5 Star France Tour Reviews — 1 to 30 of 583

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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.

Chef Sara was fantastic!! The food was wonderful every single night. Our guide Giorgio was informative and fun, which made our rides very enjoyable.

I well guided tour with beautiful sites! we could not be happier with the accommodations, food and hospitality we found on this tour. Highly recommend.

We have taken other bike trips; however this experience was the most fun and memorable! Georgio our guide, his knowledge of the area was amazing. He packed in as much or less as our group wanted. His dry humor was really fun to be around. We miss him already! The food, amazing! Sara was our chef; the meals were perfect. The care she takes, and what she can put out in a 12 hour day is crazy. A fresh baked tart every morning, fruits, cheeses, meats, homemade granolas and yogurt. The deserts each night, were so....good! Sarita was the house manager. It being her first week, she did an outstanding job! The entire team acted as if they had been working together for years. We felt so lucky that we had such a great crew. Because it is a small group of 20 guests, you become friends fast. Each night a couple of guests would stand up and roast some of the other guests, it was so fun! We sang songs and played games after dinner every night. It was like summer camp for adults, a big sleep over. We will definitely be booking another trip!

Everything was excellent! Staff, guides, food, the boat, bikes, and the itinerary. We loved the small group experience -25 guests. We got to know everyone:)

Iris and all the staff were terrific. Food was superb. Guides were very good. All around a great experience for our group of 12

We had an amazing time. Just biking through those beautiful landscape, the delicious food and amazing wine made that trip unbelievable.

We had a wonderful time. Thank you for taking care of us. All the accommodations where great. The luggage transfers were flawless, and the bike were fun to ride.