Europe Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 961 to 990 of 4942

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.

The bike friendly routing of each day's ride and the expert, friendly guidance by Ronald and the helpfulness of the entire crew. Meeting many new folks on the boat/bike tours. The GPS guidance (Ride GPS) was invaluable and very simple to use.

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

Great itinerary and biking. Often guides offered options of a short or a long bike ride. A lot of wind to contend with so an e-bike may be an added comfort for some. The Iris was exceptionally clean, apparently newly renovated during Covid. A high quality of rental bikes available and appreciated! Thanks for a great holiday!!

Our tour guides, Hein and Irene made the tour so special! The chefs, Alberto and Francesco were amazing. Captain "Van Gogh" was great. The tour was a blast from start to finish!

That it was PERFECT !
My advice to others would be to book specifically the Magnifique II

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

If you are planning a bike trip, this is the one. We have been on 11 bike trips and this was the BEST! The weather was perfect, the food outstanding, the staff was great, Ronald the tour guide was always about in case one needed him on the ride, and of course the country was magnificent. Don't pass this opportunity up!!!!!

All parts of the trip were memorable. From the start to the finish. Crew on board took excellent care of all bikers.

Fabulous trip!! We did this same trip 8 years ago
and returned again this summer with friends as it was our favorite trip… it did not disappoint!
Highly recommend….from the great scenery to the fabulous meals and amazing tour guides!

It’s awfully hard to pick out “the most memorable” part of the trip. The whole experience was great: the biking, the connections made with fellow riders, the crew, the food, the boat. It was all top rate. I guess I’d have to pick out the biking as the most memorable. The points of interest along the way were great. I loved the cheese factory, the glass blowing place, the carnival museum and the distillery. I probably wouldn’t have chosen to visit those places if on my own, but in the end I truly enjoyed them. The Ave Maria is a beautiful boat. The bikes were almost new and in excellent condition. The crew (and guides) made everything go smoothly. The chefs took my food intolerances seriously and made it easy for me to enjoy the food on board.

1. The excellent, cheerful leadership by Helmut
2. The meals
3. The many fine trails, especially around Avignon. Wonderful biking.

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!

If using the GUIBO app for route navigation, be sure to have an extra battery pack. The app uses up your phone battery.

If this review can be applied to the GUIBO app then, I'd give it (GUIBO) a poor rating. It sucks the phone battery. It does NOT guide you to (or back to) the route. It randomly talks to you (sometimes it tells you to turn, sometimes not). Fortunately, the routes are very simple, but it could certainly be improved. Providing a gpx file for my own device would be great. Even using google to navigate might be better.

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

The general organization of the trip, and the great staff aboard!
Disappointed with the scenery along the routes - often quite monotonous

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.

Great professional staff. A top notch experience. I highly recommend this trip.

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

Excellent, tasty dinners! Chef (Meeka?) prepared delicious, well-displayed meals

Barge staff were excellent--great chef and friendly hostess. Dinners were great but breakfast and lunch were very repetitive. The staff needs better training in safety. We had 20 guests in our group with 2 bike guides. We were divided into 2 groups and rode with our group each day. Our guide was not friendly. Other than that, the bikes were new 7-speed bikes which were adequate for the mostly flat rides. The scenery was beautiful and the museums and city stops were interesting. I didn't enjoy having to ride with the group at a pace set by the bike guide and the slowest riders, and I don't trust Ride with GPS enough to ride on my own.

We had an absolutely amazing trip on the Sailing Home! The crew was outstanding and the experience memorable. I would love to do it again. The only complaint that I have is that for such a large group, we should have a rear guide that is part of the team.

The crew was fabulous! The tour was good. I thought we were going to stop at a cheese factory snd that did not happen. Most of our group was not thrilled with the bikes-tippy with handle bars that were raised up. The boat was great and meals delicious!

The food on the barge was amazing. Our tour guides were attentive to our needs every day. I definitely would recommend an e-bike. It was a game changer on windy days.

Most memorable was the stunning countryside along the Dutch canals-- grass waving in the breeze, sheep grazing all around, wildflowers, and the occasional swan swimming by. Bonus: not a hint of litter anywhere. Honestly, I kept asking myself if it was all real.

There were so many memorable parts of our trip from Burges to Amsterdam. The gorgeous countryside we rode through, the fantastic accommodations on the Manifique II and of course the outstanding crew and guides. We have done similar trips before but this one topped them all. The offer of two different length rides each day , the stops in the countryside to sightsee, traveling through locks, riding our bikes on to ferries and generally feeling like a local. The meals that the chef offered us out of his small kitchen were 5 star. The enthusiasm of the crew added so much to this rich experience. Upon returning to the boat each day they all made us feel like we had won the Tour de France! I would highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to ride through the beautiful countryside of Belgium and the Netherlands and to have a great time doing it!

From the moment we boarded the Magnifique IV to the morning we left everything was exceptional…Mariela was our cycling guide for the week and she couldn’t have been more lovely. We had beautiful weather and each day of cycling was interesting and fun! All members of the crew went out of their way to make us comfortable and the food prepared by Jules was delicious! We had a great group of travellers and enjoyed our social time on the barge each evening. We would highly recommend the adventure!
John and Kate

Beautiful countryside and small towns; our guides were knowledgeable and helpful. The boat was beautiful and comfortable. Staff on the boat were friendly, accommodating, and professional. Oh--and the food was 5 star delicious!

Incredibly warm, friendly and extremely customer-focused crew, all 7 of them!