Europe Bike Tour Reviews — 301 to 330 of 1744

We’ve done a number of bicycling trips over the last 10+ years, and this was one of the best due to a combination of factors. The touring team was excellent (that would include Marietta our principal guide, her husband (the bike and luggage handler) and her co-guide). Their combined knowledge, kindness, and efficiency made for a perfect trip. We rode through some rain storms, but they were of small consequence (that surprised me), Norway is gorgeous, the e-bikes were excellent (my husband and I are in our 80s), and the daily itineraries were varied and well thought out.

We were a self-guided pair that was added on to a guided tour. So we travelled with them when bus transfers were needed but we did not have any meals apart from breakfast included in the deal. So when we arrived at small villages the others had set meals pre-booked for them and we were needing to find meals either at the same or different places. So we felt disconnected from the group. That was fine. But if you want a group experience go with the fully guided bookings. The Italians in the riding group wanted to eat at 8 pm and we wanted to have early nights so that we could cycle before the heat of the day. The Italians did not want to get going until 9 am, so if there was a bus transfer prior to the day’s ride we could not start riding until after an hour or so in the bus, starting at 9 am in the bus. It was summer, it was hot. The bikes were basic commuter bikes, in my opinion. They weren’t suitable for riding on the lose gravel, sand and large stones and cobble stones. So we ended up pushing our bikes in the heat of the day for anywhere between 250 meters and 800 metres. After a while it certainly did not feel like my idea of a holiday! The 2 and 3 star accommodation was clean but basic. No kettles, no teabags, no fridge. So for people like myself with dietary needs (and who likes to drink copious amounts of tea) it was difficult to self cater. The guide Romas, was knowledgeable, but when a change of plan was needed he did not excel in forward planning toilet or cafe stops. Some cafes were closed until noon, but we arrived at 10:30-11 am, if he’d rung ahead the day before they may have opened at 10:30-11 am for a group booking for 10 hungry cyclists. Picnic lunches could have been planned. Warning for group riders: the group only goes as fast as the slowest rider! We often passed the group, who were waiting at a crossroad for the beginner rider to catch up. We’d arrive at our accommodation hours before them. The maps synced with the Ride with GPS app, after a few hiccups which were quickly rectified by the Company. It’s mainly flat terrain and pine forests so not particularly exciting, pleasant, but not exciting. It was as described; “gently rolling hills” was the description I think.

I forgot to mention in my earlier review that there was a miscommunication re where to pick up our bikes in Lubeck. The hotel rep at Jahreszeiten, and the notice she handed us with our documents, stated that we needed to go to the Radisson Blu to pick up our bikes. (Tripsite booked us at a hotel outside the Alstadt.) After much back and forth with the Radisson reception and our local tour rep, we discovered that our bikes were not at the Radisson but were waiting for us at our hotel. This error cost us time and cab money, as well as an hour of anxiety at 10pm at night as we tried to figure out where our bikes were.
Nonetheless, we'd like to thank the local rep and the transporter who delivered our bags from hotel to hotel.

We loved most of the locations, esp. Lubeck, Wismar, Zingst. Rerik, which was swapped out for the destination promoted on your website (Kuhlungsborn), was a nice alternative, small and relaxing.
On Day 4, we would have liked to stay in Warnemunde, but were lodged in a large, noisy, ugly youth hostel/low income -type place in Rostock had a long line at check-in and was a 20-minute walk to the nearest Sban station. The room wasn't bad; however the location, building, and breakfast did not meet our expectations. (The staff at Reception was nice.)
We chose Level 1 accommodations because we wanted quaint, quiet BandB type places - not big chains - in lovely locations.
Also missable is Ribnitz. We had a nice seafood dinner at the port, but otherwise not much of interest here. And the town had a strange vibe -
I would recommend an alternative that skips Ribnitz and includes Binz, a lovely seaside resort town on Rugen.
The bikes were solid even on cobblestones and dirt roads but a bit heavy, esp. on the many hills between Lubeck and Wismar.
Overall we had lovely rides and enjoyed our route very much.

What a wonderful experience. The operating people were the best. Merete was our guide, her husband Yngvar was the bike technician and luggage and bike van driver, and Geir was the assistant guide. All three were not only competent at their assignments but were three of the nicest people you could ever meet. The fact that Merete and Yngvar own the company contributed to the efficiency and real desire to deliver a great product. The scenery was magnificent. Food and accommodations were very good The other riders melded into a convivial group which made each day one to remember.
The ride is rated easy to moderate. I think that is fair. However there are a couple of climbs that a less experienced cyclist might want to consider using the optional e-bikes available for the tour.
I would rate the trip 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ +++

While to bike, the GPS app, and the lodgings were all good, this trip had problems. First, I was routed to the wrong city/hotel on the first day. My trip itinerary and my GPS instructions put me in the wrong city so I had to ride additional miles to get to where my luggage was located. Very poor but doable. My main complaint is about the lack of communication from the local on the ground operator. My bike, while good, had an issue with the seat slowing lowering so every 30 minutes or so I would have to raise it back up. I called the company and was told someone would call me back, they didn't. I called again and was told that they would contact someone to come and look at the bike and that they would call back in a couple of minutes, they didn't. I called again and received the same response and the same result of not calling back. They are open until 8pm so at 7:45pm I called yet again and this time there was no answer and no way to leave a message. They did call back the next day and send me a list of bike shops in my next city. I was told to have the repair made, send them the receipt, and I would be reimbursed they were vague on how I was going to be reimbursed. I decided to stay with readjusting my seat every 30 minutes because I lost all confidence in them.

I will say that Rebecca from TripSite was excellent. I called her after the no answer phone call. She followed up with me later that day as well as the next day and patiently listened to my story. Thanks Rebecca!

O que mais gostei foi passar pelas cidades pitorescas e lindas do trajeto, ver o mar e a natureza singular dessa região. A manutenção das bikes deixou muito a desejar, por duas vezes tivemos que parar e buscar apoio para conserto, o que também ficou por nossa conta apesar de utilizarmos os telefones de apoio. Já tive outras duas experiências com a tripsite e as bikes eram ótimas, o que não posso dizer dessa vez.

Beautiful countryside, fantastic views and nearly all the route was on cycle paths...recommend extra night in Augsburg at the end of the holiday.

Gillelege harbor was a true delight. Beautiful setting and lovely shops.

Outstanding trip. Great communication during planning. All accommodations were excellent to amazing quality. The support and transfers during our bike trip was super. I strongly recommend this trip!

What a wonderful trip!! It was easy to navigate. The route was not very difficult, but active enough to feel like you've earned your sangria at the end of the day :) Lots to do and see along the routes: beaches, museums, ruins, vineyards. Amazing food. Dips in the Mediterranean post cycle. It was everything we wanted. Girona was particularly special. We did give ourselves 3 days to enjoy the city before the trip started and I would recommend that. The food and architecture and history of the old city was a joy to explore. Also, make sure to book tickets for the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres at the end of the trip.

It was all amazing. We especially enjoyed biking through the vineyards.

I enjoyed all of the villages/cities I stopped in and the lodgings were excellent. My pannier was broken and it was replaced right away which was much appreciated. Several of the GPS maps had sections which did not accurately reflect the route or were confusing. One route did not indicate that a very large road construction project was in progress and it took me an hour to figure out how to get back on track. Parts of the routes were marked as unpaved and while true, several miles of the unpaved roads were difficult to navigate. That being said, I always was able to find my final destination.

Unfortunately, the most memorable part of the trip was the presesence of rain every day we rode. I understand that this was one of Denmark's wettest years on record.
I would like to suggest that the fitting of the bikes be more extensive other than matching the frame size to the persons height.
Because a GPS was not provided we had to purchase a phone mount so we could use their app to follow the route maps. Don't plan on using the printed directions otherwise you'll miss a lot of the landscape.
We did find it an issue that the route maps provided did not always have us arriving at our hotel at the end of the day. Instead they left us at a location that was often miles away from the hotel.
Overall, the hotels were very clean and comfortable. My only negative comment about the hotels was that some were located in sections of town that required us to uber to dining and sightseeing options. Breakfast was always plentiful and delicious.

We had a great time on this trip. Everything worked out perfectly. We would definitely repeat it.
As for suggestions for future travelers note that in some hotels you will be able to check in early but others won’t let you. Also that your luggage arrives later during the day so if you have plans in the afternoon make sure to pack a change of clothes for after biking.

The route was very good. Avoided heavy traffic and many back roads that showed us what the area was like. Very few heavily trafficked roads. Saw the memorable sites.

What I did like about this trip was that it was not solid biking for 5-6 days. I liked that we had a few off-days during the week to recoup and explore the villages, with optional rather than required biking on those days. I really enjoyed the towns where we stopped! All were charming and gave us enough to do but were not overwhelming in things to see. The option to have an e-bike made it more doable for some in our party, so overall it made it an enjoyable experience for all.

I would advise others to make sure you pack ample snacks and water, particularly on the first day. There were no obvious places to stop and regroup so unlike on some of the other days and we definitely felt that at the end of the day.

Finally, I want to shout out to Michael from - our arrival in Odense was delayed by a day due to unforeseen circumstances, and he was in constant communication with us to ensure we go sorted on our bikes and were on our way, even though we were behind schedule. He was also readily available to help when other minor issues arose. Excellent customer service - he certainly made us feel like we had someone watching out for us.

I loved it! all the routes are incredible, the places where we arrive, hotels, landscape, etc. The only thing that you have to be aware is to use google maps u other device because in my experience it was so difficult to follow the numbers of the route or to follow the maps. The rest was amaizing.

All of it was wonderful. We loved the final day reaching the coast. It was so beautiful

Misunderstanding on inclusion of meals at the hotels other than Vienna, Bratislava, & Budapest. We specified that we’d like them included and they were not. We were able to find restaurants, but obviously that increased the cost for us.

Our group of four completed the nine-day Prague to Vienna Tour from 21st to 29th June 2024. Our experience was wonderful and memorable. We highly recommend this tour!

First, we had good support in the lead up to our tour and during it. All of our questions were promptly answered, both before we made reservations and when a few issues arose during the tour.

Second, the tour was very well organised. We had a detailed briefing and support before we started. Clear group communication was set up on WhatsApp among our group and with the tour’s support team. We were given maps and written guides for the ride each day, which pointed to tourist highlights and places to eat. Our rides were guided by Ride with GPS on our phones (bring a lithium battery to extend your phone’s life each day). Each bike had a phone mount to facilitate the use of Ride with GPS. The bikes and equipment were very good quality. We never worried about a breakdown. We were quickly back on the road after a punctured tire because we had the right tools for the job. In short, we never felt like we were on our own, even though we had no guide on the road.

Third, we found the daily routes, and options, to be outstanding. Each daily destination was a notable place to visit. We rode mainly along roads, and also on paved cycle paths, gravel and, at times, trails. My partner and I chose the extra distance routes whenever they were available, whereas the other couple on our tour selected the shorter options that catered to their interests. This is a tour for experienced cyclists with a good level of fitness, not novices or casual tourists.

Fourth, the accommodation was very good. We chose the upgraded facilities and were happy with all of them. Each day, they were close to the main historical or cultural sites. We could easily visit them, usually by walking or riding up to the castle at Vranov and Dyji.

We were very fortunate that we had very good weather. It only rained briefly on two days. I suspect that the riding would have been fine if it was wet, except for a few short stretches when we encountered rough cobbles or when we rode on short trails that linked roads or riding paths. We were well prepared for wet weather and would not have been challenged had it rained.

If we had to do it over again, then we make a few changes. We would use TripSite partner hotels before and after the tour. This would facilitate early briefing before we started the tour and easier hand-over of bikes when we were finished. We had planned to use .GPX files on our Garmin GPS units. Unfortunately, we didn’t download local maps onto our GPS units before we travelled, so that wasn’t feasible. We rented road bikes because that’s what we ride at home. There were places when a gravel bike would have been a better choice. One member of our group rode an e-bike. This made the rides less physically demanding.  SHOW MORE 

This was our 3rd trip like this and by far the best! It was a wonderfully well organized trip. We went with our children (3 and 11) and two of our friends in their 50s. Everyone have a great time. The distances and difficulties were doable. The towns were beautiful and interesting. And the routes provided a good variation of scenery. The non-biking days were well placed throughout the tour. Finally, the trip organizers were amazingly supportive when we had questions or needed to make adjustments. I can't recommend this trip enough!

The trip was wonderful. It was great to visit the 3 unique Baltic countries, they are each beautiful and welcoming, The cycling was terrific, on wonderful quiet roads through scenic fields, forests and towns. There is quite a bit of of time spent in the van traveling from one location to another, but that makes it possible to see and cycle some of the very special, but far-flung locations such as the Curonian Spit, a real highlight. Plus, our group and our leader were great, so it was all enjoyable.

The scenery on the Connemara trip is spectacular. Mostly beautiful back roads, always in sight of several mountains, lakes and ocean.

Feedback/Critique:
1) Bike-wise, the first day was pretty awful. The plan was to fit our bikes on day 2 at 9:45 AM, which took 30 minutes. The bike shop gave us one e-bike with only 1/3 of the battery charged, and another one was spotty - didn't respond every time to power request! Owner said problem charging overnight, and he didn’t really apologize… said “that’s the way it is… I don't have another backup battery, so just try to use the battery less…" Then it was at least an hour to transport us to the starting point in Cong and ready our bikes for the ride, bathroom break, etc.. Because of the 1/3 charge, the stronger of our group pedaled a lot without battery. There was no cell service so we couldn't call the bike shop until later in the day - left a message to bring us another bike and another battery. The owner brought us a replacement bike and battery the next morning - The bicycle brought to us was a different brand - and was lighter and peppier. Why not just use that brand?? 2) The ebikes were not Giant as advertised on Tripsite - they were Devron, which I suspect were heavier and less quality. Compared to the bikes we used in our Croatia bike/boat trip in June 2019, these were much heavier, and less peppy. However, the bikes given us on the Aran Islands were lighter and had more power (they really zipped along). If we hadn’t been pretty athletic individuals, I think the trip would’ve been harder. 3) The estimated route time given inside the RIDE WITH GPS routes must not include any time to take photos, get some hydration or snacks. So by the time we got to the ONLY 2 possible lunch spots - Maire Luke's Bar and O'Toole's pub, they were closed! SUGGESTION: STRONGLY recommend - in the BEGINNING of the route description to purchase lunch in Cong before beginning the route. 4) None of the 3 bikes had a bike pump as promised. One bike had an incompatible plug so we had to use a personal plug converter!!! At the end of the tour the owner gave a lame reason... 5) The ebikes were not peppy enough to carry us up several morning hills on day one, which added to our time and so we didn't make the lunch spots. THEN in the afternoon stretch we had to push our bikes up the 2.5 km long hill -- when we were pretty hungry. 6) THE FLAT OPTION ROAD WAS CLOSED, and no one told us until the end of the day. In my opinion it was unacceptable for your partner's contracted bike shop NOT to have a back up battery! In the future, if possible the bikes should be fit THE DAY BEFORE in the late afternoon, and a) the driver could take riders, luggage and bikes to Cong to stay overnight, OR, pick up riders, luggage, and bikes at Galway lodging at 9 AM day 2 then drive to Cong.

By the way after day 2 we did call your Dublin partner to report the bike problems. That's where the corrections need to be made.  SHOW MORE 

The scenery in the Costa Brava is non-stop. From seaside to countryside to fields full of sunflowers and ancient villages, everyday had at least one "wow" moment. Tripsite support was spot on and the ebikes were flawless.

We very much enjoyed our 7 day bicycle tour in Northern Zealand with a lovely day in Sweden. We had sunshine throughout, so that was special. The route was more varied than I expected and the villages, coast, forest and strand were great riding. Route directions were thorough and direct, and although we missed a few turns, Google map righted us easily. Acomodations were excellent and the breakfasts fueled us with delicious options. I definitely advise including the day in Sweden as although similar to Denmark, there were subtle and interesting differences. Working with Tripsite was easy from first discovering their trips online to our last night in Denmark. Thank you!

The premium bikes were very good for the trip and a nice selection of hotels to stay at along the way.

All very enjoyable but particularly spectacular from Grein and through Wachau Valley. Durnstein ruins and abbey particularly memorable. Last night (Vienna) had been cancelled by mistake by Tripsite so some worries and no communication from Tripsite but eventually sorted out by the hotel.