France Tour Reviews — 691 to 720 of 981

Jantien and Henk, our hosts on the Merlijn, were the daily highlight. Amazingly gracious, spirited, knowledgeable people.

Most Memorable Part? How beautiful the country looked. Our first time to Europe. France made a big impression and hope to return. Merci beaucoup

Tips: Pack light. Bring layers of clothing. People great. Barge crew and bike guide wonderful!!

The trip was amazing!! It was exactly as described. There were no surprises. The bikes were very comfortable and perfect for the trip we were on. The boat and the sights were amazing. I loved the staff, the food, and the guide. If you are new to biking, I highly recommend spending some time on a bike before you go just to get used to handling it in both traffic and on dirt trails in the forest. Enjoy!

Most Memorable Part? The scenery & the crew from the Feniks.

Most Memorable Part: The friendly relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of the barge and staff.

The group was excellent. We had a great time together. Jean and I were the only Americans aboard but everyone spoke English.
This trip, rated moderate, was the most challenging of the four tours we have booked thru Tripsite since 2012. It stretched us to the limits of our biking abilities.
The tour was thru pleasant countryside but lacked the highlights of our previous tours- no Eiffel Tower, Venice canals or Pont du Gard.
The barge itself was a weak point, although it was not advertised as a strength.
Most disappointing was the food, especially the evening meals featuring mostly starches- pasta, mashed potatoes, quinoa and rice. Don't know whether this was a budget or skills problem.
The guide was excellent, competent, friendly and caring.
The bikes themselves were mostly good although there were some minor problems-with a tire once and an ebike battery that didn't fully charge overnight. Giro Libero bikes were in better condition than those of Hat Tours based on our two tours with each of them.
The Loire Valley tour was enjoyable, but the weakest of the four trips we have taken.
Our fondest memories will be those of great conversations, lots of laughs with new friends we will probably never see again and a sense of accomplishment for what was for us an arduous trek.
As a tip for others, as I mentioned to bike and barge rookies, check out other trips as advertised in Tripsite's catalog.

Most Memorable Part: Scenery along the route and the knowledge and experience of our guide.

Most Memorable Part? Excellent group that interacted very well from the onset.

Most Memorable Part: Biking into Paris with a very experienced and supportive guide.

I have enjoyed the Castles of the Loire bike trip in France very much. This was my first organized bike trip. The scenery was beautiful, and the architecture was stunning. The meals were delicious. I have recommended this trip to my friends. I am looking forward to my next bike trip in France.

Most Memorable Part: The friendliness of the local villagers and our fellow travellers.

When a vacation is better than your expectations, as it was, it is vundarbar.

The boat and the bikes were good, the food was good and sufficient, the crew was friendly and helpful. The scenery was not always beautiful, part of the tour leads through industrial area.

The Barge Iris was outstanding to say the least. 24 guests were the perfect number, not too many, not too few, the crew was over and above terrific, the food was something we looked forward to each day and the whole experience was memorable.

The Itinerary was very well planned out and the staff were all amazing!!!! This was the perfect trip for our group!!!!

Most Memorable Part: Getting to pilot the boat for a few minutes.

Comfortable riding each day through lovely French countryside. A map of the day’s route for personal use would be a big help. Stefan and Florence are delightful, welcoming hosts providing excellent delicious meals. Make sure to spend a day on the barge during your trip - a definite highlight.

Most Memorable Part: Riding through the small villages from Bruges to Paris. Nina was a great guide also. I really enjoyed the night walks for a better inside view of village life... the Van Gogh experience was the highlight for me.

After bicycling over 300 miles it was good to relax and see Paris from the water as we cruised to our final moorage on the Seine.

We met a lot of really nice people. We were surprised that our guide was largely unfamiliar with the route!

Get an ebike if you have any doubts about your ability to do the biking. I am not a biker but was able to do the hills around Bordeaux because of the ebike. Most memorable moments was just the ride through the vineyards themselves, past the chateauxs.

Most Memorable Part? Everything! The other cyclists, the barge crew, the food and of course the Champagne was all amazing!

Most Memorable Parts: Biking, local information, meals.

The trip was excellent, as attested by this being our 4th one. We will definitely be booking more. The route was good, although France lacks the same quality of bicycle paths that Belgium and The Netherlands have. There was a bit of climbing and some of the women in the group were very happy to have an electric bike option for those climbs. The barge was very clean and quite nice. The staff was excellent and really made you feel as part of the family. They went over and above for most everything. The food was very good and plentiful. The highlight of the Brugge to Paris ride would have to be Chantilly and entering Paris on the barge. The sights were incredible and seeing them from the water gave a whole different experience. The guides were great and the system of having "corners" and a "sweep" meant that no-one got lost and we could still ride at different paces. I am convinced, and I tell this all the time to anyone who listens, that these bike/barge trips are the best value for your money, period. There is no better way to see a country, than by bicycle.

Everything was great. Just did not like the room and bathroom size.

First day ride and exceptional lunch along the canal. Recommend more info on options to stop, eat, etc along the routes. Also recommend better bike maintenance - both bikes had shifter/derailer issues. Transfer of bikes and luggage went very smoothly. Hotels were all great, except the one in Freiburg - run down and rude front desk staff.

We enjoyed St Emilion which we explored on our own. We should have been told what there was unusual to see in all of the ports that we were in at the beginning of the trip so that if reservations were necessary at sights that interested us we could have made them. Sebastian worked very hard at making sure that we had a great time on the boat. We were part of a learning experience and work in progress for Pascal.

The scenery was wonderful. Biking around the French countryside — what could be bad? HOWEVER, this trip should not be taken unless the client is assured that the barge has replaced their current bikes (as they say they will for 2018) with lighter bikes in perfect working order. They should make sure that there are bikes of all sizes, so that a small person (I am 5’) will get a properly fitted bike. I biked the entire week on a 6-speed rusty heavy old bike. Even the bell and kickstand didn’t work.

Most Memorable Part: St. Emilion and the disco party on the boat the last night