First-Timers Bike Tour Reviews page 9
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- ★★★★★ John Zimmerman
Washout
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
So I picked the worst possible week to do this, the trip was canceled by the tour company after 2 days because of flooding. I'm still waiting to hear from them. The bike was very nice, it had fenders, which came in handy in the steady rain I biked in the 2 days I was on the tour. The path was well marked, almost all that I was on was paved. One downside was because of the rain, the restaurants along the trail were closed, so when I most needed a hot drink, none were to be found. I couldn't use the turn by turn app because of the rain, but the trail guide book was very nice, and the directions were easy to follow. Conclusion, September is not a good month to do this, it was around 50 degrees the entire time I was on the cycle path. I want to attempt this again, there is a 99 percent chance that the weather will be better.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- this was the first one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Much 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
- ★★★★★ EDWARD STEGER
Well organized and executed
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
BikeTours did a great job communicating our self guided tour and when one of our party had to drop out due to a sprained hand, BikeTours were flexible in picking up the bike from our 2nd tour hotel stop. The e-bikes were top notch and the countryside was beautiful. The hotels were all clean and ranged from adaquate to very comfortable. I have two suggestions. 1) It took a bit over a week to confirm our trip. This put the six of us in limbo for booking our airfare during this time. 2) The route was beautiful but the markings were unclear. There were a lot of choices (almost 1 per kilometer - lots of roundabouts and choices) and we had to stop, pull out our phones, and check Google Maps. This could have been avoided if the BikeTours had let us know to bring a bike phone mount or better yet, supplied one as part of the tour package.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Larry Mark Robbins
Hotels with Charm?
Rhine Bike Path: Mainz to Cologne
As expected, the tour was beautiful, flat, and easy to follow. This is said to be the most scenic segment of the Rhine and I have no reason to doubt that. The bikes were excellent. We selected e-bikes, a first for me, that were useful since we encountered several cool days with a headwind. We chose the Charme category and travelled between seasons 2 and 3. Unfortunately, we were informed that four of the six hotels advertised were unavailable. Quote "Some of the hotels that were booked (due to availability) only offer Category A, however the highest room category was booked at all the Category A hotels. For Rüdesheim and Cologne we can offer a discount of 20,00 € per person/night." Ok, reasonable we thought and agreed. Here are how the switches worked out:
Mainz: H2 hotel: Brand new hotel, residential neighborhood but walkable to Old Town, overall nice. Room was good (clean & modern) tho not exceptional. More basic hotel than luxury hotel as Favorite Parkhotel appeared in pictures. Differential between the two hotels on Expedia for two nights is €80. No compensation offered.
Rudesheim: Central Hotel: As the name implies, central to tourist area. Room was Ok but not great. Certainly not "the highest room category was booked at all the Category A hotels" as promised. Breuer's Rüdesheim Castle, the brochure hotel, is €60 more expensive per night and pictures appear significantly more upscale. Compensated €40.
St Goar: Schlosshotel Rheinfels: This is the brochure hotel. Relais & Chateaux level hotel. Outstanding. Don't miss dinner in hotel dining room as sun sets.
Koblenz: Diehls Hotel: Located on the other side of the river from Koblenz but this was not a problem for us. Very fine hotel, received an upgraded room. Had an excellent dinner at hotel. Left the next morning from this side of the river. This was not either of the brochure hotels, but was excellent.
Bad Godesburg: Boutique Hotel Dreesen: This was the brochure hotel. Upscale as expected in a beautiful neighborhood. Restaurant Rheinzeit nearby should not be excluded.
Cologne: Hotel Eden am Dom: Top notch location next to cathedral and other tourist sites but just OK hotel. No upgraded room. At least €40 per night cheaper than the advertised Steigenberger per their own individual websites x 2 nights = €80. Given €40 compensation. Again, nothing wrong with this hotel, but not the experience advertised and not adequately compensated. Life isn't perfect but given this was mid-September, there were shortcomings.
NB: The ICE train returning from Koln to the Frankfurt airport is not the Hauptbahnhof next to the cathedral. That train leaves from the Messe/Deutz Bahnhof across the river. SHOW MORE
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ Renata Ostwald
Self guided tours
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Great experience, hotels were great and luggage transit even better. The only thing disappointment I had was regarding the routes…. It’s so easy in Europe ( once you know what path to take since it’s all signed ). Guidance regarding which sign should be followed would have been helpful. But it was an great trip
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- 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?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ susan mcbryant
The best!
Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Thoughful bike routes, great accommodations, beautiful scenery. This trip was seamless and we would highly recommend it to anyone.
- ★★★★★ Kim Wasik
Biking, Vinyards, and Castles
Mosel & Saar by Bike & Boat
Biking along the beautiful Mosel River with a view of the Reisling Vinyards, and a warm reception aboard our floating hotel was a wonderful experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept 7 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
- ★★★★★ john thell
Wonderful Danube
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
We loved the trip along the Danube. Great scenery, great accommodations, wonderful food. Unfortunately we had several days of rain but we found some cafes and Gasthof’s along the way
- ★★★★★ Alan Burnet
Great circular cycling route
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
Really enjoyed our cycle tour of lake Konstanz. The luggage pickup and drop offs were very efficient and the hotels provided secure locations to lockup our bikes. All the hotels had great breakfast buffets and mostly great rooms. The standout hotel was probably in Lindau as it was the only one with a pool and spa. We appreciated having daily recommendations for stops and sightseeing which we could plan the day before and it was fun to find random lake swim spots.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Julia W.
A beautiful ride!
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was my 4th bike tour with BikeTours. This was the best in terms of beautiful scenery and ease of riding. We were a group of 8 seniors, most on e-bikes. There were a few stretches of hills, but they were short and manageable with e-bikes. From past experience, we expected to get lost a few times, or miss the bike signs, but that was just part of the experience. The hotels and breakfasts were excellent. Working with Biketours was seamless, as usual. Luggage transport was flawless. We broke up the long ride from Uberlingen to Lindau, and stayed a night in Friedrichshafen. There, we got to see the Zeppelin Museum. We also stayed an extra night in Lindau, a beautiful town, which gave us time to visit Bergenz and take the tram for a mountaintop view of Lake Konstanz.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- 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, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Robin Reams
My Solo Trip Down The Danube
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
The trip took place with a few glitches, but overall went well. It rained the first day, but was clear the rest of the week. The trail is generally in good condition, but signage is poor in some areas. The scenery is very beautiful in places and monotonous in others, which tends to be typical of all bike trails. For the most part, I was quite happy as I covered the distance from Passau to Vienna. My favorite stop was Tulln, which is of reasonable size and significant beauty, and where I stayed in a comfortable hotel and had dinner at an excellent restaurant. If I could do the trip over I would ride to Vienna and back to Tulln the last day and end the ride there.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- Not sure. Numerous over 40 years of cycling.
- 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
- ★★★★★ Janet Fraser
How a tour guide can ruin what could have been a great experience
Provence by Bike and Boat
While the cycling was good, scenery lovely, other passengers and crew delightful, the irritatingly arrogant sexist and intrusive behaviours by our tour guide (Heim) who claimed to have built the company, put a huge damper on the trip for many of us. Although we enjoyed the bikes, the meal times were chaos due to too many passengers in too small a space. Also the general condition of the boat, Caprice, needs improvement.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug, Sept 2024
- 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?
- France
- ★★★★★ Flavia
Great experience!
Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
We did not expect to get to know the places in such a calm and relaxing way. We specially enjoyed cycling along the canals and the seaside. The plan was flexible enough to organize some small detours and to stop along the way any time we especially liked a place.
- ★★★★★ Kimberly Silva
Not as Expected
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
This was the first trip I took with Bike Tours and I did not think the bike path matched what was described on the website. There were many more parts of the paths that were unpaved and a bit treacherous than described. There was also a lot more street riding in traffic than anticipated. I would not recommend this trip for any riders under the age of 16. The hotels and services were outstanding however.
- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2024
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Sara P
Pleasant bike tour along the Danube
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
A pleasant bike tour for a week in Austria. A mix of fair to great scenery.
- ★★★★★ Susan Parker
Loved it!
Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
We did the self guided trip and had a great time! The Wachau region was the most beautiful with quaint towns and rolling vineyards. The navigation app worked beautifully to the end of each day and then we switched to google maps to find some of the hotels, especially in Linz and Ardagger. Hotels were great along with their restaurants , and especially enjoyed Schloss Dürnstein with its beautiful warm pools. Picture perfect setting! One of our bikes was perfect, the other needed derailleur adjustment since the gears were hard to shift and then kept slipping. Tried to find an open bike as shop but most were closed or too busy for service so we just had to deal with it. Hopefully the bikes will be checked out better in the future in Passau. We had excellent weather the whole trip which made it a wonderful experience. We will definitely look into doing other bike tours.com trips!
- ★★★★★ Betty Ngan
Great support from local team, but room for improvement
Lake Constance Bicycle Path
The tour was unfortunately shortened for me by an illness, which lasted 5 days, so I only rode 2 days. I can say that the trails were very well marked and the scenery stunning. I was able to see how well the local coordinators worked to help me move my bicycle around to accommodate my recovery. The emergency contact Benjamin was very understanding and patient as he rearranged hotel accommodations and bicycle locations. I relied on public transportation to move from hotel to hotel, since Bike Tours said it was was not insured to transport me.
Most of the hotel staff were helpful, especially the front desk manager at Hotel Rheingold, who went out of her way to give me directions to get to the next hotel. Even the front desk at Hotel Wilder Mann in Deemsburg called a taxi for me even though I was not a guest. Unfortunately, a staff member of the Hotel Alta Poste refused to call a taxi for me because I had checked out a day earlier, even though my tour group was due back at the hotel in 5 days. The young German staffer said she recognized me, but I had checked out, so she could only give me numbers which didn’t work on my phone. The staff at Alta Poste need more training in showing hospitality to bike tour group members.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Aug. 31, 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- 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, Switzerland
- ★★★★★ Donald Adler
Smooth
Holland by Bike and Boat, Northern Tour
Well organized, quality people, cycling, scenery.
The boat was clean, comfortable and an ideal way to see other parts of this region- Countries included in this tour?
- Holland
- ★★★★★ Steve McCann
Danube river ride
Danube Bike Path 7 Nights (Classic)
Very pleased with everything Ride was great paths were good. Weather was great although hot. Just wondering if I receive credit for my standard bike deposit because I upgraded to a while. Thanks Steve
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