Iris

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Alemania

Unfortunately, I tested positive for Covid 19 the evening after the first ride. Nevertheless, the trip was very enjoyable, especially because of the kind attention of the staff on the IRIS, especially our hostess, Kim. I have to say, sitting on the deck of the IRIS, cruising along the Main in Bavaria, is not such a bad way to go! I did get in two days rides at the end so also got to enjoy the biking.

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Alemania

Riding through the grapevine vineyards.
Riding through the forest in aschaffenburg.
Riding into the little towns

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Alemania

We had the opportunity to evaluate the Iris so don’t have anything to add

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Alemania

The Wow factor was everywhere.
Gourmet Vegetarian options at every meal. Old towns, palaces, castles & beergardens. The pristine bike paths along rosy vineyards. Most memorable -probably singing after sunset on the boat deck with John & Felix playing guitars. Yet the picnic along the river and the wine tasting were highlights too. Loved this bucket list experience!

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Bamberg
Alemania

Our cycling guides were fantastic, so knowledgeable and so easy to be with. The crew on the Iris was also wonderful and so easily accommodated everyone’s individual needs.

  Iris Heidelberg to Cochem
Alemania

  Iris Heidelberg to Cochem
Alemania

Great trip, castles galore, our guides leading us into medieval towns, palaces, gardens.
Easy biking and having two guides meant both faster and slower bikers catered for.
Iris barge conversion provided both indoor and outside lounge areas perfect for after bike social time.
Fantastic food. Thankyou chef.

  Iris Heidelberg to Cochem
Alemania

The staff was amazing Tereasa with all her knowledge of the historical information of the area , the chef Joust with his amazing menu
The crew and captain making us so welcome on board and Thomas leadership through hill and dail.
This made the days so good.

  Iris Heidelberg to Cochem
Alemania

The staff and guides were very committed to everyone having a good time. Although the weather posed some problems for us, the guides pivoted quickly to make sure each day had something special to offer.

  Iris Heidelberg to Cochem
Alemania

Great overall experience
The Ship and crew were great, the bike guides were very professional.
We loved the wine tasting evening
One tip, it is a good idea to practice one’s bike before the trip.

  Iris Heidelberg to Cochem
Alemania

This has been a great tour!
From the choice of route, the warm wellcoming boat & bike staff, the size of the group just everything.
Highly recccomended.

  Iris Holanda Autentica
Holanda

The entire trip was memorable in every way. There was really nothing that I could improve upon other than perhaps the weather, which is not controllable. The staff the boat and the itinerary were incredible. I particularly liked the Museum visit to the Kröller-Müller Museum which is otherwise not very accessible on the regular tourist itinerary.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

I really enjoyed the Iris barge. First class barge with an attentive crew. The chef was amazing and created very good meals from a small onboard kitchen. The two guides were first-class. Great cycling routes in rural Netherlands. Lots of interesting stops and tulips galore. I would definitely book another tour aboard the Iris

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Great itinerary and biking. Often guides offered options of a short or a long bike ride. A lot of wind to contend with so an e-bike may be an added comfort for some. The Iris was exceptionally clean, apparently newly renovated during Covid. A high quality of rental bikes available and appreciated! Thanks for a great holiday!!

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The staff on the Iris were excellent. They went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. The passenger capacity of the Iris (24 people) was just right. It afforded us the opportunity to get to know the other travelers. Although the cabins were small, they were well laid out; comfortable; and quiet. We thoroughly enjoyed cycling throughout the Netherlands with the exceptional guides on the Iris.
We would've preferred more time allocated to exploring the towns where the Iris moored daily. Most of our exploration time was limited to after dinner walks in some towns.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

I really enjoyed the trip, especially being able to ride a bike throughout Holland and see all the flowers and small towns.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The whole trip was a beautiful experience full of memorable biking moments, new friendships and an attentive and talented staff. The best part of the trip was the attentiveness of the staff who met our various needs throughout the trip. I can't say enough about our tour guides and barge staff who always took the time to hear our concerns and or special needs and do their best to meet them. By the end of the trip, The Iris was our home and it always felt good to return back to our barge after a successfull and beautiful day of biking throughout the countryside. So with that being said, the trip is beautiful, but the staff made it special.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The beauty of the countryside and beautiful homes along the canals. I especially loved learning about heirloom tulips and the interesting facts about the Dutch people and their country. I loved all beautiful the cycling but only wish we had a little more time at the end of the day to explore the little towns while the shops were still open.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Beautiful country and biking was great unfortunately we didn't have great weather. Can’t forget the beautiful tuplips.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The guides were very good. Felix and Hetty made every bit of the trip fondly memorable. The Iris offered very nice accommodations—featuring lots of room between the beds, plenty of space to store clothing, and a lovely shower and toilet room. The other staff of the Iris were very good, too, and we enjoyed excellent meals and everything went smoothly. I went on this trip to see the tulips, and they were gorgeous—not just at the Keukenhof, but also at the visit to the bulb garden and along the way just looking at private farms.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The trip was fantastic. Just the right amount of cycling traveling through the beautiful Netherlands. It was great to have 2 guides to split up our group of 24. Both guides were knowledgeable and fun. The captain, crew and chef were excellent. The Isis was a comfortable boat and I would definitely sail on it again. I highly recommend this trip to others.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Every aspect of the trip was memorable, from biking through quaint towns and beautiful countryside to an outstanding staff and five star cuisine. Be prepared to be amazed.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

It was a wonderful Trip. We rode the bikes evern though it was rainy and windy. It is amazing that you would do in that kind of weather, but we did, dressed warm and we loved it. We also had good weather days, when we saw the tulips and the gardens. It is amazing how many bikes are in the area. The roads are divided into one lane for the cars and a bike lane on each side of the road. Usually we biked on a paved path all the way. It was a great trip!!!!!

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Experiencing the unique geography and history of the Netherlands and getting to sample a tange of small towns and then Amsterdam. We also enjoyed the excellent range of art and historical museums and then of course since this was the tulip tour we really appreciated biking by miles of tulip beds and seeing Keukenhof garden, truly a national treasure. Tips for others biking and in April: Bring waterproof cycling gloves, a warm layer, and rain gear. We found the electric bikes were very in dealing with headwinds which of course can be strong by the sea.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Weather! Gale force winds, rain/hail and cold. Bring warm clothes and rain gear. Tulip fields were amazing.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Tulips. Would have been good to have had more time with tulips than an afternoon at Keukenoff. Maybe a visit to a tulip processor, or other gardens. After all, this was the "tulip" tour and we really only had one day of tulips.

You should alert your clients to the possibility of cold and rainy weather. Our guides did a good job of working around it, and I did have clothing to protect me, but it is an issue. Next to last day, we got into Zaandam too late to adequately visit the nearby attractions. Should have gotten there about two hours earlier.

Other than that, I think that all of the staff did an excellent job. Great food from Ellen; guides provided information and leadership. Boat was clean, spacious and comfortable.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Koehkenhoff was great as well as the guides. A small boat allowing for lots of personal attention

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Lifelong bucket list desire and was able to ride thru fields of Tulip Farms. The crew on the Barge was truly first class (food, hospitality, and cleanliness). The two guys were knowledgeable of the region (Thomas and Rikko). Always willing to help. Suggestions: separate bike groups by e-bike and non/pedal bikes. The pace was often difficult when mixing the two into relax and very relax. Pace sometime was pushed thru very windy conditions. Also, bottle cages on bikes would be helpful. Lastly, a few of the stops/villages were 'closed' by the time we reached at the end of the tour day. This was disappointing such as Altmaar. It is lovely to walk around a bit after all day cycling. The guides were open to more frequent stops of shorter duration. When pedaling a non ebike, it is often challenges to start riding after a long break. Overall, we would recommend to tour to others and look forward to joining another adventure/journey in the future.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The tulips were of course the highlight of the trip. Not really much time in most of the towns to do a lot of exploration.

I would recommend getting an ebike even though terrain is level the strong winds make for harder biking than anticipated.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Cycling past tulip fields and visiting Keukenhof Gardens will leave a colourful memory for us, fulfilling a long awaited bucket list item. The barge and bikes were in excellent condition. The staff were lovely, going out of there way to be helpful. All meals were delicious, although in an effort to minimise waste, quantities were sometimes on the small side. Rides were enjoyable, although the wind made some feel longer than reality. The guides had excellent cornering and sweeping systems, which added to the fun and safety of the rides. We were fortunately prepared for variable weather, every day needing a different concoction of clothing. A thoroughly enjoyable week.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

I would recommend this trip 100%. Everything about the experience was top notch. Our tour guides, Thomas and Rikko, were knowledgeable, kind and ALWAYS had safety of us "top of mind"! The food was excellent and the cabins and ship clean. All in all, a fantastic trip.

  Iris Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Holanda, Bélgica

There were many memorable parts of the trip, all enjoyable. The barge, the guests and the crew were all great. I used an e-bike which was not great. I am barely 5’ 1” and the bike was a “small” and too big/heavy for me. It should have been an X-small. Another woman of similar size had a small and fell numerous times. I was disappointed that there was no alternative offered. I am an experienced rider and the heavy weight of the bike affected balance especially on curves. I’ve been on a number of bike trips and quality bikes and safety was a number one concern. Also there were no rear view mirrors. This was a safety concern. The answer I received was that the rear view mirrors are not used in the Netherland. This does not make sense as we got helmets and the people in the Netherlands don’t wear helmets. Why would we not be provided with rear mirrors.

  Iris Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Holanda, Bélgica

The guides and crew were all wonderful and did everything within their power to make the trip as enjoyable as possible. The Iris was a very comfortable boat. The cycling took us through varied landscapes. Helmets waterbottles and panniers are provided so no need to bring with you.

  Iris Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Holanda, Bélgica

Great trip. The guides where wonderful.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Absolutely beautiful scenery-the best way to see this charming country is on a bike. The bike paths are very well maintained. I would suggest considering an e-bike. I did the first 4 days on a regular bike and this was fine. But after a day of rain and headwinds, I tried an e-bike-it was awesome! Our guides were great (Alice, Wolter and Timothy), were helpful, personable and really helped make the trip the incredible experience that it was. The food was fabulous-thanks to our amazing chef, Jules. Loved Reik (not sure of spelling of her name). Entire crew was great!

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The staff and crew on the Iris did everything in their power to give us an enjoyable experience. It was obvious they all enjoyed their jobs and wanted us to share in that joy.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The barge and staff were fantastic! The meals were fabulous. The bicycle was much better than I anticipated. Overall it was a well organized trip. They kept us busy with biking and each night there was a walking tour. I highly recommend this trip and am planning another one on the same boat in the future.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

The biking guides were personable, knowledgeable, well organized. The staff on board the Iris were top rate, helpful, interactive. The itinerary/biking paths followed/led were varied and quite interesting - loved biking through the villages and countryside. Most memorable: Keukenhof, biking past all the tulip fields, past the windmills, receiving tidbits of historical info from the guides.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Overall, a great trip. The crew and guides on the Iris were wonderful and helped to make the trip a memorable experience. Thought the tour itinerary was a great balance of Dutch culture, historic towns and places, canals, dikes and locks, windmills, and fields of flowers. Fun seeing the Netherlands on a bike. Chef was amazing and the Food was superb. Made good friends and enjoyed everyone on the bike tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of springtime in Holland.

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

This trip was amazing. The pre-planning info, the easy to follow arrival, and the overall organization made my first trip an enticement for future excursions. The crew iof the Iris and our guides were engaging and easily created a family-like experience. Every day was greeted with smiles and experiences which made all of us feel the excitement of the voyage. Thank you for the great memories!

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Thé Keukenhof gardens were beautiful! Exceeded my expectations!

  Iris Tour de Tulipanes - 8 días
Holanda

Loved everything about our boat bike vacation! Great crew, accommodations and guides. Thanks so much. We look forward to more trips

  Iris Metz a Cochem
Francia, Luxemburgo, Alemania

I worked with TripSite to plan this trip for 20 friends and family and they were fantastic to work with: flexible, friendly and professional. And the trip costs half of similar trips offered by US based bike tour operators. The Iris was a superb boat in great condition and the crew were amazing, with a special shout-out to the fantastic food! The riding was hard to believe: miles and miles of flat, scenic, history drenched wine country. Every days ride was enjoyable and had nice prizes and surprises along the way. Some of my group decided to stay on board for one or more days and got to relax and watch the castles go by, read a book, drink some great local white wine, and chat with the friendly crew. This particular tour: the Mosel between Cochem and Metz, was referred to me by a good friend who has done a dozen packaged bike tours and said this was his favorite. Now it's ours!

  Iris Aschaffenburg to Cochem
Alemania

The biking.

  Iris Metz a Cochem
Francia, Luxemburgo, Alemania

Traveling on the IRIS was nice. Highlights: Bike ride from the extinct volcano down to the Mosel was a great 40 mile ride (almost all down hill). The wine tasting excursion was set up by our guide Paul. Quite different than others I have been to. It was an intimate meeting with the owner of the winery that had been in his family since the 1600s. It rained (really just a mist) during 2 of our rides but with rain gear, it didn’t effect us.

Give me a call if you would like to hear some minor suggestions for improvement.

  Iris Metz a Cochem
Francia, Luxemburgo, Alemania

The places we biked to were wonderful....villages, river views, vineyards. The Iris was fantastic. Great crew, wonderful boat. Was very hot part of the trip and the crew did a great job adapting to the heat. Would highly recommend this trip.

  Iris Metz a Cochem
Francia, Luxemburgo, Alemania