Sarah boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 30

The crew and guide were fantastic! They did a great job—friendly, knowledgeable and they had a good sense of humor. The “Sarah” has issues with cleanliness—for the entire trip, each room was infested with dozens of drain flies and had a strong smell of sewage. The carpet smelled like dirty socks. The owner happened to be on the boat for the first leg and he said that he was going to install new bathrooms and take care of drainage issues (flies/sewage smell). However, when we docked in Amsterdam, the boat was being cleaned so it could be used as a floating hotel. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the problems will be fixed. For the 2025 season, please encourage the owners to fix the problem so others do not have a similar experience. I would not go on the “Sarah” again without this being addressed.

We really enjoyed the towns we visited and the diversity of the beautiful countryside.

It was a family reunion with friends whom most have never been on a bike & barge trip…ever! It was fun, exciting, adventurous and EPIC. If you are curious about a bike and barge trip, take the leap and do it. You may see something, meet someone or reinvent yourself that changes your life.

The scenery we passed through. It was beautiful. I definitely recommend going on the side excursion to the flower auction. Crazy scale.

Great experience. Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking at a small group biking excursion. The crew and our guide were all great, the food was wonderful, the bikes were all in good condition. So much to see, and a good way to meet people.

Thank You

The best part of our trip was Francien, our guide. She’s was very knowledgeable and has great leadership skills. The whole crew of the Sarah was very welcoming. We are experienced riders and this was our 4th Tripsite booking. Having said that, be prepared for all types of weather: we had warm sunny days and cold rainy days. I would also highly recommend Ebikes, as the wind can be brutal. I would rank this an intermediate bike trip. The Keukenhof Gardens will be one of your most beautiful experiences ever! The flower market was very interesting as well as learning about the windmills and all history of the Netherlands.

We highly recommend this tour for its scenic itinerary, charming villages, and cultural experiences. The Sarah compares favorably to other Standard Class barges. The staff were welcoming and attentive and the meals well prepared. Our guide, Wilme, created relaxing, amusing, informative and safe routes that adapted to all skill levels. This was our 9th bike and barge experience and we are already planning our 10th. As far as advice, it is more for the traveler than the host. Knowing your comfort level with the various barge classes will allow you meet your expectations. Swapping amenities for intimate small canal and passenger capacity works for us, but not for all. Finally, practice paying at home with your phone pay apps as Europe is increasingly cash less and even credit card adverse. For us, nothing beats seeing Europe at the speed of our bikes!

Maastricht and Amsterdam

Great crew on the ship. Had a large group of 19. Was very satisfied with all aspects of the trip. On time, on schedule, and good value. The guide was able to assist a couple of people who wanted to find old family connections during the tour which made a very memorable trip for them.
We did arrive a couple of days early to get our bodies adjusted to the time change. Also spend a extra few days in Maastricht to take in the local sites. (well worth it) A day trip to Valkenburg was excellent.
Minor issues. Could have used a extra guide to split the group in two more compatible riding groups. With the large group it was hard to move through traffic( stopping at intersections or crossing roads) Dutch traffic was extremely polite and accommodating.
We were blessed with a couple of local people on the tour who assisted in filling in information for us tourists. Where to eat, what to try, tips on getting around, and what types of pastries or beers to try.
Map and GPS riding system worked wonderfully.

The most memorable part of our trip was keukenhof gardens. It was amazing. We also liked Aalsmeer which was fascinating and the North Sea. The bike ride there was beautiful and different from any of the other biking we did. The neighborhoods and homes were beautiful as well as the forests we rode through. Then it was just a treat to be on a beach when we got there. Our week was cool windy and rainy at times. My best suggestion would be to have layers to dress in. The panniers for the bikes are very spacious to hold layers and jackets if you need to remove any. Gloves were very helpful as well as gators for our heads/necks. Another suggestion would be to be practiced up on your bikes in some crowded conditions as Amsterdam biking was brief but a little hairy. Use an Ebike if you’re out of shape. The wind was brutal.

Simon was an outstanding guide. He kept us abreast of the days events, weather, and sites we would be seeing. The Sarah and crew were also outstanding they were very approachable and friendly. They answered any and all questions we may have had. The food was great even though I was a little apprehensive about the two vegan dishes served on board. I would also like to give a shout out to Anuke our trip site point of contact throughout the planning phase. She answered any and all question (and we had a lot) in a timely and professional manor. We are already talking about doing another boat & bike tour we had such a great time.

I love any bike and barge/boat tour. This is my second bike tour. We had a wonderful time on the Tulip tour. Our guide Arnold was amazing. He made sure we saw lots of fields of tulips. Gave us a lot of history in each place we went to. My favorite things were the Keukenhof Gardens and the Royal FloraHolland Auction House. Plus every old town we went to was also amazing, seeing the history of each town and the old town structures.
My advice to anyone booking a bike tour is no matter how strong a rider you think you are, always get the Electric bike. You never know how the winds will be. By day 3 we had 4 riders who had started on regular bikes switch to E bikes. Luckily we had extra E bikes on the boat. My partner who is super strong gave his bike to another passenger who was struggling to keep as he had not used the electric on the bike. So for him it was easy.
Definitely a great tour and would recommend to anyone. We did 25 miles each day and 36 on the last day.

The bike routes were the best and our tour guide Klaas exceeded our expectations

What a wonderful week biking Maastricht to Amsterdam. Riding through beautiful countryside every day with our knowledgeable leader made this trip a memorable one. The staff on board the Sarah were top quality and we would consider another trip again.

Best trip ever. It would be nice if the crew did not smoke on board but that is the only negative thing. Everything else was fabulous!

Visiting the Keukenhof Gardens & riding through the countryside of the Netherlands. Wildlife and Windmills were abundant.

Excellent bike/ barge trip on the SARAH. The crew was exceptional with gourmet meal, knowledgeable bike leader, engaging captain, first mate, and housekeeping staff. The bikes were better than I had anticipated and each person's bike was customized to their measurements. Some of us downloaded the trip's daily route with the "Ride with GPS" App. Six of us, girlfriends, decided to follow the route by ourselves, separate from the main group. We had a blast and only got off track a few times. The country side was spectacular and the towns charming. The unique highlights for me were our visits to the Tulips festival, Keukenhof, and to a working cheese farm. The weather was chilly. It was in the high 50s low 60s. Definitely plan on packing layers if the weather falls in this range. The only suggestion I would have is for each cabin to have a small fan for ventilation purposes. The two bedroom cabins are tight and with only one window the air does not circulate very well. Other that than I would definitely recommend The TulipTour!!

The bike riding was great, going to places which would only be experienced by bicycle.

There was none. Due to the Covid situation we decided to cancel the trip. However we were not able to change the reservation to next year and ended up having to pay to get out of the deal. Not very nice and not very user friendly, Haven't heard any response to my earlier complain.

Seeing the Netherlands by bike is an enjoyable way to do so. It was also fun to share our experiences each day on the barge with a group of like-minded people. Our bike leader made sure that our needs were met.

This was our first bike/barge trip. We loved the bike trails along the river ... did not like the times we were in busy traffic...when we left Koblenz day 1. The patria was a great place to call home...food was awesome and accommodations were fine.

Wonderful tour guide- very knowledge, very helpful

Seeing the countryside in the Netherlands was the highlight of this trip. The group was very friendly as well.

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. The crew on the "Sarah" were fantastic, the meals amazing, the cycling through the countryside
was unforgettable. Would recommend trip to anyone wanting a friendly, relaxing cycling tour.

Most Memorable Part: The gardens at Achen. Huge and impressive. But you need to get there before 3.30 to do them justice. No entry after 4.00/4.30

Most Memorable Part: The friendliness and helpfulness of the staff as well as the beautiful scenery.

This was our 4th Barge and Bike Tour. This and all of the tours have been wonderful. Really enjoyed the country side and the little towns along the tour.
Our guide talked about some fascinating history as we rode thru the Netherlands. The windmill tour that our guide arranged was outstanding.

We absolutely loved our first Bike & Barge. We did the Tulip Tour the week of Apr 14 - 21/18 on board the Sarah and had a fantastic time. We had beautiful weather the entire week with absolutely no rain. The scenery was amazing and the tulips were at their peak during this week. We enjoyed the Dutch culture and food especially the cheese, chocolate and yogurt. The crew were amazing. Thanks to Ivo, Reintje, Kristof and Agnieszka who looked after us so well on the Sarah. A special thanks to Cornel our tour guide. He went above and beyond to make sure we were safe and that we all had an enjoyable week. We would love do another tour in the future.

The trip could have stopped at interesting waypoints more frequently. The stop at the art studio was silly. I would have liked to learn more about Holland's and Belgium's history and current culture. A portable DVD player with a travel related DVD would have useful after dinner treat!

The trip could have stopped at interesting waypoints more frequently. The stop at the art studio was silly. I would have liked to learn more about Holland's and Belgium's history and current culture. A portable DVD player with a travel related DVD would have useful after dinner treat!