Villages & Vineyards of Alsace

Great time of year to go as we saw the grape harvest in full flow, but be prepared for changes in the weather.  Fantastic opportunities for wine tasting, and they didn't seem to mind we could buy only 1 or 2 bottles.  Local people very helpful and welcoming. Cycling on the little roads in the vineyards with hardly any traffic and views of the Vosges and the Black Forest mountains on the other side was truly idyllic.  

We would highly rate Inntravel and the local cycle company in this area for the exceptional help they gave us when we had various problems with our bikes early on in the week and also after my daughter had a cycling accident on the last day which resulted in her being taken to hospital (fortunately it was all fine thanks to her wearing a helmet). On each occasion we rang Inntravel who immediately arranged for the cycle company to come and rescue us. Aside from the various issues mentioned we thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, beautiful villages, the friendly French people and the wines of the Alsace. 

This was a great holiday. Everything worked perfectly and the accuracy and design of the routes couldn’t be faulted. It was an idyllic week rolling through sunlit vineyards and stopping at cafes in pretty villages or picnicking by tranquil rivers. A comfortable hotel and a good meal at the end of the day and our luggage delivered - who could ask for more. Particularly loved all the details in the route notes for interesting diversions and historical information. We’re planning our next one! 

Overall we loved the Walking Lake Lucerne hiking holiday, and would not hesitate doing another similar holiday.

However, our experience with the Alsace Cycling holiday was not so good, primarily due to being provided with inappropriate bicycles. Also, Bergheim was too quiet a town, with not one restaurant open on the second day of our stay there. We would probably not recommend this holiday unless these issues were addressed.

All arrangements and communications with Inntravel were excellent, and we would be more than happy to use them again in the future.

We loved this holiday, with varied cycling on woodland tracks, pretty quiet lanes and on dedicated cycle paths through vinyards. There were plenty of route options and information was given in the notes about places to visit and detours to make.  The temperatures in early September were in the late 20s to early 30s centigrade so it was quite hot for the cycling but we were never too far from a pretty village where we could stop for a drink and explore. We also found the local Alsace people were very friendly.  This is such a pretty region and I would recommend it to anyone including a stop over in pretty Strasbourg.

An excellent weeks cycling and discovery holiday through the lovely villages and vineyards of Alsace with delicious meals and wine, especially in the restaurants in hotels La Ferme du Pape and La Cour du Bailli.

Cycling was great, villages as old and picturesque as any we have ever seen complemented by wonderful Alsace food and wine. The quality of their meat is incredible (veal, beef, lamb, chicken and liver sampled) and we are mainly fish/veg eaters in the UK !

Highlight was probably the visit to Turckheim - the Musee Memorial des Combats de la Poche de Colmar was superb and very moving, highly recommend - short audio tour for about an hour. 

We went on three Inntravel cycling holidays last year and we have now been on two this year with a further one already booked.  You must be doing something right as we have thoroughly enjoyed each one.  Our only concern is that we might run out of the easier ones soon!

Overall an excellent experience with beautiful scenary and weather (apart from cycling through one torrential downpour!). The route and guidance were very detailed and there was really no need to consult the maps which however were a useful backup. There were good options of shorter or longer more demanding routes on most days. For the more energetic, there was the time to undertake more severe climbs e.g. we did the Cinq Chateaux route above Eguisheim at the end of Day 1 and the Les Trois Epis on the last day cycle back from Kaysersburg (if you have the time, it is well worth hiring out the bikes for this final ride back to Eguisheim). Although all the overnight stays were very enjoyable, our favourite was Bergheim, partly due to the very atmospheric hotel and also the fact that the tourists don't seem to flock here (yet!). 

Dinner at Hôtel la Cour du Bailli was wonderful!!

We enjoyed discovering the Alsace region and sampling the food and hospitality. The 'notes' helped us get more from our experience and created a bit of an adventure! This has been our first holiday with Inntravel, we have been well looked after, have found everything easy going and would definitely like to cycle with you again.

We loved the scenery, we loved the villages but we would describe this holiday as a sightseeing holiday by bicycle rather than a cycling holiday. The distances were much too short and, unlike other Inntravel tours we have been on, we found it harder to find our own longer routes. Not sure why, maybe because it is a more populated area than any we have been to before. 

We had a lovely week in Alsace and the weather was perfect for cycling. The maps and detailed instructions were excellent, we found highlighting the routes beforehand really helped. The staff in all of the hotels were very helpful, and happy to let us practice our French before moving on to English!

Our highlights were the stork sanctuary, visiting in May meant there were lots of chicks; wine tasting in Eguisheim and Bergheim; and the evening meals at both hotels.

Cycling through the vineyards during the vendange, being greeted by friendly cheers, reaching yet another perfect half-timbered village in time for coffee and patisserie. Good memories.

Cycling route was very well planned, the villages that we passed through were beautiful and the scenery on the cycle paths was spectacular . We usually tried the longer route options each day and found that we still had ample time at each village without having to rush.

We went on three cycling holidays and a walking holiday. Every holiday had highlights and we had a wonderful time experiencing the countryside of France. The notes for the cycling and the walking are very detailed and accurate which is always important. Treasures of Southern Burgundy includes a great ride through vineyards to Beaune and back. Riding in the Loire is generally flat and there are interesting chateaus to see. Overall my personal favourite was the Villages and Vineyards of Alsace. This ride has some slightly more challenging riding but also more variety in the scenery and things to do. I loved the ride to Dambach and back from Bergheim. The walking holiday was also great because you get away from the main roads and yet you are still on well maintained tracks. The walk from Port Le Gagnac to Loubressac was very scenic and gave us a good workout. My tip would be to get fit before your holiday and then you will have a wonderful time. We travelled in July and were surprised that it was generally cooler than anticipated. So another tip is to be prepared for variations in temperature and some rain no matter when you go. Inntravel is well organised and this made our holiday go very smoothly.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed the following cycling holidays: The Land of Kings (Loire & Sologne), Treasures of Southern Burgundy, Villages & Vineyards of Alsace followed by our Villages of the Dordogne walking holiday.

This was our first holiday of this kind, and with Inntravel, and will not be the last. Inntravel exceeded expectations in every way from the initial booking to the accommodation and details of the suggested routes. The accommodation was perfect and all three made us feel very welcome and are perfect partners for Inntravel as they all have the customer's satisfaction as the number one priority. Let's not forget the taxi company or the bike hire company who were equally as attentive. This really was an excellent trip and I cannot praise Inntravel enough. Anyone looking for holiday a bit different from the norm should get in touch with Inntravel to see what they have to offer. We will definitely be using Inntravel again and I have already recommended them to numerous friends, family and work colleagues.

From my experience, I feel that cycling holidays are better not undertaken alone. Of course, I am rather old! However, the physical aspects of the holiday were not a problem, the mental aspects more so!