Netherlands Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1411 to 1440 of 1671

The wifi on the barge needs to be upgraded. It was inadequate and inconsistent.This is really the only criticism I have - the rest was great. But it is important to travelers these days.

My husband and I had a great bike trip. Riding through the Belgium/Netherlands was delightful. The staff made the trip most memorable- Jacob (bike guide), Els (boat captain), Thomas (cook).

Our first bike barge holiday and we loved it. Good mix of nationalities as guests. The Magnifique truly was glorious.

It was a great bicycle trip. Beautiful countryside, bike paths were excellent and the guide "Hugo" was exceptional. Barge was perfect. We were able to see the real Holland, not the typical tourist city Holland. Communication and arrangement of the tour with Tripsite was very good. Thanks.

Holland has such fabulous bike routes and a tradition of bicycling. We left the boat by 9 am and reconnected with it by 4 at a new location. The cities that we rode to and through were old, small and quaint. The many stops along the way we're interesting and the people everywhere were wonderful. I highly recommend this trip.

We loved the trip. Hank, Jantien, & staff were super as usual. The electric bike was a bit heavy. My(Anita) electric bike at home feels much lighter--it's smaller. Look forward to another trip on Merlijn & with Jantien & Hank. --Anita & Duncan

The staff of the Merlijn were delightful and very personable. Enjoyed them thoroughly.

Travel aboard the Merlijn is always a wonderful experience. Our guide, Felix, was excellent. This was our fourth trip and we will return for more.

The most memorable part of my trip were the small towns and villages that we visited. These are places where tourists rarely venture. The people are friendly and open for conversations; willing to share their lives and experiences with us. And curious to know about us as well. I have so many wonderful memories.

The small tour group was perfect for my 12 year old son and I. The biking was awesome - we both loved cycling through the farms and along the canals. Although it was rainy and windy for majority of the time - we still enjoyed it very much. The food was fantastic!!

Having the map to tryi to not get lost was so much fun. Thank you to all the staff for making the bike barge a great activity vacation.

Great trip BUT.. We decided to cycle with 6 others because we are experienced riders. We were counting on the signage being much more complete and easier to follow. At times, there was no indication of where to go. Our path just ended! Also, the bigger group, of about 18, had some inexperienced riders and we felt that riding in this large a group could be dangerous...which proved to be the case.
In one case, a previous rider had taken the liberty to use a marker to write our path number on a sign. Thanks to him/her we were able to continue on without taking out the GPS. Had this been done on several other signs, we would not have had to find our way ...using GPS..on many occasions. There were also 4 other Europeans, who cycled as a group, who experienced the same sense of frustration as us.
We will forward a photo to the Tripsite website. Thanks for providing a most enjoyable and memorable trip.

I would recommend it, but with reservations. I think there should have been two guides, one to take a faster group and one for a beginner group. A few people on the trip should not have been. They were not comfortable on their bikes, and were a daily danger to whomever they were near. Something should have been done about it.
I also would have liked to ride faster, and spend more free time in the little towns.

Had so much fun. Looking forward to doing it again. Been telling everyone they need to try it. Just riding your bike through the towns over cobble stone or brick. Just a great way to see a country.

The barge - The Merlijn was unbelievably wonderful with huge cabins and wonderful big bathrooms with large showers.- very nice big dining room and bar area. All super clean! Wonderful hosts! The biking I found a bit disappointing mostly biking along the canals where there were trees on each side and not being able to see the countryside. Our last day we biked thru small villages and farms and I found that great!

My e-bike was great and I was used to it in a day or so. They are much heavier than a normal bike and if a bit off balance they are harder to right. They are a great help on the hills.

Our guide Lia was lots of fun. Very sharp map reader and knowledgeable regarding the history. The passengers were mostly German and very friendly.

Great experience! We loved the way the English-speaking and German-speaking groups coalesced - to a large part due to Jantien , our amazing hostess, chef and boat-owner!

I have planned to contact you with feedback, but haven't. The staff was great except the guide. He was not friendly or helpful. We were all disappointed in his lack of leadership and "guiding". Of the three trips we have taken, this was the least appealing. The route was not attractive, and mostly industrial, urban or rural. We were near places we know were charming and interesting, but did not visit them. I'm left wondering if it is that tour company. For 35 people biking there really should have been more staff on the road with us. Still love you!

We sailed on the Magnifique II from Bruges to Amsterdam, 25 June to 1 July, under the able command of skipper Paul, and ride leader Tom Tiedom. It was a magnificent experience in every way, even though we had a few odd showers to contend with. This is virtually a brand new barge with upscale accommodations and amenities. We had one of the four top-side suites, which are indeed larger, and with view windows that open as opposed to port holes. Tom, the ride leader and guide, was an extremely charming, knowledgeable and humorous fellow. He provided daily briefings on the next day's ride, all of which included ample coffee and food stops, as well as providing historic info. Indeed, the entire crew were extremely courteous and helpful in every respect, and the food delicious.

Fabulous trip. Great, hospitable staff willing to please, answer questions, professional, share information. Boat was clean, comfortable, well equipped. Food was excellent and there was plenty to enjoy.

The trip could have stopped at interesting waypoints more frequently. The stop at the art studio was silly. I would have liked to learn more about Holland's and Belgium's history and current culture. A portable DVD player with a travel related DVD would have useful after dinner treat!

The trip could have stopped at interesting waypoints more frequently. The stop at the art studio was silly. I would have liked to learn more about Holland's and Belgium's history and current culture. A portable DVD player with a travel related DVD would have useful after dinner treat!

The regular bikes are great but we rented an E-bike for our disabled son which did not work and there was no replacement. Riding a malfunctioning E-bike is extremely heavy and I was stuck with it for two days. Once we accepted normal bikes we all managed much better and my son amazed me. Tripsite was excellent in refunding us for the E-bike. This trip is a wonderful experience.

Was a fantastic trip!!! Tom was a great guide and will recommend this to others.

This is our third bike and barge trip and we would come back to do another. We had a great time! The boat, the Liza Marleen, was very nice, the crew very friendly, and our bike guide informative, interesting, and a lot of fun. It was very nice going on a small size boat and the crew created a family-like atmosphere which made the trip very enjoyable. One one particularly warm and longer day, the crew handed out delicious popsicles as we climbed back aboard at the end of the day. We appreciated the all the small details like this. We tell many friends that they should do one of these Bike and Barge trips. We'll be back.

Trip was outstanding however a comment. Upon our arrival on the boat, the first thing they tried to do was sell us bike insurance. We showed them the paperwork that we had paid 15 Euros. They countered that their ins was only 10 Euro and that it would be easier to settle a claim because we would not have to get reimbursed by you. We did not buy their ins but this turned us off immediately. Also, why are we paying 15 when they charge 10? This option should have been explained to us. Now the good news: boat was beautiful and we had a great room. Food was absolutely outstanding! I thought it was exceptional on Theodor Kormer but Anna Maria Agnes had them beat by a hair! And our guide, Niko, what a doll! Wish I could have taken him home with me! Prior to our trip my friends and I spent a few days in Amsterdam. While visiting museums, I lost my new jacket, new Galaxy S-7 phone and my digital camera! We retraced our steps, went to police station. I came to the conclusion that I might have left them on the tram but it was Friday, the lost and found was closed until Monday. On Day 2 of our trip, I asked Nico if he could help me by calling the tram lost and found, which he did. The next evening, he approached me with a big grin and told me that they had recovered my items on the tram. What a miracle! He wrote down the case # and gave me directions to find the lost and found. Thank you Thank you to Nico!!
One suggestion: we were given no instruction as to what the street signs meant. I know a little bit of Dutch and even I had a problem with them. I would suggest that a handout be prepared for all English speaking, showing pictures of the signs and interpretations. Also, a short session on cars vs bikes; who has the right of way etiquette ...that would be very helpful. Several times, we stopped at intersections, only to have bikers pass us or swear at us for stopping. At times, the route numbers were confusing but that was not the fault of Nico. There were some route changes, construction, which deviated from the map.
Overall, we had a wonderful time!!!!!!!!!II have already had some friends who are interested in booking a trip to Holland through tripsite.

When I first heard of a bike & barge trip, I thought I would be sleeping on a cot under the stars! After obtaining more info, I realized we would have a comfortable room but I was very impressed with our accommodations. It was like being on a mini cruise. Food was great, tour guide was personable and entertaining, friendly staff went out of their way to make this trip extra special. We had an arranged canal boat tour complete with champagne after arriving in Amsterdam! I would highly recommend the Magnifique and this crew, for an awesome way to experience Belgium and The Netherlands.

Best week of food ever. Great bikes. Super helpful guides. Would like access to more detailed maps to know better where we were. Really enjoyed the bike barge combination.

It would be good for the guides to have a bike calculator (a little device on the bike that shows distance and speed). The guides varied the speeds more than was necessary. It wasn't bad, but at times faster than "advertised" for the slow group and slower and faster than advertised for the faster group. This is not a big deal, but would be an improvement. Also we often biked a little longer than was in the route descriptions, so those could be looked at. Other than that, the trip was great. And less rain of course :-)

Our guide Felix, was fun, knowledgeable and intuitive. His attitude and ease of being with people made even a horrible weather day endurable. The BIGGEST bonus was having Astrid along as a trainee. She added so much to every aspect of our journey and was a treasure trove of regional information.

Had a fantastic time, would highly recommend it to others!