Magellan boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 58

Excellent tour! We would do it again! We experienced great guides, food, locations to cycle, beautiful countryside and towns, and amazing boat and staff. Each day kept getting better than the last!

The islands, historic towns and water were beautiful. As we had an extremely hot week, the best part of each day was swimming off the boat. They would anchor off shore and we could dive off and cool off!
We biked either in the morning or the afternoon so were on the boat for lunch every day. We felt the 4 course lunch was a bit much especially if we were biking or swimming afterwards. Then most evenings we were on our own for dinner which meant we didn't get to socialize with the whole group so often. We would just find a restaurant in the local village but we weren't that hungry after a huge lunch.

The boat facilities were good and as described in the material. Quality of food was excellent and the staff on board were amazing - polite, helpful, friendly and the bar prices were quite reasonable. The two guides for the biking were similarly very helpful and friendly, making sure we understood the routes, our bikes were in good order etc. We were warned ahead of time that the biking involved a number of hills and strongly advised to stay with the recommended ebikes, which all of us did. We have been on a number of bike and barge trips in Germany, France, Holland etc and perhaps it is not fair to do a comparison, but we found the following differences:
Most of Croatia was on roads, and although not overly busy, compared somewhat unfavourably with the high quality and extensive bike path systems in other parts of Europe.
All other bike and barge trips involved a breakfast on the boat, then we would make our own bag lunches, leave around 9:00 and have a leisurely ride until noon, stop for an hour at a nice spot, eat lunch then bike for a few more hours before getting back to the boat for supper. In Croatia, it was fairly hard steady biking with most short stops out in the open and very little shade available. Although we were regularly told we could stop and take pictures any time we wanted, it felt like there was a push “get it done”. Most riders were in their 60’s and 70’s with some even older and a few did not do all of the rides.
On other ventures, we would typically have one supper off the boat at our own expense. On the Magellan, some rides were in the morning and some in the afternoon, but all lunches (excellent by the way) were on board and we were left on our own except for only two suppers on board. Bottom line is we had too much “free time” (ie not much to do except for a few ocean swims off the back of the boat), and the evening meal costs added up.
We had understood from others that the Croatian coast was beautiful with so much to see and while we were only exposed to a very limited part of Croatia, we were underwhelmed.
These comments are not meant to disparage Magellan, the guides and the other staff, but are based on our personal preferences.

The scenery was outstanding, the e-bikes enabled me to conquer the terrain which otherwise could not be done with a regular bicycle, and the food was most enjoyable.

The crew, Ivan and Nikola, and guides, Mateo and Martina, were absolutely wonderful. They made ever effort to ensure we had a great time and all of our needs were met. The daily itinerary was perfect for most - most days was a hearty breakfast, then 2+ hours of challenging but not impossible biking throughout gorgeous scenery, then back to the boat for swim in the amazing Adriatic. The towns were welcoming and not crowded. The Capitan had to adjust the course due to weather, and it all worked out fine. The chefs made delicious home cooked meals. We had a below deck cabin, and it was just fine. Nothing fancy, but we didn't need that because we spent our waking moments on the boat on the sundeck, salon or bar. It was perfect for us - people who love to bike, swim, eat, and drink with good companionship.

Overall excellent. See comments below for more suggestions. Guides were excellent. Crew also excellent!

Great routes, excellent Guides, delicious food. would recommend this trip.

Our guide, Ana, brought the local history and culture to life through her vast knowledge and love of Croatia. Everyone on the crew was friendly and effective at their jobs. Beautiful country, coastal towns, etc.

The culmination of this trip was when our guide brought us high up onto the hillside, on our second to last day, and as we descended, we could see every town and island we had just cycled. It was very moving to look down on the geography of the area, the water ways, the islands, the bridges and cliffs.

I loved the guides, crew, boat and guests. Croatia is beautiful and the biking was wonderful!

Make sure you are an experience biker as the level was listed as moderate but it was definitely advanced.
Didn’t enjoy the e-biking part at all and would not recommend it. Most people in the group didn’t enjoy it. Also many issues with e-bikes.

Very much enjoyed riding and seeing all the seaside towns and stops as we rode. Just beautiful!

The biking each day was the best part. We went through the charming coastal towns and along quiet roads that showed off beautiful ocean views and green countryside. It was stunning!

The long stretches of quiet backroads with no traffic, among the greenery, with a slight breeze.

I loved everything about the trip. The boat exceeded my expectations and was amazing. The guides and crew were very professional (and fun) and made our trip so much fun.

I dealt with Ava at tripsite, who I found fantastic. She was so quick responding to my questions. She is definitely an asset to your company. Thanks Ava

Suggest any travel on public roads, groups should be split so gaps allowed for passing vehicles to fit in to.. this should be sorted before the start. Standardise the words to call out for vehicles approaching from behind.. eg car behind, or car up.. whatever and instruct group when to use this. Guided tours well worth doing when ashore.

An excellent adventure! We enjoyed the balance between, relaxing on the boat, biking and learning about the history of the places we visited.

Beautiful bike rides and swimming in the clear very blue sea. We met so many nice people! This is a great trip - adventure mixed with relaxation. We plan to book another tour for next year. This may be an annual must-do!

The aerial views of the beautiful blue waters of the Adriatic and the nighttime lights of the shoreline from the boat deck. The friendships we made and sharing the experience with old friends.

The most memorable part, has to be parts plural. Loved the biking through the country and small towns, seeing people harvesting olives, drinking local grappa and coffee, walking thru the ports, listening to the sea organ in Zadar, swimming in a isolated bay from the boat. How can you pick one?

They week on Magellan was spectacular! The boat is comfortable- beds, well appointed bathroom with shower, salon, upper sunning deck and covered seating area outside the salon. Not an issue finding a place to hang while on the boat. The daily bike rides were so memorable. Beautiful Croatian landscapes and little villages along the way. We loved the entire experience. The staff on the boat were fantastic. Our guides for the biking - very conscientious and thoughtful. We did not have to worry about safety or any logistics. The food served to us on the ship was delicious. Great chef & sous chef. And the bartenders kept us happily served! The boat was well maneuvered by the captain and deck hands. The entire staff worked hard to take care of us in every detail.

The guides and crew were just fabulous. We definitely were able to gain insight to Croatia and the people.

This trip is for experienced ebike riders only. I rode with sone ebike newbies and they fought with finding the right combination of fearing and power. Low cadence with turbo power doesnt work. They newer ebike riders think it will

Our bike guides, Luka and Luka were amazing. They were friendly, informative, and very helpful. We look forward to biking with them again! The tour of the Southern Dalmatia islands was fantastic; Solta and Korcula being two of our favourite islands.
The Magellan, was very comfortable and clean, with an air conditioned cabin and great bathroom facilities. Personally, I loved the bathroom, with a separate, good sized shower. Ivan, our captain, docked us in the most perfect spots. We also must say the chef onboard, Bojan, was amazing! All the crew and staff were very friendly.

A fantastic value for the money! Our guides Mirta and Luca were fantastic, and the entire crew went out of their way to ensure we had a great time. The bikes and the rides were excellent and the entire group had so much fun. Would definitely do again.

Everything went smoothly and the guides and crew were great!

Trip of a lifetime! The Boat had an incredibly smooth ride, was incredibly clean with a homey type atmosphere given its smaller size related to a cruise ship. The rooms are a bit smaller but totally comfortable and manageable along with the bathroom. The crew were amazing and the food was scrumptuous. Small dietary needs were met with a no fuss no muss attitude. The e-bike tours were so much more amazing than I could have ever imagined; just wish they were longer. The bikes themselves are comfortable, responsive and so easy to ride. We rode everyday starting 9am and most were completed by noon at the latest which left a lot of free time for swimming and or touring; I would have preferred to ride longer distances. I definitely didn’t have enough clothes because of the amount of free time we had along with warmer weather then predicted. I definitely missed the mark with not having shorts and more t-shirts! Our two guides, Mirta and Luka were also terrific in organizing and leading our daily rides and activities; they made everything so fun; it was terrific. Probably one of the best trips I ever took in my life.

Riding a bike in the most beautiful parts of Croatia whether it was by the water , the interior with the groves and vineyards, the small villages or in the high elevations. A fantastic adventure!

The views are phenomenal. We climbed everyday..some “hills” steeper than others. It was daunting to be at the bottom and gaze way up to see alll the switchbacks to be experienced. BUT the downhills were exhilarating!
Visiting the islands and their perspective uniqueness was interesting. We learned about people, the food and the culture
Our ride pace was very fast..good riders in the group. Our guides were excellent.
We enjoyed eating off the boat and wandering thru the sites. We had 3 guided tours which were appreciated.
We loved the ride, the food, the wine tasting, the rafting, the companionship and the shopping!
The only petty drawback was the lack of a dry towel as their is one exchange day…for us the second day and from then on we dried off with a wet towel….for sure bring your own for swimming and oh yes I was seasick..twice.

This trip had everything you could want in a vacation. All the crew made every moment special. Starting with the Captain's handling of the boat to the chief's handling of the meals. The food was excellent every single meal. The tour guides made sure you saw every special cove and mountain range on the journey. The biking was just enough to give you a great work out without feeling you needed a doctor following you. Each member of the crew, sailors to bartenders understood why we were there. They made sure we were the focus of their attention. Outstanding!!

And then there is the beautiful scenery, from blue sea water to mountain ranges. We saw the coast lines, small towns, and ancient building as the locals do everyday.

The locals Croatians are proud of their country as they should be and they related a very welcome feeling to us.

Defiantly one of the best trips I have been on. And yes "people" do make a difference.