We love hearing back from clients when they return home – we get everything from quick “It was awesome!” notes to multi-page trip reports, plus lots of great pictures. Our client Paul Litsky recently posted this note on our Facebook and we had to share it. It’s an incredible testimonial to exploring the world by bike, hitting on all the things that make these trips so memorable…the people, the food, the sights, the ambiance, the uncommon access, and the interactions.
“Just got back from our tour of the Neckar and Rhine rivers. I really want to thank the folks at BikeTours.com for helping us book this tour. There’s no way we could have found it without them. They answered all our questions and even copied and emailed the last minute itinerary to us so we would get it before we left for Europe.
The 7-day tour itself was just great. Each day we biked around 40 km. We could have completed it in 3 or 4 hours. But why rush when there were castles to explore, wineries to sample, and quaint villages to visit. I’m convinced biking is the best way to see a country. Most of the places we saw were not accessible by car. And walking doesn’t leave time to explore. At night we slept on the MS Patria, a converted barge. Somehow the crew managed to put together great meals. Suppers included 2 salads, soup, a main dish, and dessert. Breakfasts were – well, very German with fresh bread, lots of cheeses, lots of meats, yogurt, fresh fruit, and vegetables. The cabins were tiny but included a private bathroom and shower. There was a roomy lounge and tables on the upper deck with wine, beer, and mixed drinks.
We’ve recently returned from a Bike Tours Direct ride from the Dolomites to Trieste run by Fun Active Tours/Italy Bike and it was wonderful! The routes were well-marked and we couldn’t have found some of them without the local knowledge of the organizers. The bike paths along the Drau and Gail Rivers in Austria were pleasant and relaxing. We biked through Italy-Austria-Slovenia and back to Italy. All the hotels except the last were excellent, and it was OK. We were on a self-guided ride and saw few Americans. We’ll use this company again.
Glad you enjoyed your trip, Jim and Joby! We place a lot of faith in the local knowledge of our operator partners and know it provides a unique perspective for our clients.
For anybody else interested in this tour, here’s a shortcut: http://www.biketoursdirect.com/Austria/dolomites-trieste