De Holland

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

We had a wonderful time. The combination of biking everyday and returning to our comfy accommodations on the boat was perfect.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The last two days were the most beautiful weather-wise. Loved the scenery, farms, birds, farm animals, gardens, homes, windmills. Just beautiful. The meals on board were delicious. Met some fun people. Loved our upper level rooms!

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

Most memorable were the amazing rides through the countryside in the sunshine. Assistance from the cycling crew was amazing!

Disappointed to hear that participants who chose to remain on the boat were restricted to only certain areas.

Would have liked more snacks and drinks post cycling.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

The cycling itself.
Meeting other cyclists.
Certain staff members approach were very appreciative and attentive and others not so much.
Meals were not great. Made mostly from frozen or highly processed food. Lack of availability of free cold drinking water for cyclists was a concern.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

The first few days of bicycling around the Netherland were the best, after that it became a bit monotonous with lots of farm land.
The boat was great.
The food was ok but would benefit from more fresh vegetables and fruits and salty snacks after the day of biking.
The hospitality staff were a bit too rigid in applying rules for access to drinking water or coffee. We were refused a glass of drinking water because the kitchen was closed but there was water at the bar!!!
There should be more guides to help with issues when biking. At one point we had one guide for 60 people biking in two different routes! It was difficult navigating at times and would require more support.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Trip was great overall. De Holland was also very good, rooms, etc., were very good. Food was ok. On board staff seemed a bit rigid & could have been a bit more flexible. Tour guides were very good though there could have been at least one or two more guides for the number of people riding. Boat crew were very good. Overall, a great trip & would do it again & recommend it to others.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Biking was great, even with constant modifications to the initial itinerary. Our tour guide was vigilant and made sure everyone stayed or got back on track! We really enjoyed getting to know our guide, he certainly made our experience more enjoyable.

  De Holland Springtime Splendor in Holland
Netherlands

Loved every day of the bike rides, especially through natural areas including the tulip and hyacinth fields, the dunes, wooded areas, and of course to Keukenhof Gardens

  De Holland Springtime Splendor in Holland
Netherlands

Of course the tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths were beautiful and we picked a good time to go. We had good sunny weather, we were lucky with that. The Keukenhof gardens were well worth the stop. Our group of 8 were very impressed with the food and the staff were great.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

Great biking holiday ! This was our first but will not be our last the boat accommodations bikes and routes where exceptional!. We went in late September early Oct and you will want to bring layered clothing as it was usually cooler in morning but warmed up late morning. Overall great experience and holiday.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The most memorable part for me was meeting great people. The food and the sights were amazing also.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

This was a wonderful trip. It was our first bike and barge trip but it won’t be our last one.
Biking through the fields and countryside of Belgium and the Netherlands was beautiful. We were on a self guided tip but each evening a guide went over the next days tour and pointed out interesting places to stop and visit. Staff was lovely and meals were great.
The vest we received from Tripsite were the best. Everyone commented on them. They made us so visible. Would definitely recommend them to all who are doing these trips.
Most took electric bikes but it was very flat and always paved so very easy to bike on.
Definitely would recommend this trip.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

An excellent way to visit Belgium and Netherlands. The food was delicious. Rooms were comfortable. We will definitely be doing another bike and barge trip.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Biking through the country was unforgettable. Truly enjoyable.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Lanadscapes and history were amazing!
Bikes great.
Staff extraodinary!!!
Food too plain.
Arie was great!!!
would like to plan another trip next year!

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

The most brilliant part of the trip was the cycling of course! Flying along the wonderful cycle paths; getting lost, getting back on track again, enjoying the scenery of fields and windmills and people's beautiful gardens; finding the boat at the end of the day after an exhilarating ride and then really enjoying the sense of achievement at successfully completing a journey. I also just loved the boat (so comfy) and the crew (excellent) and the tasty plentiful food. I should add that the other passengers from all around the world were really nice and we had shared values - positive, energetic intelligent people - so I felt amongst friends. It was definitely one of the best holidays I've ever had and I shall do it again.
Top Tip. Buy padded cycling shorts!!!
And if you're not a practising cyclist hire an e-bike.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

How helpful the on board staff were. With the exception of Arie, the tour guide, I found everyone helpful and fun. The guys who managed our bikes were awesome, even wiping down our seats in the rain.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

So many wonderful memories! The boat was very comfortable, the food was delicious, and meeting folks from all over the world was so much fun! The bikes were well maintained and the crew was helpful, courteous and thoughtful. Tour guide Arie always seemed to be on the road where he was needed.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

We throughly enjoyed cycling through the villages and rural landscape.
We had a few days of strong winds which we understand is very normal for this region - this made for challenging cycling on a hybrid bike.
The bicycles were very old and needed replacing plus 2 bike bags should have been provided to hold rain gear. The GPS app wasn’t reliable and required frequent rebooting. Our cabin was infested with sewer flies - very off putting and disturbing.

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

The beautiful bike trails and paths throughout Holland and Belgium gave us the opportunity to see so many wonderful things that we wouldn't have seen by car, train or on foot. Everyone on board the ship were wonderful and our tour guide, Jan, was great! It was wonderful to meet the other guests from so many countries. Great weather, which was helpful!

  De Holland South Holland Tour
Netherlands

It was well organized. Ari was excellent as were the rest of the staff. We really enjoyed cycling in the outskirts of cities and stopping for coffee in small villages

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

  De Holland Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium

Some great self-guided cycling routes.

Would have appreciated more information en route regarding points of interest, not just directions.

Oddly, water was not provided at dinner except at an additional cost - unusual for an active cycling trip when hydration is important.

Also no coffee or tea expect at prescribed times, unavailable if one arrived back to barge later than the prescribed time.

No wifi except at an additional cost.

  De Holland Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands

The Bruge to Amsterdam trip was great! It was wonderful to see parts of the Netherlands and Belgium that you wouldn’t see just touring by train or car. Using the ride with GPS App made the self-guided trip seamless and the odd time some unexpected construction appeared on the pathway, the always pleasant tour guides managed to be there to redirect.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

Wilma was the highlight. She was our daily update for travel on bike. Loved the barge and the room. Occasionally a diesel odor came into the cabin. We were nearest the engine top deck. But loved it all.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

The program o the trips was excellent and the chief guide also.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

Loved the biking through the many forests along our routes. Loved all of the biking, but especially the forests!

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

The daily rides supported by the bike and boat guide Wilma on the de Holland , was excellent! Each city and countryside we rode through was that much better with the detail of information provided by her. Loved each day.
Be prepared for wind and a little rain in October month.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

Most memorable was the excellent guiding from Wilma who gave us so much information about the routes.

It was wonderful visiting the cities and small towns each day in addition to the countryside.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

Biking through the countryside with new friends - over village streets, up on dikes, through forests, etc. Our group would stop each day for coffee and apple cake with whipped cream to try out the many delicious variations of baked goods. Best found in Bronkhorst.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

We are so glad we choose the authentic Holland tour on the de Holland. It was a great blend of forests, wetlands, and Hanseatic cities! The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the food was excellent. I highly recommend this tour.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

The last day was my best. I stopped to make a beautiful photo and lost my group. It took over an hour of fast riding and navigation to catch them. Great experience. Amsterdam Castle and its Cafe were superb pleasure.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

Best Part: Villages

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

Most memorable part: Small villages & countryside

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

We loved everything about this trip! The boat was clean and comfortable, the crew was wonderful (especially the tour guide, Andre). We loved the cycling through this beautiful country! It was especially exciting to ride through the countryside and explore the unique towns along the way. We were so impressed with the incredible bike path system and the friendly people we encountered.

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

The "directions/highlights " paper along with the offline downloaded directions were terrific. The company's expert experienced routing took us thru scenic backways and villages that we may have missed by simply following a directional app ourselves. We enjoyed being able to ride at our own pace, stop where ever we chose, visit sites, museums, villages, or take photos on our own timeline. This also allowed us to begin the day's ride on our own schedule, enjoy a picnic lunch or lunch in a village center, and return early or later, have a coffee or beer along the way, still knowing when dinner was being served!

  De Holland Authentic Holland
Netherlands

We loved everything about this trip! The cycling experience, the cruising on beautiful rivers and canals, the opportunity to explore interesting and historic cities, the camaraderie onboard the boat, and the care and support of the crew were all wonderful!

  De Holland North Holland Tour
Netherlands

This was a wonderful trip, highly recommended to both cyclists and non-cyclists! The staff went out of their way to make sure all the guests were well looked after.

  De Holland North Holland Tour
Netherlands

The De Holland is a lovely barge with a proficient staff and nice upper level staterooms. The food was above average and the after-ride beer is a great value. The North Holland area is very rural with small towns but mostly agricultural routes. Easy navigating because The Netherlands has an extensive network of bikeways and understandable wayfinding. The history of diking, watermills and pumping is fascinating and would be good to know about as you ride through this area. Our trip was in the beginning of October and we had beautiful weather although it can be windy along some portions of the ride.

  De Holland North Holland Tour
Netherlands

The North Holland barge and bike is a fantastic experience and a great opportunity for a family to share a unique adventure together. The scenery is spectacular, the villages immaculate, the people friendly, the barge comfortable, the food good, the bikes new and the staff accommodating. To improve the experience, breakfast could be better and the lunch selections more varied. Early risers generally helped themselves to all of the pastries before others cold enjoy them. Seating could be unassigned so that more people could meet and enjoy different parts of the dining room. Otherwise they have this trip wired.

  De Holland South Holland Tour
Netherlands

This was a very positive experience. Bikers of all abilities can participate in this tour. The navigation can be a bit tricky. I would definitely recommend using the navigation app in addition to the maps & briefings. However, there was usually a friendly local or another member of the group not too far away to help get you back on the route. The barge was very nice. We had an upgraded room. Plenty of storage space. The guides were excellent. The staff on the barge couldn’t have been nicer. The food was very good. The tour itself exceeded my expectations. Holland is beautiful. The route took us through a variety of geography. Lots of quintessential Dutch experiences, windmills, cheese, delft, etc.. The de Amsterdam is a larger boat than most so you have a large group. Neither here nor there, just a note if you prefer a more intimate group.

  De Holland South Holland Tour
Netherlands

  De Holland North Holland Tour
Netherlands

A number of things stand out. First, the size of the room (which was shown as 4 single beds but ended up being a tiny room with two bunkbeds where we could not all stand in the room). Second, the fact that after active days covering 50 Kms or more there was no water provided (a bottle of water was provided at breakfast only) and no food available in the hours before dinner. Third, all meals had to be taken at the same assigned table reducing any opportunity to mingle with other guests. Fourth, on an active holiday with healthy active people, the meals did not include any colorful vegetables. The staff were mostly lovely and the rides were picturesque, but the overall experience was not positive.

  De Holland South Holland Tour
Netherlands

Boat and bike trip was our first experience. It was really amazing and well- organized one :)) we just wish to have more options for healthy food on board and choose our table at dinner time to socialize with more people than having assigned seats every night. -Thank you

  De Holland North Holland Tour
Netherlands

We have been on seven self-guided bike trips (two of them with boats) and this was truly one of the best! The accommodations on our Prague ship, the MS Florentina were nicer (larger lounges, expansive deck, etc) than the Angela Esmee to be frank, but the Angela's superb crew, the charming towns as ports of call, and along the route, and our tour leader, Margaret, more than made up for it. I highly recommend this tour!

  De Holland South Holland Tour
Netherlands

The scenery was beautiful and the barge was lovely. The most memorable part of the trip was the people - the Dutch are friendly and helpful, and the Angela Esmee crew was exceptional!

  De Holland North Holland Tour
Netherlands

I already have recommended this trip to several people. By far this trip was the best trip I have ever been on. Thank you.