Europe Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 4411 to 4440 of 4940

We had a super time. My only suggestion is have a snack for post bike ride and pre dinner. We arrived starving so that would be great. Otherwise this was just an amazing way to see Europe.

We had a total of six people who we traveled with. All had a positive option of he barge and the bikes. The owners, Hank and his wife gone over the top to make sure everyone had a good time and responded to any issues or problems. Our bike tour guide was outstanding and explained many of the sites. Great value.

My trip was wonderful. Sander and Els were incredible hosts and Arie was a fantastic guide. The information from Tripsite was spot on and very helpful. The only glitch I had was that the Tram stop for the boat was not correct but we found the barge without too much difficulty. I would definitely recommend this trip.

The experience was very good; the only negatives are beyond anyone's control! I was not adequately prepared for the wind, which was far stronger than I anticipated, and I didn't have anything to protect my ears and eyes. My eyes and lips were severely windburned one day. Goggles, or at least wraparound sunglasses, and a headband to cover the ears are a definite must!

Other than that, everything was good. The cabin was comfortable, and the meals were excellent. It was a very good value. Most tours cover all but a few meals; this covers all of them. Captain Sander and Chef Els were wonderful hosts, and tour guide Arie went above and beyond to make sure everyone experienced as much of the region as possible. The day bike trips and the evening city walks were really interesting.

Thanks for a great trip!

There was initially a question with the insurance we had purchased from you. We had to purchase again on board. After it was reported to you, things were quickly resolved. We had another glorious trip with you and appreciate your help.

The only comment I have is "I want to do another bike and barge trip."

Guides were excellent and the food was excellent. Captain was somewhat aloof, but the rest of the staff were very friendly. The bikes were excellent and the daily routes and trips were just what we wanted.

I had a wonderful time and will recommending the trip to others!

Loved it all! Wonderful staff, wonderful route, wonderful fellow passengers, wonderful guide! We could not have asked for anything more except less wind as we rode through the windmill area into a very strong headwind! Hardest day's riding we've ever done! But hey, this is Holland renowned for "wind"mills!! Keukenhof was amazing, everyone should visit this place once in their lifetime!

We were very pleased with the Zwaantje and its ownership / crew, and Felix, our guide. We have already booked our next adventure on the Zwaantje for Sept 2017.

Wish we had managed to cycle close to some tulip fields.

Boat, rooms, bikes, food, service, cleanliness, friendliness of crew (Captain, First Mate, Cook, Guide) - all excellent. It was was a fantastic trip !!!

All entrance fees of the places we visited on the bike trips (Keukenhof, Flower Auction) were included and we also visited places that are not usually open for tourists (private cheese farm, retired tulip grower, ...). Some guests were not very experienced bikes (us included) but with e-bikes as options we managed to do all bike trips - although mostly flat we usually went at good clip and had frequently strong winds to battle. But the exercise only made the trip more fun and increased our appetite to look forward to the excellent 3-4 course dinners on the boat.

About the only confusion was the gratuity. In your write up it stated 3 - 4%. On our room door it said 5 to 8%. Which was a combined amount. So it was a little confusing. We tipped the 8% maybe a little more. Not a problem for us, but some people budget for an exact amount. The trip was wonderful.

Super trip. I was a inexperienced bicycler and the ebike made the journey very enjoyable.

The barge (Zwaantje) was exceptionally nice. It helps that the captain is also the owner. You could tell that he took pride in the vessel and kept it in great condition. We were lucky with the weather for this trip, as this time of year for the Tulip Tour can be cold and rainy, as some friends of ours found out, when they took a later week. The Tulip Tour is worth doing once, however since the weather during this time of the year is so unpredictable, we would not take the chance of a second time. Instead, we will be doing the September 2-week Paris to Brugge next year.

Wonderful trip. Our room smelled really bad when we arrived. Mentioned it to the cleaning staff and they said it was the air conditioner. They were on the problem immediately and made sure we had no further problem. Bit of confusion with bike insurance, but on contacting Tripsite on our return this was dealt with immediately (thank you!). Might want to consider having a basic first aid kit onboard I fell in Vienna and badly sprained my ankle - no breaks fortunately. Had to get ice from he bar as there was nothing else available they couldn't give me much as it was needed for the drinks.

Very good trip. All different levels of bike riders, but somehow it worked! I did not feel pressured to keep up. Our guide Ari was patient and stressed enjoyment of scenery etc. - yet we averaged 25 a 30 mi./day. Wonderful!

Thomas our guide was excellent. It is surprising that people go on a bike trip with very little biking ability and poor fitness. We would love to go on another trip with a comparable barge.

Overall great trip, really loved it. Did feel the duration and arrival time in Vienna was disappointingly limited - nowhere near long enough to see sufficient in daylight hours.

Unfortunately one major problem became apparent. The tour director was charming and affable when presenting to an audience, but his manner often vacillated (changed) when talking with individuals. On many occasions he was rude and dismissive, including sometimes making derogattory comments. Due to his public persona (welcoming and friendly), I was really shocked by this. At times he gave the impression that he was putting on an act, that he really did not like or enjoy his job and the guests were an infuriating annoyance to him. Even allowing for tiredness and stress, I do not think there is any excuse for rudeness to friendly (and paying) customers. I was not the only one to observe his changeable attitude or bear the brunt of his dismissive rudeness. As it wasn't possible to pick what his response would be (ie positive or negative), I only spoke to him when spoken to. I shudder to think of his treatment of the genuinely lovely and diligent cleaners and kitchen staff. Perhaps it's time for Leslie to retire.

I was greatly appreciated to allow us to drink and enjoy the wine we purchased without any extra charge.

As this was our 1st bike and boat experience, we did not know what to expect. We are recreational cyclists, not cycling fanatics, and were very happy with this trip and look forward to saving up to do another similar adventure.

I do have 2 comments. The meal situation. It was disappointing not to have the opportunity to mix with more of the passengers as we were at a table by ourselves and had to stay at this table for every meal - even breakfast - every day. As it was a breakfast buffet and not everyone arrives for breakfast at the same time, being free to sit wherever, would definitely encourage more socializing amongst all passengers. Also, some nights, even though the staff was definitely hustling, it took more than 2 hours to be served our main course. It would seem that a few more staff members could help with this loooong wait after a long tiring day.

Also, there was a definite, obvious bias each day towards the larger group of German speaking passengers when it came to the briefing on the bike route. They were always briefed first and always went over the allotted time leaving the briefing for the English speaking passengers a very rushed affair, leaving no time for clarifications and a late start each day. This did result in some people getting lost. Alternating which group was briefed first might alleviate this problem.

Having said this, it was a tremendous trip and I would definitely recommend it to any recreational cyclist. Wonderful scenery with fantastic suggested rest stops made it an exceptional adventure. Thank you for all your help in making this a superb, memorable experience. Your service was outstanding. Thank you again.
Judy.

Barge/cycling trips are a fantastic way to explore the countryside and towns - you see so much more when you are cycling. One vivid memory of a cycling trip through northern France was stopping to look at poppies growing along the side of the road. I love the fact that you do not have to pack up each day - it is a very relaxing experience. The diversity of people who do these trips also adds to the experience. The trips that I have done in the last three years had fantastic staff who were very friendly and knowledgeable. I have done two barge/bike trips and look forward to doing more in the future.

Ode From An Enthusiastic Tripsite User

I had never worked with Tripsite before.
Their competent planning received a high score.
All details were covered, everything was first rate.
They delivered what they promised, now isn't THAT great?!!
I'll remember this fab trip my whole life through.
Listen up, fellow travelers, Tripsite's for you.

Food was not we are accustomed to on trips of this type.

My sister and I loved the trip and have told many people to book the barg trip. One of the best trips I have had.

This trip surpassed my expectations! I would consider additional trips with this tour group in the future. Our chef was excellent and very accommodating of my food allergy.

Excellent trip, guide & staff. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Only downside was the cabin or perhaps the pillow was a bit musty - had allergic symptoms/ loss of sleep during the night but was fine during the day.

This Bike and Barge tour was amazing, best holiday ever!