4 Star Europe Tour Reviews — 31 to 60 of 1188

The Bellezza is a beautiful boat. Proud captain, Ante and his team are extremely service oriented, particularly the two women servers. Staterooms were larger than expected and the beds and showers were very comfortable.
The featured hot tub was not Hot and the upper deck bar area was never utilized for group entertainment or drinks. Such a waste!
Our two cycling guides, Ivan and Marko were highly experienced, professional, informative and safety conscience.
Several of us were dissatisfied with the food provided and the number of meals that we had to purchase on our own. We appreciate that the cuisine was Croatian with a heavy emphasis on potatoes, sauces and carbohydrates but more emphasis on seafood, salads and vegetables would have been preferred. (For one lunch, tuna was so salty that it was inedible and the vegetables were overcooked.) We also would have appreciated having lunch on some of the smaller islands or taking a picnic lunch.
In all, it was an incredible experience through the beautiful Dalmatian Isles.

Tour Guides were excellent. Rooms are very nice. Croatia is beautiful. Dining room is very loud. Food was ok, not as good as other tours we have been on.

Biking along the Danube bend. Beautiful shaded path, interesting scenery. Catching last minute standing tickets to the Staatsopera in Vienna was amazing! Coming into Bratislava while a Trans-Danube Swim was occurring was a unique experience. Great meal at a hotel recommended restaurant (etterum) in Mosonmagyaróvár. The bikes were adequate for our 200 mile journey. I only wish I had a water bottle holder on mine.

Very much enjoyed riding and seeing all the seaside towns and stops as we rode. Just beautiful!

This trip was a great experience! This was not a luxury tour, but it was a tour for those of us who like a little adventure and to feel like a part of the host country. The slower pace of the tour allows one to really experience the culture and lifestyle of Norway and Sweden. This is a trip for people who are ok with last minute changes to the itinerary, weather unpredictability and not always knowing what will happen next!

Un general the castles we visited and the ride the last day was the best one in terms is the mix of castles and view a round the road.
On data 2-3 it was a little bit too “underpopulated”, not mucho too see for a big part of the day.. and we experienced lot of wind!

Biking the Wachou valley, outside Vienna. It was an incredible ride, with great places to stop along the way. The trip was great, the crew handled all those bikes great. Would have liked more time in some of the cities, and more diet options.
But, that’s being kinda picky, it was a great trip and would recommend.

The mix of beautiful countryside and vibrant cities and towns.

The ability of the captain and crew to change itinerary based on weather and sea conditions. The experience was not detracted from by moving to plan B or C.

This was my first trip on the Merlijn Bike & Barge. I was with a group of 3 couples that had done this trip before on the Merlijn. I found it outstanding, the equipment was excellent,( my wife and I rented electric bikes ) the cabins were very nice and roomy. Our meals were breakfast and dinner, the breakfast was good but I believe it could have been better, The dinners were first class....The barge also had a nice coffee bar and Bar that were excellent too. The trip was memoriable and I highly recommend the Merjin...

The scenery was beautiful! The Merlijn was beautiful and very comfortable. But, the standout for the trip was the staff. Coen and Christina made our week so wonderful and kept us well informed. “Cat” at the bar and serving was very charming and fun! He knew all our names by day 2! Simone kept our cabins tidy and did a great job on our laundry. June was always tidying up the ship and keeping it looking great. Ilsa was a really good tour guide and was very knowledgeable about the history of Austria.

The room on the boat was lovely and the food was very good. We did a guided tour and I felt our guide was inexperienced She did not have many safety measures that I have had on previous bike trips. i.e a sweep and ensuring everyone is ready to go before taking off. Also would have been better to be able to visit some cultural places like the Abbey, museums or churches. We were not given anytime on our rides to do this. The highlights was the wine region and wine tasting.

The views cycling Bruges, the countryside, windmills etc
Boat was nice, food was good, nice staff.

I recently completed the Authentic Holland trip aboard the Magnifique II. The vessel was well-maintained, staffed by an excellent team, and featured outstanding cuisine. I greatly appreciated the expertise of our guides, Erna and Niels, who provided valuable insights into the region. Our itinerary included cycling through wooded areas, along dykes, and through scenic towns and countryside. Each day, mid-morning, we sstopped for coffee and toured historic villages.
The only aspect that did not meet expectations was the absence of a visit to Amsterdam Castle Muiderslot. Although we stopped in Muiden for lunch and had time to explore, the tour description included a photograph of the castle, which led to the assumption that the site would be part of the program. Guests were permitted to visit independently, but time constraints made this challenging. Incorporating the castle’s entrance fee and allocating a dedicated visit period could enhance future experiences. Overall, I found the bike and boat tour to be highly rewarding.

The Boat was very comfortable. The crew were amazing! They were always smiling, quick to fill requests or anticipate needs. Very hard working and clearly worked as a team. The chef did an excellent job with the food.
Riding bikes in then Netherlands is a dream. The country is so bike focused.

There were a couple of times that could have been improved or communication could have been better.
I feel we wasted a lot of potential exploration time in Antwerp due to waiting hours for a bridge to be raised. I know this is not the fault of the Captain or crew but I do think that an alternate way for getting us to Antwerp could have been found, a water taxi or even disembark and hop on a bus. We were so so close to the city but were stuck on the boat.

Additionally time in Ghent was minimal as the boat did not stay in Ghent

Overall the trip was very enjoyable.

It was a great trip overall. We loved that part of the route also went inland a little through villages etc.

It would be great to have more lunch/food options marked on the maps and how to make sure they are open.

We also noticed that on the last bike day parting the route was over a blocked off and hard to ride dike so we were forced to find our way around via a main road.

It was well organized as nd we would do something similar again.

The most memorable part of the trip was the gift of breezing through the many changing landscapes of this region, at our own pace, stopping for a coffee to be part of the community for only a few moments.

All along thebjourney the countryside evolves from the super cycle friendly amsterdam end to the more car centric life at the Masstricht end. The towns and vilkages are interesting but not stunning in the way the Mosel tour us. There is large scale terraforming going on to modify the flooding pattern of the Mass River which I found of great interest. And not least is the instant group dynamics of the folks on the tour.

Food was great. Boat was very nice - this trip was my third boat/bike trip and the Harmonia was the finest boat yet. Crew was excellent. Guides were excellent. From my perspective of riding road bikes in the Colorado mountains, I found that the e-bikes pretty much leveled the hills. I can see the attraction of e-bikes. I would have liked the riding distances to be longer, but we were riding on islands and that limits riding opportunities somewhat. Our group had a few opportunities to swim off the boat prior to riding. I think that we all ended the week with a 'perma-grin' as a result of the accommodations, the swimming, the easy biking and the gourmet food.

Seeing the poppy fields in bloom was best part. Worst was map book not matching gps file for first few directions of isle de sorgue to st. Remy ride. Hotel in St. Remy was excellent.

Lots of comfortable cycling over easy terrain, even in extreme summer heat. The cities that are visited are unique and interesting with lots of things to see from cathedrals to the Gutenberg museum. Keep in mind that except for one evening, travelers are not on the boat when it is traveling along the Rhine. Instead, the boat goes from port to port while travelers cycle from port to port. Also keep in mind that this is not the most scenic portion of the Rhine except for the last day, where we cycled through vineyards on the slopes down to the Rhine. Otherwise, the terrain was mostly flat with dikes between the cycle path and the river making it hard to see the river. Once we got out of the heavily industrial cities, the ride was pleasant and flat through wooded areas, grassland, and farmland. Roughly one-quarter of the ride was along the Rhine, one-quarter through cities or industrial areas, and one-half through grassland/forest, and farmland. Food was outstanding; the rooms on the boat were clean and comfortable, but a little worn. Staff was outstanding -- very helpful and friendly. We would definitely do another bike/boat cruise on the Olympia.

We had a great experience on this trip! We chose the Standard hotel package, and overall the accommodations were excellent. Here's where we stayed:

Prague – Hotel DAP

Melnik – Pension U Zámku

Litomerice – Pension Dubina

Decin – Hotel Česká Koruna

Bad Schandau/Krippen – Hotel Erbgericht

Dresden – Hotel Martha

Our favorite stops were Prague and Melnik. Prague was incredibly clean, walkable, and felt very safe. Hotel DAP is about half a mile from Prague Castle, and walking to the main sites was easy and enjoyable.

Melnik is a charming little wine town perched above a valley, and sipping local wine right next to the vines it came from—while enjoying that view—was a definite highlight.

The one hotel we didn’t love was in Krippen. To be fair, it was raining that day and we didn’t feel like taking the ferry into Bad Schandau, but the hotel itself felt a bit dated and in need of some updates.

As for the biking: the Czech bike paths vary quite a bit. One minute you’re on a smooth trail, the next you're riding along a road with traffic, a dirt path, or a bumpy gravel section. The terrain is also hillier than expected, and sometimes you don’t get much notice before a climb.

We’re in our mid-30s, not regular cyclists but pretty active (we’re runners), and we did the tour on standard bikes. There were definitely a few hills where we had to hop off and walk the bikes. The standard bikes were a bit heavy and could have used some chain lube and a tune up. If that doesn’t sound ideal, I’d recommend going with the e-bike option for a smoother ride.

Weather-wise, we got lucky—just a little rain, and temps were mild overall. Most hotels didn’t have AC, so it got a bit stuffy at night, but opening a window helped.

All in all, we loved the tour and highly recommend it. The scenery, towns, and experiences made it a trip we’ll always remember.

Beautiful scenery and villages to visit. We had a wonderful holiday. Everything was organised well and went smoothly.
We were met on the first day by Petra who made sure our ride with GPS had downloaded correctly, and who advised us about places to visit and restaurants to go to.
Paulo then came along with excellent bikes, which worked perfectly for us for the week.
Given the poor state of the roads, we would recommend gravel bikes and NOT road bikes for this trip.

Coastal section were great. Interiors were a litte repetative farm lands. Hotel quality was great. However most hotels were a couple miles outside of the town center and on hills. After spending a day on the bike, we were not up for another ride to go to dinner or see the sites. Hotels closer to the center of the action in each town would be better. Logistics and bikes were good. Oveall great way to see Denmark.

Biking together in the countryside of Italy along with stopping at the towns small piazzas .

Klarà, our principal guide was awesome! She was always handy, solved all issues with a big smile on her face. Martin and Toni also very good but they left us in Vienna. Fine scenery, hotels, food, weather, etc...

Only one pitfall: we got other 2 guides after Vienna. One of them did not have a guide attitude, one example: the group that do not speak the local language was struggling to make the other in a restaurant and he was not helpful at all, he just got a beer for himself and walked out of the place. If you need more detail, please contact me.

It was actually Maastricht to Amsterdam. It was a wonderful tour. The history in the towns, cities, and villages is impressive, as are the great bakeries.

The crew and tour guides were fantastic The food was great
The bike ride itself was not for all levels of bikers...lots of city biking that made many riders nervous. A large guided group made it difficult to keep everyone together, causing large gaps
The sites were sometimes great and other days just riding along a dyke with not much to see
The tour guides Hein and Marjoleine were very knowledgeable and interesting to listen to
The unfortunate plumbing issue on the boat upon embarkation wasn't ideal but they moved us upstairs to another room and others were put up in a hotel for 2 nights...they were dedicated to resolving the problem which was done on day 3.

In spite of the weather being extremely hot (end of June), it was a wonderful trip with two excellent guides. The Adriatic was so lovely; I would have liked swimming option stops while on the bike portions. We did have a few swim options from the anchored boat, but generally too much of a current & chop to enjoy. The rides were challenging so we really loved having the Ebikes. Also challenging was the amount of time on loose gravel. We were not alone with that opinion. The food was good, not gourmet, but good enough. Happy to have lots of fruit in the morning. Cabin was very comfortable. Boat was clean & fancy. We very much enjoyed the two guided walking tours of two of the villages. I would recommend this trip; just be mindful of the weather. I’m sure we would have enjoyed it more if it was cooler.

We are a family of 4 with kids age 12 and 6 and we bike regularly at home, including over longer distances. We had a wonderful time on this trip! The biking distances were just right for us, we enjoyed the solitude and self guided aspects, the maps and instructions were helpful, the hotels were great (including excellent breakfasts everywhere) and we loved the combination of the biking with exploring historical places and culture. We also opted to extend our stay in Amsterdam and keep the bikes, which worked out well for us. Everything related to luggage worked well.

The one thing that didn't go perfectly was the trailer bike for our younger son. The trailer was basically just old - it was giving out and even with my husband tightening it it was veering off to one side. This took away from some of the enjoyment of the rides on the last couple of days. We recommend the company overhaul their stock of trailers.