Vita Pugna boat/barge tour reviews — 1 to 30 of 81

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The cruise was interesting and extremely well organized. The tour guide, Hugo, was exceptionally good and well informed. He was a very good riding guide and for tours of the cities we visited, and he adapted to changes in weather very well.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

It was a great trip, with an additional special treat. I decided to skip the second-to-last day of biking. Rain and maybe thunderstorms were predicted. I REALLY dislike biking in the rain. Plus, I was dehydrated. (Three others stayed behind, too.) I walked into the bow, book in hand, and turned around to wave to captain Andrea in the pilot house. He motioned for me to come up. I climbed up, and we spent a lovely time of ~30 minutes or so, listening to music - Mozart, Vivaldi, Rossini, Luciano Pavarotti. He said that he especially likes Rossini's operas, since they end well. I told him that I will sing the Vivaldi Gloria in December, here in Vermont. As we got very close to the "doors" of a canal lock, he played the beginning of Also Sprach Zarathustra. It was very funny! I'm "smiling out loud" thinking about the unexpected treat - yay!

Also sprach Zarathustra

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The guide, Giorgio, made the trip memorable with excellent stories, helpful translations, and kept the group together with sweepers and corner helpers. He had a good sense of humor. Also we appreciated the intimate tours of a glass blowing place, a cheese factory, carousel, and fire brigade museums in small towns. The flat roads and bike paths were well chosen, and the bicycles, helmets, and saddle bags were excellent quality and made the rides comfortable. We enjoyed all the Italian food made by the cooks, and dinners were very enjoyable in our cozy dining room. The rooms on the barge were small and a bit tight for tall people like someone 6'6". We would do this again.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The daily stops were so fun as we discovered the culture of Italy away from the big cities. The merry go round museum, the cheese factory & the distillery were all so enlightening. Daniela was a perfect guide. Our chef Sylvia had such a creative way of cooking that I ate so many things I never would have & all were wonderful!

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The beautiful landscape,the bike ride, the points of interest. Our tour guide George was excellent and the crew did a great job.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

What a great trip. This is the perfect choice if you are looking for a smaller boat and small crew. We really got to know the crew well and the other passengers. I enjoyed the guided bike tour and the Italian countryside is beautiful.

  Vita Pugna Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

The first few days of unguided biking Bolzano to Mantova because of the beautiful surrounding mountains.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Biking through the Italian country site was fabulous. We enjoyed a day and evening walking tour of Venice, we biked through two islands, Italy's largest wetland, the delta of the Po River, and several medieval cities. Hats off to the chef, Silvia, her food was amazingly delicious. Our guide Elena was knowledgeable, very helpful, and friendly. The Captain and sous chef were amazing.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The guide (Hugo) was excellent and made the trip. His personality was great. Food on the boat was better than most bike and barge trips we have taken.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The barge crew were very helpful and friendly and the group of people on the bike trip were fantastic. The barge rooms were bad - very wet and humid. The beds were wet with humidity. All clothing were wet with humidity and the rooms smelled very badly. We turned on the A/C but it didn’t help with the humidity and smell. If we opened the portholes, condensation dripped down on the bed. 4 of us got sick and I think it was due to the bacteria in the rooms.

  Vita Pugna Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

The entire trip was an insightful and delightful experience, providing access to the heart and soul of everyday-life in "working Italy", versus an antiseptic highlight-reel tour of famous monuments and churches. That said, the overwhelming uniqueness and timelessness of Venice couldn't help but be a highlight. I wouldn't have minded a somewhat more strenuous cycling experience; however, that was more than offset by the enjoyment of the comaraderie of a relatively small tour group (20), forged both on the cycling paths and over fabulous gourmet meals provided by the two young chefs aboard the Vita Pugna.

  Vita Pugna Bolzano-Mantova-Venice
Italy

Once again, we just came back from a memorable experience with this tour. We began with the self-guided section from Balzano to Mantova which was very well laid out with our GPS, then was welcomed aboard the Vita Pugna to continue the tour all the way to Venice with the most interesting and amiable Hugo, our guide for the week. Life aboard the Vita Pugna was excellent… friendly crew and excellent food! I would not change a thing.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Our Tour Guide, Hugo made the entire trip. His enthusiasm, knowledge and energy made for a very busy, exhausting and fun filled week.
The cuisine was out of this world. The ladies did such a wonderful job.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Wonderful itinerary. Incredible bike trails.
Terrific crew. The swim in the Adriatic was fantastic.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

We saw such beautiful scenery and wonderful sites from ages past. But our tour guide made the trip for us. He was entertaining, informative, and we always knew what we were seeing. He welcomed our questions and kept us well informed of our next moves. He also put together an excellent video of our trip so I didn’t feel I needed to stop and take pictures of every little thing. He captured the trip beautifully. Also, the people we met I hope will be in my life from now on. Great experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The crew was great, the food fantastic !

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The food on board was outstanding. The chefs made every dinner like it was a high end restaurant. We spent days before and after the trip trying several mid range restaurants with top reviews, and none of them were even close to the food levels on the boat.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The food was outstanding. The cycling was very enjoyable.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

There were many highlights.
Poppies growing in the fields, fantastic meals, especially the dinners, amongst them. Thanks to the crew for very efficient bike deployment in the mornings and end of day. Captain very skilled.
We are used to boating, so cabins quite good. However some type of screens on the portholes would make sleeping a bit more comfortable without as many mosquitoes and not having to use aircon so much - so a good investment to invent some screens.
On the biking side, keeping the group together was good, but having one day being more free to bike with map and explore on our own might be nice. However we understand the importance of not loosing anyone. Stops in shade would be better than in the sun.
Loved Georgio's sense of humour and depth of knowledge.
Overall a fantastic experience and first time at bike and barge!

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

Our favorite day was probably our stop in Bergantino - we knew the cheese tasting would be fabulous. The stop at the Museum of the Ride was unexpectedly terrific - a real highlight.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The crew on the boat was very accommodating; any issues with our cabins was readily addressed. The chef was excellent; one of the best we've experienced on the many bike tours we've been on. The menus included regional favorites and we all received a cookbook that included recipe favorites from several chefs.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The food on board was amazing! I am a vegetarian the chef made sure my meals were amazing!

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The food, the guide and the route and biking were all great. Excellent value for a low budget trip.

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The food by Sylvia and Irena was delicious and the daily movies by Hugo gave us a sweet memory .

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

While the touring each day was beautiful, the most memorable part of the trip were the evening meals. Chefs Sylvia and Irena delighted us all with outstanding dishes featuring local ingredients and recipes. A gourmet bike tour!

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

The food was outstanding! Great chefs. Amazing how hard our small crew worked to provide everything needed. All ran smoothly. Michaela was an outstanding leader. We were disappointed in the lack of coordination between the leader and the bikers as we ride. Corners were not posted at turns; some ended up going the wrong way, and we spent time finding them. Fortunately one person in the “lost” group was able to call our leader. There should always be arrangements for a “sweep” with phone communication to the guide.
Coming home, the pack with the trip literature was stolen. I would like to get another copy of that excellent information. How?

  Vita Pugna Mantova to Venice or Venice to Mantova
Italy

With the exception of the room, which could be a bit larger, and Wi-Fi, which could be stronger and steadier, everything else of the tour was outmost enjoyable: the route and rides, the equipment, the food, the guide, the people in the group.