2 Star Bike Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 40
Rosemary P.
12 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Normandie Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
I am truly amazed about quantity of 5 star reviews for this tour, as I could only give it a 2 star! And, this 2 rating is for the wonderful restaurant and housekeeping staff , as the boat crew , bike assistants were unpleasant to deal with, and the captain kept his distance. This was such a drastic difference from my very enjoyable Netherlands, and Croatia bike and boat tours. The maps and directions were inadequate and usually incorrect. The "tour guide" (who never lead a tour) Jan was unbelievably nasty, rude and impatient about any and all questions and concerns. He sent many on what was to be an easy, level ride only for it to take us over a mountain where our bikes were unsuitable and directions e completely wrong. I would not recommend neither this boat or trip to anyone.
Jehiel from Tripsite • 12 months ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Rosemary,
We are sorry to hear that this trip didn't meet your expectations. It's unfortunate that you experienced some negative exchanges with Jan. We apologize for that.
About the biking: For the self-guided option a guide is not expected to lead the tour. Riders are expected to be able to navigate independently using the route descriptions and maps. We will look into the maps but we have never gotten feedback about the inaccuracy of the route descriptions for this tour. Furthermore, the tour is rated easy with very little elevation gain and the daily mileages are listed.
We hope that you still had an enjoyable time.
Rosemary Palus • 12 months ago
Not having a guide was not an issue for me as I am a much seasoned rider (of plus 30 years experience) with dozens extended touring rides both here in the states, besides several international. We had started with transporting our personal bikes to Europe, reserving our accommodations , creating ride maps, etc.. so telling me to "navigate independently using the route description and maps" given is insulting. IF one were given proper maps and descriptions it would have been acceptable with the exception of Jan's famous easy farm ride that took us over dangerous mountainous, cliff side, terrain. He is very fortunate all returned minus major accidents, and this was only due to the fact we WERE EXPERIENCED!. And, you really need to fully read all feedback as there were other complaints regarding inadequate mapping and directions. Tripsite is also responsible by ignoring this issue. AMEN!
Jehiel from Tripsite • 12 months ago Tripsite Staff
Rosemary,
I am not trying to insult you or downplay your experience. I am trying to address your concerns. I wanted to clarify that Jan is not a tour guide and with the self-guided option, there is no leader. Gps tracks are available for most tours and routes are being updated and improved frequently.
If you were not given maps and route descriptions and if Jan's suggestion was misguided and dangerous, that is unacceptable. If Jan was rude to you, that is unacceptable. This is not characteristic of our local partners or Tripsite. I can assure you we are addressing these issues with our local partner.
I personally read hundreds of feedback submissions each season and respond. We do this because we care about your experience and want to make the tours we offer better.
I am sorry we and our partners failed to give you a positive experience.
Jehiel
Rick M.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
The boat was quite old and noisy. Due to either river conditions or dock accommodations, the skipper had to move the boat off the dock multiple times during the days and at night, disrupting sleep for many of the guests. Air conditioning did not work in several of the cabins, and the crew was very slow to repair. At our "welcome aboard" briefing, we were told that there were 130 life vests on board the vessel, and that was the extent of the safety briefing - nothing about where they were located or how to don them. No word about where fire extinguishers were located. Nothing about how to get off the boat in an emergency. If there was an AED on board, it was well hidden!
Several of the young ladies in the crew were very friendly and helpful to the passengers, but others were not very helpful at all - The Captain could best be described as an old Curmudgeon. Time for him to retire! The bikes were Read More old and somewhat worn out. Very little help from the crew with getting them set up and ready to roll each day. The first day of "bike fitting" was pandemonium, with 80+ people all trying to get their bikes at once. Probably could have been a little better organized - as could several other aspects of the trip. Our guide was trying very hard to do the best he could, but he was handicapped by a lack of experience and local area knowledge. His regular job was working in the office for the boat company, and I suspect he was pressed into service as a guide, probably because so many people requested the guided option.
The food was generally good, but there was no choice during evening meals. If you happened not to like duck, too bad!
While the crew and the company had no control over the weather, it rained almost every day, and to top it all off, I found I really prefer California/Washington wines to any we tasted in the Bordeaux region.
While this was our first barge experience, we have taken many other cycling trips, with other companies. In general, they have all been far more organized an better executed than this trip. The bikes were always better in quality and better maintained by the crew. The tour leaders were far more informed and informative about the areas we were riding in.
Bottom line: I will not take another bike/barge trip through your company, nor can I recommend your trips to others.
Guilherme G.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Amsterdam to Bruges Bike Tour
Netherlands, Belgium
Maps must be improved.
We got lost more than one time.
The signs are very poor in many places.
Local people are not used to the signs used in the bike route used in the maps. So they could not help us.
The first day of the trip is too long. It would be better to do it in two days.
The normal package hotels are not good. For few cities we payed for upgrade hotels. This ones were very nice.
Diane F.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
So the food was very disappointing for the price we paid for this trip. The food servers were very friendly and worked hard to please. The bike mechanic was great and solved any issues we had with the bikes. The captain of MS Bordeaux was always impatient and gruff with passengers as we disembarked each day. On the Danube trip, the staff ensured the bikes were on land for us each day. The GPS's in Bordeaux did not work most of the time and the maps in the books need updating - this is a comment that has been in the Bordeaux reviews for several years now. A team discussion and group effort allowed us to find our way.
The most disappointing aspect of the trip is that my concerns were expressed to Tripsite and left unanswered for over a month until I called Tripsite back, and nothing was resolved for me. Just be sure to evaluate if the quality of food and customer service are an important part of your trip - otherwise, enjoy the great rides!
Judy L.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Sailing Home Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
Coming around a corner in rural netherlands and seeing a tradition windmill complete with thatched roof! Beautiful!
Elizabeth T.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Road of 100 Castles - Münsterland
Germany, Netherlands
1. There were only about 10 castles on the tour. Most of the castles were not open to the public to visit.
2. The maps and written instructions given to us upon arrival were in German which we do not know. There was an option to download these instructions onto a smart phone but we were not given this information until on day 3 of the tour. We had made no provisions to attach a smart phone to our bike and protect it from the weather.
3. The scenery was pleasant for a few days but became boring as there was not much difference each day.
Carla from Tripsite • 1 year ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for your feedback. The routebook with maps is in the German language however we find it is still an excellent tool for riding. We are very sorry you were not aware of the GPS tracks or device sooner.
Despite these issues, I hope you were able to bring home good memories of your trip!
LEONIDAS ROUSSINOS
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
The North Holland tour is the least desirable tour to choose for a number of reasons.
The De Holland boat is the least agreeable thing to ever float on a river, a box with no charm at all. On the other hand the cabins inside even though they are small, they are clean and the bathrooms are fitted nicely and roomy. It also has a decent deck from where to enjoy the view when in port or sailing.
The administration of this company are not doing themselves any favours. They have cut down the crew to the level that they are unable to properly serve their customers. The persons working as crew on this boat are killing themselves to provide the best service possible without much success most of the time. Just not enough people to do the jobs. Furthermore if you plan to charge for WiFi Read More service you are simply daft by asking for the 10 euros for the week. Just up the trip price and tell everyone WiFi is FREE. What a a bargain! Nickel and dimeing your customers is a poor way of doing business. Also changing the itinerary in order to save fuel is a disservice to your customers. The excuse that the boat is not able to dock at Ouderchild on Texel is rubbish as they have been doing it before and cycling through the harbour there, we saw no difference to facilities or space than all the other docking places we did dock at. So boat wise and management wise this trip is poor.
However, the guide person was outstanding. She knew everything about the area and the routes and she was soooooo patient she was great! The day (Day 3) of cycling the dunes east of Alkmaar can easily be deleted. There is little to see and of very little interest to almost all the riders we spoke with. It is far more interesting to cycle in Alkmaar city and explore the city museums and other historical venues than riding the dusty windy dunes. The most interesting cities visited are Alkmaar, Enkhuisen and Volendam.
The food on board was adequate but nothing special or even Dutch. Not a single Dutch meal or treat was offered during the week. Then the issue with the coffee and cake time upon return after a day of cycling. Are they nuts or what? One day coffee time is 4 to 5 pm. The next day 3:30 to 4:30 and the next day different again. Get real and set the time 3:30 to 5:00 and get on with life. No need to confuse things and have people expect a cup of coffee and then find out that the time was earlier today. Really?
Asking for ice in the water was like asking for gold plated silverware. One napkin per person like napkins are a euro each. Are you kidding? Put a napkin holder on each table like every where else. What is this 1910 world paper shortage or are you pretending to be the world leader in paper napkin savings??
The bikes were of top quality and well maintained. The crew that was looking after the bikes were there when you needed them and helped everyone to make sure the bikes were set up properly and safe for them. First Class service.
What is great about these trips? The people you meet and the fun things that happen during the tour. The fun places you meet strangers and have lunch with, the help you may get or give on the way to a destination and memories that stay behind. I am afraid to say this trip was short on great memories, but some nevertheless. Perhaps another boat and this trip could have been a better one.
Margaret E.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna
Austria, Germany
Most Memorable Part: The biking and comradery of the other bikers on the trip.
Dennis E.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Theodor Körner Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
Most Memorable Part: The black mold (or something) that had many people coughing in their rooms. I had to take allergy pills each night.
Robert W M.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Theodor Körner Along the Danube-Iron Gates
Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia
The crew & food were great & acceptable respectively. There were very few vegetables served. The ship was terrible, moldy, poor lighting nonexistent waste baskets except in private rooms. The ship had a strong sewer odor which our cabin boy could not remedy. This problem involved several rooms. We would not return to the The(odor) Körner.
Jayne Allerton
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Trip Name: Loire Valley rerouted to St. Mammés/Sens
We have new two lessons learned from this experience:
1. Never book on a boat that is not crewed by the owner; and
2. Never book accommodations that do not show you the state and size of the washroom.
After reading the mostly average reviews of the barge before booking, we decided to take a chance on booking the Loire Valley boat and bike itinerary on the Anna Maria IV. However, due to low water conditions on the Loire, the itinerary was changed to the Seine and the Yonne rivers. While disappointed in the change, the new route was more than fine with challenging rides and beautiful scenery.
John, the tour guide did a great job leading us through new territory.
The new bikes were excellent, and John was able to fix the odd flat tire along the way.
Unfortunately, no evening city walks were provided due to the itinerary change.
The boat captain was Read More only on the barge for 4 days and 3 nights. While we had very little interaction with him, he was pleasant and got us from dock to dock with no problems- always a challenge with low water levels.
The barge. Well, we knew it would be small since this is our third bike barge on the same category of ship. But this was by far the smallest and least comfortable. The sinks are in the sleeping area and take up much of the non-bed space. One’s feet were actually in the shower when using the toilet. And, there was literally no room to unpack items - the small bins under the bed didn’t stay on their racks, making them useful for only the lightest of items.
But, the worst part of the entire week was the service provided by the crew/host. Unfortunately, there was only one crew member for 13 guests - thank goodness we were not at the 18 guest capacity.
Our feeling is that she did not like her job and found us an inconvenience to her social life. We felt like we had to fit into her schedule rather than her recognizing we were customers! And, boy, was she not a morning person!
While one can accept a person having a bad day or being a few minutes late once in a while, one should not have to experience the lack of organization and attention to detail that we received the entire week. If this was our first bike barge trip, I doubt we would ever do one again.
In summary, the captain was responsible for the movement of the ship. The guide was responsible for our cycling experience. The host was responsible for our on-board experience. But with no one in charge, there was no single person responsible for our overall experience.
While the on-board experience was extremely disappointing, the cycling was great, and the other passengers amazing. In fact, without the camaraderie of the other passengers this would have been a miserable week.
MARIA JOSE R.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
Romantica National Parks of Dalmatia
Croatia
Trip with some room for improvement.
As positive:
1. Bike guides were kind and always trying to fulfill all of our requests.
2. Waiter was really helpful, efficient and nice with all of us
3. Meals on board were tasteful
As 'not so positive':
1. All the the bike routes run 100% by car roads
2. We just were able to take a swim from the boat 2 or 3 times during the full week
3. Captain had to change the itinerary, that initially it did not sound as a problem until we finally spent 24 hours with the ship docked beside the garbage containers in a city with absolutely nothing to visit or to do... while enduring flies and really unpleasant smell...
4. Captain and part of the crew far from 'nice behavior' during the full trip until the last moment that they started to open the tip envelopes and count the money in the dining room with all of us still on board
As a summary, this National Park 'bike & Boat' trip was far from expectations.
Mark H.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Champagne Tour
France
The general biking was above average , with some awesome sites visited.
As far as the accommodation was concerned this was below average.
Although the space was confined more emphasis could have been done to the quality and hospitality of stay.
Lia P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Florentina The Elbe River and Prague
Czech Republic
Visiting Prague. What a magical city. The bikes on our trip were very nice. I rented an ebike and my husband had a regular bike. We love biking in Europe but I would not recommend this trip. Lots of the paths were dirt paths that were rough to ride on. The trails were not marked very making it easy to miss a road sign because you had to look where you were riding due to the rough terrain. The towns were small and poor. Not many places to stop for a lunch or beer. The villages were very boring to our group of 12. The MS Florentine was very nice and the food was good. The restaurant manager provided excellent service. Our tour guide Frank was very disappointing. His English skills were marginal (he is German) and he wasn’t very friendly. We hated to ask him questions, he always acted put out by us bothering him. The map and written description of the daily route needs improving making it easy to get lost. I was grateful we were traveling with 10 friends since most of the guests were German and we never connected with others on the ship. I will do another bike and barge trip but I will pick a more interesting itinerary.
Jeanne W.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Silver Coast of Portugal
Portugal
Porto was extraordinary as was Aveiro. The bike routes were primitive or sand covered. Local company was extremely nice and accommodating. Portuguese people couldn’t have been friendlier.
Elizabeth C.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Krakow to Warsaw
Poland
Kathryn K.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Northern Normandy
France
We had a great time touring the area. The hills were a challenge! The hotel food was varied and tasty.
Beth M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
I am commenting on the Bordeaux tour which I decided to go on last minute. If I had done my research on the boat & room size I wouldn’t have gone. My husband is 6’6” and the cabin was too small & very uncomfortable. I don’t know how it gets the Comfort Plus rating, all of the cabins on the lower level with the exception of one were all very small, & from other fellow pax comments, the upper level was not much better. This was our third trip with TripSite, we thoroughly enjoyed the 2 prior trips. We are sorry to say that the Bordeaux trip was underwhelming as far as scenery & bike routes.
Wendy from Tripsite • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Beth,
I'm sorry that you found the boat not up to the comfort plus standards you are used to from your other tours. Yes, the cabins on this boat are smaller than other boats in this class. To clarify the classification...in the past, boats that offered air conditioned cabins were automatically placed in the comfort plus category which is why this boat was in that class. However, we have recently reconfigured our boat classification system and now rate the Bordeaux boat in the comfort class. I personally think the scenery doesn't get much better than this beautiful region of France!
Susan G.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Harmonia Highlights of Dalmatia E-Bike and Boat
Croatia
Two of the islands with national parks were removed due to weather concerns. High wind and rough seas evident with the first one, the second the weather did not happen and some of the guests thought we were taken to our final port of Zadar a day early (two nights there instead of one) perhaps for the convenience of the crew. Release the captain a day early, save on fuel? Food on the boat was institutional. Bikes were very comfortable and handled well, but should have rear-view mirrors. Guides Ivana and Kristofer have a lot of personality and were very engaging. Some of the scenery was spectacular. Guided walks provided for us at some of the ports were excellent. Tripsite should send trip info farther in advance of the trip. When it finally did arrive, it included info about flying to Dubrovnik, etc. By then, we and likely most other clients had made plans.
David F.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Primadonna Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Breakfast good. Bagged lunches okay but not great and they only had sparkling water which I don't like and can't drink. No option to get still water without paying extra. Dinners good but not great. Only one meal very good. Most upset about not being able to drink the water from the room sink (which was announced over the PA system just before dinner after we had been onboard for a few hours)and then having to pay for still safe water for the cabin, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Bike barge nightly talk about the following day was always the second talk of the evening (made for later evenings or no room in the bar). Would have liked to share the first time slot for half of the evenings.
Concierge staff outstanding and serving staff in the dinning room good.
Mok L.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Normandie Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna
Austria, Germany
The Danube / bike path was wonderful , My bike was a red girls bike that clunked “hate it”, my wife’s ebike was great, the food was good except the hair in couple of dishes, the tour dir and the hotel mgr were friggen rude (not just us to about 14 others ) would Never take a SE tour again. The people we met on board were great, Austria was very nice. Omg Austria wine was fantastic. thx Mik
Ps
Still like Tripsite’s
Patti P.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
The best part was traveling with friends. I would have enjoyed more information about the area and towns we were traveling through.
Tim Devine
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Theodor Körner Along the Danube - Passau, Bratislava, and Vienna
Austria, Germany, Slovakia
The biking itself was fabulous. The staff looked after the bikes well, and the routes were lovely. My problems are with the boat itself, and there are several significant issues. First, our room was next to some machinery near the bridge that woke us up frequently during the night. The bathroom smelled bad, and other guests on a lower floor had major issues with smells too. The boat broke down on one occasion, and we had the feeling that it was on its last legs. The food was okay, sometimes good, sometimes not so good. The staff were very good, although the music was mostly orientated to non-English speakers. I know that this is not a Viking riverboat, but I have a reasonable expectation of having a comfortable and fairly quiet room. Never again on this boat.
Faith S.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Carissima Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
I was disappointed in this tour, the scenery was mostly uninteresting and much more difficult than expected due to high winds on 2 days. I am short and was given a crappy bike to ride, having been told I could not fit on the e-bike I wanted. However, after 2 days of suffering my tour guide was able to find me a bike that fit (even after the company itself said it could not accommodate). The ship itself was wonderful, with big bright cabins and excellent food. I was on the guided comfort relax package, and the tour guide was way too laid back for my taste. I thought we did not have much time in the big cities to explore.
Ann B.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fleur Montargis to Paris
France
The time on the boat was fun and enjoyable. Your description of the bike ride being easy to moderate was way off. It should have been described as hard to difficult!! It was very misleading.
Audrey F.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Romantica National Parks of Dalmatia
Croatia
The quality of hybrid bike was a piece of junk compared with the bike I used in Amsterdam with a group was much better quality two years ago. I would have enjoyed cycling if the bike was in a better quality. The food was too heavy. Other than that, the scenery was beautiful.
Tama L.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Around Lake Constance
Austria, Germany, Switzerland
My dissatisfactions, two nights in the suburbs of Constance, out of the way, should not be used. Konono staff excellent, but cost us for taxi to get there and back to the train. Route book imprecise. What is the route sign we were supposed to follow? What good is a dotted line on a map when there are multiple routes? Which are more scenic? Less hilly? Passing by cafes? Unpaved in a forest? Exactly how do you get to the Rhein Falls ferry? Book never mentioned the three elevators that take you up and down. We had frustrations every day.
Is it a beautiful trip? Absolutely. The Mozart and Park Villa are beautiful hotels, although not air conditioned.
Jehiel from Tripsite • 3 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Tama,
Sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with certain aspects of this tour. As far as the hotel locations, we always try to provide the best hotels possible (location, quality, reputation) but this is based on availability. This region is very popular and hotel development hasn't quite caught up with demand.
In reference to the Route Book....we strongly recommend that clients also request GPS tracks to supplement Route Books. The tracks are more interactive and tend to be more precise. If requested, these tracks can be downloaded beforehand and used with a GPS or your smartphone. See this Blog to learn more.
Im glad you still had an enjoyable time and appreciated the beauty of this region. We hope to help you plan your next trip!
Margaret J.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Balkan Mountains
Bulgaria
Difficulty not explained accurately. Bike not a hybrid. Definitely more a mountain bike. Please include fruit at meals and please provide laundry facility somewhere on trip.
Mary Beth R.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Carissima Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary
Scenery was gorgeous, food was superb. Accommodations good.
If you took Albert out of the equation I would give much higher ratings. He was inadequate with trail details. His info was hard to follow on the maps. Someone described him as a Peacock. Very apt. The rest of the staff was very good although you need another person in the dining room. Way to many people for the amount of people serving.
Don’t advertise that you have WiFi....you really don’t .....
Lisa S.
3 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
We traveled on the ship Bordeaux in France. The bike routes were beautiful, but the instructions provided by not so great. No worries, we had maps and a GPS, we made each day into an adventure!!!
