France Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 421 to 450 of 652

The staff members were superb!!!
Another great experience on a bike & barge trip!
Some suggestions:
We should have known in advance, that appointments were necessary to visit a winery. A daily visit to a winery would have been nice, where the staff of the boat could have made the appointments.
In the write up for this particular bike & barge (Bordeaux), it would have been nice for the write up to let people know, that there are a few hills (12-15%) to ride up daily.
Even bicyclist in decent shape had a tough time riding up these 12-15% grades, due to the heavy bicycles. Maybe, letting people know, that it’s advisable to get an ebike, can resolve the uphill climbs issue.
Also, for not getting lost on the daily bike routes; The availability of the gps was a big plus and a necessary piece of equipment, for a successful & pleasant daily bike trip.
Overall, the staff & owner of the barge were very helpful & were there for you, when you were in need of something!

The Elodie bike/barge trip was fabulous in terms of scenery, routes, staff, food. However, 2 couples on the barge were not able to keep up with our very leisurely pace. I would advise your company to stress level of fitness for participants, and also to recommend 2 guides for different ability levels.

We traveled on the ship Bordeaux in France. The bike routes were beautiful, but the instructions provided by not so great. No worries, we had maps and a GPS, we made each day into an adventure!!!

The whole trip was great. Other passengers on the barge were great, weather was good, one couldn't ask for anything better. The Tripsite staff were extremely helpful and I have always found them to be most professional.

Visiting Arles was particularly memorable, but we very much enjoyed the trip itinerary.

Loved the "flag" system. Excellent guide (Antonella) that made it possible to stop and discover the sites. Adored stopping in bistros and similar. Great suppers.
I would recommend splitting a group of 21 in two or even three smaller parts when on public roads; the flag system assures you that you will not get lost from your group.
OK, when do we leave?
Gilles XX

I took the Lorraine Tour this September. I was happy I chose to go Toul to Wasserbillig direction since it ended in a greener, more rural area. I love the countrysides and small villages best so this ended my week on the most positive note for my personal taste. There were interesting towns/cities to see along the way but this was also a bit more industrialized in some areas than tours I have taken in the past. If you are from the American midwest (I grew up in Ohio) you will swear you have been transported home many days it looks so similar. Others on our tour found it quite beautiful however. I was very impressed with the WWII memorials along the way. Even though I prefer a self guided tour I found our tour guide to be very pleasant and considerate of our physical abilities. I was disappointed with the conditions of the path one (our longest) day since I have been accustomed to fully paved trails on all my other tours. That day was exhausting due to the conditions of the route. They say this will eventually be fully paved at some point though. The La Belle Fleur was an excellent, clean, comfortable, and well maintained boat. The staff took good care of us and the food was fine. I especially enjoyed the camaraderie of the very small group. Having taken both large and small bike-boat tours I think this is one of the best aspects of a small tour. If I were traveling solo this size group would definitely be my preference. Overall, another wonderful week doing what I love and loving what I did.

Jantien and Henk, our hosts on the Merlijn, were the daily highlight. Amazingly gracious, spirited, knowledgeable people.

Most Memorable Part? How beautiful the country looked. Our first time to Europe. France made a big impression and hope to return. Merci beaucoup

Tips: Pack light. Bring layers of clothing. People great. Barge crew and bike guide wonderful!!

The trip was amazing!! It was exactly as described. There were no surprises. The bikes were very comfortable and perfect for the trip we were on. The boat and the sights were amazing. I loved the staff, the food, and the guide. If you are new to biking, I highly recommend spending some time on a bike before you go just to get used to handling it in both traffic and on dirt trails in the forest. Enjoy!

Most Memorable Part? The scenery & the crew from the Feniks.

Most Memorable Part: The friendly relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of the barge and staff.

The group was excellent. We had a great time together. Jean and I were the only Americans aboard but everyone spoke English.
This trip, rated moderate, was the most challenging of the four tours we have booked thru Tripsite since 2012. It stretched us to the limits of our biking abilities.
The tour was thru pleasant countryside but lacked the highlights of our previous tours- no Eiffel Tower, Venice canals or Pont du Gard.
The barge itself was a weak point, although it was not advertised as a strength.
Most disappointing was the food, especially the evening meals featuring mostly starches- pasta, mashed potatoes, quinoa and rice. Don't know whether this was a budget or skills problem.
The guide was excellent, competent, friendly and caring.
The bikes themselves were mostly good although there were some minor problems-with a tire once and an ebike battery that didn't fully charge overnight. Giro Libero bikes were in better condition than those of Hat Tours based on our two tours with each of them.
The Loire Valley tour was enjoyable, but the weakest of the four trips we have taken.
Our fondest memories will be those of great conversations, lots of laughs with new friends we will probably never see again and a sense of accomplishment for what was for us an arduous trek.
As a tip for others, as I mentioned to bike and barge rookies, check out other trips as advertised in Tripsite's catalog.

Most Memorable Part? Excellent group that interacted very well from the onset.

Most Memorable Part: Biking into Paris with a very experienced and supportive guide.

Most Memorable Part: The friendliness of the local villagers and our fellow travellers.

When a vacation is better than your expectations, as it was, it is vundarbar.

The boat and the bikes were good, the food was good and sufficient, the crew was friendly and helpful. The scenery was not always beautiful, part of the tour leads through industrial area.

The Barge Iris was outstanding to say the least. 24 guests were the perfect number, not too many, not too few, the crew was over and above terrific, the food was something we looked forward to each day and the whole experience was memorable.

The Itinerary was very well planned out and the staff were all amazing!!!! This was the perfect trip for our group!!!!

Most Memorable Part: Getting to pilot the boat for a few minutes.

Comfortable riding each day through lovely French countryside. A map of the day’s route for personal use would be a big help. Stefan and Florence are delightful, welcoming hosts providing excellent delicious meals. Make sure to spend a day on the barge during your trip - a definite highlight.

Most Memorable Part: Riding through the small villages from Bruges to Paris. Nina was a great guide also. I really enjoyed the night walks for a better inside view of village life... the Van Gogh experience was the highlight for me.

After bicycling over 300 miles it was good to relax and see Paris from the water as we cruised to our final moorage on the Seine.

We met a lot of really nice people. We were surprised that our guide was largely unfamiliar with the route!

Get an ebike if you have any doubts about your ability to do the biking. I am not a biker but was able to do the hills around Bordeaux because of the ebike. Most memorable moments was just the ride through the vineyards themselves, past the chateauxs.

Most Memorable Part? Everything! The other cyclists, the barge crew, the food and of course the Champagne was all amazing!

Most Memorable Parts: Biking, local information, meals.

The trip was excellent, as attested by this being our 4th one. We will definitely be booking more. The route was good, although France lacks the same quality of bicycle paths that Belgium and The Netherlands have. There was a bit of climbing and some of the women in the group were very happy to have an electric bike option for those climbs. The barge was very clean and quite nice. The staff was excellent and really made you feel as part of the family. They went over and above for most everything. The food was very good and plentiful. The highlight of the Brugge to Paris ride would have to be Chantilly and entering Paris on the barge. The sights were incredible and seeing them from the water gave a whole different experience. The guides were great and the system of having "corners" and a "sweep" meant that no-one got lost and we could still ride at different paces. I am convinced, and I tell this all the time to anyone who listens, that these bike/barge trips are the best value for your money, period. There is no better way to see a country, than by bicycle.