Aschaffenburg to Cochem Tour Reviews — 1 to 3 of 3

This was our 8th bike & boat tour with Tripsite and once again it was an outstanding trip. It's difficult to pick a favorite since each one has it's own highlights and we always love to embrace the differences but this one really excelled in every category.

The route - A perfect mix of paved dedicated trails along the 3 rivers, winding streets through classic little medieval towns and a few stretches though bustling cities like Frankfurt. We probably went through a few more small towns and villages than on some of our other trips which was a real plus. We generally had time to stop and look around and sample some local goodies. A highlight was riding through the woods surrounding the Frankfurt airport and stopping to visit the Zeppelin Museum, fascinating history and a lot of exhibits focusing on the Hindenburg. We averaged 26 miles a day on generally level paths. We opted for the e-bikes - we could have done OK without them but when we hit a bit of a climb at the end of the day it was pretty nice to be able to get a little boost. Every night we were docked close enough to the center of town that we were able to take a walk after dinner and get some local flavor - this is one of the things that we like the best about these trips.

The boat - The Iris may not look too fancy from the outside but once inside we were blown away with the way she has been updated and renovated from her days as a cargo ship. The decor and appointments are first class, the cabins are roomy with comfortable beds and well equipped bathrooms, dining area is well laid out, and the front lounge is a cozy place to enjoy a beverage from the self service bar.

The people - The crew and guests are always key to a successful trip and we had a superb group. Our captains, mate and host (Dick & Adrienne, Mark & Anna) did a fantastic job with the day to day operations and made sure that all of our needs were met. Our chef Berber served up amazing meals every day with creative combinations of fresh ingredients that were quite welcome after a long day on the trail. Our guides Ferry and Treasa did a great job of planning the days journey and managing our fairly large group of 23 bikers. The pace and route needed to be adjusted a few times due to weather and construction but at the end of the day everything went smoothly and a good time was had by all. As we have experienced on all of our trips the guests were a fun group from varied backgrounds with the right attitude for an active vacation. Most had been on at least one bike and boat trip previously, some on the Iris as well.

A 5 star experience - we would highly recommend this trip on the Iris for both novice and experienced bikers. Excellent on every measure.

The biking.

I loved this trip. It was a great combination of physical activity, culture, phenomenal scenery , great guides and interesting fellow passengers. No question that I will do more bike and barge trips. Very well organized.