Merlijn boat/barge tour reviews — 91 to 120 of 258

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.

The entire trip was a trip of a lifetime! We booked the entire barge and took a large group of friends. Everything, from the ship, to the staff, to the food, and to the incredible bike scenery was just fantastic. There was absolutely nothing that could have been better.

The beautiful views from the boat and from the bike trail, the amazing food, the knowledge of all the crew. Definitely would consider this type of trip again earlier in the year.

very organized and well run - nice breakfast every day, great dinners - best was the individually packed lunches for the bike trips (it's the little things)

The journey was more than expected. The vessel, the food, and the friendship extended far exceeded my wildest dreams. This trip will go down as a lifetime memory that will be hard to exceed.

The good Captain, his wife, and their crew will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Such a fun way to see Germany, by bike and boat! Loved the Merlin and its' crew. Everybody was so nice and helpful.

All was wonderful: the barge, the crew, the food, and the guide - the biking, the beauty that surrounded us every day along the bike trails/paths, exploring the small towns, and the feeling of fulfillment at the end of each daily ride.
It is a must do trip!!

Riding through beautiful countryside and picturesque towns. Guide was informative about Bavarian history.

This trip is mostly between towns and villages each day, but with the opportunity to "bookend" the cycling with visits to a number of famous large cities in the area. I stayed several days in Cologne first, and in Strasbourg and Frankfurt at the end. All are easily reachable by high speed train. On the cycle trip, I particularly enjoyed the portion out of Koblenz where we cycled right through the vineyards on the hillside slopes rather than right along the river.

This was my fifth cycle trip and by far the most luxurious boat, the Merlijn. Summer temperatures were HOT but somehow the paths along the meandering Mosel were often in the shade. One unpredictable factor for any trip is the quality of the guide. Lia was top notch. As were the bikes. And the food.

Helpful hints... I choose my trips according to what discounts are offered, as every tour has something worthwhile on offer. Germany is a beer drinking country, and I found non alcohol beer available everywhere.

The Moselle is a storybook beautiful valley with vineyards sloping up the river valleys and quaint towns along the way with castles on the hills. I couldn't ask for a more beautiful location. The Merlijn crew were amazing; the food was wonderful and our tour guide Leia made the trip enjoyable and informative. I really appreciated they took us to visit Berg Elze, I loved the castle. All around, this was a fabulous vacation that I would recommend to anyone who knows how to bike!

The attentiveness of Christina and Koen and all the rest of the staff on the boat. The only comment i have is that with 24 riders and quite a varying degree of riding abilities, I think two guides and divide the group into two would have been better.

The Merlijn, the captain, chef, crew and guides were absolutely fantastic - our third bike and barge with Tripsite and by far the best. The most memorable part for us was riding into Ghent where we lived 15 years ago as a family for a year - spent the afternoon with the group showing off our home away from home.

Trying to identify the most memorable part of my trip Is really quite difficult. Initially, I thought seeing the tulips in Kuekenhof was the best. The colors were so vibrant that it was like a sensory overload. Thankfully, there are some things you can't un-see. However, bicycle riding for a week through bucolic settings, windmills, and picturesque Dutch cities was also most memorable. Finally, the time I spent on the Merlijn can't really be relegated to second place. The ship was lovely and clean. The captain and crew were warm and hospitable. The meals were expertly prepared and presented. Ultimately, the time I shared with the other 20 passengers was unforgettable. Yes, I have failed dismally to single out a single most memorable part of a fantastic trip.

There were many memorable parts including the wonderful people on the boat, the boat crew, the comfort of the boat, fabulous food and of course the beautiful scenery we biked through. The tulip fields were spectacular! Our tour guide was a gem! My only complaint was not having enough time in each port but our cruise was only 7 days and if you take a longer tour there is more for relaxation.

It was so smooth. The small size of the group, the fact that the owners of the barge live on board and their love for the vessel is shown on every part. This barge is loved and the people running it and working on it care about what they do and have welcomed you into their home as guests (an over-used word in the hospitality industry but accurate in this case). The Merlijn is comfortable and lovely. The meals were hearty and good. The bikes were in great shape and Thomas, who lead our tour, was engaging and very knowledgeable (and patient with the less keen cyclists and fanatics alike). He knows his way around the paths and he is very knowledgeable about the Netherlands and every town, village and city we stopped in. He adjusted the route when needed and even made excellent suggestions for after the tour. The beauty of the Netherlands and the Tulips is documented in millions of photos and paintings but to actually cycle through it, day after day revealing something new and seeing the beauty of each new town and field was marvellous.

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.

We had a wonderful trip. No down time to relax but this trip was about biking and seeing the sights. The trip is rated easy and I am a healthy 65 year old woman and in pretty decent shape and the rides challenged me every day. The guide was incredible and so was the boat and staff.

Our trip was fantastic!
Our guide Hugo was the highlight of the trip!!
The food was excellent ..
The drinks were reasonable priced..
The crew was so nice!!
Can’t say enough great things about our trip!!

The crew members were outstanding hosts. They never got tired of answering questions or making suggestions to make it a great week....even though the weather was awful. Cold/ windy/dreary. I missed a couple of days on the bike and the cruising part of the trip was wonderful.

The boat, the crew, the guide, were all fabulous. Traveling alone, I never felt alone. It was the perfect way to see the country, learning the tulip trade, about the culture and cycling in all kinds of weather made this a very memorable trip. I must say, there was more than one experience as a florist I enjoyed the flowers and learning about their farms, the windmills and how they irrigate the canals, and the windmill keeper who gave us an extensive tour of his windmill and how it operates.

I would recommend this trip for people of all ages. The staff on the Merlijn was wonderful. As were the scenery, biking, and the people of the Netherlands. Be aware that the weather fluctuates in the spring and come prepared. All of the water ways cause it to be windy as well. But it is well worth it!

The Merlijn was the best way to see Germany! It's a clean beautiful haven to come back to after touring the countryside on our bikes with our fabulous guide! The crew made sure we were always prepared and ready to go, and made sure that our return was relaxing and fulfilling. We all enjoyed interacting and learning from them, and the food was delicious. I cannot say enough about the experience!

This was our first bike and barge tour and it was great. The Merlijn is a beautiful barge that is extremely comfortable and well maintained by the owners. The food was sooooo good and the atmosphere, even in the midst of Covid, was friendly. Our trip leader, Lia, was absolutely the best. Her upbeat demeanor, her competence in handling all the “little things” that could have interrupted the pleasant days of biking was amazing. I’d highly recommend this trip but folks should realize an “easy” tour is still 30-50 km/day

The boat, staff and tour guide were all absolutely amazing. The boat was clean and the food was great, having dinner on the boat each night was a blessing after a long day of biking and sightseeing. Biking through the small towns and along the river was very scenic. The tour guide was very prepared and handled any small hiccup along the way. I've never really biked or did a tour like this before and most days were fine, but I was glad to have been able to switch to an E-bike for the day we had to do more of a uphill climb.

The views were amazing and the staff was great!

More biking per day would have made the trip perfect!

Our tour on the Merlijn was a wonderful trip, a great way to get in the Christmas spirit! My favorite part was relaxing on the boat and the delicious meals prepared by our hosts, and visiting all the Christmas markets in the cities along the way.

Loved the buffet meal in Poland-delicious food, great sitting outside by the water, great band & fun dancing!

Christmas Tour was a wonderful experience. The boat was beautiful, the beds were super comfortable, the rooms were spotless, the food was the best I have ever had on a barge trip, and the crew were all sweet, helpful and fun. As is typical on a trip like this, all the travelers became friends and we became quite fond of each other in just four days. Sad to leave but made for such a lovely time.
I thought the cadence of the trip was vey nice and I enjoyed the tours. The tour in Dortmund wasn't overly exciting but perhaps there was just not that much to say about the area we were in. I did think it was valuable though because we needed to know where to go to see the markets, etc.
I really liked Munster, I wish we could have had more time there. Maybe plan to arrive earlier and have a few more hours before Captain's dinner?
Our captain took very good care of us, we felt safe and in good hands.

The hosts and tour guides were wonderful. The cabins were superb. The air beds were a treat. Everything was clean.

I always love the Merlijn and the new owners were great! However, this is the least favorite of my Tripsite tours I didn't find the stops very interesting and when we did have an interesting place to visit, our time was very limited. Fun group, great food and pleasant weather but very short days of cycling. I will do another trip next year but do suggest some changes to this itinerary.