4 Star Europe Tour Reviews — 901 to 930 of 1189

The Netherlands is a unique and beautiful country. We loved everything we saw. The flower auction was amazing. The Keukenhof was not to be missed. Our only problem was riding in a group single file through Amsterdam. We were strung out so long it sometimes took 2 or 3 lights to get through an intersection. We were so far back from the guide we couldn’t say “let’s stop and check out that windmill”. We were spoiled. On the Danube trip we could go at our own pace with detailed maps. I would suggest people download the map app and go it alone. But really, how can you complain about springtime and hyacinths?

Just one tip that we should have more of the history explain on the bike trip, not enough info on the places we were seeing.

We were unfortunate to do this tour when the weather was unseasonably bad. It would be a much better experience with good weather and tail winds! However, the tour providers kept in touch and made the tour as good as it could be under the circumstances.

We had a great time along the Danube river! The cycling was very good and the bikes adequate. The crew of the Theodor Korner were especially nice and competent. The tour guide was really on his game! Unfortunately, the boat itself needs a thorough rehab- our stateroom had an odd odor and was extremely noisy due to mid-ship engines. If we decide to do the Danube tour again we will choose a different boat!

Wachau valley was my favorite part...small towns, great shops and wine.

Bike , boat, staff and fellow travelers all great fun. Memorable trip for me and still talking about to my mates at home in Australia.

Beautiful scenery. If you are an experienced cyclist, consider splitting off with a smaller group. The group was too large with varied skills, making the ride less than it could have been.

We loved our trip on the Danube! From the first day to the last, we enjoyed the food, scenery and new friends. Would definitely recommend.

I took the Lorraine Tour this September. I was happy I chose to go Toul to Wasserbillig direction since it ended in a greener, more rural area. I love the countrysides and small villages best so this ended my week on the most positive note for my personal taste. There were interesting towns/cities to see along the way but this was also a bit more industrialized in some areas than tours I have taken in the past. If you are from the American midwest (I grew up in Ohio) you will swear you have been transported home many days it looks so similar. Others on our tour found it quite beautiful however. I was very impressed with the WWII memorials along the way. Even though I prefer a self guided tour I found our tour guide to be very pleasant and considerate of our physical abilities. I was disappointed with the conditions of the path one (our longest) day since I have been accustomed to fully paved trails on all my other tours. That day was exhausting due to the conditions of the route. They say this will eventually be fully paved at some point though. The La Belle Fleur was an excellent, clean, comfortable, and well maintained boat. The staff took good care of us and the food was fine. I especially enjoyed the camaraderie of the very small group. Having taken both large and small bike-boat tours I think this is one of the best aspects of a small tour. If I were traveling solo this size group would definitely be my preference. Overall, another wonderful week doing what I love and loving what I did.

I actually crashed my bike at the end of the first day, tried riding an ebike the next day but found it too painful. Therefore I spent the remainder of the trip on the barge, totally loved it. My suggestion for others would be to make sure to train, most of the people on our trip felt that they were being pushed and that the distance biked each day was too far. Also, for myself I felt that the bike was just too big for me and that contributed to my accident. Our guide (Fred) was delightful as were the crew of the Gandalf and the meals were fabulous. So, overall a great experience in spite of the spill.

Most Memorable Part: The people and the beer!!

Most Memorable Part: The friendliness of the local villagers and our fellow travellers.

The boat and the bikes were good, the food was good and sufficient, the crew was friendly and helpful. The scenery was not always beautiful, part of the tour leads through industrial area.

The Barge Iris was outstanding to say the least. 24 guests were the perfect number, not too many, not too few, the crew was over and above terrific, the food was something we looked forward to each day and the whole experience was memorable.

Most Memorable Part: The beautiful fields of poppies

Always have two guides. I can’t imagine having only one for such a diverse level of skills. We had one guide who lacked interpersonal skills. She lost her temper several times at several clients. I was one of those on the receiving end.

We really loved going through the locks on the Danube and the rides everyday were fabulous with the detailed instructions. There was a castle, ruin, vineyard or cafe around every bend!

It was so wonderful to cycle through 2 beautiful countries taking in the scenery and ambiance.

Loved exploring through the villages. Mali Losinj was one of my favorites as well as the sea organ and the greeting to the sun in Zadar. We had wonderful guides and crew.

Most Memorable Part: Venice in the rain at midnight! Excellent food, great staff and guides.

First day ride and exceptional lunch along the canal. Recommend more info on options to stop, eat, etc along the routes. Also recommend better bike maintenance - both bikes had shifter/derailer issues. Transfer of bikes and luggage went very smoothly. Hotels were all great, except the one in Freiburg - run down and rude front desk staff.

Great views and biking. The ebike really helped on the climbs but you still get a workout if you want one. Great weather and scenery and great guides. It was nice to get off the bike and go to Bosnia mid week. Eating so much on the boat wasn't my favorite and the fact that we had to pay extra for the day at the farm/winery seemed a bit cheap as I know other tours pay for these types of things. Having to get instructions in two languages (German and English) seemed a bit long. But the boat was nice and enjoyed it. If you are a swimmer you might might to come a bit earlier in the season.

We enjoyed St Emilion which we explored on our own. We should have been told what there was unusual to see in all of the ports that we were in at the beginning of the trip so that if reservations were necessary at sights that interested us we could have made them. Sebastian worked very hard at making sure that we had a great time on the boat. We were part of a learning experience and work in progress for Pascal.

The scenery was wonderful. Biking around the French countryside — what could be bad? HOWEVER, this trip should not be taken unless the client is assured that the barge has replaced their current bikes (as they say they will for 2018) with lighter bikes in perfect working order. They should make sure that there are bikes of all sizes, so that a small person (I am 5’) will get a properly fitted bike. I biked the entire week on a 6-speed rusty heavy old bike. Even the bell and kickstand didn’t work.

A wonderful self-guided bike trip. Perfect weather in early October. Map & instructions occasionally confusing, but adequate.
Hotels & food very good at all stops. A few climbs, but not really challenging for an experienced rider. Highly recommend!

Most memorable part was stopping for lunch in little Italian towns.

It was our 35th anniversary and we had lots of alone time to tour ourselves but also met the nicest people on the boat

I really enjoyed the first and last days a lot which were in the beautiful countryside along the Danube. It was good to see the cities but the visits too short to really visit anything in depth.
I recommend the Mozart concert which I really enjoyed.
I loved meeting people from other countries and wish we could have had meal seating change every couple of days to mix with other people who also were interested in meeting others.

Most Memorable Part: Riding on the bike paths without having to worry about road traffic.

The most memorable part of the trip - this is in reference to Cologne to Mainz trip on the MS Andante Sept 16-23, was the scenery and the visits to the small towns along the way. It would have been more enjoyable if we had been able to go through some of the small towns along the way instead of just going by them as we followed the route along the river. The guide did mention some things to see along the way for some of the routes we followed. Some detours and construction was not mentioned or alternate routes given along the way. Tips for others if someone is sick on board there should perhaps be some guidelines given for keeping yourself healthy or tips for not spreading the "bug".
The dinners were the most disappointing food on this trip. Few fresh veggies, the entres were often not well prepared nor were they tasty options (eg fish was on the menu frequently and was soggy, or prepared the same way again and again).