Croatia Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 181 to 210 of 637

The day we rode all day was probably the most memorable. The farm stop for lunch was very enjoyable. We would have liked to have more of the longer rides

The trip fell short of what was advertised. Operator over promised and under delivered so expectations were not exceeded, much less met.
The guides were great and did their best but the popularity of the region, even in the off season, resulted in crowds that prevented the boat to access dock space needed to unload and load bikes, required rafting up with as many as 9 other boats, did not allow one “explore on your own opportunities”, resulted in premium priced deck cabins being worse than more private and quieter below deck cabins, and so on.
All-in-all, 4 out of the 7 planned rides were offered and 80 of 143 miles covered.
This type of trip is always subject to change, due to conditions, but this trip fell so far short I blame the operator for the lack of contingency plans.

This trip was amazing! The organization, dedication to Safety, communication and just plain fun made it one of the best trips we have taken. Mirta and Ivan, along with the rest of the crew, were profession and very knowledgeable. The boat was very comfy and clean, and had everything we needed. The bikes were great and if anything went awry (flat tire etc) they were able to fix it right away. We loved the What's App group for communication and sharing of great pics - would definitely recommend using that as a standard.

A couple suggestions:

The meals, especially lunch were delicious but very heavy. With such an active tour no need for potatoes and a big piece of meat for lunch. Even the 3 courses at dinner could have been brought down to 2 - a nice salad and pasta or meat, not necessary for both. Breakfasts were great.
The lunch at the Vineyard on our trip was fantastic! Loved the atmosphere and also supporting a local business. Would love to have a couple more of these experiences as opposed to meals on the boat.
We did not have experience in Croatia before so were a bit surprised how much they want cash (seems every country is a bit different). Adding this to the pre-trip brief will help everyone bring enough cash for shopping and restaurants.
We were very happy with this trip and hope to see you again with a bunch of our friends for another adventure!

Beautiful scenery, good excursions, very professional staff, international community.

We most enjoyed the culture of the Croatian North Dalmatia islands and the comradery of the other bikers on the boat with us. We made some lasting friendships on this tour. The Andela Lora is a very comfortable, well appointed vessel and well worth the premium price. Being early in the season, the boat was only about 50% full which added to the comfort. Given the varied terrain and elevations, electric bikes were definitely a plus. Our group had both trekkers and mountain bikers, so the respective stories following our rides were quite enjoyable.

The onboard chef was very talented and the food varied and well prepared. Luka, our waiter, was a joy. The crew and guides were very customer focused and experts at what they do. The guides could have provided a deeper historical perspective prior to and during each ride, but that is my only criticism. They took good care of us. Professional city tours were arranged on multiple occasions (Krk, Zadar, and Rab) and well done.

Be aware of over and above charges including Croatian tourist tax, crew/guide tips, water (fixed per passenger), and bar (coffee, alcohol, soft drinks) that are cash only and can creep up on you with a not so pleasant surprise at the end.

Too many highlights to list! Our guides and the rest of the boat crew were incredible. They are proud to show off their beautiful country of Croatia and truly love their jobs. There is not a better way to see the spectacular scenery and learn about the history of the country than with this tour.

I've been on several bike tours. This one was one of the best! The Magellan was beautiful with plenty of public spaces to hang out. The cabins, though small were comfortable. Even the beds were comfortable. The other guest were so much fun, friendly, and interesting. The onboard food was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting mediocre food (as I've had on the other bike/barge trips). The food on Magellan ranged from above average to excellent - and there was so much of it! No one was ever hungry. They even accommodated vegetarians, gluten-free, and other palettes. The staff onboard were kind, patient, and attentive. And our guides, Dora and Alan were simply wonderful. They were knowledgable, fun, funny, caring and were always smiling. It seemed like nothing was too much trouble for them. Dora set up a WhatsApp site for our group where we shared photos, information, and where she suggested the best restaurants for port meals. It was brilliant. We're still posting. We also enjoyed the walking tours of the various towns where we docked. Those local tour guides were all excellent. The e-bikes were ok. The first one they gave me wasn't the right fit for me (I was too stretched out and had trouble reaching the handlebars). Fortunately, Dora and Alan came to the rescue and were able to swap it out for one that fit me better.

The most memorable? That's tough. Maybe climbing the Croatian hills with ease on the e-bike. Maybe the final dinner which ended with champagne, dancing, hugs, and even some tears. Maybe watching the brave souls cannonballing from Magellan's swimming platform into 60 F water (too cold for me). Maybe relaxing on the top deck gazing out the gorgeous crystal clear Adriatic as we sailed.

There are a few nit-picky details I could complain about but I won't. None would prevent me from doing the trip again.

This is a delightful area to visit; the history of the walled cities along with the coastline, warm climate and great ride leaders made for an enjoyable trip. The climbs can be a bit challenging but e-bikes are available and they were the bikes of choice by 95% of the travelers. If you haven’t seen the “Pearls of Dalmatia”, you need to add it to your list or make it your next ride.

Very luxurious ship with superb dining and service. Highly recommend the Iron Gate cruise.

Everything we experienced was wonderful- the biking, the routes, the food on the boat, the excellent service , the room, the smooth transitions for tours. I highly recommend this trip and hope to go on another Swiss Crown trip in the futurez

Amazing rides, guides, guests, sights and food - and oh yes, the crew! This was an extraordinary week filled with splendid rides through the countryside and small villages, wonderful food on the boat and in restaurants and laughter every time we got together. The guides were our coaches and resources - sharing their knowledge and perspectives on all aspects of Croatia. We had opportunities for language lessons, geography/historical insights and town walks with locals. The boat provided everything we needed and the crew make sure that we were comfortable and well cared for. Great value also!

Croatia is a stunningly beautiful and historic nation. Our guides generously shared their love of Country. Would highly recommend this trip.

The most memorable part of the trip is the views from the top of the hills of the Adriatic Coast of Croatia. The e-bikes help a lot in reaching these summits, from which you get to swish along on switchbacks as fast as you care to go, into the destination harbor towns.

The views from the bike ride over the hills and the color of the water
I was expecting more seafood on the boat menu and less heavy meals

I had a great trip and meet some really fun new friends. Our upper level stateroom was pretty standard, small but comfortable. Itinerary was great and our guides were very accommodating, making a special stop at an olive mill per the request of a couple of our passengers. E-bikes were in good operating order and were a must for all but one person on our trip. We did a lot of uphill climbs, one was really steep, the rest just long and steady uphill. Probably due to the terrain/hills, most rides were on the shorter side (less than 20 miles for the day). Food was plentiful, but poor quality, vegetable soup without any trace of vegetables, thin chicken cutlets that were over cooked, and a main course of pasta daily. I ended up stopping at a grocery for snacks to bring onboard.

Amazing trip. Great guides, boat and food. Itinerary was a good mix of riding, relaxing and sightseeing.

Croatia is a beautiful and very clean country. The tour of Dalmatia was a fabulous overview of the outside islands. My most memorable part was climbing the uphills on the bikes. Even with an E-Bike it was a lot of work.

We had a wonderful time. Croatia is one of the most beautiful places we have visited! Our guides Marko and Edie were great, they took great care of us and were full of info about Croatia. They were fun and entertaining. As for bringing helmets, they are hard to pack and only 4 people brought them. The boat had plenty. The food was outstanding! I occasionally get seasick but had no problem on this boat. The wine was only sold by the bottle and beer by the glass. Our bar bill was $150 and has to be paid in cash (Euros) at the end of the trip. We did not drink much. Uber was much better than taxis and Dubrovnik buses worked great. The fast ferries from Split were cheap and easy beside the boat in the port. Cabins on board are small with upper berths noisier and more light at night. We are looking forward to another trip!!

Our guides Ana and Bubi were most memorable; they were excellent and made us feel safe and informed. Ana is a gifted leader who always had a smile on her face.

The meals were nutritious and tasty; the portions were large ( often larger than needed). The crew and cooks worked very hard to make us comfortable and taken care of. The boat was clean and well maintained despite being older than the Harmonia.

The boat could’ve used chairs at the upstairs table so we could sit together there. One bench was good, but chairs are needed. Perhaps a wifi booster could be added in the captain’s helm so rooms at the front of the boat could stay connected.

Just returned form a Pearls of Dalmatia on board the Romantica. I am very disappointed. The food we were served was less than acceptable. Vegetable soup without any vegetables (none, zero), chicken noodle soup with no chicken or noodles, thin chicken filet (2 nights) that would have been fine had they not been over cooked (think shoe leather), a lot, lot of pasta. Coffee & tea were complimentary with breakfast only, any other time, lunch, dinner or in between, there was a surcharge. However, there was plenty of bottled drinking water..good thing as you pay cash on board $60 euros per person for water.

Guides were friendly, stateroom was standard bike & barge size & layout. I would have preferred more riding, but what we did was good, certainly challenging. Bikes were in good working order.

We had a lots of fun meeting the other guests and biking the islands. The crew were great and we were well looked after. The islands are very hilly with long uphills sometimes for 6 km. Even though it was not listed as an ebike trip, 29/30 of us used ebikes. If you are on the lower deck the port windows do not open. There are fans but I would have liked fresh air. For me the biking temperatures were great in April. We swam a few times after our bikes and found some nice beaches close to the port. The food is good and plentiful. The drinks, except water are extra. Coffee and tea are only included for breakfast so you need some cash at the end for your bar bill. The biking only took up part of the day so if you want to bike longer I would look for a different trip. Overall the people made the trip!

Everything about the trip was great! Even though we are experienced cyclists, we chose the eBike option. Our tour started in Dubrovnik and terminated in Split. On our cruise, there were 4 Americans, 2 Brits and the rest, a group of Canadians. Everyone got along well. Our two guides, Luka and Serge were excellent. My wife and I are swimmers. We swam every day. Every port in which we stayed for the night had a nice, clean city beach. Each day when the ship docked, we sought out the city swimming venue. My only suggestion is that we wanted to have access to our bikes even after the boat docked. Unfortunately, the bikes were always locked up as soon as we arrived at the boat. It would have been nice to ride our bikes to the city beaches instead of walking. Ib Dubrovnik, we swam at the 50-meter indoor pool, Bazen u Gruzu which was very close to where the ship docked. In Split, we swam at a huge swimming/water polo indoor facility, SC Bazeni Polzud.

The tour director, Eddie along with the other guides, made the entire trip a wonderful experience. The guides were a great deal of fun and very knowledgeable about the area. Their expertise and safety measures were invaluable while we were on the daily rides. In addition, the on-board life was very pleasant, particularly the dining. Matthew, the dining room manager, was perfection at its highest—a jack of all trades, managing the dinner services and the bar service flawlessly with a constant smile.
Overall - a fantastic trip which we keep reminiscing about!!

Amazing trip with amazing views.
Cycle time was adequate with enough downtime to tour on yor own.
Crew was fantastic and met every need. Excellent food.

Tour guides were amazing as well the scenery on the islands , Dubrovnik and Split
Rent the e-bike as the hills on the islands are steep and long unless you just want an extreme work out and not a holiday

This was an amazing journey. We were well taken care of from the moment we stepped on the boat. All of our guides, Marco, Edi, Bubbi and Filip, were experienced, kind and helpful. They were available and willing to answer any questions. The chefs were incredible. My husband had an issue with his bike and a solution was found immediately. The bike routes took us on beautiful islands, each unique in their challenges and vistas seen. The e-bikes enabled us to ride places we’d have never been able to see. Neither of us had ever ridden an e-bike and we learned quickly.

Soon after we stepped on the Swiss Crown, we knew it was going to be a great trip. The room was spacious, the boat was luxurious and comfortable, and the food was excellent. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our e-bikes were suitable and in good condition. We thoroughly enjoyed the rides along the Danube that went through small villages, farmland, and forests. We toured 4 country capital cities and couldn’t stop taking pictures of the amazing architecture. We made friends with many guests and our guide Axel was outstanding in his hospitality, humour, and knowledge of the areas and their history. It was a vacation we will never forget!

The guides were outstanding. We got lucky with the weather, but when it didn’t cooperate they figured out alternatives that didn’t feel like compromising. That said there was an emergency where we swam in a current and three people needed assistance. The guides responded, but not one of the crew did anything. This was very disturbing.

The overall experience was beyond our expectations! The Harmonia boat was spotless and well maintained and the crew and kitchen staff were superb. One highlight was the long bike ride of 38 miles through the beautiful countryside of little villages, small farms and lavender fields. Croatia has to be the rising star throughout all of Europe. With crystal clear waters, beautiful views and wonderful food that is very reasonably priced combined with extremely friendly people you have the perfect vacation destination.
This trip is a MUST do experience!

The entire package was memorable which was enhanced by the other travelers on the boat. The camaraderie among the travelers, guides and crew was the icing on the cake for each day! The guides were excellent: informative, caring, supportive. Be prepared for "Croatia flat" (undulating hills) after climning the long hills while biking!