France Bike Tour Reviews
-
★★★★★ Dee Knight 2 months agoExtremely Fun, Knowledgeable Host/Lead
· · Paris Evening Bike & Boat Tour
This was an excellent start to my trip, and I suggest it as a beginning to any trip here. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, fun, and kind! Just a joy to be around and learn from. We got to see the major landmarks and hear of such rich history. The Louvre, Eiffel, Notre Dame, Seine, just packed with so much awe! 10/10 recommend! Also, I'm a bigger girl, don't really exercise much aside from swimming, and I was able to keep up with the group, just slowed a bit on the last leg because I thought we were done at the boat trip, but it is very doable for I think almost ANY level of fitness. Walked the bike up two hilled areas and was still able to keep up with the whole group at the time.
- What was the date of your tour?
- November 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 0 before this one.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac November 17, 2023
Hi Dee, thank you for your glowing review! We're thrilled to hear you had an excellent start to your trip and enjoyed the tour with our knowledgeable and kind guide. It's wonderful to know you found the experience awe-inspiring and doable for all fitness levels. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to hosting you again!
-
★★★★★ Margaret Farran 2 months agoNot Really What We Expected
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
We are seasoned bicyclists and have taken many bike tours. This tour was disappointing on a few fronts. The course of the tour had to change due to construction on the canal. This would have been fine except the guide, Harm, frequently did not seem to know where he was going. There were a couple of visits to places of interest (mining museum and a short stop at a WWI cemetery) but most times it felt like we were putting in time so as to not arrive hours before the boat arrived at its destination for the night. Our guide never led strolls around a town or provided much history. One evening when I asked if he could show us a pub to have a drink before dinner he said it was not his responsibility. We asked if we could bike on our own (as we have done on many other boat/bike tours in Europe) and were turned down. I pressed on quoting the description for the tour which read: "provide us with maps and all the information you'll need" to do a different distance. At that point Harm back tracked and said he'd provide this info. He never did. I've been biking for over 20 years on tours around the world and I have never had a guide so unhelpful and disengaged.
The food was adequate. Nice dinners but breakfast and lunch were lacking. We needed more sustenance for biking in October. Most tours provide a snack after a day of biking but we could not rely on one each day on this tour. The group bought our own snacks when we could but it was all rather odd. As if this tour had never hosted bikers before.
There was no wi-fi although the description said there would be. We at least had a data package, other people did not. What really gave us all pause was the captain's comments (1) it was too difficult to install wi-fi (I've never found that to be true on a boat) and (2) we really did not need it as we should not be on our phones during a tour. Rather presumptuous I thought. Don't advertise you have wi-fi when you don't.
We had some rain which was to be expected in October. One day it was just too wet to bike. We all stayed on the boat - no wi-fi, cabins too small to lounge in them, and while there was a large library of DVDs the captain announced the monitor did not work, therefore no video watching.
It felt like the boat was tired and the tour and crew either winding down for the season or going out of business.- What was the date of your tour?
- October 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, France
-
BikeTours.com staff reply from bozena_kusovac October 24, 2023
Hello Margaret! We're so sorry to hear about your disappointing experience. We deeply regret that it did not meet your expectations, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience you encountered. We truly value your feedback and are committed to improving our services. Your input is crucial in helping us refine our services. Your comments about the tour route, lack of historical information, and guide foremost, are duly noted. We will address these concerns diligently and work on providing a better experience in the future. Thank you very much for bringing this to our attention. We value your 20 years of biking experience and hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a more engaging and rewarding tour in the future.
-
★★★★★ Sandra Bentjerodt 2 months agoViaje perfecto
· Loire a Velo: Orleans to the Atlantic
Todo muy bien
La ruta muy bien indicada , fantástica coordinación
Hoteles de calidad con gente muy amable.
Teníamos paquete con cena y muy ricos los restaurantes- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Stephen Graham 2 months agoGreat area, careful with cars in France
· Freiburg and the Alsatian Wine Road
Fascinating area, half German half French. French side has the cutest towns, German side the safest biking. Beware biking on the French side on weekends, as locals drive to the vineyard towns for lunch or overnights, and they drive fast. Often no shoulder or bike path, drivers not always courteous, a lot of energy on avoiding catastrophe for less-experienced riders instead of enjoying the scenery. Support was good, replacing a bike with brake problems mid-trip. Navigation had one major error, sending us to a small bridge across islands in the Rhine near Strasbourg that had in fact been closed for months. A bit stressful at the end of a long day riding, but we found another way across. Minimal guidance as to where to stop for cafes, lunch, etc.; could use a more detailed list of suggestions. Some of the budget hotels are not in charming locations or walking distance from restaurants. The Grand Hotel in Strasbourg has seen better days.
-
★★★★★ Margaret 3 months agoBeautiful arrangements, somewhat difficult cycling
· Canal du Midi: Carcassonne to Sete, the South of France and the Sea
Carcassone is stunning. All of the hotels were good to excellent. The terrain is quite varied. The cycling was more difficult than I expected -- there are some serious climbs on the first two days, and most of the route is on public roads so you have to deal with cars. The tour company did their best to avoid traffic but they can't create a bike path where there is none. Fortunately, French drivers are used to bicyclists. I would recommend this trip to experienced cyclists but not to newbies.
The preparatory material was good. We were given printed maps and also an app for our phones. Both were good but the app was great because you could use it while you were on the bike, and it gave you an audible warning if you got twenty meters off the trail. The app also kept track of the percentage of the daily ride you had covered, and had a few more features. This was the first time I'd had an app and I really appreciated it.- How many tours have you completed?
- 4 counting this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Kenneth Clements 3 months agoPerfect Vacation Experience
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
Fantastic experience. Wonderful hotels. The hosts were very gracious. The bags arrived flawlessly at our next stop everyday. Late September offered perfect weather.
- What was the date of your tour?
- Late September 2023
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Ana Fuentes 3 months agoVery fun, beautiful and worth the time and money
· Loire Valley & Chambord E-Bike Tour with Food Tasting from Blois
It was a fantastic way to look at the area . We are a very active couple on honeymoon and this tour was perfect for us . The booking process was not easy as it is the shoulder of the season and it ended up being much more expensive than what they said in the beginning but it was beautiful and much longer than we originally thought
-
★★★★★ Marie Fan 3 months agoFantastic riding
· Dordogne Valley: Between the Dordogne and Lot Rivers
Dordogne was beautiful. The limestone cliffs, valley views, and rolling hills (e-bike made that much more enjoyable) were gorgeous. The small villages and countless chateaus were a treat. The weather was great as was our friendly guide who took good care of us. Our guide was not French-speaking, as we had hoped, though. The biggest disappointment was there was only 1 other guest on the tour (which was better than no other guest which is what we were told 2 weeks before the start) . The upside was flexibility and the ability to see more (loved the side visits, especially the Padirac caves) and not have dinners taking hours on end. The dinners were all 5 star affairs. The lodging was not the highest end (mostly 2-3 stars), but we didn’t sign up for that. Overall, it was a great trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5+
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Shannon McDougall 3 months agoGreat Trip
· Cycling Paradise of Provence - to and from Avignon
This was a great trip with well organized logistics and routes. We downloaded a GPX file reader and found the daily routes were easy to follow. The files need to be updated for day 4 and day 6 as routes had a couple of deadends but we managed. Overall all a great trip, not too difficult!
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Richard Rogers 3 months agoNot as I had expected
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Not expecting to ride as a group. The riding involved more road riding and realize that a leader was necessary. The riding in Southern France is not as developed as Central Europe.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ David Baker 3 months ago
First time bike-barge touring
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
This was our first time doing a bike-barge tour. We chose this tour based on positive recommendations from friends who had been on it before. Their recommendations and suggestions were spot on so when we took the tour we were well prepared. The crew of the barge were very pleasant and accommodating. If you're expecting five star cruise accommodations you'll be disappointed, but the dinners were outstanding and the cabins fulfilled our needs. There was maintenance on our original route so the captain had to take another route which meant all our rides had to be redone by the ride leader. We still had interesting and enjoyable rides. It's important to be a flexible traveler in order to truly enjoy this type of tour. We stayed in Bruge two days before the trip and we stayed two more days in Belgium after the tour and would recommend anyone taking this trip to do likewise.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- Belgium, France
-
★★★★★ David Baker 3 months ago
Great experience for first time bike tourists
· · Bruges to Paris by Bike and Boat (and reverse)
The tour met and exceeded our expectations for a first time bike tourists. The barge captain had to make a detour due to construction which required changes in the itinerary but the crew and guide took it in stride and still gave a great experience.
-
★★★★★ Julie Paoli-Stern 3 months ago
Excellent Trip!
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
First bike trip and we really enjoyed it! Routes were well laid out and lodgings were varied and of good quality. Tour company was very attentive to our needs and responded immediately when we encountered a problem along the way.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Lori Schwartz 3 months ago
Self guided
· Burgundy Wine Trails: Beaune to Macon on the “Voie Verte”
Great tour options on self guided. Made many stops in towns and did wine tasting.
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Charles Hammer 3 months agoWhat we hoped for; got more
· Provence’s History, Landscapes, and Luberon National Park
We chose this ride because the average daily ride is longer than some. Had been to other parts of Province before but this was new and special, enhanced hugely by what the guides brought to the experience. A cautionary note: there are several days of not so gradual elevations. Strong riders made the climbs on traditional bikes, but others really needed what the e bikes brought to the experience.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Eric Meer 3 months agoGreat Trip for September!!
· South of France: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Trip went very smoothly. Towns were beautiful and quaint, hotels were accommodating as advertised, ebikes were brilliant and easy to use. Would definitely recommend standard bike seats or gel seats vs. the wider ones. 4-5 days takes a toll on the sitting muscles :). Would recommend adding a 2nd night in Bezier and doing only 1 night in Carcassonne.
Also, would recommend the company update it's map of Montpellier train station. The meeting point didn't match the map, but we figured it out.
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was the first
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Joanna Havener 4 months ago
Loved every minute!
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
Our tour leader was fun, knowledgeable and very safety conscious. The route was almost all flat, only one big climb on Wednesday. The ship's crew was helpful and saw to it that my husband had potato chips in his lunch. They accommodated my wish for vegetarian meals. The small towns were charming and I loved learning about their history. Highly recommend this trip. (My husband and I are in our 70s and the ebikes were a great help to us.)
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
-
★★★★★ Annik Stahl 4 months ago
Could have been better
· · Provence by Bike and Boat
The tour leader (Helmut) was great, as was the boat crew. There were some fun times biking but the miles and miles of harsh gravel was not in the description of the trip. (This was not "country roads" -- this was ROCKS and my back ached for days afterward.) Had I know, I would not have chosen this trip as I just had surgery. I found the food to be absolutely awful. The dinners were beond strange and hey, maybe something besides HAM HAM HAM every day for lunch? I lost 4 pounds during that trip.
While I know there are some great trips to be had with this company (my dad has been on several and said this one was the worst). this was not one of them. Like I said, some fun time biking but not enough to recommend this trip.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
- Countries included in this tour?
- France
