Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 4231 to 4260 of 4295

We had a terrific time exploring the vibrant city of Berlin, followed by marvelous days biking thru rejuvenated areas of eastern Germany. The Merlijn is a ***** experience of delightful accommodation, excellent dining, gracious hospitality. TripSite provides thorough itinery information and offers rapid replies to questions to prepare for the Bike/Barge experience. It was our second booking and we had a wonderful time.

This was a fabulous tour (April 2012). The boat was spacious and clean, with very good food & amenities. The bikes provided were in excellent condition. The hosts & staff were friendly & accommodating. The daily bike trips were interesting & well organized- too many highlights to describe. A great way to see many parts of Holland, especially if you combine the bike tour with several days before and/or after in Amsterdam. The staff at Tripsite provided all necessary information.

I recently enjoyed the Paris to Bruges bike & barge tour and I loved it. The crew were fantastic, the service was excellent and the daily ride with a wonderful guide was great fun. It was one of the best travel experiences. Thanks to everyone on the Elodie for the ideal holiday. (I was on the 30th Sept 2012 trip)

Our group had a WONDERFUL time. I am one of six who went to celebrate 20 years of biking together. I loved all the rides, but the ride on the last day Krem-Melk was the best! I liked the fact that the cruise director had everything lined out for the rides and actually went with us. He also pointed out good places to stop along the way for local treats. I loved going to the small villages along the way, especially Vac in Hungary. I also liked all the activiities the boat crew had planned, a music quiz contest, skits and dancing on the last night and Roland on the piano-organ. The food on the boat was so delicious; something to celebrate each country we were in. It waas wonderful touring through Budapest and Vienna. I highly recommend this trip!

We loved the trip. The food was better than advertised, and the barge was more comfortable than expected. Our suggestion for improvement would be a second guide OR better overall maps for a breakaway group.

This was the best way to enjoy Europe combining bicycling through painting-like landscapes on a well balanced tour of culture, history and fun with a fantastic caring crew and fabulous food! The addition of a dozen Australians made it even better; and barging into Paris on a sunny afternoon with a glass of wine was divine. We're booking again in 2013!

If you picked a tour aboard the Merlijn for your next vacation, you made the perfect choice. It is not just a barge, it is a luxury barge. The ride through the Mosel Valley is stunning with the vineyards and quaint towns. But, beyond that it is the specialness of your hosts, Jantien and Henk that make this an outstanding experience. Jantien's warmth, humor and attention to detail is amazing along with the delicious meals she prepares. When you come away from the trip, you are left with wonderful memories and you feel like you were entertained in the home of a close friend.

It was a wonderful bike & barge tour- we biked about 168 miles in 6 days; the trails were great and easy to ride with beautiful scenery along the way. We started out with great breakfasts and ended with fabulous dinners. Met many nice people on the "My Story" barge. Great experience all around.

This was a fabulous trip - even better than what I expected. We were able to spend a fair amount of time in most of the major cities and the bike trails took us through some gorgeous countryside, and there were many quaint villages along the way where we were able to shop and dine. The bike trails were wide, paved and level, and a couple of the longer routes offered shorter options by taking a ferry to cut off some of the distance. The entire "My Story" experience was delightful. The captain and all the crew members were very accommodating and friendly, the other guests were fun and young-at-heart, the rooms and beds were comfortable and clean, and the food was exquisite!!! The daily biking trips were well-planned and organized, and the extra tours, particularly the biking tours through Vienna and Budapest, were well worth the money. Even the weather cooperated nicely - we had sunshine every day and temperatures in the 70's (Fahrenheit). Perfect weather for biking.

This trip is all and more. There is a good balance of seeing nature at it's most beautiful as you follow the Mosel River and you go through many villages and see historic sites, and taste wine. You take many stops and the miles are spread out through the day so it isn't a hard, tiring bike ride either. This is a trip of a lifetime and great staff and people. The food on the boat is out of this world and the dinner table is set so beautifully! The barge is the way to go!

Just returned from a wonderful experience. Kvarner bay was wonderful. Beautiful sites, wonderful people, lovely boat and great challenging rides. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

We booked our bike and barge trip with Pack and Pedal. We wanted a comfort plus barge and the Iris was recommended. The entire experience on the Iris was excellent. The staff were very competent and friendly, food was excellent, the guide was a great bike leader and was very knowlegable about the history and architecture of the areas we visited. I would highly recommend the Iris and Pack and Pedal. Carla at Pack and Pedal was very courteous and efficient. Booking the trip and making the trip was a top notch experience for us. We will use them again.

We loved the trip from Mantova to Venice. The crew on the Ave Marie was great. We convinced two other couples to join us this year since we had such a good time in the Netherlands last year. By the second day they were already wanting to plan next years bike/barge trip.

Our extended family of 7 did the cruise/cycle trip on the Romantica for a week in July. We all agreed this was one of the most successful family holidays we have ever enjoyed. Our boat, crew and Captain were wonderful. The guides were entertaining and always helpful and the bikes very well maintained. The food was excellent and much better than we expected. The wine was expensive and the variety limited. Since we sailed in very hot weather I think some salad lunches would be a good idea, instead of hot meals most days. The afternoon snacks were great. We quickly made good friends with other people on board. The cycling was not really tough, but we all cycle regularly. A lot of climbing and descending. We did get frustrated sometimes at the long waits in the middle of nowhere for some slower riders to catch up and our guide requesting us not to go ahead on our own, which we could have done quite easily. The white water rafting was a highlight. The views were amazing and the water clear and perfect for swimming. The little towns were lovely. The Croatian people were friendly. Overall this trip is good value for money and a perfect activity laden family holiday, also good for a group of active friends. We would all ike go again. THANK YOU SO MUCH CAPTAIN JURE and the crew and Elvis and Zlatko.

Elize Steyn

I thoroughly enjoyed my barge and bike trip from Mantova to Venice in July of 2012. I would not change anything about my experience.

The barge was very comfortable, and Juliano's food was excellent! The roads and paths we cycled on often allowed us to ride and chat alongside one another, which I liked because I was travelling by myself. The cycling was easy, but there were a few instances where we faced strong headwinds. The villages we travelled through were small in the beginning, but got larger as we approached the coast and Venice.

The entire group interacted as they wished on board the barge and while cycling. The guests and the staff were friendly and fun. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip.

Our bike/barge tour to Bruge and Amsterdam in May was fantastic! Our tour leader, Tom, the boat captain, crew and accommodations aboard the Magnifique were terrific. We had a wonderful time with our fellow passengers from Norway, New Zealand, Germany, the East Coast and Switzerland. They were all such fun!

We've traveled extensively and this trip turned out to be one of the best ever. The weather was wonderful and warm, which made for excellent bike riding and cruising on the boat in the evening. Going from Bruge to Amsterdam requires more cruising and less bike riding, we were told, but we loved every minute of our evenings on the top deck sailing through the locks.

I hope we can book another trip with your company in the future; though this trip was so perfect, I worry that the next one wouldn't meet our expectations.

My husband and I enjoyed this trip the first week of September 2011. The weather was hot but it was great to cool off swimming on the beach every day and jumping off the boat. There were gorgeous views of the coast from our bikes and the ride up to Ravello was worth it. We had a great guide and the crew on the boat was fun and very helpful - the evening meals cooked by the chef on board were very good and included lots of fresh fish. Sailing between the islands was definitely a highlight.

We could not believe how well organized the tour was. We found the riding very relaxing with beautiful scenery. The attention to detail by Mart and Miss Ellie was second to none. Thank you for your dedicaton to our great holiday

Here it is almost 3 months following our trip and I'm just getting around to writing how wonderful everything was. It exceeded our expectations (which were high to begin with). To refresh your memory,we were the Nisky Riders.Our focus of the trip were the flower fields in the Netherlands and they were spectacular. We were on the Zwaan's maiden voyage for 2012 and loved the entire experience of being on the barge. The crew were very endearing, food was delicious (Dorus, the cook, had us hooked on the first dinner). We were accommodated beautifully. I have a gluten allergy and they took great care of me.

 A group of friends is currently on the Brugge to Amsterdam ride and LOVING it.

 We are exploring your site for our 2013 ride,  we would like to plan something for late spring or early summer. So I will be in touch in the near future.

It all started with you and our experience with you sealed the deal. You added a personal quality that is much appreciated.

My husband and I enjoyed a fantastic Super Tulip Tour in mid April of 2012. The staff of the very comfortable Zwaan were all professional, yet entertaining and informative. We learned a lot about Holland that week, and saw its beautiful countryside at a leisurely pace on the excellent bicycles provided. I would definitely recommend this trip and company to anyone considering a bike and barge tour.

What a fun time! We took this trip June 17, 2012. Beautiful scenery, nice weather (hot) and the biking was very easy. The food was great (food specific to each region visited). It was fun to meet the Europeans on the boat. Service on the boat was great. 8 speed bikes were adequate for this trip, no need for the upgrade. Tripsite staff were great to deal with. Would like to have had more time in the beautiful city of Vienna. The opera was an awesome experience! Also did the night tour of Budapest and the city tour of Bratislava - both were a good way to see the highlights. Thank you.

Dick and I had a marvelous trip on June 16-23 with the Zwaan. The crew was outstanding. We had a unique opportunity to see the lovely country of Holland (and a bit of Belgium) through professional eyes. Piet, Bas, Ilya and Moraije were the best. We are looking forward to another trip with you soon! Thanks again for preparing such wonderful experiences.

July 2, 2012

Our experience on board the Magnifique from Amsterdam to Bruges was all that was promised and more. The ship is beautiful, well managed, clean and comfortable. The bicycles were of German design, 7 speed, sturdy , comfortable and well maintained. Yan, our guide, was so competent and knowledgeable that we chose to follow the group rather than hit off on our own. Everything went smoothly every step of the way thanks to the work of the entire staff. More sun would have made it absolutely perfect, but they had no control over that, or I'm sure they would have provided it for us! We’re hooked and we'll try other tours with you for sure!

Magneburg-Berlin was a truly great bike and boat trip. Kudos to Jantin whose meals were varied, delicious and presented so well. Cabin was roomy and comfortable and service was outstanding. I would like to travel on the Merlijn again in the future and would gladly recommend it.

Carol Vanevenhoven

Magdeburg to Berlin aboard the Merlijn was outstanding. Jantin's meals were "to die for," accomodations comfortable and service superior. Only concern, at times, even with small group, bikers got too spread out making it difficult for those in rear to catch up. Would highly recommend!

Paul Vanevenhoven

To the staff of Pack & Pedal Europe Inc,

This e-mail is in reference of our booked Bike and Boat trip on the MS Patria from Saarburg to Koblenz on the Mosel River in Germany for the week of May 5, 2012. Overall, our experience was excellent.

The staff was very professional, courteous and useful. Also, most of the staff dealing directly with the guests had a reasonable knowledge of English. The boat, the public rooms and the cabins were all in good shape and clean, The guide was very knowledgeable about the Mosel region, very accessible and useful. The bikes were in very good working order. The food was delicious, fresh, varied, on time and most of the time it was 5 to 4 courses for suppers. The Mosel River is very scenic with Roman ruins, medieval castles, many pretty little villages with fun and interesting market squares and many vineyards on slopped hills. There were many opportunities to taste Mosel Riesling wines from the various little villages. From now on, we will stock our personal bar at home with wines from the Mosel region.

As a handicapped person with limited mobility, the overall experience was excellent. The staff was always available to offer their assistance as necessary. They soon understood that I required limited assistance. The captain and his wife both invited me to sit with them on the sun deck in the navigation room when the boat was travelling which was both interesting and very pleasant. It was a good thing that my cabin was on the main deck. Although doable, my cabin was at the far end of the hallway and sometimes a bit of a challenge because of the distance. However, I think it was the only accessible room on the boat. My cabin was roomier which was convenient to store the wheelchair out of the way when not in use. The bathroom was small but accessible with a stool in the shower. The lift chair to descend to the lower level to the dining area worked most of the time and temperamental for the last few days. When the chair lift was temperamental, the staff did their best to fix it or to bring the food of our party to the upper deck. The lift chair was bulky and an older model. A few grab bars on the boat such as in the public washrooms and in the cabin shower would of been useful. When boarding or exiting the boat to dry dock, the plank to walk on had rope hand rails which made it a bit tricky because it wasn't solid as opposed to solid hand rails.

Again, I will reiterate that we had an excellent experience and would highly recommend it to our friends. Our bike and boat trip was a rich experience of history, geography, economy and culture about the Mosel region.

Very sincerely,

Chantal  SHOW MORE 

Excellent trip. Great weather, great guide, nice boat. Great group of people, both other bikers and staff. Took some great pictures.

This was definitely a MODERATE trip. Biking was tough.The boat was nice, the food was fair at best, the wine on board ship was very expensive for a local bottle ($30). Croatia is beautiful, pictures of it don't do it justice. The seawater is gorgeous,clear, blue. The people are very friendly and speak excellent english. Overall this is the only way to vacation.

A glorious week of biking, eating, and comrade ride. All details were perfect. Just booked my third trip with your company!

Our group of 10 Canadian friends took this tour July 9-16 and we were met with a better-than-expected trip! Super staff, outstanding food and great accommodations aboard the Ave Maria keeps us talking about this amazing time we had. We'd highly recommend this tour - it was flat and very doable by any age! Tripsite is the best and we are planning our next excursion for 2013.