Comments on: Mendoza Wine Tour “bikesandwine” Reviewed

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 07 May 2010 18:34:39 +0000

Terrible. Poorly organized. Young guys who running the business, who just want your money, and don’t much care about your safety or the condition of the bike they provide. They give you a map and release to find your own way. The vineyards are miles apart. In total, a dangerous experience, because you are biking alongside an extremely busy road. Don’t bike it. Take a bus tour.

By: kate

kate — Sun, 02 May 2010 18:36:41 +0000

The tour was a sham. I was picked up at my hotel 1.5 hours late. Bad start. The bike was old and uncomfortable to ride. The map is inaccurate. The bodegas are miles apart, and to reach each one, you need to cycle along a dangerous road, dodging fast moving cars, buses, all within inches of your legs. And, keep in mind, you will be drinking wine, while doing all of this. I returned my bike soon after getting it, because I recognized the danger. I was informed I was NOT getting a refund. I had a flaming row with the young guys running the tour. I can’t believe that this tour is in the footprint guidebook. The experience was a nightmare and the worst run business I have experienced while travelling all over South A. My advise. AVOID bikesandwine.

By: Mauricio

Mauricio — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:01:29 +0000

We took the bikesandwines Chacras de Coria tour earlier this week as the concierge at the hotel told us it was much nicer and less crowded than the Maipu one. The tour consisted of us two only.
From minute 1 we knew the whole business was far from professional, but the people at the 4 bodegas we visited (out of 5 planned) and the place, which was lovely, made for a very nice journey. Lunch at Cavas de Wienert was really great.

In chronological order:
+ no van picked us up from the hotel as we figured, but a taxi cab that was 25 minutes late;
+ we weren’t given a receipt for the 60 bucks (equivalent) that they charged us;
+ While the free drink was there, I’ve never ridden a lousier bike -even the shifter wouldn’t work- and my girl friend’s arse is still sore;
+ there was no guide as we assumed, only the little map they place at hotels;
+ Much to our disappointment, we were back at the HQ sharp on time, but the place was closed and locked. We were lucky to find a friend of the guys from bikesandwines who niglectingly took us back to the city.

By: Cesar Gonzalez

Cesar Gonzalez — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 12:22:57 +0000

Thanks for the tip Damon!

By: Damon

Damon — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:23:58 +0000

I would love to hear you all had a great time in Maipu but you guys are all going to the wrong bike and wine tours. If you go down the street a little further, we took a bus from our hostel and it dropped us off right in front of Mr Hugo’s. Just ask anyone what bus to take. This is the nicest guy, his wife and daughter help him with the bikes and he DOES give you a drink and a map and goes over the tour. I suggest that you start at the end and bike your way back and the chocolate and liquor is awesome get the samples of a few and have the tour its really cool. When you get back Mr. Hugo gives you a glass of wine and keeps it full til you can’t handle anymore, which after the tours your usually good. Tours are about 15 pesos(remember to TIP!! esp. Mr Hugo) but that gets you around 3 glasses of wine and a cool tour of the vineyard. The best part is Mr Hugo has a bus pass, you can pay him for bus fair and he’ll stop the bus and load your hammed ass on the bus with a big grin and a hug! We teamed up with a bunch of friends from the hostel two days in a row. Its all a great time, I love Mendoza, its wine and steak! Hope this helps!

By: Devin

Devin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:35:12 +0000

This tour was a terrible dissapointment. They falsley advertise that you recieve drinks, helmets, and equipped bikes. They also mention a guided map on the brochure. DonÂ´t let that fool you. We were picked up by some random guy in his own car, brought about 25 out to Maipu, some teenager went over the map and gave us directions and suggestions of which wineries to go to, and sent us off. We had to bike on super busy roads with scary Argentine drivers, as well as pay for about every winery we went to, along with lunch, and the chocolate tasting. Perhaps we were under a false impression but I would reccommend doing this with a guide to make the most of your time, or at least taking the bus (number 10, as mentioned above) out there and save a lot of money. We paid 80 pesos to get picked up and dropped off, and for the bike for day so we couldÂ´ve cut costs a lot more.

By: Frederick

Frederick — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:42:28 +0000

I was touring the area of MaipÃº and cycling was at a wonderful place, after visiting the wineries we went to a very large house with art and good music, with a large park, pool and ate a very good barbacue and wines made from other areas of Mendoza, the truth that was the best of Mendoza, is recommend, I think the name is “la quinta maipu”

By: Kevin

Kevin — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:27:29 +0000

I took this tour and it was the most disappointing event in my month stay in Argentina. So poorly organized. I only saw one vineyard on the tour (not until 3pm!) as most were closed (Saturday). And I had to pay for the wine tour in addition to the tour package. It was the biggest waste of money on my trip. However, the organized lunch was the only redeeming value. All other guests on the tour ended the day early with disappointment.

By: Ben

Ben — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:36:04 +0000

While I had a great day touring the wineries in MaipÃº, I can’t say I was as impressed with Bikesandwine’s service as the author was. When I arrived, the staff at the bikesandwine office consisted of a couple of grumpy argentine teenagers. The free drinks that are promised as part of their service never arrived; the “guided map”(?) that they tout is the same one that they hand out in their brochures in the hostel.

For future travelers, I’d recommend grabbing one of the maps that they place at hostels, catching the #10 bus out to Maipu, and renting a bike from one of the several shops within a couple of blocks of bikesandwine. You’ll get the same experience and save about 20 pesos, which you’ll need for the places that charge for tours and tasting. Either way, I still highly recommend biking to the wineries– much more fun than a tour bus.

By: Travelers Can Get Teeth Fixed for Tenth of US Price in Mendoza

Travelers Can Get Teeth Fixed for Tenth of US Price in Mendoza — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:09:25 +0000

[...] in Mendoza for wine tours and travel, blogger Aushiro had a chipped tooth fixed for $40 USD, a price that is just under a [...]