Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine Tour Reviews — 61 to 77 of 77
Joyce K.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
We really enjoyed the trip but the self-guided instructions could have been better. We relied on Google maps more than we should have had to; would have been quite lost without it.
We were a very small group and we all got along very well and became friends throughout the week.
wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks for you feedback Joyce! For the 2017 season, all routes, maps and descriptions have been redone which will greatly help those doing the self-guided option. So glad you made some new friends, a great perk to a bike and boat tour!
Richard A.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
My companion and I broke from the main group and visited a small vineyard and were given a complete tour including a tasting by the owner
Lisa S.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
I would rather recommend a trip to Germany or the Netherlands, but that's just my preference. The staff on the Bourdeaux was very nice.
Patsy V.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
I would recommend the trip if the operator makes improvements to the selfguided route finding; the narrative, GPS, and detail maps were inconsistent with each other and recommended routes were sometimes difficult to find. We had large area maps that allowed us to navigate and a crew member who helped but especially during the first couple days it was a bit challenging. The route narrative should include more information on sites to visit or note along the way. The bikes were heavy in comparison to other trips we have booked.
I really enjoyed the scenery and sites; it is a lovely area to visit and bike, especially during late September. Grapes were cascading from the vines, just pre-harvest. The vineyards, wine tasting,chateaux, churches, fortresses, medieval towns, history and landscapes were wonderful along the routes. Experiencing the tidal surf (the mascaret) was also quite interesting.
wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Patsy,
Thank you for your feedback! All routes, maps, descriptions and biking presentations have been completely revamped for the 2017 season and we expect those improvements to fix any issues that occurred last season.
Barb M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Lovely being in the area at this time near harvest but the routes, route preparation in the evening and historical information that might enhance the experience were severely lacking. The GPS devices were difficult to work with and virtually no help was given as to how to correctly operate them.
carla • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks for your feedback, Barb. We agree! We have totally redone our routes, descriptions, and presentations for 2017. They have been prepared by professional local guides and we do not anticipate any problems for the upcoming season.
Annette A.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
It was a fun week celebrating my birthday in the heart of Bordeaux with ten friends!
Richard M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
It was fun. I would recommend more bike trails away from the highways. The drivers were very courteous but we did not like riding on the side of highways. It felt dangerous and there was smell of exhaust.
Also, the charge for wine was at least double of what it should have been.
wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Richard, thanks for your feedback! We agree and that's why for the 2017 season, all routes, maps, and descriptions have been completely re-worked to provide a better biking experience for everyone!
Susan D.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
This trip was truly amazing. We cycled through beautiful countryside and visited spectacular vineyards. The only comment we have is that we didn't like using tokens for our drinks on board the ship. Would rather use a credit card. Also would like to have a choice of meals ie fish, meat or veggie rather than only one choice. Food was great but choice is important.
Barb M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
It was lovely being in the area at this time near harvest but the routes, route preparation in the evening and historical information that might enhance the experience were severely lacking. The GPS devices were difficult to work with and virtually no help was given as to how to correctly operate them.
Reid H.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
The staff on the boat were terrific, especially Sebastian. The breakfasts were the same every day which really got old quickly. Their new bikes had terrible shifters and were really heavy. The route descriptions led us to be lost on many days and we finally had to rely on Google maps.
The scenery was great and when we got on less well-traveled roads, the riding was great. Unfortunately we spent too much time (IMHO) on roads with a lot of traffic.
carla • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you for your feedback, Reid. We have totally redone our routes and route descriptions for the 2017 season. We guarantee them to be much easier to follow and avoid traffic as much possible.
The menus have also been redone and a new shipment of bikes came in. We anticipate the 2017 season to be the best it can be!
Gordon M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
The most memorable part of my trip was seeing the brilliant lights on the fabulous architecture of the historic buildings of Bordeaux. I was so impressed with these images against the skyline and the reflecting "mirror" pool in front of the buildings. We spent an evening walking along the boardwalk by the Garonne River and we could enjoy this breathtaking scenery.
Joanne M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
The most memorable part of my trip was being asked to push the large domino to start the "domino effect" which was a practice run for the "FAB Festival in Bordeaux". One evening, we walked by the colourful "Water Mirror", which is a famous kind of fountain in Bordeaux, and we stopped to examine one of the large dominoes which was made out of a white limestone substance. One of the organizers of the "FAB Festival" invited me to start the dominoes. I was thrilled to have such an honour. Everyone cheered. I will never forget it!
Amy M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you for your feedback! Unfortunately there were a lot of glitches to the Bordeaux's first year of bike and boat tours some of which I also encountered during my trip. However we are confident we have fixed the problems and look forward to a great 2017 season!
Elaine C
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
The scenery in the Bordeaux region was lovely, as were the people we encountered along the way. Some of the staff were extremely helpful and added to our overall enjoyment of the trip.
We thoroughly enjoyed our days of cycling, despite the many problems my husband experienced with his bicycle (locked brakes, flat tires, a pump that didn't work, loose bearings in the pedals...)
More accurate written descriptions and an updated GPS would have helped with the navigation on the our self-guided routes.
Asking for a dinner without red meat resulted in being served an omelette on more than one occasion (not a great alternative).
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable trip!
carla • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
We agree Elaine! We're happy to say the routes, descriptions and GPS tracks have totally been redone by professionals for the 2017 season.
Leonidas R.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
The guide, Scott, is a very nice person and tried extremely hard to help everyone but the maps and supplied route instructions are poor. Need a lot of work to become usable for everyone. No problem for me as I had a GPS unit with me. All of the time the routes include highways and roads. There are NO dedicated bike paths and that should be made clear on the trip description so people come in full knowledge of that issue. Such roads are likely to be unsafe for many ""first time"" riders. For that reason I would not recommend this trip to others. There are far safer bike routes in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, with just as nice and memorable scenery and Read More more ""lived in"" towns with cafes and bier gardens than this tour had to offer. After the first 20 Chateaux one gets easily bored seeing another Chateaux for the next 5 days. Generally the scenery was ok but having to dodge traffic is not fun at any time. Also spending 2 or 3 nights at Cadillac at the end is really a poor location and very little to do there. This trip is not quite ready yet.
I will be riding again next year with Tripsite but we will go back to the countries mentioned above.
L.G. Germishuys
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Really impressed by the effort and kindness of the staff on the boat.
C. Machado
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Try and offer more non-meat entrees for dinner. Too much meat. Also, try and incorporate rail trails( voies ferrees) when possible. They provide relaxed cycling without worrying about constant traffic.
Very friendly staff and good display of professionalism. Bikes were easy to ride! And, it was hard to have to drink only what the boat offered. Can we have more choice, especially in wine country like Bordeaux? Thanks for everything.
Wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks for your response Craig. The bar is restocked for the 2017 season and we think everyone will be pleased with the varied selections.
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