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E-Bikes Available Tour Reviews  page 160

  • (3/5) Richard 69 May 29, 2022

    A nice ride

    Strasbourg to Mainz: Imperial Cities and Charming Landscapes Along the Rhine

    This is our eighth time cycling in Europe so we are experienced cyclers. This is the first and only time we had any problems. When we arrived in Strassbourg in the evening and checked our bikes we noticed right off that one of the bikes had a problem. We called Eurobike the next morning to resolve the issue and we were underwhelmed by their response. After several phone calls and two and a half hours taken out of the day we planned to spend sightseeing in Strassbourg I finally demanded that they bring us another bike which they reluctantly agreed to do. If we had not taken an extra day in Strassbourg there would have been no way for us to complete the first leg of our tour. So there was that.
    We have always chosen the B level hotels and have always been more than satisfied. This tour the hotels were hit and miss. The Hotel Ibis in Heidelberg gave us a room that was literally the size of a closet nd it was more than a mile walk to get to the historic old town. The hotel Asgard in Worms was also a long way from the city center. I will say that all the hotels served a good breakfast.
    The bikes were the typical rental bikes that we always get so they are a little heavy and slow so no surprises there. But we found the road surfaces to be very rough in many places which made for very slow travel and we found ourselves reaching our destinations much later than we planned.
    We cycled through forests and lots of farmland which was fine but we really did not cycle along the Rhine as much as we would have liked. The scenery was pleasant enough but not nearly as spectacular as other tours we’ve taken.
    The printed directions are always confusing and at times our route was not as well marked as we would have liked so there was a lot of stopping to check our phones. We found the app that we downloaded to be very helpful.
    It’s always fun and exciting to be cycling in Europe and we did enjoy ourselves and had many fine meals along the way. Unfortunately this ride did not compare favorably with the other seven tours we’ve taken.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 18-25 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    8
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    France, Germany
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 2/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) Canada November 4, 2015

    A bit of a disappointment

    Lake Constance Bicycle Path

    We booked the high end tour and in general were very pleased. Most of the hotels were lovely and located conveniently to the bike path. One exception was the Marina hotel we were sent to. We passed by beautiful villages but instead of staying in these lovely locations, we were sent to a marina where there no amenities nearby. We explored through the nearby campsite and located a restaurant much more reasonably priced than the marina hotel restaurant. When we had asked at the hotel about nearby restaurants, the hotel said there were no others nearby. It was also very noisy as they were working on the boats. Also we were disappointed with how little you actually got to bike along the lake. Being as this is a huge vacation area most of the lakefront had homes on them. So we were sharing the road much more than expected with often little or no views of the lake.
    The bike tour company was great and the bikes were of a good quality (though with the bumpy terrain shocks would have been appreciated).

    A lovely touch was the beautiful room at the Hotel Halm in Constance where there was a bottle of wine waiting and a lovely corner room.

    How many tours have you completed?
    Three
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Switzerland
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Lindsay Nash November 5, 2015

      Hi Kim! Thanks for your review, and we're glad to hear you were very pleased over all. We certainly appreciate your repeat business. We're sorry to hear about your disappointment with the route and the overnight locations, and we've passed along your feedback to the tour operator. This is one of our most popular tours so hotel availability can dictate those overnight locations. We're glad to hear about the bottle of wine, though. That can certainly help the experience!

    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Kitty Brodie July 31, 2024

    Not quite what we expected

    Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)

    We booked a self-guided 5-day tour from Vienna to Budapest.
    There were a few things that did not sit well with us on the organizational front.
    The tour itself was great once we got started and the cities/hotels en route were great.
    The bike service was great... we had a mechanical issue on Day 1 of riding, and the bike was replaced the next morning.

    Organizationally:
    Confirmation of tour was delayed until the 1 day before the original day of departure.
    When I tried to cancel because we wanted to book something that was confirmed, I was told this was not possible.
    That seemed unfair, when the tour operator has the right to cancel, but not the client.

    The initial orientation meeting on "Day 1" in Vienna did not happen until "Day 2".
    Nothing at all was arranged for "Day 1" other than the hotel in Vienna.

    The 5 day tour turned out to be 5 nights, with the 1st night in Vienna, where we already were staying.
    So not 5 nights on the road, but 5 nights in hotels. Starting on the morning of "Day 2" makes the tour really only a 4 day tour in my opinion.

    The bikes that were brought to us on the morning of "Day 2" were not the right bikes that we had ordered.

    Pick up time for our bags from the hotel was not mentioned in the orientation meeting.
    Consequently, we missed the pickup time on the first hotel and had to pay for a taxi to bring the bags to the next hotel.
    This again seemed unfair.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 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, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
    Vienna to Budapest 5-nights
    • 1/5 Value
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 5/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
  • (3/5) Karen Metsos September 24, 2022

    Not the Best

    Andalusia: Southern Spain

    This was our third bike tour and to be honest we were disappointed in general. While the hotel accomodations and the towns that you slept in were great and places I would visit again, but the overall biking experience was a different story. The bike journey each day was mostly about trying to get to the next town. The experience along the way in terms of where you cycled and the towns you went through was a let down. For example having done the Passau to Vienna cycle a few years back the lunch stops and places to take breaks were amazing, charming, convenient and scenic. This trip didn't offer any of that. The lunch locations were simply a place to rest and keep going. The tour operator in the self guided books didn't offer any recommendations of where to stop for lunch or breaks compared to the previous 2 tours we did (Passau to Vienna and Puglia). On the previous two tours these types of tips and recommendations added extreme value to our trip.
    A couple of tips... if you do decide to do this cycle definitely spend the extra 30 euros for the GPS as it will vastly improve the navigation experience as bikes aren't set up to display the guide book and if the tour operator is reading this, having an upgraded room option would be a good idea as the hotels were great as well as the towns. On a couple of the locations we paid extra for an upgraded room upon checkin and it made a difference!

    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Spain
    Andalusia: Southern Spain
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Ricardo Hein November 7, 2022

    Nice biking vacation

    Danube Cycle Path Passau – Budapest

    The Danube is beautiful and the Austrian portion is beautiful. After Vienna it turns flat and less developed. The opportunity to share with people is limited by the places to stay, I didn't like to stay away from the towns in isolated guest houses, when guest homes were available in small towns.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2022
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
    Danube Cycle Path
    • 2/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
  • (3/5) Two Michiganders November 4, 2015

    Lost in Translation

    Venice to Trieste and Istria

    This was our fourth tour with Bike Tours and the first with an Italian outfitter. Maybe that's where the trouble started.
    We're not novices to this kind of travel and expect to spend some time lost and wandering--that's okay--to some extent. The directions for this trip were oddly and sometimes poorly translated, and there were occasions that though we'd asked for the English version, the notes were in German. The sticker signage was missing and incorrect at several critical junctures--crossing into Croatia from Slovenia, for instance. I know we weren't the only people who missed it--others at the hotel mentioned the same confusion.
    I think that this part of Italy isn't quite as used to cycling (fewer cycle paths) and there were long stretches where we were riding with heavy traffic on 50-70k speed roads. The last day was very hilly (we were aware of this) and included some long slogs through unmarked Croatian campgrounds/resorts which were not mentioned in the directions. Despite the directions, knowing that you needed to be near the sea for most of the trip was helpful.
    Navigation being my only caution, this was a lovely and fun trip. The towns and sites along the way were quaint and it was relaxing when we were off the main roads. I appreciated the towns we stayed in, Sagittaria Concordia, Trieste and Piran were especially memorable for the sites and ambiance of each place. The ruins in Aguilia were amazing. The hotels were all excellent, breakfasts hearty and our bags were moved as promised.
    I'd recommend this to someone, but with caution regarding navigation.

    How many tours have you completed?
    Four
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Croatia, Italy, Slovenia
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Richie November 5, 2015

      Hi!

      Thank you for bringing the issues with tour documents and signage to our attention. I was on a tour with this operator in August and did not have these issues. However, I was on a different tour.

      Part of the tour I was on overlapped with this tour in Trieste. There is quite a bit of traffic getting in and out of Trieste and that is worth being aware of.

      I have passed your comments about the tour documents and signage on to the tour operator. It is important that they are aware of the sticker situation so that they can go through the route and fix the stickers where they are missing or incorrect. It is also important that they are aware of the translation issues with the documents themselves. I do know that they go over their documents and make improvements every off season. This information will be useful to them as they are going through this process.

      Thank you again for taking the time to provide feedback (and the beautiful photos!)! We are looking forward to helping you arrange your next trip.

      —Richie

    Venice to Trieste & Istria
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • Jeselo, Italy (submitted by Two Michiganders)
    • Day One. (submitted by Two Michiganders)
    • Red farm house and fence, Italy. (submitted by Two Michiganders)
    • After a rain, Sagittaria Concordia, Italy. (submitted by Two Michiganders)
    • Crossing into Slovenia (submitted by Two Michiganders)
    • Sunset in Porec, Croatia. (submitted by Two Michiganders)
  • (3/5) Ronb September 25, 2017

    Good value for money way to see the Baltic countries with great guide.

    Baltic Capitals: Historic Cities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn

    Our guide Romas was excellent. Lots of stories about where we visited. Most hotels very good with useful location. Easy riding. Bus always available if somebody wanted to rest. Great way to see Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Riga hotel not up to the standard of the others though it had perfect location.

    What was the date of your tour?
    27th Aug 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    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?
    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania
    • 4/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
    • 5/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) Ronald Rettig-Zucchi April 26, 2023

    Super tulip

    Holland’s Super Tulip Tour

    A bit like giligan’s island. It was staffed by excellent people but the boat was substandard. It seems the boat was rented by the outfitters on April 1 but not really checked out for fitness. They did a cruise on April 6 during which plumbing problems developed which they did not completely fix before starting pour cruise on April 15. The problem continued and we had to spend a night in a hotel. A very nice hotel provided by the outfitters. In all it was okay but still avoidable.

    What was the date of your tour?
    April 2023
    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
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
    • 3/5 Value
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 2/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 4/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) Bob Sterndale October 3, 2024

    Beautiful trip but problems

    Tauern Bike Path (Krimml-Passau)

    The scenery was breathtaking, the bike paths mostly fine but with seriously difficult and dangerous exceptions, the hotels very pleasant and the e-bikes fine with one exception.
    The trip started on the wrong foot at the first hotel: Hotel Krimml Fälle. We were assigned a room with no heat (as were others) on a cold day. After two hours of lame diversions and excuses, while we sat in the lobby to keep warm, we were given a heated room. In all other respects the hotel and restaurant were fine.
    Getting to Krimml is a bit confusing. OBB will sell you a train ticket (from Salzburg for us) all the way to Krimml. The trip involves a narrow-gauge train from Sell am See to Mittersill hbf (end of line) and a bus trip from Mittersill to Krimml. There is a bus stop in the middle of Krimml village, steps from our hotel.
    The first day of biking were delightful. The hotel in Sell am See was beyond our expectations.
    The second day of biking started well but we encountered a long section of closed trail. We were in a narrow valley with little development. The only parallel path was a shoulder-less two-lane highway with plenty of high-speed traffic, not an acceptable bike route. Trees and brush had been trimmed along the nice paved bike path recently. All the slash had been left on the path, for 2 or 3 days from its appearance. We picked our way through the mess for maybe a couple kilometers. Then we came to a section with blown down trees obstructing the path, another ½ to 1 Km. Getting through this required some bushwhacking with the heavy e-bikes. Not fun.
    Day three of biking was fine until we came to a flooded underpass on the outskirts of Salzburg. We needed to cross the A1 highway to get to Salzburg. A bad storm a few days before had caused numerous problems across Austria. We did find an alternate route but advance knowledge would have saved us a few Km of pedaling.
    Day 4, however, brought us to highway biking. As we approached the village of St. Radegund we were directed onto a busy, shoulder-less two-lane road for a steep ascent of a kilometer or more. It was a strenuous ride even with the e-bikes. Your web sites offers this description of the tour:
    “The tour route is mainly on dedicated bicycle paths (about 80% of the time). The remainder of the tour is on quiet roads and dirt or gravel roads. This tour is suitable for families with children.”
    This stretch alone disqualifies the tour as a family-safe route. The experience continues:
    A short distance beyond the scary hill climb is a 5.2 Km stretch of riding on the same road. The tour map shows this section as a bike path on the side of the road pavement. The “bike path” in this area is about 18” wide, separated from the high-speed traffic by a 4” wide white stripe. Narrative direction for this day’s route were not helpful, signage was poor, the “pink” house referred to is now yellow.
    The unpleasant day was capped by a steep climb to the hotel in Burghausen. Pushing a heavy e-bike up a hill doesn’t work! You need to pedal it up so that it assists with its own heavy weight.
    Day 5 brought us to Bad Fussing. This day was mostly uneventful. Directions to the hotel in Bad Fussing were vague, calling for riding 4 Km on a busy road with no shoulder. Instead, we found a bike path at the German side of the bridge that led right in to downtown Bad Fussing. The directions should include this route. Plan your day to allow an hour or two at one of the baths, you will be glad you did!
    Day 6 was uneventful, mainly along the Inn River to Passau.
    One e-bike problem: the rear disc brake on one of the 4 bikes was useless, apparently the brake pads were worn away (bikes had coaster brakes too). In all other respects bikes were fine. Battery capacity was generous. I think the lowest reserve at the end of any day for any of us was 50%.
    An otherwise delightful trip was marred by surprise bike path closures and stretches of unsafe highway biking. This is not for children. The scenery was awe inspiring. Hotels were good to excellent. E-bikes were good except for one problem that didn’t spoil the trip.
    We would have wished for more current information on bike path conditions from the local partner. We provided reports to them of closed paths as we encountered them.
    Your tour description misrepresents the conditions of the route. We would not have booked the trip if had been accurately described.  SHOW MORE 

    What was the date of your tour?
    Sept 16, 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    about ten
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Germany
    Tauern Bike Path
    • 5/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Russ Deuell May 23, 2023

    Trip of a lifetime that the guide fell short on!

    Holland’s Super Tulip Tour

    Biking through Holland was an amazing adventure. Having an E-Bike made it much more relaxing since you could always turn on the power assist if needed, which we didn't need. THere were many great biking trails that were very relaxing to ride on and see the great scenery of Holland.
    The boat, captain, chef and serving assistant made the trip very enjoyable.
    The guide, well it seemed like it was the first time Annette did this trip. She easily got lost 3-4 times a day. She would ask for input on what we wanted and then ignore the input if it didn't match what she had planned for the day. Several times she ignored the bike crossing lights and almost got riders that were following hit. This made the rides very stressful. The group also asked to bike faster so we could spend more time at some of the sights. She insisted this was not possible but managed to do exactly that on the last day when weather was going to be an issue later in the afternoon. We also had a flat tire one day and she didn't have a replacement tube. She had to go find another group that had one and then had to have someone from the group change the tube because she couldn't do it herself She managed to make the daily rides very stressful. I would not recommend a trip with her.

    What was the date of your tour?
    May 2023
    How many tours have you completed?
    1
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much easier
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Holland
    • 2/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
    • Photo by Russ Deuell
    • Photo by Russ Deuell
    • Photo by Russ Deuell
    • Photo by Russ Deuell
    • Photo by Russ Deuell
  • (3/5) Steve Lilley 11 months ago

    Challenge completed!

    Vienna to Budapest (Classic)

    As a couple we enjoyed completing the challenge in extremely hot conditions.
    We were disappointed in not sighting or swimming in the Danube more often: it’s a mighty impressive river!
    Riding enabled greater appreciation of the country and people than by car: crops and farming in particular.
    The final ferry ride for over an hour was a great finale!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June
    How many tours have you completed?
    Many
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Hungary
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Steve Lilley 11 months ago

    Challenge completed!

    Vienna to Budapest (Classic)

    As a couple we enjoyed completing the challenge in extremely hot conditions.
    We were disappointed in not sighting or swimming in the Danube more often: it’s a mighty impressive river!
    Riding enabled greater appreciation of the country and people than by car: crops and farming in particular.
    The final ferry ride for over an hour was a great finale!

    What was the date of your tour?
    June
    How many tours have you completed?
    Many
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    First-time bike tourists
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Hungary
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 4/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 4/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Sallie Williams October 20, 2024

    Several issues with this bike tour

    Best of San Diego E-Bike Tour

    This bike tour had a challenge from the beginning with a group that was too large - 14 people, three of whom were kids, teens or younger, led by one tour guide on a route that was constantly either in traffic or in areas heavily trafficked by pedestrians. There was one section of Little Italy that was particularly difficult because there were several blocks given over to an outdoor Art Fair and the streets were closed off. Wouldn't this be something that the organizers should have known about so that the tour could have been rerouted?

    Our guide, Cassie, did her best but it was a real challenge to keep everyone together and safe and thus, felt a bit stressful. E-bikes were ok, but the blue ones with the fat tires were clearly a challenge for several of the riders.

    That said, San Diego is a beautiful city and seeing it on a bike is a good way to do it, and Cassie did a nice job with her talking points on the stops. Here are my suggestions if you take this tour:

    - Bring water, as it's not provided. There is a stop to buy water, but it's two hours into the tour. Also note that many of the bikes do not have a holder for a water bottle.

    - The notes say that a basket or bike bag is included. What was included was a very small bag only large enough to accommodate a phone and a small snack, definitely not a water bottle.

    - Consider taking a small backpack for water, phone, sunglasses, and snacks and also to stow a clothing layer you might want to peel off.

    Lastly, I will say that my husband and I have done a dozen or more bike tours in various parts of the U.S. and abroad over the past several years and I would generously put this one in the bottom 50%.

  • (3/5) Spain October 12, 2019

    An Adventure

    Vienna to Budapest (Classic)

    We selected a self guided tour which we have done several times in the past. Unfortunately the gps link did not work for us so we used the cue sheets and map. We got lost several times which was an adventure but difficult on the larger mileage days and in bad weather. There were many more miles on roads than we expected. Often the traffic was heavy and fast and the cycle paths in poor condition.We managed as we are experienced riders but it was not what we expected. We were glad to have the suspension of hybrid bikes. However when by the river on a good cycle path the ride was beautiful. We enjoyed the ferry rides. We were 15 riders and all liked the accommodations!

    What was the date of your tour?
    October 1, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    10
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Austria, Hungary
    • 3/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 3/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) TriaT July 10, 2017

    Hillier than described

    Best of Slovenia: Highlights Across the Country From Bled to Piran

    This was our third family trip booked through Bike Tours Direct. The previous two were in Austria (Danube and Salzburg loop). We have two daughters, age 11 and 13, who are physically fit and mentally strong. This trip, lovely as it was, was too challenging for them. There is some serious climbing required and it should be rated at least a 3. It doesn't necessarily look like much on the profile but with the scale it's very deceptive. After 6 days cycling we needed a rest day so gave in and the bike company helped order a taxi that could take us and the bikes to Lipica. Overall the route took us through some wonderful scenery, starting in the Alps, then the Karst hills, and finally to the Adriatic coast. But most of it was on roads rather than bike paths, often with busy traffic. We're experienced road riders but found the Slovenian drivers to be rather aggressive and none of the roads had shoulders.
    We also were a little disappointed in the destinations each night. The trip started in a fantastic place, Lake Bled, and ended in a very different but equally picturesque town, Piran, but too many of the overnights in between were in nondescript towns with little to explore. The distances weren't huge each day so we took our time and ate lunch along the way. Typically we arrived at the hotel around 2pm so had plenty of time to explore the new location but in 3-4 of the locations there was nothing to see, which was a real shame as on a trip like this part of the excitement is getting to the new place each day.
    The hotels were of mixed standards. Some were modern, some very old and tired. Air conditioning seemed to be a challenge in all of them, though sorely needed. Wifi was spotty at best. Bathrooms are universally tiny.
    We did some but not all of the side trips. It was raining at Lake Ribcev so we didn't do the waterfall or swim in the lake, which was a shame. Indoor Aquapark at the Eco Hotel was a godsend, given the rain that afternoon. Predjama Castle is a must. Also the Postojna caves. The Lipica stud farm was lovely, though the show a little underwhelming.
    The food in Slovenia was a pleasant surprise. It's heavily influenced by Italy so every other restaurant offers pizza and pasta, plenty of salads, grilled meat and fish. Local wines were good. And everyone we encountered along the way spoke excellent English.
    If you're looking to explore a new country, this is a great way to sample Slovenia. But the infrastructure and culture geared towards cycling just isn't there yet in the same way that it is in countries like Austria, Germany.
    There were a few times where the directions didn't match the odometer readings and we had to rely on Google maps for cross reference. If you don't have an international data plan on your phone I highly recommend it. Overall though the directions were pretty good. And Helia, the local bike company, was very appreciative of any suggestions for improvement.  SHOW MORE 

    What was the date of your tour?
    July 2017
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with teens
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Slovenia
    Best of Slovenia
    • 4/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 4/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 5/5 Local tour company services
    • 3/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) David Turner September 24, 2024

    Beautiful Scenery, Too Many Busy Roads

    Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems

    This was our sixth European cycle trip and the first one that we felt the description of was misleading. The information indicated that 80% of the route was on country roads. To us that means small quiet roads that go through villages with infrequent cars or farm equipment. We found that far too often we were cycling on secondary roads with fast moving cars, trucks and buses and no shoulder. There were several close calls with cars passing us on curves. We expect traffic entering and leaving cities, but this was stressful and unpleasant. The few designated bike lanes and small roads were fine and made for enjoyable cycling.

    There was severe weather forecast for the first day of our ride. We, and some other cyclists expressed concern about the weather to the representative that we met prior to the start of the ride. He absolutely downplayed our concerns at our first meeting and also the morning we were to begin when the rain was torrential. Wisely we decided to take the train to a station close to our destination. We still got drenched getting to and from the station. The other four cyclists tried to ride and had to be rescued after 10 km. Luckily some very kind people helped them out.

    The Guibo navigation system worked well, however on one cycle day, the route ended 15 km. from our hotel. We had to self navigate the rest of the route. We managed, but there was a bit of stress figuring out the best route with the least amount of traffic. A less experienced group could have found themselves in a difficult situation.

    The scenery, the people and the food were all good, but we would not recommend this ride to others. We realize that weather is out of anyone’s control, but we felt our concerns were taken lightly and the advice given was poor.

    What was the date of your tour?
    September 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Slovenia
    Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
    • 4/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 4/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 1/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
    • 1/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) u d i July 4, 2019

    Lovely landscape shame most of the cycling is on asphalt with fast cars ..

    Ireland’s West Cork on Tranquil Lanes Following the Coast

    We had great time riding at CORK area, the weather was on our side also. everything was green and blooming, we all had e-bikes which was a great descision to do since first 3 days we traveled more than 70KM each day.accomodation was very good and so was the food, especially fish and sea food, we also had one night stay at a lovely castle fron 16th century on the atlantic beach.since most on the track was dedicated to the West Atlantic Way and many parts of it on the N71 we changed it and went deep into the countryside which was eaven nicer, plenty of fields and woods as we went up and downhill.it is advisable to change parts of the route to offroad routs.

    What was the date of your tour?
    june 16 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    this is our 8th
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    As expected
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers, Families with young kids
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Ireland
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe July 5, 2019

      Thanks kindly for your feedback. We're so glad to hear that you were able to improve your experience by altering your route. And thank goodness for e-bikes; they truly are a game changer! Love that you had wonderful weather, food, and accommodations. Thanks again for the review (and the pictures).

    Ireland’s West Cork
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 3/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 4/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
    • Photo 1 (submitted by u d i)
    • Photo 2 (submitted by u d i)
    • Photo 3 (submitted by u d i)
    • Photo 4 (submitted by u d i)
    • Photo 5 (submitted by u d i)
  • (3/5) Richard Sany August 12, 2024

    Nice Scenery

    Dolomites to Trieste via Lake Bled at the Foot of the Julian Alps

    We have been on a previous biketours.com offered ride in Austria and had certain expectations. The scenery was great but the navigation maps (especially digital) were lacking. The app for navigation and it was not responsive enough for making correct turns. I downloaded the digital files and tried to load them onto a ride app, Ride With GPS, but the files were so disorganized I had to completely re-trace the route for the 3 of the days we rode. Unlike a previous reviewer, I think the last day route from Gradisca d'Isonzo to Treiste was not that treacherous, probably because we took the more hilly alternate route through the countryside. Not very many cars and the rest were respectful of bikes on the road. I was very glad I had a triple front chain ring though because I was in the lowest gear on many hills (my wife had an ebike and met me at the top of every hill :-) ).

    What was the date of your tour?
    August 2024
    How many tours have you completed?
    6
    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?
    Italy, Slovenia, Austria
    Dolomites to Trieste
    • 4/5 Value
    • 5/5 Included meals
    • 4/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 4/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 2/5 Ease of navigation
    • 3/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
  • (3/5) Sagan October 1, 2019

    More challenging than leisurely

    Sardinia: A Mine of Memories

    Unfortunately not the experience we expected and we were a bit disappointed given how much we enjoyed our previous tours.
    The very hot weather and humidity may have been a factor but the route was much more challenging than expected and there were a lack of places to stop off that did not involve adding on extra KMs to the route.
    We noticed many other self guided opted for e-bikes probably with good reason.

    What was the date of your tour?
    14th sept 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    5
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Much harder
    Who is this tour suitable for?
    Solo travelers
    Do you recommend this tour?
    No
    Countries included in this tour?
    Italy
    • BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe October 2, 2019

      Hi Sagan, and thanks for the review. We're sorry to hear that this tour was more challenging than you expected and therefore, less enjoyable. Heat and humidity can surely be factors in making a tour feel harder. As you noted, ebikes are an option on harder tours (this one is a rider level 3/4) to make them feel more leisurely. We appreciate your note that places to stop require some extra pedaling - very helpful information! Thanks again for the feedback

    Sardinia: A Mine of Memories
    • 3/5 Value
    • 3/5 Included meals
    • 5/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 3/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 3/5 Ease of navigation
    • 2/5 Tour documents
    • 3/5 Local tour company services
    • 2/5 Route selection
    • 2/5 Guides (if applicable)
  • (3/5) victoria August 30, 2019

    Great way to see region around Stockholm

    Stockholm Round-Trip Across Swedish History

    This tour was a great way to see the region around Stockholm. Very scenic routes to view the landscape and good opportunities to see palace and historical buildings along the way. We were very happy with the hotels. It was difficult to shift gears on the bike that I rode because the bike was not properly tuned and the seat was uncomfortable because it wobbled. We were a group of four who requested four GPS units and received only one that functioned--an older model that does not offer the amenities of newer models. The written instructions they provided were sometimes hard to follow, which sometimes made it difficult to be sure we were on the right path. However, this could be easily fixed if they included more detail about the different kinds of roads and paths we would be take. All in all, I had a fantastic time and have no regrets.

    What was the date of your tour?
    Aug 18, 2019
    How many tours have you completed?
    3
    Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
    Somewhat harder
    Do you recommend this tour?
    Yes
    Countries included in this tour?
    Sweden
    Stockholm Round-Trip
    • 5/5 Value
    • 1/5 Bikes + equipment
    • 5/5 Hotels or boat
    • 5/5 Scenery
    • 1/5 Ease of navigation
    • 1/5 Tour documents
    • 2/5 Local tour company services
    • 5/5 Route selection

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