Europe Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews — 31 to 60 of 1976

A fabulous trip. So educational. Learned so much about the history of Eastern Europe and Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Bikes were good. Guide was great - as support for bikes as well as a historical guide. Wonderful group with Hennie. Loved it all.

The scenery,day 3,4,5 6 was the highlight. The communication via WhatsApp setup by the company,was very helpful and the response time was quick.

It took some effort on my part to persist in getting the advertised hotel at Bad Schandau rather than what was initially given at a different ,less ideal town and location. I'm glad I persisted, as Bad Schandau was clearly the better choice.

The sites were absolutely beautiful and the food was delicious.

The destination cities were very memorable as well as the ancient olive trees. The seashore was lovely. The wine tasting couple were delightful.

The scenery was amazing especially the last 2 days. Really enjoyed visiting the small towns along the coast.

The tour gide (Filipe) was really nice and did an excellent job! However on the day of the meeting in Porto (day 1) there was a miscommunication with the TripSite local partner as they informed the riders that they will meet us at the Trindade hotel lobby but then they were actually waiting at the cycle shop. Luckily I contacted them after 30min and then we had to take a walk to the bicycle shop.

Also a pity that our tour guide had to leave the group on 2 evenings to collect bicyles from other clients and return it to Porto to the TripSite local partner. One would think that he would be available to help us with translations in the restaurant during dinner settings. The guide in the vehicle was really hungry. We had to make long lunch stops - 2 hours on the one day! He always have full meals whereas we preferred light and quick meals. This guy (Ivo) also helped himself with bread when the waiter served it - before any of the riders who are clients could have bread. Really not well mannered.
We would have preferred to arrive early in the small towns to have time to walk a bit in the town for sight seeing but due to long lunch stops we did not have time at at least 2 small towns. It only improved after we all complaint. A pity.

Other than this all was good. Thank you for a memorable trip.

We loved the farm experience- Teresa and her staff were wonderful. Excellent meal preparations, especially by Dina. It was comfortable, cozy...dogs, pool, car museum- all added to the charm.
Routes were comfortable, and ebikes were very helpful. I would modify, give more instructions or add a hand-held map to make the directions easier to follow.
I would highly recommend this trip!

The itinerary route and stopping off points (hotel locations) were mostly very enjoyable, and the distances between stops were very manageable with the E-bikes (I think manual bikes would be challenging for most people in their mid/late 60s). For some of the destinations, we would have welcomed the opportunity to book an additional night to give more time for walking around, sightseeing, and catching a meal not too late in the day.

Attaching several additional nights at both ends of our tour worked out very well, and we were very grateful to our tour agent, Sophie, for working patiently with us to make this possible (our bike tour was ‘sandwiched’ in between an additional week staying elsewhere in each of Belgium & Germany).

In general, our E-bikes worked out well—they were comfortable, and the batteries never came close to running out. However, occasionally they would fail to provide the necessary ‘boost’ for starting up the occasional hill or ramp. They are also quite heavy to maneuver at slow speeds—when making u-turns, parking or locking up. Also, the panniers (one each) were a little smaller than those provided on our previous TripSite bike tours, and only just accommodated our modest sized (daypack) backpacks, along with the essential bike tools and battery chargers.

The hotel options we chose were all nice (we went with the upgraded options when available), with very nice breakfasts. Hotel NH Bruges was particularly well-located for strolling into the city; our room in the Fletcher Hotel Arion in Vlissingen was particularly nice; and while the Westcord Art Hotel in Amsterdam was located quite far out, a bus stop located close to the hotel entrance provided a good service into the city (and a much-needed laundromat located within easy biking distance).

Our TripSite agent, Sophie, was very helpful, friendly and responsive—especially in helping with our hotel choices and ‘additional night’ bookings. However, our baggage allowance information was provided far too close to the date of our departure (we left a week before the actual trip, having decided to visit several other towns in Belgium prior to the start of the tour). Without being able to do much about it, we discovered that the actual baggage allowances—one bag per person weighing 20kg max—would be insufficient, considering we were flying from North America and adding an additional week to our European itinerary before and after the actual bike tour. Our previous TripSite bike tours (in Germany) never imposed such a strict limit. With barely a few days to spare, we contacted TripSite management, who—to their credit and our great relief—provided a simple and effective solution for us, such that we could each include a smaller (carry-on) bag in addition to our suitcases.

The “Guibo” bike navigation phone App worked extremely well on our iPhones, and only very occasionally did it actually lead us the wrong way, or display confusing information. On three occasions the designated route was completely blocked and shut-off for road construction, but we were able to find workarounds (one turned into a bit of a cross-country adventure), and one of the recently changed hotel locations had not been updated in the app.  SHOW MORE 

There wasn't one memorable moment, the whole trip was amazing. We stayed in some beautiful hotels a mix of modern and quirky. The routes were brilliant and the connectivity of the cycle paths and smooth surfaces was second to none. The people were friendly, the whole route was so pro cycling and cycle friendly there were no issues with traffic. The scenery was stunning and changed as we progressed through the tour. The recommended things to see were always interesting and the towns we stayed in were beautiful. The regional food was lovely, and the trip was superbly organised, we are now planning our next adventure

There wasn't one memorable moment, the whole trip was amazing. We stayed in some beautiful hotels a mix of modern and quirky. The routes were brilliant and the connectivity of the cycle paths and smooth surfaces was second to none. The people were friendly, the whole route was so pro cycling and cycle friendly there were no issues with traffic. The scenery was stunning and changed as we progressed through the tour. The recommended things to see were always interesting and the towns we stayed in were beautiful. The regional food was lovely, and the trip was superbly organised, we are now planning our next adventure

We have done dozens of self guided bike trips all over the world. And I have to say that this trip is easily in our top three. The bikes were exceptional, we had one E bike and one gravel bike. Both were in top condition and had no issues over our nine day trip. The route utilized Ride with GPS, which is a very intuitive and easy system to follow. There were no problems with navigation anywhere on the trip despite several areas having construction or alternate pathways available. The route took us into and through many small villages rather than around the edges, which allowed us to see the charming village centers and stop for a coffee along the way.
All of the accommodations for this trip met or exceeded our expectations.
The staff at the beginning and end of the ride were lovely to deal with.
We cannot recommend this tour enough! You do need to be prepared for some longest days and some days with steep climbs. There are ways to avoid the steeper areas, but with these exceptional bikes, we did not find them too challenging.

What lovely countryside to bike through, we would gladly do it again!

We have done dozens of self guided bike trips all over the world. And I have to say that this trip is easily in our top three. The bikes were exceptional, we had one E bike and one gravel bike. Both were in top condition and had no issues over our nine day trip. The route utilized Ride with GPS, which is a very intuitive and easy system to follow. There were no problems with navigation anywhere on the trip despite several areas having construction or alternate pathways available. The route took us into and through many small villages rather than around the edges, which allowed us to see the charming village centers and stop for a coffee along the way.
All of the accommodations for this trip met or exceeded our expectations.
The staff at the beginning and end of the ride were lovely to deal with.
We cannot recommend this tour enough! You do need to be prepared for some longest days and some days with steep climbs. There are ways to avoid the steeper areas, but with these exceptional bikes, we did not find them too challenging.

What lovely countryside to bike through, we would gladly do it again!

Tour route directions were good until the last day when the bike route was totally blocked by construction and we had to determine an alternative route that involved backtracking several miles. Beach hotels were good and city hotels were excellent. Baggage transfer went perfectly. Tour company provided first day escort out of Porto which was greatly appreciated. E-bikes we had were excellent.

We thought that the app Ride with GPS (after a bit of help with setup and use) was very clear accurate and we had no problems following the route. Accompanying information about places to visit was also good, and we were happy with the accommodations.
Overall, a successful and enjoyable trip.
Thanks.
PS. A small issue - the Romantik Bülow Residenz in Dresden was closed when we arrived just after 5pm, and we had to hunt around to find out that we needed to go to the main hotel about 200 metres up the street to get our keys and find out where to put the bikes. There was no warning about 5pm closure.

Except for the Yotel, the accommodations were nice especially when it included a pool. Coastal views were stunning. Because we did self-guided, it would have helped to have more details for lunch options. We had difficulty on Day 1 finding a lunch spot because most things were closed on Mondays. My husband led the group of 12. He found the GPS screen to be too small and difficult to use. Sometimes it misguided us. On the last day in Santiago, he selected the route to take us to our hotel, but it took us elsewhere and we became confused at to where we should go next.
Unfortunately, upon first arriving, the Porto UBER transfer did not take us to our hotel. Somehow our driver was given the wrong address and we went 45 minutes out of the way. Thankfully, someone from Tripsite was available to speak to the driver over the phone and arrange for him to drive us back into the city centre and drop us off.

A wonderful tour! Beautiful sea views, quiet roads and lots of bike paths. Rarely had to worry about cars. Our guides spoke great English, were very knowledgeable of the area and were fun to be with. I highly recommend this tour.

This self navigated trip covers some beautiful untrammelled scenery, along solid bike trails. Little villages with hidden gems await. Locals are friendly and helpful, food great not to mention the wine! There is little traffic to contend with allowing freedom to enjoy the beautiful countryside. We found storybook villages, Roman ruins, good restaurants and comfortable accommodations along the way. The guest house stays were especially pleasant.

This self navigated trip covers some beautiful untrammelled scenery, along solid bike trails. Little villages with hidden gems await. Locals are friendly and helpful, food great not to mention the wine! There is little traffic to contend with allowing freedom to enjoy the beautiful countryside. We found storybook villages, Roman ruins, good restaurants and comfortable accommodations along the way. The guest house stays were especially pleasant.

Need to print out maps if taking ferry Not marked on trail system. Lack of WC and water supply at times. Would have like to know where you could get this

The scenery was beautiful. I would not consider this an”easy” bike tour. There are very long days and lots of hills, so even with an e-bike this was challenging

A fabulous cycling tour through some o the most beautiful countryside in Switzerland, with the bonus of also cycling through Germany, Liechtenstein and Austria.

Nothing that stands out.several unexpected hotel choices not to my liking

The Sicilian people were wonderful including our local contact for the self-guided tour! It was a delight to have multiple days to both cycle and swim in the sea.

The scenery , routes, daily mileage and top shelf guide along with a gracious driver were all reasons that I would rate this trip as a lifetime achievement adventure.. Learning about the history of each country, coupled with visits to the various historic sites made this trip come to life. Each hotel along with several that had extensive spas made the after bike ride relaxing and enjoyable..

Old towns.
The possibility to make a day trip to Helsinki to visit among others the amazing library.

Getting to know the group member’s life and bike experiences. Wonderful life-living people. Learning the history of the Baltic countries with our very knowledgeable guide Romas and city tour guides

Our first e-bike self-guided tour, and it won't be our last! We have found out new favourite way to travel. The e-bikes made touring between the Umbrian hilltop towns a breeze for us at 63 yrs and 65 yrs. The GPS tracks were off the beaten path and Bluetoothed straight into my husband's hearing aids, which was an unexpected bonus. The local operators were helpful and available, although we had no problems at all. Any questions to Tripsite had quick and efficient replies. Thanks Tripsite!

The Catalonia area of Spain was beautiful to explore! The hotels were in great locations and we were happy with the rooms, even without upgrading our accommodation. The app (Ride with GPS) worked well, although there were a few directions that were mixed up - but it would alert you, and could easily get back on track. Most of the paths were good, although it did get a bit rocky towards the middle of the trip. Overall it resulted in getting 3 flat tires in total along our trip, so highly recommend being familiar with changing a bike tire! We weren’t crazy about the Loop Castelló d’Empúries part of the trip, although it was fine up to the city of Roses, the rest of the loop didn’t have much to see or explore. The last day of biking from Castelló d’Empúries - Figueres was mostly on the highway, but was fine as it was not a busy road. We were very pleased with the quality of the e-bikes and they were a comfortable ride. A good idea to use packing cubes to organize your belongings, as unpacking and packing up could be a bit of a challenge when you’re changing hotels everyday. The luggage transfer worked very smoothly, we had to have our luggage down to the lobby each day by 9 a.m. and they would be at our next destination when we arrived.