4 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 601 to 630 of 914

 Stars:  4     

 

Thomas H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Piedmont
Italy

Overall the trip thru Italy's Piedmont was very well handled, breathtaking scenery, (lots of hills), friendly people nice hotels very well done. One item I would caution others of is the description of the hills as moderate. Some are but 4-5 kilometers of 11 percent grade is more than moderate the 16 percent grade on some short stretches started me thinking of Hors catégorie type climbs. A description of the grades and distances could help others decide to get ebikes or do more training. I did enjoy the ride it was difficult but doable even if a lot of whining did happen.

Wendy K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France

The crew on this barge and bike trip were outstanding. The weather was unseasonably hot and adjustments were made to the schedule to accommodate everyone's comfort. The route and attractions were well planned and interesting. We had some difficulty with the bikes provided by HAT tours - several (5 in total) punctures and one unfixable issue with a bike. This meant delays whilst the tiress were being repaired - approximately 1 hour per puncture. This meant that we missed out on seeing some of the attractions and had to cut short our time at others. The unfixable problem meant that one volunteer had to return to the boat via taxi and forego the rest of that day's itinerary. I would like to congratulate the crew on this tour as they did their utmost to ensure that these issues kept the disruption to a minimum. The group of travelers were also a very friendly and tolerant group of people who got on well. This also assisted in managing the issues with the bikes.
My Read More

Ruth P.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Highlights of Northern Zealand
Denmark, Sweden

Great trip with wonderful memories and weather. This trip could easily be extended by 1-2 days of more cycling! I was disappointed that we only had 5 days of cycling, though it was advertised as a one week trip!
Also, the information packet sent was not consistent with the descriptions of where we actually cycled to and where we stayed. The route directions provided were very difficult to follow. I suggest that each cyclist is provided with a detailed cycling map of the whole Island of Zealand, not just the north. We found better cycling maps in Sweden!

Kevin Armstrong
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Paris to London
France, England

Very nice tour following much of the Avenue Verte. Girolibero and Adriano were fantastic hosts on the unguided tour from Paris to London. The route was probably a little more unpaved then I expected an as such would not recommend bringing your own road bike to do the tour. We met and road with some amazing people from around the world making new friends and seeing areas that were amazing sites in the small villages and countryside.

1 Reply

Paul K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Having a guide for this trip was very beneficial. For the first 3 days our guided group consisted of 30+ people. This was too large of a group and was pretty much a pain. We eventually broke into a group of 8 riders with Dorian as our guide, that was perfect. We were able to travel at a much more leisurely pace, visit many wineries, tasting rooms, small villages and churches.

1 Reply

Paula H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Normandie Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

This trip provides a chance to explore the rural areas along the Danube by bike and to visit the great cities of Budapest and Vienna. There is a lot packed into this trip.

Kim F.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Mantova to Venice was wonderful. Very pretty scenery with lots of unique places to stop.

Sandi B.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Carissima Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Cycling past the remnants of the Iron Curtain. WOW!
There were so many highlights, but having Axel as our guide certainly added a great deal to our daily rides. Thanks Axel!

Anne S.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Ave Maria Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

We loved the beautiful, amazing mountain scenery (with very few hills) of the first three days. The written instructions, though, are of a badness difficult to describe. We rated the tour 4/5, and the lost star were because of the extremely poor instructions. If we hadn't had maps and stickers on sign posts, we wouldn't have been able to make it through. The frustration really distracted from the overall enjoyment of the trip - an English speaker with an accurate odometer really needs to rewrite the directions. For example, they talked about "crossing a railway" (or maybe a "railway bridge"), so we spent about 20 minutes trying to find a way to cross the railway - but really it meant to pass underneath an elevated railway crossing. Also, the symbol used to indicate a warning (I think of a turn easy to miss) is a hand pointing to the right. One not unnaturally assumes that this means a right turn. It does not.

Otherwise the barge, scenery, activities, food, and guides are all exactly what we hoped for and have experienced on earlier trips. No problems with luggage transfers, and the hotels for the first part of the trip were all great.

Linda H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Castles of the Loire
France

Excellent routes, well marked and the Châteaus are breath taking. Make sure you have a rain coat.

Linda H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Clair de Lune Around Paris
France

Sailing into Paris in the seine was spectacular, what a way to get acquainted for the first time and also enjoy how Parisiennes live and play along the river. Make sure you bring your sunscreen.

Shirley D.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Dolomites to Venice
Italy

I feel the bike should have been rated moderate-not easy moderate!

1 Reply

Peg Hanson
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Around Lake Constance
Austria, Germany, Switzerland

I did the 7 day Around Lake Constance. This was my 4th Tripsite bike tour. I will list the positive things first.
I booked the Category 4 hotel package and was extremely pleased with all the hotels. Location was good for all except the Park Hotel in Uberlingen. It is located at the top of a very steep hill and was very difficult to find even after you saw the sign pointing the way!!
The breakfasts at all the locations were amazing and so beautifully displayed. A wonderful way to start the day!
The bikes were comfortable and almost brand new. Panniers, front bag and trip meter were all very nice.
Now the not so positive...
I had read all the reviews before booking and noticed the negative comments about the bike route directions. Since these comments were from a year and 2 years ago I assumed they had improved this info. NOT TRUE. The book with the routes is almost worthless. Getting from city to city was not always the problem but once in a city the Read More

1 Reply

Karen G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Green Coast of Spain
Spain

Scenery was great, our main problem would be that the advertising did not really give enough information as to the degree of difficulty as while we are both middle level riders some of the many up’s and downs were a lot more than the advertising suggested. The close gearing of the bikes did not help with that either.

1 Reply

Jillian M.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France

The experience of being able to see the countryside, remote villages and sites at a slower pace with the experience and knowledge of a guide is the highlight. It is good to leave your luggage onboard the barge and know you return each evening to great food and rest.

Peter and Denise Marzo
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Mainz to Strasbourg
Germany, France

We were on this tour from June 16-23, 2018. First let me say that we had a fabulous time and I'll attempt to breakdown both the good and the challenging.
1. The boat was outstanding (5 star)
2. All the meals were nothing short of scrumptous (all three..every day) (5 Star)
3. The SE staff were knowledgable, polite and always willing to help. (5 Star)
4. Embarking and disembarking was seamless. (5 Star)
5. Our onboard guide was outgoing and fun to talk to. (5 Star)
6. The rooms were tight, but manageable. two single beds, good storage for your clothes and a small but efficient washroom.
7. The bikes were well serviced and enjoyable to ride. If you're not a seasoned cyclist, don't worry, the gears were easy to change and many of the people opted for the ebike option which really helped.
8. Biking directions were a challenge. At first we thought it was a language issue, but many of the German people were getting lost as well. We saw Read More

Ann A.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fluvius Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The Brugge to Amsterdam trip was a very flat, easy trip and we recommend it for beginner barge and bikers. Our main criticism was that although the guides were very nice and helpful, we would have liked more information and history on the sights along the way, and more picture stops.

Peggy H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Sicily
Italy

We went to Sicily in May 2018. Biking was beautiful especially along the sea. Inland there were some areas that had lots of trash. No problems with directions. One or two hills a day.

Susanna from Tripsite
6 years ago

Tripsite Staff

Bavarian Lakes
Germany

If I have to describe this tour in a few words I would say: Green landscapes, horses, Beer gardens, Rivers&Lakes with mountain views. Through every forest, I rode through, I was surrounded of beautiful melodies of singing birds. The beautiful landscapes are filled with horse ranches, hayfields, and rivers. As further south you go the mountain range starts appearing at the horizon that boarders with Austria. The locals are very friendly and the hotel staff was always helpful with local recommendation.
I also loved my bicycle with its NuVinci internal gearshift, it made it so much easier to shift on the uphill terrain.
All of my hotels were clean and comfortable. I especially enjoyed the hotels run by its owners in the smaller towns.
The map and route booked is a great help but you want to ask for the GPS-tracks. I got lost 2x because I wasn't paying attention on the maps. I strongly recommend downloading the GPS-Tracks on your smart device or GPS device.
Read More

Michel D.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Liza Marleen Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

We were very happy with the biking experience, the food, the scenery, our new biking friends, our wonderful guide and the rest of the employees on the boat. We were disappointed at the end of the trip when we were advised that we had possibly been exposed to bed bugs. Adding to the disappointment, ship staff blamed us for having brought the bed bugs aboard the ship.

Other than this issue, we had a wonderful trip!

Michael & Claudia G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Basque Country to Asturias
Spain

We loved the scenery, the historic towns and the lovely hotels. It was much more challenging than we expected. We followed your guidelines and felt prepared but this is not an "easy" ride. It is, however, a beautiful ride with breathtaking views.

1 Reply

Alana B.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Basque Country to Asturias
Spain

The vistas on this trip were the most spectacular we've seen. Coming down a hill and seeing the cliffs along the coastline and the roaring ocean, the picturesque villages and green fields dotted with cows was unforgettable. Hearing the clanging cowbells only added to the experience! The accommodations were top notch and including breakfast was the way to go. However, anyone taking this trip should be prepared to climb many hills. Not sure this is "easy to moderate" until the last day!

1 Reply

Debbie S.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Caprice Provence - Wilderness of Camargue
France

The Italian barge staff and guide Carlos made the group feel like family. We laughed so much every day. It was sad to leave at the end of the week. Cycling, scenery was all very nice.

Linda N.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fluvius Tulip Tour - 5 day
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a unique and beautiful country. We loved everything we saw. The flower auction was amazing. The Keukenhof was not to be missed. Our only problem was riding in a group single file through Amsterdam. We were strung out so long it sometimes took 2 or 3 lights to get through an intersection. We were so far back from the guide we couldn’t say “let’s stop and check out that windmill”. We were spoiled. On the Danube trip we could go at our own pace with detailed maps. I would suggest people download the map app and go it alone. But really, how can you complain about springtime and hyacinths?

Lorraine D.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Magnifique II Tulip Tour - 5 day
Netherlands

Just one tip that we should have more of the history explain on the bike trip, not enough info on the places we were seeing.

Jill P.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Portugal Atlantic Route
Portugal

We were unfortunate to do this tour when the weather was unseasonably bad. It would be a much better experience with good weather and tail winds! However, the tour providers kept in touch and made the tour as good as it could be under the circumstances.

Terrence Zito
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Theodor Körner Along the Danube - Passau, Bratislava, and Vienna (old version)
Austria, Germany, Slovakia

We had a great time along the Danube river! The cycling was very good and the bikes adequate. The crew of the Theodor Korner were especially nice and competent. The tour guide was really on his game! Unfortunately, the boat itself needs a thorough rehab- our stateroom had an odd odor and was extremely noisy due to mid-ship engines. If we decide to do the Danube tour again we will choose a different boat!

Charles H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Normandie Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Wachau valley was my favorite part...small towns, great shops and wine.

Ed W.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  La Mar Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

Bike , boat, staff and fellow travelers all great fun. Memorable trip for me and still talking about to my mates at home in Australia.

Jim W.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fluvius Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

Beautiful scenery. If you are an experienced cyclist, consider splitting off with a smaller group. The group was too large with varied skills, making the ride less than it could have been.

All Tour Reviews by Activity
All Tour Reviews by Country
Boat/Barge Reviews