5 Star Europe Tour Reviews — 571 to 600 of 4502

The most memorable part of this trip was NOT the boat breakdown for 2 days but the absolutely beautiful , kindly, acceptance by everyone with the unfortunate circumstances. I did not hear one grumble or complaint by anyone on board. Everyone worked tirelessly and professionally to correct the issue and make alternate arrangements for the bikers. It was the biggest and best display of humankind working together to make things right. It was so heartwarming to experience such a wonderful situation especially during these very challenging world situations. I can’t praise us ALL enough for making the trip such an unforgettable experience.
Sincerely, Sally Coomber

My wife and I immensely enjoyed the Amsterdam to Bruges tour. We'd do another Tripsite tour gladly. Great routes, terrific information packet with paper maps, nice hotels, incredible scenery, delicious food, beer. The starting hotel, the WestCord Art Hotel Amsterdam Art, was wonderful. The trip included breakfast at all hotels, a pleasure though it varied from hotel to hotel from great to just fine, but always with a coffee machine that made lattes!

I suggest getting to Amsterdam at least two days ahead, both to enjoy the city and to have sufficient time to check that the bikes fit you. We rented the e-bikes and that was great for the headwinds out of the southwest all week. For my part, I often used NO assist once getting the bike going. The Dutch bikes were surprisingly enjoyable to ride.

About the GPS tracks, here's what I urge you do. The provided GPS route are great but do NOT include CUE SHEETS. Although I have a Garmin, I really prefer using Ride with GPS (RWGPS) on my phone. So:

1. Download RWGPS to your phone and pay for a subscription so you can save the routes for offline use. That way even without cell coverage, they work.

2. When you click on the supplied GPS route links provided by Tripsite, they will open automatically in RWGPS. There is an option to generate a cue sheet. DO THAT.

3. Save the routes for offline use.

4. In your RWGPS settings, switch to metric units. We found it fun think in kilometers for the trip.

5. Purchase a phone mount. If you have one already it will likely not fit on the Dutch bike handlebars. I got two on Amazon for $16 each and my wife and I found it was fantastic for the riding. To get what we used, search for "TruActive Premium Bike Phone Mount Holder".

6. Bring a battery back and short cable for your phone. It will fit nicely in the front bag.

7. If using an iPhone, use low battery mode. There is no need to go to Airplane mode. With low battery mode, you get all phone features; the phone will however dim when not used. That's a minor inconvenience for the super battery life it will give you.

Thanks for the wonderful trip Tripsite.

I enjoyed all parts of this trip. Our guides, Alv and Hetty were very friendly, relaxed, and patient. They both were well informed, and provided interesting commentary and information along the way. When things did not go as planned, they always had another plan. Everyone was made to feel welcome and comfortable.
The bike paths along the river were incredible, easy to manoeuvre, and very scenic.
The meals on the barge were delicious. All the staff were friendly and courteous.
I’m looking forward to another trip wit Tripsite!

The ride along the Danube was spectacular! Especially the last day from Krems to Pöchlarn. Some of us opted to go for city bike tours in Budapest and Vienna. I found Vienna to be especially crowded and wouldn't do that ride again. Nevertheless, our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting.

The beautiful scenes while biking along the Danube. We would of liked to have a longer trip in order to spend more time in the cities.

The beauty of the old towns, villages and cities we rode and cruised through was breathtaking. The fact that two weeks prior to our arrival the Danube flooded most of our routes and was already cleared was inspiring. The accommodations on the Vivienne were excellent and we were very well fed! The crew were excellent and very accommodating to our needs. The bikes met our needs and beyond (they survived riding through mud and flood waters).

Great food, good cycling and enjoyable trips to Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava

The best part of the week was being able to spend time in three European capital cities, namely Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. The biking too was fabulous and we enjoyed meandering along the Danube. The food on board was amazing. The crew was exceptional.

The highlight of our trip was the German city of Trier. There was so much to see in this ancient Roman city. We only scratched the surface, but the Black Gate, the huge cathedral, the beautiful gardens and the lovely city center were amazing. We happened to be there when they were celebrating Unity Day in Germany and there was a band playing, with people dancing and singing. That just made it so much more festive. My suggestion for others is: take this trip, you won’t regret it.

Easily the people. The staff were so knowledgeable and friendly I felt like I was part of a family vacation. I have never traveled abroad before and the personal connection with the group that the staff displayed made things go smoothly no matter where we were.

The barge crew, the fabulous food, our wonderful guide and meeting great people from all over the world made this trip ever so special. We came together as a team and simply had a lovely time. We needed to ride each day because Sara’s meals were delicious and we ate way too much. I mean that as a compliment, for sure!
The towns we biked to and through were beautiful to see. Our guide, Georgio, did his homework.
Can’t wait to do another trip. In fact, we already inquired about one through tripsite today!

Great biking holiday ! This was our first but will not be our last the boat accommodations bikes and routes where exceptional!. We went in late September early Oct and you will want to bring layered clothing as it was usually cooler in morning but warmed up late morning. Overall great experience and holiday.

The most memorable part for me was meeting great people. The food and the sights were amazing also.

It’s hard to pick just one thing that made this trip outstanding - the food was outstanding- better than I had at restaurants in Venice and Florence - and they accommodated my vegan diet. Biking, touring, and dining with people from all over with an entertaining and knowledgeable guide and crew was just the best. The scenery was beautiful and the little side tours, including to a grappa winery and cheese producer to break up the day were so much fun. A great combination of touring and biking.

Most memorable part of the trip was the amazing architecture along the way.
Tips for other travelers would be to go the extra mile and see ALL of the sights.

The memorable part of my bike trip from Merzig to Koblenz, where do I start? There were so many memorable moments. First, I would like to say the crew on the Flora were very inviting and accommodating. Captain Berthus and his wife Jonne and their ship-mate Andy were a pleasure to spend 8 days with. Joanne, the Chef Superior, prepared us amazing variety of meals. For a small boat, it was first class!! Always made us feel comfortable. Home away from home. Our guide Irene was a real gem. We were Irene's first tour and we hit some wrong turns (mostly due to construction) but her infectious smile and giggle, kept us all going. Her personality was very genuine and I would follow her on any journey. The scenery along the Saar and Mosel rivers was breathtaking and cycling trails were some of the best I have cycled on. Tripsite was very helpful and professional when dealing with this agency. I will be recommending Tripsite to many of my friends and definitely the Flora bike and barge. Thank you for the great memories.

The ambiance on board with all the guest cyclists was matched by the excellent service from all the staff. Both cycling guides were professional but more importantly they were fun to be with. The Mosel Rivers quiet charm and fairy tale villages made for a wonderful experience despite the rainy days.

While some of the routes were challenging at times because they weren’t marked well, the biking part of the trip was phenomenal.
The ship food was excellent!

The entire trip was memorable! Scenery, the delicious meals that we had on the Flora, the crew and our lovely guide Irene

Wonderful experience! Everything about the trip was memorable from the e-bikes, to the tour guides, to the food and accommodations. Weather was a little challenging in October but between the tour guides and the boat captain, the itinerary was adjusted so we never got wet riding and the trip experience wasn’t compromised.

Wonderful trip, we had the good luck to do this on the weekend of the Eroica ride and passed through a number of the small towns which host the ride including Gaiole where the finish line and festival are held as well as ride some of the Strade Bianchi that the ride covers. The first few days give you the opportunity to stop at some of the wineries along the route for tastings, some are open without booking and often have lovely views to enjoy as you taste the wine.
Lucca was probalby our favourite town, the hotel was lovely and the suggested restaurants were also very good.
I would suggest you ensure you have a key to the bike battery as some of the hotels struggled to accomodate charging the multiple bikes as other groups will likely be on the same itinerary and not having the key made things more difficult than needed.
The bikes were very good and comfortable.

Loved our Bike Guides and the added "surprises" they had instore for us i.e. Evening City Tours, Canal Tour, Beer tasting etc.
The boat was amazing as well and loved the deluxe Cabin. We are definately planning on another tour... this time France to Germany. Wish we could have the same bike guides :)

Our trip was absolute perfection, from beginning to end. Harmonia is a beautiful, well-appointed boat and was a comfy home. There were 32 of us aboard, and it seemed like the perfect group size. The staff were all warm, friendly and eager to please. The chefs, Dante and Stanko, made beautiful and abundant meals and accommodated my pescatarian diet. Our guides, Bubi and Nikki, were THE BEST! They spoke flawless English and were funny, charming, capable, fun and patient. The bikes were very comfortable and easy to learn and to steer. The rides were varied in terms of scenery and terrain, and all were stunningly beautiful. We enjoyed swimming in the warm, clear Adriatic right off the boat, and some even used Harmonia’s SUP and kayak.

All in all, it was a dreamy and very easy vacation. It was a perfect way to see a gorgeous part of our planet while indulging our love of physical activity. We highly recommend!

Laurie and Steve

The overall experience was great. Our guides were fantastic, the scenery was beautiful and the boat and rooms were super clean.

Perfect trip from the ship, the Merlijn, and its crew headed by Coen and Cristina, to the dining, our guide, Thomas to the location along the Neckar and Rhine rivers with the little towns (and bakeries and cafés). It was like spending a holiday inside a magical storybook.

We loved our bike and barge trip from Venice to Mantova. The guides were helpful and friendly, the barge was extremely comfortable, the chefs were masterful and the scenery was gorgeous! It was one of the best bike and barge experiences we've had.

Beautiful scenery, great variety and fabulous food. Bikes were good quality, lovely accommodation, well organised on a day to day basis

I have been on five bike and barge trips before, and this one was very special due to the crew on the Estello… Georgio, Our bike guide was full of history, fun and knowledge of the area. Sarah, our chef was absolutely amazing… We rode our bikes through some beautiful countryside as well as on many well paved paths…. Met so many nice people. Highly recommend this trip… I prefer the small or intimate bike and barge trips in this certainly met that criteria!

We did a bike/barge tour several years ago in the Netherlands on a small 20 guest boat so we weren’t sure what to expect on a larger ship. We loved the ship and the larger group wasn’t a problem. We had some special dietary needs which the crew handled seamlessly. Our room was pleasant and comfortable. The crew had our bikes ready to go in the morning and reloaded on the ship after we completed out ride. The rides were beautiful. We enjoying cycling through villages, natural areas and the wine region. A lovely special trip!

Having experienced and enjoyed bike and barge vacations for over 10 years, I can say, without a doubt, that the Clair the de Lune's crew were the most attentive, professional, and charismatic. Like most, we select our tours based on destination, daily tour activity, and pleasant docking locations. Those factors are easily researched. The wild cards are often the barge condition, crew personality, and of course, the dining experience. Marco resolved all those concerns by keeping an impeccable barge, bringing on chef Jenny, housekeeper Catalina and tour guide Dick. Our rooms were clean and include both heat and A/C. The dining was inventive and locally sourced. Daily tours were perfectly planned and well managed to optimize our group members. The adage that you must sacrifice amenities if you choose smaller comfort barges over the larger boats did not hold up. We had uncooperative weather (they dried our clothes), flat tire, chain issues (rapidly addressed), difficulties getting to the Briare train (they loaded up personal vehicles and drove their bikes to ensure our timely departures). Bravo Clare de Lune!