Germany Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 61 to 90 of 1258

My wife and I traveled on the Magnifique 1 from October 1, 2024 to October 7, 2024. We absolutely loved the staff; very friendly and helpful. The stop in Trier, with a guide, was great. The food on board was pretty good but the bikes were not. They were quite heavy and had too few gears, which made climbing even moderate hills quite difficult.

The overall experience was great. Our guides were fantastic, the scenery was beautiful and the boat and rooms were super clean.

Perfect trip from the ship, the Merlijn, and its crew headed by Coen and Cristina, to the dining, our guide, Thomas to the location along the Neckar and Rhine rivers with the little towns (and bakeries and cafés). It was like spending a holiday inside a magical storybook.

What a great way to explore several cities by bike! If you're seeking fun, exercise, meeting other like minded cyclists, this is a must do!

We did a bike/barge tour several years ago in the Netherlands on a small 20 guest boat so we weren’t sure what to expect on a larger ship. We loved the ship and the larger group wasn’t a problem. We had some special dietary needs which the crew handled seamlessly. Our room was pleasant and comfortable. The crew had our bikes ready to go in the morning and reloaded on the ship after we completed out ride. The rides were beautiful. We enjoying cycling through villages, natural areas and the wine region. A lovely special trip!

The people on the trip (boat staff included) and THE FOOD where the best part of the barge part of the trip

The scenery was stunning ! The cycling, rated easy was an appropriate rating

A fabulous trip

Great trip! Despite flooding on the Danube that did not allow us to dock at some locations, we got to all advertised locations. The bike ride through the Austrian vineyards was absolutely stunning!

The bike rides and the night view of Budapest.

Please improve the GPS file for the last day of biking as the end doesn’t agree with the new ending at Marbach from Melk. We used the Danube river crossing at the power plant and damn from Melk to Marbach at Wehr Melk Damn.

Every part of the trip was memorable.
Although the weather didn't always cooperate we had an amazing time and when the skies opened up we managed to keep dry in a winery... Could be worse :)
The breakfasts were excellent, lots of selection cold and hot and nutritious, lunches were packed by the crew and again excellent. Dinners were three course meals and our last was a four course meal, absolutely delicious.

The boat and bikes were in perfect condition and always clean.

The staff was courteous and helpful, our guide Thomas knowledgeable and always watchful of the group.

The locations we stopped at were beautiful.

I had never ridden an e-bike before the trip but it was easy to learn and a lot of fun. No struggling to get up any hills :)

I would recommend this trip to anyone of all ages, as long as you can ride a bike.

I will go on more of these bike / ship trips!

The bike touring, our guide, the boat staff, the food and the boat itself were all memorable.

We didn't receive information soon enough about your recommendation to fly in and out of Frankfurt - our travel time was more difficult and longer than necessary. The information you sent was great but way too late to impact our travel.

We loved the trip and were only well prepared for weather because of information we received from someone who had done it this time of year before. Again more information sooner than a month before....

We had enjoyed a bike tour on the original QuoVadis 2 years ago and were amazed at the renovation to lengthen the ship into the Magnifique I. Our group had a fun week that was challenged with a variety of weather and the boat needing repair at Trier. Our guides, the captain, chef and staff were very creative to make sure, even though we were quite off schedule we still had our daily cycle and experiences and then some. The bicycles were new and easy to ride.

The riding and sights we saw as we rode. Our tour guides we awesome and the boat staff were too.
The food was first class and the new friends unforgettable.

We have 1 complaint. The room and storage were insufficient. It looks like they designed the renovation on looks alone and not practicality.

Unfortunately, we did not travel far because of flooding although our cruise director tried to give us new options. The one thing you should do is maintain the bikes better. The chains were rusted and the tires very low. Some of the gears did not work. The food was fantastic.

Simply put, this bike barge trip was outstanding in so many ways. The cycling was at the perfect pace thanks to the excellent leadership of our two guides, Alv and Anja. The serving and support staff were very attentive. The new bikes were in tip-top shape. The cabin on the Manifique 1 was smaller than our last bike barge, but it had everything we needed, was spotless and was made-up for us when we returned from our ride each day. Our breakfasts offered many choices, the opportunity to pack our own lunches allowed us variety each day and our chef provided gourmet dinners each evening. Our captain Patrick pitched in to help out staff as needed. Our fellow cyclists from three different countries enjoyed themselves and we enjoyed their company. Cycling through Germany, Luxembourg and France was an unforgettable experience.

Ended up being a Two-Country Tour due to high Danube water levels. It got a bit chaotic at times trying to understand where we were headed, when/where we would be riding, etc. While I think the onboard crew did a decent job of trying to adapt to the situation, I think boat operator should have had better contingency plans in place before ever leaving port. Watching/reading news reports the day the boat left Passau, water conditions were not unknown and it was predictable that the boat wouldn't make it to Budapest.

The bike rides we did get in were beautiful and the Danube area is definitely worth seeing. We were fortunate that most of the bike paths that had been affected by the flooding had been cleared and so only a few routes were detoured due to silt/debris on path. The bus rides we took to see a couple of the destinations we couldn't reach by water were longer than the time at the destination, but the time at the destinations was enjoyable.

Since we had anticipated it being the highlight of our trip, I wish we had made it to Budapest!!

The best part of the trip was seeing the different towns with their beautiful historic buildings. Unfortunately because of the prior week's rains which caused high water along the river, we weren't able to visit Budapest.

My sister and I bike and barge once a year on smaller barges with only about 12 staterooms. We opted to try a true, large river boat on this trip. Our trip was on the Swiss Crown. It started and ended in Passau Germany, with a destination of Vienna. We were impressed by the beauty of the boat and by our room, which had every amenity we could have asked for. The Danube bike trail was amazing despite epic flooding that had occurred little over a week prior. Our guide Carl was a delight. The meals were exceptional and well executed. The staff worked as a well oiled machine...always on cue. For those that are used to larger ships and river boats, this cruise is for you! It will not disappoint. As for my sister and I, although we loved this experience, we found we missed the intimacy that smaller barges provide. But the Swiss Crown was an elegant and lovely experience we will never forget!

We were paired with a fun couple at mealtime. They ended up cycling with us most days and we shared stories and laughter.

The lack of communication on the lack of planning for weather. There should have been plans in place for us to visit all 4 countries that we paid for, or compensation for missing Budapest.

The scenery was beautiful, very memorable. The staff was excellent, accommodating and professional. Thank you for that. The e-bikes were great, and definately made riding fun. Unfortunately, due to flooding on the Danube, we did not get to experience important parts of the trip. The staff did their best to make up for this, but we did miss out on anticipated stops and excursions.

This was a fantastic trip! The Merlijn was absolutely perfect. The crew was outstanding, the chef simply amazing. Our rooms were small but quite nice and always clean. Our bikes were so easy to ride and our guide, well I cannot think of any better guide that we could have had. A simply stunning view of Germany and the most fun way to see it.

Staff, food and biking experience were all first class. Rooms on Manufique 1 were small and needed more shelf space to put small things. Small round stool should be replaced with a small table with drawers. Air conditioning was broken down for last 3 days of the trip. Small rooms were therefore hot for sleeping. Beverage prices were very reasonable. The staff were really great. Would book again but maybe on a larger boat in their fleet..

Most memorable: The barge, Merlijn, and the captain, chef, crew and tour guide were spectacular. Highly recommended.
Tips: If traveling in September be prepared for cold, rainy weather.

Our guide Ilsa, providing historical information from Ancient Rome to the Middle Ages to Modern Times throughout the ride.
The crew were wonderful. Couldn’t be more pleased with the entire trip.

Unfortunately, flooding on the Danube prevented our trip from proceeding past Vienna. Having said that our group still had a good time together. The staff was accommodating and we appreciated all their efforts during an unexpected trip. Communication regarding trip changes, transportation and day-to-day activities could have been much better. Our tour guide was lacking some finesse in these areas.

The scenery was out of this world. Path was mostly flat and well marked. Wife was glad she had rented an e-bike. Ship was comfortable and staff was friendly. A few cold rainy days we chose to just stay on boat and watch scenery. Places we stoped at were wonderful to visit. There was slight impression we might run short of time to make it to some of the destinations but it all worked out fine. Only issue- while hand sanitizer was very available at restaurant, many guests seemed to bypass it. We came home with mild case of Covid.

Coen and Christina and the crew. We appreciated how all of you worked together to make us comfortable and cared for.
For Elizabeth, the bike ride and for Kathryn the special attention given to me after the injury.

Recommend a suggested packing list.

The Vivienne is a superb boat with comfortable rooms, excellent meals, amazing staff - from Captain Igor to hotel manager Margot to program director Leslie to restaurant manager Najeh to our wonderful server Nidhal and all the crew who carried bikes, took care of rooms, reception, bar and the like. Everything ran so smoothly. Party events were memorable and fun. The Danube cycling beautiful, as were the cities and towns we visited with so many historic sites. We would recommend this trip and this boat to everyone!

The Merlin ship was extremely impressive. The captain and crew ensured all participants were well taken care of. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were fabulous, and the deserts were lovely! Our bike tour guide shared historical information on most outings, which was quite interesting. Additionally, there were tours along the way of castles and wineries - an added benefit. We highly recommend the trip and the Merlin ship in particular!