewalk next to a busy road that was not suitable for the less experienced members of our group. Also generally speaking our daily mileages as recorded by our GPS watches were several miles longer than the distances noted in the tour description on the website. On the whole, the hotels were charming and the service to move luggage was very effective. Luggage was often early and never past the promised time of 6 PM, although the last day cut it close! Trail directions were excellent, among the best we've had on several bike tours we have taken. Directions to specific hotels were mostly good, except for the directions to Landgasthof Winter in Ardagger Stift. Those directions were really terrible and caused us to get seriously lost. In addition, that hotel was very very charming, but not in a great location as it was a ways off the trail and up a steep hill. In the time before the trip BikeTours.com was slow in responding to questions and requests. Regardless of some of these points, on the whole we all absolutely loved this trip, would recommend it to others, and would look for one like it to do again.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 8, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7+ like this, 10+ do our own route, carry our own luggage in panniers
- 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?
- Austria, Germany
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BikeTours.com staff reply from jan
Thanks for your business, the wonderful review, and updates to this tour! Also, apologies for the tardy reply pre-trip. September is by far the busiest month for everyone in our business so the entire team was buried with requests. Hope to see you again.
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★★★★★ 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
-
★★★★★ Eric Meer
Great Trip for September!!
South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Trip went very smoothly. Towns were beautiful and quaint, hotels were accommodating as advertised, ebikes were brilliant and easy to use. Would definitely recommend standard bike seats or gel seats vs. the wider ones. 4-5 days takes a toll on the sitting muscles :). Would recommend adding a 2nd night in Bezier and doing only 1 night in Carcassonne.
Also, would recommend the company update it's map of Montpellier train station. The meeting point didn't match the map, but we figured it out.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- 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?
- France
-
★★★★★ Erin ELE
Wonderful Trip, Picturesque days and Beautiful Evenings with Great Company
Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
This was a wonderful way to see and experience Provence. The countryside is beautiful and a bike tour allows you to actually be a part of it. Mike, our guide and Bernie (his helper!) were fantastic and really made the trip special. Their personalities were very low key and low stress, yet they were unbelievably accommodating. The company focuses on ensuring your meal experience is amazing and that definitely did not disappoint. Each meal was just lovely from a service and a quality perspective.
We had a large group of 22 which made the management a little challenging, but they responded very well. Ideally, a group of 15 would be perfect, but the people on the trip were wonderful as well. This is a trip for someone that is decently fit. Some of the hills were challenging - but they were doable if you took your time. If you aren't cyclist I would recommend the ebikes for sure.
Our stops were fantastic and allowed for time to relax and enjoy the scenery. As a shopper we had a great day shopping in a small town which made it even more of a plus.
The hotels we stayed in were very quaint. I don't use that term as a way of saying old and tired. They aren't large 5 star hotels, but we didn't want that winding our way through Provence. They were beautiful and clean and perfect hotels that had everything one would need. And they were what was in my mind's eye of a hotel in Provence.
I would highly recommend the trip, but I would be prepared for the rides and a few hills. The wine became that much sweeter that evening! As did Bernie and Mike! Thank you for a perfect trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 31, 2019
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ ErinH
Beyond Awesome!
Medieval Villages of Catalonia
I had an absolutely wonderful time! Daniel and Lucy (AKA Creative Catalonia) went out of their way to make this a fabulous trip. The scenery is terrific, the hotels were great! Food was out of this world! Particularly good if you like history, which I do. This was my first trip to Spain, but it will NOT be the last! I went on the off-season, so it was quiet, which I enjoy
- How many tours have you completed?
- this is my second
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Families with teens, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
-
★★★★★ erinling
Just Get the E-bike
Highlights of the Highlands: Donegal by E-bike
Amazing way of seeing the countryside. County Donegal is gorgeous. Killybegs to Glencolmcille to Glenties were my favorite rides. I began day 1 of my journey on a hybrid bike thinking "I'm in shape, I can do this." WRONG. The terrain is very hilly and the hybrids heavy, so just go ahead and get that e-bike. Seamus was incredibly friendly and helpful and worked with me if a problem arose. All of the B&B hosts were great, though Letterkenny's was certainly my least favorite. My only regret is being too concerned about making good time and not taking more opportunities to hop off and hike around more.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 30/04/19 - 05/05/19
- 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?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ Heidy
Beautiful Scenic Bike Tour
Connemara Lazy Days Cycling
The perfect way to experience Ireland! My husband and I biked this tour in September 2014 and were totally taken away by beautiful Connemara region. Along the way, we enjoyed beer and seafood in local pubs and a smoked mackerel and champagne in Ballynahinch Castle. The bicycles were in good condition and the accommodation in B&Bs was fine for us. The hosts were friendly, the facilities clean and the Irish breakfast huge and delicious. I bought us all the rain-gear I could find, but we did not need it once. Some mornings were foggy but it only added to the charm of the countryside.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- 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?
- Ireland
-
★★★★★ eric dickman
Great Trip
Vienna to Budapest (Classic)
We really enjoyed our self-guided bike trip to Budapest. All the logistics were handled without any hitches. Our luggage was always waiting for us at our hotel each night. The bikes we rented were near new and well tuned and very easy and pleasant to ride. We relied on the Radreise Freunde app for maps and points of interest. Apart from a few bugs in the navigation, it worked great and the EuroVelo 6 was clearly marked.
The only negatives worth noting are that parts of the EuroVelo 6 were not paved which required us to ride on some buys roads which was unpleasant, or ride on gravel paths or even muddy tracks (for short periods). Each town we lodged in was charming in its own way. But there was not much to see in between destinations. So each day it was about biking and getting to our stop. One note to bikers, the EuroVelo from Vienna to Budapest is not shaded. We had a week of very hot weather and the sun was very intense so plan accordingly. Other than that the routes are flat and easy to ride, even with some of the longer distances.
We had once instance, in Gyor, where our hotel was not a "usually contracted hotel" and was 10kms out side of the centrum that required biking through some busy industrial areas and roads to reach our hotel. And we would have had to ride back into Gyor another 10kms the next day to start the ride had we not insisted on the tour operator driving us and our bikes to the start of our ride. Most unfortunate was we did not get enough time to explore Gyor which was the nicest stop on the tour.
The tour coordinators were all very responsive to our needs and helped with any coordination issues we had prior to, and during our tour.
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★★★★★ Eugenia Farre
Dolomites to Trieste as a couple
Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps
We loved this tour. We visited wonderful places. The hotels were excellent and the price/quality ratio was very good. The bicycles are in perfect condition. We always had a quick response when any questions. Highly recommended!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Italy, Slovenia, Austria
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★★★★★ Joseph Bohonos
Balkans Introduction
Cycling the West Balkan Triangle
This trip was our introduction to supported touring. The cost was reasonable, hotels were charming, the guides were top notch. There were some areas that were not bike friendly---our guide did a remarkable job keeping us safe. The rented bicycles were high quality--no worries there. May/June, September/October are the times to go, summer is too hot.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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