Bike Tour Reviews — 121 to 150 of 1639

We did this trip in late September on hybrid bikes, self-guided. We had great weather! The routes were varied and enjoyable. Some along the coast, some along backroads farther inland. Most of the riding was not on paved roads, but on gravel and sandy roads, some two track and some trails. Some of the paved sections had very little car traffic while some were more heavily trafficked. The Trek hybrid bikes worked great, were sturdy and comfortable. The most memorable parts were riding down into the villages, the varied routes on all kinds of surfaces, the stunning scenery and the swimming pools at the end of most days. Going self guided allowed us to experience the feeling of discovering things on our own. We used our Ride with GPS app for viewing the downloaded routes that the company sent to us. The local partner stayed in touch with us throughout the trip to make sure things were going well. You can plan on pushing your bike through a little sand at least once on this trip. It is minimal and just part of the experience. All in all a great trip!

Bravo to tripsite for this incredible tour. The scenery is breathtaking and the overnight hosts were beyond hospitable. The two larger hotels in Haro and LaGuardia were very enjoyable.
For the most part, the route is ingenious, with so much downhill and easy riding. HOWEVER - some of the hills, particularly on cycling days 3 and 6, are no joke. We were on e-bikes, and without those, this would have been miserable. We are experienced cyclists, but are 70 yrs old, so were very grateful for the e-bikes. You will use a lot of battery on those two days, so be sure that you’re fully charged.
This was our third tripsite cycling tour and it was our favorite so far, well planned and and fun to ride.

My fondest memory is riding past kids wanting to high-five the cyclists going through their village, and apple pickers on carts giving us apples as we rode by.

There were so many memorable parts of this trip! Two of us, in our upper 60s, rode hybrid bikes on the self-guided 8-day tour. The local partner provided us with GPS maps that we downloaded onto our phones. Then we used the Ride with GPS app for viewing the routes. Distances per day were 20 to 31 miles, which was perfect for us. The scenery, including the dramatic coastal cliffs and beaches, pastoral fields and pine groves, and the incredibly quaint and picturesque villages was fantastic! I would rate the skill level required as easy to moderate. There were smooth roads, sandy and gravel roads and trails and some small sections of mountain biking. It was a nice combination of flat and hilly sections. The hills were not extreme, although we did choose to walk portions of them occasionally. The routes were well chosen. We enjoyed the variety of surfaces and views and we always trusted where the routes would take us. The hotel choices were always comfortable and lovely! The local partner kept in touch with us via WhatsApp to make sure things were going okay throughout the tour. Thank you for a grand memorable trip!

This trip allows you to immerse into the sites and scenery. Our after look strolling Stein am Rhein was like sneaking into a fairytale storybook. These are places you only imagine exist in history, and they are so beautifully preserved for us to enjoy.

We loved sitting at Hotel Reutemann and having an afternoon glass of wine at the Insel Lindau port (casually noticing Rapunzel’s golden hair hang down the tower window in the main square).

In Bregenz we watched the sunset from the Seepromenade before going for our dinner further down the seawall. In the morning we took the Pfanderbahn/Cable Car up Phander Mountain where the view was magnificent, and rode our bikes down (if you arrive before 10 am your bike travels up free).

Our favourite meal was at a German Restaurant called the Constanzer Wirtshaus in Konstance.

Hotel Waldhaus Jacob in Konstance and Hotel Messmer in Berganz were luxurious places to land after a day of riding.

I also want to note that Rosalie, who picked up our bikes, was delightful. Ensuring we knew everything about the E-Bikes before we left. Giving us a nice sense of security as we left on our self guided tour of Lake Constance, or as we know now.. Bodensee.

Pro:The selected routes and the varied countryside. VERY GOOD that a guide led us out of Porto

Con: often difficult for the lead to navigate out of the larger centers.

Communication at start and end could be improved. I called for times, locations and details that the whole group wondered what the plan was.

Know that this trip is about the terrain and natural environment of SA....this is not a cultural experience in terms of visiting tribes and learning about thier cultures.
The animals were close enough to touch. No rush, watch their behavior for 20 minutes.
I loved seeing parts of south africa that are off the typical tourist trail...who goes to Tzaneen?

The road iis beautiful, with great views The lthe stops in the villages are very nice,
The route is easy and flat, we spend some wonderful days

Umbria is really a nice region to visit! With delicious food, wine and olive oil! The bike route is not difficult! Highlights for the cities of Spello and Assissi!

Beautiful route along the coast with reasonable distances each day. Hotels were all wonderful and GPS guide worked great.

Things to improve…. Include chain lube with the bike bag of equipment. Ride the route in advance. Some of the trails were very had to identify and parts were un rideable and required hiking your bike up steep hills or thru rivers. Some detours took us off a very nice gravel road onto a very small single track with thorn bushes blocking the trail, only to meet back up with the very nice gravel road in a few meters.

Most memorable was the stunning scenery We expected a group of English speakers and were shocked when we arrived to find it was an Austrian company with German speaking patrons and guide. So initially it was difficult but everyone was nice and we all got along even if our language skills didn’t match.

The route took us past many memorable sites. The historic sites were selected to provide a portrayal of most aspects of history and culture. The towns and villages were charming and the country roads connecting them provided a good sense of the Czech and Austrian way of life.
There were multiple issues with one of the bicycles including brakes that needed adjusting and a seat post bolt that needed replacing. We rode in mostly rainy conditions and had to stop and buy chain oil to clean the chain. Both issues could have been alleviated by a thorough check of the bike and providing chain oil and rags to keep the bikes clean. And, these deficiencies made for a painful ride and significantly detracted from the joy of the trip.
It would have been helpful to receive the Ride With GPS routes via email earlier. We spent an hour or more a day trying to match the written description of highlights of the route with their location on the GPS route. We linked the highlighted site with the mileage and wrote out our own itinerary. Additionally, the written information should be rewritten by a person who is a native speaker, who can write direct sentences and use essential English grammar.

This was a well thought out bike tour! The route was beautiful with amazing views. There were many “wow” moments. There was a great mix of trails, secondary roads and dirt tracks. The hotels were fantastic!! The whole tour was memorable… Even the odd time we got lost added to the whole experience!

The bike route was great they were perfect for beautiful views and destinations. The bikes were new and or in great condition making the rides very easy. Overnight stays were also in nice locations with easy check-in and check-outs with staff that were helpful and prepared. This was my first vacation ride and I couldn't be happier. Tripsite coordinated a great vacation.

We (couple in early 60’s) have recently completed this routing. We rode hybrids (what we usually ride) and found the level quite manageable but I would question the ‘easy’ part of the rating. There were indeed some good climbs. I suspect that a large majority of riders may ride ebikes, making the climbs and the longer days easy. The Classic hotel selection was just fine. The bikes were great. We appreciated the notes on destinations and attractions in the paper guide but as a navigational tool it would have be useful only in a pinch; You’d be turning the pages constantly, GPX files are the way to go and even though there were a few ‘right turns’ that were actually left ones, the directions were great! We appreciated the variety of road types. The back lanes were lovely and the bigger roads generally has either good shoulders or bike lanes.

costal vistas were incredible! The back roads were well selected and mostly easy to navigate. Hotels were all wonderful, especially the breakfasts. Mileage each day was just about right…. Not too challenging, but not a lazy day ride either. We loved southern Portugal and plan to return again soon.

This trip showcases the great gravel riding in southern Portugal. Our group really enjoyed the tour.

The bike company was great to deal with, starting with having a pick up at the airport to take us into Porto. They provided us with way more gear than any other bike company we've dealt with over the years (e.g. chain repair link, 4 inner tubes) in part because the Douro valley does not have any bike shops to help us out if we ran into problems. Navigation was by a programmed Garmin GPS they provided, with a backup on Ride with GPS on my own phone. The best innovation was having a WhatsApp group with the bike team so that we could reach out to them quickly if problems arose. (Note: Have an eSim so you have a digital signal -- wifi is only at hotels).

Other reviews about this trip said the eBikes make it easy. Well, that's not quite the case ... there are some loooong days (80 km the first day!) and there are a lot of long, steep hills. And while it's easier biking up a hill with an eBike, when the hill is 15 km long, that is still a big hill. So do make sure you are in good shape, especially your tush!

The hotels/B&Bs chosen were pretty quirky, with great staff. And when we had one bad weather day (howling gale!) the Top Bike folks arranged for a taxi to take us and our eBikes to the next stop -- at their expense, since it would be unreasonable to expect us to bike in that weather. We really appreciated their attitude!

We had a couple of technical challenges that harshed our mellow. The GPS provided did not have the route for one day of our trip properly loaded. Because we had the Ride with GPS backup, we made it work, but still .... You do need to watch your battery charge on long days. And then on our last day, for the last few km, the GPS was not clear as to the route and it was quite frustrating. Because we could WhatsApp for help, solutions were found.

If you're used to biking around France seeing little towns with bistros every few km, then be aware that the Douro Valley is quite different. On one 70 km day, there was only one rest stop where we could get a hot chocolate and a snack. And if you want to pack a lunch, you will find it hard to get supplies. We appreciated the opportunity to see a very different side of Portugal, however, far from the madding crowds of Porto and Lisbon.

Excellent trip - Baiona and Santiago de Compostela were definite highlights.

So many highlights! The route select was incredible, keeping us on quiet dirt roads or bike paths for much of the time. The hotels were also all amazing, boutique style hotels with excellent service and in one case watching the sunset over the Atlantic from a warm rooftop pool! The ride from Nazare to Obidos was my favorite, with spectacular views up as we climbed out of Nazare, a fun descent for lunch to the Salgado Beach, and then beautiful views above the coast for miles after that!

Our guide and van driver were VERY knowledgable and accommodating to our needs!
Our group was comprised of 13 participants, 1 guide, and one support vehicle driver.

Unfortunately, there was flooding in central Europe during our stay. Several of the bike routes were closed but our guide made the best out of detours and rerouting due to flooding.

However, the bikes were poorly maintained. According to the guide the company AVE was not expecting ALL participants to choose E-bikes (Even though 70% of participants had booked in February and June) Thus, there was a shortage, and the company had to borrow e-bikes from other sources. Consequently, there were at least 4 different e-bike makes/models where parts could not be interchanged. Bike chains jumping off the gear occurred routinely 4-5 bikes a day. Some e-bikes had major gear shifting problems and other performance issues. Our guide and driver did an incredible job keeping us all "in the saddle" , bike saddle that is.... :)

We had opted for the hotel accommodation upgrade. The first and last hotel were meeting our expectations, but the other three hotel stays were disappointing. I would recommend using the regular accommodations.

The hotel “Clement” in Prague was excellent, the breakfast choices too numerous to list, and the location was ten minutes to the Old Town.

Near the hotel is the restaurant “Usadlu”, where the majority of patrons are locals. We had an unforgettable meal in the “Dungeon” , about 2 floors below ground in this venue!

One Tip: If you are 65 or older you get to use all public transportation in Prague free of charge.

The Vienna Hotel was centrally located: 3-4 Metro stations from the Karl's Platz and Stefan's Platz.
The city was easily negotiated by walking everywhere.

Despite the bike problems, we had a wonderful time and would like to do another bike tour!
It was an incredible experience!!

My wife and I immensely enjoyed the Amsterdam to Bruges tour. We'd do another Tripsite tour gladly. Great routes, terrific information packet with paper maps, nice hotels, incredible scenery, delicious food, beer. The starting hotel, the WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam Art, was wonderful. The trip included breakfast at all hotels, a pleasure though it varied from hotel to hotel from great to just fine, but always with a coffee machine that made lattes!

I suggest getting to Amsterdam at least two days ahead, both to enjoy the city and to have sufficient time to check that the bikes fit you. We rented the e-bikes and that was great for the headwinds out of the southwest all week. For my part, I often used NO assist once getting the bike going. The Dutch bikes were surprisingly enjoyable to ride.

About the GPS tracks, here's what I urge you do. The provided GPS route are great but do NOT include CUE SHEETS. Although I have a Garmin, I really prefer using Ride with GPS (RWGPS) on my phone. So:

1. Download RWGPS to your phone and pay for a subscription so you can save the routes for offline use. That way even without cell coverage, they work.

2. When you click on the supplied GPS route links provided by Tripsite, they will open automatically in RWGPS. There is an option to generate a cue sheet. DO THAT.

3. Save the routes for offline use.

4. In your RWGPS settings, switch to metric units. We found it fun think in kilometers for the trip.

5. Purchase a phone mount. If you have one already it will likely not fit on the Dutch bike handlebars. I got two on Amazon for $16 each and my wife and I found it was fantastic for the riding. To get what we used, search for "TruActive Premium Bike Phone Mount Holder".

6. Bring a battery back and short cable for your phone. It will fit nicely in the front bag.

7. If using an iPhone, use low battery mode. There is no need to go to Airplane mode. With low battery mode, you get all phone features; the phone will however dim when not used. That's a minor inconvenience for the super battery life it will give you.

Thanks for the wonderful trip Tripsite.

Most memorable part of the trip was the amazing architecture along the way.
Tips for other travelers would be to go the extra mile and see ALL of the sights.

Wonderful trip, we had the good luck to do this on the weekend of the Eroica ride and passed through a number of the small towns which host the ride including Gaiole where the finish line and festival are held as well as ride some of the Strade Bianchi that the ride covers. The first few days give you the opportunity to stop at some of the wineries along the route for tastings, some are open without booking and often have lovely views to enjoy as you taste the wine.
Lucca was probalby our favourite town, the hotel was lovely and the suggested restaurants were also very good.
I would suggest you ensure you have a key to the bike battery as some of the hotels struggled to accomodate charging the multiple bikes as other groups will likely be on the same itinerary and not having the key made things more difficult than needed.
The bikes were very good and comfortable.

The routes through the villages and mountains were stunning and well thought out, although I would prefer more paths away from the roads.
The lodgings were generally spacious and hospitable. The tour staff were super friendly and accommodating , especially Montesclaros! A very memorable trip!

Beautiful scenery, great variety and fabulous food. Bikes were good quality, lovely accommodation, well organised on a day to day basis

The itenarary was very good. Unfortunately the heavy rains did some of the distances a bit difficult.
I must however point out that the bikes where not up to standard. On arrival several bikes where actually broken. If it had not been for our excellent Guide Victor, it may have been a disaster.

The small towns that we went into were amazing. The trails and trail maps were perfect and the bike we were given were great. They were smooth riding and handled great.

Biking through small towns was an amazing experience! Amazing views and quiet places giving the opportunity to see less touristy destinations.

Some pretty long distances and decent climbs on this tour.

Be sure to get the Komoot app! Staff where we picked up our bikes gave us the routes there and they were a massive game changer and way easier to use than maps.me

We had many memorable parts of the trip. We enjoyed the postcard picturesque towns and the miles of green rolling hills along with our views of the alps.

We found that the daily trip tour directions were not very clear. We spent quite a bit of time sorting them, using gps and komoot app. Getting in and out of towns was the most confusing.
I would recommend spending more time with the local bike company to work through the directions. The staff of the bike company in Constance were quite busy, and could not spend the time, we felt that the easy intermediate rating of the trip should have emphasized the hill climbing days more.
The majority of the hotels were really lovely and the breakfast were very good. The Reingold provided us rooms in the basement where the hallway carpets in the area were very dirty. We were by the laundry and storage areas.