Germany Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 211 to 240 of 1355

Unfortunately, the most memorable part was the weather--10 degrees, 25kph winds and rain for a goodly portion of the tour. Suggestion? Never believe the long-term weather forecast.

The staff were uniformly friendly and eager to serve, the food was excellent and the quarters very nice. Places we visited were lovely.

A few of the routes were shared with motor vehicles, and this wasn't clear. While it was not an issue for me, my wife was uncomfortable with it. Drivers in Europe are generally much more polite and tolerant than those in the USA. I would not have liked the experience as much in the US.

Vienna and Budapest at night. Coffee and cake at 1600. Breakfast buffet. Large lager.

Unfortunately, I tested positive for Covid 19 the evening after the first ride. Nevertheless, the trip was very enjoyable, especially because of the kind attention of the staff on the IRIS, especially our hostess, Kim. I have to say, sitting on the deck of the IRIS, cruising along the Main in Bavaria, is not such a bad way to go! I did get in two days rides at the end so also got to enjoy the biking.

Magical trip thru the villages and vineyards of northern France and eastern Germany. This trip has a great pace for getting to feel the atmosphere of the region. Definitely would suggest anyone coming from a far distance give themselves a couple of days to acclimate before starting the trip!

4-star experience aboard this ship! Fun adventures and beautiful scenery off the ship. Staff was exceptional, so courteous and friendly. The meals were simply amazing, every single one without exception. I enjoyed the daily cocktail special each day in the lounge and the fun onboard activities too.

Riding through the grapevine vineyards.
Riding through the forest in aschaffenburg.
Riding into the little towns

Leslie our Cruise Director was Great! We were lucky to meet a lot of new people. All the people working on the boat were wonderful and did a phenomenal job! From the Food to the cleanliness of the boat! Loved Disco night!

The whole experience was wonderful ! The boat, service , food and rides. The
Programming was so fun and the rides were incredible. Rented and ebike which I
Was happy with. I was able to enjoy it all stess free

The only recommendation I would
Have is to have mirrors on bike

We had the opportunity to evaluate the Iris so don’t have anything to add

This tour onboard the Merlijn was amazing. It was very well organized.
The crew, staff and tour guide provided to give us a magical experience.
We biked and toured through well crafted locations. We laughed and ate delicious meals. We made new friends!
I will cherish this week forever! Can't wait for the next one!

The Wow factor was everywhere.
Gourmet Vegetarian options at every meal. Old towns, palaces, castles & beergardens. The pristine bike paths along rosy vineyards. Most memorable -probably singing after sunset on the boat deck with John & Felix playing guitars. Yet the picnic along the river and the wine tasting were highlights too. Loved this bucket list experience!

Our cycling guides were fantastic, so knowledgeable and so easy to be with. The crew on the Iris was also wonderful and so easily accommodated everyone’s individual needs.

In fact, the whole trip was memorable! There are a few reasons why the whole trip surpasses by far the "one memorable moment" that most people enjoy taking from a trip. Firstly, the captain, the cook, the guide, and the rest of the members of the crew demonstrated one of the highest levels of professionalism and also a most friendly welcome aboard throughout the trip. Secondly, the Merlijn was kept in such a state of good care and good taste that it was the perfect "home away from home". And thirdly, although pure coincidence, from the very first moment we set sail and, again, throughout the trip, the best rapport and camaraderie permeated the whole group of twenty people who didn't know each other previously and came from so many different walks of life.

Having dinner at Fisherman’s Bastion overlooking Budapest at night was just magical. Also, our first day ride at Danube Bend was a fantasic experience with the bike road along the Danube and the little bike ferries we used (and the Schapps wasn’t bad either!). All in all, great ship, great bikes, great time!

Our Tripsite bike and barge tour with the Merlijn was absolutely fantastic!!! We now have such wonderful memories of the crew, food, our cycling guide, and the new friends we shared this adventure with. We can’t wait to go on another trip!!

Our favorite parts of the trip was the day in Budapest and also the last day of riding. The scenery and stops were all beautiful.
While the daily itinerary sessions with the cruise director were well done and informative the timing should be rotated between the different language groups. The other group was larger and therefore always ran longer than planned.
We found the bikes to be of good quality but you may need another crew member to service them after each ride. We pointed out that there was an issue with my wife’s bike but on the next ride the front brake was still rubbing. Also another member of our group’s chain was quite noisy. Still dealing with these bikes is a massive job and I give the crew full credit.

We had a great time on our bike & boat trip down the Danube! We were aboard the Primadonna. The highlight of the trip was Budapest. What an amazing city! It was a rest day so we had all day to explore. We left by night when all those incredible buildings were lit up and reflected in the Danube.
Optional city tours were available when we weren’t cycling. I recommend them because we learned history & facts about where we were. The organ concert in Linz was a wonderful experience too.
The boat was great. The staff was helpful and friendly, the meals were good, reflecting the region and our lowest deck room was comfortable. It did surprise us the first morning how close to the water level our window was!
The last day, cycling through vineyards and villages in Austria was delightful.
We would recommend this trip to others. The terrain is easy so you can enjoy your surroundings. We were glad we opted for the e-bikes. The Primadonna doesn’t provide helmets though but sold them in their little bike shop on board for €35, so we bought them.
Most of the people on the trip are retirees. Not many young people. They still have to work! They would enjoy it too though.

We had a great time on our bike & boat trip down the Danube! We were aboard the Primadonna. The highlight of the trip was Budapest. What an amazing city! It was a rest day so we had all day to explore. We left by night when all those incredible buildings were lit up and reflected in the Danube.
Optional city tours were available when we weren’t cycling. I recommend them because we learned history & facts about where we were. The organ concert in Linz was a wonderful experience too.
The boat was great. The staff was helpful and friendly, the meals were good, reflecting the region and our lowest deck room was comfortable. It did surprise us the first morning how close to the water level our window was!
The last day, cycling through vineyards and villages in Austria was delightful.
We would recommend this trip to others. The terrain is easy so you can enjoy your surroundings. We were glad we opted for the e-bikes. The Primadonna doesn’t provide helmets though but sold them in their little bike shop on board for €35, so we bought them.
Most of the people on the trip are retirees. Not many young people. They still have to work! They would enjoy it too though.

The people on the trip and the staff were all memorable. The scenic trails and the system of rivers and canals. Visiting the towns and villages on our own.

The evening cruise out of Budapest with all the illuminated building was so amazing.
Take your time in the smaller towns and cities as you bike to the larger cities. Most of the big cities are more difficult to get around. With the exception of Vienna, the guided tours were superb.

Our Merlijn adventure was a magical package- from the cozy cabins, fabulous food, smooth! charming bike paths, and superior guide -to congenial fellow bikers. And the ebike made it possible for my elderly knees. The scenic rides were away from the hustle and bustle of large cities. Idyllic, highly recommend.

The route was amazing and the guides were great. The food was average at best. Folks were assigned a table for dinner. Despite that, the waiters still had to ask everyone whether they had ordered the fish or the chicken. Folks should have been able to sit with whomever they wanted to. Being stuck with someone who was a pompous ass for a week is ridiculous when the waiters can't even get who ordered what correct anyway.

Experiencing the great scenery, this was our very first trip to Europe. Loved it our ship, crew, guides were all first class.

Meals were great
Barge was perfectly updated
Tours were so-so

The beauty of the cycling route and the relaxed yet active daily schedule

The best part of the trip was the cycle portion through Austria’s Wachau Valley winery district. Truly picturesque!
Advice: Bring a Tupperware type container to pack your lunch. The boat provides a small sandwich and fruit but if you prefer to eat something else or just more than the sandwich, you need to have a container for it. We started packing the hard boiled eggs, and fruit in our bike bags but a container would have made it much easier. There are not very many opportunities to eat lunch at a restaurant while you are cycling, but plenty of gorgeous places to have a picnic. A travel picnic set with a cutting board, an a knife and fork would come in very handy.
We signed up for all the bus/walking tours to give our saddles a break. They were all great but the bus tour in Budapest we could have passed on because the boat docks right in the center of all the tourist spots so it was just as easy to navigate touring there on your own. Friends we met on the boat did the bike tour there and said it was great but I couldn’t face getting on the bike again that day:). Vienna is harder to get around so unless you feel pretty adventurous, I recommend the tour. We also did the trip to the concert and it was gorgeous- well worth it!
The e-bikes were awesome, and very comfortable. We bought gel seat covers and brought them with us which I think helped a lot. Unless you are a seasoned cyclist, it’s a lot of time on the bike and the tush gets tired.
Overall an amazing trip, the staff was fun and helpful. Our tour director was a substitute for the regular person and he was good but cranky. The regular tour director had awesome reviews so I think we just happened to get an off week!
I highly recommend this tour and now am ready to do another bike and boat in a different location!

Visiting Saarburg and Treier. Eating delicious food. Being on board with a great group of people. And the crew who helped us. Riding through the different towns and being able to see life from their view.

Boat and Crew was absolutely Fantastic. Lia our Bike Guide was Amazing.

The most memorable part of the trip was being guided by competent guides and entertained by International riders along the breathtaking Moselle. Tips: consider taking a Camelbac to have easy access to water and a clothesline and soap to wash clothes since it was hot and our clothes needed to be refreshed in the middle of the trip.

The boat/barge Merlijn. We have done more than a dozen bike barge boats and the Merlijn is by far the premier of the lot. The service and cuisine on board was superb as well.