3 star rated Germany Bike Tour Reviews 1 to 30 of 46
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Along the Danube-Passau-Belgrade-Vienna aboard the Primadonna
by Brian O. 4 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe boat and staff were nice.
Food was plentiful and good
Our hotel the night before did not have our registration, very difficult to get anyone on a phone
The people we picked up the bikes from were surly and just plain painful
The bike was the same weight as a Sherman tank
The boat was poorly equipped for handling bikes although the crew worked hard to make it less painful
We never had enough time to ride and see the sights, we were always under the gun to get back to the boat
Really thought we were going to be able to sit and have lunches and drinks and see all the sights during our rides
As it turned out there was only one day where we weren’t in a deadly hurray and even that day we had 20 minutes to drink a beer at a local outside bar
Came back in the dark often, dangerous
Directions we revived sucked! Language interpretation was always an issue
The boat was often not where we expected it to be when we returned
Read more… >Still enjoyed my vacation but it could have been so much betterBoat: Primadonna
Along the Danube - Passau to Vienna
by Ronald B. 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerWe thoroughly enjoyed our cycling trip , the sceneries were absolutely beautiful.
We were disappointed to learn , three days prior to our departure from Canada, the MS Arlene 11 was in repairs and not be ready for our departure date.Trip Site offered alternatives,using the same route the group were accommodated in hotels along the way .The group did NOT have any representatives at any hotels from Trip Site except a very brief meeting on our very first night.We were basically left on our own , with somewhat mediocre instructions to and from city hotels.
Allowing for a scénario that was beyond their controls, we would have appreciated TripSite going further to assure the comfort and reliability in this unfortunate incident.Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Karen J. 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMost Memorable Part: Getting lost the second day!
No guide and I heard all were getting lost!Boat: Normandie
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Bonnie B. 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerRiding along the Danube offered many beautiful vistas. The bikes were great, the seats very comfortable, which made for a nice ride. We met some fun people on board although a greater mix of English speaking to German speaking would have been even better. Suggestions as mentioned to Tripsite staff would be to make this tour guided (the entire group of 100 passengers were lost on several days which minimized the opportunity to make it to some of the sites), to include ferries in the pricing, so that passengers aren't always searching to make sure they have cash (our previous trip included the ferries so wasn't an issue.), and the excursions were sometimes canceled so these could also be improved. All in all we had fun and the cabin staff took great care of our rooms...I'd make a different selection though next time.
Boat: Normandie
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Sally 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis is my 3rd bike/boat tour, and the 1st unguided. I love to travel this way. But the number of people on the boat -- 100 -- were just too many for the crew to serve in any special way. The food and accommodations were excellent. The cruise director and schedule were below average. Out of 7 days, there were 4 days of biking -- 3 of these were spectacular along the Danube. The Wachau ride was simply stunning. However, the ride around Bratislava featured few, if any, interesting attractions, and many of us got lost. The cruise director suggested stopping at a restaurant as a highlight of the day -- but the restaurant was not in operation. The briefings for English speakers were later than those for the Germans and we were then constrained by the boat schedule in the afternoon -- making at least 2 of the biking days a dash to finish the ride and get back on time -- not leisurely and not affording us to stop much. All the staff on the boat work really hard and it shows. But I prefer a Read more… guided tour with a smaller group and boat for better biking and a better overall experience.Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Jennifer S. 5 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe journey and visiting the 4 capitols was the best.
However too many people on the boat - the noise level in the dining room was excessive. The cruise director was obnoxious especially towards women and favored the Germans on the boat. Our group of 18 was split into 3 tables and we always sat with the same people. Never mixed with other groups.Boat: Carissima
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Cathy 6 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis is my 3rd trip with Tripsite and they do a good job...but the instructions to the boat were a tad misleading. If there are detours/changes, I believe they should keep on top of that and be sure to report to their customers.The bike ride was amazing. The scenery was like all the other reviews stated......I would NOT recommend the ride in Vienna or Budapest; way to much traffic. The crew was not customer focused. The cruise director/bike tour director, Monica, was often short and rude to passengers. Unlike the other 2 trips I took, the crew was not welcoming or eager to help. There were a few in housekeeping and wait staff that were nice. The captain was cold and never engaged at all with the passengers. This is NOT a tripsite issue but this crew needed a kick in the pants from above to treat the passages better........recommend the trip but I hope you don't get this negative crew.....
Boat: Normandie
Along the Danube-Iron Gates
by Wendy R. 6 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis is a great way to see four capital cities (Bratislava, Belgrade, Budapest and Vienna as well as get in 10 days of cycling! It's also fairly low mileage (less than 35 miles per day) but training to prepare is still a must. The scenery is very nice and it is about half on roads - mostly slower village streets. The group of people we dined with and rode with were all terrific and we all worked together to find our way since our tour was unguided. The days when you visit the cities can be a little overwhelming - so my advice is to pick one or two things you really want to see beforehand and focus on getting to those. At least in the summer the crowds were large in Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. As for boat living - the dinners were tasty and served by a friendly staff each evening but I'm vegetarian so I had much more of a struggle with getting any protein. I would have also appreciated a little variety with the breakfasts and lunches. My advice also is to avoid Read more… the hotter weather months like July or August - we had days of over 90 degrees which made cycling tough - but the Theodor Korner is not well air conditioned either. Overall it was a nice trip and certainly the staff was terrific!Boat: Theodor Körner
Metz to Cochem or Cochem to Metz
by Allen A. 6 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe barge and crew were amazing as were the bike guides. I would not change a thing.
However . . . the bikes were horrid and it was a bike trip! They were dated . . . poorly maintained . . . and dangerous. I had a piece of my front fender break and get stuck between my spokes in the front tire. I could have been badly injured if not going so slow through construction. I would think a "bike" trip would offer much better bikes in the future. I would not recommend this trip to friends because of the bikes . . . everything else was top notch . . . the food, the staff, the rooms, the bar . . . too bad about the bikes not meeting expectations.
Boat: Iris
Heidelberg to Koblenz
by janet a. 7 months ago Verified ReviewerBest part: Route we rode. Some of the small towns and countryside.
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Donna G. 8 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerBest Part: Interactions with passengers from around the world
Boat: Arlene II
Mainz to Strasbourg or Strasbourg to Mainz
by Geraldine D. 8 months ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerWe really liked the MS Arkona, the staff and our F&B head mgr. Routes were Ok, but need better route descriptions esp for English speakers. Electric bikes were excellent! Def the better way to really enjoy the ride!
Around Lake Constance
by Janis B. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe scenery, hotels and food were great. People were very friendly. The maps for this self-guided trip around Lake Constance were not detailed enough, did not provide information for intersections and turns. We had many times that we did not which way to go. Definitely need better maps.
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Estela B. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis is a great tour, with wonderful cities to visit and scenic bike rides. The barge was perfect, great food and service. We enjoyed the evening music and dancing very much. A heat wave happened while we were there, so we had a great time on the sun deck
I was not as happy with the bikes. I was in charge of a group of 25 and at least 6 of them had bike issues: brakes that worked only in the front or back, e-bikes that only assisted when pedaling at full throttle, and more. Even though we reported this, and we were told they would fix the bikes, in reality the bikes were not repaired by the next day, and it took time and effort to get them replaced. I expected more from Rad & Reisen, the bike company. Also there was very little instruction on how to use the e-bikes. My suggestion is to have a person at the dock on the first day to give a 10 minute one-on-one instruction on the e-bike and make the person do a little test ride. It was not as intuitive how to use them if you Read more… never have done it.
Another issue that could have been better is a bigger, clearer map on how to get to the path from the barge location. That part is usually the hardest.
All that said, it was still a nice, memorable trip.Boat: Carissima
Danube Bike Path - Passau to Vienna
by Florence B. 1 year ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis is a great ride, if you use the right company. We used Tripsite, who contracted Austria Radreisen, not the company to use. We were told that Austria Redreisen would meet us at the hotel in Passau the day before the trip was to start...they did not show( a competitor company, Donau, spent 2 hours with their clients, in our hotel). We tried to contact Austria Radreisen at their 'emergency' number...no one answer/no answering machine. The day the tour was to start, they delivered two bikes which were extremely heavy, and with 7 speed changers....we had specifically ordered 21 speed hybrids. The bikes were delivered by the person who picked up the suitcases, and we were told by him that he had no knowledge of how the bikes worked...we were on our own to figure them out. In spite of being in good physical condition, we found the bikes very difficult to use, as they would not coast. After 2 days with the heavy bikes, we had to take a day off as we were exhausted. Read more… Thanks to the help of a receptionist at the Courtyard Marriot in Linz, the company delivered replacement 21 speed hybrids(which we should have received in the first place) at our next hotel (we had to take the train to get there), which we used with no problems the rest of the way. The hotels provided by the company were excellent, and the travel maps adequate. We certainly will not go with this company again when we plan our next bike tour.Mainz to Strasbourg or Strasbourg to Mainz
by Brad W. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMuch of the bike ride was difficult to navigate. Signs on the road are not always clear. Expected more country rides but much of the bike ride was through cities with many vehicles (somewhat dangerous). If we elect to travel with Tripsite again, we will do more research to determine ease of navigation along the bike route and how much of the route is through traffic.
Boat: Arlene II
Along the Danube-Iron Gates
by Mary R. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe cruise through the iron gate was a highlight of this trip. Cruise director did a great job throughout the cruise. Weather was much warmer than average and many days of biking were at 90 degrees F on roads and trails with little cover or shade so were somewhat more difficult than anticipated. It was a great experience but people need to be aware that most of the riding in the Eastern European countries are on the side of roads sometimes without a bike lane and there was some traffic.
Tauber River Valley Romantic Road
by Terrence Z. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThis potentially could be a great tour but it was not a great tour for us. The tour guide book was in German which we do not read, thus we wasted a lot of time every day being lost! Also, the provided bikes were not of the best quality, and pedaling them was not easy! The hotels were fine, but we would not recommend this tour unless you read German!
Mainz to Cologne
by JoAnn G. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe Rhine Valley is a wonder to bike and very enjoyable.
Boat: Arlene II
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Karen K. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMost Memorable Part: The last day of our trip we cycled through small towns and vineyards. Stopped at a beautiful small church and were able to hear the choir practicing. We (6 of us) will never forget that part of the trip.
Boat: Normandie
Ludwigsburg to Koblenz
by Robert E. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerCompared to previous tours, the Merlijn was very well organized on board, but maybe over-organized to the point it was less fun and spontaneous. Very low key with lots of rules - no partying for sure. Also, we found the food was very disappointing by comparison. Highlights included the actual cycling, with beautiful countrysides, storybook towns, the wine tour, etc and the cycling guide was excellent. We were also fortunate to have another good group on the tour which was both interesting and fun. All in all, a satisfactory trip.
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Barbara M. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerScenery que sheets needed to be more precise. Several of us got lost on our last day and therefore couldn't tour the Melk Abbey. I was very disappointed we ended up biking 50 miles instead of 26.
Boat: Carissima
Amsterdam to Cologne
by Gordon M. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerWe had an exceptional guide. He had a lot of local knowledge and often altered our route in order to extend our cycling experience.
Boat: Sailing Home
Mainz to Cologne
by Penny S. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerMy most memorable part of cycling along the Rhine River was seeing the beautiful country side hills with castles and fortresses and stopping for coffee and delicious baked goods in villages.
Boat: MS Andante
Bruges to Merzig
by Mona W. 2 years ago Verified ReviewerMost Memorable Part: The people on our tour were great. A bunch of fun people.
Boat: Quo Vadis
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Judee W. 2 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerRiding the Danube was the most memorable part. This trip was trying to do too many things for too many diverse folks at one time. A bike trip and a boat trip are different experiences. For biking, I think a smaller boat with more cycling is important. The staff worked hard with several languages, those who wanted to sun, those who wanted to tour cities, and those of us who wanted to bike: tough job. They did a great job, but for bikers, I think another option should be recommended. There was a great deal of confusion because of the diversity of activities. The cyclists actually lost a full day of cycling due to conflicts/changes/who knows? Descriptions of the next day's activities were very confusing, because they were trying to give instructions for a variety of different folks. We were always wondering, confused about our ride instructions for the next day. Thank goodness for the bike guides who tried their best to keep us informed!
Boat: Carissima
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Deborah M. 3 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerBiking through the wine country around Melk. The villages were amazing and the people were friendly. I'm only 5'2" and the bike's weren't a good fit for me I needed a smaller frame but none were available. The bike I was given for the 1st day of riding was in very poor condition which made the first 27 mile ride rather uncomfortable but several people complained and the staff fixed the bikes. Make sure you get on your bike the 1st day as early as they will let you so there is time for fixes if needed before the boat leaves and you need to ride off on your first journey.
Boat: Carissima
Prague to Dresden - A Tale of Two Rivers
by Ileana G. 3 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerThe visit to Strekov castle was one of the more memorable moments. We had time to explore the ruins. Otherwise, we did not stop anywhere for long. The other spot where we stopped for a while was Terezin, site of a Nazi concentration camp. At Pillnitz castle near Dresden, we were given 15 or 20 minutes to tour the gardens if we wished. Overall, the pace was fast and the trip felt a little rushed. The description of the ride as easy is a little inaccurate. There were some hills to contend with, especially on the first day. I would have liked a little more free time in the pretty towns of Melnik and Litomerice. Most accommodations had no air conditioning, and it was very hot when I made the trip in late July-early August.
Bavarian Lakes
by Brad T. 3 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerRiding through southern Bavaria was simply beautiful. Murnau, Garmisch and Wallgau were amazing towns. The route that this ride took was perfect, if only the bikes were better. Close to a third of this trip was on gravel/dirt roads, with a few decent climbs, and the heavy clunky bikes definitely took away from the enjoyment. This was my second trip through Tripsite, but I would be hesitant to do it again or recommend it to others simply because of how bad the bikes are.
Along the Danube - Four Country Tour
by Steve C. 3 years ago Permalink/Reply Verified ReviewerWhile the scenery was wonderful, I don't think that I could recommend this type travel to someone who would like to take more time to see the sites. This tour, just in my opinion, is much better suited for someone prioritizing cycling over site seeing. I (and some others in my group) discussed how there was a "rushed" feeling to the trip. That being said, the itinerary is posted online for all to make an informed decision. Lastly, there was almost a sense that we, the customers, were an inconvenience to many of the staff until the second to last day when there was an announcement that a tipping envelope would be left in each cabin. Staff personalities completely changed for the better on the last day and a half. This opinion was quietly shared by most of us who had done this type of tour numerous times before.