5 Star Carissima boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 97

Our first bike and barge and we are already looking forward to many more. We are two 60 yr old couple who all love the outdoors, adventure and travel. Our cabins were on the top deck of the Carissma, roomy enough, turn down service each night and big picture windows. Excellent food, especially the dinners. Albert was the tour guide on board and he was organized, knowledgeable and patient! No problems with the bikes or directions - we were self guiding, 21 speed bikes. Easy terrain. We highly recommend the city bike tour of Budapest and Vienna as you otherwise may miss great hidden gems, interesting stories and local guides. We stayed at Hotel Residenz in Passau for one night before departure and highly recommend the visit to this beautiful port city and the hotel! We could not recommend trying this style of vacation more. The staff on the Carissma did everything to make the week comfortable, easy and well organized. Wonderful way to see cities in 4 countries in a week.

Traveling on the Danube was the most beautiful and fun experience we’ve ever had as a couple. Starting the day biking and being active, having great food, meeting lots of interesting people and seeing amazing countries and the culture was Incredible. I hope I can travel on Tripsite again for another bike and boat tour soon!!

The trip was amazing, the biking was very scenic and not difficult at all. The boat staff was very friendly and very upbeat. The food was to die for. I would recommend doing this trip you will really enjoy it.

This was the most amazing bike tour that I have been on. We had a guide, Axel, and that made the trip so relaxing because we didn't need to worry about where to meet the boat or language issues. Axel had lots of extra information along the trip. The boat was very relaxing. Dinner was excellent with choices for entrees every night. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. I would recommend this trip for families with children 12 or so, and seniors (an E bike can make a big difference.)

This trip was amazing...so much to see and do. Great shore excursions. Food on the Carrissima was so good!

Every day was beautiful and different from each other. The first day we rode through forests and plenty of shade with wildflowers such as columbine. Other days were fun with stops at hidden cafes or using unique bike ferries that crossed from one side of the river to the other. One morning I opened the curtains & we were docked under the ruins of a castle. Every day held surprises such as Hapsburg palaces, groomed gardens or rolling vineyards with stops to sample wine and brandy. Ancient monasteries beckoned. Artisan shops required our attention. After touring, we returned to the ship for perhaps a swim and cocktails before unique dinners offering a taste from local cuisine.

The most memorable part of the trip was that we could ride our bikes everyday in the countryside while being guided by Liacha. Then back to the barge where the captain, chef and steward were so lovely to us. They went beyond their duties and always with a smile.

Biking along the river was absolutely beautiful. We were able to do some site seeing in Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna. Highlight was the bus trip back from the Hungarian dancers in Budapest, we went up to a beautiful view of the city with all the city lights, it was after a day fighting the rain, so the rain had let up and we could enjoy then view.

Such varied but scenic bike riding!

Loved the day by day review of what was to happen. On board entertainment was spectacular.

This was an amazing trip. The MS Carissima was very comfortable, the people were lovely, very helpful and friendly . The food was very varied to fit in with the countries and was always delicious . The cycle routes were leisurely and the scenery beautiful . We made life- long friends and had a wonderful time .

I can't really choose one memory as the whole trip was absolutely wonderful on and off the barge. The food, accommodations, and staff were absolutely top-notch, they didn't miss a beat. Loved cycling through the beautiful scenery of the rural, small-town areas, and the opportunity to visit several of the larger cities with the added excursions. I wish I had researched the area of the tour beforehand to familiarize myself with its history.
I would have liked a more detailed daily map of the route with distances between landmarks noted. We missed several turns but were able to get back on track. Also one of our bikes in our group of ten did not shift properly even after being replaced, making for a frustrating experience. All that being said we will definitely do another bike and barge trip.

Excellent cruise director, wonderful bike trails with good instructions as to how to follow them, excellent food. It was a great trip.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our Danube 4-Country bike and boat tour, Our ship the Carissima was very comfortable and the staff were great. The food was amazing- beautifully prepared and good variety for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. The bike trails were easy to follow for the most part and the scenery spectacular. We had so many memorable moments. One of the highlights were the bonds we formed with our fellow passengers. We got to meet some terrific people who became instant friends and who we will stay in touch with.
My only suggestion would be to provide easier trail maps and directions. The briefings were helpful, but hard to remember all the details. Finding our way at times was a comedy of errors and we muddled through with other fellow riders. I guess all part of the experience.
Overall an amazing trip and would highly recommend to others.

The most memorable part of this trip to me was the Operetta symphony concert at Schlosspark in Vienna. This is an experience that no one should miss.

Just returned from this trip on the Carissima and it was a wonderful way to see the Danube. Booked the guided package and Axle was wonderful-took us to out of the way places we never would've found on our own and no other guests saw. Glad we rented Ebikes as there were a few long climbs and stiff winds several times. Kalkoff bikes are fantastic! Light rain a few days but nothing which impeded our rides--just be sure and take waterproof everything so you can still bike. Crew on the Carissima are great--rooms are clean, beds comfy, sufficient air con, nice hot water and water pressure in the bathroom. No real TV except a European sports channel and a few other Austrian channels--we didn't miss it at all. Meals were good but VERY small portions at dinner--not a problem for us but others complained. House white wine was good, red not so much. Packed lunch consists of a bottle of water, small sandwiches, fruit and granola bars--sufficient but we opted to eat at a local cafe a few times when we stopped. Two complaints: the boat doesn't dock at town centers every night so you can wander around and hit a pub or listen to some live music. Understandably some nights its moving and a few guests complained that the lower deck cabins were very noisy, especially when going through locks. In Passau, it docks several miles from the town center, and we were told there were only SEVEN taxis in the entire city and nearly impossible to get one. So the cruise director, Albert, said he hired a bus to take us to the train station upon disembarking, and the charge was 15 Euros per person. For a 10 minute ride--he only took cash and gave no receipts. This is highway robbery given that upon arrival in Passau we hired a taxi at a cost of 10 Euro for 2 of us. We would've taken a chance on an Uber but the ship was over 30 minutes late getting into Passau and we had a tight train connection on Sunday. We didn't do any of the optional activities however others said they enjoyed the concert in Vienna, but no one liked the Hungarian Folk Show in Budapest. Be sure and hike up to St. Mattias Church in Budapest at night--the view is spectacular! Finally, the Danube shoreline is largely undeveloped (a great thing), so you don't see a lot of towns and villages-I mention this because lines like Viking and AMA promote their balconies,huge window walls and gyms/spas/etc-and charge thousands of dollars more for the same itinerary-but you're not ON the boat for about 8 hours of the day, and when you are, 90% of the time you're looking at trees. If we'd spent $5000/pp to do this trip we'd have been really disappointed--bottom line--this trip is a great VALUE and you're seeing what everyone else sees. This was our second trip with Tripsite after doing the Tulip Tour last spring, and again they handled everything flawlessly--another couple on our trip also booked with them and said the same. Very satisfied and looking forward to our Mantova to Venice bike and barge trip next year-  SHOW MORE 

It was a real memorable trip. Everybody in our group of 20 peoples loved it . Everything was great the cabin, the foods, the staff ,the entertainment and specially the bike ride . We had great bikes , the maps were good even the weather was hot and dry. We had a lot fun during the bike ride and when on board . Would love to do it again

Everything! The trip was very well planned and easily do-able. The bikes were great and were very comfortable. We had thought about bringing our gel seat covers, but did not and they were not needed. The routes planned were great and having downloaded the gps tracks we had no problems finding our way. The food on the boat was fantastic, my only complaint would be the length of time some meals took. The rooms on the boat (Carissima) were very comfortable.

Two wonderful ways to travel and see the world: on a bike and on the sun deck of a boat.

The best way to have a holiday - you do not have to think about logistics, unpack and enjoy:) The Carissima was awesome, our every need was taken care of - the staff were super friendly and the food amazing!

By far the most memorable part was the opportunity to explore regions on our own and meet new people. The ship crew was awesome and attentive, and as this was the first trip of its kind we'd ever taken, it was beyond expectations!

This was an absolutely amazing trip which exceeded all of our expectations. The food on the Carissima was wonderful, the trip overall was so well organized and the crew was helpful and professional. I would definitely recommend this trip to others.

The pedaling was easy, the landscape surreal, the beer was excellent! My wife, myself, daughter, and her boyfriend enjoyed the Austrian scenery the most. Wine country is not to be missed. The food on the boat at night was superb. Meeting people from other countries on the boat was a plus.

Wonderful group of people with extensive travel experience. Biking was fun scenery was great. Loved our farewell party dancing the night away with all our new friends.

It’s hard to pick one thing only. I thought the last day of bike riding was the best route, though the first day was a great route, too. There were so many interesting stops along each days ride. A suggestion for others would be to skip the bus tour of Budapest. A walking tour with a guide is better.

It's been a delight to bike around Europe

Most memorable: guided bike tour of Vienna.

My wife and I completed the eight-day Danube Bike & Boat trip in June. Biking along the Danube through quaint villages and vineyards was a very special experience. Onboard our "floating hotel" we enjoyed the food, amenities, and camaraderie with like-minded and active people. If you are keen on an adventure, I highly recommend this one!

Along the Danube- Four Country Tour aboard the Carissima- very large group on board and biking so lots of waiting and wading through the crowd. Cabin was clean and comfortable even labeled as ‘eco’ cabin. Food was excellent however many courses and supper would take up to three hours- too long. Drink package was highly encouraged but not necessarily economical. All coffee/tea was at a cost except for a brief time in the morning. Our guide was adequate however seemed to rush the biking limiting conversation and countryside observations. The tour director Albert was indifferent and not clear on what to do related to a tour bus that didn’t show up. It took quite a bit of arguing on my part to feel justified with the outcome to balance up the ticket cost as this was not made clear earlier. Staff seemed overworked and had favorites. I would recommend the trip as the countryside is beautiful but choose another barge/ship. Run by Rad/Reissen.
All reservations and coordination through Trip Site- excellent in communication, coordination and cost information.

We loved the whole experience but one favorite highlight was the Hungarian Folklore show and being selected to dance with the troupe! We made great friends with our tablemates and are planning to visit them next year in Canada. We have shared our experience with so many friends at home that they want to do the trip too. Truly an amazing experience! I would be remiss if I failed to mention the value of the entire experience for the price paid. Very affordable!