Bruges a Paris ou Paris a Bruges

Comentário do cliente

• Jillian M. 1 month ago

  The experience of being able to see the countryside, remote villages and sites at a slower pace with the experience and knowledge of a guide is the highlight. It is good to leave your luggage onboard the barge and know you return each evening to great food and rest.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• August D. 1 month ago

  It's a shame that the incompetence and the misogynistic attitude of one person can affect what could have been a fantastic trip, our guide on several occasions got lost and we ended up doing many more kilometres of riding including a very long and steep hill climb that we had to walk in the hot sun.
  I can not praise the Captain and crew of the Zwaantjie more highly it's a shame he has no control over the guides that are allocated to various trips.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Margie A. 7 months ago

  The Elodie bike/barge trip was fabulous in terms of scenery, routes, staff, food. However, 2 couples on the barge were not able to keep up with our very leisurely pace. I would advise your company to stress level of fitness for participants, and also to recommend 2 guides for different ability levels.

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• Angela R. 7 months ago

  The whole trip was great. Other passengers on the barge were great, weather was good, one couldn't ask for anything better. The Tripsite staff were extremely helpful and I have always found them to be most professional.

  Boat: Fleur

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• Michelle H. 7 months ago

  Most Memorable Part? The scenery & the crew from the Feniks.

  Boat: Feniks

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• Rodney W. 8 months ago

  Most Memorable Part: The friendliness of the local villagers and our fellow travellers.

  Boat: Feniks

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• Robert W. 8 months ago

  Most Memorable Part: Getting to pilot the boat for a few minutes.

  Boat: Elodie

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• Richard N. 8 months ago

  Most Memorable Part: Riding through the small villages from Bruges to Paris. Nina was a great guide also. I really enjoyed the night walks for a better inside view of village life... the Van Gogh experience was the highlight for me.

  Boat: Elodie

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• Alan S. 8 months ago

  After bicycling over 300 miles it was good to relax and see Paris from the water as we cruised to our final moorage on the Seine.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Jerry K. 8 months ago

  We met a lot of really nice people. We were surprised that our guide was largely unfamiliar with the route!

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Jeffrey D. 8 months ago

  The trip was excellent, as attested by this being our 4th one. We will definitely be booking more. The route was good, although France lacks the same quality of bicycle paths that Belgium and The Netherlands have. There was a bit of climbing and some of the women in the group were very happy to have an electric bike option for those climbs. The barge was very clean and quite nice. The staff was excellent and really made you feel as part of the family. They went over and above for most everything. The food was very good and plentiful. The highlight of the Brugge to Paris ride would have to be Chantilly and entering Paris on the barge. The sights were incredible and seeing them from the water gave a whole different experience. The guides were great and the system of having "corners" and a "sweep" meant that no-one got lost and we could still ride at different paces. I am convinced, and I tell this all the time to anyone who listens, that these bike/barge trips are the best value for your money, period. There is no better way to see a country, than by bicycle.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Delia D. 10 months ago

  The food was great and loved the coffee machine. Would like dinner at 7:00 pm rather than 6:30 pm to give us more time to relax and enjoy the day. No one ever eats in France before 7:30 pm and I felt like we were being treated as young campers. The Fleur needs new towels. The existing are rough and not vey absorbent. It was a very happy and congenial crew. Bert, Petra, Ellen and Aga. Thomas was most accommodating... Bike trails were good. We had the unusual situation where the majority ie 12 out of 20 bikers were of Olympian caliper. Their preferred speed was 30 to 35 kms an hour and the rest would have liked between 15 and 20 kms. and hour. We all coped but it meant you couldn't relax and enjoy the scenery. Two guides would have been the solution as promised.

  Boat: Fleur

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  • Jehiel 10 months ago

    Hi Delia!
    Thanks for sharing this feedback. I want to clarify that under what's included for the Fleur it mentions "Tour guide (in 2018, there will be two guides)". This will allow for two groups, different cycling speeds, and will fix this issue.
    As far as dinner is concerned, the eating time is based on the logistics of the ship (routing, cooking, cleaning) and is not meant to make you feel like a young campers.
    Despite this issues, I'm glad you had a great time!

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• Michelle H. 10 months ago

  The bike & barge trip from Paris to Brugge on the Feniks was an amazing experience. The crew was exceptional, the scenery beautiful and the price was terrific. I highly recommend this trip.

  Boat: Feniks

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• Paula Clair S. 10 months ago

  The scenery was a photograph almost each moment. Incredibly knowledgeable guide made every day a new adventure. Plus a very doable ride for all skill level.

  Boat: Feniks

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• Kurt A. 11 months ago

  The Zwaantje and crew are top notch, and present a great value. Some of the routes in northern France had a little too much traffic. Riding in Belgium and Netherlands seems nicer. Once is enough for this tour.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Jeffrey D. 11 months ago

  Most memorable part? There were so many, but Chantilly Castle and the Montmontre area of Paris that we had a tour of immediately come to mind. Make sure that you can ride a bike and can manage at least 30 miles on a route with the same level of climbing, otherwise use an e-bike to help you along. Bring 2 pairs of street shoes, as some days they might get wet. Remember that there will be an opportunity to leave a tip at the end, and it should be about 5-6% of the booked price. Drink wine and beer, talk to people, don't be shy about anything and remember to have fun.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Diane C. 1 year ago

  Wide range of scenery and experiences especially going on the barge through the tunnel and excellent guiding by Fred.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Michael & Cynthia K. 1 year ago

  The overall experience of the barge & bike tour through wonderful countryside, villages & towns was excellent. The barge skipper/owner & staff were very good & most pleasant. The meals were of a high standard & variable throughout the two weeks.
  The bikes were also very good. I had ordered an electric bike with our booking but the order did not go through. However, the ordinary hybrid bike provided did the job so I happily stayed with that.
  We were also to have a double bunk, but that request did not get through either, but that was OK.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Trent A. 1 year ago

  Most memorable part: Going through the locks. Tip would be to practice cycling up hills.

  Boat: Elodie

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• Madeline N. 1 year ago

  Two items that were not as expected.
  The literature states two guides but there was only one guide. This means there could only be one guided ride per day. So provide two guides or change the description of the trip to say only one guided ride per day.
  Our pre-trip information provided a location for the where the barge would be moored in Paris. We selected a hotel near this location and planned activities based on this location. The boat did not dock at this location. We were not told that the location was changing. The boat docked. We didn't know where we were at and our guide also didn't know where we were at. Guide was very good. This was an issue with the boat captain.

  Boat: Fleur

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• Deborah P. 1 year ago

  Needed the second guide as group unwieldy for one. Unlike prior trips, guide gave little info on trip sites/locales, despite being quite personable.

  Boat: Fleur

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• Christine C. 2 years ago

  This was a fun trip full of historic sites. Would have liked to have maps so we could go off at our own speed sometimes. The side trips for additional mileage were great. Got to ride some of the "Tour de Flanders" route with cobbles and hills. Chantilly was fantastic! Also took a side adventure to a roman ruin, something we weren't expecting in that part of France.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Tony Davies 2 years ago

  We did the bike barge trip from Bruges to Paris on the Zwantjie. We would absolutely recommend the trip. Our comments are:
  1. While the cabins are small, they are still adequate and good layout in the bathroom ( each cabin has it's own) . They are kept very clean. They all have AC as the porthole does not open.
  2. The rides was rated easy to moderate. It was MUCH harder than Bolzano to Venice so be prepared. I would say it should be rated moderate. The second week is easier than the first - perhaps due to improved fitness but also l think there are less hills.
  3. Meals were good and wholesome.
  4. Staff were incredibly obliging. Nothing was too much trouble. Thank you Martyn ( the Captain ), Michael ( mechanic ), Chris ( chef/cook ), Gosha ( amazingly efficient at serving meals/alcohol and cleaning the cabins ) and our great guides, Christain and Elia.
  5. Size of about 24 riders is excellent. For us, better than say 30-40 as on the Ava Maria. You get to know all the riders are we had a great group of people, Australians, Americans and Poms.
  6. When we stayed in Perrone we went to Villers Bretonneux. This is particularly relevant to Australians - whose troops saved the town from the Germans in WW1. A stunning memorial site -very moving. We also rode through a number of memorials to WW1 victims. Also quite moving.

  Boat: Zwaantje

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• Gloria S. 2 years ago

  Accommodations were too small. The rest of the journey made up for lack of space. No room to put our belongings.

  Boat: Elodie

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  • Jehiel 2 years ago

    Hello Gloria,
    Sorry to hear the Elodie was too small in your opinion. France is known for it's narrow canals so as a result the ships have to be smaller in order to navigate the waterways. We provide information including dimensions and note "... storage space is limited in the cabins". You can find more information on the Elodie Boat Page.

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• Jim S. 2 years ago

  What stands out is the friendly competent crew - Coba, Marianne and Petra, the gourmet chef - Franco, the experienced knowledgeable guides - Piet and Wouter. Together they made the two week journey both comfortable and memorable.

  Boat: Fleur

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• Jen Herold 2 years ago

  We had a fantastic trip on the Fleur, It was well above our expectations.
  The crew were fun and helpful in every way. ( food was excellent )
  Bikes were easy to ride, i would take a gel seat cover for extra comfort.
  Cabins were bigger than expected and the bathrooms clean with a instant hot water.
  Our guide was informative, she took us into places that you would not normally enter.
  We had a fun team of riders, thanks guys from the Smurfs xxx

  Boat: Fleur

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• M. McDonnell 2 years ago

  Nearly everything excellent. The only downside was the cycling was promised to have the option of two different rides each day i.e. a long or a short ride with two different guides. There was only one guide so both options were compromised into one medium length ride each day. Many on the tour would have preferred a longer ride most days.

  Boat: Fleur

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• S. Mather 2 years ago

  It was well above our expectations in every way, cabins, staff, cleanliness and the gourmet meals all the time. Fantastic experience.

  Boat: Fleur

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• B. Milroy 2 years ago

  Everything exceeded expectations. I would definitely recommend the Fleur and trip

  Boat: Fleur

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• Paavo Kivisto 3 years ago

  Issues related to the boat: bad smell, cabin room was cozier than we would choose in the future. Laundry facilities were inadequate. We really enjoyed the trip, the guide and the experience!

  Boat: Feniks

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• Wendy Hallinan 3 years ago

  Outstanding cuisine, wonderful smiles and life long memories. We have already recommended our trip to many people. Fantastic Elodie!

  Boat: Elodie

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• Linda Harve 3 years ago

  Our second bike and barge trip with Tripsite. What a lovely way to spend a vacation!

  Boat: Elodie

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• Alica Kline 3 years ago

  Food was great, would have liked more flexibility on cycling.

  Boat: Elodie

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• Gayle Carter 3 years ago

  We had brand new bikes and the guides had to spend most of their early evening time adjusting the bikes (Brugge to Paris trip) but in the end got all the bikes adjusted so they all ran well. All the boat staff and guides were fantastic.
  Love your trips-must do more.

  Boat: Fleur

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• Gordon Maze 3 years ago

  We highly recommend the Paris to Bruges bike and barge on the Elodie but one must be a strong cyclist as there are hills. The food was really excellent. Comradery among the group was high, and that's one of the great aspects of the trip.

  Boat: Elodie

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• Raylee Flick 5 years ago

  We had an absolutely fabulous time in September this year on this trip. Cycling was fantastic-Francien an excellent guide, Inma a wonderful gourmet cook. The crew was always helpful and cheerful. The group of fellow cyclists were great fun - lots of laughs. Thank you, we will be back!!

  Boat: Fleur

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• Jim Elkan 5 years ago

  Our Kansas City biking group just got back from our annual European bike ride..This year it was a Bike and Barge trip: Paris to Bruges..It was a great trip..The Elodie was as pleasant as advertised, the food, prepared by Chef Sander, was excellent..Our guide, Ono was very good and patient with us..Michael, our Captain, couldn't have been better..

  The countryside was beautiful..It was a memorable trip and we'll see you again next year..

  Jim and Janet Elkan

  Boat: Elodie

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• Darcy 6 years ago

  I recently enjoyed the Paris to Bruges bike & barge tour and I loved it. The crew were fantastic, the service was excellent and the daily ride with a wonderful guide was great fun. It was one of the best travel experiences. Thanks to everyone on the Elodie for the ideal holiday. (I was on the 30th Sept 2012 trip)

  Boat: Elodie

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• Beth Ridenour 6 years ago

  This was the best way to enjoy Europe combining bicycling through painting-like landscapes on a well balanced tour of culture, history and fun with a fantastic caring crew and fabulous food! The addition of a dozen Australians made it even better; and barging into Paris on a sunny afternoon with a glass of wine was divine. We're booking again in 2013!

  Boat: Elodie

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• Robert Burns 7 years ago

  Fantastic-had a great time, food was great and bike tours were very good. Comraderie on the Fleur helped make the trip and the guides were fun with all the grief they received from us. Many sites were visited you would never see on a "packaged" tour

  Boat: Fleur

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• Barb Tiffany 7 years ago

  This was a fantastic tour. The guide, captain, and cook were all wonderful. Great way to see the country, on small roads and bike trails. We saw an amazing amount of varied things in 14 days.

  Boat: Fleur

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