France Bike & Hotel Tour Reviews — 121 to 150 of 224

This was the best bike trip of our lives. We took it in early June, 2019 with e-bikes and upgraded accommodations. Unless you're a strong cyclist, e-bikes are the way to go for this trip. First, the hotels were amazing and in each one after the first the specific rooms reserved were wonderful. The first hotel in Avignon was simply awful. Not only because the air conditioning was out, but the room was tacky, in bad repair, and was musty. The tour needs to have this changed. The common areas were just fine, it was only our room. Another thing to change would be the route on the first day through Avignon - heavy traffic, a lot of road construction, and then cycling on a road with a narrow shoulder, semi trucks, and 30 mph winds. This was still a five-star trip. I hadn't done much research ahead of time, and so Les Baux de Provence and Fontaine de Vaucluse each came as a complete and wonderful surprise - I had not even imagined places of such beauty and charm. There were some minor problems with the GPS, particularly the road barred off in one place. Fortunately we had a hotspot which we took with us each day, and were able to figure out how to reroute ourselves using Apple maps, but we would have been in trouble otherwise. We went to the market at Isle sur la Sorgue, but it was impossible to visit with bikes due to the crowds of people. We didn't dare leave the e-bikes, even locked, so we had to take turns going in - but still fun!

The hotels were great & friend

Beautiful scenery loved the old towns. The bikes were great

The beautiful landscape in the Loire Valley and the picturesque towns of Chinon and Azay le Rideau made this trip a wonderful experience that I would warmly recommend everyone! The bikes had high quality and the hotels were all great.Everything went smoothly and everyone was very helpful. I will definitely come back some day.

The bikes supplied were fantastic. The maps and directions were easy to follow, and the route was spectacular. We were very happy with all of the hotels chosen by Tripsite. All in all, we had an extremely enjoyable 5 days, and we will be definitely doing another bike trip with Tripsite the next time we visit Europe.

Make sure you bring layers in case of rain

It was all beautiful, but Pérouges was a real highlight. A well preserved medieval town, the accommodations and spectacular food reflected the history of this special place.

This trip was fabulous, very scenic and the ebikes were perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip although we went at a time when the vineyards were mainly closed for harvest. We made our own picnic lunches along the way or stopped at local pubs and restaurants for lunch and wine. The written directional instructions were very helpful, as were the gps tracks. Julian, our local coordinator was very helpful in resolving a small glitch with our first hotel. All the hotels were great, and the restaurants and food were generally quite good, even though our dinner selections were limited to a few choices. Of the towns we stayed in, Colmar and Kayersburg were the best! The dessert in the Colmar Grand Hotel Bristol was memorably fantastic. The restaurant we were sent to in Basel was rather mediocre and disappointing given what we had pre-paid, especially the horrible cup of fruit cocktail we were given for dessert ( not even on the menu!) The vineyards ended before Mulhouse, which seemed like a very industrial city. And although the scenery into Basel was lovely with rolling hills (ebikes saved the day!) Basel itself was just okay. We would probably skip the Mulhouse-Basel part of the trip if we were to do it again. We would prefer in future to spend more time in Colmar and smaller villages like Kayersburg.

This was a truly outstanding tour. Excellent routes found for cycling and gave the chance to see the beaches and really understand the way the Normandy Invasion unfolded and how big the area involved in this incredible event in history was.

A seemless trip where our biggest concern was where to get our next cup of coffee as we meandered across the countryside.

The best memory of the trip was a spectacular meal at Auberge de la labourer in Chenonceaux. They were fully booked but set up a table in the bar and gave us the full restaurant menu. It’s a great restaurant and the extra work the staff put in added to the experience.

We had two complaints. First, neither of our odometers worked so we had no way of measuring distance. This meant constantly stopping and checking to make sure we were on the right way.

Second, the directions to get to Cour Chevigny had one massive error. When we came off the trail and onto Route 52 the directions said to turn right, go to the roundabout, and follow the sign to Route D102. There is no such sign. The only sign to Cour Chevigny is for Route 52, the road we were already on. So, thanks to some help, we turned around, followed route 52 for five kilometres and came right to our hotel. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED.

What a fabulous way to see Provence. The route selected took us through many memorable villages. Provence Bike did a great job with high quality bikes, good maps and well set up GPS systems. We particularly enjoyed seeing Roussilon; Gordes; Baix Aux Provence as well as the source of River Sourge. Our group of 4 decided on e-bikes which we did not regret because of the steep hills getting in and out of the villages. We particularly liked the idea of staying multiple nights in one location. A great trip!! A suggestion -- include a list of things "not to miss" that are less than a kilometer from the route or, in the villages we are going through. It is convenient to have a guide book but a few notes would be really helpful.

Most Memorable Part: The bikes were top quality, delivered and picked up from hotel on time. Great itineraries- we highly recommend Tripsite!

Amazing! We've done many organized and self supported tours, but this one by far is our favorite. We combined two 4-day (of riding) tours into one, the Orleans to Tours and Tours to Angers tours, for eight days of riding and a day on each end for coming and going. We chose the lowest level of hotels and all were fine. We don't spend much time in the room anyway, we just need a comfortable bed. The itinerary was perfect, average of 50km a day and usually one chateau visit along the way so at an easy pace we had plenty of time for a morning coffee stop, a few hours at the chateau du jour and lunch, and arrived at the hotel in time to do laundry and head to dinner. The overnight stops were a good mix of big cities (Orleans, Tours) and quaint towns. We didn't take a rest day, but if you're considering it, think about Amboise, a quaint town, rather than the midpoint Tours. Amboise was our favorite town-a good selection of restaurants, a beautiful chateau reflecting on the rivers, and if you're there on a Sunday, don't miss the local market, "the best in France" according to the guy at our hotel. The route was well marked, the maps they gave us were excellent, and if you have the GPS capability, definitely ask for the GPX tracks because those came in handy more than a few times. My wife upgraded to an e-bike which was absolutely worth it. Although it's mostly a flat course, it made it much more enjoyable for her. And we bought the chateau package which was worth it. It includes the best chateaux to visit, and although it doesn't save you much money, it saves you a lot of time waiting in line to buy a ticket which at some chateaux could be lengthy.

London to Amsterdam was a great trip. Beautiful scenery especially along the North Sea and canals and farmland of Holland.hotels were unique but comfortable. Breakfast was always good. Dinners were good but more variety needed in menu choices. Loved the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk and all the small towns we rode through. There were 12 of us plus 6 others on the self- guided which made for a lively and interesting, diverse group.
What was disappointing and could be improved was communication from the guide. Very little information was given ahead of time as to what was next and no information about the towns history, culture and facts regarding where we were. This would have made the trip more enjoyable and interesting.

I did this "guided" bike tour from London to Amsterdam. There are many areas where improvement is needed.

We weren't given a map or App of the biking route as promised. We rode through many villages, resorts and towns from Dunkirk to Amsterdam but were not told the names of the towns, or the history of the towns - and we stopped only for "coffee breaks". When we asked what town we were in for the coffee breaks the guide was unable to tell us. We either used google maps or asked strangers where we were. Also, we biked past notable places of interest like the beach in Dunkirk where British troops were rescued during WWII - and the Dover Castle - but never stopped - even to take pictures. It was all about getting to the next hotel in time for dinner.

We weren't told the hotel we were staying in until we arrived at the hotel. We usually arrived at the hotel around 6pm and had little time to turn in our bikes for the night, get our luggage, unpack, shower, change clothes and get ready for dinner by 8pm which usually lasted over two hours. And then we started early the next day - to get to our hotel for the next night.

Overall it is a "forced march" from London to Amsterdam. If you want to bike 344Km then I suggest you just go and bike 344Km for the exercise on a route most convenient to you because that is what this is. Or, take the self-guided tour which is cheaper and includes maps and the App and you can sight-see and take time to enjoy the country-side you are biking through.

The online website says "You will receive a code to download the maps, itinerary, points of interest, services and GPS position on your smartphone or GPS device. The App provides GPS tracks to be used offline. Paper copies of the route are available with supplement of €15." When I asked for the map or the App I was told they were only available to self-guided participants and that I should use GPS to figure out where we were at any given point. But that is not what the website says/said. As it is, we have no map or record of the route we biked or the towns we passed through. I would not recommend this "tour" to anyone.

PS. Do not interpret this critique as a criticism of the people who guided this tour. The people who guided us were patient, kind, personal, friendly and professional....in my opinion they had/have no impact on how this tour is/was deigned.

Antonenella, our guide was awesome, as was our two helpers! We loved riding through the countryside of both France and England, it was so beautiful. This trip is highly recommended. Our group was made up of 16 people from different countries, so it made for a fun group. If you are not used to biking up hills, we recommend renting the e-bikes, because they really make this trip wonderful. There is time to enjoy the sites and sounds around you. Half our group wore biking shorts and the other half wore shorts and t-shirts. American tennis shoes are fine. Bring a padded seat cover and padded shorts, because it will help a lot. We all met for dinner each night, so bring a few nicer clothes. Bikers are provided with one small pack wit maps per couple, that attaches to handle bars. I put sanitizer, gum, money and my phone in the pack. Everyone is provided with a side pack to go on their bike. We put an extra bottle of water, lunch and jackets in the bags. Make sure you have a phone that works in Europe. Our group got split up in Paris and the sweeper, last person had to call the leader. We had one road rash incident the first day and one flat tire four days in. Our support guys picked up the couple, fixed his bike and met us up ahead. One of the ladies who did the self guided tour hit the ground with her face, but she was a trooper and finished too. My husband and I have traveled a lot, but this is the best trip ever!

This was a wonderful adventure with great surprises on the journey. This is hilly territory but very rewarding for the challenge. With a spectacular wine museum, vineyards, chateaus, prehistoric cave paintings - what’s not to love.

Denne turen var helt fantastisk! De som står for service og transport av bagasje er helt supre og veldig hyggelige mennesker. Ved bruk av en egen app, går turen som en lek! I de større byene er det lett å navigere seg frem og kjempe fint landskap å sykle i. Kan anbefale denne turen til alle! :)

The Loire was wonderful, Jon the guide was wonderful and Lunch in Adon was Magnifique!

The Normandy bike trip was fantastic! The route descriptions were confusing at times but we were able to figure everything out. The route took us through beautiful areas of Normandy, through small villages, scenic small roads, to the beaches of D Day and each day ended in a charming city in which we retired for the night. The accommodations...ESPECIALLY THE ONE IN BAYEUX!!! were great. Stephon, the owner of the B and B was friendly, helpful and made our stay in his town enjoyable. Bayeux was an interesting and beautiful city! TripSite's choices for accommodations each night was outstanding. Great locations so we could walk to anything we desired to see. Another day or two of biking on this trip would have been wonderful...we had so much fun! Highly recommend this trip.

We had a great time touring the area. The hills were a challenge! The hotel food was varied and tasty.

The e-bikes are essential for enjoying the beautiful, hilly terrain!

First time doing a long "unguided" trip, and loved it. We got just the right amount of support each morning and evening. Wonderful maps and directions. Great fun.

As a group of four mature adults, we completed the Canal du Midi bike ride. It was great even with some windy and wet days. The scenery is fantastic and any little glitch was quickly forgotten when you looked out upon your surrounds. The Tripsite team were very helpful and our gear was always at the next destination by the time we got there. I had an e-bike where as the others had standard bikes. I thoroughly recommend the pedal assist e-bike as it really took the stress off when in slightly difficult terrain. Great for doing the hills in traffic as all you have to do is sit and watch the cars rather than standing up in the pedals. Definitely my kind of bike and my kind of trip. Loved the open space and rolling countryside.

First of all we had spectacular weather on our 8 days of riding on the Alsace Wine Route, from Strasbourg to Basel in late September. +/- 30 miles a day was perfect. It allowed us to get to our destination in the early afternoon, rest up and then go and explore the villages. The scenic beauty was off the charts. It was early fall and the grapes were still on the vine with the leaves turning an autumn yellow color. That with a backdrop of the green hills set us up for some beautiful photographs. The backroads that we took were frequented by locals out for a walk and when passing by, everyone would say bonjour to each other. We loved that! We are already looking at other trips through Tripsite. Great memories.

We loved traveling through the small french villages and stopping for great places for lunch. We have so many memories but our favorite town was Sarlat. I wish we would have spent more time there. The staff at all the hotels were so nice and had a special place for us to keep our bikes. It made it so easy. We loved our trip and were a little worried about being self-guided. It worked out well and we will do it again. At the end we were not ready to say goodbye to our bikes.

My trip was the Villages of Provence. A wonderful area to bike through. I would suggest that the orientation be set for a determined amount of time to allow for complete question and answer time. Also it would be helpful to go through the use of the GPS thoroughly. The bike maintenance was not done prior to our week long trip. The tail light and the computer on my bike did not function properly. All in all the hotels, service, food, and ambience were wonderful. I’d highly recommend this trip to intermediate to advanced cyclists.

We absolutely loved the two villages we stayed in and many we rode through along the way (our trip was shortened). The French have a way of sharing their “Joie de vivre.” We'd never been to Provence, and the olive groves and apple orchards, the adorable small towns, the food and wine, eating our picnic lunch in an ancient, empty church foyer— all made for an unforgettable adventure. My only suggestion is to make sure people know how to use the GPS if they are their own guides. It was confusing for us but we eventually figured it out. Lucky are those that can take this trip!

The Loire River Valley tour was spectacular in every way: bikes, scenery, route, trails, signage, difficulty level (which was "easy" and fit our previous experience level), the towns and accommodations.

Most memorable part: Les Baux de Provence: location, view from hotel patio, view from restaurant, atmosphere