4 Star Europe Tour Reviews — 481 to 510 of 1194

You definitely get to experience the beautiful country of Croatia on this bike & boat tour! The boat drops you off at one end of an island and you and your group bike up and over to the other side, where the boat meets you. I would strongly recommend an ebike… some says the elevation and distance was quite high. We had a lower cabin that was very spacious with two beds but only has a small (and I mean small!) porthole you can’t see out of. It doesn’t really matter because you don’t have WiFi or television in your rooms. This is nice because it makes passengers gather in the common decks! The food was fair… they did their best to accommodate people’s dietary preferences. Our cabin was not clean when we arrived or cleaned during our trip. They only make your beds and change towels once. Our guide, Cresco, was passionate about his country and biking. He arranged optional lunches and wine, cheese and olive tastings with local establishments. The only thing that can be bothersome is how many people smoke in Croatia.

We really enjoyed going to three capital cities that we had not visited before, while being very active and seeing the countryside. The rides were not difficult but we were glad that we rented e-bikes for the occasional steep spots and headwind. We will definitely do a bike and barge trip again. Since we like sightseeing, next time we would look for an itinerary that includes more villages/places of interest and less long distance biking in isolated areas.

The times together with others. Dinner, riding etc.

The boat was very nice. Swiss Crowne. The crew and cruise director were wonderful, always very helpful. The food was very good. The only recommendation I would have is that the timing for the cycling and meeting the boat could have been better. We rode each day and we would have liked to have had more time while riding through some of the towns., The weather in the morning was a bit of a hindrance - but we realize that could not be helped. In the future I would prefer a trip that has guided cycling tours so we can get more historical background.

All in all, we enjoyed the trip, very relaxing and would recommend this trip for people who want a combination of cycling and touring.

All bike tour was perfect

Frienship of our group, and landscape views of delta po river!
Try to avoid the main road with a lot of cars and trucks

We had a group of 20 family and friends that booked a trip in May, ages 23-88. We were treated amazing by the staff on the DeWillemstad. Captain Michael was so caring and made sure that our rooms and bikes were in tip top shape. He even assisted us with additional train schedules and bookings. Our waitress Petra was charming and took care of our table and became a friend.
We truly loved the Holland countryside and biking options. We had so much fun dancing and spending time on the upper deck.
I would recommend this boat & tour and I have to give a shout out to Captain Michael and the crew, they truly made this an experience and not just a trip !!!

The trip happened just as we had envisaged it when booking. No hitches or last minute 'Sorry but.....'
All this in spite of the horrific rains and resultant flooding in coastal Emilia-Romagna the previous week (early May 2023). For our 8-day self-guided weather was ideal, not a drop of rain.
Bikes were class and delivered to us at the start in a very friendly helpful manner.
We went for the upgraded hotels and didn't regret it for a moment. They were superb, varied and well located.
Forward routes were pleasant and well-designed. We felt that the loop-rides were on the long side and very castle-oriented.
Tripsite, well done. Take a bow.

The biking was certainly the highlight. Loved it. The boat was great, rooms good sized ,staff lovely. Food was not great but ok for price. The vegan in our party was not planned for but chief did his best. Overall certainly recommend.

The old cities and the Adriatic coastline were amazing. The food was fine but not as good as on other bike and barge trips we have done.

The dinners and the beautiful countryside.

The route was wonderful, the barge was great and the guide excellent. The downside was the food. It was not the level of interest and taste I had experienced on another bike/barge trip.

You can make this trip exactly what you want -- a great adventure by biking every day; a relaxing cruise by staying on the boat and curling up with a good book; an educational trip by picking up loads of history while walking through the wonderful old towns and villages the boat docks at; or a combination of it all.

Daily countryside rides were wonderful. Our guide Marianne was great.
Suggestions- staff should wait until all courses are served and tables cleaned before eating. Waiting half an hour between servings not good and takes too long. Should make enough for seconds! Missed out on visit sites due to timing. Everything was closed by the time we were done with dinner. Notwithstanding the above, was a wonderful trip.

Seeing the beautiful scenery and riding bikes through it! We loved the trip overall. Suggestions for others - there are many smokers in Croatia - if you are sensitive it will be a problem. The rooms on the boat are generally small - pack light ! Make sure to bring your own shampoo, conditioner and soap - this is not provided. If you are a light sleeper the bottom of the boat is quieter and cooler - we slept on the main deck and people were up late talking and laughing, lights shown in the the cabin from the other boats stack parked along side us, and the air conditioner was not very good at keeping the room cool at night. The water is generally smooth for the trips between the islands - hardly ever needed Dramamine. There is no holder on the bikes for a water bottle - must be carried in a pack on the back of the bike.

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.

Really nice trip -- other than the rain and lousy visibility. We loved the ship -- had a cabin above the deck. Food was very good. The crew and guides were great. They worked their tails off to make the trip fun and keep us riding each day. We had rain most days which is very unusual for this time of the year -- May. The visibility was bad as well. So views from high in the mountains down on the sparkling sea were non-existent most days. Wind warnings kept us from sailing one day. Hats off to our guides who still found rides for us that were safe and fulfilling. They also found things to do like a dinner at a local home one night. We stayed a few extra days in Dubrovnik and Split and that was well worth it.

Biking through the countryside with new friends - over village streets, up on dikes, through forests, etc. Our group would stop each day for coffee and apple cake with whipped cream to try out the many delicious variations of baked goods. Best found in Bronkhorst.

The lodging and breakfasts were terrific, especially in Vienna, Bratislava, Gyor and Budapest. The bikes were very good; in excellent condition with good features. We have biked all over Europe along the main rivers, including the Danube. We expected to ride along the Danube more on this trip, but realize that Eurovelo does not have bike paths close to the river, for most of the trip from Vienna to Budapest. We did the Athletic tour which was good for us, but we did have challenging weather (rain, wind, cool temperatures) on one day.

In spite of an unusually rainy week that restricted our biking, the tour guides went out of their way to provide alternative tours and experiences.

There were so many memorable parts of the trip. The places we biked to were amazing. Astrid's meals were exceptional and beyond 5 stars. The staff was so friendly and helpful with any concerns we had.
However, the bikes we had were awful. The majority of the group had problems with both the ebikes and the regular bikes. My wife's ebike did not work properly for the first 2 days and she had an accident because of it. The power kept going off and the guide set it permanently on turbo, however, when she was going up a hill and turning onto a bridge the power cut out again and she was not able to pedal and fell into the cement barrier. Fortunately, nothing was broken but she was very bruised. Each day there were a number of bikes needing repair with problems with brakes and gears. We had friends who biked the same tour in the fall and he said the bikes were terrible then and was told it was the end of the season and that all the bikes would be refurbished and repaired before the tour began in May. I guess this wasn't done as only 2 or 3 actually had no problems.
Also, the guides were not that familiar with the routes and we went off track a few times. There seemed to be a personality clash between them and at one point they actually argued in front of the group, which was not very professional. Both guides, however, were personable and helpful when needed.

This was a lovely bike ride. The scenery was beautiful. The tour operator was very helpful and responsive. The hotels were all very comfortable. We loaded the GPX tracts on a Garmin making it easy to stay on course. On the day we road through Foligno, the Giro d'Italia was taking place. It was fun to watch. The village of Gubbio (my favorite next to Assisi) was still decorated for the Corso dei Seri. As far as the ride, we knew that the some of the roads would not be the best quality, but the elevation was more difficult than we were expecting. We were on a road bike and a low end hybrid. The hybrid was too heavy for the elevation. Even walking the bike up some of the hills was difficult. The poor condition of some of the roads made it difficult for the road bike. We were given route options to avoid gravel roads, but there were some asphalt roads that were not the best quality. I would do this ride again, but on a different bike, possibly a gravel bike if it is available. All in all, this was a great bike ride. The Umbria region is a beautiful area, but without the crowds.

Cycling along the Mosel was magical! Vertical Vineyards! Who knew? Fabulous rides!

The wonderful paved cycle paths

Walking through the Keukenhof Gardens and seeing the blooming fields of tulips, and smelling the fragrant fields of hyacinths as we were riding was amazing, especially as the pouring rain held off until almost the end of the day! But walking around Ghent, and Bruges were equally delightful, if for a different reason. Of course the fabulous meals Christina prepared for us on the Merlijn were memorable. For future riders on this trip, know that the tulip experience is only one day of the entire trip so that you aren’t terribly disappointed, and be sure to have rain gear at that time of year!!

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.

Scenery was terrific and accommodation was very good. When arriving at each town or city don’t continue all the way to central point as per Ride With GPS, as you may be well past your hotel already. Switch to google maps as you enter the city and search your hotel.

This was a river cruise with a biking contingent of 19 people out of 100 people. I would have enjoyed more biking. I especially enjoyed our picnic at Castello Rodrigo, the food and views were fantastic. Later that same day we stopped for a break in a small town where the local townspeople invited us to see their church. Truly magical!

Vineyards and villages

The staff and guide were wonderful. My only criticism is regarding the food: put out some snacks when returning to the barge after riding. One small bowl of chips for 22 people is insufficient. Secondly, the time from start to finish dinner talked too long ( 1 1/2 hours). While of course the staff must eat as well, they shouldn’t be eating after putting our plates down. Our dirty plates sit in front of us for 30 minutes while they eat. The food is very good though.