Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1381 to 1410 of 4712

The Berlin to Wolfsburg was an amazing experience. This was my second trip on the wonderful boat, Merlijn and it won't be my last. We already have one booked for next year! The pedaling was fun and easy and the historical sites fascinating with a great guide. I highly recommend this trip!

The Feniks was a fine boat, and the accommodations were better than I expected. There were only 4 other passengers, with 4 crew, so we were well cared for. The bike was comfortable and efficient. The (vegan) food was EXCELLENT. It would have been nice to have more of a mixed group (others were ALL Dutch, but it worked out ok.

Few pointers: there was no internet on the boat, some days we rode as much as 70K, but mostly flat, we mostly docked outside of towns/villages.

This was our 3rd Bike and Barge experience.
Everything about the Bike and Barge tour on Merlin was first class.
We have been fortunate enough to have enjoyed many large ship ocean cruises and rail holidays throughout Europe and can confidently say that Bike and Barge tours tops them all.
My wife, not being a cyclist hired an electric powered bike and although always being a little dubious about cycling every day finished the tour saying; " We must do this again, it's much better than the fancy cruises".
The accommodation on the barge Merlin although being tight is excellent, the food (breakfast, lunch and dinner) exceptional as were the crew and of course the scenery as we slowly cycled along the Mosel and Rhine rivers was stunning.
Thank you TripSite and particularly the good Barge "Merlin".
We highly recommend this amazing holiday experience to all those young at heart.
The 24 guests (maximum number) on board ranged from their early 40's through to an average age of about 65.
Despite several very inexperienced cyclist on board all managed the ride comfortable

Only one concern (being Australian) and that is that making payment was a bit messy.

Peter and Christine Dearle
Perth
Western Australia

The Primadonna was comfortable, well-organized, had good food and created a good tour of beautiful parts of Europe. The bikes were easy to ride and very high quality. My biggest concern is that without GPS, the routes were impossible. Even the few German speakers had trouble with the routes. I would not recommend this trip to anyone who does not know how to use it. I believe you have to have a specific plan for your phone ( and/or a European SIM card. The ship claims to have wi-fi but it is erratic. I could not text or email most of the trip. The tv’s in each room had no English channels so we were not able to track the news. We were the only Americans on the ship so we good friends of other nationalities and that was great.

My daughter and I had an incredible time! The crew and the guides were amazing and skillfully managed any complications that arose. Despite weather complications and a variety of skill levels every day was wonderfully executed and incredibly enjoyable for all! The food was delicious and served in portions that ensured no one was leaving the table hungry

Muito Obrigado pelo passeio!!!
Superou todas as minhas expectativas, os guias ofereceram conhecimento e entretenimento e a equipe de bordo muito entusiasmada, a alimentação sensacional. E o tamanho do barco proporciona interação entre os passageiros.
Agradecemos a toda equipe do návio em especial ao Ronald, Steve e Jolene.
Luciana e Giovanni

Até Breve!!!

This trip was amazing! the boat crew and the tour guides were phenomenal and made the trip so good.

Dionysus (actuallly there were 2 of them) were our guides and they were outstanding and I can’t say enough about how good they were. The engineer Achilles was awesome and always had a great recommendation for us on every island.

I would use this company time and time again and can’t stress enough as to how much fun this trip was.

We enjoyed the immersive experience of biking through beautiful countryside, villages, and forests as the method of sightseeing - an activity that was entirely new to us.

This was an amazing tour for several reasons. Firstly, there were 7 (rather than a full complement of 14) experienced cyclists over the age of 60, none of whom used an e-bike. This allowed the guide to change the cycle route to reflect our abilities, to show us some special sights and to give us a special experience. Harm, the guide, did this with ease. Secondly, the crew of the Feniks was excellent. This includes Fiona, the captain, Rainier, the assistant and Hilde, the cook. Thirdly, the laundry service was a game changer. If we had understood what this service involved, we could have packed considerably lighter.

Our bike tour from Bruges to Amsterdam was stellar in every way possible! First, the boat: It was awesome! Our cabin had plenty of room for the two of us and the shower was unexpectedly nice. Second, the crew: AMAZING! All of the crew on our boat were just excellent. The food was so good! Koen made sure that we were all well fed in preparation for our rides everyday and well fed when we got back with lots of snacks and a yummy dinner. Marianne and Tessie were so nice and very helpful around the boat (Marianne is a great dancer too!). The captain of the boat, Xander, was great and very funny. Last, and definitely not least, is our tour guide Wieger. He was such a nice man and so much fun. I really can't say enough about him. Third, dealing with Tripsite: In a word... Easy! They were very helpful and answered all our questions (no matter how silly) without delay. Fourth. the bikes: They were perfect. We used electric bikes and even though there were days that we rode with the power off to get some extra exercise, we were glad that we got them. Sometimes it's nice to get a helping hand once and a while. Some in our group got the normal bikes and they struggled more than we did on certain days. We had planned to ride on our own with the maps supplied by the boat. We're very glad that we didn't because there were lots of detours due to construction and trail closures and we would've never been able to find our way like Wieger was able to. Plus the group dynamic was so much fun. Our group had 23 people in it from Canada, the US, Italy, France, and Germany. It was so nice getting to know them all.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would absolutely do it again!

This was our second Bike & Barge trip. If you are thinking about it, do it! Both trips were with a group of friends. We had a wonderful time together with the crew. I'd recommend going with a group of friends or family. This trip required longer distances which at times were a bit exhausting but much of that had to do with our pace and the weather. Most of the biking on this trip is in the countryside, not many towns to see. Arriving in Venice on the boat was incredible and a great way to end our trip spending two nights and a day in the city.

The Magellan was a spectacular ship. She's beautiful and steady and had everything we needed. There were 8 crew on board plus 24 guests and we had plenty of room. There was never a feeling of being crowded together because the ship had so many places to sit and relax. Critical advice when selecting a ship during hot weather -- be sure the ship has a covered upper deck! We had wonderful lounge chairs on the upper deck, covered entirely by a sun screen, so it was a very popular place even in the heat of the day. Our crew was amazing, especially bartender Josip, who took such great care of us! The guides (Ana and Shyntz), sailors (Hare and Marko), chefs (Dusan and Milica), and Captain Ivan just made the entire cruise an absolute pleasure.

A couple of other items to mention:
1. Very, very, very few businesses in Croatia accept AMEX. And not one restaurant, cafe or bar accepted AMEX.
2. Only use Bank-owned ATMS. The private ATMs charge exorbitant fees.
3. When you dock at Split, a summer party town, bring earplugs so you can sleep. The town crowd stays up very late, partying, etc. and all the noise from the city and sidewalks floats directly to the above deck cabins.
4. CHOOSE the rafting adventure if it's available during your trip. The ride to the river takes about an hour, but it's worth it. The water is the clearest I've ever seen and we only had to walk around one waterfall.

Pack lightly. Rooms are extremely small but well air conditioned.
I really don't have a favorite part. It was not a relaxing trip as the bruge to Amsterdam tour was. This took us through more crowded towns that were difficult to navigate due to traffic. It was extremely hot which added to the difficulty. Food on the boat was great but breakfast and lunch were repetitive. Crew was awesome and very accommodating.

From our first welcome on Saturday the week was wonderful. The meals were delicious, varied and healthy. Our guide Francesco , was patient, very careful and made sure we kept hydrated, as the days were hot.
The bikes were in good condition. I can’t fault our week, and would be keen to try another bike and barge holiday. Totally recommend.

This trip was amazing! This was our 3rd bike/boat trip and it was the best by far. What made it so outstanding was the crew aboard the Ave Maria. Our guide, Francesco was always looking out for us, giving us the best ride possible. During the recent heat wave in Italy, he made changes to our itinerary by adding a pool option, riding earlier in the morning, and always made sure we were safe and hydrated! The food was amazing and fresh, prepared by our chefs, Irene and Danny. The meals were the best during our 3 week trip to Italy!! Our captains, Ricardo and Alberto kept everything running smoothly. I can’t say enough good things about this trip! The people we met while riding made this trip especially memorable! We are already talking about our next bike/boat trip for 2025!

The Merlijn is a fantastic ship. Great to be escorted by the owners themselves. Cabins were perfect and the small size ideal.

Guides and crew went above and beyond our expectations. Anna and Shintz were best guides and complimented each other perfectly on their personalities.
My only complaint would be the cabins were too warm for sleeping. Fans onboard would’ve great improvement! The heat wave over Europe was intense, but moving the air would have helped.
Take lots of Euros, only way to pay onboard. American Express very rarely accepted in Croatia.
Non of the restaurants we visited took Amex
Highly recommend this trip!

The Zwaantje, Captain Martijn, and his crew were among the highlights of this trip. We had an amazing time exploring the different cities. The routes were easy to follow and the guides were great, friendly and personable, though I would have loved more history/information during our rides. We enjoyed the variety of scenery, the option to go off on our own, and the opportunity to socialize with many other adventurous people :)

It's almost impossible to pick one item as most memorable, everyday was a great day on and off the cycles. The boat itself was very nice along with the crew.

What a wonderful trip! We found the biking very enjoyable- the scenery was BEAUTIFUL and the daily routes mostly flat. It was nice to stop after riding awhile for a beer/drink or snack while enjoying the sights and history of local villages. The Magnifique II had welcoming staff, nice accommodations, and great food. Would highly recommend this trip!!

My wife and I did this trip in August 2022. I basically chose it as it was the cheapest Danube Bike & Barge trip I could find (€769 high season) AND it included bike rental (beware this is an extra on most trips).
We were prepared for anything as it was a cheap trip but we had a great time. Primadonna was a comfortable boat and the evening meals and breakfasts were excellent. Our cabin was cosy but comfortable, let's face it, after a day's cycling you only sleep in it anyway. Each morning we were given a very tasty pack lunch (sandwich, cake, drink, fruit snack) which I never actually managed to finish it was so filling
We collected our (non-E) bikes around 10am on the morning of day two after breakfast. This process was pretty straightforward with staff on hand to adjust seat heights and brakes etc. They were very comfortable. From that point on we were away and cycling along by the river gazing at castles en-route to our late afternoon rendezvous with the boat. The cycling was very easy as we were travelling by the river.
We were given route instructions every day but I found it useful to have my GPS app as a backup.
We were the only native English speakers on the boat. Other travelers were mainly German speaking, with a few French and Italians. The staff on the boat spoke English and were very helpful but knowing some German does make communicating with other passengers a bit easier.
The evening trip briefing was a tad tedious as the English language version was the last one so we were crying for sleep by the time it finished...we're not party animals. We didn't attend it after the first night and found all the information we needed was in the written daily trip plan.
Highly recommended - I am booking again for 2024 right now! Probably Holland.

Best way to see the countryside, Unesco heritage sites ( Kinderdijk and Delta Works) of the Netherlands and Belgium (Bruges). An added bonus were the evening tour guided walks through each town where we met our docked barge. The dinners were always 3 courses- much tastier than expected and breakfast offered healthy options. As a senior traveller, I was happy to have rented an e-bike for the couple of days where we biked into the wind. The crew was warm & friendly and the accommodations on the Sailing Home barge were cozy and comfortable. The sun deck with cover was an additional gathering space. After a week together, felt like I was leaving family.

La capacidad de la tripulación de enfrentar cualquier cambio y hacer que el viaje sea maravilloso. La ruta es muy bella y el equipo del barco es como una gran familia qué hace todo lo posible para que disfrutes toda la experiencia. Mi única sugerencia es que podrían incluir una noche de karaoke.

Always the staff and fellow passengers are the highlight of bike and barge trips. We loved the rides through the countryside and tiny towns, visits to the windmills, the dairy, the vending machines sporting fresh strawberries, the food on the barge, and so much more.

The Croatian islands were beyond beautiful. The boat crew couldn’t have been more helpful. The food was plentiful but just average. Some of the meals would be more appropriate for fall and winter…very heavy.
Surprised that the boat /merchants didn’t accept charge cards American money. That was extremely inconvenient. That should have been emphasized!!!!

The trip was absolutely fabulous. The staff was fun and friendly. The food was phenomenal! The only problem was the riding was way harder than described. My friends and I are very fit and ride regularly but these hills were brutal!

The guides and boat employees were very good. The food was excellent. The boat’s air conditioning was okay to poor in the rooms and nonexistent on the main deck. Many people had daily issues with their bikes (brakes, gears, e-bikes not always working, etc.). The guides were excellent but had limited bike mechanic skills. These trips need a full time bike mechanic and extra bikes available to trade out when some bikes are not working well.

There were so many aspects of this trip that made this experience memorable. The bike riding of course, but also the food, cabins, staff and relaxation.

The best part of the trip was to feel the wind on my face and realizing that I could be successful with the comfortable hybrid bike and the guidance of my tour guides and the gps app. A wonderful tour of the northern part of Holland: cultural, historical and scientific points included.

This was truly my favorite vacation. Such an amazing way to experience Belgium and the Netherlands. The crew was top notch, The food was gourmet, The barge was luxurious, the bikes were very comfortable, and we really enjoyed meeting new people. Sign up for this trip. You won't regret it!