Clair d’Etoile

  Clair d’Etoile Northern Burgundy E-Bike & Boat
France

Beautiful bike rides through fields of sunflowers and ripening wheat, coffee stops in lovely little villages, wonderful meals prepared by chef Frank, great support leadership and witty information by guides: Wim and Harold, great navigation by captain Erik and staff Milton and Moh.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

The crew and guides were awesome! Frank was an incredible Chef, we looked forward to every meal. We had a couple of glitches and the guides handled each situation like a pro!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Since we only got to spend 1 day in the champagne area, that part was not memorable. The historic features we did see were WEI museums and cemeteries.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

The Clair D'Etoile is a very nice barge with a great captain and crew. The chef was amazing and the meals outstanding. This is a very easy ride, on mostly flat terrain. More advanced riders might want to look for somewhere with more challenging terrain. Beautiful woods near Paris and lots of places to visit. Really nice to come into Paris at Sunset and sail past all of the sights.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Arriving in Paris early evening along the Seine. Food was great-Frank did a fantastic job.

  Clair d’Etoile Northern Burgundy E-Bike & Boat
France

Great food, great biking (and e-bikes), and wonderful experiences

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Biking riding component.

The gluten free option was absolutely not satisfactory. When arriving it was not noted. The chef said we had to come see him. We paid 120 euros and we only received two pasta meals and bread for lunch and a cookie jar. The bread put out was 2 slices for each gf person. The rest could have as much as they wanted. The shopping should have been done before hand in Paris where there are gf bakeries not the same stuff we can buy. We got what was in the pantry.
One meal we got baked apples for dessert. How are 2 pastas, 2 slices of bread per day and a baked apple worth 120E? It is totally not appropriate to charge so much after already paying a lot for the trip. It seems like a cash grab as there were three of us. Whomever makes this decision should be ashamed of themselves. Fair $ for fair service. We should all be reimbursed!

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

No control re. weather, the rest was first rate. Perhaps the cabins leave a little to be desired but what do expect from the a boat bike experience. In this case the trip still exceeded all expectations and we have sailed with a few boat groups. I may also add that Frank, our cook was worth the price of admission alone.

  Clair d’Etoile Northern Burgundy E-Bike & Boat
France

Most memorable was the bike riding on e-bikes and the fun we had with the other people.
Suggestions: - more shelves in the rooms on the boat, more chicken and French food included in the menus, more bike routes that were not in traffic .
Also, more cold cuts available that were not pork- like the ham... more turkey and possibly humus.
Also, it would have been helpful to have mirrors on the bikes... Also, would have liked to know earlier that the route was being changed because of the water level.
Would have liked more information and history on the areas where the boat was docked. Also, it was nice to have a wine tasting - but one was enough- 2 not necessary.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Very fun tour. The entire crew and guides were amazing, friendly , fun, and very helpful!
Saw some great sights I’m sure I would not have seen otherwise.
Also met great people from all over the world.
I would recommend this trip to anyone thinking of doing it.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

The guides were very good. Some of the bikes needed to be replaced Definite bike problems

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

This was my first bike and boat tour. It was wonderful! From the daily biking through the countryside of France, the delicious, healthy meals provided on the boat, and the friendly, helpful staff and tour guides, I totally enjoyed the experience. Our last afternoon and evening was spent in Lagny-sur-Marne where the summer solstice was being celebrated - Fête de la Musique. We had our own private viewing/listening area on the sun deck and were able to wander the streets and enjoy the festivities.
Remember to take rain gear (including waterproof pants). Cycling in the rain is its own unique experience!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Travelling through the countryside of France and the champagne house tur

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

We cruised with the crew of the Zwaantjze from Epernay to Paris. The captains (Barry and Eric), the chef (Frank) and first mate, Brendo were friendly and highly competent. The cabins are tiny, but comfortable. The quality of the bikes was excellent to poor. My bike was fine, however, the bike my husband had, which was a large frame, had no rear brakes. Even though there were only 7 guests, there was not another bike available for him larger than a small. The small bike had faulty electric assist, it did not work consistently. He was not happy about that. Our guides were wonderful people, but we do not understand the decision your company made to assign three people who were not familiar with the route or the history of the area. On two previous tours we have taken with your company, the guides offered extraordinary insights about the history and architecture of all the towns we visited. That info was not offered on this tour. We suggest you prepare a short video to be shown each night describing the towns and the types of roads that will be ridden on the following day. That would greatly enhance the experience.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Not many memorable parts of the journey.

The information provided about the mileage each day was inaccurate. The rides changed and the downloaded GPS maps were useless.

The guide lost members of the riding group and we had to wait long periods of time.

I requested fish and had vegetarian meals instead

I could go on. Very unexpected experience and very disappointed

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Food on boat (ship ) as they refer to it was wonderful. Chef was full of energy and very creative

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Cycling through farmland and so many small towns and villages, stopping at a bar/cafe, this is a great way to see a place. The other cyclists were kind and friendly, the staff was attentive and lighthearted.

  Clair d’Etoile Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

This was a great trip and the guides and crew on the boat were wonderful! Karin, Eric, Frank and Brando made the trip and the food absoulutely great! Every day we had delicious meals and wonderful desserts! Despite some days of cold and rainy weather, the guides made sure we cycled through the beautiful countryside with good stops for rest and lunch. Keukenhof and the beautiful tulip fields were a highlight. The boat is so clean and well-taken care of. I would definitely recommend Zwaantje for this trip!

  Clair d’Etoile Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

This was my first bike and barge trip. Honestly, I haven't rode a bike in 25 years! Shame on me. I travel extensively, however I have never been on a trip like this previously. I would recommend this experience to anyone! Specifically, I believe Tripsite accounted for most of the pleasure. From the boat to the staff to the chef to the guides....everything was perfect and I can't wait to book my next trip with them. Tripsite took the STRESS out of planning and the caliber of accommodations were perfect. Thank you to everyone that made this memory possible!

  Clair d’Etoile Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

All the staff on the barge were excellent...especially the chef! We were well fed with lots of good food! The support staff on the barge were wonderful and graciously responded to any and all requests. The guides were the bestl but their technology left something to be desired...lots of U turns ! The bike paths and trip stops were perfect! We will have to order better weather next time!

  Clair d’Etoile Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

This tour was very good. The crew and bike leaders were wonderful. The boat was comfortable.. The food was outstanding. I would recommend this tour.

  Clair d’Etoile Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

All of it!!! Loved bicycling through the beautiful countryside with the never ending flowers, water, green fields full of fowl of all kinds, beautiful historical homes and buildings, delicious food, windmills, cheese markets and the personal friendliness of the attentive and informative crew of the Zwaantje. Honestly, these people made us feel so welcome and were so accommodating to our needs. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will return again to visit.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

The bike and barge was amazing,
The group of 21 related well and had many happy times, riding and chatting after the day.
The ride leaders did a great job, especially with the changes necessary due to the lock closures.
Great adventure, recommend this highly.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The Zwaantje, Captain Martijn, and his crew were among the highlights of this trip. We had an amazing time exploring the different cities. The routes were easy to follow and the guides were great, friendly and personable, though I would have loved more history/information during our rides. We enjoyed the variety of scenery, the option to go off on our own, and the opportunity to socialize with many other adventurous people :)

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

For me the most memorable part of the trip was meeting all the passengers and crew and enjoying their company for a week. The rides each day that were planned were great and I can't say enough about the food we had on the boat. I would do another boat/bike trip again!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

This was my first experience riding an electric bike and I was skeptical at first, but now I’m sold! I’ve done many bike tours in years past and am older now and haven’t ridden enough to be in shape for riding hills. The e-bike allowed me to greatly enjoy the tour AND have energy left over for enjoying evening activities! My favorite part of the tour was riding through the champagne area. The vistas were breathtaking and visits to the vineyards for wine tasting were such fun. I loved riding off the usual tourist paths through quaint villages filled with cottages that looked like they were from fairy tales, complete with beautiful gardens and clay tiled roofs. Stops along our daily rides to enjoy coffee in a cafe or maybe a beer or glass of wine in the late afternoons was an added treat. We often squeezed in a little shopping during these stops. The crew of the Zwaantje couldn’t have been more pleasant. The meals prepared by Chef Frank were a delight each evening!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Seeing the beautiful country side of the Champagne region of France. The three course meals each night were spectacular! Great job Chef Frank.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

The boat living area and dining room were lovely. The meals were SO GOOD and beautifully presented. The guides were great and I learned a lot. I appreciated being divided into two groups. Seeing poppies in fields as we biked along was delightful.!!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

We have been on 9 tours now - and this is definitely one of the good trips - why? the CREW!!!! Cpt Willie runs a great barge -that crew from the chef to the guides to the deck hand - all were involved in making our trip a success - and they were so much fun ....... the chef Frank definitely a big winner as well.
he ride was good - getting to see all the war memorials and WW1 battle regions - then on the champagne region .... very beautiful .... we had 2 tastings at 2 cellars - (what would have been nice is having a tasting at a champagne cellar - show casing a variety of labels and how the tastes vary .....this is the first time all were on electric bikes and they were definitely handy on the hills and handled Frances bike tracks and trails well .
The other passengers were alot of fun also and everyone got on well - but it was a good trip - good ride -good boat - good scenery - yep ready to book 2024!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

The food on board Zwaantje was the best we have had on the three trips we have now completed with tripsite. The use of e-bikes was a good decision it allowed us to experience the sometimes challenging climbs with ease.

  Clair d’Etoile Tulip Tour - 8 day
Netherlands

The crew on the Zwaantje was awesome. Captain Martin,first mate, Karin, guides Franz and Ronald, chef Frank and cabin helper, Yoke saw to our every need. Coupled with a wonderful sense of humor everything was well planned accompanied with a wealth of information about the sights and culture of the Netherlands. I was a neophyte on an e bike but with amble assistance everything went well.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Biking from Noyon - Compiègne, the Compiegne forest was very beautiful to bike through.

As we neared Paris, the biking was sometimes more difficult due to traffic on some sections of the route.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Comfortable lodging, excellent food (especially the soups- thanks Frank) knowledgeable guide and unforgettable landscapes - what more could you ask for?

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

OK. So we weren't expecting luxury at this price and on a barge trip. The rooms took a bit of getting used to but we really only slept there and mostly ears the comfortable common areas. Loved every minute of the biking and every bite of the food. Chef was amazing. The crew worked their butts off looking after us and the bike guide was everything one would want. Knowledgeable competent careful and patient. My only wish would be for a larger room and a bigger window but hey I got what I paid for and more

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

The crew, the guides and the scenery. The stops at historical places was a really nice bonus.

  Clair d’Etoile Northern Burgundy E-Bike & Boat
France

The wonderful guides who helped me, the splendid rides, the friendly stafff

  Clair d’Etoile Northern Burgundy E-Bike & Boat
France

The Zwaantje crew and guides were first rate: highly competent, upbeat and accommodating. Our guides were fun to ride with and loaded with local knowledge, and were flexible enough to improve the schedule of sailing and ride routing to better match the weather and riding group. Very well done! We will be back for more.
The bicycles were fine, and in good order. Next time we will bring strap-on water bottle cages so good hydration is closer to hand.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

It was so amazingly organized. The tour guides were exemplary, the rest of the staff absolutely wonderful and so personable, the food was totally extraordinary, the bikes were really well maintained and wonderful.

And three of my colleagues on the trip - who had been, between them, on no less than13 other bike and barge trips - all said whole-heartedly that this particular July 23rd, 2022 was the best by far that they had ever experienced. Was I ever lucky as it was my first!!

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

The daily bike rides were more than I expected through beautiful countrysides and charming villages. The staff were outstanding in their efforts to make us comfortable- loved the swim off the barge after a long days ride! . The cuisine was superb and reasonably portioned - loved daily fresh baguettes.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Barge trip out of Paris was special. Great way to begin trip and see Paris on Sunday morning. Biking through back roads and trails of France and Belgium was great.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Trip was great.
Crew treated us to a very friendly and efficient environment. Food was amazing, dinners each night had a theme from different countries. It was a highlight of each to have this kind of dinner waiting.

Bike ride started in Bruge with great trails and welcoming towns. As we moved to France a few days of rolling hills with interesting stops during the day.

Our guide had his hands full with 24 riders but he was professional, organized, well informed and was just a great person to sit and talk with.

A great trip with a great crew looking after us.

Blaine Larsen

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Zeaantje barge is very nice. Crew was great. Our guide, Andre, was the best we have ever had—very knowledgeable about the route and special sites to see/visit, adjusted our route a couple times to accommodate the rain. Frank, the cook, was really outstanding—creative meals, good variety. My only, minor, complaint is that the barge’s lounge can be very noisy when a group is in it, especially at meal time. Bikes were ok but could use some TLC; we had a lot of flats, and some brake issues, but everyone pitched in to make repairs.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

Our third Tripsite bike and barge trip, it was very well organised as we have come to expect - well done! Loved the camaraderie of the small group, and glorious country scenery. E bikes were a must! Yay!

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Every biking day was a new adventure which culminated in our finding our barge (Zwaantje) as if by magic; but in reality through the skill and navigation expertise of our fearless guide. Beautiful countryside, lovely quiet towns and the bustling town hall squares of the larger cities. Absolutely loved it. Our chef on board was a delight and the food was excellent featuring both local produce and an international flair. Very well looked after throughout.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Terrific sights made better by great group of cyclists.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Excellent trip. Two weeks wasn't even enough. Barge was great... super clean, great food. Small cabins, but really nice common areas. Staff was awesome.

  Clair d’Etoile Bruges to Paris E-Bike & Boat
Belgium, France

Each day was a new adventure. We saw some great scenery, visited some beautiful towns and cities, learned much about the history of WW1 and enjoyed the company of friends aboard the Zwaantje. It was nice not having to decide which meal to order every day. Frank, our chef, did an excellent job of choosing for us and prepared superb dinners. Two views were particularly memorable: "The approach to Chantilly Castle" and "The view of Paris from St. Germain en Laye". The cruise into Paris on the final day was the icing on the cake. What a great way to see the north of France. Oh wait, Belgium was great too. I think Bruges is now one of my favourite Cities.

  Clair d’Etoile Champagne Tour
France

The general biking was above average , with some awesome sites visited.
As far as the accommodation was concerned this was below average.
Although the space was confined more emphasis could have been done to the quality and hospitality of stay.