France Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 331 to 360 of 720

Suggestion for others: Take a different bike/barge trip!

The boat was quite old and noisy. Due to either river conditions or dock accommodations, the skipper had to move the boat off the dock multiple times during the days and at night, disrupting sleep for many of the guests. Air conditioning did not work in several of the cabins, and the crew was very slow to repair. At our "welcome aboard" briefing, we were told that there were 130 life vests on board the vessel, and that was the extent of the safety briefing - nothing about where they were located or how to don them. No word about where fire extinguishers were located. Nothing about how to get off the boat in an emergency. If there was an AED on board, it was well hidden!

Several of the young ladies in the crew were very friendly and helpful to the passengers, but others were not very helpful at all - The Captain could best be described as an old Curmudgeon. Time for him to retire! The bikes were old and somewhat worn out. Very little help from the crew with getting them set up and ready to roll each day. The first day of "bike fitting" was pandemonium, with 80+ people all trying to get their bikes at once. Probably could have been a little better organized - as could several other aspects of the trip. Our guide was trying very hard to do the best he could, but he was handicapped by a lack of experience and local area knowledge. His regular job was working in the office for the boat company, and I suspect he was pressed into service as a guide, probably because so many people requested the guided option.

The food was generally good, but there was no choice during evening meals. If you happened not to like duck, too bad!

While the crew and the company had no control over the weather, it rained almost every day, and to top it all off, I found I really prefer California/Washington wines to any we tasted in the Bordeaux region.

While this was our first barge experience, we have taken many other cycling trips, with other companies. In general, they have all been far more organized an better executed than this trip. The bikes were always better in quality and better maintained by the crew. The tour leaders were far more informed and informative about the areas we were riding in.

Bottom line: I will not take another bike/barge trip through your company, nor can I recommend your trips to others.

Cycling through the vineyards and countryside of France, Bordeaux area and spending time in France with friends.

The biking and the tour guides, Alex and Bill, were amazing! Beautiful scenery and quaint towns with many fabulous wineries to check out along the way. Also saw kiwis, wicker and corn fields and enjoyed the most amazing fragrances of the flowers blooming as we traveled. This was our first boat/bike trip, so we have no comparison point. The boat is aging and we rarely had internet. The rooms are extremely small, but we didn’t stay in our room much. The food was fantastic and having lunch makings every day was very handy! If you are adventurous, I’d definitely recommend this tour!

The views along the Mosel River were fantastic and of course, the wines.

Our third Tripsite bike and barge trip, it was very well organised as we have come to expect - well done! Loved the camaraderie of the small group, and glorious country scenery. E bikes were a must! Yay!

The scenery and biking in this region is fantastic. The quaint villages and all the wineries make great stops along the way. The e- bike's were so much fun and having a guided tour made it easy to just enjoy the beauty of the area.

It was the last week of the season and only 18 bikers joined the tour! This was so nice to have an intimate group and flexibility of activities. It was so helpful to have evening informing sessions on what to expect the next day along the route. It was absolutely necessary to have a GPS device to keep us on the correct route. The trip was a good value.

The whole trip from start to finish was excellent. Boat staff were exceptionally helpful and always ready to assist as needed. Food was varied and tasty too. Will be booking another bike and barge trop on the future.

The bike ride is what this trip was all about. Great rides with great friends! We had 60 or so people from the same town on this trip, Fort Collins Colorado so there was many good groups to ride with! Food was good beverages could be upgraded eg: more beer choices and better quality wine, by the end of the week I was tired of the choices. The trip was very organized and I would recommend it to anyone who wants see France in this unique way.

Every biking day was a new adventure which culminated in our finding our barge (Zwaantje) as if by magic; but in reality through the skill and navigation expertise of our fearless guide. Beautiful countryside, lovely quiet towns and the bustling town hall squares of the larger cities. Absolutely loved it. Our chef on board was a delight and the food was excellent featuring both local produce and an international flair. Very well looked after throughout.

Further to my previous review I wanted to add the service, courteousness and responsiveness of the Tripsite Representatives in answering multiple questions and following up on the many details of our group was much appreciated. A customer focused company which is a novelty today.

Most Memorable Part? The sites we biked to
Tips: Perhaps separating the electric bikes from those like me who used our own pedal power or 2 leaders for 20 bikers vs the one leader. Our group depended on fellow bikers as volunteers and we were fortunate in having several expert bikers in our group!!!

Terrific sights made better by great group of cyclists.

A great chance to ride different areas of the French country side and taste different wines in the Bordeaux region. The difficulty of the daily routes is easy to moderate and the barge staff was very friendly and accommodating. If you like to bike and love wine, this tour is for you.

This was one of the best holidays I have ever taken - being active, seeing history and meeting new friends. Highly recommend.

I have already booked another trip!

The tour was beautiful but I don’t know if there was a misunderstanding in communication I had believed the bike riding was mild rides and not so advanced. I suffered grave pain in my body after our first bike tour. This not recommended for elder persons with any arthritis problems. Thank you.

The beautiful scenery and great bike routes planned for us. Only difficulty with the routes was navigating Libourne the last Friday in rush hour afternoon traffic. Perhaps a longer route, going around Libourne, could be investigated

Excellent trip. Two weeks wasn't even enough. Barge was great... super clean, great food. Small cabins, but really nice common areas. Staff was awesome.

Riding through the south of France along quiet country roads with the occasional stop to learn about the history and people of the place.

The bike tour was immensely enjoyable. Even though it rained 6 of 7 days, it was still a highlight of our vacation in Europe. Thanks to Tripsite's instructions, we were well prepared for various weather from rain to warm and cool weather. Taking a barge is a great way to travel without unpacking each night, returning to the same room and delicious meals served on board. I hope to take a bike trip again trying out another river.

Wow, so hard to pinpoint to one memorable experience; there were so many. Our first impression of the boat and crew was wonderful. The boat was very clean, perfectly maintained and very comfortable. All the crew members were welcoming, kind, fun and efficient. The Captain, RJ, was one on the crew, always on, active, involved and always with a smile. I loved that by the end of the trip, all 24 of us knew each other well after eating, biking and watching out for each other after the 8 days. Bike riding along the Moselle River in the fall with the colors changing was breathtaking. Every turn was equally as beautiful and everyday the colors became more vibrant. We broke off into 2 groups of 12 every morning; each group having one of the two guides. I was very happy to see there were two guides. We came across another bike/barge tour in one of the towns and there was only 1 guide for a group of 24. I think that was pushing it a bit. The villages, towns, castles, history, wineries and food on board were all exceptional. The pace of the daily ride was not difficult. The only suggestion that I have would be to separate the e-bikes from regular bikes. I found at times, the e-bikes would interfere with the momentum of the rest of us trying to pedal up the hills. It might just be the need for a little more training with the riders on the e-bikes, there was none that I saw, and a better understanding of an "etiquette".

The crew of the boat Caprice was wonderful. Each crew member did their utmost to make the trip perfect for everyone. The food was outstanding, our compliments to the chef Joseph who prepared a gourmet meal every night. The tour guide Alessandra was wonderful and kept the group moving along together. The size of the tour was perfect, 20, the route was ideal and that part of France was beautiful. Highlights were the Ponte du Gard, the villages in Provence, Avignon and the tour of the winery and La Moulin d'Huile. We also enjoyed the company of the others on the tour very much.

Suggestions: bring raingear if it's the rainy season, stop in the cafes in the little towns along the way for beer, wine, french fries or desserts.

The whole experience was just tremendous. Cruising on the Feniks, peddling through the countryside of Belgium and France, stopping at cafes and chateaus. The sail into Paris was unforgettable. We thoroughly enjoyed our fellow cyclists, our guides, and our on board chef Nelleke was a great cook and a valuable resource.

My friends and I had a wonderful time on the Bordeaux Bike and Boat Tour! The bike rides were like riding in a postcard! The boat was very comfortable. The meals were delicious and based on the region! There was a wide variety of wine available at a very reasonable price! The crew were all extremely polite, pleasant, and helpful! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to do a boat and bike tour!

Everything was perfect - the biking, the people, the food and the sites.

I took the Bordeaux bike and barge trip the first week of September 2019. I am comparing it to the Danube bike & barge trip I took in October 2017 via Tripsite. The Danube trip was great all the way around, good food, nice dining service, white linen, well cooked and good variety of food. Excellent value for the money. The itinerary, guides, and crew service were great. The Bordeaux trip on MS Bordeaux held great expectations. The itinerary and scenery were fantastic. The quality and variety of food needed a lot of work. The morning coffee was dreadful each day, and there were no proper coffee mugs, teacups or teapots. Paper placemats did not add to the breakfast atmosphere. We were offered the same overcooked eggs each morning. One morning garlic carrots were on offer. Our make yourself lunches were exactly the same ingredients each day. The dinners were often overcooked with a complete lack of fresh greens or fresh market cheeses. In fact, the cheeses on offer each morning were pre-sliced cheese. This is not what one expects in France.
So the food was very disappointing for the price we paid for this trip. The food servers were very friendly and worked hard to please. The bike mechanic was great and solved any issues we had with the bikes. The captain of MS Bordeaux was always impatient and gruff with passengers as we disembarked each day. On the Danube trip, the staff ensured the bikes were on land for us each day. The GPS's in Bordeaux did not work most of the time and the maps in the books need updating - this is a comment that has been in the Bordeaux reviews for several years now. A team discussion and group effort allowed us to find our way.
The most disappointing aspect of the trip is that my concerns were expressed to Tripsite and left unanswered for over a month until I called Tripsite back, and nothing was resolved for me. Just be sure to evaluate if the quality of food and customer service are an important part of your trip - otherwise, enjoy the great rides!

This was our second experience with Tripsite. Our first was in the Netherlands and the second in France. Everything has been positive from the time of booking to the end of the trip. Great food, great cycling, comfortable ship, scenery and most importantly, the other guests on the trip. We have already booked our third trip for May of 2020!

Each day was a new adventure. We saw some great scenery, visited some beautiful towns and cities, learned much about the history of WW1 and enjoyed the company of friends aboard the Zwaantje. It was nice not having to decide which meal to order every day. Frank, our chef, did an excellent job of choosing for us and prepared superb dinners. Two views were particularly memorable: "The approach to Chantilly Castle" and "The view of Paris from St. Germain en Laye". The cruise into Paris on the final day was the icing on the cake. What a great way to see the north of France. Oh wait, Belgium was great too. I think Bruges is now one of my favourite Cities.

Most Memorable Part: Riding through the countryside and small villages, visiting Arles and Les Beaux.

It is impossible to single out a single most memorable time. The food was delicious, the tour guide wonderful, the cycling routes took us to a variety of historical, cultural, and geographical places. We saw castles, an abbey, art, old villages, wildlife, walled cities, mountain top views, and took several short cruises on the river, The days were full, we had downtime when needed but were always kept busy if desired.