5 Star France Tour Reviews — 91 to 120 of 583

The most memorable part of this trip was NOT the boat breakdown for 2 days but the absolutely beautiful , kindly, acceptance by everyone with the unfortunate circumstances. I did not hear one grumble or complaint by anyone on board. Everyone worked tirelessly and professionally to correct the issue and make alternate arrangements for the bikers. It was the biggest and best display of humankind working together to make things right. It was so heartwarming to experience such a wonderful situation especially during these very challenging world situations. I can’t praise us ALL enough for making the trip such an unforgettable experience.
Sincerely, Sally Coomber

I enjoyed all parts of this trip. Our guides, Alv and Hetty were very friendly, relaxed, and patient. They both were well informed, and provided interesting commentary and information along the way. When things did not go as planned, they always had another plan. Everyone was made to feel welcome and comfortable.
The bike paths along the river were incredible, easy to manoeuvre, and very scenic.
The meals on the barge were delicious. All the staff were friendly and courteous.
I’m looking forward to another trip wit Tripsite!

The highlight of our trip was the German city of Trier. There was so much to see in this ancient Roman city. We only scratched the surface, but the Black Gate, the huge cathedral, the beautiful gardens and the lovely city center were amazing. We happened to be there when they were celebrating Unity Day in Germany and there was a band playing, with people dancing and singing. That just made it so much more festive. My suggestion for others is: take this trip, you won’t regret it.

The barge crew, the fabulous food, our wonderful guide and meeting great people from all over the world made this trip ever so special. We came together as a team and simply had a lovely time. We needed to ride each day because Sara’s meals were delicious and we ate way too much. I mean that as a compliment, for sure!
The towns we biked to and through were beautiful to see. Our guide, Georgio, did his homework.
Can’t wait to do another trip. In fact, we already inquired about one through tripsite today!

The ambiance on board with all the guest cyclists was matched by the excellent service from all the staff. Both cycling guides were professional but more importantly they were fun to be with. The Mosel Rivers quiet charm and fairy tale villages made for a wonderful experience despite the rainy days.

The overall experience was great. Our guides were fantastic, the scenery was beautiful and the boat and rooms were super clean.

I have been on five bike and barge trips before, and this one was very special due to the crew on the Estello… Georgio, Our bike guide was full of history, fun and knowledge of the area. Sarah, our chef was absolutely amazing… We rode our bikes through some beautiful countryside as well as on many well paved paths…. Met so many nice people. Highly recommend this trip… I prefer the small or intimate bike and barge trips in this certainly met that criteria!

Having experienced and enjoyed bike and barge vacations for over 10 years, I can say, without a doubt, that the Clair the de Lune's crew were the most attentive, professional, and charismatic. Like most, we select our tours based on destination, daily tour activity, and pleasant docking locations. Those factors are easily researched. The wild cards are often the barge condition, crew personality, and of course, the dining experience. Marco resolved all those concerns by keeping an impeccable barge, bringing on chef Jenny, housekeeper Catalina and tour guide Dick. Our rooms were clean and include both heat and A/C. The dining was inventive and locally sourced. Daily tours were perfectly planned and well managed to optimize our group members. The adage that you must sacrifice amenities if you choose smaller comfort barges over the larger boats did not hold up. We had uncooperative weather (they dried our clothes), flat tire, chain issues (rapidly addressed), difficulties getting to the Briare train (they loaded up personal vehicles and drove their bikes to ensure our timely departures). Bravo Clare de Lune!

No control re. weather, the rest was first rate. Perhaps the cabins leave a little to be desired but what do expect from the a boat bike experience. In this case the trip still exceeded all expectations and we have sailed with a few boat groups. I may also add that Frank, our cook was worth the price of admission alone.

We had enjoyed a bike tour on the original QuoVadis 2 years ago and were amazed at the renovation to lengthen the ship into the Magnifique I. Our group had a fun week that was challenged with a variety of weather and the boat needing repair at Trier. Our guides, the captain, chef and staff were very creative to make sure, even though we were quite off schedule we still had our daily cycle and experiences and then some. The bicycles were new and easy to ride.

Simply put, this bike barge trip was outstanding in so many ways. The cycling was at the perfect pace thanks to the excellent leadership of our two guides, Alv and Anja. The serving and support staff were very attentive. The new bikes were in tip-top shape. The cabin on the Manifique 1 was smaller than our last bike barge, but it had everything we needed, was spotless and was made-up for us when we returned from our ride each day. Our breakfasts offered many choices, the opportunity to pack our own lunches allowed us variety each day and our chef provided gourmet dinners each evening. Our captain Patrick pitched in to help out staff as needed. Our fellow cyclists from three different countries enjoyed themselves and we enjoyed their company. Cycling through Germany, Luxembourg and France was an unforgettable experience.

The staff—Marco, Dick, Jenn, and Catalina—were wonderful, professional, knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly! The trip through the French countryside was awesome! The Clair de Lune Barge was comfortable, and clean! The food was delicious! It was a marvelous journey!

My wife and I had a wonderful time. The routes, the chateaus, the bikes, the app, the luggage transfers, and the lodging were all good. Thank you for an excellent experience!

The boat was smaller than the others I have been on for other bike trips but the crew was great!! Very friendly and helpful. Dick our guide was the BEST! THEeals were very good too

In May 2024 my two friends and I did this bike trip.
Tripsite was fabulous organising our hotels and bikes. The best part was by 9 am each morning our luggage was picked up and delivered to our next accommodation in a beautiful town. The e-bikes were perfect to make the days ride very pleasant. The paths are very well sign posted, so extremely easy to follow and the terrain was for the most part flat making the riding easy.
I’d recommend staying an extra night in Amboise and Tours, lots to see.
We used the standard accommodation, all a bit quirky but clean and comfortable enough for 1 night stay.
All the accommodation are geared up for cyclists, all having places to store the bikes and some even for charging e-bikes.
You will not be alone on the path passing other cycling enthusiasts. France is a cycling country so you’ll notice lots of families out as you get closer to towns.
We rewarded ourselves with a chateau stay once we finished at Tours, it was the best experience for all of us..
We enjoyed it so much we are now booking the next stage of the Loire river.. we could not get enough of the scenery and especially the beautiful Chateaux.....stunning.

Most memorable: Crossing the Briare Aqueduct was awsome. The barge, Clare de Lune, and the captain, chef, crew, and tour guide made our trip most enjoyable.

Most memorable was the bike riding on e-bikes and the fun we had with the other people.
Suggestions: - more shelves in the rooms on the boat, more chicken and French food included in the menus, more bike routes that were not in traffic .
Also, more cold cuts available that were not pork- like the ham... more turkey and possibly humus.
Also, it would have been helpful to have mirrors on the bikes... Also, would have liked to know earlier that the route was being changed because of the water level.
Would have liked more information and history on the areas where the boat was docked. Also, it was nice to have a wine tasting - but one was enough- 2 not necessary.

Day 2 cycle, and Strasbourg. Good balance of riding, time for sightseeing, good accommodations, and smaller paved pathways.

Magical trip thru the villages and vineyards of northern France and eastern Germany. This trip has a great pace for getting to feel the atmosphere of the region. Definitely would suggest anyone coming from a far distance give themselves a couple of days to acclimate before starting the trip!

Saint Emillion is an amazing place, no wonder it is an UNESCO World Heritage site. We did a wine tasting at a local Chateau and can highly recommend making time to do this on arrival. Chateau Saint Georges cote Pavie made us very welcome and only cost €18 each for a tour and we tasted 3 wines.

This trip was so well organized, plus the boat and crew were perfect. The food was based on local specialties and ingredients, cooked perfectly! (The cook did a great job with vegetarian options too!) I loved seeing the quieter rural areas of southern France via bike and boat, it was perfect!

We had a trip of a lifetime. Everything about this trip was great. The hotels were very nice, we opted for top tier hotels. The only thing I wish we could change was more time in the day. There was more to do and see them we had time for. The bikes we perfect for the task and the bike handoff was excellent. Baggage handling was great. There was only one issue and we held some responsibility in the mistake, but it was corrected quickly. Thank you all for making my wife's dream of riding through the Loire Valley come true.

We really enjoyed this trip! The crew of the boat was wonderful and the meals were excellent! The landscape for biking was primarily flat and beautiful. I found the times we encountered motorists on our trail to be very safe. Our guide was experienced, energetic and made this trip so memorable!

The Canal du MIDI bike trip was an excellent and slow way to see the beauty of the countryside and experience the hospitality of locals. There was enough time at the end of each day to explore the villages and see the sights. Can highly recommend this bike ride. It was also fun to meet other cyclists.

Experiencing the great scenery, this was our very first trip to Europe. Loved it our ship, crew, guides were all first class.

It was all amazing. We especially enjoyed biking through the vineyards.

Visiting Saarburg and Treier. Eating delicious food. Being on board with a great group of people. And the crew who helped us. Riding through the different towns and being able to see life from their view.

The most memorable part of the trip was being guided by competent guides and entertained by International riders along the breathtaking Moselle. Tips: consider taking a Camelbac to have easy access to water and a clothesline and soap to wash clothes since it was hot and our clothes needed to be refreshed in the middle of the trip.

The trip was a lot of fun. The day trips were well planned and with fun stops to eat and see attractions. The food was excellent every day! Our guide Helmut was great. It is all about the people you meet and the trip you enjoy together.

This tour was a 10 out of 10 from the crew to the food. The routes were spectacular with a lot of variety and levels for all. I am an experienced rider, but not long distance. Since this was my first bike vacation, I rented an e-bike. By the end of the trip a few others switched over to e-bikes. I wanted to enjoy the tour and also be able to walk at the end of the day. From seeing the white horses of Provence to the wine and olive oil tastings, every day was memorable.