Bike Tour Reviews — 4081 to 4110 of 6267

It’s quite difficult to review this trip as there were many great experiences like the scenery after we escaped the narrow valley from Innsbruck to about Imst but there were some cons. In the beginning of the trip we felt the cycle path, even though fantastic to have, was often too close to the railway or an autobahn (and the associated noise) to make for wonderful riding.
The hotels and half board were mostly good but some noisy and the one in Imst not only noisy but also the food was definitely (for half board), poor.
Some hotels were standouts - the small excellent hotel in Mals and the food in the hotel in Meran.
The guides were not accurate with addendums with corrections and GPS (as per our previous bike trip) would have been better.

Great Bike & Barge with the QuoVadis. Food was excellent, friendly people, lots of exercise. We will do this again, maybe a seven day instead of ten :)

It would be hard to decide on the most memorable part of the trip as there were so many. The barge Quo Vadis was exceptional in every way. Clean, bright and comfortable and so obviously cared for by the owners Captain Rendert Jan and his wife Ina. They had a great chef, Franco, whose meals were so good I even ate things I normally wouldn't. Our guide Peter led us with enthusiasm and humour and we enjoyed lovely scenery and many historical sites along the route from Cologne to Bamberg. The cycling was mostly on good bike paths away from traffic and where we did have to ride for short periods on the road, the drivers were considerate. We are looking forward to our next trip, hopefully again on the Quo Vadis.

Our South Africa bicycle and safari tour was a trip of a lifetime. This tour was a unique experience. Our guide was a local who shared "her South Africa" with us. We cycled private game parks with giraffes, kudos, zebras and much, much more. We even got to pet a cheetah. We saw most of the big five on our game drive in Kruger as well as many species of birds, impala, wild dogs, wart hogs, and much more. I will never forget watching the elephants crossing the road right in front of us. We cycled by spectacular scenery, stayed in excellent accommodations and enjoyed great food. We were very glad that we brought binoculars with us.

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.

Most Memorable Part? Staff on boat, people traveling and the scenery.

Everything was memorable, the other guests, crew, routes, guide, barge and food. 14 days with a break in the middle was just right for timing.

The diversity in hotels was a nice feature. Luggage transport was always timely. The distances allowed for extra kms to visit historical points of interest.

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.

The friendly people of Kerala, the heat, the hills, our wonderful guide and driver, the beautiful colourful saris, so many wonderful memories in a glorious part of India.

This trip to Rural Kerala despite the recent problems with the massive flood exceeded our expectations in terms of scenery, things to see and do, the
varied accommodation, our outstanding guide and very competent driver and the way the whole trip was managed. Great memories for us was contact with the local people, families, children, men, women, all very welcoming despite some difficult circumstances for many of them. Great and varied cycling, and loved our visits to the national parks and Tea plantations.

We thoroughly enjoyed our barge/cycle tour from Bruges to Amsterdam. We were lucky that the weather was cool and mostly dry with light to moderate winds behind us most of the way, thankfully. We had a fun mix of travelers from Denmark, Canada, the US and Australia and our 2 guides led us on some interesting and informative tours of towns and villages along the way. We all enjoyed the quality and variety of the evening meals and were able to set off each day after a hearty breakfast with plenty of lunch and snacks in our saddle bags. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the barge, the Fluvius. The dining area was modern and had ample room for relaxing and dining and lots of guests enjoyed the top deck area after a long day riding. We were on the lower deck with 2 single beds and our own ensuite. It was large enough for two people and had ample storage for our suitcases and bike gear. A lockable safe and hair dryer were in each room. The cycle itself was very easy as the countryside, while beautiful, is very flat. Having said that, the ride was varied as we were sometimes following rivers or canals and at others riding through forest or farmland, though tiny villages or into incredible cities such as Ghent or Antwerp. I would thoroughly recommend this cycle to others. It was our second barge/cycle tour and we can't wait to plan another.

Amazing scenery and locale. The biking maps leave a lot to be desired. Some riders had a trail app and they were lifesavers for those who were left to just the paper map booklet. Very difficult to follow. Maybe more tour guides to help out.

All days, with one exception, were beautiful, pleasurable, interesting, refreshing. The one exception day, that was actually most memorable, had very strong headwinds and some driving rain. It was the one day that added a sense of reality to this fabulous biking adventure.

Our guides were amazing made sure no one was left behind. I wish there would have been transportation for us from the train station to the boat. Other than that the trip was amazing and I would highly recommend this.

You will not really see France and Belgium unless you cycle. This way you go through villages and towns and farms, see cathedrals, castles and even the grave of Van Gogh. The routes take you on forest, bike and tow paths, roads and cobblestones. Enjoy picnic lunches in church grounds, pubs, cafes and gardens. You will enjoy evening night walks after a delicious three course meal.
If you don't think you can do it, you can!

This trip was the perfect balance for experiencing Italy as well as being physically active. The most memorable part of the trip was being with a group of like-minded active and curious people!

My main disappointment was that we did not go to Chateauneuf du Pape, that was one off the considerations in picking this tour. I understand the reasoning for the change in itinerary but it should be removed from the description if it is not being included. The gearing on the bikes could be better, higher top gear, lower bottom gear, for this tour. I hope this doesn't sound too negative as we did enjoy the tour. Most memorable sites were Les Beux/Les Carrieres de Lumieres and Pont-du-Gare.

My Mom immigrated from the area of Italy we cycled through, it was as if I was viewing towns and fields she viewed and visited as a child. Based on my sampling there is not a bad glass of wine in Italy....Forget a car, use a bike and public transportation...

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 rides were the most memorable, very enjoyable and scenic. However there were a few issues. Disappointed with the bikes, for example the rubber on the pedals were so worn that my shoes constantly slipped on the exposed metal of the pedals. One of the guides switched his pedals with my bike, the guides seemed aware of the problem and it was obvious this issue had been raised before. Our toilet was leaking when we first arrived on the boat and we had quite a bit of water on the floor of the bathroom. Also the generator of the boat was switched off at night making the rooms uncomfortably hot. I don't understand why shore power wasn't utilized.

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.

What a great trip! The crew of the Elodie are a tight-knit team who made our tour quite exceptional. The route was spectacular, the food wonderful and the accommodation comfortable. The bikes were high quality and well suited to the varied conditions enroute. A highly recommended tour!

I did the Camino de Santiago Bike Tour in October of 2018 and it was an experience of a lifetime. I began my trip in Porto, Portugal and completed my journey in Santiago, Spain. My trip began with a guided tour of Porto, Portugal with Diego. Diego was extremely informative throughout my tour and he provided insight and information into the beautiful city of Porto. The next day I was met by my tour host, Sergio and he provided my bike, an explanation of the GPS system and safe passage out of Porto. The sights I enjoyed over the next several days were breathtaking. For the first 3 days of my trip I had the Atlantic Ocean over our left shoulder and it was warm, beautiful and inviting. After I left the sea coast I was greeted by vineyards, forests, small rural areas and eventually larger busy cities. Upon arriving in Santiago I ended my route at the Cathedral and was filled with emotion and tears. This trip gave me the opportunity to pray, reflect on my life and give thanks for the many blessing I have been given. Thank you Tripsite for providing an opportunity of a lifetime!

Jordan should be on everyone's biking radar. The combination of on and off road with challenging climbs and spectacular descents is as good as it gets. Our guide on this trip, Anas, could not have been better; at times cheerleader, bike mechanic, teacher and first aid provider, he was always friendly and willing to share his culture and his perspective on his wonderful country. The opportunity to spend a day and a half at Petra and the jeep tour through Wadi Rum gave us the a greater understanding of history and appreciation for the beauty of Jordan.

Only suggestion, offer a Tripsite Jersey top to wear during the bike tour to keep the group together or identification. Make sure all bike tires are fully inflated. Low tire pressure does slow you down especially against the wind.
I will miss Lenny and her Iris crew.
Wonderful memories! I truly loved the day by day itinerary. Well organized! Good job

It will be difficult to surpass our trip to South Africa. Biking on dirt roads while viewing wild life was amazing.

The portion of the ride through the cork forest was really special. Very little car traffic, a great hill, lovely scenery, and the restaurant at the top was amazing! Really a great day!

It's hard to choose a most memorable part of the trip. Aigues Mortes was a big surprise -- the history, the walls and the tower, and the special celebration -- the bull games -- taking place while we were there. The Camargue was amazing, with the waterways and the vineyards, the distinct breeds of horses and the bulls. Provence was beautiful with the olive groves and apple orchards, and of course more vineyards. It was exciting to visit the sites where Van Gogh had painted in Arles, and Hugo's commentary was superb. Singing Starry Starry night on deck under the starry night was lovely. The visit to Les Baux, with the spectacular scenery and Les Carrieres des Lumieres in the quarry were fabulous. We enjoyed visiting the Pont du Gard and singing Sur Le Pont d'Avignon as we cruised passed the bridge itself.

Now the areas for improvement: The bikes were not good enough for the Provence segment. We understood that we would be provided with 27 gear bikes, but had an infinite gearing system instead, and the lowest gear wasn't enough for the hills we encountered. Those with electric bikes were happier. Also, through some poor communication between Tripsite and the tour operator, Girolibero, a part of the trip route that our group had been particularly interested in -- a visit to Chateau Neuf du Pape -- was no longer included. Hugo did his best, with a vote (which came out even) to see whether we should go to Chateau Neuf du Pape or take the shorter route that had been promised to the others on the trip. Then he flipped a coin. We accepted the decision as appropriate, but were disappointed that we had not got what was advertised through Tripsite.

The knowledge about the country that our guide, Hein, provided at sporadic times. He was very astute to stop on a hillock for a small respite when there was no “cafe” in sight. Great information.