France Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 391 to 420 of 739

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.

The crew of the Iris were all very knowledgeable and welcoming. By the end of the week I felt as though I knew each one personally and would welcome them all to my home should they travel my way. They made the trip more than worthwhile, especially when we had to ride in 100 plus degree weather. If I am to do another bike and barge trip it is this group of people that I would want as the crew.

Most Memorable Part? Riding through the forest grounds of Napolean's estate.

What a great way to see so much of Germany! We cycled almost 200 km along the Rhine and enjoyed every minute! Then when we went back to the boat, we enjoyed a top quality three-course meal! Overall it was a fabulous bike trip and riverboat tour on the Rhine. The bikes were top quality, and the nice part biking was our ability to stop off at the different biergartens along the way of our own choosing; We loved seeing the swans on the Rhine (even a black swan!) and also enjoyed visiting historic churches, and seeing wondrous half-timber cottages including one house with a pair of storks nesting on the chimney! I will definitely be booking another bike riverboat tour!

A wonderful travel experience for our first time on a barge. The staff were helpful, friendly and fun to be with, the food was first rate and the scenery and biking experiences were fabulous!

I loved the day that we visited Les Baux de Provence and went to Carrieres Lumineres. We also visited the asylum in St. Remy where Van Gogh spent a year and produced many paintings. We rode through so many beautiful landscapes and villages in Provence and many times it felt like we were part of a Van Gogh painting. My other favorite part of this trip were the meals with everyone on our boat. It was so nice to have wonderful food and wine and sit and talk to people from all over the world. This was my first bike and barge experience and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. All of the guides and staff on the boat were great as well!

Provence is a great area to cycle in and with the exceptional guide we had it made it even more enjoyable. The crew worked well together and could not of been more accommodating. This was our 6th trip with Tripsite and that in itself should be a solid endorsement for this company! A must do!

I couldn't pick out one specific thing. It was our first trip to Europe, first bike trip. From the moment we met the crew from chef to guide we could not have been more pleased.

Cycling, food, and staff were great. Lots to see and it was fun!

The mutual congeniality among the group was especially memorable and was facilitated by every element of the trip! Antonella, our cycling guide from Avignon to Aigues-Mortes, was the glue which brought us all together - she was a delight! The accommodations, with several locations for socializing in comfort, encouraged us to relate to each other in multiple group configurations. Finally, the variety of daily itineraries gave us many options to enjoy beautiful scenery and cultural highlights.

I booked this first-time adventure for my husband and myself and another couple based on the location, itinerary, boat size, and online reviews. Ultimately it came down to my decision so I was feeling some anxiety regarding the success of the trip. I needn’t have worried! We had a fabulous time. Everything was well organized and on time, the boat was clean and efficient, the bikes were well maintained and any problem quickly looked after by a very friendly onboard bike mechanic, the food was mostly excellent (one night the steak was chewy), the staff was fabulous -never tiring of our endless requests or questions! We met likeminded people from all over the globe and made some lasting friendships! The biking distances sounded daunting but the pace was surprisingly leisurely with stops along the routes to visit wineries or beautiful old structures in many quaint little villages. And to top it off we had a rousing farewell party on the last night complete with champagne and dancing! We’d definitely do this again. Biking and boating is the ideal combination of exercise and relaxation accompanied by beautiful surroundings - what more could one ask for!

This was a wonderful way to see Northern Europe, leisurely experiencing a diversity of landscapes, towns, and scenic attractions.

The scenery on the Provence trip was amazing.

We really liked the MS Arkona, the staff and our F&B head mgr. Routes were Ok, but need better route descriptions esp for English speakers. Electric bikes were excellent! Def the better way to really enjoy the ride!

The Avignon to Aigues-Mortes bike-barge trip was terrific. Our guide, Antonella, was knowledgeable about the area as well as about the route. She did an amazing job of ensuring our safety and making it a really fun ride. We would have loved to stop at a winery or two!

The most memorable part of our bike/barge trip from Brugge to Paris cannot be summed up easily into one moment. I enjoyed the bonding of a group of people from various backgrounds and countries. The group worked as a team making it possible for my husband and me to thoroughly enjoy the amazing scenery, historic sites, cities, onboard dining, and even the tough rides. The staff cannot be overlooked as they were the backbone of the entire amazing experience!

Paris to Brugge on Zwanntje 5 stars is not enough to describe the barge and crew.

This was my first barge supported trip after a number of Hotel and Van supported trips. I loved the combination of bike and barge will keep doing this for sure. Highly recommend the Zwaantje for its captain, crew, meals and general comfort. I’ve already booked another trip for next year.