Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 271 to 300 of 4712

Thirteen years ago we took one of our favorite family vacations aboard the Ave Maria from Mantova to Venice. We decided to recreate the trip with (now adult) children and their partners. The only week that worked was in the opposite direction and on the Vita Pugna. Before we knew it, we had other friends and family sign on and we filled 9 of the 10 cabins. As the trip approached we were concerned that the reality would not meet our memories or that a different direction or boat might lessen the experience.

We were thrilled to find out that any such fears were unwarranted. From the moment we boarded the Vita Pugna in Venice until the sad day we departed in Mantova, we had an absolute blast. The boat is not opulent, but very comfortable and well appointed. The food was excellent -- the wonderful Silvia not only made delicious meals every day, but nimbly adjusted to a number of us with different dietary tastes and restrictions. Our pursor/sommelier/captain in training Michele was a joy to be around and will make an outstanding captain soon. The captain, Ricardo (Bugy), was so helpful and fun and we thoroughly enjoyed interacting with him. And Giorgio, our fearless leader and guide, was funny, informative, patient, experienced and a pure joy to be around. The entire crew spent an enormous amount of time helping us to enjoy our trip.

The trip was simply fantastic.

Wonderful cycling among so many vineyards, orchards, and beautiful small towns. We particularly loved Avignon, wine tasting in Chateau Neuf du Pape, the beautiful Pont du Gard, a little Van Gogh in St. Remy and Arles, and the surprisingly attractive town of Aigues Mortes- no dead water there! Our favorite part was the ride was to Les Baux- made significantly easier by our decision to concede to age and use e-bikes. The boat is small and the cabins a bit cramped, but we weren't there to hang out indoors. The crew was excellent, particularly Micaela our guide and Alice the do everything steward. We had a great mix of shipmates, hailing from Canada, Australia, the UK, energetic Brazilians, and a few Americans. All together a great week!

I loved the small family-like atmosphere of the boat. I also loved the built in guided tours.

It was a fabulous trip, with a very friendly and compatible group of travelers. The sites and scenery were wonderful, wine and olive oil tasting were great. Food on board was delicious. Guides were amazing and extremely helpful. And e-bikes were a blessing.

This was our first bicycle/barge trip and it was a fantastic experience from the beginning to the end.
The cycle routes were safe, beautiful and easy to follow. We really enjoyed each day - even when the weather wasn't perfect. Visiting the Hanseatic cities was also very interesting: I enjoyed the walking tours in the evening.
Overall, I loved the trip and wish it was two weeks long!

Ranks right up there with one of our most enjoyable vacations. You have to love this active trip mixed with the luxury of Harmonia and the organisation of the tour company.

food, the crew, the bike leaders, both. the boat was very nice. Perfect again!!

The staff were delightful! Thank you. I loved the ride through the National forest.

I loved everything about this trip!
The Iris was fantastic. Loved the crew, accommodations and food. Our guides, Wim and Alice, were also excellent. They were both super kind and helpful. The route thru picturesque Dutch towns and lovely, green countryside was idyllic. I can’t imagine better hosts than everyone we encountered on this wonderful tour!

Our Bike and Barge trip on the Merlijn was top notch. There were many highlights including our daily cycling trips guided by our fantastic knowledgeable guide Franciene, who hails from the Netherlands. She told us lots of ‘stories’ along the way and planned each of our outings with great care and personalization. Our Merlin accommodations were top notch. Can’t say enough about our crew. They were amazing professional, friendly and took care of our every need. Christina our co-captain and chef extraordinaire served us fantastic meals every night. I would love to do more exploring with the Merlijn crew in the future.

What a fantastic trip on the Fleur. Captain Steffens navigates a top notch barge. Her staff from sailor, housekeeper, chief, and bike guides were superb.

Biking the pristine countryside with experience informed guides is a unique way to see a quaint part of Belgium and France. Providing e-bikes for all the quests “leveled the playing field” so all could enjoy the bike routes to their abilities and still successfully complete daily rides.

Developing friendships with guests from around the world during the 14 day venture was an added plus.

Thanks Fleur for the memorable trip!

The barge is excellent and the food service great. The staff were very organized and pleasant. The bikes were excellent and the best helmets with the microphone communication with the guide who was also excellent. The routes were well planned and the tours from the boat were good. It was great to have a flexible day where one had a choice to bike and hike, bike and kayak or chose to go on your own excursion which several people did- a day in The Hague and Delft. Highly recommend this tour!

The trip was a great experience - the daily rides, boat, and the staff were outstanding. This itinerary was not our first choice, we really didn't know what to expect, and we were delighted with how it turned out. The boat was surprisingly nice, and it was a "step up" from the boat/bike trip we did two years ago.

The crew were fantastic, the early weather ...not so much. I look forward to the booking another sometime in the future

Third bike & boat. The best trip ever, the best boat ever, the best guides ever.

Most memorable were the people we met and shared the bike and boat with. The guides, Mirta and Tara made every ride very special. The captain, the cooks and the rest of the crew welcomed us and made our trip special. The scenery on the islands, the swims in the sea and the outstanding meals were top notch. We thank each of them for all the hard work, from loading and unloading bikes, navigating the waters, cleaning, cooking, bar service and fun and laughter...

rain otherwise ok.
cabin is n the boat . even after several requests the AC was not fixed . it was very uncomfortable. I was actually berated that I opened the sliding doors in order to try to get some cooler air inside. in retrospect I should have taken my pillow and sleep in the lobby.

The last day of biking was the most beautiful! I would recommend to bring along a mirror for your bike.

The country is beautiful and the boat/people were fabulous. Food was great, well organized

Imagine cycling along dykes and rivers and canals in the softest light of the morning and seeing on the horizon 19 windmills! That's what happened on the ninth day of our Barge and Bike Tour. We cycled past 19 historical windmills at Kinderdyke. That was how I dreamt cycling in Holland would be. Just magical.
Every now and again you would glimpse through the reeds and rushes, water fowl and swans. and if you were lucky enough to be there just at the right movement, you would see the cygnets climb onto the backs of the mamma swans to have a ride. All that there amongst the fairytale windmills.

Beautiful views of the Adriatic both from high and low at port side ancient towns and harbors: long slow bike climbs followed by wonderful long downhill runs; comfortable air conditioned boat lodgings and food.

We had a wonderful week on the Panagiota it was a great experience on a more traditional boat. The guides and crew went above and beyond making sure everything ran smoothly. The bikes were great we opted for electric as there's many hills/mountains. We were blessed with beautiful weather and the island stops and swimming off the boat were magic and we wouldn't hesitate in doing a similar trip.

A more relaxing and natural side of the Netherlands. A nice balance of biking and sightseeing (Ecomare, Shipwreck and Beachcombing museum, Frisian ice skating museum, oldest, operating planetarium). I really enjoyed wandering the canals and streets of Harlingen. Tripsite staff and the boat crew were very good - as always!

The guides were excellent and it was fun when they interacted with us. The entire staff were professional not to mention talented - all were very personable and could not do enough for you. The meals were exceptional!!!! It was fun when guides would add in some things on our rides, like the man who Has created different bikes that we all could try. We were fortunate to have people who interacted! Thank you for a great trip.

The group dynamic and the excellent stewardship of our knowledgeable, enthusiastic and amiable cycling guide, Roseanna! The rides were exhilarating and the sights beautiful with rich history!

I ticked the bucket list of cycling in the rain - lol. The weather was less than ideal, so that was a bummer, but the biking lanes and scenery were fabulous, along with the quaint villages and squares. The food on board was absolutely amazing - kudos to Rutger. The crew Jolien and Daniel were awesome; our cabins and the ship were always pristine; they made excellent drinks and were so friendly and helpful. Our guides were superb - great at making sure every one was comfortable on their bikes and getting us where we had to be and they had so much knowledge of the history of every single place we visited and cycled by. Our captains Andres and Matthias did a great job sailing the Magnifique 1 with help from the sailor Jowel. What really struck me is that everyone worked as a team all pitching in to load bikes, set the tables, do the cleaning, cook the food, secure the barge . . . It made for a very welcoming, cozy atmosphere on board and by the end we were all sad to go home.

Great trip. Single room in lower deck but bathroom/shower in my room was the best I have every had in all of my Tripsite tours. Super crew, bike guides. Happy crowd with never a dull moment. Wow. Never knew about Croatia and it's crystal clear waters and incredible history.

Great food, great biking (and e-bikes), and wonderful experiences

This was our first bike and barge experience, yet we had heard many descriptions from friends. We went with excitement and high expectations. And from the moment we were greeted and introduced the boat the Accommodations, pleasantness and service level of the Merlijn crew exceeded every expectation we had by far! Our guide Francine was also superb. Her local knowledge, skill and experience made the ride safe and extremely enjoyable. Highly recommend this boat and crew.

Although we enjoyed beautiful weather and wonderful crew , the ship was very uncomfortable - with small berths and horrible bedding . Out of 30 occupants 10 had norivirus and there was not enough cleaning supplies to disinfect and keep everyone healthy . This was our third trip with you and our least favorite .