France Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 361 to 390 of 726

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.

I took this trip on Oct 6, 2019. It was my 6th trip with Tripsite. the ship was the Zwaan. The landscape is stunning. The staff was super friendly without beig intrusibe. The distances are doable. The ship is excellent and the programmed group size is great, only 12 to 14 people. I have recommended these tours to dozens of people. And they continue to be one of the most fun things I have done in my life. Go!

The adventure of biking through beautiful Luxembourg, Germany, and France. One can view scenry in a different manner compared to driving a car or viewing as a passenger. Biked thru small villages, metro cities, and rural countries.

The delicious gourmet dinners at the end of each trip will always be treasured.

The route instructions need a lot of improvement. It should not take 6 hours to bike 22 miles!

The castle tours were amazing. Sophie (coordinator on the Anna Marie IV) was adorable. Really enjoyed her and her nightly meals. The trip was not the Loire, because of water levels and sorry to say that it was just OK, but not much more. The main thing missing that I had expected was a trip to a vineyard. That would have made a big difference.

Cycling through historic monuments and the Camargue wilderness was magnificent!

The scenery, the fellow riders the entire experience was so rewarding.
The boat however left a lot to be desired. The dining room windows were small and you felt confined. The food was below what i’ve experienced on my 6 other tripsite bike/barge tours.

Where to start? What an amazing adventure! Wendy at Tripsite was so gracious and easy to work with. We reserved the entire boat and she was always so responsive to our questions and needs. Pascal and her staff on the Bordeaux were first rate. Within one day, most of her staff knew everyone's first name! This was our second Tripsite bike and boat trip (Danube). The food was excellent, the bikes were newer (loved the e-bikes) and the Bordeaux region was gorgeous. We loved packing a lunch and sharing a bottle of wine in a park or overlooking a vineyard. There are some hills, so be prepared if you don't have an e-bike. GPS was also very helpful. We were never lost, but sometimes "temporarily misplaced"...but that is part of the fun of a cycling trip. Highly recommend this trip.

The scenery was beautiful with the steep vineyards on either side of the Moselle River. We loved the Quo Vadis boat and the staff were all so professional, yet friendly and fun. Cabins were nicely appointed and the food was delicious. It was also great to have the option to try out an e-bike for the day, even if you hadn't reserved one for the week. A memorable day was finishing off the cycle part to attend a wine tasting night at Leo Schwab's winery...very entertaining. I feel totally comfortable recommending this particular cycle trip to anyone who is interested. Thanks so much for this wonderful experience.

The scenery was perhaps the star of this trip with gorgeous views of vineyards and quaint villages all along the Mosel River. But also we had a wonderful group of staff on the Quo Vadis who were lots of fun and thought of every detail. Meals were amazing. This made this trip probably our favourite trip ever. We travel with a group of friends and have done several other barge and bike trips.
The daily biking was longer than some other trips but most enjoyable with stops for points of history or picnics, coffee etc.
It will be hard to improve on our Metz to Cochem experience.

The whole trip was really wonderful. Being from North America, we don't have paved bicycle paths on both sides of our rivers, especially out in the coutnry side. As a result, I was just amazed at the fact of being able to ride beside the Mosel River through the vineyards and be able to soak in the atmosphere without having to worry about traffic or rough roads. The Quo Vadis was a treat. The cabins were a decent size, the crew was friendly, knowledgeable and lots of fun and the food, prepared in the relatively small galley, was fabulous. All that were highlights for me.

The barge itself, the chef and the captain were great. Unfortunately, the most memorable take away from this trip was the cycling itself. This was a guided tour and our guide was only familiar with the city of Paris. We were to follow the Oise and Seine rivers and seldon rode along the river paths. The first two days were the worst involving a lot of backtracking and nearly impassable trails that seriously impacted the mileage and time in the saddle. One day we arrived at the boat an hour after the scheduled dinner time. Our ride through the city of Paris was traumatizing because of the heavy traffic and crowded bike lanes. Why were we not riding along the Seine??? Perhaps the guide was not totally to blame. Hat tours could have provided him with better maps and information. Whatever the reason, the ten riders paid the price. This was not the tour we signed up for.

What an adventure.. I loved it. My first bike/ boat tour and I was not disappointed.
Everything was top rate Martayn and Marjorie were excellent hosts and nothing was a bother. Marcel was a very knowledgeable guide and went that little extra to ensure we missed nothing. Frank cooked up a storm every day
The group blended well and I was sorry the trip had to end. Im already researching my next adventure.
The Zwaantje was great and I slept soundly every night.

The captain, crew, and tour guides were super people. We feel like we are all close friends. Tamarra and Janeke were the best tour guides and went out of their way to became permanent friends. The sites and routes selected were fabulous. I loved every day of cycling but was enchanted with riding through the forests around Fontainebleau chateau. My husband d and I are senior citizens (68 and 74) and the bikes were the best. Hills were no problem for us

Avoid trips on this barge!
Trip Name: Loire Valley rerouted to St. Mammés/Sens
We have new two lessons learned from this experience:
1. Never book on a boat that is not crewed by the owner; and
2. Never book accommodations that do not show you the state and size of the washroom.
After reading the mostly average reviews of the barge before booking, we decided to take a chance on booking the Loire Valley boat and bike itinerary on the Anna Maria IV. However, due to low water conditions on the Loire, the itinerary was changed to the Seine and the Yonne rivers. While disappointed in the change, the new route was more than fine with challenging rides and beautiful scenery.
John, the tour guide did a great job leading us through new territory.
The new bikes were excellent, and John was able to fix the odd flat tire along the way.
Unfortunately, no evening city walks were provided due to the itinerary change.
The boat captain was only on the barge for 4 days and 3 nights. While we had very little interaction with him, he was pleasant and got us from dock to dock with no problems- always a challenge with low water levels.
The barge. Well, we knew it would be small since this is our third bike barge on the same category of ship. But this was by far the smallest and least comfortable. The sinks are in the sleeping area and take up much of the non-bed space. One’s feet were actually in the shower when using the toilet. And, there was literally no room to unpack items - the small bins under the bed didn’t stay on their racks, making them useful for only the lightest of items.
But, the worst part of the entire week was the service provided by the crew/host. Unfortunately, there was only one crew member for 13 guests - thank goodness we were not at the 18 guest capacity.
Our feeling is that she did not like her job and found us an inconvenience to her social life. We felt like we had to fit into her schedule rather than her recognizing we were customers! And, boy, was she not a morning person!
While one can accept a person having a bad day or being a few minutes late once in a while, one should not have to experience the lack of organization and attention to detail that we received the entire week. If this was our first bike barge trip, I doubt we would ever do one again.
In summary, the captain was responsible for the movement of the ship. The guide was responsible for our cycling experience. The host was responsible for our on-board experience. But with no one in charge, there was no single person responsible for our overall experience.
While the on-board experience was extremely disappointing, the cycling was great, and the other passengers amazing. In fact, without the camaraderie of the other passengers this would have been a miserable week.

Most Memorable Part: How Saunder, Els, and Rola were all so committed to making sure we had a great trip with terrific cycling, fantastic food, and comfortable accommodations.

Our week on the Quo Vadis was fantastic. The Captain,crew and cycling guides were all wonderful. The served up tasty, beautifully presented, filling and nutritious meals. Our cycling routes were interesting and fun. I’d do another trip on the Quo Vadis

Easy riding in a beautiful settling with a great group spirit. The boat was very comfortable and clean and the staff made every effort to ensure we had everything we needed. Would recommend to anyone to have a look at this trip to see if it will suit them, all the information on the site was reliable and the experience was really enjoyable.

The general biking was above average , with some awesome sites visited.
As far as the accommodation was concerned this was below average.
Although the space was confined more emphasis could have been done to the quality and hospitality of stay.

Guides were absolutely world-class in all respects: knowledgeable, safe, proactive and TOTALLY guest-oriented. Is there a description more favorable that "FANTASTIC?!"

I did the Cochem to Metz boat bike tour on the Quo Vadis August 3-10, 2019. The boat itself exceeded my expectation, as did the captain (owner of the boat), his family and the crew. Out bike guides, Ferry and John, were exceptional and so personal. Their knowledge of the area was great. I'm an avid biker for both recreation and commuting so the bike provided took a little getting used to. Also I'm quite short so could have used a bit smaller bike, but it worked out. Daily mileage was perfect which allowed us to see the sites and make stops. The food was fantastic, the scenery along the Mosel so beautiful. The stops we made each day were perfect and the time we were able to spend in Saarburg, Trier and Metz was great. I felt the attention paid to our having a great trip was exceptional. I booked my trip through Eurosail, and there were many blips in that process with that company, but in the end it all seemed to work out OK.

The barge and crew were amazing as were the bike guides. I would not change a thing.

However . . . the bikes were horrid and it was a bike trip! They were dated . . . poorly maintained . . . and dangerous. I had a piece of my front fender break and get stuck between my spokes in the front tire. I could have been badly injured if not going so slow through construction. I would think a "bike" trip would offer much better bikes in the future. I would not recommend this trip to friends because of the bikes . . . everything else was top notch . . . the food, the staff, the rooms, the bar . . . too bad about the bikes not meeting expectations.

The staff on the Quo Vadis could not have been more accommodating,
Helpful, or fun. Our two bicycling guides, Ferry and John, were excellent and went out of their way to make this trip enjoyable for all. I wholeheartedly recommend this boat
and this trip.

The crew on the Quo Vadis welcomed us with open arms. The food was outstanding, gourmet at every meal. Our guides John and Ferry made the biking part magical, both were so knowledgeable about the sites we stopped to see. The scenery was just breathtaking, the castles and vineyards and cathedrals. The rooms were very comfortable, especially the beds. Great showers and air conditioning! Would do this tour on this barge again in a heartbeat!

Best part? Stopping along the bike route to have a coffee or beer and seeing some of the historic and memorable sites in the quaint villages along the way!

Have an ice coffee at one of the lovely little cafes!

The crew was second to none. Everyone took great pride in their work, especially the cook, who prepared meals to die for. We wanted to take her home with us. The guides went out of their way to make everyone happy. We really appreciated the guided tours in town each evening after dinner.

This trip was great for a wide range of abilities. Folks who were not as strong of bikers used e-bikes which were great equalizers.

My wife and I agree that this was one of the top vacations we've ever taken. We can't wait to go again.