France Tour Reviews — 391 to 420 of 735

4.5 out of 5

 


Pierre S.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France

The two-week trip on the Zwaantje from Paris to Bruges was awesome! The crew of the ship and the tour guide were exceptional. The food, prepared by Frank, was consistently top-notch and interestingly varied day-to-day. Our guide, Geert, provided us with an excellent selection of sites, of which he had encyclopedic knowledge. The captain, Martijn, was also very engaging with the guests. Daily rides were easy to occasionally moderate, providing us with a satisfying riding experience. Almost all of the riding was in open country or small, rural towns, which we loved. However, riding in and out of the larger towns, while of necessity, did present some typical urban challenges to the bicyclists. Overall this trip is highly recommended. Pierre and Laurie

Beckie S.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The Heart of the Tarn River Valley
France

We were at hotel Les Magnolias. We had a fabulous holiday, some of our prettiest riding quiet roads and well planned days. Staff were wonderful and always available. Thank you for one of our best holidays

Kathleen S.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France

I broke my wrist while half way through the trip. Everyone was very kind and supported me to make sure I was included in most activities.

Robert E.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The Heart of the Tarn River Valley
France

Our group of eight greatly enjoyed our experience at Les Magnolias and especially appreciated the personalized hospitality of Claudia, supported by her always-courteous and attentive staff. We really give highest marks to the quality of the food, cleanliness of the rooms and facilities, selection of bikes and, of course, the amazing scenery and sites of interest. Thank you so much for a great week!! We will be back some day!

Sharon K.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fleur Montargis to Paris
France

This trip is not accurately described. Most of our group found the biking to be quite challenging, yet it was rated as "Easy to Moderate". This is a misrepresentation and should be adjusted. On the first day, one our group had to be taken to the hospital due to the heat and exertion. The captain of Le Fleur could use some lessons in hospitality. He and his crew occupied the salon every evening for their meal after we ate, and then they stayed there for the evening. This put the guests out on the back deck as the only alternative -- and then he scolded us when we were laughing due to the noise. The captain did not treat us like guests, but the other team members were friendly. The fact that we sailed with the captain's young daughter and their large dog was a surprise. I would not recommend this boat, but enjoyed the sites and activities. I have taken two other bike and barge tours, and this one did not compare favorably.

Doreen S.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Bourg / Blaye was a wonderful ride with minimal traffic and enough gradient to make it interesting. The fortified town at Blaye was an interesting diversion from vineyards. In all a well organized tour with excellent staff. The bikes were a little heavy but that gave me an excuse for an extra creme brûlée!

Sam
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

A GREAT experience on a bike & barge trip! I LOVE Bordeaux and the bike routes were beautiful !!! absolutely amazing from the start to the end.
The staff members were superb and we had fun !!!
I highly recommend this trip !!!

Steve & Ginny B.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Thank you for arranging our bike/barge trip on the MS Bordeaux.

We cannot tell you enough good about MS Bordeaux, the Captain and his crew. It was so enjoyable to arrive on board, unpack for eight days, and relax. On other bike rides, we unpacked every night and repacked every morning. I think another bike/barge is in order. Tim LaMonte and I are researching next year’s ride already!

The food was exceptional (except for one night when the chef was off. My red mullet was raw and not cooked. Can you spell Y-U-C-K?). Every day, we packed our lunches (except when we did our walking tour of Bordeaux with Sebastian, see below.) Desserts were yummy!

The bike rides were great and we discovered fantastic wines!

There were 84 passengers on-board. A large group was from Australia, some from Canada, Switzerland and the USA. Even though those of on the non-guided ride tour rode at different speeds, we continuously found each, and other helped each other find our way Read More

Lee F.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

It was an altogether pleasant experience; the highlight was the lovely little village of Saint-Émilion.

Patti P.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France

The best part was traveling with friends. I would have enjoyed more information about the area and towns we were traveling through.

Karen T.
5 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France

The staff and crew of the Anna Marie were very friendly and helpful but over all, if this was my first bike and barge trip, it would probably would have been my last. The accommodations were small, we knew that going in but because space was so limited, there was nowhere to hang the towels to dry properly so they should have been changed a little more frequently. The mattress on the bunk bed also needed to be changed as it was old and hard to sleep on.
The food at breakfast was the same for 7 days, as were the luncheon meats. The bread was fabulous but could have been switched up with some protein like eggs to start the day. The dinners were, on most occasions, tasty and delicious but lacked quantity after a long bike ride.
My biggest complaint was the cost of the water. The days were hot, the stores and restaurants along the way were closed and for the temperature we should have been provided with water or somewhere to fill our bottles. The boat charged too much Read More

Eileen A.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Clair de Lune Around Paris
France

Most Memorable? For me the day we cycled through the city of Paris. We got to experience a very authentic side of Parisian life, zooming along the myriad of bike paths with the locals, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells and knowing we were in the capable hands of our guide. Having a guide removes all of the navigational stress and allows for the freedom to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Gary F.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Zwaantje Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France

Great trip, great barge, well organized, a list of fellow passengers for each cabin would have been helpful from the start
Keep in mind the MPS Zwaantje does provide hairdryers for each cabin, provides WiFi- a truly upscale barge.

Jeff K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Beautiful chateaus. Great wine. Not allowed to drink in cabin. Cabin extremely small. Shower barely fit one person. Guide excellent. No sauna or hot tub. I would recommend this trip but not this boat (the Bordeaux).

Pauline J.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Feniks Bruges to Paris
Belgium, France

The crew of the Feniks, provided the most amazing experience. The food simple satisfying and enjoyable. Food fresh, tasty, and cooked well by the Nelje. Marius and Reinhold, provided amazing care of all our needs The accommodation small, efficient and clean. You always slept well. The guide Nina with her amazing knowledge showed us her secret places, backroads, canal paths, and bike paths. She encouraged all riders while challenging us beyond what we thought we could do. As a experience it exceeded my expectations. Looking for a different French/Belgium experience do this trip you never forget it. Will do another trip this way, and if possible on the Feniks...

Pam M.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Feniks Paris to Reims
France

A great trip in many ways. Good staff - helpful and friendly. Good scenic route with chances to visit places of interest, very good food. Only draw back was problems with 3 out of 4 'E' bikes and a lack of expertise in how to fix them causing stress to some riders.

Ann B.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fleur Montargis to Paris
France

The time on the boat was fun and enjoyable. Your description of the bike ride being easy to moderate was way off. It should have been described as hard to difficult!! It was very misleading.

Eileen F.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Fleur Montargis to Paris
France

Awesome trip with a wonderful crew. The only misleading part was the description of easy to moderate biking. The hills of France made this trip more difficult than expected.

John Manley
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

The Heart of the Tarn River Valley
France

This is a fantastic tour in a very beautiful part of rural France. The hotel is very comfortable, consisting of a series of very old but beautifully restored buildings together with some sympathetically designed modern extensions. These include a covered pool and a large paved outdoor area shaded by the huge magnolias that give the hotel its name. The hotel has its own restaurant offering excellent food at very reasonable prices. The special dinner offered on Saturdays features regional produce and is worth far more than its E29 price tag.
There are a dozen or more excellent day rides that can be made using the hotel as a base. Your host Claudia will suggest rides to suit your interests and riding capabilities and will provide very clear maps and directions. However - be warned - the surrounding countryside is stunningly beautiful but there are hills! Unless you are a strong rider you may wish to consider the electric bike option that is available.
This is probably the best of the half dozen or so bike tours we have done in France and Italy. We will be back!

Wendy K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France

The crew on this barge and bike trip were outstanding. The weather was unseasonably hot and adjustments were made to the schedule to accommodate everyone's comfort. The route and attractions were well planned and interesting. We had some difficulty with the bikes provided by HAT tours - several (5 in total) punctures and one unfixable issue with a bike. This meant delays whilst the tiress were being repaired - approximately 1 hour per puncture. This meant that we missed out on seeing some of the attractions and had to cut short our time at others. The unfixable problem meant that one volunteer had to return to the boat via taxi and forego the rest of that day's itinerary. I would like to congratulate the crew on this tour as they did their utmost to ensure that these issues kept the disruption to a minimum. The group of travelers were also a very friendly and tolerant group of people who got on well. This also assisted in managing the issues with the bikes.
My Read More

Bruce K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Anna Maria IV Loire Valley Bike and Boat - 2019
France

Roman, Matilde and guide Ari, couldn't do enough to make welcome and please our entire group, especially during some minor technical difficulties that were not of their making. The quality of the bikes, whether due to model, age or degree of maintenance is something that our entire group of eighteen agreed is an area that could be looked at HAT tours; a lot of pressure fell upon the Anna Maria crew (especially Ari) to rectify faults not of their making. A less flexible and tolerant group of paying passengers might have made for an uncomfortable trip.

Neil M.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Most Memorable Part: The accommodations, the staff and of course cycling through all the beautiful country side.

Brenda A.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Lakes of the French Alps
Switzerland, France

Thoroughly enjoyed! Hotel staff were a wealth of knowledge and so friendly!

Nelson G.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

We had a great time riding through Bordeaux’s beautiful wine country. Our trip was enjoyable for our entire group of varying cycling abilities. The E-bikes made it easy for those that needed them. The staff was excellent and very personable. We were treated as art of the family. We are looking forward to our next cycling adventure.

Kevin Armstrong
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Paris to London
France, England

Very nice tour following much of the Avenue Verte. Girolibero and Adriano were fantastic hosts on the unguided tour from Paris to London. The route was probably a little more unpaved then I expected an as such would not recommend bringing your own road bike to do the tour. We met and road with some amazing people from around the world making new friends and seeing areas that were amazing sites in the small villages and countryside.

Rose B.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Alsace Road Bike Tour
France

The trip in Alsace, France was an amazing way to see the French countryside, wine region and the local community. The route choices were amazing, almost no cars the entire time and the hotels and restaurants were very aware of how the system worked and how to support us on our trip. I would highly recommend this trip to any expert cyclist.

Paul K.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Bordeaux Bordeaux - Châteaux, Rivers & Wine
France

Having a guide for this trip was very beneficial. For the first 3 days our guided group consisted of 30+ people. This was too large of a group and was pretty much a pain. We eventually broke into a group of 8 riders with Dorian as our guide, that was perfect. We were able to travel at a much more leisurely pace, visit many wineries, tasting rooms, small villages and churches.

Linda H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Castles of the Loire
France

Excellent routes, well marked and the Châteaus are breath taking. Make sure you have a rain coat.

Linda H.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

  Clair de Lune Around Paris
France

Sailing into Paris in the seine was spectacular, what a way to get acquainted for the first time and also enjoy how Parisiennes live and play along the river. Make sure you bring your sunscreen.

Michael S.
6 years ago

Verified Reviewer

Luxury Castles of the Loire
France

The Loire environment was wonderful, and the well planned routes through the area, with so much off road or quiet road cycling was exceptional. The accommodation and overall organization was of excellent standard.
The one piece of feedback that you should receive concerning the bicycles is that they needed servicing. There was significant slippage of the gears throughout the trip, on both bicycles. This can very simply be fixed with appropriate servicing of the chain and rear cluster.