Europe Tour Reviews — 5491 to 5520 of 6275

This was such an amazing trip on the Gandalf with Captain Hans and Fred the guide. The description does not do this trip justice. You go through such varied terrain like forests, along the water and the towns were sooo charming! I've been to Holland many times and yet I saw such a beautiful side of Holland that blew me away!

Sounds like you really enjoyed the trip. I know your feeling about biking and traveling. I think it is the only way to travel. I leave on August 12 with four friends to Bolzano, Italy and venture to Venice. Cannot wait.

Thank you for the post!

This was my second bike and barge trip on the La Belle Fleur for the tulip tour and it was fantastic. We had an excellent guide, Koehn, who selected lovely routes thru rural settings and we saw amazing fields in bloom, the national park leading to the North Sea and the Amsterdam Forest on return. The barge sparkled and Sanders and Els were very warm and welcoming. Our room was very comfortable. The new bikes had very comfortable seats and were lighter & BETTER for riding the 13 to 23 miles/ day distances. Unfortunately we hit a week of rainy inclement weather so we wore every warm layer we had plus scarves and rain gear. Our fellow travelers from Canada and Brazil were very good sports. I can't wait to try the France river trip on the Mosel River next time!! Thank you for making this trip of memories possible!!

The trip was awesome... Even tho it rained EVERYDAY...had a great time. The guide was great and he was able to adjust route to accommodate group. The scenery was incredible and enjoyed every day . The bikes were perfect with 8 gears to meet the needs of trip...

Great trip.

Absolutely fabulous people(both tour guide & barge owners), amazing routes and clean accommodating facilities. The food was plentiful and some of it quite good. Some meals were a bit thin and breakfast & lunch too much the same stuff. However, for the cost of this trip it was very satisfactory; I have recommended the Fleur d Bell and thank all organizers for a smooth and memorable trip!

I enjoyed your pictures and commentary ~ allowing me a bit of insight on your trips!

The boat crew were both very nice, friendly and helpful. The bike guide was wonderful - such a great guy, wonderful sense of humour, very kind and considerate. He was also very knowledgeable about the places we went. The bikes were excellent. The routes we took were wonderful - made very good use of the great Dutch biking infrastructure, and we went through a very interesting mix of countryside, villages, pretty urban neighbourhoods, etc.

The staff,food and barge were exceptional. Just a wonderful experience. I would definitely recommend the tour.

I loved this trip. The Merlijn was well-above my expectations. Very clean and well setup. Everything on the boat was perfect. Now if only we had had better weather. :)

I would have liked was some variety in the lunch fruit. Apples every day but one ...... got a bit boring. I would also have liked to have a condiment (mustard or mayonnaise) to add to the meat/cheese sandwiches as they were a bit dry. All in all, a great trip! Too bad the weather wasn't a bit better, but nothing could be done about that.

Although we had a week of rain and cool temperatures, the attitude and spirit of all on the boat was upbeat and lively. We biked in all kinds of conditions and still had a great time. Our guide was informative and accommodating. The scenery was beautiful from one location to the other and the food on the barge was top notch and delicious. I thoroughly enjoy the whole trip from start to finish.

The accommodation was excellent! (although we weren't very please with the location of our room in Evora at the Pousada Convento dos Loios as we were right next to the eating area which was occupied by diners from 7 am for breakfast and up to 10 pm for dinner)

However, there are two things something that could easily have made the trip more enjoyable: putting kick stands on the bikes and improving the maps and written directions.
It was incredibly annoying not to be able to stand the bikes up as we stopped frequently for pictures and most of the time, there wasn't anything to lean the bikes against. Having to lay them down on the ground sometimes resulted in the rear pannier getting knocked off centre which then meant readjusting it.

Even though a gps was provided and was invaluable, we found the maps to be very poor most of the time, one time even the local tourist office couldn't help us! It would be very helpful if simple written directions were included on how to best leave the hotel and / or town to start the day's journey.

We were impressed with the care and attention given to the safety aspect with the tools and equipment provided including a phone. We very much appreciated being picked up by Francisco at the train station in Pinhal Novo and also by Sofia who drove us from Evora to our hotel in Sintra. Thanks again!

I would love to be a receptive traveler! I think what you are doing is wonderful!

We would have like more written details of the areas we were seeing. We also would have liked a stronger wifi connection. Food and service was excellent.

Bicycling Passau to Vienna with the MS Normandie was a great experience. The bicycle route was mostly flat and in top condition. The views along the way were scenic and enjoyable. The small villages were charming and the larger cities were very beautiful. Our accommodations and meals on the boat were wonderful. One of my favorite experiences of the week was the optional trip to the opera house in Vienna. I am especially glad I didn't miss it. This was my third Tripsite tour and overall this adventure was everything and more that I had hoped for. I would highly recommend it to anyone that loves cycling. I think it is suitable for all skill levels. I will say that on this tour the guides daily instructions were minimal. His input was very basic and quite a disappointment compared to past guides. No photo slide show with instructions such as, "when you see this landmark or sign be sure to turn here." The guide books with maps that were provided were of great assistance, however, and we were able to compensate for the most part by carefully following these written instructions. There was also a small tourist guide book in each room from which you could read about points of interest in each city and village along the way. As I said, overall this was a fantastic week and my friend and I loved every minute!

More hot breakfast food. The route was semi-urban and suburban and that could have been made clearer beforehand. I liked doing one or more interesting stops each day. Keukenhof day was terrific, including cycling by tulip and hyacinth fields.

This was an amazing trip. The scenery and flowers were absolutely stunning, the group was great, and we had wonderful food, thanks to our chef, Sander. Nico, our guide was fantastic. He is fun and knowledgable and took great care of us. I would love to take another of his tours! I loved the biking. It was pretty chilly and sometimes very windy, but always doable. The bike roads and scenery make the Netherlands a perfect place to bike.

We had a super time. My only suggestion is have a snack for post bike ride and pre dinner. We arrived starving so that would be great. Otherwise this was just an amazing way to see Europe.

We had a total of six people who we traveled with. All had a positive option of he barge and the bikes. The owners, Hank and his wife gone over the top to make sure everyone had a good time and responded to any issues or problems. Our bike tour guide was outstanding and explained many of the sites. Great value.

My trip was wonderful. Sander and Els were incredible hosts and Arie was a fantastic guide. The information from Tripsite was spot on and very helpful. The only glitch I had was that the Tram stop for the boat was not correct but we found the barge without too much difficulty. I would definitely recommend this trip.

The experience was very good; the only negatives are beyond anyone's control! I was not adequately prepared for the wind, which was far stronger than I anticipated, and I didn't have anything to protect my ears and eyes. My eyes and lips were severely windburned one day. Goggles, or at least wraparound sunglasses, and a headband to cover the ears are a definite must!

Other than that, everything was good. The cabin was comfortable, and the meals were excellent. It was a very good value. Most tours cover all but a few meals; this covers all of them. Captain Sander and Chef Els were wonderful hosts, and tour guide Arie went above and beyond to make sure everyone experienced as much of the region as possible. The day bike trips and the evening city walks were really interesting.

Thanks for a great trip!

There was initially a question with the insurance we had purchased from you. We had to purchase again on board. After it was reported to you, things were quickly resolved. We had another glorious trip with you and appreciate your help.

We were looked after by our guide and the route was good. Spanish drivers were very considerate.

In a word - FANTASTIC!

The entire trip was incredible. The route is extremely varied and beautiful. Starting in Porto and riding through seaside villages along the coast, then crossing into Spain and continuing along the coast, the riding is mostly flat and the views of the ocean just breathtaking. There are parts where you ride on bike paths, roads, boardwalks, cobblestone farming paths, and even a little single-track mountain biking type trail (which leads to a secluded beach area!). Later, the route takes you directly onto the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago) and the riding is more hills and dirt paths, but also through small villages and historic areas. You follow this exclusively for the last 2 and a half days. You'll see many walkers making the pilgrimage - be sure to wish all a "buen camino"!

We opted for the self-guided version, using the GPS. This was perfect for us. We could linger in areas for photos, rest when we wanted to and ride at our own speed. The GPS was easy to follow and also included interesting waypoints, such as waterfalls and old churches and monasteries. This really added to the trip.

The hotel accommodations were awesome! In particular, views from the Parador in Baiona and the quiet, rustic beauty of the Hotel Torre do Rio were very memorable. The towns where we stayed were lovely and interesting to walk around after a day of riding. Don't miss some of the recommended restaurants - we tried a few and they were excellent.

Ending in Santiago de Compostela, we visited the beautiful cathedral and lovely old town center. This is a terrific ending to the trip. Don't forget to get your "Compostela" to commemorate your travels.

Sergio did a fantastic job with everything - the bikes were great, the pre-trip instructions clear, the accompanying trip notes good, the GPS easy to follow. He checked in with us a couple times just to make sure everything was going well. He's put a terrific trip together!

This will be a trip we remember and talk about for years to come. Highly recommended!

Traveled - early May 2016.

Our trip was well organized logistically and the biking routes were beautiful. I highly recommend Tripsite and will be booking future trips with them. Thanks for a fantastic week of biking.

The only comment I have is "I want to do another bike and barge trip."

Guides were excellent and the food was excellent. Captain was somewhat aloof, but the rest of the staff were very friendly. The bikes were excellent and the daily routes and trips were just what we wanted.

I had a wonderful time and will recommending the trip to others!

Loved it all! Wonderful staff, wonderful route, wonderful fellow passengers, wonderful guide! We could not have asked for anything more except less wind as we rode through the windmill area into a very strong headwind! Hardest day's riding we've ever done! But hey, this is Holland renowned for "wind"mills!! Keukenhof was amazing, everyone should visit this place once in their lifetime!