Family Friendly Bike Tour Reviews (page 6)
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★★★★★ Pieter Van Niekerk 10 months ago
Quiet, beautiful and well organized.
· Emerald Tour of Slovenia’s Gems
Excellent cycling roads with beautiful scenery. Well-spaced stops. Excellent GPS app. Good hotels. Good bikes and helpful upfront orientation.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Slovenia
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★★★★★ Michel 10 months ago
Six days of great cycling!
· Bolzano – Verona – Venice
Beautifull scenery. Well organized despite my last minute booking. Most helpfull staff.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- Six
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Bruce Kozarsky 10 months ago
Terrific trip under unexpected circumstances
· Best of Northern Zealand
One week before our trip was to start, something happened that made it impossible for my wife to bike. The tour was non-refundable at that point, and while we had purchased travel insurance, we weren't sure what they would cover. So we went ahead anyway and in retrospect, we're glad we did. Thanks to Denmark's remarkable rail network, it was very easy (and cheap) to go from hotel to hotel via train. We decided that I would bike for two of the five days and the local tour operator, Ruby Rejser, was wonderfully accommodating, delivering my bike at the start of my two biking days and picking it up at the end. Whether riding or not, the luggage transfer was seamless. The destinations were great, specially the Louisiana Museum, Helsingor (Elsinor), the day in Helsingborg, Sweden, and the Fredericksborg castle in Hillerod.
On the two days that I rode, the routes were great, combining seaside vistas with forests, parks, farmland, small towns and castles. Most roads have dedicated bike lanes and the bike trails were great, too.
My only complaints were two: the bike I rode was OK but not in optimal shape because the gears occasionally slipped, and the Garmin didn't always work properly. Written cue sheets would have served well as a backup but there were none -- just some printed maps. Still, I was able to get where I needed to go with just a few wrong turns and confusing moments. Nothing wrong with a couple of extra miles given the short routes on this tour.
All the hotels were great except for one (Best Western in Hillerod, though that was still fine). And the breakfasts were great.
Overall, we had a great time and I want to give a special shout-out to the Ruby Rejser representative in charge of the tour who was exceptionally flexible and accommodating to our unusual circumstances.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- 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?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Patti Hinsdale 10 months ago
Perfect
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
A few mistakes with our booking. The last night Comwell Portside did not have our booking. They straightened it out fortunately.
The downloaded electronic trail quide was incorrect for two of the hotel locations we were to stay at.Still the trip was more than I expected Absolutely, lovely!
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI 10 months ago
Beautiful area
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ DORIT AVIELI 10 months ago
Beautiful area
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
We disappointed from the bikes, very heavy, not comfortable not properly handling .
Hotel das berau was a shame to your company!
All other details were taken care of perfectly- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Liana Amy 11 months ago
Loved it
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
We lucked out with spectacular weather for this trip. It really is beautiful. At certain points we lost track of the "actual" path we were supposed to be following but eventually we would always find our way back on. The hotels were good. One improvement would be to have all hotels with A/C, as during the summer, the temps can be pretty high and a couple of the hotels were downright hot during the night. Some hotels offered a fan, but only two had A/C. The food at all of the hotels was great for breakfast and the staff at each one were helpful and friendly.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ e 11 months ago
Danish delight
· Royal Zealand and Copenhagen
Copenhagen and Zealand is a delight. We did the independent tour. Biketours did what it is supposed to do: it booked good hotels, it moved the suitcases every day. and it delivered good sturdy bikes. that is why I came back to this company for a third tour.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Denmark
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★★★★★ Josh Shupack 11 months ago
Great bike paths and views
· Lake Constance Bicycle Path
My wife and our boys ages 7 and 11 went on this tour. Most of it is on fabulous bike paths. Occasionally you have to bike through a town on roads or places with a lot of pedestrians. We had to skip a day and a half via trains and boats because it was a little much for our boys, but we still managed 150 km. I would recommend a day off in the middle.
The views are great, lots of places to stop for a swim, museum, or just a walk through a neat town. We found that it took a lot of the day just to bike and we didn't have as much time as we had liked for playing and exploring.
The distances for each day depend on what cities you're staying in.
Overall a really good experience for the whole family.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- 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, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland
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★★★★★ Andrew Avramides 11 months ago
Discovery of Netherlands
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Great way to experience Holland-beautiful countryside and easy cycling-.Beautiful location for our stays and lovely towns
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★★★★★ Marcia Orbelian 11 months ago
Lovely countryside tour
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Was so enjoyable biking through the green landscapes and farmlands! The GPS bike routing worked great. We felt safe and comfortable on the paved bike trails. All hotels were just fine; we particularly enjoyed our houseboat accommodations. Three cheers for Tulip Tours excellently planned trip!
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 26 to June 3, 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- four (4)
- 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?
- Belgium, Holland
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★★★★★ gerald murphy 11 months ago
Tauren bike path
· Tauern Bike Path (Salzburg-Salzburg)
The ride through this part of Austria was great - the snow capped mountains, green countryside and friendly people made for a great cycling adventure - the only disappointing aspect was the poor detailing in the maps that were provided.
- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria
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★★★★★ Daniel Villegas 11 months ago
Great rides, not so great organization
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
The rides to beautiful valleys was amazing and very enjoyable. The company FunActive was not well organized in terms of transfers to start or end points. Bicycles required better maintenance and bicycles were misplaced by the company on the first day. In hindsight if I was to do this again, I would book my own hotel, rent the bikes for a week and do the routes independently.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2023
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Jeffrey Smith 11 months ago
Outstanding trip enjoyed it a lot
· Mosel Bike Path: Dreamy Mosel Valley from Trier to Koblenz
The hotels were wonderful and the directions were easy to follow. The luggage transfers were always on time
- Countries included in this tour?
- Germany
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★★★★★ Mark Newell 11 months ago
Wonderful cycling, great lodging and excellent scenery
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The ride was relatively easy as hills were limited and the trail was in very good shape. Only a small portion of the ride was on roads with low traffic. The scenery was interesting and varied. The lodging was very nice. The mileage each day was just right
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★★★★★ Gregory Gibb 11 months ago
Great trip
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The staff was incredibly helpful with making arrangement for one of our party to ride with the luggage bus after he had a medical incident. I can't how much we appreciated it!
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★★★★★ Terry Edeli 11 months ago
Amazing
· Amsterdam to Bruges: Cycling through South Holland and Zeeland
Lovely trip. The itinerary was expertly planned for the scenic and carefree routes. Hotels were great. Bikes excellent. Super service.
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★★★★★ Karen Regin 11 months ago
Beautiful Austria
· Danube Bike Path 8 Nights (Upscale Lodging)
The upscale lodging is absolutely wonderful. There was only one property that did not exceed expectations. The contact in Europe was less satisfying. Directions were sometimes hard to interpret, we ended up with directions to one town when our lodging was in another town, and there was not any help with GPS directions. But the bikes were nice and the lodging choices excellent overall.
The bike paths are wonderful and the country is beautiful. We really enjoyed riding through the small towns and eating at local cafes. There is not much English anywhere so be prepared for that. Overall, we loved the trip! -
★★★★★ Catherine Cram 11 months ago
Convenient Way to Explore!
· Bicycle Paths of the Dolomites (based in one hotel)
We enjoyed our self-guided bike trip in the Dolomites, with great support from BikeTours.com. We appreciated the detailed route information and app support. My only complaint is that I would liked to have had a better bike to ride instead of the heavy, upright positioned bike provided. The bike didn't make the hills easy and it would have been more enjoyable to be on a lighter, more responsive bike.
- What was the date of your tour?
- May 31st-June 6th, 2023.
- How many tours have you completed?
- One
- 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?
- Italy
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★★★★★ Dave Carlstrom 11 months ago
On the road again... our third Biketours.com adventure
· Lake Constance Classic (11-nights)
Thankfully I’m not unduly worse for wear after almost three weeks and hundreds of kilometers of European cycling… though I did take four tumbles. The most serious (and ignominious) was in an Austrian grocery store parking lot when my pants cuff caught on the pedal and over I went – hard, attracting the immediate attention of several shoppers (“Carnage on lane one”) who with some difficulty got me back on my feet. At first I was pretty sure I’d broken something important, but all limbs are yet attached and seemingly intact… albeit a bit looser.
I pedaled the balance of the day’s distance but at my compatriots’ urging skipped the following day’s segment in favor of bus/train passage to St. Gallen, Switzerland. The next day was a scheduled no biking day so I had two days to recover, sorta. The next day – our last of actual cycling – with some anxiety I got back on my trusty velocipede and, sure enough, one click later fell again… though this time comparatively softly albeit in front of a bus. I made it the remaining 45K to destination without further incident.
Our merry band included Seattleites Curt and Brenda Burnett, Gerry Champagne, and friends until recently from Fairbanks Ron and Jeanine Woolf. Fine folks all, we really did have a good time together.
Our odyssey began with six days at a rental house in Eguisheim, France, followed by an eleven day clockwise circumnavigation of Lake Constance that touched Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Here are a few day-by-day snippets of my adventure:
Sunday, April 30th. Aloft en route to Paris Delta served the worst dinner I’ve ever ingested on an international flight: the “beef” entre was the consistency of spam, reminiscent of the mystery meat of junior high cafeteria days, and dished out in a biodegradable cardboard clamshell.
Monday, May 1st. Having hobbled off the plane I was semi-involuntarily consigned to a wheelchair for the lengthy transfer to the airport train station. Manly hombre that I am, I dared not disclose to the friendly pusher that I had come to Europe for three weeks of cycling. Arrived Colmar, in Alsace, just before midnight via a 180 MPH TGV with a transfer in Strasbourg and, coincidentally, six minutes prior to the Woolfs’ arrival. Settled into our very nice rental house.
Tuesday, May 2nd - Thursday, May 4th. Daily e-bike excursions to nearby picture-perfect towns with eat-in dinners crafted by chefs Burnett and Woolf. Imbibed copious amouints of wine, certainly did our part for the local viticulture industry.
I developed a serious case of ABC – Asymmetrical Butt Chafing – which was ameliorated by liberal bi-daily nether regions applications of Bag Balm – my personal favorite posterior palliative, see https://bagbalm.com/. SHOW MORE
Friday, May 5th. Hung out at the house, pas mal.
Saturday, May 6th. Day trip with Burnetts to the tourist mecca of Colmar where, alas and alack, Curt was pickpocketed! Charge and debit card cancellations ensued, not good.
Sunday, May 7th. Auto trip to a German mountain hiking lodge, an intermediate stop on our way to Konstantz, the starting and ending point of our main event circumnavigation of the eponymous lake.
Monday, May 8th. Had to beat feet to get Burnetts’ rental car back by a 10:30 am deadline… made it with a full five minutes to spare. Checked in at the stunning four star Hotel Halm where the breakfast buffet includes champagne and cheesecake. Woolfs arrived by train, Gerry direct from Seattle via Zurich. Got our e-bikes.
Tuesday, May 9th. Pedaled forty some K to Gailingen, a bit of a shakedown cruise. Great scenery and picture postcard-worthy medieval villages. Adequate lodging, but not a Hotel Halm.
Wednesday, May 10th. Roundtrip to Rhine Falls, Europe’s largest. Second night in Gailingen, first of nearly nightly self-catered hotel room team happy hours.
On previous European bike tours we’ve grumbled about route instructions encrypted by by non-native English speakers. This time the tour operator-provided guidebook was completely devoid of route guidance… we were on our own, taking turns as Google Maps-assisted trail breaking pathfinders with plenty of navigational errors. But we always (eventually) got to where we were going.
Thursday, May 11th. Return to Konstanz for a Hotel Halm reprise. Got soaked during the last couple clicks of the day’s ride.
Friday, May 12th. To Radolfzell via Mainau Island, the latter a facsimile of sorts of Butchart Gardens.
Saturday, May 13th. A mere sixteen K to Ludwigshafen.
Sunday, May 14th. Forty K to Friedrichshafen, home of the Zeppelin Museum to which I made a solo afternoon excursion via city buses. Turns out the Hindenberg was 245 meters from stem to stern, almost three football fields.
Monday, May 15th. Day of my aforementioned parking lot tumble. Overnight in Bregnz, Austria. I was very sore, somewhat bruised, had marginal repose.
Tuesday, May 16th. Having shipped my bike with the luggage I patronized buses and trains to our next destination, St. Gallen, Switzerland. As it happened today was Jeanine’s turn to tumble, hard, while passing a path-blocking truck.
Wednesday, May 17th. Today was a scheduled non-cycling day so while others toured about (monastery, waterfalls chocolate factory, shopping) I rested my bruised corpus in the hope that I might be sufficiently healed for the morrow’s last lap back to Konstanz.
Thursday, May 18th. 14K of almost continuous downhill on the 46 K journey back to our starting point. Celebratory dinner, a bit melancholy to be soon parting ways.
Friday, May 19th. Train to Zurich for a twelve hour Swissair flight to San Francisco and a connection home to Seattle.
Great trip, a good time had by all (despite bumps and bruises).
D. Carlstrom. May, 2023
SHOW LESS- Countries included in this tour?
- Austria, Germany, Switzerland