3 Star Europe Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 385

The scenery was excellent. We swam every day at lovely beaches in crystal clear water. Our guides, Ester and Dimitri were excellent.

I loved the cycling, our accommodations were excellent especially the farm guest homes, and our guides were very friendly. It was great to have swimming pools at several hotels. I especially liked Lucca and Sienna. What would have made this trip better was having more participants. There were only four of us. Our guide, Antonio, was very nice especially towards the end of our trip when he shared information about the farms and vineyards, etc. and at our final dinner. However, I think our pace was too fast and it left me and others struggling to keep up. I think a slower pace and more frequent stops to talk about the environment and maybe take photos would have made the tour better. I also thought the bikes were not of the same quality as in previous tours. Mine had very squeaky brakes.

Loved the biking that we did along the river's edge and into the small towns - serene and beautiful. The e-bikes were great, in good working order, and always powered-up and ready to go. The staff of the Lisabelle were wonderful and did a great job to make us feel well looked after and accommodated us very well when we were on the ship. Giving only three stars because, even though we knew the trip had changed before we left due to low water on the Danube, it was changed even more once we arrived, and we were not able to bike outside of Austria. While I appreciated that the company bussed people to Bratislava and Budapest to see these cities - it was not the experience I was hoping for, and required much more decision making than my brain wanted to make on a pre-planned tour. Would definitely go on another bike tour though!

I loved having breakfast while we were moving upriver and enjoyed being on the deck after a day of riding while the boat was sailing. I would have loved more of that.

This was a custom tour from Blois to Saumur. It was our 4th trip with your company, and not up to your prior standards.
-the ap had no useful info for places to eat (it marked every place w no useful descriptions) and we ended up often in low quality touristy restaurants though we occasionally found better ones just by luck.
-Blois, especially in the area we stayed is no place to stay for 2 nights (or really even one night). It is dingy and dirty and depressed.
-all the hotels were clean in the rooms but shabby and tired and dirty in common areas, and this was despite paying for the upgrade to superior hotels.
-I would be interested in hearing back from you on how this happened. thank you

The boat was comfortable and the rooms were large enough and well equipped. The food was excellent. I found the summer camp like atmosphere on the tour not what I expected. If you like that kind of thing it is great. The cruise director although knowledgeable went on at too much length about each ride. The talks about each ride could have been shortened a lot by handing out a notice of the things to look out for. When there was a change of route part way through the day (probably the most critical info needed) we only found out a ferry was cancelled when we anrrived there. I know it was all minute to minute with the ferry operation but that is when we needed extra info. We had to phone him to get new directions. When we talked with him it was as if we had biked the route before and it wouldn’t be difficult to find where we were going. In fact it wasn’t. Sometimes one can be so familiar with a route they don’t realize it is not for the person encountering it for the first time.

It was a fantastic trip, but the group was too small, which left us without a sweeper, which put undue pressure on me to keep up the pace, for fear of losing the group.

The dynamics of the trip were significantly impacted by the inclusion of a family with 5 children and high winds which necessitated the change in our itinerary. Although the family was nice and friendly, 3 teenagers and 2 near teenagers who were familiar with each other were a force on the boat and during our rides. I was mindful of having them riding behind me which was uncomfortable when they rode too close and were jamming on their brakes for fun behind me. Their young sensibilities gave them no awareness that this was not appropriate. Their parents did their best to monitor their riding of course. My remedy was to ride at the back of the group. A boring trip to a cultural centre was not a satisfactory substitution for a bike ride. I am not sure why we did not have a ride around the area of the port on the days we were back in Athens early. I had already visited Athens so the bike ride in busy tourist area in Athens was not welcomed. One of our party had a fall from her bike when she encountered a large group of walkers near the Olympic arena. Bottom line we wanted to go on a bike ride not sight seeing. The food was delicious. The staff were lovely. Our guide was a delight. The captain made us feel like we were in good hands in light of the high winds.

This is my third self-guided cycling tour in Europe.

Cycling Puglia – The Heel of Italy: A Mixed Experience

I was thrilled about this cycling tour of the Heel of Italy after seeing the beautiful pictures and descriptions from the cycling agency. However, my expectations were a bit too high, and the experience had its ups and downs.

Accommodation: We were told our accommodations had been upgraded. Two of the properties, Putignano and Ostuni, were four-star establishments in terms of comfort, location, service, and food. Atrevana was equally comfortable, though the location was a bit of a challenge to reach. The scenery was spectacular, and the service was amazing, but the quality and quantity of meals served deserved only three stars. Monopoli accommodations got two stars because of limited space and a sketchy staircase to the downstairs bathroom with a rope handrail. On the positive side, all the accommodations, except Atrevana, were conveniently located near town centres, attractions, restaurants, and other amenities, making exploring the area easy and enjoyable.

Cycling Routes and Scenery: The cycling routes were quite challenging, especially since many of the paved roads were old and damaged, making for an uneven and sometimes uncomfortable ride. I had hoped to enjoy more of Puglia’s stunning coastline, as shown on the website, but unfortunately, most days took us inland. The olive groves were beautiful and impressive, with ancient olive trees that were truly spectacular. Their age, character, and history were remarkable, and I appreciated their significance to the region. However, after three or four days of cycling through olive groves, the scenery started to feel repetitive. I would have loved more variety, especially more opportunities to cycle along the coast and enjoy the beautiful Adriatic landscape.

One of the trip’s highlights was Sophie’s exceptional service. She promptly answered our questions and consistently helped throughout the process, making her a pleasure to work with.

While there were certainly memorable moments, the tour didn’t quite meet my expectations. More comfortable and consistently maintained accommodations, a wider variety of cycling routes, and particularly scenic coastal views could greatly enhance the experience.

The remote towns and villages. I would recommend better rider navigational aids including written routes with distances and/or gps compatible files.

The destination cities were very memorable as well as the ancient olive trees. The seashore was lovely. The wine tasting couple were delightful.

The trip was great, we really enjoyed the freedom of biking during the day and the amazing signage for the trail. The boat accommodations could improve. It is clean and new but the beds could be as one and the comforters and pillows a better quality. A coffee maker in the room would also be a great addition as there is no where to go if you rise before 6:30. It would be nice to have cushions or proper sitting on the balcony. Lunch was supposed to to be prepared but it was a scramble to get food before it was all gone. The bikes were great and in perfect condition

The reason I didn't give a two-star is because the customer service of Tripsite was very responsive and I liked them. The service on boat Primadonna was okay or a thumb down. My husband and I caught a flu on the way flying to Germany so we asked to sit away from other passengers, the waiter did arrange that but then he often forgot to serve us (sigh). Because of the water level was low so they changed itinerary so many times, I could understand but was not pleased. The bus tour in Vienna was not impressed. The communication on boat was mainly in German and the English briefings were not communicated well. If they want more American customers, they should sharpen up their staff's English.

The crew and the group of bikers were wonderful. Our food was delicious.

Most memorable part of the trip was cycling along the coast, staying in small villages, most nights that were on the beach. The accommodations were fine. Really enjoyed the rooms with a balcony. The 1st hotel room in Porto (Trindade) was extremely dirty with stains on the carpet. They actually gave us access to the room before it was cleaned. The balance of the hotels were much better. I would highly recommend using the Ride with GPS navigation system. the organizer supplies the routes to upload. We had difficulty with the navigation system supplied by the organizer. At times it would guide to ride through thick forests, through farmers corn fields, across lakes without a boat. Their navigation system at times told us we were off course, when we actually were not. The ride with GPS gave us more comfort. We did make each segment of the route.

Worst; wine tasting dinner, sleeping hotel duchi and sleeping hotel bontadosi
best; wine tour lungarotti, hotel grappolo d'oro
good; bicycles, service ecologico tours
Already sent extended comment to them, in Dutch.

The boat facilities were good and as described in the material. Quality of food was excellent and the staff on board were amazing - polite, helpful, friendly and the bar prices were quite reasonable. The two guides for the biking were similarly very helpful and friendly, making sure we understood the routes, our bikes were in good order etc. We were warned ahead of time that the biking involved a number of hills and strongly advised to stay with the recommended ebikes, which all of us did. We have been on a number of bike and barge trips in Germany, France, Holland etc and perhaps it is not fair to do a comparison, but we found the following differences:
Most of Croatia was on roads, and although not overly busy, compared somewhat unfavourably with the high quality and extensive bike path systems in other parts of Europe.
All other bike and barge trips involved a breakfast on the boat, then we would make our own bag lunches, leave around 9:00 and have a leisurely ride until noon, stop for an hour at a nice spot, eat lunch then bike for a few more hours before getting back to the boat for supper. In Croatia, it was fairly hard steady biking with most short stops out in the open and very little shade available. Although we were regularly told we could stop and take pictures any time we wanted, it felt like there was a push “get it done”. Most riders were in their 60’s and 70’s with some even older and a few did not do all of the rides.
On other ventures, we would typically have one supper off the boat at our own expense. On the Magellan, some rides were in the morning and some in the afternoon, but all lunches (excellent by the way) were on board and we were left on our own except for only two suppers on board. Bottom line is we had too much “free time” (ie not much to do except for a few ocean swims off the back of the boat), and the evening meal costs added up.
We had understood from others that the Croatian coast was beautiful with so much to see and while we were only exposed to a very limited part of Croatia, we were underwhelmed.
These comments are not meant to disparage Magellan, the guides and the other staff, but are based on our personal preferences.

Beautiful area to ride through. The days were varied and lovely.
The trip needs to have the accommodations changed. Other than the fantastic stay at the rural farm they are very economy and the hotels assign the worst rooms. Some without ac and it hit 101 one day of the trip. We were able to get that room without a change to another one but only when we reached out to the local operator ourselves because the hotel staff were not helpful and told us that they were full so the only room we could have was the one with no AC . Breakfast at that same beachside hotel was really poor.
Bikes needed better maintenance (chain replacement and derailer adjustment) .
If these things were addressed, this would be a five star review for sure.
Local staff were great. Very helpful and responsive.

The trip was great but Unfortunately we had cold wet weather for a few days which was annoying. The staff were good and very helpful. The scenery along the trails was mixed from incredible to okay and we had some special moments throughout the tour . The bikes could do with being upgraded to be more comfortable with wider tires for safety and suspension for comfort. . Overall the tour was fun and we made a lot of new friends.

Biking was more strenuous than anticipated. Didn’t realize there was so much van transportation from boat to biking locations. Very disappointed in Normandy and American Cemetery experience. Only 35 minutes allotted. Should have spent at least two hours there. Guides were excellent. Boat service was excellent.

This tour gave us lots to do, and lots to think about once we got home. Northern Zealand is beautiful, even when seen through lots and lots of rain. We were prepared for the rain with rain gear. We were not prepared for the impact that heavy rain (and one day with hail) would have on the unpaved sections of the tour. Most of the unpaved sections included large gravel pieces, and navigating though these areas was particularly difficult in the rain. In addition, one of our e-bikes quit working and so this person got to ride his heavier e-bike without the battery function for two days. He was eventually given a new bike, and a refund to make up for the inconvenience. We also think it would have been helpful to have a way to attach our phones to the handlebars so it was easier to hear and see the GPS directions. When it was raining and the phones had to be in the plastic covered attachment on the front, you couldn't see them. And when it was hot, the phones overheated in the plastic. I would say that the biggest positive surprise of the tour were the evening meals. We had opted for full board, and the dining experiences in the evening were amazing. The food was delicious and the presentation was beautiful.

Time on the beautiful Thalassa was wonderful. Some of the rides were quite challenging, both in the elevation gain, length of elevation gain and traffic. However, others were amazing, especially when we were in areas with very little traffic. I would not rate this, an easy ride by any means. Each day started with an uphill climb because that’s the topography however, there were plenty of undulating hills, delightful, switchbacks, great views, and the smell of pine and thyme. I liked the swim stops and liked the combination of eating on the boat and eating at local restaurants. I appreciated hearing about the Greek gods that “inhabited” these islands. It would have been great to have access to a cappuccino machine, a luxury some boats provide.

I had a good time but I think a lot could have been done better. I was concerned about the health and safety of those participating, including the guide. The weather during the tour was very hot, yet the guide said there was no heat protocol in the company. I worry about the next group that would have been cycling in +40 C temperatures. There was a bit of discussion every evening about the heat and consequent route modifications, and everyone was offered an e-bike because of it, but the young people in the group (and some of the older ones) mostly wanted to take the preestablished route. That meant that I spent half of the trip on the boat. Why wasn't there a system where the cyclists could leave considerably earlier to avoid the afternoon heat? There were various arguments given why this couldn't happen, but none of them seemed very convincing. On one day it took the barge a long time to get to the destination, so the argument was that we'd be waiting at the other end in the heat for the boat. But from a health perspective, waiting in the shade for the boat would have been safer than cycling through the very hot afternoons. Other days the boat got to the next destination early. We could have done our circuit and gotten back to it early.

The company should have had systems in place to deal with the heat. The only one they offered was an e-bike (I had already paid to hire one, so this wasn't a modification for me). The tour guide was a nice guy but his favourite expression seemed to be 'what can you do?'. I would have much preferred someone who took charge, recognised the dangers, and was more forward in suggesting modifications. Overall I felt quite unsafe.

As an example of feeling unsafe, on one day I was left behind by the group because I faced a large deal of traffic. Even the 'sweep' went ahead of me. Eventually the sweep saw me and waited, but we had lost the group. I was amazed that the sweep didn't have the phone number of the guide or the ship. Why wasn't it mandatory that we all write this down/create a contact, before we embarked on the first day. The tour guide said his number had been on the board since the beginning, but had never urged us to write it down. It would have been such a simple thing to do.

There was also poor route planning. On one day the route took us up a very steep potholed path (to the Sancerre village), and three cyclists came off their bikes, each with considerable bruises and cuts. My friend was one of them. The tour guide washed her wound at the top, but wasn't aware of the catastrophe on the route till we all pushed our bikes to the top. He was quite hard of hearing, so I'm not sure if he didn't hear from others what had happened or was himself too exhausted to descend to give help. On this matter, he wasn't young, and I worried for his health having to ride in the very punishing heat too.  SHOW MORE 

Our 5 star rating is based on Sophie and her team looking after us from when we organised our trip in Australia. Although I won’t go into detail in this review survey. We will personally write to Sophie with a number of improvements to improve local operations to help improve the experience of future travelers on this tour.

Overall the trip was wonderful but I only got to ride the bikes one day. You incorrectly described the biking as easy/ moderate. After booking and paying for plane tickets, right before we left, I got information describing the biking as 4/5. I would not have booked this trip if I had known it was not easy. Some other passengers and the guides were also upset. It put us all in a difficult/ dangerous position. I would appreciate a response concerning this matter. Thank you.

The other passengers, fellow riders were skilled annd pleasant. August and head server high quality. . Boat clean. Crew AOK. Boat doesn't use sails. Mainsail boom bolted in place and inoperative

Wonderful scenery , small villages , the Danube River, the accommodations on the Vivienne were satisfactory .
The staff were friendly and accommodating, our dining room waiter Canon made us feel welcomed and looked after all our needs.Dietary requests were not completely met compared to previous tours.
If we were to compare this tour to a tour on a smaller barge ,as opposed to a larger barge we would definitely opt for a smaller vessel after this experience .

Our stay at the Convento de São Paulo was exceptional. Lots to explore in the hotel and grounds. The food was great.
The 12 speed ebikes were the best we have used on several trips we have taken in Europe. Having the extra lower gears makes a big difference if you want to minimize the amount of power used. The tour staff service was excellent.

The food was very simple and the tour , very fast , all the Guides run a lot , we donn't have time to stop , take photos. The scenery was beautiful, but we couldn't enjoy it while cycling. The tour of the Netherlands and Germany was much more pleasant. But the boat's crew was very friendly.

I enjoyed cycling through scenic villages, seeing wildflowers, visiting the Watersnood (Flood museum), sampling amazing meals by fabulous chef, cavorting with small group passengers on this guided trip. The Feniks is an old small barge with lots of character.

I was disappointed the Tulip trip was tulip-less, thus my reason for knocking off 1 star. I understand there were maintenance issues on the canal that prevented us visiting Keukenhof Gardens & seeing tulip fields, just wished Tripsite notified us at least 1-2 days in advance so that we could make our own arrangements to see the fabled gardens. Another star knocked off due to guiding portion of trip which could be better managed: stick with nightly overview for next day's riding, biking more along canals and less through farmlands, and include stops to visit St. Bavo’s Cathedral. I emailed in advance confirming if Kinderdijk was on itinerary and was informed it was not. So I booked separate trip afterwards to visit the place. On the bike/barge trip we ended biking to Kinderdijk, so we were not able to get our separate tickets refunded.