Ave Maria boat/barge tour reviews — 241 to 253 of 253

Great Trip! Directions were clear & detailed for the self-guided portion. Maps could have been better by showing North orientation.

Guide on boat was fantastic! very knowledgeable and eager to please. Took us many places and gave us background info on things. Volunteered to take us on a tour of Venice and showed us how to use the water-bus system to get around on our own. Nicest boat and best guide I have had after many bike & barge trips.

We had great weather which helped make the trip so enjoyable. Heins, our guide, was fantastic.

Our trip, Venice to Mantova April 27th 2013, was absolutely spectacular. What can I say, the venue, facilities, amenities, equipment, guides, cooks, etc ...all exceeded expectations. Our chief guide and host, the friendly and indefatigable Hein Hoefnagels, was superb in making a last minute route and program change due to the unexpected Po river springtime flooding issue.. A very fun time, meeting some great people, learning about and seeing many historical sites.. this truly was an unforgettable experience.. My Bucket List , instead of being reduced by one, has probably been 'added to' for a repeat. !!

My husband and I went on the Venice to Montova trip September 2012 and had a wonderful trip. Our guide Fabio was fabulous and the food was so good, I was worried I'd put on a few pounds. But with all the biking, I think I lost a few. The barge was so comfortable and the crew did everything possible to make our stay comfortable. We loved the towns and the sights, especially Montova and Venice. Such fascinating country. The terrain was flat enough that the biking was very manageable. One day we did more than expected, about 45 miles and it was windy, but we made it with the great bikes. We are definitely planning on taking another bike and barge trip through Tripsite!

We loved the trip from Mantova to Venice. The crew on the Ave Marie was great. We convinced two other couples to join us this year since we had such a good time in the Netherlands last year. By the second day they were already wanting to plan next years bike/barge trip.

I thoroughly enjoyed my barge and bike trip from Mantova to Venice in July of 2012. I would not change anything about my experience.

The barge was very comfortable, and Juliano's food was excellent! The roads and paths we cycled on often allowed us to ride and chat alongside one another, which I liked because I was travelling by myself. The cycling was easy, but there were a few instances where we faced strong headwinds. The villages we travelled through were small in the beginning, but got larger as we approached the coast and Venice.

The entire group interacted as they wished on board the barge and while cycling. The guests and the staff were friendly and fun. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip.

Our group of 10 Canadian friends took this tour July 9-16 and we were met with a better-than-expected trip! Super staff, outstanding food and great accommodations aboard the Ave Maria keeps us talking about this amazing time we had. We'd highly recommend this tour - it was flat and very doable by any age! Tripsite is the best and we are planning our next excursion for 2013.

We were very impressed with the trip on the Ave Maria July 9 - 16, 2011 from Mantova to Venice. It far exceeded our expectations! We were amazed at the quality of the rooms and the fabulous food prepared by our chef Juliano! Our tour guides, Helmut and Martina, were incredibly knowledgeable and had many interesting facts to share with us each day as we went from town to town. The bikes were wonderful as well. With 32 riders, none of us had any issues with the mechanics of our bikes. No flat tires, no chain problems, no gear issues, etc. Even the panier bags were perfect for carrying our lunch, water bottles, cameras, swimming gear! Our group of friends were so delighted with this trip that we are planning our next one with your company to go to France in 2014! We found your staff to be very friendly and helpful. Thanks for making that leg of our trip so successful!

We took the Mantova to Venice bike & boat trip in early July 2011.

EVERYTHING about our trip was fabulous! We found the staff at Tripsite was awesome to work with and any questions we may have had... they were quick to respond. The boat....the Ave Maria was newly renovated and we thoroughly enjoyed our staterooms. The staff was terrific and was always available to interact and help throughout our whole trip. The food was delicious and we always looked forward to our dinner at the end of the day.:-) Our two cycling guides, Helmut & Martina were wonderful, helpful, informative & cheerful. The captain of the Ave Maria, Michele was engaging and helpful. The bikes were of superior quality and wonderful to ride. Our cycling trip with Tripsite surpassed any expectations we may have had. We have recommended Tripsite and this particular trip to many friends since returning. We had such a fabulous time that our group of 10 plus many extras will be booking another cycling and boat adventure through Tripsite in 2014!:-)

This was a well planned and orchestrated trip. The self guided part was easy to navigate and beautiful, lodging was great.

The bike and Barge part was excellent. The guide, Hugo, was top notch along with a very great crew. The trip included so much, history, culture and fun. The barge was cozy, rooms good size and the food, excellent and nice variety. This was the best of 7 bike tours we have done.

We started the tour from Bolzano and were delighted that we did. Bolzano is an interesting place to stay a couple days before biking. Do not hesitate to do the "uphill" section on the 1st day. The towns and hotels for this part were well worth the time and the trip across Lake Garda was lovely. Finding our way out of Pescheria was a little challenging; the villages on the way to Montova were noteworthy. Be sure to give yourself enough time to see Montova. The guided/boat/bike portion was great though hot weather plagued us in early July. I recommend this trip. The food on the boat was fantastic and the finale in Venice was a great way to end the trip.

The bikes are comfortable and the pace is leisurely although the terrain is flat sometimes there are strong winds. The guides leave no one behind. The barge food is from the sea and lunch is in local towns, however, I usually made lunch from the breakfast menu... We did stop for coffee at local towns. I have only gone from Montova to Venice which I thoroughly enjoyed. Put your worries and concerns aside, you will enjoy the trip as much as this 72 year old did. Pat McN

Myself and 4 of my friends just completed the Balzano - Venice Bike Tour. This was our 7th cycle tour with Trip-Site and as with the previous 6 trips we were not disappointed. The cycling out of Balzano was probably the most beautiful of any cycling we have done. Coming down a mountain road to a spot overlooking Lake Garda was a spectacular site we will never forget.

The Ava Maria has been beautifully re-furbished. The staterooms are roomy with plenty of storage. The dining room comfortabley seated our 28 fellow cyclists. The food was great and the wine reasonably priced. Our guides Flavio and Martina did a wonderful job and went out of their to be accomodating to our requests. The trail markers and directions from Balzano to Mantova could have been better. But, we were never actually lost, just misplaced from time to time. A great time was had by all.