Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 8 day

"It is difficult to say what the most memorable part of the trip was as each and every day brought wonderful new sights and experiences. Biking along fields filled with tulips and a stop at the Keukenhof Gardens would certainly rate as one of the highlights of the trip. The staff and bike guide definitely made the trip special as they went above and beyond to ensure we were satisfied. Food was great with a plentiful breakfast buffet and a different menu each night. Our lunches were made and packed each day and boy, theses sandwiches and treats sure tasted great after putting some miles in. The dining/lounge was large and spacious and made for a great place to interact with the other guests. Bedrooms/bathrooms were nor overly spacious but were very clean and the beds were comfortable.
This was our first trip of this kind and also our first trip to Europe and the Crew of the Merlijn made it a wonderful experience we will never forget. Thank you Coen, Cristina, Klara, Luliana, Lili and our tour guide Cornel. Memories to last forever.

I highly recommend this trip. We were on the Merlijn. It was a charming barge with a very friendly and helpful staff. I was amazed just how comfortable the beds were and how roomy the bathrooms were.
Our guide was very informative and had a great sense of humor. The guests, even though all so different , became friends. Leaving the barge was bittersweet. I cannot wait to go on another. The only thing I wish was a bit better, was the food. But then I consider myself a bit of a foody and so my expectations might be too high.

The biking was wonderful, the digestive walks in the evening were great and the camaraderie of the group was fantastic.

A wonderful way to experience the Netherlands. Our guide Cornell was informed and professional. Captain, mates and staff provided all the conveniences of home.

Loved it all but the range of fellow travelers was perfect, fast, fit riders for my husband and some less fit, slower riders for me to ride with.

This was our first bike and barge trip. It is a great way to travel. There is time to see the area and not have to worry about finding lodging. The crew of the Merlijn was first rate. I will sign up for another trip with them. Jantien was like your mom welcoming you on your trip home.

Our trip aboard Quo Vadis exceeded our expectations; the food and crew were great. We ended riding more than the itinerary suggested (averaging about 35 miles per day), but we lucked out and head great weather the entire trip.

The most memorable was the food on the barge, it was very high end. It just added to the rest of the great experience we had.

We have been on five trips through Tripsite and each one is better than the last. This authentic Holland trip through Central and Northern Holland was great cycling and of course the Merlijn was wonderful.

Marcos , captain and Kim, cook were at the helm of our trip with the Claire de Lune. They did an outstanding job; food excellent, conversation and safety of boat exceptional - we were taken care of very well. Paul, tour bike guide kept us all together on the back streets and roads, never lost and always got us back to the boat in time for relaxation time and dinner. He knew the area, well versed in the country's history and strong bicyclist and took good care of us. This trip is not for the faint at heart or easy bicycle afternoon riders. We road 30 miles almost every day - wind in our face and sometimes lucky with the wind at our backs. The riding was some back roads, some deltas and some cobble stone city riding along with traffic. Not rails to trails and no sag wagon. We saw beautiful country sides, the tulips were full aglow at the tulip fields and the windmill adventure was super. It was a good full week of adventure. The barge crew are to be commended for all that they did to make our week special.

It was the best trip. The food was spectacular, our guide was spectacular. I loved the whole trip.

The most memorable parts were Keukenhof gardens and fellow bikers. Disappointed that a week long "tulip tour" ended up being about 3 hours of tulip tour. Primarily focused on 1953 Delta Plan, interesting but spent too much time...days, on it. Enjoyed seeing Kinderdijk windmills. Would have been nice to see more small towns and tulip fields.

Three highlights of the trip: glorious sunshine on the palette of colour at the Keukenhof Gardens; exploring the fabulous 'secret' back alleys in the Kieuperspoort district of Middelburg; the helpful, friendly and confident nature of our Dutch hosts. Fantastic holiday!!!

The most memorable part was riding through the beautiful countryside.

The trip was fun but I don't think the description of the trip was accurate. The trip was about 85% bike riding and 15% site seeing. I would have liked more time to explore the cities we were riding through but most of the time it was too late or placed were closed. Not sure if I would do another tour like this. The riding was beautiful but I really expected more site seeing according to the trip description.

We loved the trip. Hank, Jantien, & staff were super as usual. The electric bike was a bit heavy. My(Anita) electric bike at home feels much lighter--it's smaller. Look forward to another trip on Merlijn & with Jantien & Hank. --Anita & Duncan

The staff of the Merlijn were delightful and very personable. Enjoyed them thoroughly.

Travel aboard the Merlijn is always a wonderful experience. Our guide, Felix, was excellent. This was our fourth trip and we will return for more.

I really enjoyed this trip. The barge was very spacious and the food was excellent. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxing. The biking was just right and our bike guide was wonderful. Felix was knowledgeable and very helpful to all. I will certainly recommend this trip to others and can hardly wait to do another bike and barge trip.

Some of the other people that came on the trip were not prepared to ride a bike 20-25 miles per day. They said that they had not ridden a bicycle since they were a youth. Consequently, this significantly held up the entire group. I would recommend emphasizing the importance of being in good riding condition for the bike/barge trips. Thank you.
The staff of the Merlijn absolutely made the entire trip a pure delight! We would definitely sail with them again in the future!

The entire trip for all 13 of us was superb !!! From the quality of the boat, the skipper, the chef, the cycle route, the guide, the food on board, all excellen !! A must do!! The quality of the cycles were excellent ! Which made the experience memorable! I did get a chance to compare it with other boat and bicycle tours, ours was far superior, practically new bicycles.

Best time we ever had. It was like coming back to home after the day cycling. Staff was very friendly and felt at home. Food was good. Look forward to come again in future for sure. The E-bikes were too good and very good for us who are not regular cyclist.

I loved this trip. The Merlijn was well-above my expectations. Very clean and well setup. Everything on the boat was perfect. Now if only we had had better weather. :)

Both my wife and I were very happy with the overall experience. The crew, barge, daily itinerary and especially the food were all top notch. It was more then we could reasonably expect. We would and have recommended the experience to others. We hope to return soon on another bike and barge trip.

We loved our trip so much that I just chartered another boat for 36 people in Croatia for September 2016 with another company. Better working deal than tripsite. The boat owners were rigid and probably not as congenial as they could have been. It was their boat, not our trip. I organized a group of 12 and were not demanding at all. The tour guide was over the top just amazing!!!! All in all a wonderful experience!

Yes, I have recommended this trip to several people and will continue to do so. So many people have never heard of such a trip. One of my friends has already booked on our same barge (Merlijn) for next year! The staff, the rooms, the food and scenery were absolutely wonderful.

Though not a 'delux' trip the staff and other passengers made it such a memorable trip! It might not suit everyone but we loved it!

The tour was packed with history, beauty & a real feel of how the people live there lives - thanks to Lia our guide. Food, decor & Jantien's hospitality aboard the Merlijn was second to none. The crew went out of there way to make this truly a memorable cycling vacation.

Thank you!