5 Star Clair d’Etoile boat/barge tour reviews — 31 to 60 of 99

Terrific sights made better by great group of cyclists.

Excellent trip. Two weeks wasn't even enough. Barge was great... super clean, great food. Small cabins, but really nice common areas. Staff was awesome.

Each day was a new adventure. We saw some great scenery, visited some beautiful towns and cities, learned much about the history of WW1 and enjoyed the company of friends aboard the Zwaantje. It was nice not having to decide which meal to order every day. Frank, our chef, did an excellent job of choosing for us and prepared superb dinners. Two views were particularly memorable: "The approach to Chantilly Castle" and "The view of Paris from St. Germain en Laye". The cruise into Paris on the final day was the icing on the cake. What a great way to see the north of France. Oh wait, Belgium was great too. I think Bruges is now one of my favourite Cities.

I couldn't pick out one specific thing. It was our first trip to Europe, first bike trip. From the moment we met the crew from chef to guide we could not have been more pleased.

Cycling, food, and staff were great. Lots to see and it was fun!

The most memorable part of our bike/barge trip from Brugge to Paris cannot be summed up easily into one moment. I enjoyed the bonding of a group of people from various backgrounds and countries. The group worked as a team making it possible for my husband and me to thoroughly enjoy the amazing scenery, historic sites, cities, onboard dining, and even the tough rides. The staff cannot be overlooked as they were the backbone of the entire amazing experience!

Paris to Brugge on Zwanntje 5 stars is not enough to describe the barge and crew.

This was my first barge supported trip after a number of Hotel and Van supported trips. I loved the combination of bike and barge will keep doing this for sure. Highly recommend the Zwaantje for its captain, crew, meals and general comfort. I’ve already booked another trip for next year.

What a great trip. Would like to do another.

Everything was fantastic. It was the whole experience altogether.

The staff, food and barge accommodations were perfect.

The entire trip was memorable. The boat staff was terrific, the meals from Frank our chef, were gourmet quality, the weather sunny tho a bit chilly first days, the tulips were in full bloom, our bike leader had contacts in many cities and we had private evening tours from local guides, the boat was comfortable and always well maintained. I think the only caution I might offer is we started the tour in downtown Amsterdam at the train station and for those of us with limited bike experience going thru the city was a challenge keeping the group together thru traffic, turns, bridges, stop lights. A more rural start would have been better was the general consensus, but that aside virtually everything well received.

Bruges to Paris - Visit to the Australian WW1 cemetery at Bullecourt was very moving. The WW1 museum at Perone is well worth a visit. The ride into Paris is unforgettable.

The tulips and the windmills were awesome. Eight of us were on a bike barge trip from Bruges to Amsterdam. I would recommend you put it on our bucket list. We had a blast!

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.

I did a Brugge to Amsterdam, bike and barge trip. It was fabulous. Definitely one of my favorite Europe trips. Riding through the tulip fields during the height of the season was amazing. I love the windmills. The staff was perfect. Thank you for a wonderful trip.

The Champagne tour combined the pleasures of riding through vineyards, sampling champagne on both public and private tours, exploring out of the way gems that you would never find on your own, getting to know an extraordinary captain and crew of the Zwaantje, and meeting new friends, topped off with time to explore the City of Light. Although some of the daily rides were difficult, don't hesitate to join this tour because of the hills - get an e-bike and you're guaranteed the experience of a lifetime. It doesn't get any better than this!

Lovely scenery, experiences and meals at the end of the day.

First time I've had an art historian/architecture teacher as a tour guide. Geert was wonderful and enriched every stop.

Everything was memorable, the other guests, crew, routes, guide, barge and food. 14 days with a break in the middle was just right for timing.

You will not really see France and Belgium unless you cycle. This way you go through villages and towns and farms, see cathedrals, castles and even the grave of Van Gogh. The routes take you on forest, bike and tow paths, roads and cobblestones. Enjoy picnic lunches in church grounds, pubs, cafes and gardens. You will enjoy evening night walks after a delicious three course meal.
If you don't think you can do it, you can!

We were fortunate enough to have Tripsite founder, Hennie, along, who led half of our group on a terrific cycling adventure between Paris and Bruges. We made wonderful friendships and were treated royally on board the Zwaantje by the crew - and what wonderful meals!

Most Memorable Part? Cycling thru the small Villages of the Somme with good riders lead by Hennie.

The two-week trip on the Zwaantje from Paris to Bruges was awesome! The crew of the ship and the tour guide were exceptional. The food, prepared by Frank, was consistently top-notch and interestingly varied day-to-day. Our guide, Geert, provided us with an excellent selection of sites, of which he had encyclopedic knowledge. The captain, Martijn, was also very engaging with the guests. Daily rides were easy to occasionally moderate, providing us with a satisfying riding experience. Almost all of the riding was in open country or small, rural towns, which we loved. However, riding in and out of the larger towns, while of necessity, did present some typical urban challenges to the bicyclists. Overall this trip is highly recommended. Pierre and Laurie

I broke my wrist while half way through the trip. Everyone was very kind and supported me to make sure I was included in most activities.

Great trip, great barge, well organized, a list of fellow passengers for each cabin would have been helpful from the start
Keep in mind the MPS Zwaantje does provide hairdryers for each cabin, provides WiFi- a truly upscale barge.

The cycling, the food, and the crew were all amazing!!

Wow, such an amazing experience! Our tour was aboard the Zwaantje, traveling from Amsterdam to Bruges. I can not say enough about how fabulous the crew (Sam, Heather) and captain (Martijn) were. We also had an incredible chef (Frank), who spoiled us each day with amazing meals. We travelled with a barge full of friends and shared so many laughs a long the way. Our guide (Wieger) was very knowledgeable about every town we travelled through and was a pleasure to bike with each day. Such a wonderful way to see the countryside and experience the local charms of each city we visited. Loved our trip and we hope to experience another bike trip in the future. Zwaantje Bike and Barge Tour exceeded our expectations in every way.

Since we returned from our trip, a few of us have been discussing another bike and barge trip but sadly we are not sure we would go again simply because it could never be as good as the one we just took. The captain and crew of the Zwaantje were amazing, the food was a ten out of ten and our bike guide was fantastic. There is no way this trip could be improved upon.

We were lucky to be on board the beautiful boat Zwaantje. The Captain, Martin, our bike guide Weiger, 1st mate Sam, hostess Heather and cook extraordinaire Frank were absolutely the best you will ever get on a bike and barge trip. This small review does not do justice to the exceptional staff and food that was on this trip. All I can say is if you want a fantastic 5 star excursion of this kind, this is the boat to have it on. Again THANK-YOU to Captain Martin, bike guide Wieger, Heather, Sam, and the best cook in Europe, Frank for a once in a life time trip that my wife and I, along with the other 11 couples that we were with, will never forget. Trip of a life time!!