4 Star Austria Tour Reviews — 211 to 240 of 252

Just came back from an exceptional Salzburg Lakes holiday.
I'll start with the good - fantastic scenery (so green), friendly well-appointed hotels, not too difficult route (a few hills from time to time but appropriate for the "easy to moderate" level, well sign-posted. Even the continuous rain on the first day didn't dampen our spirits.
This was my second time with "Tripsite" (went to Provence, France two years ago) and I feel compelled to add a few negative comments by comparison. Most of the maps and brochures were in German and not English. The quality of the bikes was less than expected. Far worse was the comedy of errors on the bike handover - no saddle bags, no repair kit, no pump, no apology. We only got the missing equipment at the end of the first day of riding. My thanks to the Tripsite Team, who did their best to intervene on our behalf.
In conclusion - don't let the negative comments stop you from booking this trip. I would however recommend to Tripsite to have a serious word with their local agents to prevent such mistakes in the future. And, yes, I'm already planning the next trip !!

Two ladies and I ( all in our 60's) just finished this tour on My Story. Having no experience with bike/barge I was not sure what to expect. What we got was a fabulous trip through some of the most scenic and beautiful country I've ever seen. Our tour guide, Stephan, was charming and informative. This tour was run by Rad and Reisen. They did a great job of marking the routes, although a few times we did get a little turned around. The food was top-notch and the staff did an excellent job of entertaining the travelers. I was impressed by the over-all professionalism. The riding was easy and on mostly asphalt with very few inclines. Only draw back was the size of the cabins. The pictures are a little misleading. When the second bed was lowered there was almost no room to walk by each other. You needed to be a contortionist to use the bathroom. But, since you really didn't spend a lot of time in the room it was tolerable. All in all would highly recommend this trip.

The most memorable part was Day 6 Rossatz - Pochlarn was the most scenic part of the trail. Magical small villages - wish the whole route could have been like this. Most of the trail was uneventful, some of the trail was in poor shape and rough riding.
Unfortunately, there was a language barrier between the Americans and the tour guide, so instructions were not always clear, and we needed to fend for ourselves most of the time. Certain sections of map were confusing and trail was not well marked. We made it though, and enjoyed the adventure!
Beautiful cities and villages to visit - wish we would have had more time to explore! All in all very good trail ride and good trip!

This was my 4th cycling holiday but this year the quality of bikes was poor, only had 7 gears, had 21 gears every other year and did not like the back pedal brake.

Most memorable part was Stein am Rhein, and also liked the fact we could stop cycling and jump into the lake whenever we wanted.

The scenery between Passau and Vienna was the most memorable part of the trip, even when we were away from the Danube. Beautiful.

The reason I gave the first question a 4 out of 5 is because the daily rides were long enough that it was hard (tiring) to get back out in the evenings to see the local sites or to see some of the sites along the way. That was probably also a result of trying to coordinate and corral too many people (9 on our trip) to get things done in a timely manner. I suspect the 10-day option for this trip might have been better for us.

Regarding route and description guides, sometimes it was a little too much to remember to coordinate the route book, the additional instructions in the travel documents (voucher) book, and Rad & Reisen's Travel Information book, not to mention the daily itinerary in the literature advertising this trip. In fact, the worst mistake we made was the worst one we could have made: ignoring the instructions to take the van transfer from Grein to Gasthof zum Aigner Kreuz, Bad Kreuzen to avoid very steep inclines. However, some of the literature given to us suggested we go to Klam Castle (a good way up the incline to Bad Kreuzen), which was not on the way to Grein, and that is what we did.

I've now taken 5 bike trips in Europe: 2 using hotels, 3 using boats/barges. Barges are easier: you only have to unpack and repack once while riding.

Thank you for all your help putting this trip together. Overall, it was a great experience.

The boat was not in location we were told it would be. But once there the boat was good. The tour guide didn't seem to know the route as well as he should have. The directions on the maps could have been a lot better But we did have a great time but would recommend a different route next time.

Tripsite was great. Would highly recommend booking with them.

The plan changed from recommending biking in Budapest...to it not being recommended - and therefore no briefing/description of the route was provided. While the stickers on signposts helped to guide the way, the book could have been more fully annotated. The boat was too full, there were not enough dishes for all passengers, dinner took 3 hours (2 hours too long). Bikes were generally in good repair and available when promised. Although the food was very good, bottled water was not provided every day as contracted.

We had a problem with sewage odor in our room - which they boat crew was unable to fix - Also room was hot and we had to use a fan. When we complained to Rad and Reisen about the temperature they denied that the AC was not working. We complained to Rad and Reisen and they issued us a 10% refund which Tripsite matched. We appreciated your concern attentiveness to these problems and you willingness to offer some compensation.

Despite these problems, overall the trip was great - good people, great rides and beautiful scenery and points of interest. We would definately book another trip with your company, but not with Rad and Reisen.

Only thing missing was quality wifi on the boat. The trip more than met our expectations

We would have like more written details of the areas we were seeing. We also would have liked a stronger wifi connection. Food and service was excellent.

Overall great trip, really loved it. Did feel the duration and arrival time in Vienna was disappointingly limited - nowhere near long enough to see sufficient in daylight hours.

Unfortunately one major problem became apparent. The tour director was charming and affable when presenting to an audience, but his manner often vacillated (changed) when talking with individuals. On many occasions he was rude and dismissive, including sometimes making derogattory comments. Due to his public persona (welcoming and friendly), I was really shocked by this. At times he gave the impression that he was putting on an act, that he really did not like or enjoy his job and the guests were an infuriating annoyance to him. Even allowing for tiredness and stress, I do not think there is any excuse for rudeness to friendly (and paying) customers. I was not the only one to observe his changeable attitude or bear the brunt of his dismissive rudeness. As it wasn't possible to pick what his response would be (ie positive or negative), I only spoke to him when spoken to. I shudder to think of his treatment of the genuinely lovely and diligent cleaners and kitchen staff. Perhaps it's time for Leslie to retire.

Food was not we are accustomed to on trips of this type.

It was a great trip very well organized the team is very supportive, will definitely repeat with my wife and kids I enjoyed big time.

We did have rain quite a few days on her trip. But we were prepared and so we wore our raingear. Our guide Pieter, was very good at watching the weather and getting us inside or out of the rain if he could

There was a chemical odor in the hallway outside our room, and the food was not good.

We were pretty unlucky with the weather. Exciting trip in spite of that

Was not always easy to "stay on course" on the bike tours. Directions and/or course markings could have been better.

Awesome experience! Can't wait to plan my next adventure with you.

Guides should have provided a little more detail (distance between turns, landmarks, areas to pay extra attention, etc)

I enjoyed staying put at night better than the barge moving at night. We have done both and I enjoy walking around in the evening.I also would not have so many ferry crossings in the next trip. Puts a time factor in the ride.

AC did not work
BargeBoat needed updating
Crew was accommodating
but moody
Overall my biking experience was terrific!"

This trip is for the person who does not want any surprises. There was nothing wrong with the food or the bikes or the staff. However there was also no sense of discovery, as every detail of your day was planned out for you, what to order when you stopped for lunch at the only place recommended, what sights to see in the cities, etc. I personally like to explore along the way and take my time in the countryside. This is the only Tripsite trip I have taken that has left me feeling a bit let down, and I have taken several.

The guide was awful. We would only stop when he wanted to, and that was on the side of the path so that he could have a cigarette. When we suggested a stop in a small village, or somewhere interesting, he would say no. When I told him that I was going to go ahead on my own, he spoke to me like I was a child, telling me I was to stay with the group. The route descriptions in the evening were excellent...the main guide was fantastic, it was just the guide that we paid extra for that soured our trip.
The boat was great, the staff was phenomenal. Our rooms were really good, an incredibly clean.

Boat and staff were fantastic. Daily rides were good, but routes could have been better. The Devlin loop circled us around several gravel dikes for about 10 miles. Trails were rough and not well marked. But there were miles of great bike paths along the Danube that we motored past on the boat....

Would have been nice to have a guide but our trip was the last of the season so no guide was available.

Even with the age of the boat (1970's!!), we totally enjoyed the cruise. The staff was great and the food was wonderful. The bikes were comfortable and in good repair.

Would be nice to sit with other people at meals. Everyone was great and it felt like we were on a camping trip.

Everything was great. The only thing we didn't like was the guide we had for our guided tour. All other staff were fantastic.

At times the trip leading gave incomplete information regarding routes, detours and conditions although the German speaking people received better information - he should use a specific outline when giving such information to be sure it is complete.

The food was great except for the Wiener Schnitzel which was not interesting at all. A real disappointment in fact. (I have traveled to Austria often and know a less than impressive meal when I receive it.)

I had booked an extra night in Passau but could not use it due to airline delays. I called Tripsite which could not reimburse me, which I understand. However, I have twice requested a statement from them that I cannot be reimbursed so that I can use it for my trip insurance - I still have not received it.

Some hotels were too far from the center of the city. Directions need more detail, such as recommendations for lunch or rest stops, and places where you might want to bike on the road rather than a gravel or hilly bike route. Detailed maps of town and cities would be good.