4 Star De Holland boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 17 of 17
sheila D.
3 months ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
An excellent way to visit Belgium and Netherlands. The food was delicious. Rooms were comfortable. We will definitely be doing another bike and barge trip.
Phyllis S.
3 months ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Biking through the country was unforgettable. Truly enjoyable.
Glen G.
4 months ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Bruges to Amsterdam
Belgium, Netherlands
We throughly enjoyed cycling through the villages and rural landscape.
We had a few days of strong winds which we understand is very normal for this region - this made for challenging cycling on a hybrid bike.
The bicycles were very old and needed replacing plus 2 bike bags should have been provided to hold rain gear. The GPS app wasn’t reliable and required frequent rebooting. Our cabin was infested with sewer flies - very off putting and disturbing.
Thomas S.
8 months ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Amsterdam to Bruges
Netherlands, Belgium
Some great self-guided cycling routes.
Would have appreciated more information en route regarding points of interest, not just directions.
Oddly, water was not provided at dinner except at an additional cost - unusual for an active cycling trip when hydration is important.
Also no coffee or tea expect at prescribed times, unavailable if one arrived back to barge later than the prescribed time.
No wifi except at an additional cost.
Cesar D.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Authentic Holland
Netherlands
The program o the trips was excellent and the chief guide also.
Leslie T.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Authentic Holland
Netherlands
Loved the biking through the many forests along our routes. Loved all of the biking, but especially the forests!
Sally F.
1 year ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Authentic Holland
Netherlands
Most memorable was the excellent guiding from Wilma who gave us so much information about the routes.
It was wonderful visiting the cities and small towns each day in addition to the countryside.
Kenneth Z.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Authentic Holland
Netherlands
Biking through the countryside with new friends - over village streets, up on dikes, through forests, etc. Our group would stop each day for coffee and apple cake with whipped cream to try out the many delicious variations of baked goods. Best found in Bronkhorst.
Hugh C.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Authentic Holland
Netherlands
The last day was my best. I stopped to make a beautiful photo and lost my group. It took over an hour of fast riding and navigation to catch them. Great experience. Amsterdam Castle and its Cafe were superb pleasure.
Martin M.
2 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
Authentic Holland
Netherlands
First time I experienced this type of travelling. Overall, I like it. Couple of notes though : the ship was not where it was supposed to be at embarkment ; it was on the other side of the harbour. No communication received about that last minute change. We knew because someone was monitoring vesselfinder. A lot of people did not know. Second, we were not happy with the table arrangements. We got assigned a table on day 1 and were supposed to sit at that table, with the same people, every day. I appreciate the reason, every evening they ask what you want for dinner the next day, and if people then are not at the same table, that system does not work. But, we're travelling with a group. We want to have dinner at a different table every day.
Having said that, the boat and the food was nice, the crew was really good, no, outstanding. The daily tours were well organized and navigating our way was easy.
Hence my 4 star rating of the tour.
Carla • 2 years ago Tripsite Staff
Dear Martin,
I am so sorry the ship had to move at the last minute. Unfortunately I was not notified of this either, but sometimes these last minute changes can be made by docking authorities without much notice. Please note, all of our tours include emergency phone numbers, including directly to the ship and also my personal cell phone, in case there are ever any kind of problems we can help you with!
Susan O.
6 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
The De Holland is a lovely barge with a proficient staff and nice upper level staterooms. The food was above average and the after-ride beer is a great value. The North Holland area is very rural with small towns but mostly agricultural routes. Easy navigating because The Netherlands has an extensive network of bikeways and understandable wayfinding. The history of diking, watermills and pumping is fascinating and would be good to know about as you ride through this area. Our trip was in the beginning of October and we had beautiful weather although it can be windy along some portions of the ride.
Sue Cousineau
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
2. Room service - towels were not replenished each day as expected until the guide told us to put them in the shower to indicate we wanted towels refreshed each day. This was a problem of no signage to indicate this practice and that the guide forgot to tell us until day 4 when someone complained.
3. Maps and route descriptions - we always marvel at the signage for cycling in the Netherlands. Our country should adopt this method. But we were only given one map/booklet per room. Again, a very cheap practice as all travelers are paying cyclists and each want their own maps. Can't guarantee that those who room together actually cycle together. Read More This again angered many in our group all of whom are avid cyclists who have traveled extensively by bike in Europe.
4. Route - Wonderful! Northern Netherlands is so beautiful, the route selected was varied and very picturesque, and towns we visited were charming.
5. Staff - Every staff person, but one, was extremely polite, helpful and courteous, from the kitchen staff, the captain, servers, and bike support fellas. The one exception was our guide who was rigid, rude, impatient and grumpy. He warmed up as the week progressed but his welcoming manner was less than desirable. He didn't seem to like to deal with women or English clients, as we saw that he got along very well with the German clients. It could have been a factor of language and fatigue due the fact that it was the end of the season.
Paul Hough
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
The nickel and diming on the boat was annoying - i.e., free coffee until 4 pm but nobody gets back before then; coffee and tea not included with dinner (extra cost); bottled water sold at the same price as a beer (one token worth 2.5 Euros). Our guide, Marcel, was clearly out of sorts and was not someone I would recommend - rude, disinterested, unhelpful, condescending, and refused to answer questions. I trust that other guides are much better.
Diane Thomson
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
The bikes did show some wear but the two mechanics on our barge were wonderful in making repairs overnight. The maps were on the whole very good but each person on the trip should be given their own set of maps and the accompanied daily itinerary descriptions.
Carolyn Dunbar
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
This was a nice trip which I chose after research. I learned that I prefer smaller groups.
Marnie Terrett
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
I found the conditions of the bikes quite poor. They were obviously wearing out after a season of use. The food was adequate but not spectacular. The information about how to get clean towels was given 5 days into the trip.
The routes were well described but I would have liked further information about the towns we were passing through and where we were staying the night. Our group happened upon a cemetery with Canadian war dead but it was just luck. That type of information should be included I the route description of the day. Despite the things mentioned I did enjoy the trip and would recommend it to others.
Fair Rapsey
9 years ago
Verified Reviewer
De Holland
North Holland Tour
Netherlands
We should each have our own maps and route descriptions, not just one per cabin. You don't necessarily cycle with your cabin mate and sometimes people get separated from cycling partners during the day.
Our guide Marcel appeared to have a very arrogant attitude towards guests, particularly those who asked for clarification of various things. He was rude to me when I asked a question about the availability of public washrooms along the way - and what was customary in Holland. He snapped "So you think Dutch people don't go to the toilet?" He seemed to make a lot more effort as the week went on and was quite knowledgeable about a Read More variety of things. He got off to a bad start with quite a few people however.
Re Food: The food was good and varied. We had a lot of salads/vegetables (generally overcooked) which I appreciated. Tea, coffee and water should be available for free all the time, not just till 4. A euro for hot water and a tea bag is chintzy.
I enjoyed the trip and the route. The route was quite varied in a lot of ways and very beautiful. Luckily the weather was reasonably cooperative and our group had a great time. The barge is a fun experience, and I would recommend it and consider another trip for myself as well.
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