Europe Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1921 to 1950 of 4949

Great tour and fantastic boat. The Merlijn had it all - amazing food, friendly professional crew, gorgeous interior design, solid internet, spotlessly clean, and great communication. Several passengers had special diet requests that were thoughtfully accommodated. There are many small special touches - personal cabin intro, laundry folded neatly on bed, flavored cold water after biking, different table decor each night, espresso and small snacks available at all hours.

Our guide Lia was super energetic, friendly, knowledgeable and catered to the group's "wants". The first day fell into the moderate category - challenging surfaces (cobblestones, tank tracks, grassy sandy trails) and a long grunt up a hill in a field. Each day got easier with the last being an easy flat paved surface. Lia provided lots of information about the area's history, especially around WWII and its impact preunification. We visited churches, a castle, an artist's studio, and a concentration camp (briefly).

Tips: brush up on WWII era history before trip, reserve ebike early (6 onboard), ok to pack light as laundry is provided (for a fee).

I've been spoiled by their outstanding quality and don't want to book anywhere else. I'm looking forward to my next trip on Merlijn next summer!

It was one of the best holidays I ever had : everything was over my expectencies, boat and crew, relationship with other personnes, landscape, quality and variety of the activities, food … I will certainly have a new trip in Croatia in the next years !

Overall, a spectacular trip. It exceeded our expectations and was the best Bike and Boat trip we have taken so far. The Boat was in excellent shape and the rooms were HUGE compared to the other boats we have been on. The Bike Guides were great and they kept us busy with activities beyond just the biking (city walking tours, hikes, happy hour at a small tavern, swim stops in small coves, etc). Croatia is wonderful area to bike thru. (Note: It was quite warm in June, the weather in July and August can be even hotter for biking, especially if choose a non E-Bike). Food was excellent and the service was great. Comradery amongst the international guests was wonderful. One thing to note is it is guided bike trip so they try to keep you together as the boat comes in for short time at the end of the day’s ride to pick you up.
I would most certainly do this trip again and recommend it to all our friends.

The bike rides on each island far exceeded my expectations. The bike leaders were very knowledgeable and excellent historians.

The locations were amazing, and the e-bikes provided the perfect amount of challenge and enjoyment.

Going to Poland. This trip was too rural and remote. Very few stops and few points of interest. Mainly dirt paths or cobblestone paths that were very difficult to ride a bike on. The farm fields we drove our bikes through were awful, some were full of holes and quite dangerous. I do not recommend this trip for those who have back and neck problems or those who never have rode a mountain bike.

Biking on Spetses and walking around the village on Hydra. The dinner seaside at the port in Methana.
The crew and guides really had to step up there game when the chef had to depart due to a family emergency. They were able to make arrangements in each port for the meals we were supposed to have on board and did a great job at that.

What a wonderful mix of larger cities and small villages and towns that we would never have been able to locate on our own . An opportunity to enjoy both Venice and all its treasures while staying on the barge in beautiful, quiet Giudecca with it's charm of churches and artisan craftmanship . The biking along the Po River nature reserve was beautiful and a reminder of how important it is to care for our environment. Mantova along with other stops were charming with guides who shared their expertise of cities. The guides and staff on the Ava Maria did an admirable job of following the itinerary and keeping everyone safe, The chefs and dining staff served Italian local dinners that were the best I have eaten and a breakfast that appealed to all. Despite Italy being in a heat wave we were still able to enjoy the beauty of Italy.

Biking along the river and the built in tours of the trip.

Enjoyed all aspects.Nancy and Strausburg really nice to visit at beginning and end.

The tour guides were extremely flexible and able to adapt to an unfortunate situation and provide a remarkable dining experience after the trip's cook left due to a family emergency. The guides arranged for outstanding meals at local restaurants and we were able to experience a wide variety of excellent Greek cuisine. The dinner on the beach will remain a memorable experience. The daily bike rides along the "undulating" roads and ever changing sea views were also a great experience.

The scenery and experiences biking through the islands.

The place is just stunning. It is ridiculous that water is that blue. Each town was a postcard. Every evening the eat ashore meal was a chance to dine in an outdoor restaurant with the breeze wafting through. Big recommendation is to opt for the ebikes. I ride regularly and was on a normal geared bike and found the going tough. Make sure you climb up to the fort. Make sure you swim when the boat pulls up for a swim break- it is a must. Take a book to fall asleep reading on the rear deck cushions, they are so comfy.

The captain and crew were wonderful! The boat was very comfortable. The food was amazing. The bicycle route was beautiful with interesting stops.

It is hard to pick one most memorable part of the trip as we loved the whole entire trip. The staff on the boat was incredible, the food was great, the cleanliness of the boat was exceptional and the guides on the boat were fantastic. There is nothing that I would have changed.

There were several memorable moments for us . Katerina our guide and organiser supported by Jahnesses the second guide were excellent ..The boat and crew including the Chef with great meals made it run so smoothly.We had a mix of families,singles and nationality’s that became quite close as the trip progressed.We both used E bikes that for us were essential as there were some challenging hills.The Islands are spectacular with the coastal roads well selected to give us optimal views. SUGGESTIONS The boat meals are huge with often three courses ,per haps for the main course,rather than bringing out individual plates they offer offer a large dish that each person can decide their own quantity .The mix of ages especially with children there seemed some waste. For us there were no negatives,I have already sent a review of our trip

The places we biked to were wonderful....villages, river views, vineyards. The Iris was fantastic. Great crew, wonderful boat. Was very hot part of the trip and the crew did a great job adapting to the heat. Would highly recommend this trip.

The mountain views surrounded by the sea were incredible. Each harbor had its own character and it was great to have time to explore on our own and also to find the local swimming spots to cool off. The meals were also great and well prepared.

The best day was the Olive Oil Museum tour and Korcula.

We loved the small villages/harbors. They all seemed like out of a movie. Beautiful scenery everywhere you looked. The “E” bike are the way to go. We loved em. Dora & Mario we’re fantastic.
The trip was exceptional. If your looking for small improvements. The dining room was mostly hot and difficult to hear.

Definitely the most memorable part of the trip was the guide, Ana. She was animated, personable, helpful and beyond knowledgeable about the places we visited. I also enjoyed the other guide, Tara who was also very special. I wish there were additional chances to cycle once we reached the towns as I think some of the group were interested in two cycles per day.

The chance to (finally) reunite with friends made on a previous bike and barge tour! As before, we met many very nice people on our trip. The crew and guides were excellent, as were the accommodations. Iris is a lovely vessel. Ellen’s meals were superb. I can’t believe I didn’t gain weight!
The scenery along the Mosel was very nice and the biking was generally as advertised- easy. Day 2 was more challenging than expected with more hills (not steep but long). It might have been helpful to know in advance, as the description only mentioned the downhills. Strictly speaking, I’m not sure I’d classify it as an easy ride. Having said that it was a truly gorgeous ride.
I also enjoyed the ride through Trier. Rikko did an excellent job giving the historical background.
Rikko and Paul were eager for feedback on the days rides and open to suggestions during the evening briefing. As a result we often split into 2 groups, allowing riders to go at their own pace. They also adjusted the daily rides as we had a couple of very hot days. Their flexibility was appreciated.
I would certainly recommend this trip to others. It was worth the wait!

E-bikes helpful in the heat of August in Croatia

The captain, the crew, the beautiful and delicious meals and the lovely towns we biked through were wonderful. The entire trip was delightful except for directions from the airport and very very poor directions from Bamberg to the ship. Our taxi drivers could not find the boat with your directions and no one from tripsite would answer the phone. That was not a good start to the tour.

The boat elevator.

The crew was great and our Chef meals were excellent!
It’s was a beautiful area to bike in and the sailing on the Elizebeth, a1913 cargo ship converted to accommodate 20 guest added a interesting and fun experience

Captain and crew of Clare de Lune were great. Enjoyed time aboard piloting down canal and through locks and down canal elevator, (not kidding... elevator). Barge cook delivered top-notch meals. Biking along canal was easy... but would recommend taking some of the more difficult routes away from the canal for beautiful rural scenery and panoramas. Enjoyed Nancy and Saverne and loved Strasbourg.

The start (Nancy) and the end (Strasbourg). In between, we biked a lot but did not visit much...

Great time. Food excellent. Even swam in the river twice!

Absoloutely above and beyond my expectations. Crew and owner of boat gave went out of their way daily to make sure our needs were met. QUO vadis was a beautiful boat.