Europe Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1891 to 1920 of 4949

This was my first experience with Tripsite and from beginning to end I was grateful to have booked the trip with them. There are so many options for booking these bike trips, some much more high end. Yet, the boat, the staff, the food, the fun and the beauty were all pretty exceptional. I would add that the administrative staff, Anna and Carla, was such a great pleasure to work with, accommodating me at last minute to make this trip happen. Our tour guide, Ivan, was also exceptional, taking charge in a low key, competent way with great humor and sensitivity to all of our needs. The most memorable aspect of this trip is the sheer beauty of these islands providing daily exhilaration biking from one to another. Croatia and Tripsite is a pretty great combination. My first but not last time with Tripsite.

This is our 6th bike and boat tour via Tripsite. Every trip has been it’s own unique experience. We booked for the ship Harmonia 2 1/2 years ago to bike in Croatia and finally got to go. The ship was very comfortable.
We biked through vineyards and olive trees. We made 30 new friends.

Special thanks to Anna’s patience throughout the pandemic.

Bill and Lisa Smoak

The tour guides (Ivan and Ana) were just phenomenal…. They kept us safe but allowed us to have fun in our own ways during our trip. They are a treasure to your company.

Strange to give this negative feedback but there was tooo much food served at the meals. We felt guilty that we could not eat the portions served, especially at lunch time. Three courses for lunch was unnecessary (especially for Americans). Could save you some money by adjusting your meal sizes. The towels and pillows were inadequate.

This trip was one of the best vacations we have ever taken. We would highly recommend your company to our friends and family.

It's too hard to pick one thing as most memorable. Everything was amazing. Our guides were so fabulous. Ivan and Ana were so knowledgeable and also so fun. I can't say enough good things about them. They made sure to take great care of us. The e-bikes were always ready to go. The biking was the best. Views that were unbelievable with the crystal clear blue water and the landscape with the lush vegetation. I would highly recommend this trip.

We had a great time and the e bikes worked great! Best way to see the islands of Croatia! Beautiful and the guides were awesome! Only disappointment was the food. I'm a picky eater so I don't judge based on what I like, but our whole group had issues with the cold vegetables at dinner, the overwhelming number of fish entrees and the lack of salad dressing variety beyond olive oil and vinegar. Be sure to tell them if you don't like fish...they do try to accommodate with veggie burgers and reconstituted dinner entrees. I ate out on the economy as much as possible! There was pizza everywhere!

Bike Tour - Irreplaceable! By far the bike riding was the meat and potatoes of our vacation. The guides (Ivan & Anna) were amazing. The information provided before and during each ride was great, they are pros who know their history and surrounding attractions. I could go on for days about the organization of the rides, the scenery, etc. All in all worth every... single... penny.

Boat - Thankfully not the focus of the trip.

The good - Captain and crew were absolutely pleasant. Swim calls, politeness, all above par.

The bad - The food is probably average. When they ask about food allergies they also mean preferences. If you don't like seafood you better say so. Unlimited water but small bottled water ran out on about Day 3. Alcohol? Half the drinks could not be made because they either didn't have or did not restock choices during our many port visits. From what we understand our trip was the last of the season so not really a huge vibe to please. The bartender was a late fill and the enthusiasm of her being there was about a two. From what I understand bar bill goes to the Captain and he lost out on a pretty hefty payday because of the lack of alcohol or the bar simply not being open when we were all onboard and she was not around.

All in all we would do another bike trip, we only hope that our time next on the boat will be better.

We really enjoyed the biking tour we did in Sept 2021. We could not think of One memorable part of the tour.... we really loved all the great views along the way, the e-bikes were great for all the hills in Croatia. Some of our fellow travelers did not rent an e-bike but a hybrid and I give them a lot of credit. The crew on the boat were all very nice and friendly, our tour guide was Kristofor and he was fabulous! He was so knowledgeable, patient, humorous, and had musical talent. He did a great job! Roger was his assistant and he was very friendly and humorous. We enjoyed all the food on the boat! The food was served family style and my only suggestion would be not too eat too much of the delicious food they serve a the table! I gained 5 lbs. Enjoy!

Crotia was never on our destination list but when good friends of ours mentioned, we jumped at the chance. Ultimately, we went with 16 couples for the Bike and Barge trip. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable with the area geographically and also the history. Coordinating a group our size was no small task and Evan and Anna handled it brilliantly. We went on a boat named Harmonia which had nice accommodations, especially the top sun deck. The bedding and towels could use a bit of any upgrade. The crew on the Harmonia were very helpful but I do believe the sole server that had to also be the bar tender was a bit overwhelmed. We were a group that liked our beverages and she was not always the most friendly and sometimes made us feel as if we were bothering her. Since returning, home several people have asked if this is a tour I would take again and I most certainly tell them yes. No need to be intimated about the amount of biking as the ebikes were more than capable of assisting with the most challenging climbs. Next time, I would stay an extra day in Dubrovnik and enjoy the beautiful city.

The food on the trip was excellent. We enjoyed the local fare, the wine pairings from the various regions .
The crew work very hard to deliver a positive experience . Helmut was a great guide offering lots of information about the different places we stopped at. We loved the cheese factory tour and tasting

I loved seeing The Netherlands by boat. After all it's a country surrounded by and defined by water. With the tulips in bloom, it was a perfect time to learn the history and experience so many towns. The cuisine and beer are a terrific part of the immersion into a Dutch life.

Really enjoyed our trip to the Douro Valley. The staff of the AROSA Alva was very attentive and friendly. Our bike guides Jens, Kevin and Johanna were fantastic! We had a mixed language group of 13 and the guides did such a fantastic job of interpreting and handling any scenario. The only complaint was that the actual biking was not as long as I thought it would be per day. Definitely recommend this trip!

The crew, the food, the rooms and our outstanding tour guides, Ivan and Mário made our trip aboard the Harmonia the perfect choice to celebrate my sister's 60th birthday. The route through southern Dalmatia is magnificent. We visited islands of great beauty, not only for the landscape, but also for its history. Just a word of advice: unless you're a pro, the e-bike is a must for you to enjoy the islands' long hills without wearing out. I strongly recommend the trip.

Seeing Italy from a closer perspective than on most tours.

Bikes worked well, and the food and tour guides were excellent

The most memorable part of the trip for me was riding our bikes in the country between towns. We were able to see the crops in the fields, and the beautiful countryside dotted with houses and the green vegetation of spring. We were in Italy in early May and the weather was perfect - not too warm but not cold either. A particular highlight was riding along a canal and seeing the Ave Maria ahead of us. We speeded up, of course so that we could pass the boat, greeting the captain as we rode by. He responded by honking the horn and putting music on the loudspeaker for us to enjoy. The food was another highlight of the trip. We had fantastic, filling breakfasts, and delicious traditional Italian food for dinner each night. The chefs explained the courses, and where the recipes originated. We were able to nourish our minds and bodies together. Our group was immediately cohesive, and we had lively entertainment every night from card games to karaoke singing. The trip was one of the best I have ever experienced, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience biking in Europe.

The staff on the Merjlin were fantastic
The bike seats were a bit uncomfortable but overall the trip was great. The tour guides were were great unfortunately they did not explain the route prior each day

The 6 member crew of the Ava Maria was fantastic. Food was excellent and the barge accommodations were very nice. I was in a deluxe cabin with a window that opened and the cabin was very spacious and the water pressure in the shower was great and the beds were very comfy. TripSite stated we would be provided with a water bottle for our bikes but we were not which was difficult because a standard bottle of water would not fit in the bottle holder on the bike. WiFi only works in the main dining room which was OK. Bikes are in great condition and the bike guides (Helmut and Alex) were great. There is a fair amount of street riding with some traffic but the guides keep you safe. No diet coke on the boat but they allowed us to bring on our own soda.

Outstanding trip. The Merlijn is a first class ship. The owners and the crew were just out of this world accommodating. The food was delicious, maybe too delicious. My bike was fantastic. Can’t say enough good things about the ship and the people that own it. Liked it so much, I’m going back on it for three weeks next year in Germany.

Biking out of Venice was unforgettable.

The trip was amazing from start to finish. The Douro Valley is too beautiful for words. You just have to see it for yourself to believe it!

The Merlijn and their staff were excellent! The food was fabulous too! The only reason I am giving this trip a 4 out of 5 stars is the tulips were on somewhat dying on May 11th. We booked this trip in 2019 for April 2020 and then COVID took over all of our lives. Then we rebooked for 2021 and had to change 1 week later. Then 2021 was still not safe to travel so when booking again for 2022, we had to switch to start May 3 in Bruges with the tulip part at the end of the trip. I loved Bruges and thoroughly enjoyed biking in Belgium. I developed a cough so unfortunately I missed a lot of biking in The Netherlands. But I did enjoy the river views while on the boat and got to experience locks also. When cruising into Rotterdam, I saw one of the super yacht builders' ship yard (Oceanco) and that was exciting for me as we sell to the super yachts.

Great meals, excellent organization.
More substantial lunches would be good.
The tulips were finished by the time we got to the fields. I don’t think the May 2 trip should be advertised as a tulip tour.

The most memorable both positive and negative :
Having a small biking group aboard the ship we were on- we got to get off and bike through the countryside and explore in a way a bus tour group (like the other people on the boat) we not able to . It was a beautiful experience and great guides .
The most memorable negative was the boat was German and all the people on the ship were German and myself and my friend were the only 2 American and english speaking people. I would have appreciated a heads up that this boat rarely has Americans travel on it as I may have selected a different option for my trip and we were both unable to socialize or understand much of what being said . Being that every one on this boat was in their late 60's and 70's it was an old and old world vibe and I can not say that we were meant to feel welcome by anyone other than our waiter and bartender!

The boat, guide’s & scenery were fantastic. Be sure to select the e bike option. Great value IMHO

Excellent guide and great mix of guests made for a memorable trip.

Biking on charming country roads while enjoying beautiful scenery through small ports and towns on the Dalmatian Islands. Swimming in the turquoise-colored water of the Adriatic Sea.
Bring swim shoes or water resistant sandals to allow for walking on rocky beaches.

The food was very good, the accomodations were fine, the crew was very helpful and friendly. The route was less scenic than i had hoped for. Holland is prettier than Belgium (for what we saw) and the dutch bike paths are awesome.

What wasn't to like. Beautiful locations, really nice clean accommodations, friendly and knowledgeable staff, wonderful food, great e-bike tours and a wonderful boat ride. I was sold when I read prior reviews and they were right, I would totally recommend this trip

This was our first Bike and Barge tour, it was great. The stay on the barge was what I expected. The captain and crew were wonderful. Captain (Hans) gave daily briefings, chef (Marcel) created a wide range of meals throughout the week that were excellent, desserts by Maria were also excellent. We enjoyed the whole experience on the barge.
Cycling with a guide was also wonderful, Ron (our guide) has a great knowledge of the history and facts of the areas we cycled, is very friendly and personable. He found hidden gems. We laughed and had a great time with him. Our group was friendly and made some new friends by the end of 11 days. It's a great experience. Cycling was easy, flat but winding in places.
I would recommend this ride.

The friendships we made with others on the boat stands out as most memorable. We had such a great time. The boat and bike tours was such a beautiful way to see Croatia which absolutely blew us away with it's beauty, history and culture. The food on the boat was amazing and the crew made us all feel so welcome and cared for. The bike tour guides were so fun and gave us great information about each ride so we were prepared for each day. I can't say enough good things about the trip! The one tip I would add to your information sheets would be to bring a beach towel for the many swims.

The scenery was exceptional, the tour guides very attentive and ship's crew most helpful. It was an delightful introduction to a beautiful, clean and friendly country.