Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1291 to 1320 of 4937

Barge and crew were great. Plentiful and tasty food. Our guide was superior

All of it!!! Loved bicycling through the beautiful countryside with the never ending flowers, water, green fields full of fowl of all kinds, beautiful historical homes and buildings, delicious food, windmills, cheese markets and the personal friendliness of the attentive and informative crew of the Zwaantje. Honestly, these people made us feel so welcome and were so accommodating to our needs. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will return again to visit.

We had an amazing time! All biking levels will have a blast on this trip - the routes and system in the Netherlands are so user friendly - and each day is spent biking through countrysides and historic small towns - a dream! The guides, crew, and staff were all so kind and lovely. Highly recommend!

This was my first trip to Italy and a Bike and Barge. I loved it!! The staff were amazing, the food was delicious, Sylvia and Helmet were so fantastic at guiding us through beautiful cities and helping when needed, the crew on the barge were always friendly. I'm ready to go back and travel with Sylvia again! Five Stars!

This was my first Bike and Barge and it was fabulous! The staff went above and beyond all expectations to make this event even more wonderful than I could have imagined. What a beautiful way to see Italy. A huge thank you to Sylvia and Helmet and ALL the crew!!!

Our guide was wonderful. He was flexible and went out of his way to bring us to see things that were of interest to us. Also, the food was delicious and accommodating to special diets.

My highlights were the tulip fields, Keukenhof, the flower auction, and the functioning windmill. I also loved the camaraderie with staff and fellow travellers.

Some improvements:
The rating was easy but I think that pertains to the flatness of the path. biking between 30-65 kms per day wasn't easy with the wind conditions. Some clarification might be useful.

Also, some of the times and plans for the day were fluid and sometimes confusing. Still liked it an awful lot though.

The Tulips were Spectacular!
I loved our boat, it was sparkling clean.
The food was Delicious and the crew so very accommodating.
Thank you for a wonderful trip!

Our guide and crew were exceptional! We highly recommend the use of e bikes…

When I read reviews of trips from former guests…I am always a little cautious about the use of hyperboles. However, I have to say that my expectations were far exceeded on this tour and it was thanks to the ship La Mar, the crew, Captain Marnik and especially the tour guides Michiel, Mijntje and Anne. They all worked amazingly well to create the best tour I have been on! I ended up selecting a comfort class level because that was what fit my timeline and availability but I have to say it was delightful and lacked nothing (Marnik your renovation looks great!). Cycling through the countryside and stopping in small towns and farms gives you a very different perspective of what a people and a country are about…and this trip delivered that…I have a new and wonderful impression of the Netherlands and all the wonderful people who live there. Thanks for an amazing adventure!!

We had a wonderful time on this very active vacation. I most enjoyed seeing Dutch country life in a relaxed and independent way. We did face many challenges on this trip as the three of us in our group were the only English speakers. The trip leader debriefed us separately each evening but I feel we missed out on a lot of the information that the German speakers received in their debriefing later. We weren't given an orientation on how to use the e-bikes and had to figure that out on our own. We also weren't given an orientation for the boat the first night as it was given all in German and we had to figure out where everything was on our own as well. While everyone on the boat was very cordial I felt like a burden because I didn't speak German and was excluded from the larger group because of it. The maps and route descriptions were difficult to follow and it took all three of us to find our way each day. One of us needed to have the app open (my phone wasn't working so the app was useless to me), one of us had the map and the other used the route description. We frequently missed junctions and turns either because the sign was down or the route wasn't explained in enough detail. Riding in the cities was the most difficult. The app often contradicted the route description and the map. When we asked the trip leaders about it at the end of the day we were given the impression that we just didn't follow it correctly. I'm wondering if the debriefings had been better the night before that maybe we wouldn't have had so many issues.

The scenery was lovely! We enjoyed our active vacation - we self guided our biking days & between the maps, app, & instructions from our guide beforehand we didn’t get too lost. The staff of the Normandie was amazing!

The time on the boat was the most memorable. Biking was good but a couple of times ended up walking up hills. It was in the 90's for our January trip so that was challenging as well a couple of times. Would suggest an e bike for those who aren't very strong cyclist. However the island portion also had two steep hills and e bike was not an option.

The ease and convenience of returning to the ship every afternoon to share experiences with the rest of our group was the most noteworthy comment I could make. However there were many other hiighliights.
Riding through the Dutch countryside on the first day was a highlight.
Both guides and the bikes were great and the varied nature of the cycle paths on this tour was terrific.
Food was varied, good quality and well prepared. Rooms were efficient and comfortable as advertised.
Onboard staff from Croatia were terrific – friendly, hard working, accommodating and very nice with our grandsons.

Our local guide, Hoang, was simply excellent. He gave us a good deal of the history of Vietnam, and provided many learning opportunities while on our rides. My husband had some special needs, and he checked in with him often, to make sure he was comfortable. We appreciated his kindness and friendship. The bike rides themselves were always interesting, only occasionally challenging, and always fun. The tours in between the biking were great - very balanced, not too long, and interesting. It was so much more than a bike tour! Kayaking, picnic lunch on the beach, cooking lessons, walking tours!! They were all great! Getting caught in the flood in Hue and evacuated by dug-out canoe was pretty memorable, but handled so well!! If this was to happen again, there was certainly more than enough room in the passenger section of the bus for all our luggage; this would have prevented our luggage from getting water-logged.
I loved Hoi An the best; so glad we had 3 nights there. The accommodations were outstanding.

Just a couple notes. Some of the information in the written packages we received needs to be updated. For example, were told to have Euro for expenses on the boat, and this was not the case. The meals were great, but got to be too much....too many courses, too late, just too long, and generally, just too much food at lunch and dinner. I think fewer dinners as a group, and more dinners on our own would help this issue, and overall, smaller lunches.

I want to comment on the tour of Hanoi the day before the actual tour began. It ran really long...at 4:30 had 2 more stops, and we had a group meeting and dinner at 5 PM! We had to tell him to take us back to the hotel! The guide's English was so poor, we were often looking at each other asking, "what did he say?" He spoke at great length about some things, and most of were not getting even 1/2 of what he was saying. This city tour needs to be tightened up. Too much standing listening to long explanations. It was an exhausting day before out actual tour began.

My husband and I loved the trip, our first bike/barge adventure. The boat, captain, crew, chef, and tour guides were wonderful. We enjoyed the other guests as well, which included couples and singles from the USA and Europe. The miles and miles of bike trails and visited sites were beautiful and memorable. Since experiencing the biking adventure, I have the following suggestions for potential guests. Bike riders should already have good bike riding skills. There are many path twists and turns to navigate, including sometimes in metropolitan areas. Before the trip, find out how many guests have selected e-bikes. If the majority are on e-bikes, it will be hard for the average bike rider on a regular bike to keep up with the group, even when the tour level is stated as “easy.” And, "easy" does not mean there are no hills or quick elevation gains. The group stays together. The tour is not at your own pace. We look forward to booking another tour through tripsite.

My favorite part of the trip was touring Montova. This was our 3rd bike barge trip and I'm sorry to say that the scenery we saw while riding 3 of the 5 days was a bit disappointing. The barge and the food was the best of the 3 trips. We also rode a little too much along some busy roads without much of a shoulder.

Hoang our guide really made the trip special. His insights and wonderful personality were delightful. The hike in Ha Long Bay area was a bad idea and should be eliminated. We had to crawl through low hanging electric cable at least 25 times. Also the trail was simply dangerous and there is no way to evacuate anyone who twist an ankle or breaks a leg.

RJ and the crew on the Quo Vadis were amazing. Every day Rikko and Wim would lead us through beautiful countryside and lovely towns. They shared much history of the Mosel region and educated us about the vineyards and wine production. The pace each day allowed exploring in the towns and then time to relax before dinner. The meals were delicious with attractive presentation and kept us fueled for the day's ride. Thanks to Inma, Marianne and Kim for taking care of us. It was a great vacation that I would highly recommend - physically active, beautiful scenery, history and much fun with the other riders and crew!

Our second bike/ barge trip booked through tripsite did not disappoint! The ship was perfect, clean and clearly updated.The crew was hospitable and helpful.Our language ( english) was not a barrier on the trip, everyone was very accommodating! The food was excellent and choices were good.Leslie the tour director was superb.

The bike route was well mapped and we downloaded the app which worked well.Sites were amazing, weather which you can’t control good most days.Loved the small ferry rides, Austrian hills, the well appointed stops along the route.E bikes were a good choice for us and easy to manage

Perfect! Don’t hesitate to book this trip!

Soon after we stepped on the Swiss Crown, we knew it was going to be a great trip. The room was spacious, the boat was luxurious and comfortable, and the food was excellent. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our e-bikes were suitable and in good condition. We thoroughly enjoyed the rides along the Danube that went through small villages, farmland, and forests. We toured 4 country capital cities and couldn’t stop taking pictures of the amazing architecture. We made friends with many guests and our guide Axel was outstanding in his hospitality, humour, and knowledge of the areas and their history. It was a vacation we will never forget!

Sights to ride to everyday except one when we were rained out. Crew including leaders, chefs, and captain. The food was amazing everyday with themed creations representing the area we visited. Better wifi in cabins too. More technology using laptop, TV screen, music, etc. Could use some more shelves, cubbies, hooks for gear in cabins. Faucets that pour water over the deepest part of the sink not so close to the edge causing water all over sink top.

There were several very memorable moments on this trip! Our guide, Hein and his wife Margolien were outstanding with their historical knowledge about every town we toured. That was an added benefit of which I had not expected. They were extremely passionate in sharing their information with everyone which made it so interesting. Another highlight for us was just the sheer beauty that surrounded us on the trails we traversed to each of our destinations. My wife and I are not really bikers but enjoy staying physically fit. She questioned whether she could do the mileage each day. The trails and picturesque views through the countryside took your mind off anything other than just appreciating God’s creation so you were never aware of whether you rode 10 miles or twenty. I could probably go on but will end my remarks with the view we were able to get of Venice as we pulled up to our mooring site on Pellistrina Thursday evening. What an experience. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys biking or just being outdoors. We would definitely do it again but maybe choose a little more difficult ride!!

The time spent touring around
Venice and the food on the boat!

Standing on top of the boat enjoying the view, especially the sunsets. Our guide and the crew were excellent.

Our local guide for the tour in Mantova spent far too much time in the church and no time on the archeological site in the middle of town.

Our guide Hugo was amazing! So knowledgeable and just a great person to cycle with. We loved the history of the area and the number of things we were able to see on the trip was really great. The bicycle was great and we moved efficiently together as a group. We were fortunate to have good weather despite the forecasts. Note that cabins are very small, but that they are also very efficient with lots of storage. Food by Nadia our chef was fantastic, and overall we loved the crew on this ship.

We loved the camaraderie of the fellow guests. Our tour guide Wim was knowledgeable and entertaining. The crew made every effort to ensure we were made welcome and looked after in every possible way. The food was wonderful! Our daily rides were full of great experiences and amazing scenery. Overall we loved our tour!

The guides were outstanding. We got lucky with the weather, but when it didn’t cooperate they figured out alternatives that didn’t feel like compromising. That said there was an emergency where we swam in a current and three people needed assistance. The guides responded, but not one of the crew did anything. This was very disturbing.

Barge was nice, food and staff incredibly good. Stefania and Hein were very friendly, informative and helpful. My only criticism would be that there were too many bike riders, a couple who were inexperienced enough to veer over to my wife causing her bike tire to go off the pavement inciting a crash breaking her wrist necessitating shortening our trip and surgery at home to correct the break. Stefania was incredibly helpful throughout the ordeal helping Barb and I arrange a trip to the hospital in Adria, transportation by taxi and train back to Venice where were able to fly home early. All in all, the trip was that much more memorable in a complex way!

This was a fantastic trip. My whole group was really impressed. The bike guides (Dionysis and Demetrius) were fantastic. They really did a good job supporting us during the rides and on board the ship. The crew worked really hard and their worked showed. The food was exceptional. I highly recommend this trip.