Anna Antal boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 16 of 16

The Four Countries of Lake Constance was my tenth trip with Tripsite. Since 2017 I have done four bike and barge trips and five self-guided trips.

The partner company that runs this trip for Tripsite was excellent. With my wife in 2018 I did a 10 day circle eight trip around Lake Constance with the same partner. Therefore, I was already familiar with them.

They have beautiful modern bike place in Constance. The electric bikes they supplied my friend and myself were excellent, far better than the bikes supplied by vendors in other nations. Radweg’s employees were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Their printed materials, maps and BikeGPX routes were also excellent.

My friend and I were very excited about our trip, but suddenly he fell ill with COVID-19. Therefore, all I can write about is the first day’s ride from Constance to Schaffhausen. It was a beautiful ride with interesting historic places to stop. However, by the time we arrived at Schaffhausen my friend was obviously ill and a test confirmed it was Covid-19.

I was fine, but I could not abandon my friend with a potentially serious illness. Radweg's employees were incredibly helpful with our quick changes in plan. We needed to stay in one place and decided that place was Constance. For my health we needed separate rooms. For his health we needed to stay in the same hotel so I could check on him. In crowded high tourist season the Radweg employees helped us find adjacent rooms in Constance. They helped get us, all our luggage and the bikes back to Constance. They checked up on us periodically to make sure we were ok.

I am sorry I cannot write about Zurich, Vaduz or St Gallen. My friend and I were both very disappointed. Everything was looking great until the Covid. I can say that Radweg Reisen is a very high quality vendor for Tripsite. I hope to take more trips with them in the future. Who knows, maybe next year The Four Countries of Lake Constance.

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.

Guides were amazing. They worked hard to make sure all guests mingled with guests from other countries. Games played encouraged teams working together and finding new information about the villages we visited. Always extra surprises..like visiting the mussel fishermen, panoramic vista of Venice from rooftop. Training on how to use ferry system in Venice invaluable. I didn't think we could get a better tour than our 2018 trip, but this one exceeded all expectations. From snow in the mts. near Bolzano to swimming in the Adriatic, the differences in scenery was dramatic and thrilling. Bikes...so comfortable and fit perfectly. Didn't even need to wear my bike padding! Plenty of time to look around when we went thru villages. What can I say. This tour was the best!

Fiz este trajeto em setembro de 2018 foi maravilhoso ,um trajeto fácil ,hotéis muito bom ,cafe da manha excelente e atendimento ótimo, mesmo sem falar a língua não tive dificuldades ,o trajeto e bem sinalizado passando por lugares lindos ,a bike também e boa ,não e uma mtb como estou acostumada mas respondeu bem ao trajeto ,enfim vale a pena conferir ...adorei.

We did the Bruges to Paris on the Zwaantje in September 2018. It was fantastic! The boat was great - clean and comfortable, the crew fabulous - professional and friendly and the food top class. I would definitely recommend (and I have) this trip to others.

My husband and I love Tripsite. We are about to embark in 2019 on our third such bike and barge holiday. We did Brussels to Bruges in 2017, Mantova to Venice this year (2018) and have already booked for 2019 to do a 6 country river boat and bike trip down the Danube. We find the combination of being on the water in a comfortable barge enjoying great food and company, coupled with daily activity a wonderful combination and experience. Biking through the various countries during the day after a hearty breakfast, packed to enjoy a wonderful packed lunch along the way is an altogether thrilling and fulfilling experience.
We highly recommend Tripsite and the wonderful holidays they offer. All the work is coordinated. All you do is get out and enjoy your vacation.
Well done Tripsite! A job well done.

I did the Camino de Santiago Bike Tour in October of 2018 and it was an experience of a lifetime. I began my trip in Porto, Portugal and completed my journey in Santiago, Spain. My trip began with a guided tour of Porto, Portugal with Diego. Diego was extremely informative throughout my tour and he provided insight and information into the beautiful city of Porto. The next day I was met by my tour host, Sergio and he provided my bike, an explanation of the GPS system and safe passage out of Porto. The sights I enjoyed over the next several days were breathtaking. For the first 3 days of my trip I had the Atlantic Ocean over our left shoulder and it was warm, beautiful and inviting. After I left the sea coast I was greeted by vineyards, forests, small rural areas and eventually larger busy cities. Upon arriving in Santiago I ended my route at the Cathedral and was filled with emotion and tears. This trip gave me the opportunity to pray, reflect on my life and give thanks for the many blessing I have been given. Thank you Tripsite for providing an opportunity of a lifetime!

We have just returned from this tour in Kerala, (September 2018) it was customised for the two of us to include 3 nights in Munnar. The tour exceeded our expectations, was extremely well organised by Kalypso Adventures, we had an outstanding guide and competent driver, learnt much about the area, culture, the people and how they live what is grown in the area and so much more. The cycling was great, amended slightly in distance and route because of the recent devastating floods but this in no way detracted from the experience. Accommodation was varied and always excellent, food delicious. We would certainly recommend this tour. We are an older couple from New Zealand.

Amsterdam to Bruges July 2018. We loved the whole aspect of cycling to meet our barge (our floating hotel) at the end of each day. The accommodations on the Sailing Home were great and the barge is a handsome one. Staff were friendly and relaxed but attentive and personable. Our cycling guide Karline was very competent and kindly took us into almost every town each night for a walking tour. Her historical knowledge of the areas in the Netherlends and Belgium we visited were an unexpected bonus. The food was great on board and most enjoyable. I will definitely recommend this trip to others.

We were on this tour from June 16-23, 2018. First let me say that we had a fabulous time and I'll attempt to breakdown both the good and the challenging.
1. The boat was outstanding (5 star)
2. All the meals were nothing short of scrumptous (all three..every day) (5 Star)
3. The SE staff were knowledgable, polite and always willing to help. (5 Star)
4. Embarking and disembarking was seamless. (5 Star)
5. Our onboard guide was outgoing and fun to talk to. (5 Star)
6. The rooms were tight, but manageable. two single beds, good storage for your clothes and a small but efficient washroom.
7. The bikes were well serviced and enjoyable to ride. If you're not a seasoned cyclist, don't worry, the gears were easy to change and many of the people opted for the ebike option which really helped.
8. Biking directions were a challenge. At first we thought it was a language issue, but many of the German people were getting lost as well. We saw no vineyards, one castle, and we traveled through many cities. We had three in our group take spills, mainly because of the city routes we had to take. The "Look for Signs" were often non-existant or hard to find and we found that our group of 10 cyclists were spending too much time conferencing, trying to find the correct route.
Twice we encountered local people who actual lead us to get us back on track. This was definitely challenging, but boy did we bond!! We stopped in small towns having lunch in the town squares, trying local beers and cheeses. Restaurants willing to let us eat our bagged lunches in their restaurant when we bought some drinks.
Suggestions:
1. Arrive a couple of days early to explore Mainz, it's a beatiful city.
2. We flew in and out of Paris and the train system is amazing, but I would suggest closer Airports (Frankfurt to get to Mainz and Paris for Strasbourg).
3. Get comfortable being lost and embrace the journey. We always found our way and have some incredible stories about our rides.
4. Talk to the locals they are magnificent and were always willing to help.
The bottom line is that we are already planning our next bike and barge adventure, there are lots to choose.
My actual rating would be a 4.5 out of 5

We went to Sicily in May 2018. Biking was beautiful especially along the sea. Inland there were some areas that had lots of trash. No problems with directions. One or two hills a day.

I loved everything about my barge/bike trip from Bruges to Amsterdam. Wonderful staff members were very professional and accommodating making all of the guests feel special. The food rose above my expectations. The quality and presentation were superb. I have already booked another bike/barge trip for 2018!!

My Moselle River Bike and Barge tour (October 2018) exceeded my expectations in every way. Barge was comfortable, food excellent and cycling experience was wonderful. I cannot wait to do something similar in the near future. I would recommend this style of travel to anyone who enjoys cycling and wants to experience great scenery and lovely towns.

As a 69 year old female I was thrilled to be able to have an active vacation , biking and then relaxing on board after a day of cycling. I hope to be able to do another bike/barge trip in 2018. Lovely to meet so many like minded people from many different backgrounds and places where they live, loved the trip!!!

The scenery was wonderful. Biking around the French countryside — what could be bad? HOWEVER, this trip should not be taken unless the client is assured that the barge has replaced their current bikes (as they say they will for 2018) with lighter bikes in perfect working order. They should make sure that there are bikes of all sizes, so that a small person (I am 5’) will get a properly fitted bike. I biked the entire week on a 6-speed rusty heavy old bike. Even the bell and kickstand didn’t work.

Once again the "Patria" gave us a wonderful trip with an excellent crew from top to bottom. The rooms are small but comfortable and spotlessly cleaned on a daily basis. The food on this ship never ceases to amaze. Breakfast and dinner for such a lot of guests it is always served with smiles, tirelessly by outstanding servers and the chef is a master in producing meals of top restaurant quality. Bravo. The guide Carsten was "spot on" with his PowerPoint presentations, never shy of answering any and all questions and always riding the course. The handouts were excellent. Not to be missed is the wine tour in Nierstein, a fun outing without the pretentious tasting and showy put-ons. Must make sure you arrive 2-3 days early at Koblenz as it is a great place to explore on your own on a rental bike. Also after Bad Wimpfen take a short train ride and stay a couple of days in Heidelberg to see and enjoy the many historical venues. Yes, it is a touristy place, but worth it. Castles and more castles the first 2 days, vineyards and fields the next 2 and rolling hills the last 2 days gives you a trip that showcases everything that is so much fun in the "Bike and Barge" style of vacationing. Enough bike riding every day to enable you to have the extra glass of wine or cold beer at dinner. This trip is a 10 out of 10 hands down, particularly if it is sunny and dry as it was for us this September of 2017. Our 6th trip with Tripsite and we looking forward to the next one in 2018. Thank you all.