5 Star France Tour Reviews — 361 to 390 of 447
Nancy P.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
We had a very enjoyable trip with beautiful scenery, good rides and pretty good weather most of the time. The Route maps and detailed instructions could be improved upon. There were several mistakes on which way to turn as well as confusing instructions. Luckily, we had GPS with us to help out in various situations.
The food was very tasty, esp. the dinners. Great young chef.
One thing which bothered us was that we were told not to bring any wine aboard the boat - we were to only purchase wine that was available on the boat via the token machine. Odd, since we were traveling and bicycling in Bordeaux WINE country, visiting chateaus daily!! We think that there should be another arrangement in that area. It's apparently a financial situation although it was explained that they didn't want wine spills in the cabin. A damage deposit could be arranged if that's really the issue.
Otherwise, the staff, bikes and experience was great. This was our 3rd Bike/Barge trip with TripSite. Gladly recommend it often to others. We especially enjoyed St. Emilion (tour of monolithic church was amazing!) and riding to/from Blaye and touring the Citadel.
wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks so much for your feedback Nancy, it is so helpful to us and others interested in the tour! For the 2017 season, all routes, maps, descriptions and presentations are being redone and will be much improved! The wine policy has also been updated and clients will be able to drink wine on board in the lounge, restaurant and on deck, but not in the cabins. Clients will also, with a corkage fee, be able to drink their own wine purchased off the boat. St. Emilion and the citadel in Blaye were the highlights for me as well, so glad you enjoyed it!
Janet Ashley
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Around Paris
France
We took this trip from Compiegne to Moret-sur-Loing in September. It was just perfect in every way. There were eight in our group and Marco made us feel like family. The bike ride along the Seine was just beautiful with views one would never see from a car. There is so much activity along the river and in the evening we were guided around the towns where the barge was moored for the night. The bike ride through Paris was personally terrifying for me, but was also a thrill. I would probably do it again. Our guide Yought was full of stories and also very supportive. I could not have done it without him. WE all appreciated Kim who prepared wonderful meals with great variety and was always there to welcome us back at the end of the day. This was the perfect bike/barge trip. We are now thinking about taking a trip in Holland with the Clair de Lune.
Rod C.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Castles of the Loire
France
The amazing all inclusive 3-4 course dinners at the end of the day were great. The castles were great to see.
Lynn L.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Provence - Wilderness of Camargue
France
I really enjoyed the off-road trails and quiet back roads near Aigues Mortes.
Deborah O.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
Barge, service, guide, food, comfort, weather and on and on...all great.
Joyce K.
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
We really enjoyed the trip but the self-guided instructions could have been better. We relied on Google maps more than we should have had to; would have been quite lost without it.
We were a very small group and we all got along very well and became friends throughout the week.
wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Thanks for you feedback Joyce! For the 2017 season, all routes, maps and descriptions have been redone which will greatly help those doing the self-guided option. So glad you made some new friends, a great perk to a bike and boat tour!
Richard A.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
My companion and I broke from the main group and visited a small vineyard and were given a complete tour including a tasting by the owner
Ray G.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Southern Burgundy
France
Hotel and food were superb. The bike routes were wonderfully scenic, quiet roads, lovely towns. The directions were mostly good and the GPS didn't work for us. I would highly recommend the trip.
Annette A.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
It was a fun week celebrating my birthday in the heart of Bordeaux with ten friends!
Richard M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
It was fun. I would recommend more bike trails away from the highways. The drivers were very courteous but we did not like riding on the side of highways. It felt dangerous and there was smell of exhaust.
Also, the charge for wine was at least double of what it should have been.
wendy • 7 years ago Tripsite Staff
Hi Richard, thanks for your feedback! We agree and that's why for the 2017 season, all routes, maps, and descriptions have been completely re-worked to provide a better biking experience for everyone!
Susan D.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
This trip was truly amazing. We cycled through beautiful countryside and visited spectacular vineyards. The only comment we have is that we didn't like using tokens for our drinks on board the ship. Would rather use a credit card. Also would like to have a choice of meals ie fish, meat or veggie rather than only one choice. Food was great but choice is important.
Barbara T.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
La Belle Fleur Lorraine Tour
France, Germany, Luxembourg
This trip was most enjoyable and the cities and scenery were gorgeous.
Deborah C.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
La Belle Fleur Lorraine Tour
France, Germany, Luxembourg
This was a very nice trip. Scenery, bike routes, side trips were all very good. We had a terrific guide who interacted well with the group. The barge was very nice and the owners/crew were exceptional. The dinners could not have been better - Els is an amazing cook.
Gordon M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
The most memorable part of my trip was seeing the brilliant lights on the fabulous architecture of the historic buildings of Bordeaux. I was so impressed with these images against the skyline and the reflecting "mirror" pool in front of the buildings. We spent an evening walking along the boardwalk by the Garonne River and we could enjoy this breathtaking scenery.
Joanne M.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France
The most memorable part of my trip was being asked to push the large domino to start the "domino effect" which was a practice run for the "FAB Festival in Bordeaux". One evening, we walked by the colourful "Water Mirror", which is a famous kind of fountain in Bordeaux, and we stopped to examine one of the large dominoes which was made out of a white limestone substance. One of the organizers of the "FAB Festival" invited me to start the dominoes. I was thrilled to have such an honour. Everyone cheered. I will never forget it!
Christine C.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France
This was a fun trip full of historic sites. Would have liked to have maps so we could go off at our own speed sometimes. The side trips for additional mileage were great. Got to ride some of the "Tour de Flanders" route with cobbles and hills. Chantilly was fantastic! Also took a side adventure to a roman ruin, something we weren't expecting in that part of France.
Robert O.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Auxerre to Paris
France
The best part of this trip would be a toss-up between the ride in light rain from Joigny to Sens, the cruise up the Loing to Moret sur Loing, and the arrival at our mooring in Paris with Place de la Bastille in the background.
Linde, our guide, was very good. The roads/trails were a bit rougher in some places than we anticipated. We anticipated cramped quarters and they were as expected but quite serviceable. The bike worked well but a mountain bike with suspension would have been nice in some spots.
Pat T.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Auxerre to Paris
France
The boat was great and food wonderful. All staff couldn't have been nicer.
Janet E.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Auxerre to Paris
France
I am a tag-along non-bicycler, but I was really happy on the barge reading, drinking coffee and watching the enchanting scenery.
Tony Davies
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France
1. While the cabins are small, they are still adequate and good layout in the bathroom ( each cabin has it's own) . They are kept very clean. They all have AC as the porthole does not open.
2. The rides was rated easy to moderate. It was MUCH harder than Bolzano to Venice so be prepared. I would say it should be rated moderate. The second week is easier than the first - perhaps due to improved fitness but also l think there are less hills.
3. Meals were good and wholesome.
4. Staff were incredibly obliging. Nothing was too much trouble. Thank you Martyn ( the Captain ), Michael ( mechanic ), Chris ( chef/cook ), Gosha ( amazingly efficient at serving meals/alcohol and cleaning the cabins ) and our great guides, Christain and Elia.
5. Size of about 24 riders is excellent. For us, better than say 30-40 as on the Ava Maria. You get to Read More know all the riders are we had a great group of people, Australians, Americans and Poms.
6. When we stayed in Perrone we went to Villers Bretonneux. This is particularly relevant to Australians - whose troops saved the town from the Germans in WW1. A stunning memorial site -very moving. We also rode through a number of memorials to WW1 victims. Also quite moving.
Jim E.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Auxerre to Paris
France
Another great bike and barge trip on the Elodie!
Mirjam • 7 years ago
Thank you Jim, hope to see you back in May on our Tulip tour.
Jeff K.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Champagne Tour
France
The boat staff was great. Food, service and cleanliness was excellent.
Jim S.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fleur Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France
What stands out is the friendly competent crew - Coba, Marianne and Petra, the gourmet chef - Franco, the experienced knowledgeable guides - Piet and Wouter. Together they made the two week journey both comfortable and memorable.
Jim S.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Fleur Bruges to Paris or Paris to Bruges (copy)
Belgium, France
What stands out is the friendly competent crew - Coba, Marianne and Petra, the gourmet chef - Franco, the experienced knowledgeable guides - Piet and Wouter. Together they made the two week journey both comfortable and memorable.
Paul L.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Champagne Tour
France
The Zwaantje barge crew were most excellent - great accommodations, food and customer service!! I would take another bike and barge trip with this group....it was an experience of a lifetime!
Fulton A.
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Champagne Tour
France
Mega-kudos to the Zwaanje crew, headed by Martin. They're an extraordinary group.
Our guide, Mintje, was good and well-intentioned, but she sometimes didn't grasp entirely the group's priorities.
The route was fantastic -- scenery, length of rides, etc. The tours (champagne, brie, etc., were excellent, especially the family-owned company, Nowak. We learned things and had a lot of fun.
We appreciated how Martin and Mintje responded to our requests for flexibility in developing distance options for less- and more-eager riders.
Also, availability of electric bikes made it possible for spouses (of both sexes) to accompany on rides they usually wouldn't be able to do. We know electric bikes are controversial in some corners, but they made the trip possible for some of our group.
One last thing ... TripSite's PDF summarizing the ride, proposing packing lists, giving directions and tips, was excellent. Congratulations.
C. Whytehead
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
La Belle Fleur Lorraine Tour
France, Germany, Luxembourg
A good combination of biking and seeing the sites along the way. Plenty of time in the cities (Nancy, Metz) to wander around. This trip was not about putting on the miles every day on the bike but a good balance of biking and site seeing. Easy biking along canal paths mostly. Our guide got turned around a couple of times getting out of the cities. Els and Sander were great hosts on the barge. Very friendly. Els cooked me a birthday dessert one day that we enjoyed with our group after a day of biking. It was very hot in July and the air movement in the rooms was limited. A small fan would have been very much appreciated. As it was we slept with our door open (as did the others) just to get more air circulation. The barge is in very good condition. The bikes were brand new this season. They are owned by Els and Sander and not leased through a secondary company so they were in good working order.
D. Power
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Zwaantje Champagne Tour
France
The staff on the Zwaantje made the trip!
Y. Silverberg-Urian
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Famous Villages of Provence
France
At the start there was mix-up with our believing we were in Option A (written on receipt) but placed in Option B. Small issue but a surprise. Otherwise, maps worked fine once more used to the + or - aspect figured in to almost all mileage. We had a wonderful time!
D. Fish
8 years ago
Verified Reviewer
Iris Metz to Cochem
France, Luxembourg, Germany
The trip was enjoyable. Only drawback was that follow along Moselle River, some of the scenery of the vineyards became boring after a while. On previous trips we traveled more inland, seeing sights and then meeting up with barge at next destination.
All Tour Reviews by Country
Boat/Barge Reviews
- Magellan
- Magnifique I
- Magnifique II
- Magnifique III
- Magnifique IV
- Mare fan Fryslân
- Merlijn
- Florentina
- Normandie
- Princess
- Olympia
- Panagiota
- Pape Prvi
- Primadonna
- Princesse Royal
- Prinzessin Katharina
- Romantica
- RV River Kwai
- Sailing Home
- San Snova
- Sarah
- Stella
- Sundial
- Swiss Crown
- Thalassa
- Flying Dutchman
- Vietnamese Junks
- Vita Pugna
- Vivienne
- Wending
- Zwaan
- Zwaantje