France Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 932

This was a great trip because of the great guides, great crew, and great cook.

Our bike/barge trip surpassed our expectations. The crew was great: the captain, the crew who took care of us on the boat, and our two guides. We really enjoyed the bonus of stopping along the route to see interesting sites or to have a treat and tea in a pretty spot. The Moselle Valley is so beautiful, and in October the colors were unexpectedly beautiful. We would definitely recommend this!

Enjoyed the camaraderie knowledge of the staff. Iris had a wonderful layout but maybe not a round sink in bathroom w faucet in center so when washing your face water goes all over

The wonderful boat, delicious food, fantastic scenery, and amazing crew and guides made for an outstanding trip!

Hein was an absolutely amazing and interesting guide; the crew was fantastic. Special kudos to the chef (Geovani): best food by far of any of our 3 tripsite boat/bike trips so far. And we LOVED Alicia (our overall helper etc). So personable and friendly and wonderful that she shared her artwork with us! And a great group of fellow travellers/bikers to share this with. Just a fantastic trip!

My trip was Cochem to Metz and it was excellent! The Iris is a beautiful, well furnished barge that had a fabulous welcoming, friendly crew and two fun guides to show us the historical sights along the Moselle River. Extra activities for us were delightful. Fun to be with a smaller group of people on this bike and barge trip. I would definitely go on another excursion!

The boat, bikes, routes and crew were all wonderful aboard the Magnifique 1! Everything exceeded our expectations. I would absolutely recommend this trip. In mid-October, we had to wear a few layers most days, but the fall colors were beautiful and we got to experience most things without any crowds.

My recent bike and barge trip "Cochem to Metz" was by far one of the best I have done. The whole process from initial inquiry to disembarkation was handled wonderfully by Trip Site. It so nice be able to speak to a real person whether just calling for information or making sure that the initial booking is in proper order. That process was handled professionally and pleasantly by one Kirsten Hollister. Kirsten was always there to help and advise. I can't thank her enough.
We chose the ship the Iris. Its an intimate barge which holds a maximum of 24 passengers. On our trip there were 19. Our rooms were spacious with two single beds and ample room for storage. The bathroom although small was everything one needed. We were quite comfortable. Above deck there was a spacious lounge and a lovely dining area. Additionally there was seating out of doors on the front deck. Temperatures were a little cool in mid-October so we didn't spend a lot of time there.
The crew consisted of 4: a captain, 1st mate, house keeper and a cook. All were extremely cordial , friendly and professional. The ship ran smoothly. The cook Joost did an excellent job . Cuisine varied from day to day featuring many regional dishes. All delicious. We were well fed. A nice touch were the included wine parings with dinner. It was great sampling the wines for which the Mosel is famous especially after we had cycled past the vineyards from which they were born.
Two guides were there to lead us along the bike paths along the Mosel. We were divided into two groups each with nine or ten. Its was pleasant to be in such smaller groupings. Our guides were experienced, knowledgeable and a whole lot of fun.
I can't say enough about the itinerary. The Mosel is a beautiful meandering river much smaller than the Rhine. Cycling along it was more than enjoyable. The frequent stops whether to have a coffee and pastry or visit a castle were well worth it. We saw and did a lot with memories to last a lifetime.
The itinerary along the Mosel in addition to being intimate and quaint was diverse. The trip begins in charming Cochem with its German heritage and ends in the quintessentially French city of Metz. We did as well venture into tiny Luxembourg to taste the local bubbly. Quite delicious. Thus we experienced three countries and we haven't even mentioned the Romans who were there long before the others!
Cochem to Metz is a great tour. I heartily recommend it. It will be one of your favorites, too.

John L.

Nice boat, crew and guests xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx

The trip exceeded my expectations. The staff were wonderful and the meals were amazing.

Great tour leader and staff on board. Interesting itinerary. Accommodated our food preference.

A terrific trip on all counts: excellent boat, great crew, wonderful food, a beautiful itinerary, and excellent trip leaders. I especially enjoyed the fact our biking was interrupted with frequent stops to enjoy local sights, learn about regional customs and cuisine and history. Not only did we get some great exercise but we leaned and experienced much more. Wundebahr!

The crew, the food, the beautiful scenery. Very nice time. Thank you

Riding along the Moselle amongst the vines and stopping at gorgeous little towns.

Distances on the bikes were reasonable and allowed sufficient time to enjoy our surroundings.

The bike rides through the country were terrific. That was the reason for selecting this trip.
Although the food was well prepared, the selection of dishes was mediocre.
The staff were great and made the trip enjoyable. The guide was knowledgeable.

Fabulous trip on L'Estello. Food was the best so far on a Tripsite adventure. Hein, our guide was politically incorrect and was fabulous. Our group of 8, in our 60s and 70s rode city bikes. The other 10 in our group rode eBikes. We had no problem but unless you are a strong, confident rider, I'd recommend eBikes.

The crew and guides were awesome! Frank was an incredible Chef, we looked forward to every meal. We had a couple of glitches and the guides handled each situation like a pro!

Very well organized, lovely trip with great guides, nice barge. The weather conditions were a bit challenging for the daily bike rides. But the group and the guides were flexible and arranged great trips.

Pedaling the beautiful paths along the Loire and Cher Rivers. The Chateau's were amazing to see and we learned so much about French history!

Our guide François and support staff were fabulous. The weather was perfect to see these magical sites and to enjoy cycling across the landscape. The boat staff were welcoming and the rooms very comfortable. The only reason that we are not giving this a 5 star rating is that it only became clear shortly before the trip that most of the passengers on the boat were from 1 country (in this case Germany), what that meant is that we were traveling in France yet having a German experience so more like voyeurs than a French immersion experience. The food on the boat catered to a German diet instead of a French diet (yes there were croissants in the morning and dessert crepes yet that was about it). It also seemed that none of the staff on the boat were from France. We are grateful that our tour guide and all the city guides were French and really made an effort to share the French experience!

Riding along the Mosel and the bike tour guides, Hetty and Corrie

The bike and boat along the Moselle River was beautiful. The boat, the Magnifique III was spacious and comfortable and crew happy and very helpful. The bikes were well maintained and easy to ride. The stops were well planned and the guides informative. one guide, Hetty, was exceptional. The pace was relaxed and enjoyable. The dining was plentiful, varied and very good.

We had an excellent time on the tour. The sites we great, biking path was paved, food and the care on the Iris was excellent.
Biking on the city bridges were not always easy. A little scary with the traffic. Loved the e-bike. Would definitely go on another bike and barge trip.

Most memorable was the 2 night stay in Carcasseronne, France. We opted for a Rest Day and did not do the scheduled In & Out Ride.
Upgrading to Deluxe accommodations was a really great value.
The 'Rails to Trails' In & Out route to Mirepoix, France was a great alternate from the towpath. Consider providing tours linking these well maintained trails. This one went way beyond Mirepoix. Other riders said there were many in Spain.
The condition of the tow path varied with the cities (Carcasserronne, Baziers and Narbonne having the worst maintenance (except in town)) and the long remote area between Baziers and Agde. Toulouse and surrounds were well maintained.
30 gear bicycle upgrades were a must for my group of 70 something year old men. My eBike was sturdier than other rentals I have had and it's Bosch drivetrain performed as well as my own.
There was miscommunication somewhere for our stay in Mirepoix. The manager showed us the reservation requesting two double rooms, but there was no mention of 2 beds in the two rooms. The hotel was full and only one of the rooms had two beds. He was able to book the two men in a nearby hotel.
Throughout the entire reservation process I found TripSIte to be professional and easy to work with with excellent communication and advice. One thing, the vests were fit larger than indicated size...
Thank you so much,
John J Kaib

Coming down the Seine and seeing the Eiffel Tower from the boat was great.

All parts of the trip exceeded our expectations. The hotels were lovely, the meals absolutely delicious, and the areas we rode through were beautiful. Our guide, Antonio, was calm, cool, and collected the entire time even while riding with the group on busy streets. We had a group of 8 on our tour, and Antonio quickly became one of our friends. He is a very kind person and handled all aspects of the tour extremely smoothly. One small improvement would have been to receive a little more information about some of the small villages and sites we visited along the way. I definitely am recommending Tripsite to friends and family.

Riding on the canal was very pleasant but the diversions from it added something extra. In particular the cycling on quiet country roads and cycleways. We enjoyed the ride to and from Mirepoix in particular.

Excellent tour with perfect hotels and meals to complement the Provence countryside. Our Tour Guide, Antonio Cimmino was a great addition with his helpful and fun nature. He was knowledgeable, attentive to our issues and meshed very well with the goal of our group to have a fun week. The biking was a challenge, but was managed with a pace that was perfect for a group with various levels of biking experience. All in our group mentioned having a great experience.

This was our 4th Bike & Barge trip with Tripsite; all memorable & enjoyable. The 2 guides we had on this trip, Weiger and Hetty were phenomenal. They were very helpful and knowledgeable about so many of the sights along the Moselle River. We had 20 guests on this trip. Most of the 6 biking days, our guides had us split up in 2 groups which worked out perfectly. The weather was great 95% of the time; great Barge Captain and crew. Beautiful scenery and nice barge.