Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 121 to 150 of 4295

The best part of the week was being able to spend time in three European capital cities, namely Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. The biking too was fabulous and we enjoyed meandering along the Danube. The food on board was amazing. The crew was exceptional.

The highlight of our trip was the German city of Trier. There was so much to see in this ancient Roman city. We only scratched the surface, but the Black Gate, the huge cathedral, the beautiful gardens and the lovely city center were amazing. We happened to be there when they were celebrating Unity Day in Germany and there was a band playing, with people dancing and singing. That just made it so much more festive. My suggestion for others is: take this trip, you won’t regret it.

You probably don’t want to post this review. The bicycle routes and the guides were excellent. The guides gave excellent reviews and orientations. Unfortunately, the most memorable part will be the problem on first afternoon aboard the Boreas boat where the electrical plug-in, next to where were sitting, (from the shore power) sparked and started to smoke and smell like an electrical fire. We alerted the crew and they unplugged. The other Greek port authorities would not let us plug-in with the corrupt system, so we did not have air conditioning unless the excruciatingly loud generator was on. The loud shrill noise tortured several cabins so it was shut off to sleep. We did not have AC at night and people were hot and slept on the benches on the deck and above deck. The shower in our below deck cabin leaked so much that we were forced to take super short showers just so we wouldn’t flood our bathroom with gray gritty water leaching through the walls. Another boat in their fleet had an accident and our lead guide had to work with that problem, but he did an excellent job of taking care of us. My three star rating breakdown as such: The bike ride was a five star and the boat was a one star.

Easily the people. The staff were so knowledgeable and friendly I felt like I was part of a family vacation. I have never traveled abroad before and the personal connection with the group that the staff displayed made things go smoothly no matter where we were.

The barge crew, the fabulous food, our wonderful guide and meeting great people from all over the world made this trip ever so special. We came together as a team and simply had a lovely time. We needed to ride each day because Sara’s meals were delicious and we ate way too much. I mean that as a compliment, for sure!
The towns we biked to and through were beautiful to see. Our guide, Georgio, did his homework.
Can’t wait to do another trip. In fact, we already inquired about one through tripsite today!

Great biking holiday ! This was our first but will not be our last the boat accommodations bikes and routes where exceptional!. We went in late September early Oct and you will want to bring layered clothing as it was usually cooler in morning but warmed up late morning. Overall great experience and holiday.

The food, the staff, and the perfect mix of strangers from around the world exceeded our expectations. The cookbook also a nice surprise souvenir that we now keep on our coffee table. Mikky is an excellent guide, for many reasons! The bikes are solid!
Suggestions, nothing major, simply notes to help things out:
1) a reminder in the morning to bring money for entrance fees. No problem with them not being included in the trip cost, I simply could have used a reminder. The situation was handled fine, but would prefer to avoid asking people for a loan.
2) please consider making and showing a short video RE how to be a “corner”; corner positioning, what/who to look for, when to leave your post. perhaps consider a longer video that covers all the biking etiquette, such as safe distance between bikes, traffic signals, etc.
To explain my 4 rating; I simply didn’t come to understand how small the room was until entering it. I looked at room pictures and measurements and considered them. When we entered our room it our new reality became obvious. This is not our first bike and barge trip. The largest boat we have been on held 24 guests. However, this is the smallest room we have stayed in. Going forward we now know what we are considering when seeing these room measurements and layouts, and we will likely avoid them going forward. We understand the rooms cannot be changed, simply explaining our 4 rating.

The most memorable part for me was meeting great people. The food and the sights were amazing also.

It’s hard to pick just one thing that made this trip outstanding - the food was outstanding- better than I had at restaurants in Venice and Florence - and they accommodated my vegan diet. Biking, touring, and dining with people from all over with an entertaining and knowledgeable guide and crew was just the best. The scenery was beautiful and the little side tours, including to a grappa winery and cheese producer to break up the day were so much fun. A great combination of touring and biking.

The biking was scenic and beautiful. The best biking was in Budapest and then in Austria on the last day. It was an experience I will never forget.

The memorable part of my bike trip from Merzig to Koblenz, where do I start? There were so many memorable moments. First, I would like to say the crew on the Flora were very inviting and accommodating. Captain Berthus and his wife Jonne and their ship-mate Andy were a pleasure to spend 8 days with. Joanne, the Chef Superior, prepared us amazing variety of meals. For a small boat, it was first class!! Always made us feel comfortable. Home away from home. Our guide Irene was a real gem. We were Irene's first tour and we hit some wrong turns (mostly due to construction) but her infectious smile and giggle, kept us all going. Her personality was very genuine and I would follow her on any journey. The scenery along the Saar and Mosel rivers was breathtaking and cycling trails were some of the best I have cycled on. Tripsite was very helpful and professional when dealing with this agency. I will be recommending Tripsite to many of my friends and definitely the Flora bike and barge. Thank you for the great memories.

The ambiance on board with all the guest cyclists was matched by the excellent service from all the staff. Both cycling guides were professional but more importantly they were fun to be with. The Mosel Rivers quiet charm and fairy tale villages made for a wonderful experience despite the rainy days.

While some of the routes were challenging at times because they weren’t marked well, the biking part of the trip was phenomenal.
The ship food was excellent!

The entire trip was memorable! Scenery, the delicious meals that we had on the Flora, the crew and our lovely guide Irene

Wonderful experience! Everything about the trip was memorable from the e-bikes, to the tour guides, to the food and accommodations. Weather was a little challenging in October but between the tour guides and the boat captain, the itinerary was adjusted so we never got wet riding and the trip experience wasn’t compromised.

The entry into Budapest with the sun setting on the Parliament building was a once in a lifetime experience.

Loved our Bike Guides and the added "surprises" they had instore for us i.e. Evening City Tours, Canal Tour, Beer tasting etc.
The boat was amazing as well and loved the deluxe Cabin. We are definately planning on another tour... this time France to Germany. Wish we could have the same bike guides :)

My wife and I traveled on the Magnifique 1 from October 1, 2024 to October 7, 2024. We absolutely loved the staff; very friendly and helpful. The stop in Trier, with a guide, was great. The food on board was pretty good but the bikes were not. They were quite heavy and had too few gears, which made climbing even moderate hills quite difficult.

I have to admit the best part of the trip was the people that we met on board. Everyone got along extremely well for the entire trip.

Our previous Bic & Barge was a better experience than this trip for the following reasons:

- Food: Breakfast was very consistent and good. Lunch & Supper, when served, was less than good.
- Accommodations: The rooms and associated washroom was small, tired and in need of repair and/or updating.
- Staff: The ship's crew liked to congregate at the stern of the ship every night and talk in loud voices until 10PM. We didn't complain but it something that the tour organizer should communicate to the boat that needs to be addressed.
- The ride group was too big. 35 cyclists, of varying abilities and age, should have been split into two groups. Many times, the distance between the front end and the back of the group was too far. This was not good for the good riders or for the lesser riders. In fact, one day the members of the group got separated because the front group was so far ahead. Spit the groups. Assign a sweeper from the cyclist group and one guide to each group.
- Guides were good
- Crew was unfriendly and never looked at you eye to eye. Noisey after hours. (See above)
- Crew was inappropriate with three (3) young women in our group. I realize it takes two to tago but they should have kept their distance
- Bartender was unfriendly. Maybe it was a language issue. If it was, then he was assigned the wrong task and should not have been the bar tender.
- Captain of the vessel was good, friendly and made you feel at ease when we were at sea.
- The guides in Rab and Zadar were really good.
- Cycling was really good. A lot of variety.
- Scenery was spectacular. Croatia is a beautiful country like no other

Going forward we are going to stick to flatter terrain. My wife didn't like riding along stretches of hillside/mountains with vertical drops on the outside lane or barreling down hills at speeds over 40km/hr with hairpin turns. Me, I loved that. All about finding a compatible ride for us both.

Our trip was absolute perfection, from beginning to end. Harmonia is a beautiful, well-appointed boat and was a comfy home. There were 32 of us aboard, and it seemed like the perfect group size. The staff were all warm, friendly and eager to please. The chefs, Dante and Stanko, made beautiful and abundant meals and accommodated my pescatarian diet. Our guides, Bubi and Nikki, were THE BEST! They spoke flawless English and were funny, charming, capable, fun and patient. The bikes were very comfortable and easy to learn and to steer. The rides were varied in terms of scenery and terrain, and all were stunningly beautiful. We enjoyed swimming in the warm, clear Adriatic right off the boat, and some even used Harmonia’s SUP and kayak.

All in all, it was a dreamy and very easy vacation. It was a perfect way to see a gorgeous part of our planet while indulging our love of physical activity. We highly recommend!

Laurie and Steve

1st I have to complement Claudia for all her help! The crew of the Vita Pugna were exceptional, particularly George our guide. This was our 4th boat bike tour in Europe. I would not recommend anyone cruising on the Vita Pugna. The walls were paper thing and we got one good night's sleep. We asked the people next to us 2x to be quiet. They kept talking to late in the night and we felt we were in the room with them. The meals and chef were excellent. Captain was the hardest working one I have ever seen. I definitely would go with this crew on another boat in the future. Bikes were good. Touring/ sites were special. Some people should have rented ebikes as we had to wait up to as 1/2 hour at times for them to catch up and we were not going fast. Crew was extremely helpful both at the beginning during and at the end of our tour. Back to Claudia. she answered all of my questions. Help us get on the right transportation from the airport to the island of Quidecca, where we stayed in a hotel the night before the trip. We met 4 other couples at the hotel. Only difficulty we had was finding the boat on the date of departure. I was unable to load the map for direction. We were finally able to find the boat. I would recommend a separate email at the end with the necessary directions/ map to the boat. One more time I need to mention how much I appreciated Claudia's and the other tour specialists. You were the best I/ we ever have had! Thank you. Steve and Barbara Ferrin.

The overall experience was great. Our guides were fantastic, the scenery was beautiful and the boat and rooms were super clean.

Perfect trip from the ship, the Merlijn, and its crew headed by Coen and Cristina, to the dining, our guide, Thomas to the location along the Neckar and Rhine rivers with the little towns (and bakeries and cafés). It was like spending a holiday inside a magical storybook.

We loved our bike and barge trip from Venice to Mantova. The guides were helpful and friendly, the barge was extremely comfortable, the chefs were masterful and the scenery was gorgeous! It was one of the best bike and barge experiences we've had.

I have been on five bike and barge trips before, and this one was very special due to the crew on the Estello… Georgio, Our bike guide was full of history, fun and knowledge of the area. Sarah, our chef was absolutely amazing… We rode our bikes through some beautiful countryside as well as on many well paved paths…. Met so many nice people. Highly recommend this trip… I prefer the small or intimate bike and barge trips in this certainly met that criteria!

What a great way to explore several cities by bike! If you're seeking fun, exercise, meeting other like minded cyclists, this is a must do!

Biking riding component.

The gluten free option was absolutely not satisfactory. When arriving it was not noted. The chef said we had to come see him. We paid 120 euros and we only received two pasta meals and bread for lunch and a cookie jar. The bread put out was 2 slices for each gf person. The rest could have as much as they wanted. The shopping should have been done before hand in Paris where there are gf bakeries not the same stuff we can buy. We got what was in the pantry.
One meal we got baked apples for dessert. How are 2 pastas, 2 slices of bread per day and a baked apple worth 120E? It is totally not appropriate to charge so much after already paying a lot for the trip. It seems like a cash grab as there were three of us. Whomever makes this decision should be ashamed of themselves. Fair $ for fair service. We should all be reimbursed!

We did a bike/barge tour several years ago in the Netherlands on a small 20 guest boat so we weren’t sure what to expect on a larger ship. We loved the ship and the larger group wasn’t a problem. We had some special dietary needs which the crew handled seamlessly. Our room was pleasant and comfortable. The crew had our bikes ready to go in the morning and reloaded on the ship after we completed out ride. The rides were beautiful. We enjoying cycling through villages, natural areas and the wine region. A lovely special trip!

Having experienced and enjoyed bike and barge vacations for over 10 years, I can say, without a doubt, that the Clair the de Lune's crew were the most attentive, professional, and charismatic. Like most, we select our tours based on destination, daily tour activity, and pleasant docking locations. Those factors are easily researched. The wild cards are often the barge condition, crew personality, and of course, the dining experience. Marco resolved all those concerns by keeping an impeccable barge, bringing on chef Jenny, housekeeper Catalina and tour guide Dick. Our rooms were clean and include both heat and A/C. The dining was inventive and locally sourced. Daily tours were perfectly planned and well managed to optimize our group members. The adage that you must sacrifice amenities if you choose smaller comfort barges over the larger boats did not hold up. We had uncooperative weather (they dried our clothes), flat tire, chain issues (rapidly addressed), difficulties getting to the Briare train (they loaded up personal vehicles and drove their bikes to ensure our timely departures). Bravo Clare de Lune!

The ship we were on was quite amazing at 220 feet long! The landscapes while bicycling were so gorgeous. Brain games for rainy days.