Bike + Boat Tour Reviews — 1681 to 1710 of 4712

What a fantastic trip! From start to finish, this was a top-notch experience in all areas making it a great value, as well. The Merlijn is a beautiful boat and just the right size. Plenty of room to enjoy my time when not biking, whether visiting with other passengers or reading a book on my own. The rooms were spacious enough and comfortable with everything I needed. The Captain and Crew are professional, knowledgeable, and extremely nice and accommodating. All our meals were deliciously prepared by Christina. From a buffet breakfast and hand packed lunch to a 5-star dinner every night. Not only was every meal delicious as well as beautifully served, but accommodations were also made for each person whether it was gluten-free, vegetarian or if you just don’t like goat cheese! The bike rides were well planned and expertly guided by Tammy. We learned the rules of the road and felt safe at every turn. We kept a comfortable pace allowing us to take in the scenery. Be prepared for the weather – just in case! Tammy shared her extensive knowledge along each ride as well as providing a walking tour during the evenings in each new city. We saw windmills and waterways, churches and cheeses, architecture and apple pie! And, of course, flowers. While we were a bit early for the full tulip blooms, we also saw daffodils, hyacinth and the trip to the Keukenhof met all the flower needs! Highly recommend this trip!

Getting to see so much of the Green Heart of Holland. However, incompetent dining room staff making me late for outings, insufficient/late availability of food for packing lunches, one guide leaving mid-trip, broken down barge meaning loss of 2 days of itinerary and then overloaded internet making us unable to download alternative routes, maid skipping our room first day - all made this a memorable trip as well, but not in a good way

The scenery was beautiful. I was disappointed that I had to miss the last two days of the biking tour because the ship had engine trouble and had to go back to Amsterdam for repairs.

Riding through the countrysides of the Netherlands was on my bucket list and it did not disappoint! The incredible beauty of the wetland areas and the diversity of bird life far exceeded my expectations!

I must sing praises for our tour leader Nico! He was always there when we needed him! Are there more than one of him?

Watching the De Amsterdam crew one day sail the boat through the canals is a must! It was a peak part of my trip watching them maneuver sideways and make the turns ! Such incredible scenery and seeing the huge variety of boats and vessels was outstanding!

I love any bike and barge/boat tour. This is my second bike tour. We had a wonderful time on the Tulip tour. Our guide Arnold was amazing. He made sure we saw lots of fields of tulips. Gave us a lot of history in each place we went to. My favorite things were the Keukenhof Gardens and the Royal FloraHolland Auction House. Plus every old town we went to was also amazing, seeing the history of each town and the old town structures.
My advice to anyone booking a bike tour is no matter how strong a rider you think you are, always get the Electric bike. You never know how the winds will be. By day 3 we had 4 riders who had started on regular bikes switch to E bikes. Luckily we had extra E bikes on the boat. My partner who is super strong gave his bike to another passenger who was struggling to keep as he had not used the electric on the bike. So for him it was easy.
Definitely a great tour and would recommend to anyone. We did 25 miles each day and 36 on the last day.

The Magnifique II was truly magnificent. All the little extras were greatly appreciated. The room and bed was very comfy and the meals were superb. I can't say enough good things about the excellent bikes, the tour leaders, and the timing for the lovely tulips. The whole thing was a treat for my granddaughter and me

All of the crew and guides were exceptionally pleasant and helpful.

Eating apple pie along the way!

Quo Vadis crew, and food and guides were wonderful! Most trips do not quite meet my dream expectations, but, this trip exceeded all my expectations! Kitchen crew stood on deck and waved us goodbye each morning and were out there to cheer and greet us each day! Great trip!

Fabulous guide, beautiful bike rides, wonderful food on the boat, great boat crew, fun group of travelers....overall it was a fantastic experience!

My immediate response would be the expert cycling guide (Tamara), who insured we were 1) safe and knew the cycling etiquette in the Netherlands, 2) took the time to stop and educate us at special points of interest and 3) invited any passengers to accompany her on after dinner walks through the towns the barge overnighted at. Equally memorable were the gourmet meals prepared by Christina and her team. Each night she would announce dinner at 6:30 pm sharp and begin her detailed yet brief explanation of what we were about to savour that evening.

The most memorable part of our tour? Impossible to limit to one thing! This trip has it all: miles of gorgeous countryside roads and trails, small villages that look plucked from a travel brochure, access to castles and fortresses that are beautifully frozen in time... and experiencing all of it in springtime glory was tremendous. Being able to see Carrieres des Lumieres -- the Van Gogh immersive exhibit -- was such an unexpected treat. Perfect biking weather. It was our first bike and barge with electric bikes and it was fantastic... SO easy to manage the headwinds and longer uphill climbs with the pedal-assist. Really, we can't say enough about this tour... so wonderful on every level!

(** If you print this review, can you please just list me as "Kristine S"? Thanks so much!)

everything was good, the trip itself, the other participants, the crew, the captain and the guides. Suggestion, check age of other participants and level of biking

It was the operational windmill / sawmill at Zaanse Schans. To me this was the capstone to man harnessing nature for his purpose. While creating land from the sea was monumental, utilizing the means of pumping water to another level for more productive enterprises was genius. I wish there had been more history around the tour. It would have been difficult to match the cycling routes with the flow of history, but some touchstones along the way would have enhanced the experience. Maybe a history night before the first ride with references to the history in the evening before each subsequent ride.

This was a wonderful, amazing trip! Bike guides Andre and Corrie were personable, professional, knowledgeable and thoughtful. The boat crew Michael, Thomas, Jolene, Alexandra, and chef Gerard were top notch, providing great service, great food and a delightful atmosphere! The bikes were in great condition, we chose ebikes that were wonderful. The days of bike riding (through all kinds of weather) provided a great introduction to the beauty and majesty of The Netherlands. Then we came home to a lovely boat with great snacks and food. Gerard was great at accommodating my need to avoid garlic while creating flavorful, delicious food. We would highly recommend this trip and look forward to our next tour on the Magnifique II!

This was my first barge trip. Everyone on the trip who had been on other barges informed me that I had started at the top! The crew was amazing and provide first class service. The chef is the captain's wife and cooked us 5 star meals. The lunch she packed for the bike trips was wonderful each day. She accommodated the gluten-free passengers. Our tour guide, Tamy was knowledgeable and friendly. I learned so much about the cities where we docked and the countryside where we rode. This was my first bike trip and the description was accurate. The ride was flat and easy which made looking around at everything pleasurable. I loved that there were only 24 passengers on the boat. I got to know them all and enjoy their company at meals and during the rides. Since this was the first tulip tour of the season, the tulips were not yet blooming in the fields. However, there were many other flowers blooming to see on our ride. We saw many many tulips and other flowers at the Keukenhof where we spent several hours. I am looking forward to traveling on the Merlijn again in the future!

Was the wonderful guide and the beautiful scenery we encountered every day. Peaceful countryside.The boat was top notch and the hosts went out of their way to make things nice . Food was well presented with lovely courses. I would recommend this tour to others.

We went on this tour in late September of 2022. We had previously been in southern Europe and became accustomed to the eighty degree temperatures. We were initially scheduled for the Loire Valley tour on the same barge (Clair de Lune), but the low water levels resulted in canceling the Loire and replacing it with Strasbourg to Nancy. Strasbourg is incredibly beautiful - we'd go back.

The barge - I'd been on a barge for three weeks (Bruges to Epernay on the Zwaanje - great trip) so knew what to expect. Can't say enough about the captain and crew. All aces. The chef (cannot call her a 'cook') was beyond excellent. She got applause every night after announcing the dinner selection. Truly wonderful dining. The weather, however, did not cooperate.

To coin a phrase, it was ratty. Rain, rain, rain. Temps in the fifties. I'm from the Seattle area and will not ride in this kind of weather. Nothing the barge crew cold do about it. I got in three days of riding.

Locks were amazing - one had more than fifty feet of lift. The barge elevator was really an experience. Seeing the abandoned locks was also quite cool.

The tour guide needs to be upgraded. His English was not excellent. eBikes were a bit tired, but adequate. Good tour, except for the weather. Would liked to have done the Loire Valley - maybe next time... Nine out of ten for the tour - the weather hurt.

Ahhh - the Ionian Islands! I've been on a dozen or so tours and I have to say that this was the absolute best cycling I've ever done. Hands down. Everything clicked - Dimitris and Alexandros were exceptional guides. The Med is the bluest of blues and extremely beautiful. The weather was unreal - high seventies to low eighties and not a cloud in the sky. Dimitris told us that this was the best weather he'd seen all season. The riding was also excellent. Wonderful vistas and small harbor towns. Islands with calderas. There were some downhills of about ten kilometers. Man, I was in heaven. Boat was fine - we had the on deck cabin. Food was quite good and very plentiful. We were on the last tour of the season also. Cheryl had a birthday during the tour and our guides found a sinful birthday cake on Dimitris's home island. Good Lord!! Martin (retired German judge) played 'Forever Young' with his guitar. Magical. Doesn't get any better than that. Probably fifteen on a scale of one-to-ten. Go on this tour if you have a chance.
Inselhupfen (Island Hopping) is the German company that handles the tour. This was my third tour with them. They are the gold standard for cycle tours. They have a retreat every for the tour guides - makes sure everyone is singing from the same sheet of music. We enjoyed this so much that we're doing the Cyclades with them this coming summer.
Really great tour.

The boat was comfy and well appointed, the beds were very comfortable, the biking along the river was fabulous with knowledgeable and friendly guides. I also enjoyed the sumptuous dinners each night. One of the best parts of this trip was getting to know our fellow travelers and make new friends.

This is an unforgettable trip that everyone should take! The guides, chefs, crew and captain were all knowledgeable, kind and fabulous!

The cycling, food, and service by ship’s staff were all great! We had the good fortune to meet some very interesting and fun people from Canada and Scotland, attended a couple very good concerts in both Vienna and Prague, and basically saw a part of Europe we never thought we’d see. Budapest, Vienna, Prague were all very interesting, and beautiful cities, and our guide, Thomas, made it all even better! Juergen, the cruise director, was very helpful, as well, finding us when we lost our group at one point and getting us back to the ship. Between Thomas and Juergen, we were able to sample a lot of good food while on the bike rides, and they provided great company at dinner, as well. I believe Thomas ate with us nearly every evening.

A couple notes: 1) I brought pick-pocket proof pants, as I’d heard that we needed to be careful. I didn’t really need them. Probably a better purchase if you’re visiting Paris and/or Barcelona. 2). The 3rd level rooms had balconies, where the 2nd level rooms do not. The room for the balcony is taken from the indoor room space, so you actually pay more for a balcony, but lose space in the room. We had a 2nd level room and the other 2 couples we traveled with both had balconies. They were envious of our extra room. Be sure to take along a travel clothes line to dry your clothes.

We also found the e-bikes were well worth the extra $$. Both my wife and trained using standard bikes, and physically were in decent shape for the bike rides, which were all pretty easy, fun rides. We found the e-bikes let us relax and enjoy the trip a bit more than we might have on regular bikes.
The ship, the Swiss Crown, was in excellent condition. The food was very, very good, and seemed to get better each day, as did the bike rides. The table service on the ship was excellent and the servers were all very personable, helpful, and friendly. One member of our group was vegan, btw, and the ship did a great job of accommodating him.

In all, we had a great trip and would do it again! Thanks to all for a wonderful time!

The crew, guides, and food were great - Thankyou for a wonderful time. The Ave Maria is a very well appointed barge. The trip exceeded expectations and we have taken several bike and boat tours with Tripsite.

There is magic in the Galapagos Island. The kind of enchantment which unites an eighteen-year-old daughter, on the cusp of leaving for college, a fifteen-year-old son who is fascinated by animals and photography and us--their parents--who, being from Alaska, love active adventures. On so many moments on our trip, we were all united with the same sense of awe, beauty and wonderment. Of course, the sea lions captivated us with their love of play (we saw one bite the tail of a marine iguana just to be ornery). The inquisitive Nazca boobies waddled up and delighted us. However, there is one memory that stands out; snorkeling and seeing hammerhead sharks coolly cruise by below. There was collective squealing through the snorkels as we pointed out the sharks, who are so distinctive in appearance and smooth in movement. Later that day, at dinner, that was the memory which elicited excitement and the feeling of "Did we really just get to do that?".

Our whole family loved every single second of this trip, from the food and accommodations, to the crew and all the tours. A special shout out to the Captain of the Beluga who let us come into the Bridge on the boat who let us see the equator latitude and take pictures when we crossed the equator on water. A trip of a lifetime for these Alaskans. We are grateful.

The food, the guide and the route and biking were all great. Excellent value for a low budget trip.

My wife and truly enjoyed this tour on the Caprice in 2018. The reviews previously posted are very informative and descriptive about barge life on the Caprice, the itinerary, guides, and dining. We booked early July in order to take pre-boarding day trips to the lavender fields outside Avignon. As with all of our bike-barge tours, we have met and befriended the most interesting and wonderful people. Summer heat and some challenging ascents could be mitigated by reserving an e-bike.

Amsterdam to Bruges was our first bike and barge experience in 2016. The experience of small group travel, seeing villages and countrysides at 12-14 mph, and the coziness of barge life intoxicated us. We have since done six more tours. Everyone unique, quirky, full of beautiful vistas, and future friends from all over the world.
If you are considering this type of travel adventure for the first time, this tour is for you. AND for you stubborn Americans, there is absolutely no stigma attached to e-bikes. In fact, they are prolific throughout Europe.

Our crew and tour guides were fantastic. Not to mention the food onboard was outstanding.

This was a trip of a lifetime for me. Hein and Marjolein were wonderful trip leaders and so knowledgeable about the cities we visited. They made the trip a delight and handled any glitches that arose seamlessly. It helped that they had lived in the area for several years and were familiar with the customs and history of the Veneto.
The food provided by Alberto and Daniele was superb and plentiful, and reflected the cuisine of northern Italy. And Jano was amazing at piloting the Ave Maria through the canals and lagoon. Francesco did a great job anticipating and fulfilling our requests throughout the trip.
The Ave Maria was a perfect vessel for our weeklong tour of the Po River valley of northern Italy. The staterooms were very comfortable and had ample room for two people and their belongings. It was very interesting to hear about the transition of a derelict barge into the sleek Ave Maria that was our home for a week.
I would love to do another trip with this group to explore a new area of Europe in the future.

The trip was awesome. Everything was 1st rate. We loved all of our staff. Each person on the staff went the extra mile to make the tour very special!