4 Star Merlijn boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 20 of 20

  Merlijn Ludwigsburg to Mainz
Germany

The bike touring, our guide, the boat staff, the food and the boat itself were all memorable.

  Merlijn Berlin to Wolfsburg
Germany

The people on the trip and the staff were all memorable. The scenic trails and the system of rivers and canals. Visiting the towns and villages on our own.

  Merlijn Berlin to Wolfsburg
Germany

The boat/barge Merlijn. We have done more than a dozen bike barge boats and the Merlijn is by far the premier of the lot. The service and cuisine on board was superb as well.

  Merlijn Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days
Netherlands, Belgium

We have done many biking trips in Europe, most self guided. We did find the pace a little slow, but got into the groove with the group on the very good hybrid bikes-thanks Coene. Cristina's hospitality and food was wonderful and both her and Coene are very good hosts. Their staff were also extremely good.
The boat was very comfortable, cabins big enough to not feel claustrophobic, beds comfy, appreciated the heated towel rail to dry washing.
For us the best part of a trip is seeing the countryside, smelling the roses and taking time to look at the scenery.

  Merlijn Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 days
Netherlands, Belgium

Loved the Merlijn boat , Coen & Cristina were wonderful hosts , Cristina was a fabulous cook & hostess, so accomodating. Coen very knowledgeable & helpful.
Might be helpful to have 2 cycling guides as we found the pace very slow at times , even though we were on the hybrid bikes. Francine did let us go ahead at times. Bedrooms were very comfortable, heated towel rails great for drying biking shorts overnight.
We would consider going again but probably a week trip.

  Merlijn Tulip Tour - 7 day
Netherlands

Outstanding ship, and the tour guide was nothing short of fantastic.

  Merlijn Cologne to Saarburg
Germany

The Merlijn is a fantastic ship. Great to be escorted by the owners themselves. Cabins were perfect and the small size ideal.

  Merlijn Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Netherlands, Belgium

Walking through the Keukenhof Gardens and seeing the blooming fields of tulips, and smelling the fragrant fields of hyacinths as we were riding was amazing, especially as the pouring rain held off until almost the end of the day! But walking around Ghent, and Bruges were equally delightful, if for a different reason. Of course the fabulous meals Christina prepared for us on the Merlijn were memorable. For future riders on this trip, know that the tulip experience is only one day of the entire trip so that you aren’t terribly disappointed, and be sure to have rain gear at that time of year!!

  Merlijn Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Netherlands, Belgium

Seeing fields of tulips and hyacinths in full bloom and in full fragrance was amazing as was the Keukenhof Gardens. Disappointingly, however, was that tulips were only one day of the entire trip. Ghent and Bruges were also definite highlights. The cuisine presented by Christina each evening on board the Merlijn was gourmet and delicious. Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. We were very pleased to have many layers of clothing as we had days of rain, wind, and or cold temps. A few mornings it was only 4C when we started out but did get up to 10C. Although the countryside is flat for easy riding, there were many bridges to cross requiring some decent hill climbing to get up and over! Belgium however was all flat and the much easier portion of the trip. Another tip to keep in mind is that the third week in the Netherlands is a school holiday as it is the King’s birthday. The KG was packed with people.

  Merlijn Tulip Tour - Amsterdam to Bruges - 11 day
Netherlands, Belgium

The Merlijn and their staff were excellent! The food was fabulous too! The only reason I am giving this trip a 4 out of 5 stars is the tulips were on somewhat dying on May 11th. We booked this trip in 2019 for April 2020 and then COVID took over all of our lives. Then we rebooked for 2021 and had to change 1 week later. Then 2021 was still not safe to travel so when booking again for 2022, we had to switch to start May 3 in Bruges with the tulip part at the end of the trip. I loved Bruges and thoroughly enjoyed biking in Belgium. I developed a cough so unfortunately I missed a lot of biking in The Netherlands. But I did enjoy the river views while on the boat and got to experience locks also. When cruising into Rotterdam, I saw one of the super yacht builders' ship yard (Oceanco) and that was exciting for me as we sell to the super yachts.

  Merlijn Nuremberg to Passau
Germany

The boat was awesome and the crew was outstanding. We didn’t bike two days because of the weather and we wanted to see Nuremberg.

  Merlijn Tulip Tour - 7 day
Netherlands

There were two main memorable parts of this trip. First, the Dutch countryside and cycling infrastructure are amazing. We were fortunate to have clear weather and lovely, cool riding temperatures for our trip through the Green Heart of the country. The route planning was excellent, giving us opportunities to see farmland, cities, beautiful small communities, polders, and of course, picturesque windmills. Second, the Merlijn is a memorable ship: beautiful, comfortable, hospitable, and first class, no one could ask for a better barge/cruise experience.

  Merlijn Highlights of Germany
Germany

The views were amazing and the staff was great!

More biking per day would have made the trip perfect!

  Merlijn Mainz to Merzig
Germany

The owners and staff were fabulous. The boat was beautiful with very comfortable bedrooms and bathrooms. The common areas were comfortable, flexible, and nicely decorated. The food was delicious. Unfortunately the bikes weren't in very good condition, and that impacted the whole group since we stayed together with our tour guide (flat tires, locked gears, bad brakes). We had lots of rain, so we didn't see much of the beautiful scenery.

  Merlijn Wolfsburg to Koblenz
Germany

Our experience was simply exceptional! The shared experience and fellowship created new friendships. The Merlijn was an exceptional venue for seeing Germany and our hosts took great care of us. We got great value for our travel dollar and created terrific memories that will bring lasting joy.

  Merlijn Mainz to Ludwigsburg
Germany

We had a wonderful time riding through the vineyards along the Rhine and Neckar Rivers and explore that small, picturesque towns along the way. Our tour leader made every effort to enhance our experience with interesting information and spontaneous adventures. Very much enjoyed the evening walks as extra value. Fine trip. Be aware that road surfaces vary.

  Merlijn Magdeburg to Berlin
Germany

Most Memorable Part: The beautiful fields of poppies

  Merlijn Mainz to Metz
Germany, France

Loved the trip and the Merlijn. Hoping to do another tour in 2017.

  Merlijn Tulip Tour - 7 day
Netherlands

Loved the trip!!