Liza Marleen

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

The country side was breathtaking. The history of the country from the Middle Ages to post WW2 was fascinating.

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

This tour had so many highlights that it’s hard to pick just one. I fell in love with the Netherlands ! The variety of bike paths that our guide took us on was astounding. The history and the wonderful compassionate people were a huge highlight . The staff on the boat were fantastic, hard working but always found time to help us and answer all our many questions. One of the advantages of being on a small vessel is that you get to know the people that are working their and their personalities.
I also highly recommend an e-bike for those that aren’t big bike riders . We rode over 100 miles and I fell in love with my very comfortable and speedy 5 speed !!

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

Riding through the countryside and seeing all the baby animals and, of course, the tulips! The Keukenhof Gardens was absolutely spectacular. There is so much to see in Amsterdam, I'd suggest spending a few extra days there either before or after the barge trip-you just might want to avoid Kings Day! I also recommend using an electric assist bike-more enjoyable and less stressful.

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

The countryside was breathtaking and our guide Ed Kimmel was so knowledgeable about his country and so proud to be Dutch.

My suggestions are:
For people 5’2” or shorter need a better bike fit. The seat and handlebars must be adjusted so you can reach the seat with your foot on the ground.

Suggestion for peddlers to ride together and electric bikes together but all in the same group. The peddlers need momentum the e bikes do not so it’s difficult when the riders are mixed.

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

The most memorable part of the trip was the vast beauty of the country: fields and fields of tulips, beautiful European architecture, and nature at its best with baby animals grazing in the fields. I was a bit anxious prior to the trip having never traveled much, but my advice is to relax and enjoy the new experience! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

Our guide Ed was exceptional. His love of Holland and it’s rich history was evident. He took every opportunity to point out landmarks and explain their relevancy today and across the globe. Each evening after dinner he took us in walking tours of the cities we were docked in. His grasp and expertise of Hollands history added much dimension and interest overall to the cycling tour.

  Liza Marleen Ámsterdam a Brujas
Holanda, Bélgica

Loved the great bike paths

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

This is hands down, the best way to see Holland. Our guide Piet and the crew were amazing. My husband, brother and I (in our 30’s) as well as my parents (in their 60’s) all had the best time. The rides were relaxed and gave us a chance to really take in the incredible views. I would not hesitate to suggest this trip to anyone.

  Liza Marleen Tour Super Tulipanes
Holanda

Our tour guide on the Liza Marleen, was Marjan. She was an amazing guide. So knowledgeable, kind, fun, patient. she made the trip wonderful. she went out of her way to find interesting, fun side trips that she filled with great stories, history, fun facts, etc. she is a treasure!!!!
the food on the barge was spectacular. Our chef, Craig, and his assistant, Zander were so professional and nice. They went out of their way to accommodate all dietary needs.
our captain was Jourome. He was a master at maneuvering the canals, bridges, and locks.
I hope the company that employs these amazing individuals knows what an asset they have.

  Liza Marleen Tour Super Tulipanes
Holanda

The best part of this trip was riding through fields of tulips and taking the time to stop and enjoy the views. Those views included nesting swans, blue herons and numerous other birds as well as windmills and canals. Would recommend this trip to anyone who likes to travel.

  Liza Marleen Brujas a Ámsterdam
Bélgica, Holanda

Overall the trip was good and we enjoyed our time. However, we did have some things that could be improved -
firstly the e-bikes that we rented had several problems with them and were unreliable
secondly I found the choice of food strange for being on a tour in Europe - we had Mexican food, followed by Asian food & sushi. What was wrong with french or belgium or even North American (seeing that we were all from NA). There was no flexibility or accommodation of other types of food.
The group leader should have allowed some of us to go ahead with maps rather than keep us in a long line of 20 people strung out with the slowest members behind the leader. We are all adults and professional people and do not wish to be treated like children.

  Liza Marleen Tour del Sur de Holanda
Holanda

Unforgetable trip becouse this country is amazing! The boat crew and bike guide were also very nice! Thank you!

  Liza Marleen Tour del Sur de Holanda
Holanda

This was a retirement celebration for my husband. We were a total of 8 family members. The Liza Marleen was a great boat- food was marvelous and our tour guide superb. Out 16 mo old grandson was accommodated for and I must say our fellow passengers were the kindest bunch we could have hoped for. It’s hard traveling with babies-but we could not imagine the vacation without him

  Liza Marleen Tour al norte de Holanda
Holanda

Scenery was great, bring a camel back if you like to drink water while riding, most bikes did not have a cage for the water bottle, instead you kept it in the pannier. Our guide, Eduaro, did not seem to know where we could stop to take a break or use a bathroom, he said everythng was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, this was a problem for the women in the group, it was hot and we needed to keep hydrated.
The captain, chef and assistant Vera were wonderful and did all they could to make us comfortable.

  Liza Marleen Tour Super Tulipanes
Holanda

  Liza Marleen Tour del Sur de Holanda
Holanda

  Liza Marleen Tour al norte de Holanda
Holanda

On the Liza Marleen there were 6 of us from our family ranging in age from 82 to less than 2 years of age. The staff on the ship was superb, especially the cook who was particularly considerate regarding the granddaughters who roamed the dining area. She was quite creative with her menus and happy to socialize with the participants. Moreover, because it was my daughter's birthday (birthdays are Big Deals in the Netherlands) on the last night of the trip, the cook ignored my request for one cupcake with a candle and instead presented gorgeous cakes for the entire ship. Her English assistant was equally kind; the skipper turned out to be a first-class guitar player and had the entire ship singing along.

It was a wonderful and successful excursion and I am very grateful to the staff on board the Liza Marleen for everything they did to accommodate us and make it a memorable 50th wedding anniversary.

  Liza Marleen Brujas a Ámsterdam
Bélgica, Holanda

I enjoyed the countryside trails most. The trip was really totally good. As a biker whose biking skills are a bit rusty, it was a challenge, and I am glad I could do it!

  Liza Marleen Brujas a Ámsterdam
Bélgica, Holanda

We were very happy with the biking experience, the food, the scenery, our new biking friends, our wonderful guide and the rest of the employees on the boat. We were disappointed at the end of the trip when we were advised that we had possibly been exposed to bed bugs. Adding to the disappointment, ship staff blamed us for having brought the bed bugs aboard the ship.

Other than this issue, we had a wonderful trip!

  Liza Marleen Ámsterdam a Brujas
Holanda, Bélgica

Most memorable Part: The crew on the boat, dinners and the tour on canals throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. The cheese shop was the best and also the small cafe's.

  Liza Marleen Tour del Sur de Holanda
Holanda

The Southern Tour from Amsterdam in the Netherlands is a wonderful trip. It was my first time on a cycling tour and I felt that I received all the information that I needed in order to prepare and to make a wonderful experience. The route had nice a diversity between cycling and stopping in Dutch cities. The crew was very helpful and friendly, and the food was great. My bicycle couldn't have been more comfortable. I highly recommend this trip.

  Liza Marleen Tour del Sur de Holanda
Holanda

This is our third bike and barge trip and we would come back to do another. We had a great time! The boat, the Liza Marleen, was very nice, the crew very friendly, and our bike guide informative, interesting, and a lot of fun. It was very nice going on a small size boat and the crew created a family-like atmosphere which made the trip very enjoyable. One one particularly warm and longer day, the crew handed out delicious popsicles as we climbed back aboard at the end of the day. We appreciated the all the small details like this. We tell many friends that they should do one of these Bike and Barge trips. We'll be back.

  Liza Marleen Tour del Sur de Holanda
Holanda

This was a fabulous trip! The best way to see the Netherlands is by boat and barge. This cruise far exceeded my expectations. The barge was homey and warm, the crew was so special. They took care of our every need, and did it in a friendly and caring manner. The chef was phenomenal! The value for your money was great. I would do this again in a heartbeat!

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

Everything exceeded our expectations. Crew made us feel like family, food was excellent and tour was perfect including the weather and the tulips.

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

My husband and I took this trip in the Fall. We are seniors and would recommend this trip. This is the third trip we have made with this organization and they do a wonderful job. Company, food, service was great!

  Liza Marleen Holland Southern Tulip Tour
Holanda

My husband and I had talked for several years about taking this tour but didn't go until April 9th, 2011, on the Zwaan, with Ilya and Maria. This was the first tour of the season - we were afraid that the flowers would not be out - surprise! We saw jonquils, hyacinths, tulips and more. Had we been later the hyacinths and jonquils would have been gone. Hennie told us that it varies from year to year, so we were so fortunate.

The weather was great except for one windy and chilly day. Our tour guide, Albert, adapted the ride to the level of the riders yet still taking us to the important places and showing us the best of the countryside. Our hosts could not have been more hospitable, making all of the participants feel more welcome than just paying customers. We even had a last-minute gourmet chef! And we got to help welcome the new dog on board - all the guests were dog lovers and were delighted to meet him. We recommend this trip to anyone who likes an active vacation in a beautiful setting with good food and company with similar interests.

L. Hilliard