Along the Danube - Four Country Tour Tour Reviews — 241 to 270 of 556

The Beauty of the Surroundings, intimate boat, fantastic food, met new great friends!
Instructions for biking could have been better.. with mileage.. to better time management for return to boat. Cruise Director too pompous for me... had better.. but think his last tour with you

Loved the day by day review of what was to happen. On board entertainment was spectacular.

Must See: The excursion to the Clam Castle. Authentic Castle owned by the Clam family since the 1500's to the present.
If you take this excursion or the concentration camp, inexperienced riders should rent an electric bike.

This was an amazing trip. The MS Carissima was very comfortable, the people were lovely, very helpful and friendly . The food was very varied to fit in with the countries and was always delicious . The cycle routes were leisurely and the scenery beautiful . We made life- long friends and had a wonderful time .

Loved the opportunity to cycle along the Danube and see more of the countryside and visit the small towns. Could have done without the wind though! Need to be prepared for all kinds of weather in October. Each day was different - Vienna and Budapest were amazing to visit (once again!).

I can't really choose one memory as the whole trip was absolutely wonderful on and off the barge. The food, accommodations, and staff were absolutely top-notch, they didn't miss a beat. Loved cycling through the beautiful scenery of the rural, small-town areas, and the opportunity to visit several of the larger cities with the added excursions. I wish I had researched the area of the tour beforehand to familiarize myself with its history.
I would have liked a more detailed daily map of the route with distances between landmarks noted. We missed several turns but were able to get back on track. Also one of our bikes in our group of ten did not shift properly even after being replaced, making for a frustrating experience. All that being said we will definitely do another bike and barge trip.

I really loved the last day of the bicycling - we rode through the beautiful Wachau valley’s vineyards. The towns were quaint and the landscape was breathtaking! Also, we had a sunset while on the barge that was unforgettable.
Tips: *Be ready to adapt and roll with things. If you want a boring, unexciting trip, take a bus! *You will be in close contact with lots of other people. If that makes you uncomfortable, maybe this is not the trip for you. *Bring some salty snacks and other electrolyte-replacers, especially if biking in warm weather, as these are not available on the ship.

Most Memorable Part: Visiting wonderful towns and cities.
We found that the bikes provided were very heavy, making them a bit tough to ride. We were there at the end of the season and the brakes on the bikes were worn out. The bike maintenance was not ideal

Excellent cruise director, wonderful bike trails with good instructions as to how to follow them, excellent food. It was a great trip.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Danube 4-Country bike and boat tour, Our ship the Carissima was very comfortable and the staff were great. The food was amazing- beautifully prepared and good variety for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. The bike trails were easy to follow for the most part and the scenery spectacular. We had so many memorable moments. One of the highlights were the bonds we formed with our fellow passengers. We got to meet some terrific people who became instant friends and who we will stay in touch with.
My only suggestion would be to provide easier trail maps and directions. The briefings were helpful, but hard to remember all the details. Finding our way at times was a comedy of errors and we muddled through with other fellow riders. I guess all part of the experience.
Overall an amazing trip and would highly recommend to others.

The efficiency of collecting and dropping off the bike at the beginning and the end of the day could not have gone smoother. The guidebooks were very helpful though it would have been nice to have more information on sights along the way. The bikes were extremely comfortable and we had no issues. We are already planning on our next tour!

Most Memorable Part: Self guiding our way along the Danube through amazing countryside.

We really enjoyed the biking. Most the trails were very nice and the scenery was beautiful.The most memorable part was probably the Wachau Valley. The bikes were very good. The rooms on the boat were good and the food was also plentiful and tasty.We enjoyed the entertainment put on by the crew.

We loved the arrival by night in Budapest! It was unexpectedly gorgeous with all the lighted bridges and buildings. Truly amazing. Fireworks were an unexpected highlight of the evening in Linz which just happened to have a celebration. Our third highlight was the last biking day through the Wachau Valley--such beautiful vineyards and small villages! One tip: bring a multi USB plug and more than one adaptor for use in the room.

Riding along the Danube offered many beautiful vistas. The bikes were great, the seats very comfortable, which made for a nice ride. We met some fun people on board although a greater mix of English speaking to German speaking would have been even better. Suggestions as mentioned to Tripsite staff would be to make this tour guided (the entire group of 100 passengers were lost on several days which minimized the opportunity to make it to some of the sites), to include ferries in the pricing, so that passengers aren't always searching to make sure they have cash (our previous trip included the ferries so wasn't an issue.), and the excursions were sometimes canceled so these could also be improved. All in all we had fun and the cabin staff took great care of our rooms...I'd make a different selection though next time.

This is my 3rd bike/boat tour, and the 1st unguided. I love to travel this way. But the number of people on the boat -- 100 -- were just too many for the crew to serve in any special way. The food and accommodations were excellent. The cruise director and schedule were below average. Out of 7 days, there were 4 days of biking -- 3 of these were spectacular along the Danube. The Wachau ride was simply stunning. However, the ride around Bratislava featured few, if any, interesting attractions, and many of us got lost. The cruise director suggested stopping at a restaurant as a highlight of the day -- but the restaurant was not in operation. The briefings for English speakers were later than those for the Germans and we were then constrained by the boat schedule in the afternoon -- making at least 2 of the biking days a dash to finish the ride and get back on time -- not leisurely and not affording us to stop much. All the staff on the boat work really hard and it shows. But I prefer a guided tour with a smaller group and boat for better biking and a better overall experience.

Best Part? Biking along the Danube the first day in the beautiful countryside. Spectacular!!

The biking was absolutely wonderful; so incredibly beautiful especially through the vineyards and orchards. The ride around Bratislava was not marked well at all and 90% of the riders got lost going in all different directions, thank God for smart phones. The food on board was well prepared, always hot and nutritional. Where this trip fell short was the crew abroad the Normandie. Unlike the other TWO Bike and Barge Trips I experienced, this crew was a bit unwelcoming, rude, and times condescending and scolding. Not everyone but it certainly was the feel on the boat and many were talking about it. I know the crew work long hours and they all have to help with most tasks on the boat; however, there would be nothing to do if WE weren't there. I absolutely love this way of travel and will do another one again very soon. This was NOT a Tripsite issue but am hopeful this information will be passed to the appropriate people. Tripsite has been excellent in providing information and always seems to offer a great deal.

The journey and visiting the 4 capitols was the best.
However too many people on the boat - the noise level in the dining room was excessive. The cruise director was obnoxious especially towards women and favored the Germans on the boat. Our group of 18 was split into 3 tables and we always sat with the same people. Never mixed with other groups.

The most memorable part of this trip to me was the Operetta symphony concert at Schlosspark in Vienna. This is an experience that no one should miss.

Just returned from this trip on the Carissima and it was a wonderful way to see the Danube. Booked the guided package and Axle was wonderful-took us to out of the way places we never would've found on our own and no other guests saw. Glad we rented Ebikes as there were a few long climbs and stiff winds several times. Kalkoff bikes are fantastic! Light rain a few days but nothing which impeded our rides--just be sure and take waterproof everything so you can still bike. Crew on the Carissima are great--rooms are clean, beds comfy, sufficient air con, nice hot water and water pressure in the bathroom. No real TV except a European sports channel and a few other Austrian channels--we didn't miss it at all. Meals were good but VERY small portions at dinner--not a problem for us but others complained. House white wine was good, red not so much. Packed lunch consists of a bottle of water, small sandwiches, fruit and granola bars--sufficient but we opted to eat at a local cafe a few times when we stopped. Two complaints: the boat doesn't dock at town centers every night so you can wander around and hit a pub or listen to some live music. Understandably some nights its moving and a few guests complained that the lower deck cabins were very noisy, especially when going through locks. In Passau, it docks several miles from the town center, and we were told there were only SEVEN taxis in the entire city and nearly impossible to get one. So the cruise director, Albert, said he hired a bus to take us to the train station upon disembarking, and the charge was 15 Euros per person. For a 10 minute ride--he only took cash and gave no receipts. This is highway robbery given that upon arrival in Passau we hired a taxi at a cost of 10 Euro for 2 of us. We would've taken a chance on an Uber but the ship was over 30 minutes late getting into Passau and we had a tight train connection on Sunday. We didn't do any of the optional activities however others said they enjoyed the concert in Vienna, but no one liked the Hungarian Folk Show in Budapest. Be sure and hike up to St. Mattias Church in Budapest at night--the view is spectacular! Finally, the Danube shoreline is largely undeveloped (a great thing), so you don't see a lot of towns and villages-I mention this because lines like Viking and AMA promote their balconies,huge window walls and gyms/spas/etc-and charge thousands of dollars more for the same itinerary-but you're not ON the boat for about 8 hours of the day, and when you are, 90% of the time you're looking at trees. If we'd spent $5000/pp to do this trip we'd have been really disappointed--bottom line--this trip is a great VALUE and you're seeing what everyone else sees. This was our second trip with Tripsite after doing the Tulip Tour last spring, and again they handled everything flawlessly--another couple on our trip also booked with them and said the same. Very satisfied and looking forward to our Mantova to Venice bike and barge trip next year-  SHOW MORE 

It was a real memorable trip. Everybody in our group of 20 peoples loved it . Everything was great the cabin, the foods, the staff ,the entertainment and specially the bike ride . We had great bikes , the maps were good even the weather was hot and dry. We had a lot fun during the bike ride and when on board . Would love to do it again

Everything! The trip was very well planned and easily do-able. The bikes were great and were very comfortable. We had thought about bringing our gel seat covers, but did not and they were not needed. The routes planned were great and having downloaded the gps tracks we had no problems finding our way. The food on the boat was fantastic, my only complaint would be the length of time some meals took. The rooms on the boat (Carissima) were very comfortable.

This is my 3rd trip with Tripsite and they do a good job...but the instructions to the boat were a tad misleading. If there are detours/changes, I believe they should keep on top of that and be sure to report to their customers.The bike ride was amazing. The scenery was like all the other reviews stated......I would NOT recommend the ride in Vienna or Budapest; way to much traffic. The crew was not customer focused. The cruise director/bike tour director, Monica, was often short and rude to passengers. Unlike the other 2 trips I took, the crew was not welcoming or eager to help. There were a few in housekeeping and wait staff that were nice. The captain was cold and never engaged at all with the passengers. This is NOT a tripsite issue but this crew needed a kick in the pants from above to treat the passages better........recommend the trip but I hope you don't get this negative crew.....

The last day of the beautiful rolling hills and gorgeous monastery on the hill and quaint historic towns along the way were the highlight of the trip.

I loved Jan's presentations. He was very well prepared and his delivery was great. You should keep him doing that. However, his personal customer service leaves something to be desired. He had no patience for details that were not perfect.

All guides except for one were exceptionally good. The one guide in Budapest was so bad we got our money back for the bike guide in the city.

Two wonderful ways to travel and see the world: on a bike and on the sun deck of a boat.

We really enjoyed Wachau. Definitely stop for the wine tour, and enjoy the biking through the vineyards. It was absolutely beautiful.

The best way to have a holiday - you do not have to think about logistics, unpack and enjoy:) The Carissima was awesome, our every need was taken care of - the staff were super friendly and the food amazing!

By far the most memorable part was the opportunity to explore regions on our own and meet new people. The ship crew was awesome and attentive, and as this was the first trip of its kind we'd ever taken, it was beyond expectations!

The crew was fabulous, all of them!

Itinerary was excellent the food was great.

Drinks were too expensive at the bar.

One suggestion - smoking on the top deck - put the smokers at the back of the boat, not the front, so the rest of us don't have to smell the smoke if we choose to be on deck.