Netherlands Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 631 to 660 of 1777

Our 5 day trip aboard the Magnifique IV for the Netherlands tulip tour was magnificent! I can't say enough great things about the staff--each and every one was so helpful and accommodating. There was plenty of food at all times and the evening dinner was excellent. The rooms were small but clean and enough room for all of your belongings. The bikes were new and worked well. The only thing I would change about the trip was the weather (!) and perhaps I would have enjoyed eating lunch in the small towns we meandered through (versus packing a bagged lunch each day). Would definitely recommend this trip and will be booking with them again!

The Keukenhof gardens were spectacular. The food was also far above expectations.

The tours were very educational & informative. We only had 1 guide and he was pretty cranky & could be insulting to several of the ladies. To be honest the women were not prepared either.

Overall, a great trip. The crew and guides on the Iris were wonderful and helped to make the trip a memorable experience. Thought the tour itinerary was a great balance of Dutch culture, historic towns and places, canals, dikes and locks, windmills, and fields of flowers. Fun seeing the Netherlands on a bike. Chef was amazing and the Food was superb. Made good friends and enjoyed everyone on the bike tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of springtime in Holland.

The trip including the Kuganeuf gardens was terrific. Well organized and relaxing. Our bike guides were attentive to everyone's level and set a comfortable pace.

The Tulip Market and riding to the North Sea. The pace was great! Everyone on the boat was phenomenal! The food was outstanding, the entire boat was clean. We could not have asked for anything better. I highly suggest getting to know the Captin and crew! I can not say enough wonderful things about The Magnifique III crew!

What a wonderful experience I had never been to Europe or out of the country, and it did not disappoint

The boat, crew, food were wonderful. It was apparent that a second cycling guide would have been an advantage as it was difficult for some riders to keep the pace.

Wonderful holiday. Barge is very clean spacious and the food is outstanding. Snacks were always available after a ride and the crew is extremely accommodating. Each day our bikes were ready and off the barge, our guide was knowledgeable of the history, area and always showed us some hidden gems. We were a very large group 23 riders, I think the guide could have used another guide for assistance. The scenery speaks for itself

The most memorable part of the trip was bicycling to see the tulip fields, the parade of flowers, and one of the largest flower auctions in the world.

Oh wow, what an awesome trip!! From the scenery and sights to the food on the Fleur, everything was wonderful! The staff on the boat was welcoming and took good care of us. Our guides, Patrick and Karin, were great fun and knowledgeable.

This was my 4th Tripsite tour and was by far the best. The Fleur was delightful: clean and beautifully decorated. The food prepared by the amazing chef, Steffie, was amazing. Each day she presented a culinary treat that was on par with the finest restaurants. Our guides, Karin and Patrick, were knowledgeable and fun. We cycled past small villages, pastures of sheep and cows, saw amazing birds, and charming canals. Of course, the tulips were gorgeous every way you turned. We became friends with the other passengers, and the camaraderie made the trip even more fun. If you take this tour, you will not be disappointed. Just be prepared for all types of weather conditions and cold temperatures. An ebike made the cycling against the wind manageable. The entire trip will be a lifetime memory for me.

Tulip exchange

It was a great time of year in the Netherlands. Caught the flower parade, 4-20 day, Kings day and the tulips in bloom!

Just the whole trip everything was memorable, the barge crew, the ride leader & cycling. The Barge itself, the food and peolple

The most memorable part of our trip was keukenhof gardens. It was amazing. We also liked Aalsmeer which was fascinating and the North Sea. The bike ride there was beautiful and different from any of the other biking we did. The neighborhoods and homes were beautiful as well as the forests we rode through. Then it was just a treat to be on a beach when we got there. Our week was cool windy and rainy at times. My best suggestion would be to have layers to dress in. The panniers for the bikes are very spacious to hold layers and jackets if you need to remove any. Gloves were very helpful as well as gators for our heads/necks. Another suggestion would be to be practiced up on your bikes in some crowded conditions as Amsterdam biking was brief but a little hairy. Use an Ebike if you’re out of shape. The wind was brutal.

Seeing fields of tulips and hyacinths in full bloom and in full fragrance was amazing as was the Keukenhof Gardens. Disappointingly, however, was that tulips were only one day of the entire trip. Ghent and Bruges were also definite highlights. The cuisine presented by Christina each evening on board the Merlijn was gourmet and delicious. Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. We were very pleased to have many layers of clothing as we had days of rain, wind, and or cold temps. A few mornings it was only 4C when we started out but did get up to 10C. Although the countryside is flat for easy riding, there were many bridges to cross requiring some decent hill climbing to get up and over! Belgium however was all flat and the much easier portion of the trip. Another tip to keep in mind is that the third week in the Netherlands is a school holiday as it is the King’s birthday. The KG was packed with people.

Coan & Christina own and operate the 50 meter 1930 converted cargo ship Merlijn along with a crew of 3 and a bike guide. The attention to detail , ,new equipment and bikes. The difference is other tour vessels are owned by larger companies and hire a captain a crew with older bikes.
Our guide Francien was very good, had 20 years experience and took us places that you would not see on a self guided tour. In the evenings after our on board gourmet dinner she would take who wanted to go on a tour of the city or town.
The scenery was amazing and a boat canal side tour in Gent was arranged. Our groups average was between 55 and 73 and everyone was able able to keep up a good pass on regular and e bikes.
We will be taking another tour they offer in Germany next year

We took this trip obviously for the tulips but what a pleasant surprise to have such an amazing crew and guide team. The meals were gourmet, the lunches amazing, snacks waiting on our return and a friendly face welcoming us back. The captain mingled with us when not driving the ship to its next location. And the guides..Wim and Brian did a fabulous job Wims knowledge is amazing. And then there were the little towns we biked through that we would have never seen any other way! A total experience that well exceeded my expectations! Bravo!

Seeing the large tulip fields in full bloom. I liked the ship the Iris. The crew were wonderful. They sure treated the riders great. I really enjoyed our bike tour guides, Ferry and Maaike. They were very knowledgeable and did a great job of guiding us. Several times, the Iris could not get to the designated stopping point for the evening due too bridges being out for maintenance. so they had to reroute us to a different location to catch the Iris. The food on the Ship was very good. Coen, the chef, did a great job of creating meals, salads, soups, and deserts. I have one suggestion. Please have the chef create more authentic Dutch cuisine. I asked Ferry about this, and he said that there is really not much concerning Dutch cuisine. He said it was mainly poor man's food. Anyway, I would have liked more of the Dutch poor man's food. The weather did not cooperate. I know the weather can be bad, and it was. It rained a lot every day. The wind was constantly blowing, and the temps were in the low to mid 40s. One day the temperature reached the mid 50s with the sun shining in the afternoon. The last 2 days it was rainy, cold, with a very strong head wind. Over all I enjoyed the trip, but the weather could have been better.

We are so glad we choose the authentic Holland tour on the de Holland. It was a great blend of forests, wetlands, and Hanseatic cities! The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the food was excellent. I highly recommend this tour.

This trip exceeded our expectations. EVERYTHING was well done.... We would highly recommend....

The most memorable part of my trip was the time we rode our bikes around the tulip fields. The scenery was breath taking!

I also really enjoyed my time on the Magnifique III

This trip was amazing. The pre-planning info, the easy to follow arrival, and the overall organization made my first trip an enticement for future excursions. The crew iof the Iris and our guides were engaging and easily created a family-like experience. Every day was greeted with smiles and experiences which made all of us feel the excitement of the voyage. Thank you for the great memories!

The bike rides and the food.

Oh my, this is a difficult question as every part of our trip on the IRIS Tulip Tour was memorable! We loved the biking and felt totally immersed into the Dutch culture as we meandered through cute villages, lush green grazing pastures adorned with baby animals (lambs, ducks, goats, cows), by castles, windmills, and, of course, the spectacular, vibrant tulip fields! Our tour guides were, hands down, the best tour guides ever!! Genuinely, wonderful people who were so knowledgeable about their culture and history and eager to share! Each stop we made on our bikes whether it for a coffee break, lunch break, or a site to see, was unique and fabulous! We loved the different cafes (w/ to-die-for pastries and treats), lunch stop areas (an old schoolhouse; a beach on the North Sea; adorable towns), and the many Dutch experiences (castles, windmills, cheese farm, tulip fields, and the spectacular tulip gardens at the Kuekenhof)! The boat staff and meals were amazing also . . . first class!!! We all felt spoiled and loved. Our rooms were perfect with plenty of space - with every detail of design being well thought-out. Last, but not least, we relish the friendships we developed with our delightful fellow bikers/bargers! If you enjoy "active" vacations, then this is a trip of a lifetime!!!

Suggestions for others:
1. Be sure to do some bike rides (and make sure you are comfortable on a bike) before coming on this trip. Also, if you plan on using an electric bike, practice at home first.
2. Rain pants and a good raincoat were my best pre-trip investments! Dress in layers and be prepared for all types of weather! The weather is not a problem if dressed properly. Also, bring two pairs of gloves so you always have a dry spare pair.

The whole trip exceeded my expectations. The first day was incredible and each day after brought unexpected experiences. The ship was very comfortable , the food exceptional and the tour guides friendly and knowledgeable.
I’m glad I brought along enough clothes to layer. It was colder than I expected, but I was always warm.
Thanks for putting a great trip together, I’ll send friends your way. It was the perfect week to see the tulips at their peek.

Thé Keukenhof gardens were beautiful! Exceeded my expectations!

What a wonderful way to see Holland, world famous tulips, get daily exercise, eat healthy & wonderful food, and meet new friends!
For future tour bikers I would strongly recommend an E-bike. The terrain is 100% flat but the frequent high winds (take warmer clothes than you might think you need), made it more pleasant to enjoy the surroundings on an E-bike. The guides, Brian and Wim, were fun, informative, helpful and had good chemistry between themselves, making for a great atmosphere for the week. And the food prepared by Martina was delicious. She and her staff were always accommodating with every request. It was a perfect, tulip-filled week in Holland!

The trip itself was 5 stars. One suggestion; consider finding a way to offer and/or provide non American customers the Tripsite riding vest. They would have been very useful (close to being necessary) when riding through busy urban sections. There were several occasions when I or my wife were doing “corner duty” and members of our group did not recognize us. Also very helpful for the “sweeper” to recognize, count, and verify whether or not all members of the group are ahead of them. I respect wearing the vest is not mandatory, but almost all people in the group were wearing them - and we would have absolutely done so as well if we had known the vest was available. Our emails from Tripsite did not mention or offer the riding vest. We asked our fellow riders where they obtained their vests, we thought perhaps they were provided on the boat? Anyways - we quickly learned it was mention in an email - so I reviewed our Tripsite emails - nothing there - I asked Tripsite staff via email about the vest - the answer was that non American Tripsite customers are not offered vests. It’s a little thing, and in some aspects, this is a big thing, from a riding and inclusion perspective. Very much encouraging Tripsite to consider finding a way to offer and get riding vests to non American customers - that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.