Tour Reviews

Best we could have hoped for!

“We were extremely happy with the services provided by Seamus and Nora. As visitors to this beautiful country, we were made comfotable and never felt silly asking questions or for guidance. We would highly recommend this bike company to any other travellers. They are knowledgeable and went out of their way to make use feel comfortable and safe on our journey. The accomodations chosen were also top notch.”

Highlights of Donegal Bike Tour – Amazing!

“Excellent tour. Great accommodations and the sites were well prepared for cyclists. Safe storage for bikes and the breakfasts were a good start to our cycling days. The routes were unique and fun. Minimal vehicle traffic, roads were safe and interesting and it was always fun dodging an occasional sheep along the way. Also, on our last morning, Nora and Seamus notified us that the weather could be challenging with high winds and rain. We choose to accept their offer to transfer us by vehicle to our last accommodation. This was greatly appreciated. I will definitely recommend “Ireland by Bike” tours to our friends. It was the highlight of my Ireland trip.”

Excellent routes, bikes and lodging! Just what we needed!

“We had a wonderful trip. The first day was very wet, so pack rain gear just in case. We were warm enough and enjoyed it all nonetheless. The routes were great bike-able roads with little traffic. The accommodations were friendly B & B’s with locals who know the area well. The bikes worked great! I recommend the e-bike on this trip if you have any dislike of steep hills. The hills are all short, but some are quite steep. I regularly ride 20 miles on hilly roads and used the e-bike and was glad. The information packet helped us find sites of interest along the way, at our own pace. Each day was a unique experience, with something new and different to discover.”

“Amazing and well planned! Very detailed instructions for high quality equipment and easy to follow directions. The routes were stunning!”

Worth every penny!

“This was such an amazing bike tour, a really great way to see the coast and smaller towns of Ireland. Seamus and Nora were so kind and helpful and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. I also really recommend doing the E-bike option as there were a lot of steep hills along the way. It was a great value and we even said how we wish they could plan another trip in another country for us sometime!”

Great fun.

“My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our Donegal coastal Treasures ride with Ireland by Bike. The route designed by Seamus and Nora was first class, quiet roads with stunning scenery and the e-bikes and equipment they provided were perfect for the job. This was a fantastic experience as everything worked perfectly. The accommodation was wonderful and the baggage transfers flawless. We highly recommend this cycle tour as a relaxed, enjoyable way to explore a beautiful part of the world.”

“Ireland by Bike tours are awesome! I recently completed the Causeway Coast tour (my second time on this tour) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The scenery was stunningly beautiful, the b&b’s were nice, and the local pubs were charming. This tour was my fourth with Ireland by Bike. I really appreciate the quiet roads on the routes they chose, the accurate route guidance on the garmins they provide, and the transfer of luggage from b&b to b&b. Terrific value for the cost of the tour. I can’t recommend these tours highly enough!”

Note: Below Review is of 3 combined Ireland by Bike Tours, Sligo Single Centre Tour, Highlights of Donegal Bike Tour and Causeway Coast Bike Tour.

21 Day custom tour from Sligo to Cushendall. “Amy and I contacted Ireland by Bike to create a 21 day custom bike tour combining several of their tours of the Wild Atlantic Way, Donegal and the Causeway/Antrim coastal route. Seamus and Nora were a pleasure to work with and were excellent communicators. They were more than willing to create an itinerary and route that met all of our expectations and more.
We had originally planned to ride the tour in May of 2023, and had paid for and booked the trip and flights. Unfortunately, we had to cancel due to a bike crash injury Amy had prior to the trip that needed time for rehab. No problem! Seamus and Nora cheerfully returned our funds and said to contact them when we were ready to ride again.
We booked for September and again, Seamus and Nora had our logistics and tour route ready to go. We had a four day layover enroute to Dublin in Reykjavik, Iceland to get synced up with the time zone change ( 8 hours forward!) and jet lag relief. We strongly recommend this option as we were ready to ride when we arrived in Ireland.
We met Seamus in Sligo to get our tour briefing and e-bikes. We had a nice visit with him and went over our itinerary, GPS and bicycle operating details. He was very informative and helpful, providing us with all we needed to start our tour.
All of the routes and side trips were just what we hoped for. Amazing scenery, abundant historical sites to visit and, most importantly, back roads with minimal vehicle traffic. I can honestly say that we encountered more sheep and farm tractors than other motor vehicles. While we had to ride some busy highways, they were of short duration and usually had a bike path or lane for us to ride on.
The lodging they arranged for us was exceptional! We enjoyed our stay and meals at all of them, and the hosts were very friendly and helpful. Their local knowledge of places to hike and visit and evening meal options were invaluable. Our luggage was always waiting for us at our evening destination.
Our rental bikes, GPS and guide books provided by Ireland by Bike were accurate, dependable and easy to use. That’s not to say we didn’t manage to occasionally “create” our own routes, but that was operator error, and we
never got lost.
We had the pleasure of meeting Nora in Carrick at the company building while riding to Glencolmcille. Seamus met with us again in Letterkenney to provide a GPS and guide books for the back half of our tour ending at Cushendall.
It’s hard to say which part of the tour was our favorite, as every leg had it’s own unique, exceptional character and scenery. The hiking days we had scheduled at Slieve League and Glen’s Head are memorable and were a nice break from being in the saddle.
The side trips and ferry rides to Arranmore and Rathlin Islands were spectacular, as was the riding and scenery.
We would not hesitate to recommend Ireland By Bike for those wishing to book a bike tour. Ours was truly a trip of a lifetime, and everyone who has
viewed our photos agrees!”

“Everything about this tour was simply FANTASTIC. The views were jaw dropping. The E-Bikes were excellent (do get an E-Bike, its hilly and they are so much fun to ride). The routes were off the beaten track and so easy to follow with the GPS system and written instructions provided by our really wonderful Tour Hosts. The B&Bs were delightful with really terrific hosts, easy access to towns, always very clean and included the infamous HUGE Irish breakfasts each morning which will get you all the way to supper. We did every “extra” along the route and I’d encourage you to do the same, its always worth seeing another gorgeous spot. We took our time and stopped at historical sites, phenomenal beaches for picnics and crafts people along the route…there’s no need to rush because the mileage each day is so reasonable. I travelled with my husband and our three nieces on the 7 night Donegal Coastal Treasures Tour and all agreed it was the trip of a lifetime.”

Family – Posted on Tripadvisor

Causeway Coast tour

“Seamus and Nora were a pleasure to work with. Our tour was all that we could have hoped for. The scenery was magnificent. The route allowed us to visit many places of interest. The Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle were among our favorites. We enjoyed the variety of accommodations, including breakfasts. The hosts were all friendly and helpful.”

“This was an incredible adventure and one I happily recommend. My daughter and I were so impressed with everything about the experience. The accommodations were comfortable and having the baggage portaged by Seamus each day made it easy. Our BAndB hosts were lovely at each stop. The GPS on the bikes took us off the beaten path and allowing us to enjoy an “in the weeds” Irish experience. The people and sights along the way provided us with such an authentic Irish feel. At almost 70 I was just a bit nervous about the rigor of the rides but I had absolutely no problems. I would do it all over again. Ireland May be the only vacation destination I was “homesick” for when I returned to the states.”

Posted on Tripadvisor

“We cycled six days on the Donegal Coastal Treasures Bike Tour, the lansdcapes were really nice. Sometimes we could not resist to stop every 100 meters to take pictures… We felt that Donegal County was as nice other more touristic places in Ireland, but a lot less crowded. Seamus and Nora provided everything needed to follow easily the tour, and a lot of interesting informations about the places to see along the way. They also helped us to arrange our arrival in Donegal when we missed our flight to Dublin and had to take the next one! All the accomodations and B&B were nice and comfortable, with lovely hosts.”

Posted on Tripadvisor

Donegal Coastal Treasures

“Amazing tour! Nóra and Seamus are so kind and helpful and the routs they chose for our Donegal Coastal Treasures Tour were beautiful. We had a wonderful time and will choose Ireland By Bike again.”

Wonderful trip

“This was a perfect bike ride. The scenery was beautiful and we had perfect weather which was extremely lucky. The accommodations were comfortable and hosts were very nice. Nora and Seamus were always helpful and gave good recommendations! The bikes worked well and I would highly recommend this trip for anyone who enjoys biking.”

“Just finished the 10 day Backroads and Beyond bike/hike tour with Ireland by Bike. Let me highly recommend Seamus and Nora who organized a wonderful trip – spectacular scenery, quiet roads, good bikes, welcoming bnbs, lovely hikes, and friendly people all over Donegal. The weather was kind to us, and a reasonable level of fitness required for biking and hiking. Thanks Ireland by Bike”

“Wow. Seamus and co have it put together. We took a slightly altered tour (changed a bit from their standard tour) starting in Derry and ending in Ballycastle. All of the inns we stayed in were wonderful, welcoming, and ready for all aspects of our luggage and then our bikes. The GPS navigation system, in combination with their printed material, and occasionally Google maps, insured that we knew where we were at all times. The bikes and all of the gear felt new and in perfect working order. The routes that were chosen were wonderfully varied – mountain passes, pastureland, bike paths near cities, etc. There was very little time needed to be spent on busy roads and we never felt endangered in any way. And Seamus is a really nice guy that is super organized and communicative. We simply LOVED every aspect of our trip. I couldn’t recommend Ireland by Bike enough.”

“We just completed an absolutely wonderful tour along the Northern Ireland Coast. I’d never even been to Ireland, so these folks answered all my questions and really tailored this excursion to my needs. I was really impressed by how well planned yet flexible my experience was. Absolutely recommended, you will completely enjoy it!”

“I had the adventure of a lifetime going solo with an E-bike. Did the Treasures of Coast and History Tour. The itinerary was excellently planned. The B&Bs were cozy. Nora and Seamus are the coolest. Highly recommend!”

“We were pleased beyond words with the two tours (Yeats Country & Lakelands and The Causeway Coast) we took in August, 2019 with Ireland by Bike. The owners have planned extraordinarily beautiful routes through Northwest and Northern Ireland, chosen charming B&B’s, supplied near flawless cue sheets/maps paired with a GPS unit, and provided exceptional in-person and phone-call service. The scenery on The Causeway Coast tour was absolutely stunning with dramatic cliffs meeting the sea, lush farmland with roller coaster hills, and deep green glens. Seamus and Nora, your cycling tours top our list of favorites!”

“Thanks again for the flawless organization and support during our recent trips (August 2019). We had a fabulous time and have recommended Ireland by Bike to all of our friends here in Switzerland. Don’t be surprised if you soon see a deluge of Swiss adventure seekers. We very much appreciated the personal attention from you and the friendly welcomes we received from everyone along the route… it seems you two are on a first name basis with everyone we met!”

“We just completed a marvellous 12 day tour of County Donegal that included fantastic hikes and memorable biking on mostly quiet routes along the Wild Atlantic Way. With Seamus and Nora booking our B and B’s and transporting our bags, we were free to travel and explore to our hearts content. We enjoyed perfect biking weather, warm Irish hospitality, comfortable bikes and beds, wonderful Irish breakfasts, and a Guinness or two. We toured castles, mills, weaving studios, beaches, and graveyards, learning the history of this beautiful land. We would highly recommend this trip to anyone who wanted to explore on bike. 2 couples travelling together had 2 E-bikes and 2 hybrids and we all did well. Have to say, I really loved the E-bike on those Donegal hills!

“Every one of our group of 4 had a ball, from the breakfasts to the Guinness in the pubs at night. The rides each day were stunning. The ride along the coast after leaving Killybegs being our favourite. Great experience. We’ll be back”

My wife and I loved our bike trip with Ireland by Bike. The routes Seamus designed are gorgeous – through open meadows, by oceans and inlets, and across mountain valleys. This is a truly stunning part of the world. What made it especially nice is that 80% of the roads had almost no traffic. We also loved the freedom of a self-guided tour. We started early some days, and after lunch on other

days – whatever we felt like. We took more or fewer side trips, based on how energetic we felt. If we found an especially relaxing spot, we stopped there for hours. No-one told us what to do, or when to do it. It was an adventure, that we could control.

It was also quite comfortable. The B&B’s were all well done, with wonderful hosts who often met us with tea and snack ready. Having our luggage transported every day by Ireland by Bike made things really easy. And the way they provided directions for the routes was simple to follow. We made it even more comfortable by using eBikes. We got lots of exercise, but those uphill climbs were so much easier, as were those last 10 km of each day’s biking. eBikes also make it easier to stop/start to take lots of photos, and as a couple in our 60’s, ebikes let us do more of the optional routes.

We’ll be coming back again, for sure. At least 10 times each day, my wife and I said to each other “this is so beautiful!” We met open and friendly people all along the way. We explored cliffs by the ocean, beaches with caves, a 4000 year old “dolmen,” lighthouses, castles, and farms. This was actually our 30-year anniversary celebration. It was perfect!

“Biking the hills and mountains of Donegal Ireland was challenging but well worth it. I must admit I think we should have taken our time a little more but the scenery was spectacular. The owners of Ireland By Bike are the the BEST. Seamus and Laura were always available and helpful. The weather can be as challenging as the ride but that is also an immersion into the culture. It does rain so bring wet weather gear. The wind can also hurt you on the climbs. The roadways and routes are well maintained and it looked like they had recently repaved most of the back roads. Some of the lanes are rather narrow but traffic is almost nonexistent and they have to watch for sheep as well as bikers.”
Posted on Tripadvisor

“Fantastic experience! Beautiful scenery, wonderful accommodations, and Nora and Seamus could not have been more helpful and responsive. We’re already planning our next trip!”