France Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 743

Great guide (Paul). Food and cabin only marginal. Dinners were almost always cold.

This was my ninth bike / barge trip and I have enjoyed all of them, but this one was my favorite thanks to the dedicated crew which worked hard to ensure the success of the trip. Diana, Mickey, Virginia and Jeoffrey were all top notch.

Except for one day of peddling through a very industrial area, the scenery along the Rhine was beautiful. For the most part off road on dedicated wide cycle paths. Each evening the tour director/convenor provided an orientation for the route the following day. The food on the barge was excellent. No complaints at all. Very good value.
Note: The cabins at the back of the barge seemed a bit more cramped and noisy.

The staff and the tour guides made this trip awesome. I would have given it a 5, but we were stuck on the boat in Auxerre for the week due to a broken lock on the Yonne river, so I can't rate what we didn't see. That said, our tour guides developed a beautiful series of bike rides based in our near Auxerre (all on the fly). The staff on the boat were awesome too - working together as a team and making relationships with all the guests. I can say with certainty that all 22 guests had a fantastic week.

Everything on his trip was wonderful! The boat was the best one we have been on, the cabins were large and they had sliding doors that opened to the river, the food was gourmet quality. The rides took us to wonderful cities which we walked through and toured from canal boats. The scenery was delightful and changing every day from river views to farmland and small towns. When we got to Paris one of the guides stayed there and was so helpful in getting us to the places we wanted to see.Like our own personal concierge.

Unusual and excellent itinerary starting in Amsterdam and ending in Paris. Beautiful barge with lovely accommodations and amazing, stunningly presented food. Nice group size.

We had an excellent on-barge experience. The crew—Didier, Omar, and Sara—were fantastic. Our captain, Didier, a fifth-generation (!) barge captain, was delightful and engaging. Omar anticipated every passenger's need, whether spoken or unspoken. Sara was an inventive chef who brought fantastic energy to the boat; her nightly descriptions of the menu made every meal feel like "dinner and a show."

Additionally, we were lucky to have an exceptional group of passengers. Our four-person group from Boston clicked immediately with the travelers from Canada and Florida. In addition to enjoying our time with them on the barge, we collaborated well during our rides to ensure everyone stayed safe, which truly enhanced the trip.

While our experience with the tour guide—an experienced biker but not a natural tour leader—was less positive, it was not enough to dampen our overall enthusiasm for the journey.

Out cycle guide was excellent! We were less satisfied with the Arosa Stella. Promised free internet was not provided and paid internet was poor. Some issues with no AC in rooms, and intermitent hot water. Food was good but were expecting more local French meal options. The food was very German, probably because of large Swiss German and German numbers on the boat. Just seemed to be less of a Provence France experience with very German buffets.

Being the Madian voyage with the crew was a fabulous experience. Great guides, amazing food and wonderful experiences.

Our bike-barge trip from Aigue-Mortes to Avignon was fabulous. We rode through beautiful countryside and could see why the great painters chose to create their masterpieces in Provence. The wildflowers, farms, vineyards, and white horses were spectacular. Our guide, Gabo, was excellent and shepherded us very well through all kinds of terrains and experiences. He was knowledgeable and prepared. Sara, our chef, made wonderfully delicious, creative meals that we greatly enjoyed. The boat, L'Estello was comfortable and a great place to relax after our long rides. Omar attended to all the details and the captain managed the boat well. The bikes were in excellent condition and were well equipped. We felt it was a great experience.

The cycling was great. It was hard to say which day as each experience was great. I did love seeing the Carrière luminaries.

Biking the back roads in Provence were the highlight of the trip for me. Stella is a comfortable boat and rooms were comfortable. Crew on the boat friendly and efficient. It would help the breakfast lines if there were two grills cooking eggs because that area became a bottleneck. The WIFI on the boat was terrible. It's one thing to have poor and inconsistent WIFI but to be charged for it is bad business practice.

The trip was everything we expected and more, a special shout out to the crew of the L’Estello who went above and beyond to make our trip such fun! Our guide Gabo was both knowledgeable and entertaining.

This was a great trip because of the great guides, great crew, and great cook.

Our bike/barge trip surpassed our expectations. The crew was great: the captain, the crew who took care of us on the boat, and our two guides. We really enjoyed the bonus of stopping along the route to see interesting sites or to have a treat and tea in a pretty spot. The Moselle Valley is so beautiful, and in October the colors were unexpectedly beautiful. We would definitely recommend this!

Enjoyed the camaraderie knowledge of the staff. Iris had a wonderful layout but maybe not a round sink in bathroom w faucet in center so when washing your face water goes all over

The wonderful boat, delicious food, fantastic scenery, and amazing crew and guides made for an outstanding trip!

Hein was an absolutely amazing and interesting guide; the crew was fantastic. Special kudos to the chef (Geovani): best food by far of any of our 3 tripsite boat/bike trips so far. And we LOVED Alicia (our overall helper etc). So personable and friendly and wonderful that she shared her artwork with us! And a great group of fellow travellers/bikers to share this with. Just a fantastic trip!

Overall the trip could have been better. Our tour guide and the staff on the barge were outstanding! Knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. But the barge is too small for the 21 people on the tour. There is not enough seating in the common area for everyone. There is no wifi in the cabins, only upstairs in common areas, where again there is not enough room. We packed our lunches everyday and brought them with us but I would have liked more variety in the offerings. It was the same thing every single day. More variety in the breakfast would have been nice also. My biggest complaint is that there was no tour sweep rider provided on our bike outings and there should have been. Someone had to volunteer each day for it. Not having a professional tour sweep caused many problems.

My trip was Cochem to Metz and it was excellent! The Iris is a beautiful, well furnished barge that had a fabulous welcoming, friendly crew and two fun guides to show us the historical sights along the Moselle River. Extra activities for us were delightful. Fun to be with a smaller group of people on this bike and barge trip. I would definitely go on another excursion!

The boat, bikes, routes and crew were all wonderful aboard the Magnifique 1! Everything exceeded our expectations. I would absolutely recommend this trip. In mid-October, we had to wear a few layers most days, but the fall colors were beautiful and we got to experience most things without any crowds.

My recent bike and barge trip "Cochem to Metz" was by far one of the best I have done. The whole process from initial inquiry to disembarkation was handled wonderfully by Trip Site. It so nice be able to speak to a real person whether just calling for information or making sure that the initial booking is in proper order. That process was handled professionally and pleasantly by one Kirsten Hollister. Kirsten was always there to help and advise. I can't thank her enough.
We chose the ship the Iris. Its an intimate barge which holds a maximum of 24 passengers. On our trip there were 19. Our rooms were spacious with two single beds and ample room for storage. The bathroom although small was everything one needed. We were quite comfortable. Above deck there was a spacious lounge and a lovely dining area. Additionally there was seating out of doors on the front deck. Temperatures were a little cool in mid-October so we didn't spend a lot of time there.
The crew consisted of 4: a captain, 1st mate, house keeper and a cook. All were extremely cordial , friendly and professional. The ship ran smoothly. The cook Joost did an excellent job . Cuisine varied from day to day featuring many regional dishes. All delicious. We were well fed. A nice touch were the included wine parings with dinner. It was great sampling the wines for which the Mosel is famous especially after we had cycled past the vineyards from which they were born.
Two guides were there to lead us along the bike paths along the Mosel. We were divided into two groups each with nine or ten. Its was pleasant to be in such smaller groupings. Our guides were experienced, knowledgeable and a whole lot of fun.
I can't say enough about the itinerary. The Mosel is a beautiful meandering river much smaller than the Rhine. Cycling along it was more than enjoyable. The frequent stops whether to have a coffee and pastry or visit a castle were well worth it. We saw and did a lot with memories to last a lifetime.
The itinerary along the Mosel in addition to being intimate and quaint was diverse. The trip begins in charming Cochem with its German heritage and ends in the quintessentially French city of Metz. We did as well venture into tiny Luxembourg to taste the local bubbly. Quite delicious. Thus we experienced three countries and we haven't even mentioned the Romans who were there long before the others!
Cochem to Metz is a great tour. I heartily recommend it. It will be one of your favorites, too.

John L.

Nice boat, crew and guests xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx

The trip exceeded my expectations. The staff were wonderful and the meals were amazing.

Most memorable were:
The evening spent with a family-run wine farmer; tasting and purchasing wine from the guys who made it;
Seeing the cathedral in Trier;
The covered market in Metz and other open farmer markets along the way;
The moderate biking through the picturesque Moselle wine country;
Cultural and historic insights and explanations by our guide Wim;
Getting to know other Americans on the same journey;
The great food and wine offered all but one night on the Iris;
A few minutes spent on the bridge with our captain;
And finally, enjoying the hospitality, friendliness and accommodation of the crew of the Iris and our guides Wim and Alice.
On the, "Items in need of improvement" list:
One of our guides was more knowledgeable and willing to share his knowledge than the other; she has good guide skills but is inexperienced and needs to study the route and its attractions and features a bit;
There were several falls experienced by several of our group, which was 100% composed of seniors. Seniors fall, it's a fact of life, and they fall more often on bikes, especially those who don't bike much and are awkward on a bike. Some of these "accidents" can be avoided. A better orientation the night before we depart that clearly states the rules of the road would be advisable, and reminders each night about what the guides saw that day and coaching on what could be doe to assure the safety of guests. That coaching should include: do not ride side by side to have a conversation - single file only; obey traffic signals; signal when you're coming to a stop; move your bike off the path when stopping. This kind of basic rules of the road talk is needed and some direct, private conversations with the violators would go a long way towards increased safety. I was relieved no one needed medical attention. It's unrealistic to think that none of your seniors will ever have a fall on a week-long trip, but many of them can be avoided.
The bikes have seen a long season by a variety of guests and by mid-October they have a lot of wear and tear. Might be time to sell them and replace with new ones.
The Iris is a great boat for 20 guests; I found myself hoping for a space where I could read a book in private. On another bike and barge trip in Italy on the Ave Maria there was a second deck with deck chairs and an awning. Guess I'm saying I would have preferred a larger boat.

Great tour leader and staff on board. Interesting itinerary. Accommodated our food preference.

A terrific trip on all counts: excellent boat, great crew, wonderful food, a beautiful itinerary, and excellent trip leaders. I especially enjoyed the fact our biking was interrupted with frequent stops to enjoy local sights, learn about regional customs and cuisine and history. Not only did we get some great exercise but we leaned and experienced much more. Wundebahr!

The crew, the food, the beautiful scenery. Very nice time. Thank you

Too much bike riding and not enough visiting sites and relaxing

The first part of the tour was more difficult than anticipated because of the many hills. Feniks is the smallest of all the boats we have toured with and the accommodation was very cramped. We really enjoyed our fellow travellers - 4 Canadians and 8 Australians - and the boat's crew. Our guide, Seitse, who we have travelled with on a previous tour, is one of the best in the business.