Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1531 to 1560 of 4712

The interaction with your wonderful crew and guides. They made everyone and every day special.

Seeing the beautiful scenery and riding bikes through it! We loved the trip overall. Suggestions for others - there are many smokers in Croatia - if you are sensitive it will be a problem. The rooms on the boat are generally small - pack light ! Make sure to bring your own shampoo, conditioner and soap - this is not provided. If you are a light sleeper the bottom of the boat is quieter and cooler - we slept on the main deck and people were up late talking and laughing, lights shown in the the cabin from the other boats stack parked along side us, and the air conditioner was not very good at keeping the room cool at night. The water is generally smooth for the trips between the islands - hardly ever needed Dramamine. There is no holder on the bikes for a water bottle - must be carried in a pack on the back of the bike.

This was a fantastic trip! The boat was great and the crew was the best. Meal were great and nicely served - significantly past my expectation for a trip focused on biking. If you are doing this trip, here are some things I wish I had known....

- You will spend more time on the boat than you might think - pack clothes for that and excursion days as well as what you were for biking

- Speaking of clothes, it is hard to get things to dry if you wash them out by hand - there is a clothesline in the shower but bring your own clips

- You won't have much shore time on biking days or excursion days, so don't bother looking up 100 things to do in a city. Think in terms of a few hours not a whole day

- That being said, I would suggest setting something up on your own in Vienna in the evening - especially if you are into Classical Music - that is, after all, the town for it. We went to the ballet and it was wonderful. Our friends went to the Opera - you might want to take nicer clothes for either of those - they still dress up for concerts..

- Don't bother getting Florints (money) in Hungary - everyone we talked to took Euros, but do get train tickets from your tour guide if they are offered - they are hard to find and the machines are not in English and VERY hard to figure out (we finally found some young people who graciously helped us out)

- Don't count on Wifi. Period. We never managed to pull in any

- The app they use sounds really good but we found it completely useless - even our cruise director said not to use it. It doesn't help, and most of the time when we had a question on the route I couldn't pull in cell service

- Speaking of cell service....play around with what service your phone pulls up. Sometimes if I changed carriers I got a much better signal

- Try to find a group to ride with - it really helps with directions and is much more fun

- The Ebikes are VERY heavy - someone said 65lbs - I don't know if that is true, but they are very heavy and hard to manage. They might help when you are riding, but they are hard to handle - not for anyone who isn't pretty strong especially stop and go in small towns - it is a challenge.

- Every day you have to catch the boat before it leaves port. You don't have to be a professional biker, but you do have to ride along at a pretty good clip. That took us by surprise...it was no jaunt through the countryside - but I am older (60) so maybe that is a matter of perspective

- They set out salad stuff for you to take with a sandwich for lunches - I would suggest taking a small tupperware if you think you want salad on the road, but I would also suggest taking baggies just in case you don't want their prepared sandwiches (which were OK, but not real exciting). They put out cold cuts and breads/rolls and several days we made our own (helpful hint - don't put mayo on in the morning - take the packets and put them on when you eat - just to be sure it is fresh). I also made up some trail mix and took rolls (with Nutella packets) for snacks so the baggies were really helpful.  SHOW MORE 

There were many highlights.
Poppies growing in the fields, fantastic meals, especially the dinners, amongst them. Thanks to the crew for very efficient bike deployment in the mornings and end of day. Captain very skilled.
We are used to boating, so cabins quite good. However some type of screens on the portholes would make sleeping a bit more comfortable without as many mosquitoes and not having to use aircon so much - so a good investment to invent some screens.
On the biking side, keeping the group together was good, but having one day being more free to bike with map and explore on our own might be nice. However we understand the importance of not loosing anyone. Stops in shade would be better than in the sun.
Loved Georgio's sense of humour and depth of knowledge.
Overall a fantastic experience and first time at bike and barge!

The genuine customer service of the guides and boat crew to make us feel welcome and taken care of.

Our favorite day was probably our stop in Bergantino - we knew the cheese tasting would be fabulous. The stop at the Museum of the Ride was unexpectedly terrific - a real highlight.

Really nice trip -- other than the rain and lousy visibility. We loved the ship -- had a cabin above the deck. Food was very good. The crew and guides were great. They worked their tails off to make the trip fun and keep us riding each day. We had rain most days which is very unusual for this time of the year -- May. The visibility was bad as well. So views from high in the mountains down on the sparkling sea were non-existent most days. Wind warnings kept us from sailing one day. Hats off to our guides who still found rides for us that were safe and fulfilling. They also found things to do like a dinner at a local home one night. We stayed a few extra days in Dubrovnik and Split and that was well worth it.

The best part of our trip was the crew! Our captain, guide, cook and cabin staff made this trip special. From the first day we were welcomed, encouraged, and accommodated. After 600km of memorable cycling it was indicative that the entire group chose to “sail” the last 20km. into Paris with our new family. A fabulous ending to a great two weeks.

The bike tour was everything that was promised in the description. Our guide, Sonia Teh was wonderful. She was knowledgeable about the area, pleasant and professional.

This was such a special experience to visit small towns and areas we would never see otherwise. Using e bikes was a breeze and allowed us to focus on the scenery.

Biking through the countryside with new friends - over village streets, up on dikes, through forests, etc. Our group would stop each day for coffee and apple cake with whipped cream to try out the many delicious variations of baked goods. Best found in Bronkhorst.

In spite of an unusually rainy week that restricted our biking, the tour guides went out of their way to provide alternative tours and experiences.

We particularly enjoyed the four crew members who took care of us. The guide, captain, cook and cabin leader couldn’t have better. They cared for each cyclist in every way. We all chose to ride the barge into Paris on our last day and it was a very special day.

There were so many memorable parts of the trip. The places we biked to were amazing. Astrid's meals were exceptional and beyond 5 stars. The staff was so friendly and helpful with any concerns we had.
However, the bikes we had were awful. The majority of the group had problems with both the ebikes and the regular bikes. My wife's ebike did not work properly for the first 2 days and she had an accident because of it. The power kept going off and the guide set it permanently on turbo, however, when she was going up a hill and turning onto a bridge the power cut out again and she was not able to pedal and fell into the cement barrier. Fortunately, nothing was broken but she was very bruised. Each day there were a number of bikes needing repair with problems with brakes and gears. We had friends who biked the same tour in the fall and he said the bikes were terrible then and was told it was the end of the season and that all the bikes would be refurbished and repaired before the tour began in May. I guess this wasn't done as only 2 or 3 actually had no problems.
Also, the guides were not that familiar with the routes and we went off track a few times. There seemed to be a personality clash between them and at one point they actually argued in front of the group, which was not very professional. Both guides, however, were personable and helpful when needed.

This is a wonderful way to see Croatia! All the islands are beautiful and being on a bike gives you the best views!!! Loved our trip and can’t wait to book another bike & boat!!

This was our 3rd. Bike and Boat trip and by far the best. The smaller boat experience on the Magnifique III was wonderful, it gave everyone on board an opportunity to meet each other and become friends. Our tour guides, Arnold and Marie-Jose, were excellent. Both gave informative narratives on various cities and local stops, Arnold's witty sense of humor added an extra touch of enjoyment. The entire crew; Captain Hank, Emily and others, whose names I cannot recall, were all above and beyond. Now for the meals, absolutely delicious! Every dinner was wonderful with a different flavor each day, his "presentation" of the meals was outstanding. We had a suite, which was comfortable and slightly larger than the standard rooms. I'm not sure if the extra $$$ was worth the cost of the suite, but having a sliding glass door that opened was a nice feature. We are planning next years vacation on the Metz to Cochem trip, which the Magnifique III will be featured. I would highly recommend spending an extra 2-3 days in Bruge at the end of your journey..................amazing city!

The scenery while biking. The small towns we explored along the way. The staff on the boat.
The upscale dining experience each night.
The comfort, storage options, and arrangement of our cabins. The wonderful duvets on the beds. The large windows in our cabin.

Cycling along the Mosel was magical! Vertical Vineyards! Who knew? Fabulous rides!

The wonderful paved cycle paths

Walking through the Keukenhof Gardens and seeing the blooming fields of tulips, and smelling the fragrant fields of hyacinths as we were riding was amazing, especially as the pouring rain held off until almost the end of the day! But walking around Ghent, and Bruges were equally delightful, if for a different reason. Of course the fabulous meals Christina prepared for us on the Merlijn were memorable. For future riders on this trip, know that the tulip experience is only one day of the entire trip so that you aren’t terribly disappointed, and be sure to have rain gear at that time of year!!

Definitely the biking part was the most memorable. The scenery was incredible and I loved riding through the vineyards and small towns along the Mosel.

The crew on the boat was very accommodating; any issues with our cabins was readily addressed. The chef was excellent; one of the best we've experienced on the many bike tours we've been on. The menus included regional favorites and we all received a cookbook that included recipe favorites from several chefs.

Great tours, especially the cheese farm, and of course anything tulip related, and windmill tour. Beautiful boat, excellent bike rides.
Great guide.

The tour was wonderful and our guide, Francine, was terrific. This trip was well organized, the equipment was first rate. The bikes and helmets provided were wonderful. Our guide categorized this trip as a "sightseeing by bicycle" adventure and that is a perfect description. There are fast-paced bike rides if that is what you are looking for, however, we thought this pace was excellent for seeing the countryside, taking photos, and visiting smaller towns/cities that we would have otherwise driven past.

The barge we were on, the Merjlin, was amazing- first rate service and food. The rooms were very comfortable and quiet. The common area was a great place to relax before meals and converse with our fellow travelers. The food was amazing and the service was great.

One thing we were not prepared for is the issue of tipping- the suggested tip was for $10/pp/day for the ship staff and $10/pp/day for the guide- which would add $440 to the cost of the trip. Of course as we are from the US, we are very familiar with the tipping culture but we were not expecting it on a European adventure. Yes, it's mentioned on the information section but I guess we skimmed over that. I would prefer they pay their staff a living wage and skip the tip. It costs the customers the same.

This was a river cruise with a biking contingent of 19 people out of 100 people. I would have enjoyed more biking. I especially enjoyed our picnic at Castello Rodrigo, the food and views were fantastic. Later that same day we stopped for a break in a small town where the local townspeople invited us to see their church. Truly magical!

Vineyards and villages

The staff and guide were wonderful. My only criticism is regarding the food: put out some snacks when returning to the barge after riding. One small bowl of chips for 22 people is insufficient. Secondly, the time from start to finish dinner talked too long ( 1 1/2 hours). While of course the staff must eat as well, they shouldn’t be eating after putting our plates down. Our dirty plates sit in front of us for 30 minutes while they eat. The food is very good though.

Review of local cycling etiquette would have been helpful

The guides were knowledgeable, helpful and fun. Due to the rain our trip had several changes in itinerary. The guides worked very hard to give us as much biking experiences as possible. I was very grateful to have an E bike, and that all members of the tour were on E! bikes. The food on the boat was delicious and our rooms very comfortable. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

Great crew on the ship. Had a large group of 19. Was very satisfied with all aspects of the trip. On time, on schedule, and good value. The guide was able to assist a couple of people who wanted to find old family connections during the tour which made a very memorable trip for them.
We did arrive a couple of days early to get our bodies adjusted to the time change. Also spend a extra few days in Maastricht to take in the local sites. (well worth it) A day trip to Valkenburg was excellent.
Minor issues. Could have used a extra guide to split the group in two more compatible riding groups. With the large group it was hard to move through traffic( stopping at intersections or crossing roads) Dutch traffic was extremely polite and accommodating.
We were blessed with a couple of local people on the tour who assisted in filling in information for us tourists. Where to eat, what to try, tips on getting around, and what types of pastries or beers to try.
Map and GPS riding system worked wonderfully.