Bike Tour Reviews — 2011 to 2040 of 6274

Daily countryside rides were wonderful. Our guide Marianne was great.
Suggestions- staff should wait until all courses are served and tables cleaned before eating. Waiting half an hour between servings not good and takes too long. Should make enough for seconds! Missed out on visit sites due to timing. Everything was closed by the time we were done with dinner. Notwithstanding the above, was a wonderful trip.

This bucket list trip does not disappoint. One week of magic. Unpack once and you are good for the week which was a huge part of the magic. Every day was different. Cycling through villages and towns, or wineries and vineyards, or just along the river. The two 'rest days' were filled with walking around Vienna and Budapest and seeing all the sites we could. Food on board was exceptional and the service of the staff exemplary. We also liked that there was time in towns/cities to also eat local food during the day and a few days the boat was docked at dinner as well so although food was prepaid for all meals - we liked that we could also experience local cuisine. It was a mostly German speaking boat or week but we did have about 30 English speakers and the staff all spoke English so that was helpful to us. The routes were good (but we did have to crowd source a bit to not get lost). There is not really anything to do on the boat per se - but the scenery was continuously striking and you go through a variety of locks which is also interesting. We were on the Vivienne which is a newly remodeled boat (a few years back) so the rooms and common areas were decorated nicely. Overall - great trip for active people seeking ease and flow on a vacation where you could see 4 countries and not be stressed.

Excellent trip, ver well organized. The hotels for the first three days were excellent, On the Ave Maria, the crew and the guides made the trip really, really enjoyable. The food was fantastic and the accommodation great. Would highly recommend to anyone.

This was our first barge and bike trip. It exceeded hopes and expectations in all ways, organization, daily planning, leadership and communication by Elena and Alex who left no detail unattended to. They were caring, very knowledgeable and outstanding leaders, showing compassion and support for a struggling participant, while ensuring those struggles did not impact anyone else. Alberto and Elisa provided delicious, very high quality meals changing daily to meet our local geography and always with joy and enthusiasm. Riccardo's knowledge of his boat as captain and ability to immediately attend to any issues was consistently impressive. This experience has made us return home with a strong desire to book our next bike and barge trip as soon as we can.

Each day of the ride was fantastic. My only suggestion is that the beginning and end could be better organised. At the beginning we were not met at at the hotel as advised and we did not receive the promised tour of Lisbon . At the end the GPS did not take us to the finish and it was not clear where we could obtain our certificates .

Overall, the self-guided tour was excellent. The trail system was impressive, going through cities, towns and countryside mostly along the Vltava and Elbe Rivers. There were some tricky spots and we made some wrong turns, but always managed to get back on track. Make sure to get the electronic GPS maps and download and test them before you leave. It was essential to have all three sets of directions (electronic, maps and written directions). It was really special to visit all the historic towns and places in the Czech Republic, including Melnik and lunch at Strekov Castle as well as seeing all the spring flowers and crops growing everywhere. We stopped and paid our respects at the Terezin Memorial, the Nazi concentration camp, which was a sobering experience. Please note that in Hrensko, the trail to Pravicice Gate, (the natural bridge) goes through a major forest fire burn area, which really detracted from the experience. If we had known how devastated it was, we probably wouldn't have made that side trip. According to other travelers there was no forest fire damage around Edmund's Gorge, the other major attraction in the area. My advice would be to skip Hrensko and press on to Bad Schandau and take extra time to visit the Bastei Brucke between Bad Schandau and Dresden.

The food was outstanding. The cycling was very enjoyable.

I have done multiple boat/bike tours now and this trip was definitely everything I had hoped for. The experience onboard was outstanding, the bicycle routes were excellent and the optional excursions I chose were fun. The bicycles were perfect. This was my first ebike experience.

Beautiful architecture and countryside

We were very fortunate that we had beautiful weather the entire trip, except for a brief hail storm as we returned to the barge in Bratislava. The alternate days of biking and city touring was excellent in that it allowed time to recover from saddle sores, and the e-bikes were very comfortable for the long distances we biked. The crew was fabulous and accommodating to every need, and the Cruise Director (Leslie) made sure we were prepared and had everything we needed to make our biking a pleasure and free of stress.

We finished this trip in May of 2023.

We did the self guided with just my wife and I. We are in our late 60s so we used the e-bikes as there are some hilly areas. We picked the highest hotel category and also spent three nights in Prague prior to the trip.

We loved it. The spa towns were amazing as were the hotels. The breakfasts every morning were fantastic. The rides were almost entirely on very lightly traveled roads or bike paths. The countryside is amazingly beautiful and so were the towns. We felt very safe everywhere we went. We called ahead and signed up for spa treatments several times. We have done many rides and this ranked up there with the best.

Our entire experience was way beyond our expectations. The city, seaside and countryside route allowed for a great snapshot of Portugal and Spain, the service provided by the guides and the amazing lodging where 2nd to none. And we were fortunate the other 18 attendees from Brazil, Canada and the USA were fun and courteous. No matter your bike skill level you will have a more enjoyable experience if you select E-Bikes.

We had a wonderful trip from beginning to end. We decided to trust that it would all be good so we didn't research anything ahead of time so that we could be surprised. Every day was a pleasant surprise. We chose E-bikes and were very glad. We were all E-bike snobs and this trip totally changed that perspective. The routes were split between paved roads and dirt roads. The dirt roads were rugged and we loved them. The paved roads were well chosen. The side trips were well thought out and truly worth doing. We used the provided GPS device and the Ride with GPS device. We found the Ride with GPS easier to use and cross-referenced it with the GPS device for accuracy if we ever got off course.
The hotels were great. Each one was different and represented the region/village we were in. Part of the fun was seeing what would be for breakfast every morning. We were always greeted warmly and they accommodated the charging needs of the bikes. The hotels were convenient to towns to explore and sample the local cafes, mercados, etc. The one hotel that was not close to a town had an amazing restaurant, heated pool and beautiful farm to explore.
The local bike guide, Top Bike Tours, did an excellent job of planning the trip out and supporting us throughout the trip.

The interaction with your wonderful crew and guides. They made everyone and every day special.

Seeing the beautiful scenery and riding bikes through it! We loved the trip overall. Suggestions for others - there are many smokers in Croatia - if you are sensitive it will be a problem. The rooms on the boat are generally small - pack light ! Make sure to bring your own shampoo, conditioner and soap - this is not provided. If you are a light sleeper the bottom of the boat is quieter and cooler - we slept on the main deck and people were up late talking and laughing, lights shown in the the cabin from the other boats stack parked along side us, and the air conditioner was not very good at keeping the room cool at night. The water is generally smooth for the trips between the islands - hardly ever needed Dramamine. There is no holder on the bikes for a water bottle - must be carried in a pack on the back of the bike.

We loved every part of this trip, but especially our guide, Giulia. She really brought Puglia to life for us, knowing the area so well! We left feeling as though we had made a new friend. The contrast of biking the countryside and the historic towns was fantastic.
Being avid cyclists we would have like to bike a little faster or been able to bike ahead of the slower participants. Since we had only one guide we had to stay together. Adding a guide to the trip would have allowed the group to spread out a little.

Sergio was an excellent guide. The accommodations far exceeded my expectations - extremely high end/luxury hotels. We had a large and diverse group - many from Brazil, Canada and US - with no language or riding skill barriers to making our journey an absolute blast.

This was a fantastic trip! The boat was great and the crew was the best. Meal were great and nicely served - significantly past my expectation for a trip focused on biking. If you are doing this trip, here are some things I wish I had known....

- You will spend more time on the boat than you might think - pack clothes for that and excursion days as well as what you were for biking

- Speaking of clothes, it is hard to get things to dry if you wash them out by hand - there is a clothesline in the shower but bring your own clips

- You won't have much shore time on biking days or excursion days, so don't bother looking up 100 things to do in a city. Think in terms of a few hours not a whole day

- That being said, I would suggest setting something up on your own in Vienna in the evening - especially if you are into Classical Music - that is, after all, the town for it. We went to the ballet and it was wonderful. Our friends went to the Opera - you might want to take nicer clothes for either of those - they still dress up for concerts..

- Don't bother getting Florints (money) in Hungary - everyone we talked to took Euros, but do get train tickets from your tour guide if they are offered - they are hard to find and the machines are not in English and VERY hard to figure out (we finally found some young people who graciously helped us out)

- Don't count on Wifi. Period. We never managed to pull in any

- The app they use sounds really good but we found it completely useless - even our cruise director said not to use it. It doesn't help, and most of the time when we had a question on the route I couldn't pull in cell service

- Speaking of cell service....play around with what service your phone pulls up. Sometimes if I changed carriers I got a much better signal

- Try to find a group to ride with - it really helps with directions and is much more fun

- The Ebikes are VERY heavy - someone said 65lbs - I don't know if that is true, but they are very heavy and hard to manage. They might help when you are riding, but they are hard to handle - not for anyone who isn't pretty strong especially stop and go in small towns - it is a challenge.

- Every day you have to catch the boat before it leaves port. You don't have to be a professional biker, but you do have to ride along at a pretty good clip. That took us by surprise...it was no jaunt through the countryside - but I am older (60) so maybe that is a matter of perspective

- They set out salad stuff for you to take with a sandwich for lunches - I would suggest taking a small tupperware if you think you want salad on the road, but I would also suggest taking baggies just in case you don't want their prepared sandwiches (which were OK, but not real exciting). They put out cold cuts and breads/rolls and several days we made our own (helpful hint - don't put mayo on in the morning - take the packets and put them on when you eat - just to be sure it is fresh). I also made up some trail mix and took rolls (with Nutella packets) for snacks so the baggies were really helpful.  SHOW MORE 

There were many highlights.
Poppies growing in the fields, fantastic meals, especially the dinners, amongst them. Thanks to the crew for very efficient bike deployment in the mornings and end of day. Captain very skilled.
We are used to boating, so cabins quite good. However some type of screens on the portholes would make sleeping a bit more comfortable without as many mosquitoes and not having to use aircon so much - so a good investment to invent some screens.
On the biking side, keeping the group together was good, but having one day being more free to bike with map and explore on our own might be nice. However we understand the importance of not loosing anyone. Stops in shade would be better than in the sun.
Loved Georgio's sense of humour and depth of knowledge.
Overall a fantastic experience and first time at bike and barge!

The genuine customer service of the guides and boat crew to make us feel welcome and taken care of.

Our favorite day was probably our stop in Bergantino - we knew the cheese tasting would be fabulous. The stop at the Museum of the Ride was unexpectedly terrific - a real highlight.

Really nice trip -- other than the rain and lousy visibility. We loved the ship -- had a cabin above the deck. Food was very good. The crew and guides were great. They worked their tails off to make the trip fun and keep us riding each day. We had rain most days which is very unusual for this time of the year -- May. The visibility was bad as well. So views from high in the mountains down on the sparkling sea were non-existent most days. Wind warnings kept us from sailing one day. Hats off to our guides who still found rides for us that were safe and fulfilling. They also found things to do like a dinner at a local home one night. We stayed a few extra days in Dubrovnik and Split and that was well worth it.

The best part of our trip was the crew! Our captain, guide, cook and cabin staff made this trip special. From the first day we were welcomed, encouraged, and accommodated. After 600km of memorable cycling it was indicative that the entire group chose to “sail” the last 20km. into Paris with our new family. A fabulous ending to a great two weeks.

The bike tour was everything that was promised in the description. Our guide, Sonia Teh was wonderful. She was knowledgeable about the area, pleasant and professional.

This was such a special experience to visit small towns and areas we would never see otherwise. Using e bikes was a breeze and allowed us to focus on the scenery.

Stunning views and quiet lanes are uniquely beautiful during the month of May in Puglia. Prime wildflowers, fresh food and easy navigating were assets . The route is practically perfect.

Biking through the countryside with new friends - over village streets, up on dikes, through forests, etc. Our group would stop each day for coffee and apple cake with whipped cream to try out the many delicious variations of baked goods. Best found in Bronkhorst.

The lodging and breakfasts were terrific, especially in Vienna, Bratislava, Gyor and Budapest. The bikes were very good; in excellent condition with good features. We have biked all over Europe along the main rivers, including the Danube. We expected to ride along the Danube more on this trip, but realize that Eurovelo does not have bike paths close to the river, for most of the trip from Vienna to Budapest. We did the Athletic tour which was good for us, but we did have challenging weather (rain, wind, cool temperatures) on one day.

In spite of an unusually rainy week that restricted our biking, the tour guides went out of their way to provide alternative tours and experiences.

The accomodation was excellent. The Netherlands are a wonderful place to explore on a bike, it looks like a natural park in whixh a few people live. I have rarely seen such respect and care for nature and animals, it was breathtaking.
Bike lanes are also in a very good shape.