Vivienne

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

We had such a great time on our trip & thank Leslie for his leadership & organization to make it fantastic! We had a junior suite as we booked early & it was perfect! The food was very good, the ship very clean and all the staff were friendly & helpful.

The only 2 suggestions would be:
1 - the bike app needs to be upgraded or tweeked as people were having trouble downloading & our phones were dying to quick using the app. Also, everyone should get one for free.

2- please put water bottle holders on the bikes! I drink a lot of water & find it hard to put in blue holder & the water kept leaking (on my phone!)
Also, a nice touch would be souvenir water bottles from the boat owners :)

All in all, a super trip! Thank you

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Replace tour director “Leslie” he talked to everyone as if they’re children

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Experiencing the sights while riding a bike is magical. Forest, farms, charming small towns, stunning cities, and castles galore. Loved meeting new people. Loved being on the water and enjoying the scenery gliding by. And the food, wow!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The crew was extremely helpful and always available to help.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Fantastic active vacation with beautiful rides. Incredible delicious and healthy food. Fun activities on board and options for additional tours were good. Highly recommended.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The ride along the Danube was spectacular! Especially the last day from Krems to Pöchlarn. Some of us opted to go for city bike tours in Budapest and Vienna. I found Vienna to be especially crowded and wouldn't do that ride again. Nevertheless, our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The beautiful scenes while biking along the Danube. We would of liked to have a longer trip in order to spend more time in the cities.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The beauty of the old towns, villages and cities we rode and cruised through was breathtaking. The fact that two weeks prior to our arrival the Danube flooded most of our routes and was already cleared was inspiring. The accommodations on the Vivienne were excellent and we were very well fed! The crew were excellent and very accommodating to our needs. The bikes met our needs and beyond (they survived riding through mud and flood waters).

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

We did a bike/barge tour several years ago in the Netherlands on a small 20 guest boat so we weren’t sure what to expect on a larger ship. We loved the ship and the larger group wasn’t a problem. We had some special dietary needs which the crew handled seamlessly. Our room was pleasant and comfortable. The crew had our bikes ready to go in the morning and reloaded on the ship after we completed out ride. The rides were beautiful. We enjoying cycling through villages, natural areas and the wine region. A lovely special trip!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Great trip! Despite flooding on the Danube that did not allow us to dock at some locations, we got to all advertised locations. The bike ride through the Austrian vineyards was absolutely stunning!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Unfortunately, flooding on the Danube prevented our trip from proceeding past Vienna. Having said that our group still had a good time together. The staff was accommodating and we appreciated all their efforts during an unexpected trip. Communication regarding trip changes, transportation and day-to-day activities could have been much better. Our tour guide was lacking some finesse in these areas.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The Vivienne is a superb boat with comfortable rooms, excellent meals, amazing staff - from Captain Igor to hotel manager Margot to program director Leslie to restaurant manager Najeh to our wonderful server Nidhal and all the crew who carried bikes, took care of rooms, reception, bar and the like. Everything ran so smoothly. Party events were memorable and fun. The Danube cycling beautiful, as were the cities and towns we visited with so many historic sites. We would recommend this trip and this boat to everyone!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Rating this tour is challenging in a way due the the fact we were there during the worst weather condition's in that part of Europe in years. The Danube rising at unprecedented levels along with flooding. I'm sure you are well aware of all of this. The Vivienne crew and Leslie the tour director did an amazing job of keeping all of us on board safe and making every attempt to help us to continue to have the best possible experience we could given the horrendous conditions.
While we missed out on a lot of cycling and seeing and experiencing this part of Europe, we were very fortunate to be able to do what we could, given the conditions.
Again, Chapeau to Leslie and the crew of the Vivienne!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Loved it! We went as a couple and met wonderful people. Two things to suggest
1. Better app navigation
2. Lighter e-bikes ( other companies like VBT and backroads have lighter, safer bikes

Staff couldn’t be nicer and we had a flood emergency which was handled professionally and compassionately

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

.The trip was well managed by Lesley.He was great. The boat staff were not very helpful so that was a bit frustrating at times.Food was good. Lots of activites. Biking was fabulous.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The bikes, the ship, the crew and the food! All were fantastic! We definitely feel that our experience aboard the Vivienne was a value commensurate with the cost. The upgrade to a Superior room was worth that little extra cost as the views were beautiful. The bikes were in great repair, the e-bike controls were easy. None stop scenery as we rolled through woods, urban roads, country trails and picturesque towns. Even the weather did not disrupt our enjoyment as Captain Igor and all crew worked to keep us safe and entertained during three days of nonstop rain and 30-year record flooding on the river. We have great stories to share!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Leslie our Cruise Director was Great! We were lucky to meet a lot of new people. All the people working on the boat were wonderful and did a phenomenal job! From the Food to the cleanliness of the boat! Loved Disco night!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The whole experience was wonderful ! The boat, service , food and rides. The
Programming was so fun and the rides were incredible. Rented and ebike which I
Was happy with. I was able to enjoy it all stess free

The only recommendation I would
Have is to have mirrors on bike

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Having dinner at Fisherman’s Bastion overlooking Budapest at night was just magical. Also, our first day ride at Danube Bend was a fantasic experience with the bike road along the Danube and the little bike ferries we used (and the Schapps wasn’t bad either!). All in all, great ship, great bikes, great time!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Our favorite parts of the trip was the day in Budapest and also the last day of riding. The scenery and stops were all beautiful.
While the daily itinerary sessions with the cruise director were well done and informative the timing should be rotated between the different language groups. The other group was larger and therefore always ran longer than planned.
We found the bikes to be of good quality but you may need another crew member to service them after each ride. We pointed out that there was an issue with my wife’s bike but on the next ride the front brake was still rubbing. Also another member of our group’s chain was quite noisy. Still dealing with these bikes is a massive job and I give the crew full credit.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The route was amazing and the guides were great. The food was average at best. Folks were assigned a table for dinner. Despite that, the waiters still had to ask everyone whether they had ordered the fish or the chicken. Folks should have been able to sit with whomever they wanted to. Being stuck with someone who was a pompous ass for a week is ridiculous when the waiters can't even get who ordered what correct anyway.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The beauty of the cycling route and the relaxed yet active daily schedule

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Leslie, the cruise director made this trip the best one I’ve ever experienced!!!!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The most memorable part of our trip was the ability of the cruise director and crew to adapt to the high waters of the Danube. It was a wonderful trip; the bike rides we did were all enjoyable, even when many of them were ended by flooded back paths or required unexpected detours. The food was great!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Cycling through the Wachau area was incredible! The quaint villages were beautiful. The Danube was unfortunately in flood so we missed out on parts, but the staff did what they could to allow us to cycle and see various sites.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The entire crew was exceptional! The only complaint, and it’s a big one, was lack of communication from headquarters when unexpected flooding altered the itinerary. The boat was not able to land where planned and there should have been an email sent out to inform us that they were working on it and to stand by for more information when they knew more. We had friends on the previous cruise and they knew Saturday morning that they were not going to land in Passau. No messages were sent from headquarters to inform us that things were in flux and we had passengers on our cruise that went to an empty dock in Passau and this could have been easily avoided had headquarters been set up for group emails.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The director and crew were very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed the ride through the scenic landscape and quaint towns. The tours were very good too!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The Vivienne and its crew were all exceptional! I would not change anything. Our guide, Leslie went above and beyond.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

This is the perfect way to see the Danube for anybody who enjoys easy cycling with beautiful scenery. The MS Vivienne is a great boat, very recently refurbished with small but comfortable cabins, extremely friendly staff, and very good food. Everything was very well organized and the tour director provided plenty (sometimes too much) information regarding the next day’s ride or city visit. Take advantage of tours offered in Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest as the time in each (especially Vienna) is brief. The biking is mostly on paved trails with just a few places where we had to ride with traffic. We booked e-bikes, but could have easily done this with regular bikes. Our cruise was about half German speakers and half English speakers (with largest group being from US, followed by Canada, Australia, NZ, the Netherlands and the UK). The staff on board all speak English and the tour director is fluent in both German and English, so language is not an issue.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

If using the GUIBO app for route navigation, be sure to have an extra battery pack. The app uses up your phone battery.

If this review can be applied to the GUIBO app then, I'd give it (GUIBO) a poor rating. It sucks the phone battery. It does NOT guide you to (or back to) the route. It randomly talks to you (sometimes it tells you to turn, sometimes not). Fortunately, the routes are very simple, but it could certainly be improved. Providing a gpx file for my own device would be great. Even using google to navigate might be better.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The route was a great mix of countryside, nature and village. The cruise director, Leslie, provided invaluable information for route and highlights.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

I love that it was an active holiday where you are biking throughout the countries. There was a good mix of seeing the countryside and having a day in cities like Budapest and Vienna.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

I don’t have one thing that stands out above the rest. Everything from beginning to end was marvellous . As our tour was 130 ish people it was hard to meet people as we were a group of 6. Just a thought to move dinner seating around a bit?? Not everyone may like this though.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Our second bike/ barge trip booked through tripsite did not disappoint! The ship was perfect, clean and clearly updated.The crew was hospitable and helpful.Our language ( english) was not a barrier on the trip, everyone was very accommodating! The food was excellent and choices were good.Leslie the tour director was superb.

The bike route was well mapped and we downloaded the app which worked well.Sites were amazing, weather which you can’t control good most days.Loved the small ferry rides, Austrian hills, the well appointed stops along the route.E bikes were a good choice for us and easy to manage

Perfect! Don’t hesitate to book this trip!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Every day held something new along our way. Landscapes changed, cities and towns were vastly different, crops varied, castles and palaces were different. Enjoy it all.

At the time we were on the trip the boat assigned a dining table and you had to sit with the same people every meal every day. We were a single couple and were put at a table with one other couple who were thankfully a lovely couple. It would have been nice however to be able to sit with others at least for breakfast and lunch.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

We had a wonderful adventure on this trip and got to see some stunning cities along the way. Cycling was wonderful the bikes and e-bikes were in excellent condition. The boat was beautiful and staff were attentive and courteous. Briefings were informative and routes easy to follow on self guided tours. Would and have recommended to friends.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

What a wonderful trip! This was our 4th bike and boat trip and our favourite. The accommodations on the boat are excellent and the cycling route was great. The stop in Budapest was a highlight for me for sure!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Fabulous bike trip! Everyday we received a very thorough briefing including a map for our daily ride. Leslie took great care of us along with the rest of the crew! Bring a Tupperware dish to make a salad in for the lunch that you can make to take on your ride. The lunch bag will come with the bike.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Sitting on the Deck eating dinner in Budapest and watching the city lights. Bratislava was also excellent. We did not have enough time in Vienna though.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The best parts were the scenic rides on the first and last day. The ride through wine country was particularly beautiful . I also loved the day in Budapest.
People definitely need to train for the biking part. Although not difficult , time on the seat is important. I would highly recommend bringing a gel seat cover.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The scenery through which we biked. The landscape was ever-changing. It was flat which made for easy biking.
The route was beautifully labelled, which removed all stress of getting lost. It was also away from busy car routes.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

10/5 stars! The wonderful crew members , the rides, the quality of the rooms were outstanding!
I have already shared this trip with new and old connections. Thank you so very much!
We made so many wonderful new friends that we will connect with again!

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

The stars at night from the boat sun deck were spectacular. The bike path along the river had beautiful views and occasionally wonder into small towns. Docked in Budapest across from Parliament which was a special sight at night. Reccommend bike tours of Vienna and Budapest and also eat at lovely restaurants

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Aside from the beauty, we sell along bike rides, I was totally impressed with how organized the stuff was on the boat. This was his regards to the trip trip information, and the bike set up. The food was phenomenal, the cabin was excellent, and the staff went above and beyond providing outstanding service. The atmosphere was very friendly and jovial. I honestly do not have any tips for others. Already a few of my friends are going to book this trip in the spring and summer next year based on my recommendations.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Great boat, great crew. Great route. Only suggestion would be to mix dinner partners each nigh vs. sitting with the same people each meal. That way you would get to know more people.

  Vivienne Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary

Loved the scenic ride on day 1, 3 and 4
Day 2 was a good ride but not much to see much other than the farms….it was also a very hot day and no reprieve from the sun
The crew was amazing, the food delicious and plentiful, the activities on board enjoyable. Leslie is very knowledgeable and hardworking, he plans a very smooth trip! All the details of the trip are well organized
We really enjoyed our week on the Vivienne