France Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 734
Shelly Z.
3 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
My husband and I loved the trip, our first bike/barge adventure. The boat, captain, crew, chef, and tour guides were wonderful. We enjoyed the other guests as well, which included couples and singles from the USA and Europe. The miles and miles of bike trails and visited sites were beautiful and memorable. Since experiencing the biking adventure, I have the following suggestions for potential guests. Bike riders should already have good bike riding skills. There are many path twists and turns to navigate, including sometimes in metropolitan areas. Before the trip, find out how many guests have selected e-bikes. If the majority are on e-bikes, it will be hard for the average bike rider on a regular bike to keep up with the group, even when the tour level is stated as “easy.” And, "easy" does not mean there are no hills or quick elevation gains. The group stays together. The tour is not at your own pace. We look forward to booking another tour through tripsite.
bozena • 3 months ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Shelly! Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you loved your first bike/barge adventure and enjoyed every aspect of it, including boat, captain, crew, chef, and tour guides. Your suggestions are valuable, and we appreciate your insights for future guests. We look forward to welcoming you on another memorable tour through TripSite.
Julie C.
4 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Classic or Luxury Famous Villages of Provence
France
We experienced the most amazing trip for our wedding anniversary. The self-guided tour was a great way to visit this beautiful region at your own pace. The hotels picked out were absolutely gorgeous and well situated, all the main sights were at walking distance. I have to say that the itinerary was a bit harder than we expected and there were some very steep (and long) climbs. We highly recommend this trip!
bozena • 4 months ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Julie, thank you for sharing your fantastic experience with us! We're thrilled to hear about your amazing wedding anniversary trip and that you enjoyed the self-guided tour, gorgeous hotels, and convenient locations. Your feedback on the itinerary is valuable, and we appreciate your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another memorable adventure in the future!
Patricia (Pat) B.
4 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
RJ and the crew on the Quo Vadis were amazing. Every day Rikko and Wim would lead us through beautiful countryside and lovely towns. They shared much history of the Mosel region and educated us about the vineyards and wine production. The pace each day allowed exploring in the towns and then time to relax before dinner. The meals were delicious with attractive presentation and kept us fueled for the day's ride. Thanks to Inma, Marianne and Kim for taking care of us. It was a great vacation that I would highly recommend - physically active, beautiful scenery, history and much fun with the other riders and crew!
MARIA DE LOURDES D.
4 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Amboise in the Loire Valley
France
Everything was perfect!! The bikes awesome. The places and the experience amazing! We had a wonderful time, even though the weather was not very good.
Julie E.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Caprice Provence - Wilderness of Camargue
France
Our guide Hugo was amazing! So knowledgeable and just a great person to cycle with. We loved the history of the area and the number of things we were able to see on the trip was really great. The bicycle was great and we moved efficiently together as a group. We were fortunate to have good weather despite the forecasts. Note that cabins are very small, but that they are also very efficient with lots of storage. Food by Nadia our chef was fantastic, and overall we loved the crew on this ship.
Criddle D.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
We loved the camaraderie of the fellow guests. Our tour guide Wim was knowledgeable and entertaining. The crew made every effort to ensure we were made welcome and looked after in every possible way. The food was wonderful! Our daily rides were full of great experiences and amazing scenery. Overall we loved our tour!
bozena • 5 months ago Tripsite Staff
Thank you for sharing your positive feedback! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed all aspects of your tour, and look forward to welcoming you back in the future.
David M.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique III Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
The Magnifique III Is a wonder boat with well appointed cabins and public space. The Mossell river is one of the prettiest and easiest to ride along. Getting to Metz from Paris was an easy train ride. We did not have to rush to the boat by 2 PM. The first day you get fitted on your bike and then are free until dinner. I would recommend an E -bike as there are sudden uphill grades and it make life easier. The GPS for your phone is very easy to follow So I would recommend that if you are traveling with a group of friends that the group goes self guided because there are many quaint villages along the way that you could see. The rides each day are from 22 to 37 miles and with the guide and take about 5 hours. The guides are on a schedule to meet the boat and not arrive early. They stop every 8-10+miles and linger for 30 minutes. Lunch is in nice towns but you do not have enough time to enjoy them. Overall, it was a beautiful trip however really fast and experienced riders would be frustrated.
The crew and guides change with each sailing so we cannot comment on our experience. I will say both crew and guides were extremely competent and friendly.
Mark G.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
The scenery, the history, the superior quality of the staff, the appealing pace of the active elements & the great food!
Caroline P.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Villages and Vineyards of Burgundy
France
This was a great trip for beginners - the hotels and bike journey were extremely well curated. These bike paths are also much more traveled than we were expecting (in a good way), but be sure to ask your tour provider to provide lunch options in the GPS route.
Jennifer K.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
Bike guides fantastic, boat crew amazing. So many wonderful memories to pick out just one. Beautiful bike paths, scenery
Dolores T.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
The bike tours were wonderful and the guides were very knowledgeable! The boat staff was great, they made you feel like family!
Jane Hempen H.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
The crew was outstanding❣️and the guides were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The food was superb
Susan H.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Quo Vadis Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
We had a wonder experience on our biking trip from Cochem to Metz. The Quo Vadis crew was superb. We wish RJ and family all the best on his retirement. The biking was beautiful all the way, but we especially loved the day we rode down the mountain back to Bernkastel-Kues. We loved the villages and vineyards. We would highly recommend this trip!
Silvia H.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
I had a wonderful time! The crew and guide were kind, friendly and helpful. The meals onboard were excellent. The guide was patient and confident. I appreciated his willingness. Thank you.
Jan S.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique III Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
What a wonderful tour that absolutely exceeded expectations. The barge was very comfortable, the bikes were great, as were the food, accommodations, staff, etc. Biking along the Moselle was incredible, I found myself repeating about the scenery, food, villages, people, "I could never tire of this!"
Loata S.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
We had an amazing time. The barge was quite spacious compared to the pics we saw and very comfortable. The food was amazing, our Chef Chris was too good with a 3 course meal at every dinner and he explains in detail every course. We had some great food. Biking through the Loire Valley was just beautiful. We cycle through vineyards, farmlands, little French villages & towns, watched boats going thru locks and sailed through a canal over the Loire River. We did some wine tasting and pastries, quiches. The list goes on. We totally love it. Just a side note, there was no spare electric bike, cos one of the girls wanted to change to an Electric Bike and there was none. Other than that it was totally amazing ❤️
Ritchie D.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
Amazing food, every meal!
Personable and knowledgeable staff.
Even tho it was our guide (Ed)’s first tour on the route, he managed to sleuth out some great sites, side routes and stops. He was a fun guide yet responsible.
The overall route was beautiful.
I would make one suggestion about the barge: in the cabin where we stayed there was too little storage space. This could be easily remedied by adding hooks and small shelves.
Lisa W.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
Arriving in Nevers I was surprised at how difficult it was to get a taxi at 4:30 pm and no ride share companies, took well over an hour.
Was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was, Chris has a great personality and a fabulous chef. Sara, served us well and the bike/barge trip was good. It was slow season so towns we rode to were pretty but desolate.
Lorraine R.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France
The bike and barge was amazing,
The group of 21 related well and had many happy times, riding and chatting after the day.
The ride leaders did a great job, especially with the changes necessary due to the lock closures.
Great adventure, recommend this highly.
susan o.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Magnifique III Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
Loved the tour of the Reichsburg castle. To think that it is still standing intact after 100's of years is amazing!
Marci S.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
This was my first bike & barge trip, any type of bicycling tour, and it definitely will not be my last! The Clair de Lune was more than comfortable, from the beds to the dining area. The food our chef Chris put out exceeded my expectations, every single dinner was plentiful and tasty. Most memorable was his Thai soup! Bicycling through all the ancient, small towns and along the canals was absolutely beautiful- a memorable trip in EVERY way. Ed, our bicycling guide, always gave us enough time to tour each area we stopped at, which was most appreciated. I am already looking to find a tour to do with my husband, as this one was a girl's trip - 13 of us!
My only recommendation would be to change the wording on the application, instead of calling the bicycle a "HYBRID" perhaps change it to "MANUAL with gears"... as I honestly thought a hybrid could do both, electric & manual.
Thank you for a wonderful trip!
John A Davis • 2 months ago
Yes! I had the same problem: "Hybrid" is not like the cars where there is gas and battery for power. Hybrid in TripSite language is Road and Dirt capable(and a couple million cobblestones! haha)
Lauren H.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
Everything was great! Exceeded my expectations. I would recommend a GoPro !
Lauren H.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
Everything was great! Exceeded my expectations. I would recommend a GoPro !
Ralph C.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Loire Valley - Tours to Angers
France
This ride was a mix of flat and hilly days with the last day longer and hillier than the rest. One of our riders was "fit" and in his 60's and had no difficulties; I, fortunately, upgraded to an e-bike and managed fine but struggled the week before on several of the Amboise based rides (I am 74 and a lifetime rider). In Read More addition to the subjective difficulty rating, it would be helpful to include the total elevation change in the tour listing so one can better decide between a regular bike and e-bike.
The other complaint was the quality of the maps and instructions. They are not adequate without the app that was provided though I was told the maps and ride instructions would be sufficient. (I've seen some comments on other tours about app problems, too.) I was expecting maps and instructions of the quality provided on rides in the past and these were dissimilar. Sign posting was generally good but not always. The app did manage to keep us on track, however. The app also routed us to the destination city but not to the hotel so we had to use google to find the hotel. All part of the adventure, I suppose.
The bikes were flawless and appropriate for the roads and the support from Tripsite before and during the tour, especially with my last minute request for an e-bike upgrade was excellent and greatly appreciated - a big shout out to the Tripsite team. This was our 4th Tripsite trip and we look forward to our next one.
Kimberly F.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Stella Burgundy & Provence E-Bike & Boat
France
Loved this tour. The scenery was beautiful , the historic sights amazing and our guides Sarina and Fabien were wonderful. They prepared delicious picnic lunches each day, so pretty they were worthy of a food magazine cover. The winery tour was really fun but I think my favorite part was the last days ride through the Ardeche canyon. We met up with a herd of goats who were completely unpreturbed by our presence or that of the several vehicles they blocked!
Kathryn B.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Castles of the Loire
France
Cycling through the stunningly beautiful and varied landscapes. Not to be rushed and stop for coffee breaks to enjoy watching the locals .
Ann L.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
I thought the whole trip was fantastic, the scenery so beautiful.
The length of the rides could have been a little longer - which a few of us took advantage on a couple of occasions to ride extra kilometres..
The guide’s first on this Trip, and the bikes were not in expected condition hence my 4..
Hannah D.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Corsica E-Bike Tour
France
Riding up Restonica Gorge outside of Corte really showcased the rugged beauty of this island. The pedal-assist bikes were necessary and very good quality. We appreciated our guide Georg who had encyclopedic knowledge of the history and geography of Corsica, among many other things. As the only Americans in this all-German group, we still still achieved a lively camaraderie by the end of the week. Two of the hotels were wonderful, charming and stylish; two other hotels were disappointing in their setting and service level (from someone who is picky about hotels!). Bring layers for cycling - even in hot weather there were shady downhills that got very chilly!
judy l.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Clair de Lune Loire Valley Bike & Boat
France
Crew was engaging and friendly.
Hats off to Chris the food was delicious.
Bike maintenance was sub par. My front bikes never worked. Some riders had Saddle issues, chains/derailers not shifting correctly. One of the e-bikes was broken and the guest was forced to ride hybrid bike. Another ebike should have been offered to her.
Ed, our guide did the best he could regarding the route since he was not familiar with the area. Most of the ladies were under the impression there was going to be more wine tastings along the way. I was there to cycle and easily could’ve done 60 miles a day or more. I realize there was many different cycling levels in the group. I personally own Mtn ebike and an analog mountain bike. I wasn’t too impressed with the e-bikes provided.
Kevin C.
5 months ago
Verified Reviewer
Loire Valley - Orléans to Tours
France
We bookended our self-guided cycling tour with a few days in Paris at both ends of the tour. We were glad that we gave ourselves time to adjust to the nine-hour time difference and the attendant rigors of travel before getting on our rental bikes in Orleans. Taking a few days at the end before Read More returning home gave us an opportunity to visit the Palace at Versailles, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, as well as learning how to navigate the Paris Metro and RER transit systems without the pressure of catching a flight or a train.
Our tour was customized at our request to include the routes of three six-day tours offered by Tripsite, run back-to-back. If we were to do this tour again, we'd include some extra overnight stays in the tour to give us a chance to spend more time doing activities off the bike.
We elected to purchase a dinner package. This was helpful as it made sure we had reservations at suitable restaurants where we sampled French haut cuisine that we likely would have missed had we not bought the package. In France, many smaller towns have limited dinner service on Sunday and Monday evenings, so having reservations in advance saved us from going hungry a couple of times. We also elected to purchase a château tours package, as we anticipated long lines at the ticket windows for château tours.
Our accommodations were excellent. All of them were well suited to cycle tourists, providing safe and secure places to park our bicycles overnight.
The rental bikes we used were very suitable for touring and well-maintained, and came with repair kits that came in handy when we experienced a couple of flat tires. The rental service was very accomodating when we wanted to change our pedals to SPD-style pedals and replace a non e-bike with an e-bike during the tour. The e-bike had a removable battery so we could charge it in our hotel room.
Tripsite provided an app for our smartphones, “Roadbook for Discovery.” The app proved to be useful for navigating the trip stages as it would notify us when we were off-course, provide use with descriptive information for places of interest and the availability of food and picnic areas along and near the route. It also includes an “SOS” feature that we did not need to use. Having the routes on our GARMIN GPS devices with European cycling maps would have been an improvement in navigating the routes. We learned to rely on the Loire Vélo road signs for most of our journey. Having a GPS is helpful when the "official" route is blocked or detoured.
All Tour Reviews by Country
Boat/Barge Reviews
- Liza Marleen
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