Anna Maria IV boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 18 of 18
Mary P.
4 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
The castle tours were amazing. Sophie (coordinator on the Anna Marie IV) was adorable. Really enjoyed her and her nightly meals. The trip was not the Loire, because of water levels and sorry to say that it was just OK, but not much more. The main thing missing that I had expected was a trip to a vineyard. That would have made a big difference.
Susan M.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Most memorable-one big friendly group. Chef and Pilot were fine; guide and barge were adequate.
Janet N.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Spent one day on the barge - it was a huge highlight! Through so many locks, off for a walk along the canal, lots of beautiful scenery. Bliss.
Patti P.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
The best part was traveling with friends. I would have enjoyed more information about the area and towns we were traveling through.
Karen T.
5 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
The food at breakfast was the same for 7 days, as were the luncheon meats. The bread was fabulous but could have been switched up with some protein like eggs to start the day. The dinners were, on most occasions, tasty and delicious but lacked quantity after a long bike ride.
My biggest complaint was the cost of the water. The days were hot, the stores and restaurants along the way were closed and for the temperature we should have been provided with water or somewhere to fill our bottles. The boat charged too much Read More for a small bottle and provided only one even smaller bottle for the day.
Our bike guide did not provided any history of the areas we saw and at night, we were not given any tours of the place we were moored at.
Last but not least, all the bikes needed to be tuned up, several chains, when changing gears, fell off, some brakes did not work well and some gears would not change properly.
The most memorable part of the trip were the rest of the passengers, we all enjoyed each others company and had the ability to laugh at some of the situations described.
Wendy K.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
My Read More recommendation to HAT tours is to provide maintenance support for the tour if they are going to continue to use these bikes. I have been on another company's bike and barge tour through Provence in 2014 and they had maintenance support which could be contacted promptly to fix and/or transport bikes/people when required.
Bruce K.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Roman, Matilde and guide Ari, couldn't do enough to make welcome and please our entire group, especially during some minor technical difficulties that were not of their making. The quality of the bikes, whether due to model, age or degree of maintenance is something that our entire group of eighteen agreed is an area that could be looked at HAT tours; a lot of pressure fell upon the Anna Maria crew (especially Ari) to rectify faults not of their making. A less flexible and tolerant group of paying passengers might have made for an uncomfortable trip.
John G.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
This trip, rated moderate, was the most challenging of the four tours we have booked thru Tripsite since 2012. It stretched us to the limits of our biking abilities.
The tour was thru pleasant countryside but lacked the highlights of our previous tours- no Eiffel Tower, Venice canals or Pont du Gard.
The barge itself was a weak point, although it was not advertised as a strength.
Most disappointing was the food, especially the evening meals featuring mostly starches- pasta, mashed potatoes, quinoa and rice. Don't know whether this was a budget or skills problem.
The guide was excellent, competent, friendly and caring.
The bikes themselves were mostly good although there were some minor problems-with a tire once and an ebike battery that didn't fully charge overnight. Giro Libero bikes were in better condition than those Read More of Hat Tours based on our two tours with each of them.
The Loire Valley tour was enjoyable, but the weakest of the four trips we have taken.
Our fondest memories will be those of great conversations, lots of laughs with new friends we will probably never see again and a sense of accomplishment for what was for us an arduous trek.
As a tip for others, as I mentioned to bike and barge rookies, check out other trips as advertised in Tripsite's catalog.
Janet N.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Comfortable riding each day through lovely French countryside. A map of the day’s route for personal use would be a big help. Stefan and Florence are delightful, welcoming hosts providing excellent delicious meals. Make sure to spend a day on the barge during your trip - a definite highlight.
Jennifer M.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
We knew the barge was old, but weren't prepared for the very tiny, cramped cabin space which was definitely not the one advertised!
Most of the bicycles were in fairly good condition, but my husband got one on which the chain kept coming off and had a fall because of that.
The barge operators, Stephan and Florence, were lovely and worked very hard to provide a good experience, cooking traditional French meals each evening complete with dessert. The tour guide, Jan, did an excellent job keeping the cycling group on track and adjusting our days to accommodate the extreme temperatures during the hottest week of the summer!
Jehiel • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Jennifer!
Thank you for sharing feedback for this tour. I'm sorry you found the cabins too small for your liking but we mention on the boat page that the "...ship is especially suited to motor the narrow French" and provide pictures of the cabins and dimensions. I am glad you had a great trip and enjoyed Stephan, Florence, and Jan. We hope to help you orgainize your next trip!
T. Gihring
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Sorry, it rained the entire trip. Route and scenery would have been fine if not for that. Barge has seen better days. Staff (Stephan and Florence) are very pleasant.
Suggestion: Give the tour riders a sew-on patch to remember the tour.
Sharon Kravitz
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
The trip was organised very well. The international crew made the trip more interesting. We were glad that Peter had some flexibility in what we experienced. He was an excellent guide. We would have liked to stop at a few more wineries. Also we always seemed to be pulling into villages as they closed for lunch.
Carmel Manley
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
We are return users of Tripsite, we have found both the service from Tripsite and the tours (now 3 in total) have all been excellent. Great tours because of the combination of places, organisation and staff. Am looking forward to taking part in more in the future.
Julie • 6 years ago
Hi, as far as scenery goes, what has been your favorite trip?
Bruce Belman
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
Great trip. Everything we were hoping for.
Laurie Frarey
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
There seemed to be tension between the owners of the barge and guy doing the cooking, cleaning and maintenance. The guy was trying to do the job of more than 2 people by himself. One day when he needed help with a cranky generator the captain was in a bar. We did not get clean towels half way through as promised. I have been on 2 bike and barge trips and this had the worst staff. The guide was good but left slower riders at several critical junctures. It did not happen often. Seems the system works best when the owner is captain. Means he is present and accountable.
Julie • 6 years ago
Hi. In terms of scenic rides, what has been your favorite tour?
Lorraine
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
We did this trip in Sept. 2014. Great biking, but barge has seen better days.
Bob hartley
12 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
We had a wonderful time. Martine and Margery were the best. Loved the trip
Kris Byrns
12 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France
We did this tour in 2008 and had a wonderful time.
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