5 Star Along the Danube - Four Country Tour Tour Reviews — 91 to 120 of 367
Wendy H.
June 30, 2023
Verified Reviewer
THIS TRIP IS AMAZNG! This was probably one of the most beautiful trips I have ever been on and I have travelled to over 40 countries! The boat director, "Leslie" and the crew of the Vivienne were bar none in their service. The food was high grade, the boat clean and elegant and the crew was OUTSTANDING. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys food, art and FUN! Even on the hot days, Leslie and crew made it memorable. Loved the 70's party! Leslie proved over 200 outfits for the guests to wear and he was attentive to every guest, even with a broken wrist. THANK YOU for a the trip of a lifetime. You can be darn certain that I will be back! Such a great time! Thank you Tripsite and Rad-Riessan Eurocyle (spelling?) for making this happen All of the venues were amazing but the last ride in the wine country of Austria was spectacular! LOVED EVERY MINUTE! THANK YOU to the professionals at Tripsite, the crew of the Vivienne and Leslie the amazing cruise director. WIth much gratitude and appreciation, Wendy.
Sharon W.
June 29, 2023
Verified Reviewer
Beautiful days of biking with great options for tours on the ‘rest’ days. Seeing a small part of Bratislava and Budapest was fascinating. Our cruise director Leslie offered great suggestions for unique restaurants, special tours for specific interests (historical, foodie, libraries, best photos of the area, etc. ). Onboard food was excellent with many tasty vegetarian choices.
JAMES C.
June 28, 2023
Verified Reviewer
The biking was fantastic. The boat and crew made the whole adventure simply a great time.
LISA C.
June 26, 2023
Verified Reviewer
The trip was outstanding! My room which was a standard was roomy. The ship was elegant. The stops were awesome so much to see. Our cruise director Leslie told us where to stop and placed arrows everywhere, making it easy to follow.
The food was delicious. We had. Choice of food. Loved the ice cream social.
The farewell party and costumes were a lot of fun! It seemed as if the crew was trying to do everything in their power to make a fun memorable trip!(which they did)
John S.
June 23, 2023
Verified Reviewer
We loved the SE Manon, its crew and the other travelers. We met many interesting people as we had a large group from Brazil and another from Norway on with us as well as the usual large group from Europe.
We choose to not bike in the large cities, but rather used walking tours in both Bratislava and Budapest and had a Vienna Greeter give us an interesting walking tour around their ring buildings. We felt comfortable using the local transportation in all three of these cities.
Carol H.
June 14, 2023
Verified Reviewer
This trip exceeded my every expectations from start to finish. The ship was more beautiful than than the brochure. The bikes were top quality although next time I will definitely get an e-bike. The crew & service were top notch! The meals & beverages were outstanding. I especially liked the different wine pairing at each dinner. The entertainment was eclectic, from soft piano during Tea & cake time, then kicked it up at nite for dancing. The pirate & 70’s theme nights were also super fun & unexpected. Everyday was a new experience. I especially liked our last day Krems - Melk and all the great villages, gothic towns, Vineyard’s, castles and breathtaking views.
The only thing I would change personally, is the guided bike tour in the city. Our tour guide was amazing, but I was so focused on riding the bike, due to lots of cyclist and lack of experience in city cycling and the rain, that I feel I missed out on lots. The next time I would due the walking tour or hop on - hop off! Thanks you for the great memories.
Ron Goldberg
June 14, 2023
Verified Reviewer
It was an absolutely amazing trip! I had high hopes from this tour and it even exceeded anything I could ever hope for. The boat was incredible, everything was beautifully decorated, our cabins we're really nice and well equipped, the sun deck was very pleasant and gave us a good place to take in all the beautiful landscapes we passed through, and the hot tub was a real treat! The staff was super friendly and professional, and the food was excellent. My need for vegan food was answered above any expectations, they really went out of their way to include me and give me the same dishes as everyone else but with a vegan version. The bicycles were excellent as well, very well maintained and they felt light and easy to accelerate even though they we're heavier than my own bike. I could really cruise in those bicycles with little effort. The routes were absolutely amazing and beautiful, the briefings were excellent and the app made it even easier to navigate (with added on map points of interest). The schedule was very well balanced between the cycling routes and rest days in which we did some sightseeing in the amazing cities we went through. Overall, simply incredible and I would highly recommend this trip!! Thank you!!
Assaf G.
June 14, 2023
Verified Reviewer
Wonderful trip, actually; perfectly organized, very friendly and helpful staff, everything went by the book.
Especially admirable was the response of the kitchen staff to our demand for vegan food.
Daniel P.
June 13, 2023
Verified Reviewer
Biking through the small Austrian cities was wonderful. The Se Manon cruise boat is well appointed and the boat floated down the Danube so quietly. The Staff on the SE Manon was eager, enthusiastic, talented and fun. We ate and we drank plenty. The Chefs and the Bartenders took good care of us.
Jim U.
June 11, 2023
Verified Reviewer
Great way to tour the Danube River valley with a good mix of active bike riding and the opportunity to visit cities such as Brataslavia, Budapest and Vienna by having a boat that can cover long distances while you are sleeping.
Lori I.
June 5, 2023
Verified Reviewer
This bucket list trip does not disappoint. One week of magic. Unpack once and you are good for the week which was a huge part of the magic. Every day was different. Cycling through villages and towns, or wineries and vineyards, or just along the river. The two 'rest days' were filled with walking around Vienna and Budapest and seeing all the sites we could. Food on board was exceptional and the service of the staff exemplary. We also liked that there was time in towns/cities to also eat local food during the day and a few days the boat was docked at dinner as well so although food was prepaid for all meals - we liked that we could also experience local cuisine. It was a mostly German speaking boat or week but we did have about 30 English speakers and the staff all spoke English so that was helpful to us. The routes were good (but we did have to crowd source a bit to not get lost). There is not really anything to do on the boat per se - but the scenery was continuously striking and you go through a variety of locks which is also interesting. We were on the Vivienne which is a newly remodeled boat (a few years back) so the rooms and common areas were decorated nicely. Overall - great trip for active people seeking ease and flow on a vacation where you could see 4 countries and not be stressed.
Stephen G.
June 2, 2023
Verified Reviewer
We were very fortunate that we had beautiful weather the entire trip, except for a brief hail storm as we returned to the barge in Bratislava. The alternate days of biking and city touring was excellent in that it allowed time to recover from saddle sores, and the e-bikes were very comfortable for the long distances we biked. The crew was fabulous and accommodating to every need, and the Cruise Director (Leslie) made sure we were prepared and had everything we needed to make our biking a pleasure and free of stress.
Kim W.
June 1, 2023
Verified Reviewer
This was a fantastic trip! The boat was great and the crew was the best. Meal were great and nicely served - significantly past my expectation for a trip focused on biking. If you are doing this trip, here are some things I wish I had known....
- You will spend more time on the boat than you might think - pack clothes for that and excursion days as well as what you were for biking
- Speaking of clothes, it is hard to get things to dry if you wash them out by hand - there is a clothesline in the shower but bring your own clips
- You won't have much shore time on biking days or excursion days, so don't bother looking up 100 things to do in a city. Think in terms of a few hours not a whole day
- That being said, I would suggest setting something up on your own in Vienna in the evening - especially if you are into Classical Music - that is, after all, the town for it. We went to the ballet and it was wonderful. Our friends went to the Opera - you might want to take nicer clothes for either of those - they still dress up for concerts..
- Don't bother getting Florints (money) in Hungary - everyone we talked to took Euros, but do get train tickets from your tour guide if they are offered - they are hard to find and the machines are not in English and VERY hard to figure out (we finally found some young people who graciously helped us out)
- Don't count on Wifi. Period. We never managed to pull in any
- The app they use sounds really good but we found it completely useless - even our cruise director said not to use it. It doesn't help, and most of the time when we had a question on the route I couldn't pull in cell service
- Speaking of cell service....play around with what service your phone pulls up. Sometimes if I changed carriers I got a much better signal
- Try to find a group to ride with - it really helps with directions and is much more fun
- The Ebikes are VERY heavy - someone said 65lbs - I don't know if that is true, but they are very heavy and hard to manage. They might help when you are riding, but they are hard to handle - not for anyone who isn't pretty strong especially stop and go in small towns - it is a challenge.
- Every day you have to catch the boat before it leaves port. You don't have to be a professional biker, but you do have to ride along at a pretty good clip. That took us by surprise...it was no jaunt through the countryside - but I am older (60) so maybe that is a matter of perspective
- They set out salad stuff for you to take with a sandwich for lunches - I would suggest taking a small tupperware if you think you want salad on the road, but I would also suggest taking baggies just in case you don't want their prepared sandwiches (which were OK, but not real exciting). They put out cold cuts and breads/rolls and several days we made our own (helpful hint - don't put mayo on in the morning - take the packets and put them on when you eat - just to be sure it is fresh). I also made up some trail mix and took rolls (with Nutella packets) for snacks so the baggies were really helpful. SHOW MORE
- Take sunscreen and apply it the first day, especially to your face. I didn't...'nuff said....
- Use the app every day to plan for the cool sites along the way - otherwise you'll cruise right past some really cool things
ALRIGHT - enough already! I hope at least one person finds something useful in here.
Bon Voyage!
SHOW LESS
Linda G.
October 24, 2022
Verified Reviewer
This was my first bike and barge trip and it was wonderful! I plan to do more biking and cruising! It was fun traveling with 14 friends.
Catherine A.
October 16, 2022
Verified Reviewer
The most memorable aspect of the Danube River Bike and Barge was the incredible scenery that we experienced. Every day was visually stunning but varied from the day before. We biked through hardwood and conifer forests, vineyards, classic villages, wooded pathways always along the beautiful river. The people we encountered were friendly, helpful and fun. It is a treasured memory.
Gerilyn K.
October 16, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Vineyard ride thru austria
Frederick J A.
September 30, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Great biking on an iconic river through the major cities in grand luxury.
DORIS S.
September 27, 2022
Verified Reviewer
A wonderful experience! Good food, lots of fun. Leslie the cruise director was phenomenal! I'm not sure its possible, but it would have been nice to have a little more time in the major cities. The bus trips were a great introduction for a return trip.
Donna M.
September 25, 2022
Verified Reviewer
This was the best trip ever, which makes it hard to think of just one memorable part. Truly everything was memorable, the sights, the food, the experience of biking through small towns, the crew especially Leslie our cruise director. If I had to pick one special moment it would be while biking through the countryside we came across a quaint Food truck selling homemade lemonade. We rested, ate our lunch, shot some darts and drank the most delicious glass of blood orange lemonade.
When the trip was over, we all said “let’s do another one next year!”
Kurt S.
September 18, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Most memorable parts? Food, people, the rides through the country
Elizabeth M.
September 17, 2022
Verified Reviewer
I was very impressed with the ship, food, crew and all around organization of everything. I expected the photos from the website to enhance the appearance and size of the ship, but in person it was just as impressive. I wouldn't say our cabin was large, but it offered all that we required. There were multiple storage areas, a safe box, refrigerator, coffee station and the outlets were where they needed to be.
The ship was very clean. All cleaning seemed to be done while passengers were at meals or on excursions. I did not see anyone pushing a vacuum or hauling trash, but yet the carpets were free from dirt, and all public spaces were tidy and well-tended.
The crew were helpful and friendly. We got to know a few of them (Patrick, George, Samwell and Dida) and have fond memories of them. I hope we didn't pester them too much with our questions and demands.
The meals were wonderful - well presented and more than enough to satisfy any appetite (I now need to diet to make up for all my indulgence). Some dishes I preferred more than others, but it was good to get a taste of the local cuisines. There were generally options for vegetarians, seafood lovers and meat eaters, and always a choice of a tasty dessert.
We chose a Bike and Barge excursion, so we got to explore the area on bike. We had reserved electric bikes. These were easy to get the hang of, well maintained and easy to peddle. The scenery was beautiful and most of the biking was on bike paths although there were some challenging areas involving traffic and finding our way. The afternoon before each bike day, we were given a presentation detailing the path we needed to take and what we might encounter. We were also given a booklet with maps, points of interest and more details.
I would highly recommend choosing Tripsite for your next vacation.
Susan C.
September 17, 2022
Verified Reviewer
I really enjoyed my trip on the Swiss Crown. The boat is beautiful, the food is fabulous, and the staff is amazing. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. I especially loved the city tours we took. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to see a variety of places and people. The Danube is gorgeous and was surprising sparsely populated in places. Gliding along with a drink on the sun deck is a wonderful way to experience the river itself. I did not ride the bikes, but my entire family enjoyed them and said they were easy to ride. Please take this trip. You will have a great time!
Marianne B.
September 17, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Beautiful vistas daily as we cycled along the Danube
David M.
September 16, 2022
Verified Reviewer
The most memorable part is the memories of our group of 8 being able to experience the biking and river crusing together. The staff on the boat were marvelous and a lot of fun.
A suggestion is to have the full itinerary of the trip available at the beginning of the trip. Often we had no idea what time we were arriving or leaving from the dock, or what time we were getting on the bikes and waht time we had to be back to the ship. So more clarity of the weekly schedule would have been very beneficial.
Other than that the trip was incredibly scenic and overall we had a wonderful experience.
Sarah S.
September 11, 2022
Verified Reviewer
How can I choose a most memorable part? There were so many! Cycling across the New Bridge to Bratislava, and in the breathtaking cities of Budapest and Vienna, relaxing drinking wine with new friends on the upper deck of the barge floating down the Danube. The whole trip was filled with memorable and precision moments.every day.
Sara K.
September 2, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Very well organized
Suggestions: make coffee available before breakfast.
Food was great and we loved the 4 course dinners, but the wait between courses was consistently a bit too long.
Robert S
July 30, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Wonderful trip. The crew of the Fortuna was wonderful along with the 5 course meal every night. Our guide, Axel, was a treasure. I cannot recommend this trip enough. The biking was lovely and not too hard. The countryside was beautiful. Most amazingly, the trip went off without a flaw, especially when you consider how many moving parts were involved to make this work. We were constantly going through locks, which was always interesting, while sipping beer or wine on the top deck after a day's ride. I just want to thank everyone who made this unique and luxurious experience possible.
Cristian B.
July 26, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Great tour. Helpful crew, accommodation and meals.
Cristian Boarca
July 26, 2022
Verified Reviewer
Lovely trip. Great accommodation, meals and helpful crew.
Margaret M.
July 16, 2022
Verified Reviewer
The guided bicycle tour was the most memorable part of the trip. Our guide, Thomas, was so knowledgeable about local history and culture and made sure we never got lost. The staff were remarkably friendly and helpful, and the food was varied, fresh, and delicious. From our point of view, join the guided bike tour to catch all of the local highlights and be efficient with your ride. Our fellow bike tour members were fun, energetic and competent even though our ages ranged from 29-71. Relax and don't worry about when and where you'll meet your group and what you'll need to bring. There is always someone available to clarify logistics. Take advantage of the extra activities like bus tours and concerts. They add even more richness to the experience. Finally, though we don't speak German, we always felt "in the know" because all communication was offered bilingually. Truly a great experience. We're looking to book our next one!
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