France Tour Reviews — 121 to 150 of 932

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!

What a great way to explore several cities by bike! If you're seeking fun, exercise, meeting other like minded cyclists, this is a must do!

Biking riding component.

The gluten free option was absolutely not satisfactory. When arriving it was not noted. The chef said we had to come see him. We paid 120 euros and we only received two pasta meals and bread for lunch and a cookie jar. The bread put out was 2 slices for each gf person. The rest could have as much as they wanted. The shopping should have been done before hand in Paris where there are gf bakeries not the same stuff we can buy. We got what was in the pantry.
One meal we got baked apples for dessert. How are 2 pastas, 2 slices of bread per day and a baked apple worth 120E? It is totally not appropriate to charge so much after already paying a lot for the trip. It seems like a cash grab as there were three of us. Whomever makes this decision should be ashamed of themselves. Fair $ for fair service. We should all be reimbursed!

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.

The small towns that we went into were amazing. The trails and trail maps were perfect and the bike we were given were great. They were smooth riding and handled great.

We didn't receive information soon enough about your recommendation to fly in and out of Frankfurt - our travel time was more difficult and longer than necessary. The information you sent was great but way too late to impact our travel.

We loved the trip and were only well prepared for weather because of information we received from someone who had done it this time of year before. Again more information sooner than a month before....

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.

The riding and sights we saw as we rode. Our tour guides we awesome and the boat staff were too.
The food was first class and the new friends unforgettable.

We have 1 complaint. The room and storage were insufficient. It looks like they designed the renovation on looks alone and not practicality.

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!

We had a wonderful week on the Clair de Lune. The barge is small and the cabins tiny but when we went through the locks with less than an inch to spare, the width was understandable. The captain, Marco, was delightful. He spent time with us every evening and improved the quality of our trip with his presence. Dick, our guide, has excellent and has a great sense of humour!
Food was good. Highlights included visiting the Abbey de Fontmorigny and meeting its owner, Dominique, and visiting le Château de Meauce. A special experience was being taken inside the private and beautifully renovated living space of Cèdric & Séverine Mignon! The crew adapted well the the changes necessitated by damage to the canal near Briare. The bike paths as well designed and maintained and I felt very safe travelling on them. I’d highly recommend this type of a holiday.

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!

Staff, food and biking experience were all first class. Rooms on Manufique 1 were small and needed more shelf space to put small things. Small round stool should be replaced with a small table with drawers. Air conditioning was broken down for last 3 days of the trip. Small rooms were therefore hot for sleeping. Beverage prices were very reasonable. The staff were really great. Would book again but maybe on a larger boat in their fleet..

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.

First day as we cycled to Sancerre it was a trip of high hills, made manageable with ebikes. The views were spectacular! Visits to two chateaus were memorable.

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.

In my opinion, trip should not have been classied as EASY TO MODERATE
Rather. Moderate to difficult. Riding on major highways, small villages with car parking on both sides of road, little room to navigate. Very few actual bike lines especially along busy roads

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

Annita is a great tour guide! She made special arrangements to get us into chateau that weren't open when we were in the area. Most of the small towns we went through on our rides were closed up during the hours we were there (12-2) making it a challenge to find points of interest beyond the scenery. We did go to a lovely Goat Cheese Shop and did a great cheese tasting. It would be good to add a wine tasting in Sanserre to the itinerary of this trip.

The staff on the Clair de Lune were fantastic, funny and hard working. The food was beautifully prepared, nutritious and delicious. I enjoyed the visit to goat cheese farm, moving through the locks, exploring beautiful old towns and traveling in a bridge canal over the Loire River. A couple of days were less interesting. Don’t forget your rain jacket.

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.