4 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 271 to 300 of 1207

This was a good tour , the hotels selections were great, but we had a terrible start as there was no one on site to provide maps and to unlock the bikes . Very frustrating. Our weather was wet, for 2.5 days, so check out the rainy season. Also there were no front panniers for the bikes to hold the maps, a problem especially in wet weather.we finally received our maps on day 3 of 5. Poor planning on Tripsites behalf.
It’s a good thing some of us had the electronic maps or we would have been totally lost.

The entire trip was an insightful and delightful experience, providing access to the heart and soul of everyday-life in "working Italy", versus an antiseptic highlight-reel tour of famous monuments and churches. That said, the overwhelming uniqueness and timelessness of Venice couldn't help but be a highlight. I wouldn't have minded a somewhat more strenuous cycling experience; however, that was more than offset by the enjoyment of the comaraderie of a relatively small tour group (20), forged both on the cycling paths and over fabulous gourmet meals provided by the two young chefs aboard the Vita Pugna.

We caught a spell of good clear weather, with rain on arrival and last day, so views from climbs were spectacular over ocean, especially Coomakista at 250 m. Join the loads of busses to look over the view, proud in the fact you rode there! The rest day has optional circuit through Valentia island which was a highlight. Optional steep 15% or worse grades down to lighthouse, but we would recommend doing that even if you push your bike up worst grades at bottom of hill. On the ascent back, don’t miss the road off to the right to the tetrapod tracks. The B and B owner suggested a restaurant just off the north ferry landing for sea food, to join the locals with a Guinness and red ale, waiting outside in the setting sun.

The Gap of Dunloe is a remote surreal climb on the ascent out of Black Valley, with descent back into the busy world of tourists on day trip walks, and civilization. On a cold wet day as we had through from Kenmare back to Killarney, don’t forgo a stop at the Avocado Molls Gap shop and cafe, even if you add a few kilometres to the suggested route, as it is a great place to warm up, get a hot chocolate, and look over to the Molls Gap, which you don’t get to ride through, unless you want to travel a more major route independently.

Insist on an understanding of the provided ride with GPS information, as we missed some important items at first, and also check the bikes over carefully. We had quite important problems with the bikes that we didn’t notice until into the trip, but to their credit the company responded quickly and replaced both bikes. This is my only reason for taking off a star.

Communications throughout were excellent.

The food was excellent. Ebikes are the way to go. Know your route so not surprised. Book an upstairs room.

Lascaux Caves were unbelievable, as were the cliff dwellings and Natural History museum in Les Eyzies. Sophie was inccredible, always responding in a timely fashion with our questions and concerns. My bike seat kept sliding down, and I had to stop many times a day to raise it again. The biggest dissatisfaction was not having audible cues with our road navigation system. And it wouldn’t tell you that you were off course right away, so often we found ourselves turning around. The food was very difficult if you were a vegetarian and after riding bikes all day, we would have liked to have eaten before 8 o’clock at night. I know you don’t have control of that, but, just saying…

Some great self-guided cycling routes.

Would have appreciated more information en route regarding points of interest, not just directions.

Oddly, water was not provided at dinner except at an additional cost - unusual for an active cycling trip when hydration is important.

Also no coffee or tea expect at prescribed times, unavailable if one arrived back to barge later than the prescribed time.

No wifi except at an additional cost.

The most memorable part of the trip was the beautiful scenery of Portugal and seeing it from a variety of vistas. Also, we had a terrific group of people that was led by Joao and Telmo. Both guides provided excellent service, moving bags, as well as replenishing water and snacks. Joao was very informative about Portugal and as well helped us selecting menu items etc. Telmo has an infectious personality who kept a close eye on the group when guiding, was highly communicative during the rides and cheered us on. The guides did an excellent job of providing great stops, surprises (fada), and additional tours (distillery, wine tasting etc.) It truly gave us a glimpse into the culture of this beautiful country.

In terms of suggestions, I would upgrade sections of this trip from moderate to difficult. We encountered deep sand, rough, rocky terrain and a deep drop off a mountain that led to some dicey moments and a few spills. As well, I would suggest prior to getting into busy traffic, there is a clear safety plan in place that is communicated to the group. Not that there was a lot of traffic, but there was enough traffic and we did have one biker go into a ditch. The accommodations ranged from excellent to one that was not great (In the village) as our room smelled of mold. I understand with people joining at the last minute, accommodations may have had to change but maybe a more consistent range would be better. Overall, the trip was amazing and I would highly recommend it. I believe the few suggestions are very doable and would help with the comfort and safety of others. Thanks so much Telmo and Joao, hope we ride together again!

Well most memorable was the people who rode into the canal. Fortunately they were ok. And there was the man who hit the tunnel wall and took out another cyclist. It was rumored he was drinking vodka in his water bottle. Besides these incidents the best part was the daily riding through idyllic towns and pastoral areas where birds had their young, fields of flowers abound and people were so friendly.

We had a great small group with our guides Telmo and Jian. Jian was very knowledgeable and Telmo took excellent care of us all. He is an exceptional guide. We had a wonderful time and really challenged ourselves. We had some great stops enroute and really enjoyed these side trips and surprises. Very well planned.
I would upgrade the difficulty of parts of this trip as Moderate to Difficult. We had one extremely long day with some very challenging climbs and descents on rough terrain with a sheer drop on one side. The soft sand and deep ruts in some areas could be difficult to manoeuvre as well.
Our accommodations ranged from excellent to unsatisfactory. Four beautiful, and three not so nice. An alternative choice would have been nice for the three substandard ones.
One suggestion would be to have an easy first day to get used to the bikes and the terrain. Maybe it was but it took a couple of rides for me to feel confident on the EBike.
All in all I would highly recommend this trip. The scenery is spectacular!

We most enjoyed the culture of the Croatian North Dalmatia islands and the comradery of the other bikers on the boat with us. We made some lasting friendships on this tour. The Andela Lora is a very comfortable, well appointed vessel and well worth the premium price. Being early in the season, the boat was only about 50% full which added to the comfort. Given the varied terrain and elevations, electric bikes were definitely a plus. Our group had both trekkers and mountain bikers, so the respective stories following our rides were quite enjoyable.

The onboard chef was very talented and the food varied and well prepared. Luka, our waiter, was a joy. The crew and guides were very customer focused and experts at what they do. The guides could have provided a deeper historical perspective prior to and during each ride, but that is my only criticism. They took good care of us. Professional city tours were arranged on multiple occasions (Krk, Zadar, and Rab) and well done.

Be aware of over and above charges including Croatian tourist tax, crew/guide tips, water (fixed per passenger), and bar (coffee, alcohol, soft drinks) that are cash only and can creep up on you with a not so pleasant surprise at the end.

the bike rides were great. The service was good and the staff was wonderful. We can't wait to return next year.

The wonderful Douro River views and vineyards as seen up close via bicycling.

The biking itself and the dinners and stay at L’ostal de Pombonne
We were glad we took an e yea day in Bergerac.
We would have liked to receive the detailed booklet with information about sites to see on the route much earlier than our arrival in Bordeaux! We would have planned differently
For others: be aware you have to reserve a spot at each Lascaux cave. We didn’t know this, and unfortunately we’re not able to go to any of them.

The scenery was very picturesque. It was amazing to witness the incredible bike infrastructure and culture, which made for some relaxing rides.
Kinderjik was a highlight. Ghent was beautiful. It would have been nice to spend a little more time there. If possible, plan to spend extra time in Bruges and Amsterdam. Both cities have a ton to offer. The service onboard the ship was excellent, as was the food. Chef Mikkah did an amazing job!

Unfortunately, the conduct of our bike tour leaders, Tom and to a lesser extent Laura, was disappointing. Communication was poor. Tom seemed bored, and uninterested in the wellbeing of the guests. Laura guided a group of two, and had very little interaction with the rest of us. When they took us on a guided tour of Antwerp, neither guide could give us much information. In future, it might be useful to hire a professional guide for the walking tour.

It would be helpful in there was a fully stocked first aid kit on board. One passenger had a crash into some stinging nettles, and no one seemed to know how to help him.

The 3 day tour was a great introduction to bicycle touring. Day 3 was the most memorable day as most of the path was next to the river riding into Passau. Next time I would consider an E bike to make sure I had enough energy for sightseeing at the end of the day.
Hotel stays were comfortable and the breakfasts were tasty.

1. The excellent, cheerful leadership by Helmut
2. The meals
3. The many fine trails, especially around Avignon. Wonderful biking.

The memorable part of the trip were the WWI sites including the beaches, American cemetery, and the German fortifications. If you plan to go to Point du Hoc to see the cliffs the army rangers climbed, note the navigation tool does not include this add on. We traveled on some scenic roads to get there and then heading to Omaha Beach found a bike path along the cliffs that took us right to Omaha Beach. This was actually backwards because we did not want to be at the beach at high tide. So if you are traveling the route the suggested way you will find the path to Point du Hoc at the end of Omaha Beach. We stayed in Bayeux and loved the town with its great restaurants. The navigation tool was a bit of a hassle because had to keep going out and coming back into the ap to see whether or not we were still on the route. Even so it was a great trip. Oh and highly recommend the e-bikes because where most of the ride was fairly level, we encountered some pretty long hills several times.

The general organization of the trip, and the great staff aboard!
Disappointed with the scenery along the routes - often quite monotonous

The most memorable part of the trip is the views from the top of the hills of the Adriatic Coast of Croatia. The e-bikes help a lot in reaching these summits, from which you get to swish along on switchbacks as fast as you care to go, into the destination harbor towns.

The views from the bike ride over the hills and the color of the water
I was expecting more seafood on the boat menu and less heavy meals

Excellent, tasty dinners! Chef (Meeka?) prepared delicious, well-displayed meals

Barge staff were excellent--great chef and friendly hostess. Dinners were great but breakfast and lunch were very repetitive. The staff needs better training in safety. We had 20 guests in our group with 2 bike guides. We were divided into 2 groups and rode with our group each day. Our guide was not friendly. Other than that, the bikes were new 7-speed bikes which were adequate for the mostly flat rides. The scenery was beautiful and the museums and city stops were interesting. I didn't enjoy having to ride with the group at a pace set by the bike guide and the slowest riders, and I don't trust Ride with GPS enough to ride on my own.

The crew was fabulous! The tour was good. I thought we were going to stop at a cheese factory snd that did not happen. Most of our group was not thrilled with the bikes-tippy with handle bars that were raised up. The boat was great and meals delicious!

The farm house was a beautiful environment, the small group made for cozy chats in the evenings. We enjoyed the daily rides through small villages. A special treat was a day to kayak on the lake. The staff were all friendly and wonderful.

Great trip. The captain, guide, chef, and crew were wonderful. They made me feel very welcome and safe. While meals could be served earlier (breakfast at 8 and then heading out to ride at 9) and (dinner at 6:30 which lasted until about 8) the meals were very tasty. One thing I wish were different, we had our destination "tour" after dinner when everything was closed and often walking around in the dark. We didn't therefore get to really experience the lovely towns we were docked in because we left at 9 each morning and had little time to explore. It would be great to have a timeline and not just the riding itinerary because we could have gone faster through the open fields and farmland if we knew the plan for the day and seeing the towns, cities, villages. Our guide was very fun and made the days throughly enjoyable.

Riding our bikes through the countryside and small towns. The staff and food on the Fluvius was spectacular. Renting e-bikes was definitely a plus

We cycled through some lovely countryside and saw some very lovely towns. Assisi was wonderful, but understandably busy given its historical importance. We had some very memorable events booked.

This is a beautiful region and accessing it from the river trails is wonderful . The boat was very comfortable and the wonderful staff met our every need with a smile . We had rainy days , and closures due to local holidays which impacted our visits to small town restaurants and shops . I would avoid national holiday weeks in future .
My suggestions to improve this already wonderful trip :
- have bike storage racks that allow a little more deck space for sitting out .
-eliminate the hot tub , it’s only used by a few and takes up too much deck space .
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Trip was a good value but communication was not very good . The chef and the food and waitstaff were very good . There was a huge engine issue and we lost a day of biking . This was out of your control but the communication about what was going on was really poor .
Meike the chef should be the standard , she was terrific .

Biking by river Po, the visits to the distillery and cheese factory