Europe Tour Reviews — 2581 to 2610 of 6870

What a fantastic trip! From start to finish, this was a top-notch experience in all areas making it a great value, as well. The Merlijn is a beautiful boat and just the right size. Plenty of room to enjoy my time when not biking, whether visiting with other passengers or reading a book on my own. The rooms were spacious enough and comfortable with everything I needed. The Captain and Crew are professional, knowledgeable, and extremely nice and accommodating. All our meals were deliciously prepared by Christina. From a buffet breakfast and hand packed lunch to a 5-star dinner every night. Not only was every meal delicious as well as beautifully served, but accommodations were also made for each person whether it was gluten-free, vegetarian or if you just don’t like goat cheese! The bike rides were well planned and expertly guided by Tammy. We learned the rules of the road and felt safe at every turn. We kept a comfortable pace allowing us to take in the scenery. Be prepared for the weather – just in case! Tammy shared her extensive knowledge along each ride as well as providing a walking tour during the evenings in each new city. We saw windmills and waterways, churches and cheeses, architecture and apple pie! And, of course, flowers. While we were a bit early for the full tulip blooms, we also saw daffodils, hyacinth and the trip to the Keukenhof met all the flower needs! Highly recommend this trip!

Getting to see so much of the Green Heart of Holland. However, incompetent dining room staff making me late for outings, insufficient/late availability of food for packing lunches, one guide leaving mid-trip, broken down barge meaning loss of 2 days of itinerary and then overloaded internet making us unable to download alternative routes, maid skipping our room first day - all made this a memorable trip as well, but not in a good way

The scenery was beautiful. I was disappointed that I had to miss the last two days of the biking tour because the ship had engine trouble and had to go back to Amsterdam for repairs.

Riding through the countrysides of the Netherlands was on my bucket list and it did not disappoint! The incredible beauty of the wetland areas and the diversity of bird life far exceeded my expectations!

I must sing praises for our tour leader Nico! He was always there when we needed him! Are there more than one of him?

Watching the De Amsterdam crew one day sail the boat through the canals is a must! It was a peak part of my trip watching them maneuver sideways and make the turns ! Such incredible scenery and seeing the huge variety of boats and vessels was outstanding!

I love any bike and barge/boat tour. This is my second bike tour. We had a wonderful time on the Tulip tour. Our guide Arnold was amazing. He made sure we saw lots of fields of tulips. Gave us a lot of history in each place we went to. My favorite things were the Keukenhof Gardens and the Royal FloraHolland Auction House. Plus every old town we went to was also amazing, seeing the history of each town and the old town structures.
My advice to anyone booking a bike tour is no matter how strong a rider you think you are, always get the Electric bike. You never know how the winds will be. By day 3 we had 4 riders who had started on regular bikes switch to E bikes. Luckily we had extra E bikes on the boat. My partner who is super strong gave his bike to another passenger who was struggling to keep as he had not used the electric on the bike. So for him it was easy.
Definitely a great tour and would recommend to anyone. We did 25 miles each day and 36 on the last day.

A very good trip, fun and varied cycling routes, the best rental bikes we have had during many cycling trips, the guide for the walking tour of Porto and the drive to Melgaco absolutely fantastic. Portugal and the people in the country are wonderful. accommodation in all places very good

what we thought was the most fun was how varied the cycle path is and how fun it is to cycle on forest paths not just on asphalt

beautiful views, lovely beaches, great surf and beautiful countryside

The views from hilltops, through patches of red poppies, looking down, down to row upon row of vineyards under cultivation.
E-bikes are a must.
In April be prepared for COLD weather at the high elevations.
Taxi ride shortened the first day (70 km) and made every day a wonderful adventure.

The Magnifique II was truly magnificent. All the little extras were greatly appreciated. The room and bed was very comfy and the meals were superb. I can't say enough good things about the excellent bikes, the tour leaders, and the timing for the lovely tulips. The whole thing was a treat for my granddaughter and me

All of the crew and guides were exceptionally pleasant and helpful.

I would like to say a huge thank you for finding the TripSite website to organize our trip.

Everything happened very precisely, from arrival, where our flight was delayed by 04 hours and even so the transfer was waiting for us.

The bike we chose came brand new and without any problems during the entire 310KM journey in 05 days, it was possible to enjoy everything without any problems with the bikes.

The transport of luggage from one hotel to the other left us free for our adventure and was very safe, our luggage was very well taken care of.

I read some reports of problems with the routes, but for us the routes were perfect, we used both the software indicated by TripSite and we also downloaded the routes in Briton, so it was very safe and when the software lost the signal we used Briton to take us to the destinations.

Well, talking about Alentejo is very easy, we love the trails, side roads, very wooded, with pastures of sheep, cows and other animals. We also noticed on these roads the countless vines, olive trees and many flowers coloring our journey.

Stopping in small villages little explored by tourists was what stood out for us, getting to know the Portuguese essence, eating in small canteens and enjoying the bread from the bakeries left us enchanted with the hospitality and security found.

Talking about the immersion in the past that this trip has given us is really enchanting; first starting with the accommodation, each place sent us back to a past and a life very different from ours, then the tourist spots with castles, walls, large and small churches was simply enchanting. It was certainly an experience that was marked and we plan to repeat it once a year.

Eating apple pie along the way!

Quo Vadis crew, and food and guides were wonderful! Most trips do not quite meet my dream expectations, but, this trip exceeded all my expectations! Kitchen crew stood on deck and waved us goodbye each morning and were out there to cheer and greet us each day! Great trip!

Fabulous guide, beautiful bike rides, wonderful food on the boat, great boat crew, fun group of travelers....overall it was a fantastic experience!

My immediate response would be the expert cycling guide (Tamara), who insured we were 1) safe and knew the cycling etiquette in the Netherlands, 2) took the time to stop and educate us at special points of interest and 3) invited any passengers to accompany her on after dinner walks through the towns the barge overnighted at. Equally memorable were the gourmet meals prepared by Christina and her team. Each night she would announce dinner at 6:30 pm sharp and begin her detailed yet brief explanation of what we were about to savour that evening.

The picturesque, quaint towns surrounding Amsterdam were a delight to experience. Each was a bit unique and offered their own history and charm. The cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands is among the best in the world and our self guided routes made sure we saw a wide variety of terrain, and featured many highlights that we would have missed without this guidance. We loved our week and will treasure the memories and the experience created by Tripsite and their partner, Tulip Cycling. And we did experience the tulip fields along with hyacinth and daffodils in bloom. The scents and sights were heavenly!

The most memorable part of our tour? Impossible to limit to one thing! This trip has it all: miles of gorgeous countryside roads and trails, small villages that look plucked from a travel brochure, access to castles and fortresses that are beautifully frozen in time... and experiencing all of it in springtime glory was tremendous. Being able to see Carrieres des Lumieres -- the Van Gogh immersive exhibit -- was such an unexpected treat. Perfect biking weather. It was our first bike and barge with electric bikes and it was fantastic... SO easy to manage the headwinds and longer uphill climbs with the pedal-assist. Really, we can't say enough about this tour... so wonderful on every level!

(** If you print this review, can you please just list me as "Kristine S"? Thanks so much!)

everything was good, the trip itself, the other participants, the crew, the captain and the guides. Suggestion, check age of other participants and level of biking

It was the operational windmill / sawmill at Zaanse Schans. To me this was the capstone to man harnessing nature for his purpose. While creating land from the sea was monumental, utilizing the means of pumping water to another level for more productive enterprises was genius. I wish there had been more history around the tour. It would have been difficult to match the cycling routes with the flow of history, but some touchstones along the way would have enhanced the experience. Maybe a history night before the first ride with references to the history in the evening before each subsequent ride.

This was a wonderful, amazing trip! Bike guides Andre and Corrie were personable, professional, knowledgeable and thoughtful. The boat crew Michael, Thomas, Jolene, Alexandra, and chef Gerard were top notch, providing great service, great food and a delightful atmosphere! The bikes were in great condition, we chose ebikes that were wonderful. The days of bike riding (through all kinds of weather) provided a great introduction to the beauty and majesty of The Netherlands. Then we came home to a lovely boat with great snacks and food. Gerard was great at accommodating my need to avoid garlic while creating flavorful, delicious food. We would highly recommend this trip and look forward to our next tour on the Magnifique II!

This was my first barge trip. Everyone on the trip who had been on other barges informed me that I had started at the top! The crew was amazing and provide first class service. The chef is the captain's wife and cooked us 5 star meals. The lunch she packed for the bike trips was wonderful each day. She accommodated the gluten-free passengers. Our tour guide, Tamy was knowledgeable and friendly. I learned so much about the cities where we docked and the countryside where we rode. This was my first bike trip and the description was accurate. The ride was flat and easy which made looking around at everything pleasurable. I loved that there were only 24 passengers on the boat. I got to know them all and enjoy their company at meals and during the rides. Since this was the first tulip tour of the season, the tulips were not yet blooming in the fields. However, there were many other flowers blooming to see on our ride. We saw many many tulips and other flowers at the Keukenhof where we spent several hours. I am looking forward to traveling on the Merlijn again in the future!

Was the wonderful guide and the beautiful scenery we encountered every day. Peaceful countryside.The boat was top notch and the hosts went out of their way to make things nice . Food was well presented with lovely courses. I would recommend this tour to others.

This was my third cycling trip to Spain and the first time I have used a self guided tour like this. Tripsite’s Ebro River trip was perfect in every way. The route is absolutely spectacular with a constantly changing scene of medieval villages, vast pastoral panoramas and cruising alongside the river through deep gorges. The roads were not only smooth but empty of cars. The local partner Borja from Ibirocycle met us on time at the location we selected and provided well tuned road bikes for our week long ride. Every accommodation was superb, clean quaint with great food and lovely hosts. Note that there are some long hills so if you do not feel trained up enough for that - take the electric bike option. But for anyone who would like to see this outstanding part of Spain at a slower pace - I can’t recommend this tour enough!

Bikes were great. The tour group was accommodating in all our requirements. Hotels booked were very nice. Tour operator checked on us daily to see how it was going. I would be pleased to recommend this tour to others.

We are just finishing our trip in Coimbra and wanted to put in a review while the trip is still fresh. From the airport pickup to the briefing and all through the tour John and Sergio demonstrated that they really did care that we had a great time - and we did. The hotels they selected for us are top notch and the bike route gave us easy riding and great views of Portugal’s Silver Coast. The bikes were in top shape and performed well. Our second visit to Portugal and there will be more, the people are friendly and the country so wonderful.

I enjoyed tremendously the trails that were chosen in this itinerary! I liked the variety of them not only in terms of scenery but also in terms of complexity.
One moment I was riding by beautiful eucalyptus forests, the next I was side by side of peaceful rivers or agricultural fields to, my very favourites, riding along side the Atlantic ocean.
The attention to details and support received by the Top Bike Tours team (the owner, Sérgio, and Miguel) was truly outstanding! As a solo rider I never felt left alone or on my own; they were always there whenever I needed them and provided efficient support and guidance.

We took this trip as a self-guided tour in late January/early February in order to get a break from the cloudy, dreary weather in central France. We were a little worried about the weather conditions, but it turned out to be perfect - and no crowds! I started each day in a ski coat and double pants, but by the early afternoon would be down to just a light jacket. Ideal biking weather - never got hot, not very windy, and yet the sun was bright. Sergio had the trip set up perfectly - the bikes were top-of-the-line and worked well, the multiple GPS systems were accurate and useful, and he was always just a text away. A mix of accommodation types which were all good in their different ways, and a couple of them were just outstanding. The scenery and countryside were by turns fascinating and breathtaking. The coastline had spectacularly scenic rocky cliffs with interesting birds (including nesting storks). All the people we met were friendly, helpful, and welcoming. I would highly recommend including some extra days in Lisbon and Sintra.

We went on this tour in late September of 2022. We had previously been in southern Europe and became accustomed to the eighty degree temperatures. We were initially scheduled for the Loire Valley tour on the same barge (Clair de Lune), but the low water levels resulted in canceling the Loire and replacing it with Strasbourg to Nancy. Strasbourg is incredibly beautiful - we'd go back.

The barge - I'd been on a barge for three weeks (Bruges to Epernay on the Zwaanje - great trip) so knew what to expect. Can't say enough about the captain and crew. All aces. The chef (cannot call her a 'cook') was beyond excellent. She got applause every night after announcing the dinner selection. Truly wonderful dining. The weather, however, did not cooperate.

To coin a phrase, it was ratty. Rain, rain, rain. Temps in the fifties. I'm from the Seattle area and will not ride in this kind of weather. Nothing the barge crew cold do about it. I got in three days of riding.

Locks were amazing - one had more than fifty feet of lift. The barge elevator was really an experience. Seeing the abandoned locks was also quite cool.

The tour guide needs to be upgraded. His English was not excellent. eBikes were a bit tired, but adequate. Good tour, except for the weather. Would liked to have done the Loire Valley - maybe next time... Nine out of ten for the tour - the weather hurt.

We went on this tour in mid-October of 2022. Stayed in Cagliari before the tour and saw a professional triathlon. We watched the women's race - have never seen anything like that. Sardinia is wonderful. We only had one sort of gripe - the company that handled the tour (Rotalis) is German and we were the. only non-Germans on the tour. Had a few uncomfortable initial moments, but it eventually became a nothing burger. I was fluent in German as a kid and saw a lot coming back. It would have been nice to know about this sooner.

The tour was beyond excellent. First, Sardinia. It's incredibly beautiful. Lots of hills and forests. Marvelous downhills. Being able to cycle through an alpine environment in shorts and short sleeves was special. Alenka, the tour guide was quite good. She dealt with the German speakers initially then translated into English - hers was quite good. Dieter, the van driver was a gem. He took care of the support van and provided gourmet lunches. We split the costs at the end - amounted to about Euro 75 for each cyclist. A great deal - the lunches were certainly gourmet.

No negatives. The eBikes were a bit tired, but were entirely serviceable. Dieter always had a few spare batteries for those who needed them. The two islands off the west coast were not as spectacular as the mountains, though they were fine. If you decide to go with a Rotalis tour try to confirm that there's a diversity of cyclists. Expect a great tour and very attentive tour guides. Ten out of ten. Great tour! Thanks Tripsite.....

Ahhh - the Ionian Islands! I've been on a dozen or so tours and I have to say that this was the absolute best cycling I've ever done. Hands down. Everything clicked - Dimitris and Alexandros were exceptional guides. The Med is the bluest of blues and extremely beautiful. The weather was unreal - high seventies to low eighties and not a cloud in the sky. Dimitris told us that this was the best weather he'd seen all season. The riding was also excellent. Wonderful vistas and small harbor towns. Islands with calderas. There were some downhills of about ten kilometers. Man, I was in heaven. Boat was fine - we had the on deck cabin. Food was quite good and very plentiful. We were on the last tour of the season also. Cheryl had a birthday during the tour and our guides found a sinful birthday cake on Dimitris's home island. Good Lord!! Martin (retired German judge) played 'Forever Young' with his guitar. Magical. Doesn't get any better than that. Probably fifteen on a scale of one-to-ten. Go on this tour if you have a chance.
Inselhupfen (Island Hopping) is the German company that handles the tour. This was my third tour with them. They are the gold standard for cycle tours. They have a retreat every for the tour guides - makes sure everyone is singing from the same sheet of music. We enjoyed this so much that we're doing the Cyclades with them this coming summer.
Really great tour.

We did the Camino tour with Sergio and Joao in early September of 2022. Just a wonderful experience. Sergio and Joao are aces - always there for us. Support was absolutely excellent. Great hotels. We used eBikes and they were excellent - fairly new with the big Bosch motors. The routes were sometimes challenging (cobblestones rattled your teeth) but they were handled well. Views were incredible. Can't say enough about this tour. Liked it so much that we've scheduled two tours with them for this coming summer. Ten out of ten.