Caprice boat/barge tour reviews — 31 to 60 of 66

We really enjoyed our trip through the Provence region of southern France! Our guide, Michaela, was very knowledgeable of the history of the area, kept us on low trafficked roads on our bicycles, and was in general a lot of fun. Additionally, our eBikes were in great condition and we enjoyed using them throughout our tour. The only downside was our cabin on the Caprice as we both have allergies and there was a persistent mildew/mold smell which necessitated keeping the A/C on relatively high to dissipate it. The cabin was also quite small for us traveling as a couple—one of us literally had to crawl over the other to use the bathroom. The hardworking staff is to be commended.

Great aspects=the guide, food, staff
Less were the comfort of the beds and space in the bathroom

Our guide, Michaela, started each beautiful ride through the country side with such a positive attitudes and great information!
Loved the trip up to Le Baux!

The route and group were amazing! The cities are very nice and historical… what I fell could be better is reception of participants of tour… inviting each one to identify oneself with others, to make a group… And I think our guide wasn’t so careful with the group… so quick some days… with no explanation about the beautiful little towns we were!! So pity!!
And they could help us about car parking before tour… You could have better support to guests.

Biking through the small villages was very picturesque. Only regret was not having a GoPro to video as we were riding through.

All of it was wonderful. Guide Michela was fun and a great leader. There was a nice mix of stops for tours and riding. Scenery was beautiful. Also Liked the boat cruises from the deck. Hills and wind made it a little more of a challenging of a ride. Crew and cooks took good care of us. Would recommend.

Beautiful area. The small towns were charming.

The hills were a little more difficult than I anticipated. Suggestion for others would be to prepare for a lot of hills.

Great staff. The staff went out of their way to make all guests comfortable. Our group of 9 fit in well with the 11 others on tour. The close quarters make this necessary. The Staff works hard at making sure that all feel welcome.

Riding through the French countryside and small towns.

Riding through the fields of fruit trees, medieval villages, sipping beverages in the little outdoor cafes, tasting olive oil in the factory, learning to use the bike to it's potential, and enjoying the ambiance back on the boat with spectacular meals.

Staff and food were wonderful. Caprice barge has nice upper deck and dining facility. But cabins are beyond tiny, which we could have been happy with (and given 5 stars) if not for the following: Each guest is issued one towel set to be changed only once during the 8 night stay. The problem is during a humid or hot athletic trip, there's no way to dry the towels or to wash or dry athletic clothing, no place to hang them in ventilated area. We packed light with intent to wash, and couldn't. Clothing was "toxic" by end of trip! On an active trip, there needs to be laundry available, even if guests do it themselves. We found out on last day of trip there was full size washer/dryer on boat, but not accessible to guests.

Our tour guid was amazing (Melanie) She made sure everyone was safe and I believe everyone enjoyed themselves it was just a lot of fun what a great time with good friends and Melanie

I loved the integration of sight seeing and bike riding. The visit to the olive oil producer was very interesting. Also loved the opportunity to see the Cezanne Immersive theater. Melanie was a wonderful tour guide and made the trip very fun.

Our original trip was cancelled due to Covid and we took the Camargue trip in its place. It turned out to be a lovely replacement. I had felt this covered ground I previously knew but seen from the perspective of biking round places previously seen the trip added such a new and fresh layer, as well as previously unknown places, that it was like seeing things for the first time.
The boat was comfortable and the food really excellent thanks to the innovative hands of chef Sara.
Highly recommended.

The crew was very helpful and engaging.

The bicycle riding and scenery while pedaling is most memorable.

Compared to our other trips, the Caprice felt very cramped i.e very limited on deck room for groups. Probably should add a Caprice clothes line to dry clothes, minor but very handy
breakfast was ok but repetitive, other trips had a buffet and especially cooked hot items
suppers were hit or miss, I thought ok but most of our group thought mediocre
guide was excellent as were bike stops, especially the Aqueduct-Pont du Gard, Palais des Papes, swimming in the med, light show. Probably should add a visit to a winery. Consider precharging for some events i.e. colosseum, light show kamisky and Cezanne) , museums,--Palais des Papes, Van Goughs asylum etc) rather than make them optional as some folks are tightwads and really miss out on a fuller experience.
Cycling guidebook is excellent

Good crew

The trip overall was well organized and executed in all respects with one exception. The crew were all very competent, friendly and helpful. The meals and service were also excellent, well prepared and presented. Our only complaint was with the execution of the required COVID test which was necessary within 72 hours of our departure. We were lead to believe that this important and necessary test would be all arranged by the crew and we would know where to go and what to do. This was NOT the case. Our group had to research and find the location of the testing on our own with some difficulty. There was much difficulty locating the testing site at the appointed time. We think the charge of 50 Euros per person was excessive. We did not fault our crew as they obviously had no idea that arranging COVID testing was their responsibility.

Most Memorable Part? The sites we biked to
Tips: Perhaps separating the electric bikes from those like me who used our own pedal power or 2 leaders for 20 bikers vs the one leader. Our group depended on fellow bikers as volunteers and we were fortunate in having several expert bikers in our group!!!

Riding through the south of France along quiet country roads with the occasional stop to learn about the history and people of the place.

The crew of the boat Caprice was wonderful. Each crew member did their utmost to make the trip perfect for everyone. The food was outstanding, our compliments to the chef Joseph who prepared a gourmet meal every night. The tour guide Alessandra was wonderful and kept the group moving along together. The size of the tour was perfect, 20, the route was ideal and that part of France was beautiful. Highlights were the Ponte du Gard, the villages in Provence, Avignon and the tour of the winery and La Moulin d'Huile. We also enjoyed the company of the others on the tour very much.

Suggestions: bring raingear if it's the rainy season, stop in the cafes in the little towns along the way for beer, wine, french fries or desserts.

Most Memorable Part: Riding through the countryside and small villages, visiting Arles and Les Beaux.

It is impossible to single out a single most memorable time. The food was delicious, the tour guide wonderful, the cycling routes took us to a variety of historical, cultural, and geographical places. We saw castles, an abbey, art, old villages, wildlife, walled cities, mountain top views, and took several short cruises on the river, The days were full, we had downtime when needed but were always kept busy if desired.

Cycling through historic monuments and the Camargue wilderness was magnificent!

The mutual congeniality among the group was especially memorable and was facilitated by every element of the trip! Antonella, our cycling guide from Avignon to Aigues-Mortes, was the glue which brought us all together - she was a delight! The accommodations, with several locations for socializing in comfort, encouraged us to relate to each other in multiple group configurations. Finally, the variety of daily itineraries gave us many options to enjoy beautiful scenery and cultural highlights.

The Avignon to Aigues-Mortes bike-barge trip was terrific. Our guide, Antonella, was knowledgeable about the area as well as about the route. She did an amazing job of ensuring our safety and making it a really fun ride. We would have loved to stop at a winery or two!

Amazing staff and great guide

The whole crew on our barge was wonderful, helpful and contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the week. The food was excellent, plentiful and culturally relevant. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, capable, experienced and fun ... great assets!

Having never done a “biking” vacation before, this was our first experience and I will say that we both felt that this would be something that we would definitely want to do again.
The equipment was in great condition and was properly geared for the terrain that we encountered. The guide on our tour was part historian, part musician, part artist and part entertainer. He made our trip come alive with insightful facts and was always encouraging with all of the clients on the tour. We constantly felt special in the opportunities we had to gain access to sites that we toured.
The crew on the boat was exceptional as well. We were always made to feel at home and quickly realized how much effort they all placed on us enjoying ourselves.
The meals served on board were exceptional as well. Our chef Sara, provided seasonal, and local dishes that enhanced our journey through Provence.
Lastly, we would have to say that biking through Provence was by far, the best was to tour Provence. We often felt more like citizens of the country than tourists. We will never forget the wonderful times we had, especially with the Dropbox videos and photos that our tour guide send us upon our return home.
This was undoubtedly one of the best vacation experiences that we have ever had.

My main disappointment was that we did not go to Chateauneuf du Pape, that was one off the considerations in picking this tour. I understand the reasoning for the change in itinerary but it should be removed from the description if it is not being included. The gearing on the bikes could be better, higher top gear, lower bottom gear, for this tour. I hope this doesn't sound too negative as we did enjoy the tour. Most memorable sites were Les Beux/Les Carrieres de Lumieres and Pont-du-Gare.

It's hard to choose a most memorable part of the trip. Aigues Mortes was a big surprise -- the history, the walls and the tower, and the special celebration -- the bull games -- taking place while we were there. The Camargue was amazing, with the waterways and the vineyards, the distinct breeds of horses and the bulls. Provence was beautiful with the olive groves and apple orchards, and of course more vineyards. It was exciting to visit the sites where Van Gogh had painted in Arles, and Hugo's commentary was superb. Singing Starry Starry night on deck under the starry night was lovely. The visit to Les Baux, with the spectacular scenery and Les Carrieres des Lumieres in the quarry were fabulous. We enjoyed visiting the Pont du Gard and singing Sur Le Pont d'Avignon as we cruised passed the bridge itself.

Now the areas for improvement: The bikes were not good enough for the Provence segment. We understood that we would be provided with 27 gear bikes, but had an infinite gearing system instead, and the lowest gear wasn't enough for the hills we encountered. Those with electric bikes were happier. Also, through some poor communication between Tripsite and the tour operator, Girolibero, a part of the trip route that our group had been particularly interested in -- a visit to Chateau Neuf du Pape -- was no longer included. Hugo did his best, with a vote (which came out even) to see whether we should go to Chateau Neuf du Pape or take the shorter route that had been promised to the others on the trip. Then he flipped a coin. We accepted the decision as appropriate, but were disappointed that we had not got what was advertised through Tripsite.