5 Star Merlijn boat/barge tour reviews — 181 to 210 of 235

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!!!

Great Crew! Very friendly! Food was amazing. Never mind trying to pack a small suitcase, pack a big one there's plenty of room under the bed.

Beautiful scenery, interesting architecture, wonderful boat, staff , food, participants , but awful reminders of wars.

The most memorable part was seeing many historical sites in Berlin.

The most memorable part was riding through the beautiful countryside.

This was a great trip that the group from Spokane (Tom & Mary Kay R. Mike and Mary M., Jan and Mark B., John and Helen W. -UK) recommends to anyone interested in seeing a beautiful part of Germany. It was not just the scenery that was great, but also how the Merlijn ""crew"" always made you feel at home and took care of any problems. Special thanks to Jantien, Henk and Jacques!

Klaus, Jantien and Henk!!!! This is a fantastic bike and barge trip. The rooms were the best we have ever had (this is my 3rd bike and barge trip). Very spacious bathroom and lots of storage in the room. Klaus, our guide, was the main reason I loved this trip. He didn't just cycle along the river trail. He took us through villages, back alleys, cobblestone streets, pastures, and hillsides. We never knew what adventure the day would bring. LOVED IT!! We learned about the history, geography and economics of the area. Jantien, our angel of the Merlijn, made every day fun and prepared wonderful meals. Henk capably mastered all the locks and made us laugh frequently! The level of cycling is very easy and can be accomplished by anyone. Miles and miles of vineyards, castles and churches. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

The owners of the barge were outstanding, in every way!

The scenery was wonderful. We loved going thru the German countryside. The personnel were wonderful, they genuinely like what they do. The tour guide was fabulous! We suggest more attention to bike maintenance and using better bikes. They could have better quality and more attention to fitting bikes would be great! Thanks so much!

Boat staff was terrific.

Loved the entire experience. Barge accommodations and food amazing. Staff superb. Lea, our biking guide had such knowledge of area and was an expert at leading a group of different ability bikers. Also solving any problem which would arise. Cannot say enough positive about the Merlijn and her staff. Wonderful trip on so many levels. Kudos to Jantien and Henk for providing me with a trip to cherish!

We had a great time!! Our guide was fabulous!! Staff on the boat couldn't have been better. I would definitely recommend this tour. We would go on another trip on this barge in a heart beat!!

The wonderful people on the trip & excellent staff made this trip most memorable! Would highly recommend it to friends!

EVERYTHING stands out! From the greeting & service by the staff, (Lydia/Denisa) the guide Jack, the Captain & Jontein who ran the whole enterprise, Merlijn. The food. Lovely ever-changing table settings, The ample, fresh cabins, fresh flowers, excellent bikes and super maintenance & care, knowledgeable, friendly guiding thru the towns, memorials, history of the area. Capable, expert, amazing,skill of the Captain thru the narrow canals & rivers. The homegrown entertainment. We are putting a deposit on '18. ('17 is BOOKED!)

The Merlijn is a terrific vessel and the owners, Jantien & Henk and their staff are first rate.
Highly recommended.

Everything was great but it was our crew that made it so special.

We loved the trip. Hank, Jantien, & staff were super as usual. The electric bike was a bit heavy. My(Anita) electric bike at home feels much lighter--it's smaller. Look forward to another trip on Merlijn & with Jantien & Hank. --Anita & Duncan

The staff of the Merlijn were delightful and very personable. Enjoyed them thoroughly.

Travel aboard the Merlijn is always a wonderful experience. Our guide, Felix, was excellent. This was our fourth trip and we will return for more.