4 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 961 to 990 of 1207

We thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip but the weather was a bit average - no rain but lots of cloud and a bit cool.
The food was great as were the crew, the bikes, the other passengers and the boat. We thought Wouter (the guide) needs to "loosen up" a bit and learn more of the history etc. of the region. We also found the first couple of days on the bikes a bit boring, too much forest and not enough villages etc.
All in all very good!!

My wife and I did the 13 day Prague to Krakow self guided cycling tour the last week of August thru the first week of September 2017.
We both enjoyed it immensely. Europe Bike Tours spent a couple hours with us reviewing the trip material. The paperwork Vitek went over with us included:
A contact list and program itinerary.
A description of the day, route description, problematic turns/crossroads/tips, highlights, bike repair shops, medical care, places to eat, plus a graph showing distance and climbed meters.
Turn by turn directions for each day.
Regional maps with the trip route highlighted.
Plus a map of the town we were staying in each night.
Hotel vouchers
A GPS route was also available which we used and highly recommend.(It makes the biking more care free as you do not have to reference maps constantly, which saves a lot of time.)

We were provided with hybrid (crossover) bikes which were very comfortable and suitable for the terrain. The terrain varied immensely from paved trails to rough trails through the woods.
The bikes held up well. We had no flat tires or any other mechanical issues. The bikes had a bag on the front to hold what you needed during the day plus a cover in cased it rained. Helmets’ were also provided.
We chose the standard hotel accommodations. They were all good and some were exceptional. The hotel location was always great; right in the center of town.
The luggage transfer was great. Our luggage was at the next accommodation by 4pm or earlier each day.

We purchased the half board dinner option which we would not recommend. Although the food was good to excellent in all the locations except for two, I was led to believe that we would receive 3 main course options and this was not true. You took what you got. We do not feel there were any benefits with this option. There were plenty of restaurants available to choose from for the same cost where you could select from a full menu.
Prague and Krakow are both beautiful cities, with incredible architecture and history. Both cities have stately market squares, bridges spanning the rivers which run through them, plus numerous parks, cafes, restaurants, cathedrals, clock towers, castles, palaces, etc. We added four extra days to our trip giving us 2 extra days in both cities which allowed us time to explore them, which was totally worth it.
The cycling route takes you through beautiful towns and countryside. It follows rivers where ever possible.

Overall I highly recommend Europe Bike Tours. Vitek took very good care of us ensuring all went well.

Most Memorable Part: Getting lost!
The Bavarian Lakes region is lovely and not many travelers that I know have been there. Despite a cool rainy spell, we enjoyed our ride. When it was pouring rain for 2 days, Eurobike transferred us with our luggage and we were quite happy that they allowed this. The lakes and historic old towns were interesting and the countryside was outstanding. September may be a little late in the season to do this ride; the temperature was in the 50's and 60's and the rain was a problem.

The most memorable part of our trip was people we met, we made some fantastic new friends. The Dutch countryside was especially beautiful, just like out of a fairy tale. Lots of other great countryside and small villages as well, quaint and old European.
The rooms on the Fluvius were poorly ventilated, and the A/C was extremely noisy. The dining room, lounge, bar and upper deck were great.
One of our rides included having to take a short ferry ride. We were all asked to pay .70 cents for this. Many of us felt that was being extremely cheap, and should have been included. Really...70 cents!!!!
For each day of cycling we were only given 1-500ml bottle of water. This is not even close to daily requirements, especially given that on several days we were riding in 30 degrees C. It should have been at least 2L/person/day.
Our guide lacked enthusiasm. He told us to fill our empty water bottles in the bathrooms, he talked about bathroom breaks in the pre-ride briefing but despite being told (during the ride) that we'd need a break, he just kept going. Rarely did he stop for photos; there was some beautiful countryside that many of us would liked to have captured. For the most part, the only time he stopped was for coffee and lunch. He did not seem overly concerned about safety; when there was a car coming from behind the riders would shout "CAR" and that kept getting shouted up the line. One time I was behind the guide, so we both heard it at the same time...the guide then very flippantly said "Good for the car". Crossing major intersections was dicey; many times he would cross despite the traffic, while the group would then wait on the other side until it was CLEARLY safe to go. This seemed to frustrate him.
My bike was great, but it would have been nice to have a water bottle holder mounted on the frame, and include a cycling water bottle for it, which people could then take home. Not all bikes were the same; some had 2 hand brakes, while others had a hand brake and a foot brake, which took some getting used to for those that were assigned that type of bike. There was no option to swap.
The Fluvius crew were amazing. Very, very hard working, yet personable and great senses of humor! Shout outs to Alex, Nadia, Marianna, David & Captain Arno!!! (PS, we hope everything is okay with Nadia's mom).
Despite the negatives, we had a great time, met some amazing people, saw stunningly beautiful countryside, had lots of fun & laughter. And, we would go again!!

The bike journeys were terrific taking us through beautiful towns and scenery! The last day's trip to Melk was spectacular BUT it was recommended that we take the ferry across too early on the ride. This sadly led to a long and unnecessarily arduous climb to Melk that could have been avoided by staying on the other side of the river and crossing at Melk. That said, we very much enjoyed the trip!

We had a a great time . The only feedback I would give is that most of the passengers were German and there was very little information given in English.

The scenery was excellent. The 4th leg from Helsinger to Hillerod was a very demanding trail, off beaten paths, steep hills, and the markings and mileages in the booklet directions were not accurate. Several of the bikers we talked with had the same problem. We biked as a group of 7, with 5 of us being on our third Tripsite European bike trip. If not for this leg, the rating would have been higher.
Also, at the assignment of equipment, there was a lack of organization, no checklists as to who requested what equipment, and at the end, there was also no checking.

Most Memorable Part: The trip to kinderdijk was fantastic.

It was 38 degrees in Croatia with very little shade to be found on the biking route. Tip: Recommend an Ebike.

Most Memorable Part: The 3rd day of riding downhill.
Tip: The first two days are difficult. When you train for this trip be sure to train on hills.

Most memorable: The scenery in Venice, Lodi and Chiogga.

We enjoyed the freedom of making our own decisions with our self-guided tour. We did not necessarily follow the maps and we chose to do completely different things on two days. The area was beautiful with a lot of different environments to enjoy. The hotel had wonderful staff who refused you nothing. The food was delicious and different. We were forced to use our French since there is very little English spoken in the area. We enjoyed the immersion into the community.

Our self-guided bike trip to Drench had outstanding scenery due to well-chosen routes, lovely accommodations with excellent food, friendly people, and the best beer in the world. There were problems with the bicycles from the beginning that were met with skepticism when I called for a replacement for one of them, and the directions were sometimes terrific, and other times terrible. There was one incident with the directions where it called for a left turn, but was actually a right. If these problems could be corrected so they don't happen again, this trip would be 5 star and I would recommend it without hesitation.

The biking was wonderful with a great variety of landscapes and villages to see.

Most Memorable: Arriving in Budapest just at dark and seeing the city all lit up and riding through the Wachow valley. The visits to the cities, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, were too short and left us wanting more. This particular boat was geared more towards German speaking guests and English was a poorly translated afterthought.

Excellent friendly guide. Pristine boat. Great route. Some of the docking locations were in industrial sites. We had a good time overall in spite of a rough start when we asked to self guide and to use the bikes after 6. We needed to double check Tripsite website when we were initially told the tour was guided, but our requests were accommodated in the end. Great value.

Most memorable part: Going through the locks. Tip would be to practice cycling up hills.

The most memorable part: The views and experiences we shared together as we ride along.

Having been on several of these bike/barge tours, this was a different area culturally than trips south of Amsterdam. Interesting history of the area. Our guide was excellent and made the trip.

All our needs were addressed. Being a guest on the Merlin was a pleasure. Our guide, Felix was very informative.

Most memorable part: Biking through the small towns and rural parts of our route.

I am very glad that I did this trip: the boat, cabin, food, bike, everything was very good. But there were some challenges, which I would like to mention.
1. The tour guide (Jan, his first name) was not rude, but more like indifferent to your problems. Very often his answer was ""It's up to you. You want this, go this way, you want that, go that way."" Hr didn't try to understand your problem and to find the best solution for your situation.
2. Bike path pavement sometimes was bad and poorly marked. For people with not good vision (like myself) it was a big problem. European bikers are more aggressive speed wise and more comfortable in the crowded environment. It was a problem to have pedestrians and bikers in both directions at the same time. So, for me it was easy to complete 50-60 kilometers physically, but it was stressful psychologically to be in such crowded place.
3. Unguided tour is a challenge: you can get lost, something can happen to you, your bike, and no help is available. One person locked a bike and lost a key. I even do not know how he came back on the boat. I am writing all these problems to give future fellow travelers more real picture before making a decision to take this trip, and moreover how to prepare yourself for the trip. My mistake was that I was thinking that if I can do 40 miles on the bike, I am ready for the trip. Physical part is not enough. You should be ready physically, but also you should be able to function in the crowded city environment at low speed, be able to repair your bike, if needed, to read a map, and not to expect that all people in the world like Americans. Sorry for being so long, but I really wanted to give the most truthful picture of my experience.

Had a great time on this tour through Paris on the Clair de Lune. Marco, Thea, and Weiger were all great. A Dutch boat and crew through Paris! The daily rides were good. Anyone who has cycled around towns and flat trails could do it. Cycling into Paris city centre was a thrill. Food was very good on the boat.

Love the boat ride, also liked the bikes and bike riding as well as our tour guide.
The food was too American, it could have been more European. The scenery was
lovely and the trails terrific. Weather fantastic. Would do it again.

The most memorable part was biking immediately after Fountainbleu, through the park's woodlands.

Needed the second guide as group unwieldy for one. Unlike prior trips, guide gave little info on trip sites/locales, despite being quite personable.

Biking through the Wachau valley and the small towns was most memorable. Staff/guides could be more customer focused and less argumentative with guest/customers. First day of biking was too rushed to complete prior to boat departure ... ride did not accommodate leisurely stops. Guides did not provide enough information on daily routes to assist with historical sites, lunch/rest stops, places to visit or provide assistance on route to ensure guests made it back to the ship. This trip did not meet the standards that previous (5 trips) Tripsite trips offered in the past that we booked.

The itinerary right up to Glendalough is great, except cycling along Dublin's coastline is not much fun having to pass by many parked cars. Take time to enjoy some easy hikes in Glendalough looking out to gorgeous views. From Day 5 onwards, the route is boring -- just riding as there's not much to see and do.
GIANT-brand bikes were in excellent condition as they were supplied from the base of Irish Cycling Safaris in Dublin (Belfield Bike Shop).

Terrific!!! Good ebikes. Love the Turbo to get over hills. First time I have used and still had a great work out at end of day but help in those windy and hilly moments. Friendly service and everything went smooth. Would definitely recommend.
SUGGESTION: Sleep after a long day is critical. The mattress should be good for the rest we need. I will say that the Killin B&B was not good. Bad old mattresses. Slept terrible. And the Double room was so small it was difficult to move around in for 2 people with their bags.
Also, would recommend a clarification of the riding instructions from Aberfeldy to Pitlochry. Not real clear. Be sure to tell them DO NOT take the foot path to Pitlochry.
Overall though would heartily recommend this tour. Much thanks.

The most memorable part was cruising down the river during dinner.