3 Star Croatia Tour Reviews — 1 to 29 of 29

I enjoyed seeing the islands and really enjoyed our group on the boat.

The aerial views of the beautiful blue waters of the Adriatic and the nighttime lights of the shoreline from the boat deck. The friendships we made and sharing the experience with old friends.

I have to admit the best part of the trip was the people that we met on board. Everyone got along extremely well for the entire trip.

Our previous Bic & Barge was a better experience than this trip for the following reasons:

- Food: Breakfast was very consistent and good. Lunch & Supper, when served, was less than good.
- Accommodations: The rooms and associated washroom was small, tired and in need of repair and/or updating.
- Staff: The ship's crew liked to congregate at the stern of the ship every night and talk in loud voices until 10PM. We didn't complain but it something that the tour organizer should communicate to the boat that needs to be addressed.
- The ride group was too big. 35 cyclists, of varying abilities and age, should have been split into two groups. Many times, the distance between the front end and the back of the group was too far. This was not good for the good riders or for the lesser riders. In fact, one day the members of the group got separated because the front group was so far ahead. Spit the groups. Assign a sweeper from the cyclist group and one guide to each group.
- Guides were good
- Crew was unfriendly and never looked at you eye to eye. Noisey after hours. (See above)
- Crew was inappropriate with three (3) young women in our group. I realize it takes two to tago but they should have kept their distance
- Bartender was unfriendly. Maybe it was a language issue. If it was, then he was assigned the wrong task and should not have been the bar tender.
- Captain of the vessel was good, friendly and made you feel at ease when we were at sea.
- The guides in Rab and Zadar were really good.
- Cycling was really good. A lot of variety.
- Scenery was spectacular. Croatia is a beautiful country like no other

Going forward we are going to stick to flatter terrain. My wife didn't like riding along stretches of hillside/mountains with vertical drops on the outside lane or barreling down hills at speeds over 40km/hr with hairpin turns. Me, I loved that. All about finding a compatible ride for us both.

The entire trip was memorable! Thank goodness for e-bikes! I don't think anyone on the boat would have been able to complete most days without an e-bike - there were a few who didn't use them, but they were in great physical condition and obviously accustomed to riding hills.

I was blown away by the quality of the food that was served by Mario out of that tiny kitchen! All of the meals were amazing!

I would honestly say this tour should be advertised for e-bikes only. There were some grueling hills. We have been on numerous bike and barge trips in years past and this was by far the most challenging - and also the first time everyone in our group used e-bikes. The routes were in either very high traffic or on very bumpy and obstacle-filled dirt roads, which made it difficult to take in the beauty around, as you had to focus on what was in front of you. Croatia is a beautiful country - I do wish there were better bike paths though.

The guides were amazing! The trip was so well organized. Due to weather they had to make a quick decision to change our route and it went effortlessly. The food on the boat wasn’t very good - I suggest giving people some options rather than plating and serving. The bathrooms only have a porthole so they lacked ventilation and were very stuffy. The staff worked extremely hard. We made wonderful friends from all over the world. All in all we had a marvelous vacation!

The towns we visited were great. If you do this tour get the e'bike. We were the only people on regular bikes. The e-bikes had shocks, we did not. It was a constant battle on hills as everyone left us behind. We were ok on flat roads but the hills and rock and gravel trails without shocks were terrible. E-bikes should be required.

The day we rode all day was probably the most memorable. The farm stop for lunch was very enjoyable. We would have liked to have more of the longer rides

The trip fell short of what was advertised. Operator over promised and under delivered so expectations were not exceeded, much less met.
The guides were great and did their best but the popularity of the region, even in the off season, resulted in crowds that prevented the boat to access dock space needed to unload and load bikes, required rafting up with as many as 9 other boats, did not allow one “explore on your own opportunities”, resulted in premium priced deck cabins being worse than more private and quieter below deck cabins, and so on.
All-in-all, 4 out of the 7 planned rides were offered and 80 of 143 miles covered.
This type of trip is always subject to change, due to conditions, but this trip fell so far short I blame the operator for the lack of contingency plans.

I had a great trip and meet some really fun new friends. Our upper level stateroom was pretty standard, small but comfortable. Itinerary was great and our guides were very accommodating, making a special stop at an olive mill per the request of a couple of our passengers. E-bikes were in good operating order and were a must for all but one person on our trip. We did a lot of uphill climbs, one was really steep, the rest just long and steady uphill. Probably due to the terrain/hills, most rides were on the shorter side (less than 20 miles for the day). Food was plentiful, but poor quality, vegetable soup without any trace of vegetables, thin chicken cutlets that were over cooked, and a main course of pasta daily. I ended up stopping at a grocery for snacks to bring onboard.

The guides were outstanding. We got lucky with the weather, but when it didn’t cooperate they figured out alternatives that didn’t feel like compromising. That said there was an emergency where we swam in a current and three people needed assistance. The guides responded, but not one of the crew did anything. This was very disturbing.

Hi!

The most memorable part was able to ride to several different places (different landscapes and villages), in beautiful Croatia and meeting other travelers.

We gave a 3 star review (more likely 3.5) due to the following reasons/observations/experiences during the trip.

a) We were originally scheduled to travel on the ship Yolo and while we were given a discount to participate in the adventure on another boat, we feel that the boat the Pacific was definitely a downgrade and not worth the partial discount. We were assigned to cabin #12, which sits just above the engine room and adjacent to the boat's generator. We expressed our concerns during initial boarding but we were told that all the cabins were taken therefore, sleeping was simply impossible when either the engine or generator were running (which was most of the time). We could not take naps before dinner in our room and of course, sleeping during the night was a challenge. Perhaps cabin #12 should not be allotted to a paying customer.

b) Another issue with cabin #12 was the smell coming off the bathroom. The smell showed up when the boat was in port and it was being serviced. We do not exactly know what caused the smell but we shared our concerns to a boat member. I believe cabin #13 adjacent to cabin #12 was also having the same issues. The name under cabin #13 is John Campbell who was the leader of our group.

c) Group size of 36 people plus 2 guides was not only dangerous but challenging due to the fact that several individuals have never used an e-bike and did not have a lot of knowledge about biking. We could tell our guides were concerned while trying to keep everyone safe.

Finally, the room compromised our enjoyment of the trip but we were glad to be able to return to Croatia, a place where we got engaged over 15 years ago.

On the positive side:

a) The guides and the boat crew were amazing, especially during difficult situations.

b) The chef was outstanding! He was only 19 years old but very good and very gracious!

c) The diversity of villages and landscapes was stunning!

d) The opportunity by the crew to allow us to swim of the boat on various occasions was greatly appreciated.

Overall we had fun other than not sleeping but we will forever cherish our memories in Croatia!

Hilda Yount
Tim Van Meter

This was our third self-guided bike tour with Tripsite. The local operator did a great job. We had a pre-meeting about a week prior to the tour where they overviewed the tour and helped us set up the RideWithGPS app on our phones. They met us at the hotel in Muggia with our bikes, panniers, chargers (we upgraded to ebikes which I would recommend), bike locks, spare tubes, etc. The bikes were in excellent condition and the GPS navigation worked well. I purchased a handlebar phone holder on Amazon which was convenient for following the route on RideWithGPS.

Why only three stars for this review? We did not think the route along the rail trail was very interesting. Much of it was through scrubby forest and fields. Very few villages. Parts of the trail were quite rough gravel. The last couple of days up the coast were more interesting. We felt that the other two self guided bike tours we have booked through Tripsite (Around Lake Constance and Camino de Santiago E-Bike Tour) were much more interesting. Lake Constance was almost entirely paved bike trails and The Camino tour passed through many beautiful villages. While we were quite happy with the service provided by the local partner. I would not recommend this particular tour.

The people made this tour. Some of the cycling routes were on major roads. Others were on gravel. Our guide Christopher was wonderful. Boat was ok. We had a room that had not been refurbished. Most other rooms had been updated. The main course of each meal was good but the vegetables accompanying them were overcooked and mushy. I would give the food a 5 out of 10.
Bikes were in great condition and repaired by the guides quickly if needed.

The local tour operator did a great job. We had our pre-trip meeting via Zoom a few days prior to our trip where Andrej overviewed the trip and answered all of our questions. The nine e-bikes for our group (we paid the small upgrade fee for e-bikes) were delivered to our hotel in Muggia on the second morning of the tour. They also provided chargers, locks, spare tubes, pumps, tire irons, and large Topeak trunk bags with expandable panniers. They were very organized and the equipment was in great condition. We had all installed RideWithGPS on our phones and downloaded the route. The logistics of the trip worked out well.
Why only three stars? The route along the Parenzana rail trail is not very interesting. It does not go through many villages and many parts of the trail consist of coarse and/or loose gravel. The last two days when we left the rail trail and rode along the coast were much more interesting. We have done two other self-guided bike tours with TripSite (Lake Constance and the Camino de Santiago E-Bike Tour) and found them to be much more interesting.

The guides and the people we met were wonderful. The locations we visited were also great.
The bikes were quite worn and a number broke down regularly causing delays. We should not have been charged another $75 for drinking water as soon as we boarded. It was very strange that soap and shampoo were not provided for the showers. The bathroom had a bad smell and was very old and in poor condition. We were unable to do about 20% of the biking due to fears about the weather that were incorrect. We let you know that we could not have dairy when we booked 5 months in advance and yet the only alternative for dessert every day was a fruit cup while others enjoyed great desserts. I could go on but will stop as the guides, Dora and Alan were great. The captain was also very good but the bar/server could use some manner lessons.

The islands and the guides on the boat!
This is a moderate to difficult ride even with e bikes.

The beauty of Croatia is breathe taking! The boat was comfortable and roomy. We found that we didn’t do as much biking as we had hoped. The rides had numerous long breaks with often nothing to do. One thing we were very upset with was the guides wouldn’t phone for a taxi or other means of transportation at the end. There was something about the boat having a transfer company which was extremely expensive but they weren’t allowed to provide anything else! Never experienced anything like this before. The food was ok, but far too much cheap fish for my liking.

The ship and the food were a very favorable part of the trip, lovely.

The bike tours were boring and ill described by the guide. Less farmland and more quaint villages would have met our expectations. The last day was the best.

The crew were great and meals above average. Unfortunately there were not enough ebikes and the ride is very tough. The e bike riders were always way ahead and it was almost a race instead of enjoying the country side. Only stopped to swim twice, the captain seemed more concerned with rushing to the next port to get a spot on the dock. We were below deck and the ship stayed running when parked which made it very noisy to sleep. Wifi was very limited on the boat and most cabins did not have wifi. We had a great trip with friends but would suggest looking at all cruise line options for your trip needs. The Dalmatian Coast is beautiful.

The trip provided an excellent introduction to the countries and cities visited - the bike tour guide, and some of the extra options, we’re very worthwhile. However communication between Tripsite and the contractor, Rad and Reissen, was poor and marked by numerous breakdowns. Most significant was that the Covid protocol we were told would be followed wasn’t, at all, and several people, including both of us, contracted Covid during the trip. Between us we missed seven days of activities while confined to our cabin.

The trip was well organized once we got there. The guides and staff on the boat were great. The booking agent for Tripsite was extremely poor. I had a gluten allergy (I'm a celiac) and I informed her of this allergy 8 months prior to the trip. The month before the trip it became a huge concern that the boat could not accommodate my allergy when your website claims differently. The agent told me that Croatia is not aware of gluten free food and it would be near impossible to help me. As a result I purchased a huge amount of food to bring with me and had to check extra baggage to accommodate this $75 each way. When I got there, I noticed that virtually every food store had a huge selection of GF food, even the smallest ports had GF items. The agent clearly did not know what she was talking about, I am very dissatisfied at the huge grievance she caused me, the extra baggage I had to bring and the hassle and cloud she put on me. I did not appreciate this at all. It is curious to me that on your rating form you do not provide me with any place to rate the booking experience. That's what needs the most attention.

This is a great way to see four capital cities (Bratislava, Belgrade, Budapest and Vienna as well as get in 10 days of cycling! It's also fairly low mileage (less than 35 miles per day) but training to prepare is still a must. The scenery is very nice and it is about half on roads - mostly slower village streets. The group of people we dined with and rode with were all terrific and we all worked together to find our way since our tour was unguided. The days when you visit the cities can be a little overwhelming - so my advice is to pick one or two things you really want to see beforehand and focus on getting to those. At least in the summer the crowds were large in Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. As for boat living - the dinners were tasty and served by a friendly staff each evening but I'm vegetarian so I had much more of a struggle with getting any protein. I would have also appreciated a little variety with the breakfasts and lunches. My advice also is to avoid the hotter weather months like July or August - we had days of over 90 degrees which made cycling tough - but the Theodor Korner is not well air conditioned either. Overall it was a nice trip and certainly the staff was terrific!

The cruise through the iron gate was a highlight of this trip. Cruise director did a great job throughout the cruise. Weather was much warmer than average and many days of biking were at 90 degrees F on roads and trails with little cover or shade so were somewhat more difficult than anticipated. It was a great experience but people need to be aware that most of the riding in the Eastern European countries are on the side of roads sometimes without a bike lane and there was some traffic.

Croatia is gorgeous and the food was great. The cook, ivanna, and the guide, ben, were amazing with understanding the participants skill level and dietary needs. The cycling was not as described or the descriptions could have been better. One full day we were on a pedestrian path with many people to dodge- not fun and not real cycling. Molat was the best route!
The captain was difficult, drunkenly, egotistical, chauvinist and making lewd comments whenever addressing women.

The bike riding and the scenery in Croatia were stunning. Many interesting things to see and the beaches are beautiful and refreshing after a hot day of bike riding.

Croatia and the scenery were beautiful. However I felt the description of the bike ride was misleading. Most of the trip was on gravel roads, quite a few hills and biking in more traffic than I anticipated. The staff was great and the barge was great.

Road surfaces were rough. Ride routes were hilly. Brought our own bikes.

I found the trip operator a bit disorganized. Nobody told us that the tour guides & map etc were put in our room, and we did not know until the briefing time. During the briefing we went through the material kit, but we were not offered any additional info. The options re the accessories with the bike were not chosen by us, but the operator insisted we chose it and refused to exchange reading board for bike bag.
The map and guide do not always match. We expected bike route would be traffic free and for bike only, but apparently 90% of the time it was not the case. The bike was a bit heavy for me, especially I am only slightly over 100lbs.

It's not that I don't recommend this trip, it's that I would recommend it with caveats. The guides were great, the cycling adequate. By this I mean, I found that on some days we started out and then, 25 minutes later, stopped in a city center for maybe 20 minutes. Why? To experience what, in 20 minutes? It would have been better to simply keep cycling. The first day of cycling I found, in particular, to be needlessly short. The barge in general was OK. The seats on the lounge chairs became uncomfortable after a while. Too thin.

The least satisfactory part of this trip was the food - I thought there would be more fish options, considering we were on the sea. The 2 fish dishes that were served were not good - one was very dry, and the other was smothered in a too-salty sauce. The desserts were memorable - for their lack of taste. The breakfasts were fine. The salads that preceded each main course were also fine. Someone mentioned that it might be worth your charging a bit more and offering better quality food. I was not the only one disappointed in the food offerings. More opportunities to swim would also have been appreciated, at least by me.
Actually, upon thinking about this, I probably wouldn't recommend this program, and would encourage others to look for better options.