Europe Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 5041 to 5070 of 5219

The Rhine from Mainz to Basel, for the most part, is industrial and not as picturesque as other European bike and barge routes we've enjoyed. There were a few cities (Heidelberg, Germany and Strausbourg, France) which were beautiful and offered much to do, but we were expecting the scenic bike routes with quaint towns for cake and coffee, or beer stops along the way and were sorely disappointed. But the most disappointing aspect of this trip was the inability of the on-board guide to give proper instructions nor enlighten us of things to see or visit. We found out about popular sites from all channels except the guides. In Strausbourg, while chatting with tourists, we heard of an amazing evening light show projected onto an enormous cathedral - huge crowds gathered to enjoy this historic presentation, yet nothing was mentioned of it by our guide. We have needed so little guidance to enjoy our bike and barge trips, but this one missed the mark. Based on previous trips that we've done, we'd convinced 2 other couples to join us and they were underwhelmed and disappointed as well. The barge and accommodations were adequate, though rooms were random sizes no matter which deck you choose. One couple paid extra for the upper deck, but their room was much smaller than another couple's on the lower level. The staff and meals on this barge were top notch and we can't say enough about the gourmet chef and tireless staff.

The food could be a lot better, and we would even pay more. Other than that the trip was lovely.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we are already planning another bike and barge trip. It would have been nice if there were a better split in English speaking guests as most of the guests spoke German and we didn't get a chance to mingle much. Tripsite was very good to work with and we would use this company again. "

We had a fantastic trip we loved everything about it. I would recommend this trip to anyone. The people we met were so nice and helpful and friendly. Our Polish chef on the boat was fantastic.

An amazing trip. Incredible scenery, beautiful boat, always warm and helpful staff. I'd love to do this one all over again. This was my fourth time with Tripsite and I really appreciated all their help choosing a great trip. Thanks!

Some issues with our room. We booked a room with two twin beds. We got a room with a double bed and bunk beds. The double bed broke the first night. It actually came apart because a brace had fallen off. Our phone charger was broken while trying to fix the bed. Our door lock malfunctioned locking us out of our room for two hours, and was difficult to use the rest of the trip. We asked for the phone charger to be replaced, but never got an answer.

Wow! Last year we did a bike and barge; Koblenz to Saarburg on the Patria and loved it. This tour on the MV Story was even better. Boat was a bit more upscale, food and service was better; and the biking along the Danube was beautiful. The City visits were very good.
The hotel Manager on the boat, Paval, was tremendous. And under his leadership the rest of the staff was also very, very good.
My wife rented an E Bike which was well worth the money. The 21 speed I got was also very nice for a comfort bike.
The other guests were also great!

What I didn't like was the fact that the ships organisers would have known that the Water levels in the Danube would not be sufficient for the boat to moor in Budapest long before they told us. I feel that we weren't told as it would have put in jeopardy people attending the trip.

Otherwise everything else exceeded my expectations. The only staff member who could have done better was the guy in charge of the bike courses.

Guide stopped to much for cappuccino, kept us bunched up, which was unsafe, had a sick person that should of been hospitalized. Want more milage not museums.

It was everything we expected and more! Beautiful scenery, made great new friends, attentive staff, fantastic meals and wonderful weather. Our first experience, fantastic! We shall return!

Not my favorite part of France. 6th bike tour there and the least scenic and inviting.

We were overall extremely pleased with our trip! The only downsound was the infestation of bedbugs... The staff had bites and my husband I had bites as well. The staff took this very seriously and called a Pest Control Company ...they had their rooms treated and ended up treating our room as well. We ended up having to treat our luggage and all personal items upon our return home to Canada.. To make sure we didn't bring any into our home.....Which was quite a chore and inconvenience.

Other than this, it was an awesome time.

I really enjoyed the bike/boat tour on the Rhine. Accommodations on the boat were very good and the meals were excellent. On our arrival we found that our boat was not at the dock as listed but had changed locations and was on the other side of the river. This created a longer taxi drive thus a much bigger fare (54 euros instead of 21 euros) for the 3 of us in each taxi. We had a briefing each morning by our tour guide and on almost every day, the directions were not detailed enough. One of the people we biked with had a GPS and with that and along with discussions among all of us, we managed to find our way back. I really feel this was a big gap and should be rectified before another tour. However it was a wonderful experience and we met many lovely and
interesting people. I would love to do a different bike/boat tour at some time in the future.

Did this trip late August 2015. It is my third bike/boat trip with Tripsite and they are not kidding when they call it spectacular! The views are incredible. The boat was beautiful and the crew took such excellent care of us. I loved all the different Adriatic towns with their history and ancient buildings. The cycling was great and guides were friendly and helpful. I especially loved it when the boat would pull into a cove for a swim break. Thanks for another great experience!

beautiful scenery, great food. great biking mates. captain hilarious.
Osisej needs work. No AC, bathroom has black mold, shower is a low pressure hand held sprayer, guide reluctant to give info re how far/steepness. did give generic overview.
stops indiscriminately, then mid/late PM lunch. From previous trips self guided more enjoyable for us. european group had a detailed summary with kilometers etc. not available in English???
Docking inadequate steps or plank for getting on or off Bikes Okay needed a proper stem to stern maintenance.

This Paris Tour exceeded our high expectations. Highlights included a madcap ride through Paris stopping at Notre Dame and the Eiffel tower and visiting Auvers with the Van Gogh sights. Professional multilingual staff, experienced tour guide and wonderful accommodating cook made us welcome. We quickly became friends with the other 14 riders who were all fun adventurous travelers. The bikes were sturdy and well designed for the changing terrain of cobblestones, gravel. dirt pack through forests, city streets and local roads. Bring layers of lightweight clothes for changing weather and bike shorts or liners for riding comfort. The ride could be challenging for inexperienced riders so it is helpful to do training of rides to 15-20 miles in preparation.Cabins are small in this canal boat but adequate especially at this price point. We loved it and look forward to our next bike barge tour.

I give this tour the highest possible recommendation! I have never been to Europe, and this was the best way to get introduced. Of course, Paris was fabulous! I enjoyed even more the time cycling in the countryside along the rivers and through the small towns. The crew on the boat was outstanding, professionally competent in their duties as well as friendly and intent on taking care of our every need. The cycling was relatively easy for the people who cycle regularly, but not too hard for novices. We rode on a wide variety of surfaces from pavement to gravel to dirt. The terrain was mostly flat. The bikes we rode were sturdy Dutch hybrids which were perfect for the task. Beautiful scenery, exercise, great food, many new friends! All this for a very low cost. Don't miss this tour!

I have mixed feelings about this tour. The boat was nice- clean, and incredibly well run; the food was good. The Czech Republic was beautiful (albeit unusually hot) and we enjoyed the countryside and the towns. However, if you did not speak German, which was the native language of the tour guide, Hans, you were in for some difficult times. He was outwardly pleasant, clearly organized (although the trip sheets needed updating), and I believe he gave the updates to the German tourists. Unfortunately, he did not provide all of the info in English and it made things difficult for us. He said that the other Germans didn't like it when he gave the presentation and then gave it in English (to all of us together). At one point, we (Americans, Aussies and Swedes) took him to task and he had a meeting with us to discuss - but had difficulty accepting our point of view. Also, the tour excursions, which were supposed to be available in English, didn't all happen. So we missed some of the information that others received. Overall, we enjoyed our time but we had not expected this level of difficulty and I cannot in all good conscience recommend this one to English-speaking tourists. However, if the boat is contracted for anything else - you are in good hands there.

Our Brussels to Brugge trip was an incredible experience. The biking was fantastic, the boat was great, and the staff superb. We even traveled with wonderful fellow travelers on the trip! So many kind people. I had heard great things about this trip too but it turned out even better than my expectations! What can I say? The food was excellent. The service was excellent. The camaraderie was wonderful. We were on the Magnifique and it was magnificent. Thank you!-Archie, Nancy and Zach August 2015

Food was substandard...cabins stink and are excessively damp and basically the trip plan was an underwhelming experience. WE stayed on the boat for the first night and then as I recall stayed again the second night. We could have stayed at 5 star hotel in town and enjoyed a great meal instead of a barge in need of many repairs.

My mom and two sisters and I did this trip last month to celebrate my mom turning 75 this summer. We had a blast! The boat was comfortable and food was delicious, including lots of healthy salads and fruit. The crew was top-notch; keeping things running smoothly and on-time. The riding was wonderful every day, even with a few rainy days. The routes were fun, and full of countless "photo-ops" with picturesque villages, castles, churches and vineyards. We rarely had to climb any hills or interact with cars, so the riding really was suitable for beginners or seniors. We werewith the smaller "English-speaking" group, so had our orientation to the next day's route the evening before. Somehow, despite the four of us thinking we were paying close attention, we always managed to forget something about the route instructions, but part of the fun challenge was finding our way back to the route when we took a wrong turn or crossed the wrong bridge. By the last few days, we started adding a few side trips and explorations to our routes, but still always managed to find our way back to the Patria in time for the coffee, tea and fancy cakes in the early evening. Though the majority of our fellow passengers spoke German, and we don't speak the language at all, we still felt very welcomed. Our only suggestion would be for someone to provide notation on the maps of the public w.c.'s available along the route. As an all-female group, we spent a little more time than we wanted to tracking those elusive locations along the route. Thanks for a great vacation!

My husband and I(in our 60"s) were on the Sailing Home a month ago with 6 friends from Bruges to Amsterdam. We had the most wonderful time. Everything about this trip exceeded my expectations. The boat, our accommodations, the food, the crew were all excellent and I can't say enough about our guide Hugo. He was amazing and really made our trip memorable. He was funny and very knowledgeable about everything we saw so we got info about the countries and the politics. I highly recommended this fun trip for all ages and biking abilities.

We had an amazing experience with Sanders and Els in April 2015 and I can't wait to do it again! The food and bicycles and itinery were all excellent! We had great weather although the northsea beaches were a little windy. I liked being able to pack my lunch so that we had more time exploring delightful Netherlands! Thank you for this fantastic opportunity. Feel free to share our experience with anyone interested in bike barge tour in the future. Thanks again! Loretta Bendz

To say the Dalmatia from Dubrovnik Plus bike and boat tour was most excellent would be a gross understatement of fact! The Harmonia ship was a dream boat - roomy cabins with large baths, a chef that really should get a Michelin star or two and staff that were friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. We biked up long mountainous terrain and were rewarded with views that were breath taking (we were also rewarded with a nice long downhill ride). After our rides, we would tuck into a cove and swim in the beautiful, blue, clear, Adriatic Sea. It just doesn't get better than this! Bonus - a day trip to Mostar to see the famous bridge. The eight days were over in a heartbeat - I will certainly take another trip like this though how it can be topped is beyond my comprehension. Tripsite has many options so I feel confident that I will find another biking trip that will be equally enjoyable.

I traveled aboard the Fiep from Amsterdam to Bruges* in July of 2013, and it was a wonderful way to see this part of the world. (*It looks like the itinerary has changed slightly, but on our trip the boat stopped in Ghent and we had to take a train back and forth to Bruges, which was a disappointment I didn't discover until after booking.) I traveled solo but was matched with a wonderful roommate. The accommodations were fine - I believe they've added air conditioning now, which will be a great improvement! - and the crew and chef were terrific. Our tour guide was adequate, and we all agreed that with a large group of 26 she probably should have had some assistance with wrangling everyone, but there were only minor glitches and no disasters. :-) I can happily recommend both the Fiep and TripSite if you're looking for a unique travel experience!

We just returned from our bike trip; Amsterdam to Bruges aboard "Sailing Home" (June 13- 20). This is our third Bike-n-Barge tour and we will do it again. I thoroughly enjoy being able to exercise everyday and have someone make me dinner in the evening. We also prefer the smaller barges.
Bill and Lisa Smoak - Melbourne, Florida

We just returned from our trip aboard the Sailing Home going from Bruges to Amsterdam. The trip was outstanding! Our guide, Hugo, was fantastic. He took time to explain a lot about the country, its people, and culture. We appreciated the walks he took us on in the evenings into town to learn more and explore. The boat was exceptional. the cabins were very comfortable and we enjoyed every delicious meal. The crew was always helpful, positive, and welcoming. We would go on another trip like this next week if we could. We will be back again as soon as we can. Thanks for preparing such an enjoyable cycling experience. Bill and Candy Flink Sacramento, California

As Jana said, Riccardo from Verde-Natura was the first bike guide we've had and he made things so much easier and enjoyable. He was constantly checking on all the riders and never seemed to mind going back downhill to check on slower riders. Everyone on the Deriya Deniz went to great pains to make sure each of us had what was needed - even supplying food for our picnic lunches. The last evening, we all got a wonderful surprise that was so much fun...but I'll not divulge their secret! The crew really was remarkable. For instance, we had an early morning flight from Naples to Palermo on the last morning of the trip. In order to get to the airport at the proper time, we had to wake at 4:30 am. Every single crew member plus Riccardo got up to see us off at 5:00 am making sure once again, we had what we needed or desired. I cannot imagine a better experience in this singularly beautiful location and highly recommend this trip!

Incredible! This was our sixth bike trip and our first guided bike and boat trip, and it wins the prize. Our Italian guide, Riccardo, was informative, kind, patient and always looking out for our safety, (He also knew the best places for gelato, gratina, pizza and of course, beautiful off the beaten path trails, parks and picnic spots.). The boat was gorgeous (immaculately clean) and our cabin much roomier than I anticipated. The captain was awesome (the epitome of the leader of the vessel, but also with a sense of humor); first mate truly did everything from helping unload bikes to driving us on the dinghy to shore; the chef prepared marvelous dinners, and Olga did everything else to ensure a great trip. Then, there is the biking! Wow! I have never had such exhilarating rides as on the Amalfi Coast. Words and photos simply cannot convey the majesty and overwhelming beauty. The other islands visited were also lovely. And, even though the water was cold, swimming off the boat while anchored at the Isle of Capri is a memory I will never forget. Our fellow travelers were from Switzerland, Germany, Phillipines and Canada and we so enjoyed their company. Thank you to our wonderful boat crew, Riccardo, our guide from VerdeNatura, and Mary from Tripsite for providing an adventure of a lifetime!

Although we are seasoned travelers and fairly fit cyclists, we were new to bike & boat touring, and as a result we probably drove TripSite's Carla crazy! But her patience never faltered; she was generous and gracious with answers to our interminable questions and we arrived in Passau well informed and ready to have a great time.

Our expectations were met and exceeded. Not only had Carla prepared us well, but Rad & Reisen proved to be a world class organization. The accommodations were lovely, the gourmet meals splendid, the route information excellent, the professionalism and friendliness of the crew impeccable, and the camaraderie among fellow travelers delightful. Not to mention the gorgeous Danube scenery, the interesting villages, and beautiful Vienna!

We were so happy with TripSite and Rad & Reisen that we are already researching our next bike and boat trip with them! Thank you for a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Harvey & Sharon Rishe
Salt Lake City, Utah