Staff Picks Bike Tour Reviews page 8
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- ★★★★★ Robin Jones
Breathtaking scenery and flawless trip
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
This was an incredible trip and the perfect way to see Austria! Cycling through the back farm lands was incredible and we were amazed at how absolutely green it was! The hotels were nice (some quite noisy)depending on where your room is located. Our bikes were top notch and we couldn't have asked for more. They were easy to handle, comfortable and worked perfectly for the duration of the trip. We didn't use the provided guide book but used google maps instead. This allowed us to take a few "off route" trails. It's amazing how accessible Austria makes it for people to be outdoors and enjoy nature, and the maintenance of the trails are perfect. We were concerned when the travel company did not provide us with luggage tags for our luggage transfers but they arrived daily without a problem. I would HIGHLY recommend this trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Jessica Phelan
Beautiful Scenery!
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
This trip was absolutely stunning. The views were beyond beautiful form everywhere. For the most part you are riding along the river and the ride is very relaxing. Most days are fairly flat with a few small hills and many downhills. The trails are well marked and the map by the guide company is pretty easy to follow. Our group did the trip with hybrid bikes, but if I were to do it again, I would definitely get an e-bike. There is one day with some really big climbs and an e-bike would have made the whole a thing a bit more leisurely. We also did not pack helmets since they wouldn't fit in our suitcases and the bike shop ran out of rentals. I would advise bringing one with you.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- 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
- ★★★★★ Sara Ching
Beautiful scenario in the Bavarian alps
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
The route is breathtaking. From Innsbruck to salzburg, we opted for the rest day in zell am see (100% recommmended) where we got a day off to take the gondolas up to see the mountains, go to the glacier lakes in kaprun and swim in zell am see lake. The hotels and breakfasts were great! The bike company they use to source the bike was a bit disorganized, the bikes were ok though seats were the hard racer types. Bike company also an out of bags and locks. They didn’t give us enough baggage tags and when they split our groups across two hotels, the baggages were often at the wrong hotel. There weren’t a lot of recommendations on optional things to do and places to eat so you definitely have to do a lot of your own research. Overall I would recommend the tour because the itinerary and accommodations were very nice but the agency that ran the tour itself could be better organized.
Also note the second day of biking (day 3) has a lot more uphills and downhills than it seems. And it rained really hard the last three days of our tours so definitely make sure you have good rain gear if you go in September.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Charles Curtis
Second great trip to Croatia
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
We loved the first bike and boat trip to Croatia: Highlights of Dalmatia - that we booked this one. This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip but not quite as outstanding as the first. Not quite as many interesting stops and the food was good but not outstanding which is why we gave it only four stars.
There were hills but not as rigorous as the Highlights rides so several had regular bikes and we ebikers didn’t have to wait too long for them to catch up after a climb. The waterfalls at Krka National Park was a highlight- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Charles Curtis
Second great trip to Croatia
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
We loved the first bike and boat trip to Croatia: Highlights of Dalmatia - that we booked this one. This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip but not quite as outstanding as the first. Not quite as many interesting stops and the food was good but not outstanding which is why we gave it only four stars.
There were hills but not as rigorous as the Highlights rides so several had regular bikes and we ebikers didn’t have to wait too long for them to catch up after a climb. The waterfalls at Krka National Park was a highlight- What was the date of your tour?
- August 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 10
- 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?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Earl Naue
Innsbruck to Salzburg Ride
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
This was our first of two bike tours in Austria this year and both were handled by two different tour providers and the services and directions provided by each were significantly different. The lodging choices were excellent for both, but riding directions were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Advise that you go with a tour company that provides an application with directions utilizing GPS.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- 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
- ★★★★★ Barbara Owens
The scenery was great. The maps and tour company were not.
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
This was our second tour with Biketours.com and we discovered that there is a huge difference between the tour companies they contract with in Austria. Our first tour was great. This one, not so. The map book and directions provided were just terrible. Rather than say "follow the well marked trail named xx, it was "go to the end of the hamlet and turn right" No street names. No named landmarks or areas. The ENTIRE book was that way. One day we had to be transported by van over a mountain but it did not explain that. It said to be at a train station in a certain town at 2 pm. We got there, thinking we were taking a train but could not figure it out. I called the company and they said a van was coming to get us. Other people on the same route also did not understand and they literally rode over the mountain. Communication from the company was terrible -- and I speak German!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Tricia Hoggan
Amazing
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
It was wonderful. The scenery was spectacular. The hotels were perfect. I can't say enough good things about the trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ Michelle Franks
Absolutely fantastic!
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
We are so so impressed with everything about this trip! The planning, attention to detail, the hotels, the local guides, etc. Everyone was so helpful and the trip went off flawlessly. We did it in July during a heatwave and ended up switching to e-bikes halfway through, which was a great decision. ARCAS, the local bike company that took care of us in Greece, was absolutely wonderful and extremely accommodating. I did this trip with my 16 year old daughter, and it was perfect. This trip was a resounding 10/10!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- just this one!
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Vic Wieland
An amazing experience
National Parks of Dalmatia by Bike/E-bike and Boat
Boat bike is the way to see Croatia, the whole experience was fantastic, comfortable accommodation on the boat, fantastic crew who couldn’t do enough for us, and excellent food.
The Captain stopped for us to swim every day after cycling, and at night we explored the gorgeous villages.- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- First one
- 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?
- Croatia
- ★★★★★ Andres Volosin
Bike kids bike!
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
I was a great way to experience the Rioja area and great for our first bike trip with our kids.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ Wendy Sigler
Perfect explanation of trip. Could sound a little more magical.
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
The staff from the bike company was stellar and very responsive to any assistance we needed. The bikes provided were ok, they were a little grungy like they could use a tune up, but serviceable and once we got used to the battery configuration they were fins. The routes and stops were fabulous! The locals made the experience so enjoyable and special. My Only complain t was that one of our days fell on a country holiday which meant we couldn’t go to the cave, it was closed. We had no idea of this until the day the tour started and would t have known if it hadn’t come up in conversation, we would have ridden all that way to see the cave and been let down. It would be nice if the company provided a list of holidays and better indication of how it could affect the trip. There was a brief mention somewhere, but that would t have helped us, the actual holiday fell on a Sunday so got celebrated on Monday instead so it was unlikely we would have discovered it in our own.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- 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?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Ken Schneider
Great Trip
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
Absolutely beautiful route with good places to stay. Significant climbs every day made the E Assist bikes a necessity for our group. (We had 6 people about 60 years old and in quite good shape). It was unseasonably hot for our week and a number of the smaller hotels in the mountains did not have AC. I'm not sure how often that would be an issue but sleeping was tough for a few nights. The local crew was friendly, timely and helpful. I would recommend the trip.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ Dorothy Westerfield
Fabulous trip!
Cycling Spain's Ebro River
Possibly the most beautiful scenery we’ve seen yet. All the hotels were wonderful, and the self-guiding directions and maps were perfect. We would highly recommend this trip, but I do think it should be rated as a 3 in difficulty. Lots of hills, and I was very glad to have an ebike!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Spain
- ★★★★★ Robert Alexander
Great trip, great guides.
Castles and Wines of Portugal
Tons of fun (notwithstanding that we got COVID on the trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- April 2022
- 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?
- Portugal
- ★★★★★ musicmama44
See the real Greece!
Greece: The Peloponnese Peninsula
Our tour was the perfect blend of Ancient sites, beautiful nature and authentic Greek culture. The hotels we were put up at were all run by the nicest people and generally in great locations with easy walking to the center of the towns we were in. We especially enjoyed our stay in Nafplio. The local company helping us, Arcas, was easy to communicate with on the road. We experienced a broken chain on day 1 and they had someone out to rescue us in 30 minutes and a new bike by that evening. We did hit a national holiday 1 day and so the sites we were supposed to see were not going to be open, it happened to rain a bunch that day as well and we probably wouldn't have wanted to ride out there if it was open, so it worked out, but it would have been nice to have some pre trip notice or an alternative plan for a ride that day. Both companies, Arcas, and bike tours were great with answering our questions and helping us prepare for the trip. We had some specifics we needed help with like bed requests and we decided to bring our own saddles, and everyone got back to us with answers to our questions within 24 hours each time. The phone app used by the company does not require internet and gave easy turn-by-turn directions as well as historical info and all kinds of other trip info like where the hills were and far you had to go.
I have a little feedback about this particular trip if you need some particulars or aren't sure it is right for you. We are E bikers here in the US, we ride several times a week 9 months out of the year, mostly on a greenbelt system (10-25 miles range per trip). We are in our late 40's, in good health, could be in better shape and I have a knee injury that affects my riding. This trip was a 2 out of 4 difficulties, in my mind, this seemed more like what I thought a 3 would be, maybe a 2.5. While the riding was doable, it was definitely more challenging in spots than we anticipated. The batteries provided did not hold a charge as long as we expected so we were really having to push ourselves on the uphills more than we anticipated to ration the battery. Definitely download the manual for the control panel, there were all sorts of ways to customize its use as well as instructions about how to get it to recharge in the downhills, not a lot, but it did help. With the exception of the very first ascent which was very long, most of them were shorter, but the places to stop and recharge were far and few so you had to really watch your charge. The roads for the most part were back roads and/or unused older highways and that was wonderful, little to no traffic and wide open spaces and beautiful scenery. When you did have to be on a highway, however, there was a lot more traffic, and they were moving pretty fast, so it was a little intimidating at times.I'd say you were on main highways about 10% of the time, the rest was more remote. We don't do much highway riding here, I would absolutely do it again, this is just info that I would have found helpful. I think the difference in expectation on the difficulty of the trip had more to do with us and our vision than what was communicated to us, we are kinda wimpy, in other words! SHOW MORE
We would absolutely recommend a bike tour to our friends and family, we plan to do more and this trip was unforgettable and a great learning experience for us as well. If you want to see the real Greece (we met so many nice locals and ate SOOOO well), this is the way to do it.
SHOW LESS- What was the date of your tour?
- May1-8
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Greece
- ★★★★★ Richie and Trish
Gute Fahren im die Berge
Innsbruck to Salzburg: Through the Alps Along River Cycle Trails
We had an amazing time on this tour. The scenery was breathtaking. It was so exciting to cycle along these beautiful rivers with the alps rising above us on both sides. The days just flew by as we cycled along. This was our seventh European tour and this ride compared very favorably with other rides we’ve taken. When we arrived in Innsbruck we found that we had to walk to a bike shop to pick up our bikes. Normally the bikes are delivered to our hotel but we took the walk and the shop owner was very helpful. Although the bikes were very heavy we found them quite roadworthy. They may have been the best bikes we’ve used in Europe. The hotels we stayed at we all lovely and provided us with great breakfasts. We especially enjoyed the Hotel Post in Zittertal with its rooftop infinity swimming pool. It was amazing. We also enjoyed having a rest day in Zell am see although it was hardly restful. We hiked, took a boat excursion and went to a fabulous spa for a swim. Many reviews of this tour complain about the book that accompanies the tour and now we know why. It’s very confusing and was not at all helpful. Usually the books on these tours are much more helpful and give recommendations for lunches and dinners. This book did none of that. The trail is well marked in most places but not in others. We often found ourselves scratching our heads trying to make sense of the signs on the trail and the directions in the book. We are seniors and found ourselves walking the bikes up hills from time to time but most of the ride was gentle easy riding. When we weren’t on dedicated bike paths the roads were quiet with little traffic. Overall it was an amazing trip that we would recommend to anyone who loves being in the mountains.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 13 - 19 2021
- How many tours have you completed?
- 7
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
- ★★★★★ JimJ
Cycling was fantastic but not even the best part!
Medieval Heritage of Transylvania
This tour will long linger in my memories. The cycling was scenic, varied and truly fun. Much of it was through truly remote areas, such as through a dense forest where we were told the largest concentration of brown bears in Europe still make their home. We waved to farm workers, many of them Roma, on the sides of dirt roads. We passed medieval castles and towering churches.
And on most days we saw far more horse carts than cars.
Other aspects were perhaps even more memorable. The lodging, for example, was unique and wonderful. In Talisoara we stayed in a restored castle and dined in its richly decorated banquet hall. In Cund, we overnighted and dined at Valea Verde Retreat, an endeavor that has brought a dying farm village back to life. Guests get to experience farm life as it had been for centuries—and even go foraging with the chef/owner, Jonas Schaefer.
The traditional cuisine was another highlight. Valea Verde has also become an award-winning destination for foodies across Europe, and our group savored some of the best farm-to-table cuisine I’ve experienced—and it’s especially fun when the table is at the farm.
We also visited Moşna and had lunch at the farm of Willy Schuster, a passionate supporter of the cause of sustainable and organic farming in Romania and abroad. After he introduced us to “the happiest cows in all of Europe,” he and his team brought out tray after tray of fresh farm delights.
Also along the way we also got to watch craftspeople and artisans at work such as brick makers, blacksmiths, and shoemakers.
All this is part of efforts to keep traditional crafts and customs alive.
So this is a tour that truly benefits the people and communities we pass through.
--Jim Johnson, founder and president, BikeTours.com
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2017
- How many tours have you completed?
- 30+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Romania
Video: #WhyIBikeTour--Medieval Transylvania edition
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