Merlijn boat/barge tour reviews — 181 to 210 of 272

Most Memorable Part? The bike touring led by Lia. She is awesome!

Most Memorable Part: The stops along the way in the small German towns.

Most Memorable Part: Visiting small towns and enjoying the culture.

Most Memorable Part: The beautiful fields of poppies

Toured with Merlijn on the Nekar and Rhine Rivers to Koblenz. I'd have to say that peddling thru the beautiful forest then entering the awesome vineyards had to of been the best memories of the trip! We were up to speed on the bicycling requirements, I'd suggest that the requirements and maybe a suggestion for pre training be spelled out in better detail for people planning a trip. We enjoyed the trip enough to book our third trip!

We cycled on the Merlijn from Mainz to Ludwigsburg. The staff, scenery, guide and accommodations were some of the best that we have experienced on our 10 bike and barge trips. Friendly, warm and caring describe Jantien and her husband.
Hard working and most professional.

Most Memorable Part: A return with friends for a second trip and working on next year. We had a great guide very informative and fun to be with. Enjoy the riding and barging

One of our best vacations ever! Met some great people. The owners and staff of the boat provided exceptional service. We're making plans to travel with them again.

The calmness and organization of the bike and barge event was refreshing. Barge was excellent, owners outstanding, timing and biking routes very pleasurable.

The scenery along the Mosel River was breathtaking, and the staff and guide on the barge and bike tours were top notch. Very quality focused and very pleasant to be with during the entire week. This is a special experience for all.

Our bike guide was outstanding.

Everything was perfect! I cannot pinpoint one specific part but can say that we felt welcomed from the moment we stepped on the barge, all needs were met, including some that we had not thought of ourselves! It was the details to make this trip relaxing, stress free, comfortable, fun, full of laughter, memorable! I really like sweet wine and Jantien went out of her way to get the best sweet wine. Jantien, Henk and the rest of the staff as well as our guide were always one step ahead for all our needs: waterproof caps for the helmets on a drizzly day, drying our shoes and jackets when we returned, helping a passenger find a dentist when they lost a cap, the beautiful fresh flowers and special table decor for all our meals, impeccable service, the cleanliness of the ship, stamps and mail service to send our postcards, making dinner reservations, arranging taxis, laundry service, sharing the cultural differences both for education and comedy, and being social with the entire group and not just as boat owners. We thoroughly enjoyed them accompanying us on a few outings, offering fun surprises like a staff member playing the part of the Loreley as we passed the statue on the shoreline. We have never felt so relaxed, laughed so much, and felt so pampered!! Jantien, Henk, Lia, Miele and the rest hold special places in our hearts and we look forward to seeing them again in the future! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Highlights: The Mosel and Saar rivers/the Barge Merlijn

Loved cycling through wine country & hiking twice on side trip.

Most Memorable Part: Scenery along the Mosel and Saar

It was magical from start to finish, the personalized service for our group of 22 was amazing , we loved it!

Most memorable part: the intense beauty of the Bavarian countryside.

Jantien was amazing! She was always available, ready to help in anyway, answer questions, run a tidy and very clean ship... in short, do anything to make our stay pleasant and stress free. It was obvious she was genuinely concerned for the happiness of her, as she called us, "Dear Guests". We looked forward every day to her well thought out and wonderfully prepared evening meals. The staff were all highly focused on the same things, a testament to Jantien's leadership. We have no hesitation in recommending Jantien and the Merlijn.

Jantien & Henz were supreme hosts and their barge Merlijn delightful. As for tips just sit back, relax & enjoy the marvelous holiday that they provide.

I am not a bike rider and was very concerned about how difficult it really would be. Well, it wasn't that difficult and was very enjoyable. The bike trails are amazing and stunning. This was the first Bike Barge experience and it was fantastic. There is no better way to experience Germany. The staff on the Merlijn are amazing. The food was delicious and plentiful. The experience on a smaller vessel was as good or even better than on a cruise ship and I have been on over 25 cruises all over the world. I highly recommend this adventure.

Enjoyed the trip immensely. Scenery was fantastic. Ship and staff were excellent. Food was accommodating for vegetarians, non fish eaters and was plentiful. Would like to see an additional excursion included with the tour. Beer tasting night and castle tour were excellent.

Highlights: Our daily biking trips, having a varied ride each day with different kms, visits and scenery, plus even a hike to a castle as well. My only suggestion is to keep this spontaneity as each day is an adventure with the known luxury of the barge awaiting us at the end of each ride.

Most Memorable Part? That is so hard to answer because there were so many of them. I do plan to enter your contest very soon. As for tips or suggestions for others...By all means considered a Tripsite bike trip for your next vacation. It has so much to offer. And don't let your fear of being able to complete the daily bike rides stop you. We had in our group of 21: an 80-year-old, a person with a "boot" on his foot due to an injury, a person with a sore back, and several people who don't bike regularly. All of them were able to not only complete our daily rides, they did so with no struggles and enjoyed themselves. E-bikes can be used by those who have trouble with longer or more challenging rides. There is something about riding in a group that bonds cyclists together. You go slow enough to have conversations and see all the details you could miss when going by bus or car, yet fast enough to cover miles of interesting terrain.

Most memorable part: Discovering new and very interesting places with good friends.

Traveling on the Merlijn is always a delight. The accommodation are great and the food was delicious. Our trip along the Mosell was utterly charming. This was my third sailing with Jantien and Henck and I hope it wasn't my last.

Memorable and very satisfying tour. The Merlijn and her crew were wonderful, friendly, and efficient, even while operating one member short (due to illness). The route along the Rhein and Moselle Rivers was beautiful, historic, and made for great cycling. The extras offered by the tour, wine tasting trip, winery tour, Roman mosaic and others, were highlights, and the food on board was great. I'll be back.

My wife and I did a July cruise on the Merlijn that started in Merzig, Germany and ended in Mainz, Germany. What an adventure. Henk (our captain) navigated the ship perfectly as we sailed the Saar, Moselle and Rhine Rivers over 8 days and 7 nights. We were told that the Merlijn barge was converted in 2006...but the rooms and decor were still very modern. We were pleasantly surprised at the size of our rooms and bathroom. Our two twin beds were placed together, creating a very comfortable king sized bed with "air" controlled mattress firmness. As a 6'3" tall man, the shower accommodated me well, with an adjustable shower head. An inexpensive laundry service provided clean clothes daily if needed.

Jantien (our cruise director and chef) provided great service and the food was excellent....even providing a vegan menu option for my wife. We enjoyed getting to know our fellow passengers, sitting with different people at each meal. Jantien was always there to provide any additional details or service if needed.

We really enjoyed Lia, our bike tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and spoke fluent English, but was fluent in other languages as well. She knew her stuff and provided excellent details along the way. She even walked into the towns and villages with a small group of us at the end of each day.

We enjoyed seeing the beautiful German countryside from a far different perspective than a typical visit would entail. We couldn't recommend a trip on the Merlijn more....and plan to do another bike and barge tour in the future, but next time, we will bring friends too.

What a delight to pedal with a small group meandering along three major scenic Germany rivers in the company of a caring, experience guide, then settling into a comfortable bed on the Merlijn. I highly recommend the Merzig to Mainz route and don't miss the climb to the castles.

Really enjoyed the quality of the bike paths in Germany.

Have done a number of trips with Tripsite and this ranks among the best. The Merlijn was a first class barge run by a first class staff! The biking through the forests and countryside of East Germany and Poland was magnificent and very ably guided. Would recommend this trip to anyone. Looking forward to next years adventure with Tripsite!!!