Europe Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 3181 to 3210 of 4949

It would be hard to decide on the most memorable part of the trip as there were so many. The barge Quo Vadis was exceptional in every way. Clean, bright and comfortable and so obviously cared for by the owners Captain Rendert Jan and his wife Ina. They had a great chef, Franco, whose meals were so good I even ate things I normally wouldn't. Our guide Peter led us with enthusiasm and humour and we enjoyed lovely scenery and many historical sites along the route from Cologne to Bamberg. The cycling was mostly on good bike paths away from traffic and where we did have to ride for short periods on the road, the drivers were considerate. We are looking forward to our next trip, hopefully again on the Quo Vadis.

Most Memorable Part? Staff on boat, people traveling and the scenery.

Everything was memorable, the other guests, crew, routes, guide, barge and food. 14 days with a break in the middle was just right for timing.

We thoroughly enjoyed our barge/cycle tour from Bruges to Amsterdam. We were lucky that the weather was cool and mostly dry with light to moderate winds behind us most of the way, thankfully. We had a fun mix of travelers from Denmark, Canada, the US and Australia and our 2 guides led us on some interesting and informative tours of towns and villages along the way. We all enjoyed the quality and variety of the evening meals and were able to set off each day after a hearty breakfast with plenty of lunch and snacks in our saddle bags. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the barge, the Fluvius. The dining area was modern and had ample room for relaxing and dining and lots of guests enjoyed the top deck area after a long day riding. We were on the lower deck with 2 single beds and our own ensuite. It was large enough for two people and had ample storage for our suitcases and bike gear. A lockable safe and hair dryer were in each room. The cycle itself was very easy as the countryside, while beautiful, is very flat. Having said that, the ride was varied as we were sometimes following rivers or canals and at others riding through forest or farmland, though tiny villages or into incredible cities such as Ghent or Antwerp. I would thoroughly recommend this cycle to others. It was our second barge/cycle tour and we can't wait to plan another.

Amazing scenery and locale. The biking maps leave a lot to be desired. Some riders had a trail app and they were lifesavers for those who were left to just the paper map booklet. Very difficult to follow. Maybe more tour guides to help out.

All days, with one exception, were beautiful, pleasurable, interesting, refreshing. The one exception day, that was actually most memorable, had very strong headwinds and some driving rain. It was the one day that added a sense of reality to this fabulous biking adventure.

Our guides were amazing made sure no one was left behind. I wish there would have been transportation for us from the train station to the boat. Other than that the trip was amazing and I would highly recommend this.

You will not really see France and Belgium unless you cycle. This way you go through villages and towns and farms, see cathedrals, castles and even the grave of Van Gogh. The routes take you on forest, bike and tow paths, roads and cobblestones. Enjoy picnic lunches in church grounds, pubs, cafes and gardens. You will enjoy evening night walks after a delicious three course meal.
If you don't think you can do it, you can!

This trip was the perfect balance for experiencing Italy as well as being physically active. The most memorable part of the trip was being with a group of like-minded active and curious people!

My main disappointment was that we did not go to Chateauneuf du Pape, that was one off the considerations in picking this tour. I understand the reasoning for the change in itinerary but it should be removed from the description if it is not being included. The gearing on the bikes could be better, higher top gear, lower bottom gear, for this tour. I hope this doesn't sound too negative as we did enjoy the tour. Most memorable sites were Les Beux/Les Carrieres de Lumieres and Pont-du-Gare.

My Mom immigrated from the area of Italy we cycled through, it was as if I was viewing towns and fields she viewed and visited as a child. Based on my sampling there is not a bad glass of wine in Italy....Forget a car, use a bike and public transportation...

The rides were the most memorable, very enjoyable and scenic. However there were a few issues. Disappointed with the bikes, for example the rubber on the pedals were so worn that my shoes constantly slipped on the exposed metal of the pedals. One of the guides switched his pedals with my bike, the guides seemed aware of the problem and it was obvious this issue had been raised before. Our toilet was leaking when we first arrived on the boat and we had quite a bit of water on the floor of the bathroom. Also the generator of the boat was switched off at night making the rooms uncomfortably hot. I don't understand why shore power wasn't utilized.

What a great trip! The crew of the Elodie are a tight-knit team who made our tour quite exceptional. The route was spectacular, the food wonderful and the accommodation comfortable. The bikes were high quality and well suited to the varied conditions enroute. A highly recommended tour!

Only suggestion, offer a Tripsite Jersey top to wear during the bike tour to keep the group together or identification. Make sure all bike tires are fully inflated. Low tire pressure does slow you down especially against the wind.
I will miss Lenny and her Iris crew.
Wonderful memories! I truly loved the day by day itinerary. Well organized! Good job

It's hard to choose a most memorable part of the trip. Aigues Mortes was a big surprise -- the history, the walls and the tower, and the special celebration -- the bull games -- taking place while we were there. The Camargue was amazing, with the waterways and the vineyards, the distinct breeds of horses and the bulls. Provence was beautiful with the olive groves and apple orchards, and of course more vineyards. It was exciting to visit the sites where Van Gogh had painted in Arles, and Hugo's commentary was superb. Singing Starry Starry night on deck under the starry night was lovely. The visit to Les Baux, with the spectacular scenery and Les Carrieres des Lumieres in the quarry were fabulous. We enjoyed visiting the Pont du Gard and singing Sur Le Pont d'Avignon as we cruised passed the bridge itself.

Now the areas for improvement: The bikes were not good enough for the Provence segment. We understood that we would be provided with 27 gear bikes, but had an infinite gearing system instead, and the lowest gear wasn't enough for the hills we encountered. Those with electric bikes were happier. Also, through some poor communication between Tripsite and the tour operator, Girolibero, a part of the trip route that our group had been particularly interested in -- a visit to Chateau Neuf du Pape -- was no longer included. Hugo did his best, with a vote (which came out even) to see whether we should go to Chateau Neuf du Pape or take the shorter route that had been promised to the others on the trip. Then he flipped a coin. We accepted the decision as appropriate, but were disappointed that we had not got what was advertised through Tripsite.

The knowledge about the country that our guide, Hein, provided at sporadic times. He was very astute to stop on a hillock for a small respite when there was no “cafe” in sight. Great information.

Most Memorable Part? Seeing a sea otter cross over the track 10 metres in front of me.

The food on board the ship was amazing, and at a higher quality more expensive competitors. I would definitely consider [Rad und Reisen](https://www.tripsite.com/about/our-partners/) again.

We really enjoyed the scenery on this trip and not cycling on main roads. Love when we are on cycle paths and not in traffic. The boat was first class and the crew on the Magnifique III went out of their way to accommodate all our needs. The chef made all the meals very unique and we were able to sample the various foods of the region. A wonderful vacation.

Really enjoyed our evenings off the boat visiting some FABULOUS cities....

The most memorable part of the trip was meeting and traveling with people from around the world and learning about the the two fascinating countries on our tour--Belgium and Holland. The Magnifique's atmosphere and crew were wonderful, too!

The Carissima had nice cabins that had ample room. The staff were truly amazing with their customer service. The daily briefings provided us with most of the information that we needed for the ride and Albert was excellent at answering all questions for those of us that needed extra help. We only had a few issues with directions. The bikes were in great condition, shifted easily and not as heavy as I expected, we used regular bikes. The cycling paths were filled with beautiful scenery and easy cycling. Touring in Vienna was much easier than expected. It was unfortunate that the water level was too low to take the boat all the way to Budapest but Rad Reisen did their best to make sure that their customers had a good experience and provided a tour bus to transport the people to Budapest, providing them with a nice lunch of traditional Hungarian food. The food on the Carissima was very well planned, their chef was excellent in his food preparation. I personally would have preferred a lot more vegetables but overall was very happy with his meal planning. The dining room was a bit noisy with all the people chattering so this made it difficult to converse with some of the other people at our table. The waiters were outstanding in their hard work. We will definitely go on more of these trips as we enjoy being active on vacations. This trip was a wonderful experience and so enjoyable.

This was the 4th of the boat bike trips we had done with Tripsite and I would say the best. Our guide Axel was amazing and being able to visit the many little villages along the Danube was wonderful. We had two rainy days right at the start but we all came prepared so was still great rides. Biking around Vienna was really incredible as there are many good bike paths however one had to watch carefully as there were also many tourists. Our visit to Budapest was also a major highlight. Our guide Axel walked with us up to Buda Hill to visit the Fisherman’s Bastion for the most amazing views of Pest at night. The Bastion was also a beautiful sight at night.

What made our trip memorable were the outstanding guides we had, Arie and Andre. They were fun loving, knowledgeable, complimentary and very patient. They responded quickly and decisively during two minor crises that befell our group. Kudos to them and to the entire staff of the Magnifique II.

We didn't know what to expect on such a small barge/boat: however it was very enjoyable Our hosts were great and always helpful even when we knew it was a busy time for them. Being a small group and despite some language differences, we all bonded and managed to communicate well. Our leader Anna was particularly competent and took us through some interesting situations without a glitch. We will be known as the group who loves limericks as one guy in our group started by writing one for each cyclist...then of course we all started to write them. The last dinner was quite hilarious. You can't beat these tours for economy, traveling through history and spectacular scenery and commaradorie. I left off one star as the rooms and bathroom were super small and hard to manouver in. Everything else, including the meals, were something to write home about.!

Great family reunion and scenic vacation. E-bikes made it easy for less experienced bicyclists to keep up with trained cyclists. Nice to hear all 8 of us laughing while riding!

Breathtaking views on hilltops on all the Greek islands. The narrow streets of Patmos and Lesos islands were fun and charming. The guides were knowledgeable and agendas fit the the groups ability. Thank you!

Loved swimming off the back of the boat in the beautiful clear sea after a morning of cycling.